View Single Post
Unread 27 Oct 2003, 15:51   #3
wakey
Hamster
 
wakey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Crewe, England
Posts: 3,606
wakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like himwakey is an inspiration to us all and we should try to be more like him
Re: improving the gaming experience not the game mechanics.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Browolf
  1. Timeframe. Whilst ticks help us know what's going on when, they hardly fire the imagination. This *is* the genre of science fiction and helps to have a timeframe. It's doesnt matter whether it has some basis in reality or is completely made up. The most important thing is that previous rounds clearly took place in the past and future rounds in the future.
    A round can then be called e.g. Age of the whatever, Using the world 'Age' indicates the round is a specific time period in the pa timeline. Each round becomes a subsequent period in this timeline. I not saying get rid of the concept of ticks, just give it more meaning. e.g. like saying 24 hours represents 24 days.
    90 rl days would be 2160 game days. the tick then can be like <age><year><day> pt x we still have the pt for the game mechanics, the rest for the timeframe.
    This leads to...
  1. Interesting idea although I think the wording might need changed, after all 'Age' seems a little medieval or fantasy based rather than that of the sci-fi genre

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Browolf
  2. History. A new player joining the game can be inspired by the history of the timeline. This is a game of galactic battles afterall. Alliances come and go, many stay dominant throught the rounds All alliances have some history, a new player may join smaller less pro alliances but feeling a part of something that can has history no matter how small the role has got to be good for keeping people playing. Even as an existing player I'd sure like to know what actually happened in previous rounds.
  3. The problem with trying to compose an alliance history (as has been seen in the past) is that no-one agrees with others accounts of history. For example I could easily throw together a history of F-Crew and our 'interaction' with other alliances but you can guarantee that people who have been members of alliances we have had run ins with would disagree. Scouse for example still has this idea that his alliance (think it was ImpA) successfully destroyed a number of F-Crew HC?s, including me on a raid one night, however we strongly deny this as we had no incoming that night and most importantly the planets he claimed to have attacked didn't have any ships at base as we were out on a number of attacks (was in the middle of the WaC ? F-Crew war when every ship we had was hitting a WaC target or defending a concentrated attack on one of our members)

    I could go on and list 30+ separate incidents including F-Crew where there?s been a public disagreement either on forums or on IRC and that's just one alliance who hasn?t been a threat and hasn?t done much but to try and survive day by day since r4 so imagine how many alliance like Fury, legion ect would have disagreements on. Now which side do you go onto believe and take down as history?


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Browolf
  4. News. History works in the long term, but we need news within the rounds. Alliances rankings goes someway towards this but we need more. Something like a daily newservice detailing what's happening across the galaxy. I may be in a top10 alliance but frankly I dont really know whats going on. Sure i can read the noticeboards, but it seems more unsubstantiated rumours than actual facts. I dont want to have to spend hours reading nonsense to gain some small idea about who's doing what. I suspect n00b players have even less idea. The whole point is to feel part of the universe even if you are out in the sticks so to speak. With the new alliance parts of the game it should be possible to have some analysis of alliance fleet movements and gains and losses. That can be written into Daily news. Each alliance should have an ambassador who can speak for the alliance Daily news can feature actual facts, some rumours and reported alliance retoric.
  5. This is an old idea. The original idea was to have a page in the style of a newspaper which would update with news on battles ect that had happened in the last 24 hours. The problem was trying to find a way to implement it. Now a basic template where each day planet names, ship amounts ect could be placed into automatically was something that was possible but it was something that would have quickly lost appeal as every day it would be basically the same just with different planets mentioned. Each issue needs to be more unique but that would require quotes ect from those involved and to do this automatically wouldn?t be the most simple thing to organise and as such is was deemed too difficult to implement without adding to the game.

    Now if someone can come up with a way for it to work I?m sure it might get listened to again but until then its something that's a none starter.


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Browolf
  6. Races. Races are all wrong. In generic sci-fi, alliances are made up of a given number of specific races. In this light, what we have as races should be jobs, or racial specialisation. E.g. Cathaar are good on research so they'd be scientists. Ruler of planet should be ruler of race. so e.g. Lord bob of the babylonians and the babylonians
    being a race of scientists. Then alliances are made up of separate races. which makes a lot more sense. It's easier to sell a sensible idea than an abstract one. It may even be of use to desigate alliances as good, neutral, evil to further enlarge the scene.
  7. tbh I'm having a little trouble understanding this point. Are you saying we would choose a job type (Soldiers, Scientists ect) and then come up with our own race name rather than a planet name?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Browolf
  8. Promotion. The ideas detailed are all about providing meaning and sense to the game which enables it to be promoted better to the general public and gaming population and for keeping players in the game. Their imagination can be fired. With these ideas we can say something like: (i have made the details up)

    "Planetarion: Age of the Tiger (round 11)
    The Age of the Unicorn has passed, the galactic battles have finally subsided. A peace established but the darkness has returned, the pirates of Fang with their allies the Dragons have conquered the universe after many years of Intense battles with alliances such as Elysium, Eclipse and Wolfpack and skirmishes with many other alliances. In the coming age the battle between good and evil will begin anew, forces, friends and enemies will be renewed. Are you up to joining the struggle?

    Planetarion is a game of alliances: Join a team, make a stand, fight the good fight, make a difference."


    it's no good saying all this without the promoting imagination within the game. If they get here and find an cold clinical game, feeling alone, being bashed, not knowing thats happening on a universal scale, they are hardly gonna stay long.

    I'm not saying that opportunities dont exist, alliances do welcome new members, but all in all it seems a lot of luck is required, being in the right place at the right time, knowing people in the game already, randomly getting into a good galaxy, being confident to go out and find the opportunities.
Not much to say here apart from I liked the whole backstory idea
__________________
Wakey
PD and Suggestions Moderator
Co-founder of [F-Crew]
The Farnborough Crew
Cos anything else is just an alliance
Join our public channel at #f-crew
wakey is offline   Reply With Quote