Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bauglir]

It is surprisingly hard to make a time travel system which is both interesting and cannot be exploited for free stuff.

But one of the most interesting aspects of time travel is exploiting it for free stuff!

What're you trying to do with it, though? That can influence what makes sense a lot. Also, write down a list of things you need to prohibit, specifically, and make sure that there isn't a concept other than time travel that suits whatever you're working on without screwing those up. Like if you just want exploration of worlds at various tech levels, you could use alternate worlds that aren't sequential along a timeline anyway.

[Sergarr]

It is surprisingly hard to make a time travel system which is both interesting and cannot be exploited for free stuff.

But one of the most interesting aspects of time travel is exploiting it for free stuff!

What're you trying to do with it, though? That can influence what makes sense a lot. Also, write down a list of things you need to prohibit, specifically, and make sure that there isn't a concept other than time travel that suits whatever you're working on without screwing those up. Like if you just want exploration of worlds at various tech levels, you could use alternate worlds that aren't sequential along a timeline anyway.

I'm trying to achieve the tactically useful kind of time travel (so 3-4 minutes maximum time length).
My personal inspiration for that is the game Achron. Unfortunately there are ways in that game to exploit the timewave mechanics to permaclone units, which is not good™ from the causal (and balancing!) perspective. And I've been trying to modify them so these exploits may no longer be possible.
Unfortunately, it seems like the only way to do that is to make time travel work inversely and on projected future (so no true ontological paradoxes).

But this may be good enough for what I need.

[PyroDesu]

It is surprisingly hard to make a time travel system which is both interesting and cannot be exploited for free stuff.

But one of the most interesting aspects of time travel is exploiting it for free stuff!

What're you trying to do with it, though? That can influence what makes sense a lot. Also, write down a list of things you need to prohibit, specifically, and make sure that there isn't a concept other than time travel that suits whatever you're working on without screwing those up. Like if you just want exploration of worlds at various tech levels, you could use alternate worlds that aren't sequential along a timeline anyway.

I'm trying to achieve the tactically useful kind of time travel (so 3-4 minutes maximum time length).
My personal inspiration for that is the game Achron. Unfortunately there are ways in that game to exploit the timewave mechanics to permaclone units, which is not good™ from the causal (and balancing!) perspective. And I've been trying to modify them so these exploits may no longer be possible.
Unfortunately, it seems like the only way to do that is to make time travel work inversely and on projected future (so no true ontological paradoxes).

But this may be good enough for what I need.

There's a game I've played (Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics, it's online and free (for the most part. I think.)) with similar ability. Except that, if you try it, both copies of the unit are permanently erased from the timeline. If you build units in the future you can access, you can send them back. But not vice-versa (unless the unit in question would have broken down by the point in the future you access), and you can't do it with units that exist in the present timeline that also exist in the future timeline, but upgraded.

[Sergarr]

It is surprisingly hard to make a time travel system which is both interesting and cannot be exploited for free stuff.

But one of the most interesting aspects of time travel is exploiting it for free stuff!

What're you trying to do with it, though? That can influence what makes sense a lot. Also, write down a list of things you need to prohibit, specifically, and make sure that there isn't a concept other than time travel that suits whatever you're working on without screwing those up. Like if you just want exploration of worlds at various tech levels, you could use alternate worlds that aren't sequential along a timeline anyway.

I'm trying to achieve the tactically useful kind of time travel (so 3-4 minutes maximum time length).
My personal inspiration for that is the game Achron. Unfortunately there are ways in that game to exploit the timewave mechanics to permaclone units, which is not good™ from the causal (and balancing!) perspective. And I've been trying to modify them so these exploits may no longer be possible.
Unfortunately, it seems like the only way to do that is to make time travel work inversely and on projected future (so no true ontological paradoxes).

But this may be good enough for what I need.

There's a game I've played with similar ability. Except that, if you try it, both copies of the unit are permanently erased from the timeline. if you build units in the future you can access, you can send them back. But not vice-versa, and you can't do it with units that exist in the present timeline that also exist in the future timeline, but upgraded.

This sounds interesting, can you please tell me the name of this game?

[PyroDesu]

It is surprisingly hard to make a time travel system which is both interesting and cannot be exploited for free stuff.

But one of the most interesting aspects of time travel is exploiting it for free stuff!

What're you trying to do with it, though? That can influence what makes sense a lot. Also, write down a list of things you need to prohibit, specifically, and make sure that there isn't a concept other than time travel that suits whatever you're working on without screwing those up. Like if you just want exploration of worlds at various tech levels, you could use alternate worlds that aren't sequential along a timeline anyway.

I'm trying to achieve the tactically useful kind of time travel (so 3-4 minutes maximum time length).
My personal inspiration for that is the game Achron. Unfortunately there are ways in that game to exploit the timewave mechanics to permaclone units, which is not good™ from the causal (and balancing!) perspective. And I've been trying to modify them so these exploits may no longer be possible.
Unfortunately, it seems like the only way to do that is to make time travel work inversely and on projected future (so no true ontological paradoxes).

But this may be good enough for what I need.

There's a game I've played with similar ability. Except that, if you try it, both copies of the unit are permanently erased from the timeline. if you build units in the future you can access, you can send them back. But not vice-versa, and you can't do it with units that exist in the present timeline that also exist in the future timeline, but upgraded.

This sounds interesting, can you please tell me the name of this game?

Edited in, it's Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics. Fair warning - I believe the game is long defunct, but still playable, and I don't know whether the actual time-jumping got put in, only that that's how they planned to use it.

[Sergarr]

There is literally zero information about the game in the internets. Wow. I am impressed.

I can't even find out WHEN it was made.

[Bauglir]

Hm, a straightforward strategy might be to implement some sort of Paradox mechanics that punish the player for creating temporal paradoxes. Maybe attract the violent attention of powerful timestream-dwelling monsters, random explosions popping up around the battlefield, etc. Then have those trigger if the player doesn't use the command for the subject to travel back in time within an appropriate time frame. The effect should focus on eliminating the paradox duplicate that came from the future, but if you're feeling particularly classy you can randomize the collateral damage enough that it might be deliberately used in case of Dramatic Last Stand as a high-risk maneuver.

[PyroDesu]

There is literally zero information about the game in the internets. Wow. I am impressed.

I can't even find out WHEN it was made.

The first bit of news info on the website itself is from 2005. The last is in 2007. Too bad the forums are completely defunct, there might've been more solid information there.

[KingofstarrySkies]

I raged at how many goddamn things are in my Updated Topics. It's so laborious to read through all that shit. I usually just click MARK ALL READ but then I feel bad.

Stupid, stupid me! STOP POSTING IN RANDOM PLACES YOU TWAT

[Sergarr]

Hm, a straightforward strategy might be to implement some sort of Paradox mechanics that punish the player for creating temporal paradoxes. Maybe attract the violent attention of powerful timestream-dwelling monsters, random explosions popping up around the battlefield, etc. Then have those trigger if the player doesn't use the command for the subject to travel back in time within an appropriate time frame. The effect should focus on eliminating the paradox duplicate that came from the future, but if you're feeling particularly classy you can randomize the collateral damage enough that it might be deliberately used in case of Dramatic Last Stand as a high-risk maneuver.

I've watched too many Achron replays to know that the players will always find a way to game a system no matter how many anti gaming mechanics you put in.

[Sergarr]

Hm, a straightforward strategy might be to implement some sort of Paradox mechanics that punish the player for creating temporal paradoxes. Maybe attract the violent attention of powerful timestream-dwelling monsters, random explosions popping up around the battlefield, etc. Then have those trigger if the player doesn't use the command for the subject to travel back in time within an appropriate time frame. The effect should focus on eliminating the paradox duplicate that came from the future, but if you're feeling particularly classy you can randomize the collateral damage enough that it might be deliberately used in case of Dramatic Last Stand as a high-risk maneuver.

I've watched too many Achron replays to know that the players will always find a way to game a system no matter how many anti gaming mechanics you put in.

Why would you want to put anti-gaming mechanics in a game?
 

Damn you ambiguous meaning words!

And regarding the *Dramatic Last Stand* I just know that people will specifically provoke such things via the cheapest units possible on the enemy base.

[Helgoland]

Yup, at least that was the first thought that popped into my head.

[Yoink]

My foot is still hurting when I use it. In fact I think it's getting worse.
Maybe I actually broke/fractured it or something.

[Bauglir]

Hm, a straightforward strategy might be to implement some sort of Paradox mechanics that punish the player for creating temporal paradoxes. Maybe attract the violent attention of powerful timestream-dwelling monsters, random explosions popping up around the battlefield, etc. Then have those trigger if the player doesn't use the command for the subject to travel back in time within an appropriate time frame. The effect should focus on eliminating the paradox duplicate that came from the future, but if you're feeling particularly classy you can randomize the collateral damage enough that it might be deliberately used in case of Dramatic Last Stand as a high-risk maneuver.

I've watched too many Achron replays to know that the players will always find a way to game a system no matter how many anti gaming mechanics you put in.

Why would you want to put anti-gaming mechanics in a game?
 

Damn you ambiguous meaning words!

And regarding the *Dramatic Last Stand* I just know that people will specifically provoke such things via the cheapest units possible on the enemy base.

Hm... in that case, can you build in a mechanic to reward people for sending units back in time to fulfill their personal timelines? Maybe tie it to leveling units or something? I mean, personally, I'd see this as an opportunity to make a game specifically about exploiting this kind of nonsense. Makes the time travel more than just a gimmick, but ymmv. I'm not sure what I'd actually do to make it happen, anyway.

[kisame12794]

AUGH. The little dangly thing at the back of my throat(uvula?) is inflamed and sore and it feels like a have something in my throat so I swallow and swallowing is pain. And I don't know if it's because I have an infection, or because it's been rubbing against my tongue all day.