Print

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

[Trollheiming]

The failsafe would be really easy. Simply set a limit to the number of XP you can gain in a single battle (15 for weapons, 10 for shields, engines and piloting).

Yes, it is pretty bad game design, but its not like its the end of the world.

The problem is merely gains on success, which breed more success, which breed more gains.

The proper way to skill up is on skill failures, so that as you succeed more, gains become less frequent and harder challenges must be sought. Swear to god there's one or two lines of code where this can be changed. Instead of hits, gain on the misses.

[hemmingjay]

The failsafe would be really easy. Simply set a limit to the number of XP you can gain in a single battle (15 for weapons, 10 for shields, engines and piloting).

Yes, it is pretty bad game design, but its not like its the end of the world.

The problem is merely gains on success, which breed more success, which breed more gains.

The proper way to skill up is on skill failures, so that as you succeed more, gains become less frequent and harder challenges must be sought. Swear to god there's one or two lines of code where this can be changed. Instead of hits, gain on the misses.

This is the smartest programming idea I have heard in a while. Do you mind if I steal it?

[Torham]

The game is complex enough for some brilliant emergent stories. This is one of my games:

In the first few missions I have lost one of the crew members in an away mission. We were exploring some abandoned space station. We suddenly realized its abandoned because of some sort of virulent disease break out. The away team hastily pulled out, but not before on of our crew members died of the disease. The ship was down to 2 crew members and seriously undermanned. This meant that we were taking quite a beating and even an easy encounters turned out for us a challenging fight.
 Despite this, the ship was surviving and progressing, but we couldn't find anyone willing to join our crew. Than a disaster struck. While battling a pirate raider, one of his missiles scored direct hit into our shield generator room, killing another of my crew. This left me with just the captain manning the entire ship alone.
 Still, amazingly he was surviving, because since he was alone, I was just leaving most of the hull depressurized to fight fire and invaders. After one FTL jump I have came across a destroyed outpost. There was no enemies in sight, but the sensors picked up a life signature onboard, and a quite lot of fire. By this time the ship was in a bad shape and I knew I will probably not make it out alive. I decided to board the  outpost and try to locate some survivors. I have found one Engi alive, but on the way back tot he ship, the captain was engulfed by flames and died on the spot. The ship was crewless, and I was expecting end game.
 But amazingly the Engi, after witnessing the heroic death of the lonely captain, decided to continue his quest to aid the federation. He could have just took the ship and flown away. Since he was an engi, he was excellent in repairing the ship and was actually better at running it than my old captain. Moreover since I was passing through Engi space, there was a lot of helpful allies and my Engi was receiving a lot of help and support. In a short time the ship was massively upgraded, repaired, refueled and equipped with brand new weapon systems. I had so much stuff to spare, that I could afford to help out stranded ships and stations under attack. All the while the ship was running on a single crew member - Engi that my late captain rescued at the cost of his own life.
He made it quite a journey, but sadly, recklessly jumped straight into an Ion storm and with most onboard systems knocked offline the ship was destroyed by a rebel scout.

[Akhier the Dragon hearted]

@Trollheiming
I am sorry to burst your bubble but that would not remove the grind but instead make it longer.

[cerapa]

First playthrough, easy mode. Got 3 ships(Zoltan cruisah), lost no crew members, beat the boss. Fun game.

[Simmura McCrea]

I have no idea how to unlock other ships. D: I got the Engi cruiser on my first run (yay easy mode) but haven't seen hide nor hair of the others. Thought I had the Federation cruiser a few times, then I learned that the boss has a second form and that the second form's a bastard. I also never seem to have enough scrap to unlock the cloaking system and have non-starting stats in anything else. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.

[Dutchling]

I have no idea how to unlock other ships. D: I got the Engi cruiser on my first run (yay easy mode) but haven't seen hide nor hair of the others. Thought I had the Federation cruiser a few times, then I learned that the boss has a second form and that the second form's a bastard. I also never seem to have enough scrap to unlock the cloaking system and have non-starting stats in anything else. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.

This pretty much describes me playing this game and losing horribly.

[jocan2003]

Hell it's not even what I'd call a game design issue, it's an exploit. Not some deep fault in the core design and systems of the game.

I dont quite understand the distinction though. Exploits are applications of bad design.

   Is the quantum stockpile an exploit in Dwarf Fortress or is it bad design? That is something I can say is an exploit though you may have a different opinion and there is the rub. The difference tends to be based on opinion when it comes to these things so there is no line in the sand, just your own feelings. For FTL I am going to say its an exploit that you can grind skill because that is not what the system was designed for nor intended for. It would not surprise me that if the exploit is used to create a lot of inflated scores that if would be patched in some way.

There is a difference in an exploit that is more considered as utility than an exploit that give you unfair advantage.

[Ivefan]

The proper way to skill up is on skill failures, so that as you succeed more, gains become less frequent and harder challenges must be sought. Swear to god there's one or two lines of code where this can be changed. Instead of hits, gain on the misses.

This is the smartest programming idea I have heard in a while. Do you mind if I steal it?

I seem to recall that Ultima Online had a variant of this.

[Charmander]

I have no idea how to unlock other ships. D: I got the Engi cruiser on my first run (yay easy mode) but haven't seen hide nor hair of the others. Thought I had the Federation cruiser a few times, then I learned that the boss has a second form and that the second form's a bastard. I also never seem to have enough scrap to unlock the cloaking system and have non-starting stats in anything else. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.

Homeworld systems are distinct for a reason, especially if you have the corresponding species on your roster.

[LoSboccacc]

can you distinguish them from the start position or just one jump before?

[Haspen]

Homeworld sectors are promptly described as such before you warp into such sector

[10ebbor10]

Spoiler: Possible spoiler (click to show/hide)

Crystal rockmen(or whatever they are called) are fun. The lockdown ability is especially usefull against boarders, and the fact that they have a resistance against aphixation is fun too.

[jhxmt]

Man, finally managed to get to

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

the third form of the final boss - but I was down to a single bar of health, and all the repair stations and stores were blocked off by the rebels.  Tried to take the flagship on, but my ship crumbled to its end.    Poor little Engi ship.  I should've timed that cloak better.

[GlyphGryph]

The only good thing about the grindy gamey sitting around is that characters can only get two levels in a skill anyways, so it takes about 3 minutes. If I find a situation where I can do so, I just go make myself a snack and drink.

Also, someone mentioned increased scrap collection with teleporter earlier. I'm experimenting right now with the other ways to do that as well. Disabling their weapons and taking down their oxygen system works, but it's certainly slow. Hmm...

Also, I think I'm calling this Genre "Strange-like" myself. It's a lot closer to Strange Adventures than Rogue.