Transportation changes + store moves

Post by **Ryme** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:16 pm

As part of the transportation revamp, I had to rearrange a few of the stores. Most notably, the hospital and police station couldn't stay downtown or nobody would be able to get to Rand for his quests.

So:
Hospital -> University
Police station -> Somerset (kinda -- more in a second)
Electronics store -> University
Joiner's Club -> Bayside
Military Surplus -> Bayside
Used car lot -> Seedy Casinos

Regarding the police station, there's a bit of narrative change. Rand starts out in the Somerset PD, but at the point that you finish the level 5 quest (casinos) Rand gets a promotion and moves downtown to the main headquarters. I realize that may be a bit confusing to folks, so I've added a note in your journal as a reminder if you haven't started the level 6 quest yet. For everyone else, here's a little taste of retroactive continuity for ya.

Post by **Ryme** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:55 pm

As a matter of fact, Susan DOES have connections outside the university. The next quest is likely to bring those to light.

Post by **Ryme** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:05 pm

It's not really related, but I also took some steps to hide a couple of the Somerset zones until you gain a level or two. Part of the goal here is to reduce somewhat the large array of options given to newbies, on top of the goal of increasing strategizing. The groans of pain I've heard from some players about the upper limits of range confirm that I'm providing you all healthy, difficult, interesting choices.

TheK3vin · Post by **TheK3vin** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:04 am

Even when I thought I was gonna have to get my hands on a jetpack, I was still happy to see you expanding this particular underused content vector, as Jick would say. Though at the same time you've made things way more complicated for farmers who have to figure out now if they'll have to move back to the cube, and then how to keep clockwork ant totals up, and all sorts of annoying problems -_- I mean, couldn't you have at least let us finish spading the castle?

So yeah. Love the new stuff!

Post by **Ryme** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:08 pm

It moved to the casinos. It's noted on the front page of the game, but I'll add it to the list here.

Cristiona · Post by **Cristiona** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:25 pm

TheK3vin wrote:Though at the same time you've made things way more complicated for farmers who have to figure out now if they'll have to move back to the cube

Seriously? The 2PP from the Luxura was that critical to farming? It takes 10 seconds and less than 1000 chips worth of gear to make the range 5 car. Hardly what I'd call "complicated".

zillow · Post by **zillow** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:33 pm

No, I think K3v was talking about the new car with (spoiler?), because it can't reach the mountains but it can reach the theater.

Cristiona · Post by **Cristiona** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:43 pm

Oh. That.

I thought choices were a good thing

MagiNinjA · Post by **MagiNinjA** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:46 pm

You can't give anyone everything. It just wouldn't be fair.

Muhandes · Post by **Muhandes** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:16 am

I think I also sent a bug report about this, but I'm not sure Rand is fully aware of this change. He told me right after the level 1 quest that I might catch him in his downtown office which he was yet to be promoted to.

TheK3vin · Post by **TheK3vin** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:03 pm

Choices are only good when one of the two choices is clearly better.

Olaf · Post by **Olaf** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:55 pm

TheK3vin wrote:Choices are only good when one of the two choices is clearly better.

Then it's not really a choice, is it?

TheK3vin · Post by **TheK3vin** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:18 pm

And that's why they're good!

MagiNinjA · Post by **MagiNinjA** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:53 pm

I thought about what Olaf and K3v said, but I came to an odd conclusion. It may be just me, and while it has a solution, it's also sort of odd.

Clearly you want balanced choices where one side doesn't appear more advantageous without player's skill and/or situation. However, these kinds of situations are not particularly fun, I would think, because it's only a matter of optimization to determine the better path.

So what's really in a choice? What determines how much impact a decision in a choice has? Is there a way to use this fact to make TH more fun?

TheK3vin · Post by **TheK3vin** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:35 pm

You'd have to say exactly what kind of choice you're talking about. Because a game is defined as a game by choices. That's what makes them not a book, or a movie, or whatever. You'll have to be more specific if you want to get into any deep philosophical conversation here.

Olaf · Post by **Olaf** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:43 pm

I had somehing to say, but then typing it, I realized I was wrong on one point, and just weird on another, so I'll just say, might this discussion on choice be better in its own thread?

TheK3vin · Post by **TheK3vin** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:51 pm

Heh, only if it goes anywhere.

MagiNinjA · Post by **MagiNinjA** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:52 pm

Eh. Whatever.

And I mean by choices in a context of this game. Or similar webgames. There is less of a full game experience compared to, say, Left 4 Dead or Bioshock because it has much more fancy stuff (and a budget).

I'm not sure why you had to have me elaborate on this. This applies to just about anything. I'm targetting the very basis of choice.

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Transportation changes + store moves

Transportation changes + store moves

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