Messages

1

Suggestions / Re: Cover system

« on: March 19, 2013, 10:39:37 pm »

Well, an alternative that I can imagine working is a duck and cover or crouch ability, that increases your accuracy and dodge chance, but reduces your movement points to zero, and costs a certain number to activate/deactivate. Though this would require new anims, so I guess you could rename the ability to something that doesn't require you actually duck to use, but yeah, I'm just spitballing ideas at this point.

2

Suggestions / Cover system

« on: March 19, 2013, 09:45:17 pm »

While new animations would obviously make this ten times more awesome, my suggestion is much simpler. If there is an obstacle (obviously one you can see over) between you and the enemy, it gives debuffs to both you and their hit chance. This could be done with a pathing script, if the path is blocked, initiate debuffs, though I'm not entirely sure how one would determine whether it is low enough to see over, though if you could connect the first check with pathing, and the second with view distance, etc, that would make sense. Anyway, if a character is immediately next to the object in question (0 tile distance) then the debuff is removed. The debuff simply represents the chance of hitting the obstacle instead of the target.

3

Suggestions / Suggestion/question

« on: March 19, 2013, 09:41:33 pm »

This is partially a suggestion, but you have already answered it, so really it is an inquiry as to the source of your answer.

Why is it such a big deal to implement new animations to the game? The graphics, while detailed, are in a more classic style. I ask because i've seen people make small games  with similar graphics on their own, with many animations, so I'm only curious as to why it's so difficult here? Is it an engine limitation? Is it that it is not your area of expertise, and you do not have the money to hire people to do it for you? If that is the case, why not ask for volunteers? Simply making new animations wouldn't require much (if any) knowledge of the source code. I'm not critiquing you, simply curious, as I would REALLY love to see things like knockdowns, climbing, running, and various other things like that, and am wondering why they won't happen.

4

Suggestions / Re: Ideas for tactics

« on: March 19, 2013, 09:34:10 pm »

I just can't count the number of times I'm getting ganged up on, and it would have been really nice if I could have used a smoke bomb for a few turns to at least even the odds, then by the time it cleared, I'd at least have a fair fight, lol. Tactics aren't always a viable option when entering a room immediately initiates combat (referring to you, GMS trap door. >.>) Plus, escapes are always a more viable option then too, lol.

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Suggestions / Re: Thought Control Expanded

« on: March 19, 2013, 09:31:51 pm »

Well, to solve both your concerns, I will say this:

1) It's called thought control, so if you prefer, we make it less of a mind reading thing, and more of a jedi mind trick type deal, same exact system to the letter, only they say the things out loud as a confession to you, rather than think them to their selves. Now referring more to the mind trick option during some dialogue in the Knights of the Old Republic series. Get discounts at stores (small ones) and various other things.

2) While I could EASILY see it becoming OP, I also think this is easily avoidable. For one, psi doesn't regenerate, so you have to restore it using chems you buy/craft, and this particular skill would need to use quit a bit of psi points, and on that same note, you can't even do it until both your skill and/or will can top the check against the other characters, and you can make varying difficulties for different characters, so that merchants need almost a maxed out skill to get the discount, and even then it's only a "nice" discount, not a cheat, and it's merely another way to complete certain quests, while bigger deal quests would require a higher skill, you could also, in some cases, present the option, though when attempted, give an immersive message saying it will always be impossible. (these cases, and cases where the skill is not high enough would use either half psi points, or none at all, or, if the dev prefers, double, for the extra effort required to try so hard and fail) So yes, it can in some ways be OP, but there are many ways to balance it out, so that it's something of a gamble. The payoff COULD be great, or you could just waste a bunch of psi points, get possible debuffs for failing, or take neural damage for failing, or both, etc etc.

6

Suggestions / Thought Control Expanded

« on: March 18, 2013, 06:30:36 pm »

Mind Reading. This idea would require a LOT of text, but very little actual programming or new systems, but the ability to read minds using Thought Control. For most random people this would be random text, possibly humorous, or giving background. Like, you read someone's mind, and it's mostly useless, but interesting info about their lives or love interests, drug additions, crimes, worries, etc. But for other people, maybe you need to get info from someone and your skills aren't high enough to persuade them (or they simply can't be persuaded) you read their mind. This method could be used to get safe/door codes, key locations, item and stash locations, learn of waiting ambushes, but it's kind of a gamble, because you might not get any useful info, but would still spend your psi points. (Perhaps a higher cost if the info is more valuable?) I'm thinking something similar to Divinity 2. It's a very balanced system, just might not be easily implemented.

Basically, you have a list of generic text, could be anywhere between 50-500 lines (depends on how big the game is, and how many NPC's there are) and that's the generic stuff that will be given to random NPC's you can talk to, but don't really need to. It really depends on if the ability is accessed through dialogue or if it's a point and click ability. If the former, then it'll be a lot easier, as you can only use it on npc's you can engage in conversation, but the latter would require more lines (nearing the 500) to give to EVERY visible npc.

Anyway, then every time an important npc is created, or in general any npc with useful information (that doesn't require a huge quest to get) you don't give him any of the generic dialogue, but rather that important bit of info.

Obviously there can be a static check, perhaps your TC skill level to their will, or something, that determines if you can actually invade their mind or not, and the better the info or the stronger the will, the harder that check will be to meet. A message saying their will is too strong, or something, could pop up, and you know you need to simply find another way, or up your skill first.

This is a system you could put in that would not change the existing game by too much, and would provide interesting alternative ways to get information.

7

Suggestions / Ideas for tactics

« on: March 18, 2013, 06:19:56 pm »

Just a few gadgets and such that would be useful or generally fun to play with.

First, portable cameras. The system is already in place, so the ability to place a camera on the floor or something, and then access a screen in your inventory, and cycle through set up cameras would make moving about an enemy base undetected a bit easier. I would prefer being able to throw the camera around corners and such, and then actually move it around, but I'm not sure how practical that is given the engine.

Smoke grenades, and/or flash bangs. Other than the FX, it would be as simple as a debuff to the accuracy of affected characters. Also, with the smoke grenade, it could be interesting if you had thermal goggles, which would negate the debuffs while in smoke, so you could throw it directly at your feet if being crowded.

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Suggestions / Re: Suggestions to smooth out gameplay

« on: March 18, 2013, 06:03:36 pm »

Having already completed the current build, I didn't bother checking either, lol.

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Suggestions / Re: Suggestions to smooth out gameplay

« on: March 15, 2013, 07:22:19 am »

ah, well, I feel very foolish now on that account, lol. but thank you nonetheless.

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Suggestions / Re: Initiating fights through dialogue

« on: March 13, 2013, 01:33:55 am »

Upon further play, I have found that if you quickly press enter after ending dialogue, you can initiate combat. So TECHNICALLY speaking this is already possible, but I still feel it should be the default, as I don't IMAGINE it would be that hard to implement. A simple script that essentially just "presses enter" for you. But I suppose that would really depend on how you programmed the game. Just thought I'd throw the idea out there though. Small things like that are, obviously, small, but can be immensely frustrating. When you're outnumbered, that first turn is almost always the difference between victory and defeat.

11

Suggestions / Initiating fights through dialogue

« on: March 12, 2013, 11:22:09 pm »

Really simple, but I feel like if you initiate combat through dialogue (click the option that says "fight" in green), you should get the first turn just as if you initiated it outside of dialogue.

12

Suggestions / Suggestions to smooth out gameplay

« on: March 12, 2013, 11:19:55 pm »

I'm sure the devs will have thought of some of these, and I KNOW many of you already have. While I LOVE the classics like FO1/2, and Arcanum, as this IS a newer game, and I feel some more modern touches might be nice, though nothing that would change the feel nor style of the game.

Namely, gear comparison. I for one HATE having to move my mouse back and forth, memorizing my current equipment's stats one line at a time to determine if that new pistol is or is not in fact better than the last, so some comparison windows (courtesy of many diablo clones) would be very nice.

Another simple but necessary addition is an option for faster movement. While I understand that a running feature would involve new anims, I would honestly settle for a simple increase in speed of the current anims. (though running animations quite honestly seem worth the effort for a game that is as long as this one will most likely be).

Another small one, a little star, or checkmark, or something in the dialogue box of searched containers, so that when a stop playing for a few days and then come back, I don't recheck every container I pass.

This one can be taken or not, as I could CONCEIVABLY see how it could be considered a change to the style of the game (though honestly, anyone who says so is really nitpicking....) better quest notifications, so I'm aware of when I picked up Jones' watch, lol. Didn't realize I picked it up, was searching for an hour. Yes, I was being stupid, but even so, a little notification would have been nice, saved me some frustration, and not changed the game very much at all.

Finally, additions to the notes system. I would personally prefer a menu for dialogue, that catalogues all the dialogue. There is something like that already, but every time I load the game it resets. I would prefer something that is slightly more permanent, with a log entry limit to keep from bloating. However, I can easily see how some people say this would change the style too much, now it's not classic enough, etc, so my compromise, if this is not good enough, is a journal system where you can type and save anything you like. Save it as a txt file, even, and display it in the window, easy as pie, and I never have to memorize directions again.