I also like this change (you can still try multiple times, but the cost increases which seems reasonable).
I will like it even more if (as others have suggested) the cap on accumulating second chances would be removed (at least for some sources). This will make it possible to invest time and resources planning ahead before trying out a really difficult challenge where the cost of failure is just too high (e.g. getting Impossible Theorems, or, you know, something like Evade Them! <shudder>).
Well, Evade Them! is SMEN content, so making it easy to avoid / reduce the consequences of your actions is missing the point a little.
I agree completely with regards to Impossible Theorems, though. I don’t know if the challenge was balanced with this technique in mind, but they’re hideously expensive even if you manage to pull off the search. With a 30% success rate or whatever it is, and with a doubling of the cost in second chances each time (and each second chance is worth about 50p, I think), the pain and cost of that loss is still going to be high even if you can back out.
I just tried Perhaps Not-out of an Unlikely Garden in the Nadir and it still just disappears - wasn’t offered an opportunity to spend more second chances…
Yes, that’s how all cards work now when using a second chance and then backing out.
It does make the Nadir somewhat less profitable, but also gives you opportunity to ditch a few cards without the Irrigo cost (if you manage to fail the quality check).
Hm? Isn’t the whole point of this announcement that that’s not the case?..
Hm? Isn’t the whole point of this announcement that that’s not the case?..[/quote]
The announcement was for storylets, not for cards. Alexis has further clarified (in this thread) that while the increasing cost of second chances will also apply to cards, you’d still lose the card.
(presumably, the next time you get the card you’ll have to pay the higher price for a second chance).
edited by dov on 10/11/2015
Aha! That’s clear now, thank you. Not intuitive but clear. I have now found the relevant response by Alex. I had seen it earlier but I don’t think I grocked it because I was slightly confused about the big-picture view of the changes
I know I’m late to the party, but I’d like to suggest a linear, rather than geometric increase in required Second Chances.
ie. 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 instead of 1 -> 2 -> 4 -> 5
Especially if you’re not removing the cap on Second Chances. It would give a slightly longer life-expectancy.
[color=#0066ff]The changes to second chances are going live shortly![/color]
Could the second chance increases be reset when Time rolls around each week? Or there be an option to use professional perks to reset them? It seems rather harsh for a storylets to never be able to go down again.
I believe that the number of second chances required will go back to one once you have actually succeeded or failed that challenge - the increase isn’t permanent.
[color=#0066ff]If you follow through and succeed or fail, it goes down again. :)[/color]
There appears to be an accompanying change, that use of a Second Chance also now uses additional actions. I was a little taken aback to find my Overgoat eating 16 actions when failing twice (!).
I hope it’s a bug and that it will be fixed. For the goat it’s not a benefit to get nothing for 8 Actions instead of at least getting the consolation reward for failure. Then again, perhaps getting 8 Actions’ worth of retries for a single second chance was always too good to last?
Any word from above on what’s intentional and what’s not?
It’s almost certainly a bug though, because I always get the ‘sputtering and flaring server’ message when the goat fails with its unique talents.
edited by Gillsing on 11/16/2015
[color=#0066ff]I’m not able to reproduce this, would you mind sending in a ticket to support at failbettergames dot com? [/color]
[color=#0066ff]I’m not able to reproduce this, would you mind sending in a ticket to support at failbettergames dot com? [/color][/quote]
I had the exact same thing occur, I will also submit a ticket.
OK, ticket sent - didn’t realise that it was a bug. Happened again just now, actually.
I’m not sure, it may just be an intended side effect of the changes? I definitely hope it’s a bug though. I just got my overgoat recently and have failed 13 out of 14 50% checks for the 8 cost action. =(
If second chances now force you to pay the action cost again, playing the goat card will definitely not be very useful. In general, I would always use second chances on high action cost cards. After the change they will be used primarily just for actions whose failures have significant consequences beyond lack of rewards, but again, perhaps this is intended.
Edit: I have yet to test single action second chances, but this definitely applies to static storylets as well. Just tried a second chance on the gang of hoodlums casing option with only 6 actions. Failed the first, and no actions seem to be deducted. When I try it again I get the error message, and when I return to the game I’m sitting in the second chance storylet minus the actions for the first attempt.
I suspect that if you’re on the second chance page, and were to refresh your browser, your loss of actions would register and prevent you from proceeding.
edited by ArtificerProdigy on 11/16/2015
I also just got the hidden-loss of 8 more actions on the Overgoat card, and the amusing server error message (even when I had >16 actions upon attempting said challenge, so there were more than 8 actions left for the re-try.
But yes, the re-try just leads to error screen, not success or failure.
I just had the Overgoat card use 16 actions after failing the first attempt. I succeeded on the second try, and didn’t get any sort of server error about it.