lady ciel
Posts: 2548
7/3/2014
|
Just slow down in the light near the port - you will get a message and maybe you can take the time to kill a few beasties 
--
ciel
Sorry RL means I am not a very active player at the moment. No social actions unless you are prepared to wait and definitely no sparring or other mult-action things.
No Calling Cards or boxed cats please. Will take dupes on the affluent photographers. Other social invitations welcome. Parabolan Kittens usually available, send me an in-game social action saying you want one and I will get one to you as soon as possible.
storynexus name - reveurciel
|
|
|
0
link
|
Richard
Posts: 304
7/3/2014
|
Fhoenix wrote:
Terror is a wonderful thing. I like it very much as a concept. But I don't think my zailors should mutiny when I am on my way back to London and have maybe ten seconds until we dock. I am all for getting terror from omens and sailing in unknown waters, but getting it on return trips feels wrong. Not sure there is any way to fix it under the current system. But it just feels so illogical. It depends on what you think Terror actually represents. Initially I thought it was loss of morale, but as I've seen a few more of the long-term effects, I've started to view it more as decaying sanity. In which case, it doesn't seem quite so unreasonable that a minor setback on your way back home could push you over the edge.
That's not to say I think it's good in gameplay terms (I've remarked elsewhere that I found the same issue supremely irritating with regard to fuel). But if you're looking for a narrative justification, well, there's one.
Cheers
Richard
PS. In fact, I've come to thinking that it's you - the protagonist - who's gaining Terror and going mad, and the crew are just responding to that. The mutiny at Terror 100 could be interpreted as a desperate attempt to prevent you from destroying everyone though your own insanity. Or am I trying too hard?
|
|
|
0
link
|
Nenjin
Posts: 171
7/3/2014
|
nameless wrote:
@Nenjin: It's profitable if you run 20-25 crates of wine every time. That's 200~250 echoes each time.
Also, there is a option on Mutton Island that gives you a judgement's egg, which the university buys for 500 echoes. It requires you to have "Something awaits you" though, which is quite annoying, since London automatically takes SWY if your terror is above 50. I suggest that this aspect shouldn't be tied to SWY, since you already have to choose between Mutton Island and Hunters Keep - You don't want to have to have to choose between those and London, too.
Who has room for 20 to 25 Wine on a Tramp Steamer, and who wants to throw down 400 echoes for it? The numbers simply don't make sense for the early game. I feel like you should able to be that profitable without basically dedicating your entire run to just one location, one good.
Your posts are sufficiently long and heartfelt on this that though the detail is often useful, it's beginning to clog the thread for me :-)
So you're essentially telling me to stow it? :P I'm not harping on trade and profitability to just continually hammer you on it, but more in response to people who are asserting its workable now. It's workable, but just barely. The Fun vs. Stress quotient is still quite off. And having played FL a lot, I really don't want to see SS fall into the same pattern of carefully managing the grind to extend out the life of gameplay. (I say as I'm currently spending my 4th or 5th week grinding Shadowy up to the 200 range.) You guys have a lot of experience in this regard, but I personally feel like the methodology that has driven FL is showing itself in SS. But I'll shut up until more trading and profitable content is in.
edited by Nenjin on 7/3/2014
|
|
|
-1
link
|
nameless
Posts: 237
7/3/2014
|
It's pretty easy to earn enough of a profit to get a few upgrades though, in my experience? It's not a grind, if you know what opportunities to look out for.
--
The only god of the zee is nameless.
|
|
|
0
link
|
phalanks
Posts: 6
7/3/2014
|
First off, I'd like to say that I'm enjoying the game quite a bit. These are just some thoughts I've had while playing. Please note that I haven't discovered everything yet, so some of this may already be in the game.
So,
- Trading profit margins are nearly non-existant. I think more goods being able to be bought and sold in more ports would help with this.
- Bats are annoying, which is good.But I've gotten swarmed by them before, and had to do the slog through flare->flare->salvo about ten times back to back. As someone else suggested, a combat speed option may help.
- I think it would be interesting to be able to store things on uninhabited islands, or maybe in ports. That way you could have a cache of fuel/supplies to use as a staging point for further exploration. Stashes on islands may have a chance of being stolen/destroyed, while port stashes would be safer, but you'd have to pay for warehouse space.
- Being able to choose an amount of an item to buy/sell would be very useful instead of clicking 'Buy' 20 times.
- Spending multiple secrets on skills is also annoying, as you have to go back in and restart the conversation with the officer everytime. An option to specify amount of secrets to spend would be nice as well.
- Being able to name your Legacy would be great. Basically having a Legacy surname that transfers from character to character. Maybe also being able to see a "family tree" of previous characters, and how they died or if they retired.
That's about it for now. Keep up the good work! The writing is superb, as usual, and the art style is incredibly evocative. The music is also really well done.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
empirimancer
Posts: 99
7/3/2014
|
Another thing about the UI that is unclear to me is the purpose of turning the headlights off and powering the engines to full. I like that there are additional tactical choices available but they should be clearly explained to players.
--
moi
|
|
|
0
link
|
Spacemarine9
Posts: 2234
7/3/2014
|
phalanks wrote:
- Being able to choose an amount of an item to buy/sell would be very useful instead of clicking 'Buy' 20 times.
Hold Shift to buy/sell in increments of 10! Although that could probably be made a bit clearer as I have absolutely no idea where I remember reading that.
--
my rats will blot out the sun
Ratgames
FL lore/mechanics questions and answers
#FallenLondon IRC (irc.synirc.net) Channel! Click to join via Mibbit.
#SunlessSea IRC channel! Like the above, but zee-ier.
|
|
|
+2
link
|
Nenjin
Posts: 171
7/3/2014
|
nameless wrote:
It's pretty easy to earn enough of a profit to get a few upgrades though, in my experience? It's not a grind, if you know what opportunities to look out for.
Once you build up a big enough cash buffer, yes, it's not hard. It's getting that cash buffer together that's the origin of the grind. Unlike Fallen London, which has no real resource cost for doing stuff, everything in SS has an associated resource cost. So when you have to get X echoes together so you can make a profit of Y echoes, it feels like too much overhead. Mid to late game when you suddenly start getting items (the opportunities for which are randomly available and subject sometimes to successful skill check) that are the equivalent of an entire run's profit themselves, it's not so bad. It's just getting there that's the unfun part. For example, exploration is almost always an unprofitable activity. You spend tons of fuel with no express plan for making that money back and you build terror that needs to be paid down. (Setting aside taking any hull damage during exploration, which also needs to be paid down.)
I basically feel like there are two modes to the game right now: either you're playing it, or you're trying to make money so you can eventually play it, without the stress of actually running out of fuel or supplies while you're on the Zee.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
phalanks
Posts: 6
7/3/2014
|
Spacemarine9 wrote:
Hold Shift to buy/sell in increments of 10! Although that could probably be made a bit clearer as I have absolutely no idea where I remember reading that.
That is very useful information, thank you! Could definitely be made clearer, as I've been lurking around since the beta was first available and haven't heard about it.
|
|
|
0
link
|
Aesc
Posts: 46
7/3/2014
|
Ok playing through again after a brief break and I just found something to make me super happy!
Aeschaven! Down at Godfall GLEEE!
Place named after me! And for those of you who don't know it is pronounced Ash
That just made my evening!
And other then that lets see I am playing through, Terror is still creeping up insanely fast. I've been to the Tomb Colonies Wither, Back to London and now to Godfall and it is already at like 55 and that is with me spending echoes left right and centre to try and keep it down.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
Nenjin
Posts: 171
7/3/2014
|
I'm thinking that increasing the amount of starting cash might help players out by giving them a financial cushion to fall back on for fuel. 25% to 40% more echoes, maybe.
The starting echoes now are enough to buy a stockpile of fuel and food for a couple voyages, but for new players they'll burn through that immediately as they first learn the game, if they even think to buy them at all.
|
|
|
0
link
|
cjo
Posts: 13
7/3/2014
|
This is a little point, but a big one to me. I would love to have the orange pips representing terror accumulation be made much more visible. Honestly, I played for days without finding them. It's in the rules, but I thought the rules were just referring to something that hadn't been implemented yet. Now that I finally noticed where to look, I still find it really difficult to both spot terror accumulation and also watch where I'm sailing. I guess with a little more experience, I will get a feel for this and won't need to look, but I think a bigger visual cue will be a huge help to new players.
|
|
|
0
link
|
Richard
Posts: 304
7/3/2014
|
cjo wrote:
This is a little point, but a big one to me. I would love to have the orange pips representing terror accumulation be made much more visible. [...] I still find it really difficult to both spot terror accumulation and also watch where I'm sailing. Have you noticed there are two bright lights which come on at the sides of your ship when terror is accumulating? They don't give you as much information as the orange pips, but they're enough to tell you whether you're in a terrifying place.
|
|
|
0
link
|
Dudleydino
Posts: 7
7/3/2014
|
Nenjin wrote:
I basically feel like there are two modes to the game right now: either you're playing it, or you're trying to make money so you can eventually play it, without the stress of actually running out of fuel or supplies while you're on the Zee.
This sums up exactly how I feel right now. I'm currently research how to cheat to pass over the huge money chasm before actually being able to "play" the game.
|
|
|
+2
link
|
nameless
Posts: 237
7/4/2014
|
Dudleydino wrote:
Nenjin wrote:
I basically feel like there are two modes to the game right now: either you're playing it, or you're trying to make money so you can eventually play it, without the stress of actually running out of fuel or supplies while you're on the Zee.
This sums up exactly how I feel right now. I'm currently research how to cheat to pass over the huge money chasm before actually being able to "play" the game.
Sell judgement's eggs from Mutton island to the university for 500 echoes. You need to understand how the "Something Awaits You" Mechanic works.
http://community.failbettergames.com/topic8709-rules-for-thats-all-for-now.aspx
There is no need to cheat.
--
The only god of the zee is nameless.
|
|
|
+2
link
|
Nenjin
Posts: 171
7/4/2014
|
Handy. Seems like gaming the system a bit though.
|
|
|
0
link
|
nameless
Posts: 237
7/4/2014
|
Feel free to not use the mechanic. A quick lobotomy should scrub the knowledge from your mind.
--
The only god of the zee is nameless.
|
|
|
0
link
|
Dudleydino
Posts: 7
7/4/2014
|
Kind of crazy that everyone needs to farm a specific quest just to get enough echoes to play the game. Wouldn't have found this if you didn't tell me.
|
|
|
0
link
|
Nenjin
Posts: 171
7/4/2014
|
Weird, I just had the Tomb Colonies area music start playing in the middle of combat......not far North of Mutton Island.
And in the next fight right off the coast of Mutton Island, the Main Theme starts playing in combat. It's like the music is starting after a really long delay when the entry is posted to the log.
edited by Nenjin on 7/4/2014
|
|
|
0
link
|
empirimancer
Posts: 99
7/4/2014
|
Richard wrote:
cjo wrote:
This is a little point, but a big one to me. I would love to have the orange pips representing terror accumulation be made much more visible. [...] I still find it really difficult to both spot terror accumulation and also watch where I'm sailing. Have you noticed there are two bright lights which come on at the sides of your ship when terror is accumulating? They don't give you as much information as the orange pips, but they're enough to tell you whether you're in a terrifying place.
UI suggestions: Enlarge the terror indicator. It's too small for a core game mechanic. Have the terror indicator on the ship itself, since that's where the player is mostly looking. Glancing back and forth to the top left of the screen is a bit user unfriendly. Instead of discrete pips, perhaps a continuously filling ring around the terror number itself.
--
moi
|
|
|
+2
link
|