Caitydid
Posts: 65
9/1/2012
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Hello FBG community!
Thank you so much to the people who tested the original version and provided feedback. After a lot of work, I've completely recreated Evolve based on the responses I received and my own personal concerns about representing the science accurately. Even now it's a bare-bones version of modern evolutionary theory, but it at least follows the process a little more closely.
I welcome all of you to try Evolve, version 2.0. Feedback is greatly appreciated, but especially on the following topics:
1) Game balance - did you feel like some things progressed too quickly, others too slowly?
2) Game vs. Educational Tool - I want people to still have fun playing the game, and if you feel that the educational content is too heavy handed that would be useful to know.
3) Of course information on any broken links, typos, etc.
4) Feedback on what else you'd like to try to do in Evolve - if your goal is really to become a dinosaur, I'd like to know (honestly, mine would be). Or if that Kingdom path that opened up at the end is really fascinating to you, I'll know to prioritize it more.
There are some things I should warn you about in advance that I already know about. The "Defenses" quality does not have enough story options, and I'm looking to expand them soon. All sidebar qualities go to a maximum of 10 right now, and if you get over that somehow let me know. Also, the "Harmful Mutation" menace isn't particularly scary. Content will be developed for that soon as well.
Thanks again, and happy gaming!
- Caitydid
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You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - G.B. Shaw
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Caitydid
Posts: 65
9/6/2012
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Hi everyone,
Thanks very much for the feedback over the last few days. I'm working to get every typo, grammatical mistake, and cards that didn't get the right min/max stats added to them. That sort of feedback is always welcome, cause I certainly can't catch everything on my own. :-)
On a couple of other points:
- I'm trying to make any loss of the main traits have a floor of 1. So you wouldn't ever get back down to 0. That should help a few of the issues of repetition or feeling like you've lost a lot of progress.
- On "Harmful Mutation:" that one I'm leaving as it is. This is the primary menace quality of the game, and it's important to make people aware of the fact that not all mutations kill something. All changes happen through mutation - only some of them are really really bad for you.
- With no longer being able to play cards: I think most of you know the creators only have nominal control over that. The idea is to add an element of strategy to the games - yes, you may have you read every opportunity card before you play them and choose which order to do things in. I could provide a way out on every single card...but in a larger game that's going to start being very complicated and feels a little boring. When you drew a card, you were probably able to play it. I'll take a closer look at specific cards that have been mentioned though and whether or not they warrant a way to effectively discard them. But I trust FBG in their decision to design Story Nexus like this. It will take a while for people to get used to, but eventually we'll reach a happy medium I'm sure.
- For the "Learn About Yourself" storyline, I'm really wary of adding a new set of qualities, as there's a lot of potential for quality clutter in this game. But, the very least I'll do is work on re-writing the "Progress" tracking aspect, and hopefully have a better reward at the end of it all for players. But otherwise, yeah. It's my testing out the concept in a small way - if this game ends up having more utility with schools than the general public, it will probably stay in. Vice versa will have to be determined later.
Now, I'm sorry, but I feel like I have to respond at least briefly. LittleThe, telling people their game as a whole isn't good enough yet just feels unkind, honestly. You provided a wide range of feedback, and I appreciated a good deal of it, but the tone especially towards the end was just discouraging. I have very few misconceptions about the state of my game, namely the idea that this is anything but a beta test for a new platform in it's current state. I even specifically cited where I would be adding content and what in this first round of cards was unfinished. I know this is my second play test and maybe it should be better at this point, but I've chosen to do this very publicly, as I hope that a very transparent beta test for FBGs will be more valuable than being 100% professional about this. Which, incidentally, is partially the result of my having never written a structured game before a month ago, and again I have no misconceptions about how much I have to learn. I feel like your expectations after a month of the platform being released are unrealistic; there are some who have obviously already flourished, and there are going to be others of us who mess around for a while with varying success.
Additionally, I will respectfully disagree with most of your biological commentary, with the exception of the nuclei issues - bacteria have nucleoids, it's true. I'll be sure to go back and change the reference that confuses prokaryote with eukaryote characteristics. Otherwise, all of the content I've provided is what I consider the best overall presentation of a field that consistently rearranges it's thoughts on the matter. Not everyone will agree with this, and it's not going to be perfect. I'm ok with that, and the inevitable case that some people will choose not to play as a result.
Anyway, I'll be happy to have more feedback and beta testers, and will continue to make changes over the next few weeks. I'm not sure there will be a major addition to the pinned storylines, but I'll definitely be adding more opportunity cards, especially in the realm of Defenses.
Again, sincere thanks for the feedback so far!
--
You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - G.B. Shaw
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Caitydid
Posts: 65
9/6/2012
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Hrmm...yep, I'm coming up with multiple sources describing the genetic material in a bacteria as a nucleioid. Links all lead to images:
http://hobbinse.ism-online.org/files/2010/09/08procaryote.jpg
http://echezabalperiod2.wikispaces.com/file/view/h2_fg_18.gif/218315216/h2_fg_18.gif
http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/thumb/9/99/Prokaryote_cell_diagram.svg/320px-Prokaryote_cell_diagram.svg.png
http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/Bioaerosol/Images/prokaryote.gif
That being said, it's a good point that I can certainly be clearer on what having a "nucleoid" means. It's not a formal organelle, it's basically just the genetic material floating in cytoplasm. So, I'll look at updating that description. :-)
EDIT: A few other places just say "DNA" or "Genetic Material." But enough of them say nucleoid that I feel comfortable using the term and adding to everyone's vocabulary.
edited by Caitydid on 9/6/2012
--
You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - G.B. Shaw
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Puntosmx
Posts: 4
9/2/2012
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Taking into account the way Cabinet Noir works, I'd rather change the way Adaptability and Resourcefulness works.
Don't misunderstand me. I know it works more like Fallen London, where the random cards DO change your stats, but battling my way through Resourcefulness 2-3 and failing twice at Low Risk is.... umh.... weird.
Somehow, I'd like it more to see the pinned cards at the beggining giving you your neat stuff.
Learn about yourself - Gives you nothing, I think it could be skipped.
Your Cell Walls - Gives you nothing. It could give you "Defenses" quality and increase from unicelular to elephant skin and immune system.....
Defenses 1.- Lipidic membrane - What separates you from the external world.
Defenses 2.- Hard proteic casing (would send you down a virus "life" path) - Hard proteic membrane, traditional viral membrane, scientists wonder if you're alive or not.
Defenses 3.- Enzimes - Your membrane is coated in enzimes you release into the environment to deter would-be predators.
Defenses 4.- Hard carb casing (say, plan-road?) - Your cells are protected by polygonally-arranged carbohydrates. It allows for cheaper protection at the cost of mobility.
Defenses 5.- Scales (way down the fish/reptile road) - Patterned to match your environment.
Defenses 6.- Feathers (prerequisite for bird path) - Feathers both protect, adorn and allow you to travel faster. Maybe even to fly....
Defenses 7.- Fur (down the mammal path) - Nice for cold weather, but inconvenient while wet. Avoid hot climate.
Defenses 8.- Skin - Good for hot weather and ok for swimming, but rough for cold climate.
Defenses 9.- Exoskeletum (sp?) - Awesome external protection at the cost of small size.
Your cytoplasm - Gives you nothing. It could give you "Metabolism" quality, which as it increased could give you better resources --> energy conversions. Having Metabolism 1 would be a prerequisite for all "you use resources, you gain energy reserves" cards, which would increase or lower it.
Your Rybosomes - Gives you nothing. I'd make it a turning point between primitive life and protein-sintethizing life.
Primitive life could allow you to go through the virus, primitive bacteriae, algae, fungi and plants.
Protein-sintethizing would be a prerequisite for advanced bacteriae, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Unless my biology is flawed, and "primitive" life has plenty ribosomes and needs complex proteins.... in which case, it could increase "Metabolism" or could be a pair to it as "Adaptability" and "Resourcefulness" are.
Thinking about it, you could have "primitive" and "protein-based" bacteriae and plants.
Your nucleoid - Gives you nothing. Could give you "Genes quality".
Genes 1.- RNA - You have a simple chain that allows you to replicate.
Genes 2.- Loose DNA - Your DNA swims in your cytoplasm. When you replicate it divides into identical copies.
Genes 3.- Nucleus - Your DNA is protected in your nucleus. Instructions for growth and replication are sent through RNA.
Genes 4.- Sexual reproduction (WAY down the road) - You mix your genes with another member of your species of opposite gender.
Genes 5.- Retrovirus - You invade another cell and change its DNA to make it craft your descendants for you.
Your Transportation - Gives you nothing. Could give you "Mobility" quality.
Mobility 1.- Inert - You are subject to the devices of your environment (virus, non-flageled bacteriae).
Mobility 2.- Rooted - You are rooted or hooked into a stable surface, but that doesn't prevent you from interact with your surroundings (plants, coral, etc).
Mobility 3.- Flagellum - You have one or more apendixes for moving around. You bat it fast to advance.
Mobility 4.- Fins - Excellent for propelling yourself through water at high speeds.
Mobility 5.- Slither - You manage to travel land by dragging your body over it.
Mobility 6.- Legs - Nice for treading the land without lying your belly over it.
Mobility 7.- Wings (down the bird/flying insect roads) - You venture into the air.
You know yourself well - Gives you..... what? is it a biology test?
Yes, you fail and you repeat the course. I fear it might drive people away.
Also, it is an "energy drain". Failing the test carries a rather harsh punishment.
The energy pool of 20 with 1-minute refreshes seems too much to me. I'd rather lower it to 10 energy reserve with the same refresh, so that people don't just spend a lot and leave, but rather remain around for a refresh or return after a few minutes of checking mail.
~ Puntos mx
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