An unlock code, so I can play the game casually

[Cory Trese]

Re-reading that post from a year ago ... I am ashamed for being so stubborn.

I think we'll just add an in-app purchase for "Unlock All" which would help us generate revenue and satisfy people who don't want to unlock it.

The "Casual" version is interesting. I will look to see if that could be done with low development cost.

[slayernz]

hahaha ... I didn't even pay a lot of attention to the date - I had thought it was only weeks old rather than 11 months old. I don't think that domush is even lurking anymore, and 11 months ago, I was one of the ardent supporters of "unlock is the only way that you should play" ...

[martyparty]

Another way would be to make it an option in the Create New Captain screen - you can unlock all the ships & upgrades for that captain only.
It looks as if the Golden Age award's effect currently works like that.

[Cory Trese]

It might confuse people to have purchased an "All Unlocks" IAP and then have to confirm that in the New Captain screen.

I also don't know where we would store that, since I suspect people would want to be able to select difficulty independently of unlock.

I suspect that the easiest and most commonly acceptable form for this would a universal unlock code that could be purchased and would immediately unlock everything for all characters, while preserving the Awards system for achievements.

[BlastGT1]

My beef with the OP was, as lurker said, the seemingly outright DEMAND that the game be made this way. It takes nothing into account about anybody but the OP, because damnit, if the OP said it, that's the way it should be, and the more insults and putdowns that could be used, the more effective the post!

There are games or times where I'd like to be able to unlock things too, especially if I just can't get past a certain level, boss, or challenge. However, I don't see it as my divine right to "have it my way", although Burger King begs to differ, if you believe their commercials.

Cory, maybe it would be helpful to ask for opinions on Facebook and Twitter about this, if you're wrangling with the idea, as well as a poll on the forums. If it gives some players what they really want, and for whatever reason they feel that it takes away from their experience if they cannot have everything unlocked for them, then I don't see it being a bad idea. This assumes that it would not somehow offend others to the point of being detrimental to the game and your reputation, hence the asking of opinions. You could always note on that version's Play store description that it was created due to popular demand, and that it is not the version the Trese Bros recommend because it takes away from some of the enjoyment of the game gained by earning achievements and unlocks.

[Cory Trese]

One of my concerns is that it may limit our options adding future unlocks because people would potentially say things like "you made it this hard because you are trying to force us to buy the unlock code" which would cause us a lot of pain.

Asking for feedback is absolutely what we will be doing. Right now, as you may know, we are focused on a few other projects

This IAP stuff will probably go on the back burner, especially for Android. We may pilot it on Apple first because, hell, what have we got to loose there?

[BlastGT1]

Your first sentence is just the kind of negative feedback I was thinking of.

_______________________________

"Issue the standard Cadar greeting, Ensign."
"But sir, that's one of our allies!"
"I know that, Ensign. We're confirming that the treaty is still in effect!"

[Deleted]

I wouldnt mind an option being able to buy unlocks (though i wouldn't use it myself) as long as it doesnt go too far. Being able to buy things that people can unlock without spending extra money is fine (things that people can unlock with awards like upgrades, ships, professions etc). However, there shouldnt be things that can ONLY be obtained by spending extra money, nor should one be able to "buy" a not permadeath option, repuation, XP or credits. People who choose to spend extra money because they don't feel like unlocking things the old-fashion way (aka the true cadar way) shouldnt get any advantages over players who don't spend extra money. Rather, they should get the advantages that players who get things honarbly get, like the upgrades, ships, and profession. This way, although a player doesn't spend extra money, they can still get all the advantages that a player who does spend extra money gets, by accomplishing goals.

I'm thinking of two ways this purchase option can go down.
1. Each award is .99 each or 1.99 each, and the more upgrades you buy at onces, the smaller the unit price (eg 1 award 1.99 4 awards 4.99 etc)
2. A "unlock all" option for 9.99 or so, with it all the things that awards unlock is unlocked
3. If more ships, contracts, or features are added in a future release with a required rank/rep (eg an ultimate warship with 10,000+ rep and rank 20) something like that could be "bought" as well as players like me can still obtain such ships by getting the required rank/rep. And for players who want to spend more money, they can get all the features of high rep/rank at start (this would be after more features are added for high rank/rep)
4. When one makes such a purchase (and they would be told this ahead of time) a big CODE UNLOCK would be on the faction picture next to every captain following such a purchase, so if they buy something and such letters arent there, they know that something went wrong (and so others know that they cheated ).

[slayernz]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe ... if you saved $10,000,000 credits with one captain, you can BUY the unlock codes ... that way, you are using in-game money (no cash for people to whinge over), forces people to actually play the game and get used the gameplay (even if you play casually, getting $10,000,000 on basic is not hard).

[Deleted]

No. Way too easy. Although prehaps an award or two can be added to get a certain amount of credits with a captain

[martyparty]

Gives me an idea though - would be good to have some awards based on saving up x amount of money by a certain game date.

[slayernz]

martyparty - this has been suggested a few times in the past. one that might be useful to resurrect is:
startradersrpg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wish&action=display&thread=647

[martyparty]

Those are good, but stockpiling money is not so hard. Put a time limit on it, then it can be hard.

[slayernz]

Somewhere in this madhouse of a forum, there is a thread talking specifically about money awards. One is the stockpiling of money with a timeframe, but also there were requests for awards for doing $x million in a single trade and other such things.

[grävling]

I'd rather have 2 games ST-Elite and ST-Casual. What I would really want in Casual, though, is ease of experimentation. So make all sorts of ships easier to get, and make money easier in general. But I want ST Elite to remain the hard game we know and love (and curse at sometimes).

By ease of experimentation I mean things like: Today I am going to try this hull, with these upgrades, and go hunt around my level Pirates.

Immediate nasty death.
Hmm. Let us try that again.
Immediate nasty death.
Once more?
Immediate nasty death.

Okay, this was a terrible idea. How about the same hull, but this slightly different set of upgrades?

and so on and so forth.

...

Just if we are discussing what we would like ...