|
|
Post by fallen on Jan 24, 2013 13:25:18 GMT -5
Team,
I am doing some major dialog overhaul around Mallor True and the combat advice he is providing.
Here is the list of items I have from all the forum threads. This is a place to suggest more changes to -Combat Advice- given in the game:
1. Mallor will give advice specifically for Cybersword, Gunslinger, Sniper. This will be targeted around each character type's optimal strategy.
2. Mallor will provide the AP equation in italic text and give specific advice on how to raise your AP quickly.
3. Mallor and Moxa will push hiring runners / soldiers as a great way to increase your combat prowess. They will also explain that you better get them geared up and cybered up fast or they might die.
4. Mallor True will explain "Aim."
5. Mallor True will explain the defensive buttons in combat.
6. Mallor True will explain reloading and the AP cost.
7. Mallor True will explain using items in combat and the AP cost (2 per item).
|
|
|
|
Post by Ahab on Jan 24, 2013 13:43:08 GMT -5
Mallor is giving a lot of information. Lots of information is generally good for new players. I do worry a little about information overload. Tapping through a really long dialog can get tedious, and information can get lost easily. So is there a way to mitigate this?
What if Mallor (and maybe the guy at Tunnel Guns) gave the high points, then said "Here's a file. Load it into your computer and read it. Locate the file in your inventory. Tap it to load it into the computer. Tap the computer icon to open the computer, then tap the loaded file to read it." That would also have the benefit of teaching players how to load files. And they could refer back to the file again later.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:20:09 GMT -5
You think there _is_ a different optimal strategy for Gunslinger vs Sniper?
Mostly my advice for any Gunslinger would be -- see all those handguns? Don't use any of them. This would change if the Gunslinger -- got an automatic +1 speed when using such weapons, or else could equip one in each hand and use both in the same attack round, but as it stands I don't think there is a single handgun in the game that is as useful as the HunterSight.
It used to be that the HS should only be used after you got fairly good at firearms -- before that you were more effective using the mk251 bounty that is only available in Elite -- but one of the side effects of the fighting rebalancing -- weaker earlier monsters that are easier to hit and the ability to hit with the Blasta Gun type weapons -- is that the HS is good to use from very early on. My latest Tunnel char, a sniper who has a firearms of 4 -- i.e.hasn't improved his firearms from what he started with in the game -- has bought a HS from Black Row and is delighted with its performance.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:24:57 GMT -5
Mallor is giving a lot of information. Lots of information is generally good for new players. I do worry a little about information overload. Tapping through a really long dialog can get tedious, and information can get lost easily. So is there a way to mitigate this? What if Mallor (and maybe the guy at Tunnel Guns) gave the high points, then said "Here's a file. Load it into your computer and read it. Locate the file in your inventory. Tap it to load it into the computer. Tap the computer icon to open the computer, then tap the loaded file to read it." That would also have the benefit of teaching players how to load files. And they could refer back to the file again later. There is a lot to be said for this, but, over all I think that the problem is that players don't read files -- or else they would already know about the AP calculation from the help file. Also, it is important to present the information in the context of where it is used. So while having Mallor explain what AP is, and how to get more of it is a really good idea, the place that needs to present this information is the helpfile you get when pressing the question mark when about to rest at an Inn. Because that is the point in time when you need to remember which are the stats that you boost to get more AP. |
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:31:44 GMT -5
I am not sure about this 'better get your runners geared up and cybered up fast or they might die'. I think you are better off not cybering them for a while as they need the XP kmore than anything. I think that the mistake people make more often is to stuff them into too heavy an armour for their current dex and stealth rating, which makes them more likely to die. I'd hand out the advice to not spend a fortune on gear for them until you are pretty sure they aren't going to die -- because it's too expensive otherwise when they die. Also that your first runners should be combat specialists -- you will need them to keep any faces or hackers you decide to hire later alive, because these runners are never going to be any good at fighting.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:32:42 GMT -5
Explain 'Position' as well as 'Aim'.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:33:58 GMT -5
Explain 'Intimidate' and 'Stealth vs Normal Exit'.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:35:37 GMT -5
Moxa should boast a bit about the higher quality cyberswords that BS has for hire, so that people who have already tried a ganger CS, and thought 'meh?' know that this one would be worth investigating.
|
|
|
|
Post by fallen on Jan 24, 2013 14:40:55 GMT -5
Moxa should boast a bit about the higher quality cyberswords that BS has for hire, so that people who have already tried a ganger CS, and thought 'meh?' know that this one would be worth investigating. - also, I am going to update Moxa's Runners to be actually higher quality than some of the others on the market. Right now they are more "run-of-the-mill." |
|
|
|
Post by fallen on Jan 24, 2013 14:42:53 GMT -5
Mallor is giving a lot of information. Lots of information is generally good for new players. I do worry a little about information overload. Tapping through a really long dialog can get tedious, and information can get lost easily. So is there a way to mitigate this? What if Mallor (and maybe the guy at Tunnel Guns) gave the high points, then said "Here's a file. Load it into your computer and read it. Locate the file in your inventory. Tap it to load it into the computer. Tap the computer icon to open the computer, then tap the loaded file to read it." That would also have the benefit of teaching players how to load files. And they could refer back to the file again later. @ahab - one way to approach this would just be to have Mallor send you on another combat mission. Then he can doll out another round of information at the beginning of a fight. I also worry a lot about information overload and long dialogs. I know that the feedback on the forum is often "more more more," but I have handed CK to a number of my friends to watch their reaction and seen their eyes glaze over by the third long dialog. |
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 14:55:41 GMT -5
Your friends may not be the target market for the tutorial, whom I see as 'people who want in game lessons, and don't want to read manuals'. If you like reading manuals, and indeed already have done so, then getting this 'obvious' information again is boring.
As it stands now, though, I think that too much is being presented as dialog, and flashback dialog, when what would be better is to have an animated cutscene.
Cut to a picture of your HUD. Draw a circle around an element -- say the 'tap for map'. Explain that in a text box that floats over the picture of the display. Then remove that circle. Circle the ammo low box. Present a floating textbox that explains that, and so on and so forth so you answer the question of 'what do all these little things mean' this way.
Explain the combat screen and the resting at the inn screen the same way.
Then the character dialogs could all be more about 'reasons why you would want to do something' -- strategy hints, and could mostly skip the 'how you do things' -- because that was already covered.
Dialogs about 'how to' tend to be a lot more boring than dialogs about 'Why to' and 'When to'.
My 2 Kroner's worth, at any rate.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 24, 2013 16:58:20 GMT -5
Part of the information overload potential problems is that none of the information is optional. This could be changed.
Mallor: So do you remember about Turn Based Combat Systems from your time as a Runner for Mars? And what Action Points are?
button <Yes, of course>
button <Refresh my memory. Since surgery everything is a bit blurry.>
It is essential to explain how turn based combat works for the people who have never used such systems before, but it is rather boring for those who know this very well.
I am liking the idea of lessons showing up with a *briefing* file that you can store to re-read later (ah, what were the stats that matter for increasing AP again?) or delete if you just don't care.
|
|
|
|
Post by jclarksprint on Jan 25, 2013 18:09:10 GMT -5
Moxa should boast a bit about the higher quality cyberswords that BS has for hire, so that people who have already tried a ganger CS, and thought 'meh?' know that this one would be worth investigating. Ditto that. Also to reference the already mentioned gear up your runners or they may die, I also ditto spending there XP first especially in there AP attribs and there combat attrib and athletics. Using the proper tatics and lay of the land, if you get 3 guys right away and stay out of the big corp zones you can quicky grow your runners without ever even getting into combat if there AP and athletics are the first improvements. I have escaped way more fight then I have done combat, plus in the beginning I didmt even grade any of there gear until after they were allies, and no cyber. My most recent game im 80 days in and now gotten my guys a little cyber just because I, going all over the map rather than adhereing to those connectors tellimg me wat to do. |
|
