Game Development: Animal Domestication

[Jackard]

how fortunate it is for us, then, that there will never be a wipe while basic game mechanics still need work

[Cain]

bunch of swill

You basically put forward a great argument for why some things shouldn't be accessible to everyone, but you seem to think it's supporting the opposite conclusion.

I hope to high heaven they don't make taming cows easier, because as you correctly said: you shouldn't be able to make cheese after playing for one week. And yes, you should have to chase lv 1 animals around for awhile. I wish there were more aspects of the game that were harder to attain.

I think the basic divide in opinion here is due to the fact that some people play this game very casually while others play it more seriously. If you make everything accessible to casual players than there's nothing a serious player can't do in a very short time span. And if you make it too hard that's obviously bad too. HnH does a pretty good job balancing these things through the Q system.

[Jackard]

And yes, you should have to chase lv 1 animals around for awhile.

that is incorrect

[Potjeh]

I bet if I started a brand new character I'd have everything I need (metal cauldron, scythe, chests, breeding pair of cows) within a month, without any help from my main or from any village.

[Cain]

And yes, you should have to chase lv 1 animals around for awhile.

that is incorrect

Then what's the point of them existing? Difficulty is all relative. You could just as easily call them lv 10's and have morder contain lv 100's.

And by awhile I mean a day or two.


I agree wholeheartedly with potjeh.

[Russaria]

bunch of swill

Bunch of elitist snatch drip

Of course there is balance...but ONLY in theory. Sure it would work out fine if players participated in the "balance" you say exists, and it does, but only as a possiblity. Sure new players, causal or midrange players, would be happy playing in such a manner IF they could acutally do some of these things, as they wanted, and get some kind of particapatory reward for being "a causal underling'. Those that have everything, want nothing (oh except some linen or silk) that casual or new players can produce. Those that have (between them and their 20 alts which support each other in a closed circle along with their townies and their likewise 20 alts) want for nothing. Theres not really anything new or casual players can do that would please the "oh? what quality? Nah, not good enough for me as I would have to eat 3 pieces of "that" cheese instead of 1 and I ( enter roll eyes to the drama queen in her tiara) just don't have the tiiimmmmeeee!"...lol (what was that jerk-offs name in irc that I saw say that and got that example from..oh well, can't remember, but I suppose quite soon he'll be happy for ANY midnight blue cheese regardless of quality..LOLOL)

So yeah, if they all came down off their highhorse and traded with those whom you claim should be happy and tickled to causally play in a good time making quality 25 Raisin cakes (scratch that it takes butter)..ummm...Honey buns (there ya go)...and support the tiered economy (as it exists in workable theory) then you are correct, it wouldn't be such a borefest for casual or new players, as they can set up stands and offer their goods too...if that is, someone would actually buy them. Do you?...would ya cough up a few coins for some newb honey buns to make them part of your H&H world? If yes, I bow to your gratiousness in the honest attempt to make your statement work, if not...well then...snatch drippings it is!

[Potjeh]

I often buy low quality pastries on the marketplace. They're good for when I'm ploughing and need some hunger filled as well as FEPs.

[Jeff]

Well, to be honest, i don't like the need of combat abilities just to catch a cow. And i think they eat too much, as now. I can barely sustain a bull and a pregnant cow using all the seeds and straw resulting from my crops*. It means i have to get nearly every crop or they will starve.

*5*5 wheat field, 4*4 flax field,3*3 hemp field,3*3 grape field, 5*4 poppies field; and i mean "giving them all the seeds except the ones used for replanting"; Basicly, i can't cook anything to make them survive. And they don't eat pumpkin seeds.

[Machenoid]

Difficulty is all relative.

Contra. No matter what, if you get hit once, your character dies. Difficulty is not relative in contra; the only thing that is relative is the level of skill between players who play that game. Which, is what it should be, the better player wins by better thinking and control. But what if the player were able to increase his health? Increase his health to approach or even surpass the amount of health that the bosses have. Then difficulty is much more relative within the game mechanics; the player that sits back and power-levels their character to insane heights will have a much easier time then the player who does not, regardless of either players skill, because the "serious" power-leveler gets a greater numerical and mechanical advantage - one that nullifies any deficit they may have in actual thought/input skill.

It's easy to kill a boss in contra when you can just soak bullets and sit in the same spot, shooting the weak-point.
It's easy to kill a bear in H&H when your character has more health and does more unarmed damage then the bear ever could, and just has to stand there without fear of death, because it's simply not a mathmatical possibility.
[edit - Just like it's easy to tame a cow, get milk, and get free dairy fast and easy when they're basically a non-threat.]

[Jackard]

And yes, you should have to chase lv 1 animals around for awhile.

that is incorrect

Then what's the point of them existing? Difficulty is all relative. You could just as easily call them lv 10's and have morder contain lv 100's.

And by awhile I mean a day or two.

you seem unfamiliar with the concept of removing animal levels altogether

animals should differ by behavior and not something abstract like levels