[Badass City] how do you design price lists?
dindenver:
Marshall,
Well, I would use a completely different approach.
Basically, I would make the characters force the issue every time (and if it is not worth a conflict, they either have it or it doesn't matter).
In other words, if you want the most badass mansion, then you gotta take it from the guy who has it now...
But that is my two cents. I have seen some abstract economies work pretty well. Like Ron, if I had a better idea which way you wanted to go, I could give you a less "out of the blue" suggestion.
Good luck with your design, it sounds badass!
Marshall Burns:
Josh "JoyWriter" W, who is having troubles with his account, emailed me this reply which I'm posting on his behalf:
Quote
It's a good idea to start by throwing away spurious accuracy, and basically making your bands really broad, starting wherever you have a splitting point that makes sense. (ie this set of stuff comes at badass x and above) Then subdivide.
In an abstract sense, you have two scales that you are trying to calibrate, like two thermometers, you can do the same for all the later perks too.
The clever bit is that although you might start with simple levels and teirs, in the finished version you can just put the badass stuff on a list, put the amount of badass points next to it, then add a note about not being too strict, in character for the setting. In other words, if people are already looking at a list, then they can just check the points next to it. You can also influence stuff by the number of sig figs you work to; say you always get new stuff opening up on every 100 points, well just go 100, 200 300; the mapping structure from points to teirs is one we're already familiar with, the decimal system!
Also, sticking in numbers and a note not to get hung up on them (and the sort of cues they should be using) explicitly deals with a certain form of consciousness with respect to the rules, ie basically your saying to people "don't go precise and maximise numbers, sort out the positioning and the feel".
Coming back to the cues your using, how does the moment of purchase work in your game? Do people just have stuff at the start of the next session? At the end as a sort of wrap up/consequences thing?
Josh
Everyone, thanks for posting! I'll be back later tonight when I've thought about it some.
-Marshall
Marshall Burns:
Ok. I'm gonna put implementation on hold for a sec in order to talk about how this is supposed to impact gameplay in a bit more detail.
There are three ways to gain resources:
1. Take stuff from the Goods & Services list that you're entitled to by your score (however that gets implemented). This stuff is all generic stuff. Although you get to color it up, it's all pretty much just standard things -- none of it is stuff that there's only one of. Maybe that should change, though? I like what Chris is saying about a competitive economy.
2. Take stuff by force from someone else. You'd do this when it's something unique, or if you just want to take something from people to shame them.
3. Bargain for it. This is the most compromising method, because it leaves you with obligations that can lead to problems, but it's also good because it can get you stuff that you can't otherwise get, without (immediately, anyway) putting you in danger.
So, Dave, the reason why I don't want the characters to have to force the issue every time is this: while badasses are very hard to kill, stuff is not hard to destroy. Every conflict that goes by sees trains derailing, houses burned down, bars blown up, guns getting eaten (yes it happened), and the badass plumber's plunger getting bitten in half by a badass sewer rat.
In other words, conflicts mean losing stuff. If you have to get into conflicts in order to get stuff in the first place, then what you get is something like kill puppies for satan: spend evil to get out of trouble; kill puppies to get more evil; spend evil to get out of the trouble that killing puppies caused. Which is awesome for kpfs, but not so awesome for what I'm trying to do here.
Josh,
regarding how the moment of purchase works -- with stuff that you get from the lists (when you're entitled to it), the acquiring happens off-screen. You just pick it and now your badass has it. You can only get one thing per in-game day though.
There need to be some other limits, too. 'Cause infinitely stockpiling things is lame. At first I was thinking that you can only own one of each thing at a time, but then I realized that being able to say, "Hm, which one of my mansions should I sleep in tonight?" is totally badass. Maybe each item could have a "load," and you can only support so much total load depending on your Badassitude.
Chris,
One of the neat things about this game is that bragging rights are a mechanical benefit. They give you stuff that you can boast about, with a mostly-guarantee that you'll be able to back it up, which is an easy way to bag some points. That's only "mostly" because you might be boasting about your badass mansion, then somebody's like, "Oh yeah? Then let's see it," so you invite them to a party. Then a rival hears about it, waits 'til you're out of sight, knocks out all the windows, turns your paintings upside down, and takes a dump on your couch. When the partygoers show up, they're not so impressed.
Chris_Chinn:
Hi Marshall,
Quote from: Marshall Burns on February 25, 2011, 05:55:43 PM
One of the neat things about this game is that bragging rights are a mechanical benefit.
I get that concept, though what I'm pointing to, is the many, many games which offer achievements/badges with no mechanical benefit, which are almost always aimed at high-end players - videogames use these a LOT these days.
You don't necessarily need any non-mechanical trophies, but there is a lot of games that do it and clearly it has some draw - maybe something to at least look at and consider what it is and if it has any place in your game.
Chris
JackTheOwner:
There is a potential problem with fixed prices - object with high price may don't have the same value in player eyes.
For example someone may like fancy apartment more than decent house.
This problem is only issue, if you want these things as some kinds awards for players.
In other way you can just throw some big number for the most valued place to live, like 1 000 000 for Mansion on MTV Cribs. If someone live here, than I know that he is some big badass.
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