Items that Expire, and Counterfeit item

Started by
3 comments, last by Wavinator 14 years, 2 months ago
For this argument don’t think of items as just tangible goods. It also includes information, virtual commodities, access rights, etc… Typically Expire dates aren’t an issue in a game as time doesn’t really exist. But if it did and some items had a limited window in which they were valid would it annoy you? For instance you’ve just paid £10,000 to a hacker to add you to the NeoGen Labs employee list. But that access will expire tomorrow at midnight when their servers are re-synched with the head offices. Now if you don’t use it in time you are out £10,000. Would you feel cheated or annoyed if something else came up before the break in that meant you missed out? Do all the items have to genuine? If there where some stats that would determine whether or not you and npcs can recognize forgeries, as well as produce them. Is it acceptable that some items are fakes, and depending on the character they may or may not work? The Fake ID you bought might work on some guards but the veterans recognize immediately that it is a badly made forgery. However the player might not know that until it is too late. Likewise why steal that work of art that you’ve been hired to steal when with a bit of skill you could knock together a forgery that should fool your employer.
Advertisement
I would only feel cheated if there was no way for me to know what the limits were. Holiday specific items in WoW for instance never bothered me, I might only be able to fly my Halloween broom for 7 days but its clearly stated, so I can make the judgment if the time to get the item is worth the limited time i can use it.

As long as you clearly communicate the risk/rewards of a transaction so that I know what I'm getting into it works without frustration. Even saying "this forgery only has a 50/50 chance of going undetected" is ok, I know where I stand and can make the choice. Its bad though, to punish people for getting a choice wrong, when they didn't even know they were making one.
Is this real life time or game time? Personally I dislike having to explicitly schedule time for a game: if something comes up I don't want to have to decide "should I go to the bar, or save the virtual money I've spent".

Assuming it is game time, I think it's a great idea. Time limits can be exciting, and it gives the player additional choices (do I pursue this other opportunity and cut the break in close? Should I play it safe and lie low 'til then?) Especially if unplanned events get in the way, it can force the player to handle a situation differently then they would have otherwise (don't have time to go with the police and answer questions, I guess I'd better flee)

As for forgeries, you're increasing the player's options which is usually a good thing. You can play safe and obtain the real things, or you can buy a cheap forgery on the assumption that somewhere along the way you're going to have to fall back to a fight.
I have played a game called 'wages of war'. In this game, you have mercenaries which you equip with stuff you order from retailers. Strangely enough, a lot of the grenades were duds, and several weapons jammed. It didn't 'annoy me' as much as it spiced things up. You sent your team with the cover of a sniper for a specific reason, and the sniper finds himself busy trying to unjam his weapon so your field team suddenly needs to adapt to this situation.
Of course, the player should not be misled too much, or he would lose interest in these systems weighting that they fail more often than they work. Anything below 63.7% accuracy would be discarded initially. (Yes, this was a random number based on no specific stats lol)

The important factor if you want to introduce such an element is to make it extremely naive. You can't prepare a 'trap' for the player, like, in your example, give a 24 hours account, but suddenly send 1000 agents of death after your protagonist. Of course, the player will feel cheated. If, on the other hand, he finds himself diverted from his goal by his own mistakes, he will not feel betrayed. It is all a matter of putting it on the player's fault. If the player has no control over these factors, he might feel a bit cheated. I know it doesn't correlate with my previous example, and this is because the actual 'cheating' was simply part of the 'deal' and not external. What puts you in deep shit is the weapon you bought, not the fact people come after you. You knew people would come after you anyway.
The fact you were there before they invented the wheel doesn't make you any better than the wheel nor does it entitle you to claim property over the wheel. Being there at the right time just isn't enough, you need to take part into it.

I have a blog!
I think both are cool ideas and very apropos for a cyberpunk / megacorp theme. The two things I'd ask for would be:


  • Give me the kind of in-game skills I might have being street savvy or experienced in real life. An appraisal ability, for instance, preferably which I can increase. IRL I know not to shop with certain vendors, not to buy what looks like a Rolex from some guy who's' carrying dozens in his coat, or invest too heavily in promos for late night wonder products, etc. but for a game this sort of common sense has to be built in. Contractors often have to live and die by their business reputation, so vendor reps might be a good idea, or even the "friend of a friend" seal of approval.
  • When I get screwed, give me some recourse for getting revenge. It doesn't have to be elaborate-- let me steal back money or blast them-- and doing so will firstly be emotionally satisfying (even if in a dark sort of way) and secondly will spur me to either improve my street smarts or find better friends.


I think with these fallbacks you'll give the player a way to manage the risk in a way that will bind them to the game world.
--------------------Just waiting for the mothership...

This topic is closed to new replies.

Advertisement