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Player generated content (How to bring cities to life)


CyberCrunch

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The community will have a big responsibility in DU. Since DU is designed as a sandbox game there are basically no predefined activities for the players to do. One of the reasons NQ is providing voxels and LUA-scripting, is that players should build any content they want inside the game.
As discussed in various other threads, it depends on the players how interesting the cities will be in the end. (e.g. https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/10816-opinions/ or https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/10544-in-game-activities/)

However what I see is that most players/orgs are only focusing on their way to get resources (miners, pirates, merchants). This is of course how we will spend most of our time. However this is only the monotone grinding part of DU.

I guess fighting over resources is a somewhat exciting part of the game. But that is also what I don't like about EVE. This game has created very complex political systems, but the daily activities in the game are often just boring grinding jobs.

 

Where do you go to have some fun?? I mean it’s quite pointless to build giant mega-structures when you can't actually do anything inside them!

In most other MMOs the developers have to create special events and quest systems to give players something to do in the lategame. A good example would be Star Citizen, where nearly everything is prescripted.

 

In DU it’s all about us, and WHAT WE WANT to see in the game…

 

I predict that at some point every city will develop a variety of activities/minigames that are designed by players.
Why would anyone bother playing these? Because you can win credits! With the contracting system we could even create world championships, ect.
Here is a list of stuff I’d find interesting (mostly based on existing games):
- Arena games (capture the flag, team deathmatch, FFA)
- Ball games (like rocket league with hovercrafts)
- Racing games (like mario cart)
- Gambling games (like what DICE is planning to do)
- Board games (like tabletop simulator… I would love to play some risk-like game with the map of Alioth)^^
- Museums (about the history of Alioth (for new players))
- Rollercoaster (e.g. with catapult/ physics glitches)
- Special events/gatherings (like https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/10756-alioth-aerospace-expo/)
- Use networked DUCs for minigames (nice way to spend time, when you are traveling/waiting… no idea how the terminals are going to work, but we’ll figure something out. xD)

 

Feel free to use those ideas for your projects, or tell us what activities you would like to do in the game. ;)
This thread is not about how these things could be realized. (There are already threads in the Gameplay Mechatics forum)

Obviously NQ has to limit the complexity of the game at release, but as the game evolves I’m sure more and more of the above will become possible.
So I know it’s very early to talk about this stuff now, but it’s important to think about the possibilities, so people can say “I want to build this!”
When the Game is released I hope someone creates a list of all these unique places in the Wiki, so people can visit them.

 

tl;dr: What would you like to see in the game to bring cities to life? :D

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Mechanics that could bring cities to life:

 

- Food / Drink requirements

- A bed logout mechanic, wherein players could rent out sleeping space for others.

- in game music

- drink mechanics that make it possible to have bars beyond just rp

 

 

Basically anything that people come together for in real life.

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Mechanics that could bring cities to life:

 

- Food / Drink requirements

- A bed logout mechanic, wherein players could rent out sleeping space for others.

- in game music

- drink mechanics that make it possible to have bars beyond just rp

 

 

Basically anything that people come together for in real life.

Actually, Hybernation Pods would be an awesome idea. When a player "sleeps" in them, their avatar remaisn "online" in the game, meaning if someon was to blow up the pod, the avatar would die (so not 1 bed for 10000 people).

 

If NQ was to add a "download" speed bonus for skill training when a plaer rests inside a hybernation tank, that would also be amazing for having :

 

1) Apartment buildings - you need your own personal safespace to log-in and out, especially for people who play two days a week for 8 hours each.

 

2) Incentivise logging out in hybernation tanks, thus requiring people to log out in cities, where if their house was to be attacked, their local militia would respond.

 

 

However, food and drink is not something I want as a "your Tamagotchi's time to feed is now". I want "fuel for the player" in the form of food, I just don't want hunger or thirst. It's futurespace, and the Devs have pulled a Dune with the biosuits, so thirst is not a real issue. However, calories could be treated like "mana" from other games but not in a mystical "I pull mana out of my rear and replenish the mana pool" but having the energy pool of a player only replenished by food or drinks when their energy reserves are out after executing different actions (sprinting, jumping, jet-packing, combat, mining etc). So this would also create :

 

1) the need for solo players to be tethered on cities for easy access to food

 

2) possibility for people to live off of the Primary Sector, ala farmers, when down the line agriculture is implemented. I mean, mining is good, but limiting people to mining alone to live off of the Primary Sector is dull and limiting. Plus farms can proiduce ...ahem, recreational medicines.

 

3) No bunny hopping or permanent sprinting. Those two things are the staples of breaking immersion and making the game world look like a dystopia where coffee is the only available beverage.

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3) No bunny hopping or permanent sprinting. Those two things are the staples of breaking immersion and making the game world look like a dystopia where coffee is the only available beverage.

Could have a toggled walk mode that gives (or at least makes it look like it gives) faster energy regen, the basic run/jog mode (with 'standard' energy regen, which could be zero), and then sprint/jetpack (consume energy). Change out energy regen for other energy system (hunger or thirst drain, for example, even though I would be against such a thing).

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Could have a toggled walk mode that gives (or at least makes it look like it gives) faster energy regen, the basic run/jog mode (with 'standard' energy regen, which could be zero), and then sprint/jetpack (consume energy). Change out energy regen for other energy system (hunger or thirst drain, for example, even though I would be against such a thing).

I think you missed the point of the arguements before it that "energy doesn't regen unless you consume calories (food) ". :P

 

Walking will certainly get you more milage-per-calories but sprinting will get you more speed for urgencies. Walking, like in the real world, would consume far less calories to do so, while sprinting would get you simply to exhaust your calories faster for a short boost in speed. You also ignore the fact that in some armors, like a heavy armor, it would be practically impossible to sprint all the time as it would exhaust your energy even faster. So, sprinting, should be an "afterburner" kind of thing. Use it sparingly to dodge an AoE damage effect or to jetpack to safet.

 

Some armors will be lightweight, able to give more speed in such a model, when sprinting as well as jetpack distance per calorie burned, while other armorsmay not even be able to run in them... at all. And no, bigger jetpack doesn't mean "I can compensate for the wieght". There's a certain number of newtons of push that the human spine can tolerate before its torn apart, and if your armor weighs 1 ton (like a power armor) that would mean you can't really apply any jetpack at all.

 

Which is balanced and that is my opinion. Having fuel that runs out for people, is what will keep them tethered to a city. Which also means exploration is a whole new beast on its own.

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Ahem... DICE is actually planning: 

 

- Racing games (like mario cart hovercraft racing including racing leagues)

- Arena games (capture the flag, team deathmatch, etc)

- Mazes

- Scavenger hunts

- Ball games (like rocket league with hovercraft)

 

in that order of priority.

 

as well as the 

- Gambling games (like what DICE is planning to do)

 

hmmm I think adding boardgames to the list is a great idea too.  I can see people playing little in game THUD!

 

Disclaimer: These are pending DU game mechanics and do not reflect what is actually possible inside DU. DICE does not take responsibility for lost limbs or loot in the unlikely event of unforseen accidents.

 

What I would like to see is an org (like Stars) creating in game concerts with singers and musicians.  Because, why not? 

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I definitely want to see popular hangout spots like space bars and such become a major thing. Where you can either frequent a major bar where there could be 500 players at all times or find yourself some place out of the way with only 10 players that you get to know.

I think these would have a bigger reason for existing if you have some kind of consumable buffs or even player proximity buffs.

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It's fascinating how varying the suggestions are. While writing my post I was more thinking of "amusement park" features to add some interesting places to the game. However more established institutions like bars, and apartments will also be a important part of a city.

That was also my main idea to start this thread: to get an overview of what players want to see in the world. Like with minecraft, players will create stuff, of which the developers haven't even thought about! (arguably in both directions ;)

 

One more thing that came to my mind is artwork:

- people will create pixelart, architecture, and beautiful landscapes/parks

- we could see art-contests, and galleries to display their work

 

@Kurock, sorry if I misrepresented DICE. After reading your description, I had the impression you want to be more of a gaming commission (so make credits by hosting games, like a broker). That's why I put you on gambling topic... But you do great work! I will definitely use your service ingame, soon! ;)

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MxO had a few groups (Exile Radio, Radio Free Zion) that held events at bars... they streamed music (online) and had a few contest.  It's actually th thing I miss the most from that game.

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Might sound silly but I would like to see libraries. Some kind of building that stores all sorts of information.

 

Tutorials for crazy contraptions, books that hold the history of planets and organizations. Maybe copies of treaties between different organizations and corporations. All sorts of information that normally would be on google but now its in a library for added immersion.

 

Beyond that I would like to see pubs, ideally with some kind of battle wound mechanic that would make players naturally visit those places. Banks, vehicle dealer shops, housing stuff like that.

 

I also still feel roads and pavements need to be a thing. +1 movement speed for using the sidewalk or road for vehicles. Silly detail perhaps but it would be very immersive.

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With hovercraft tech and similar, I think roads wouldn't necessarily help with speed unless you'd use wheels.

 

Still useful without any "hard benefits".

 

Can still be used to mark where traffic (on foot or otherwise) goes and stays and we're used to roads in our modern urban infrastructure, so I'm all for them. Chances are they may have to be slightly wider however to accommodate somewhat larger "cars", unless there would be enforced regulations in some areas.

 

A library also sounds interesting and will be useful if certain functions can be implemented - for example being able to write in documents you can then store in places and read at a later time. A museum could also work well.

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Not wanting to open bars, pubs and cafeteria filled with delicious looking food, grown and made with the local fauna. Heresy!

 

The aesthetics of food and drinks aside, mechanic could entail that it provides a buff (think WoW and various other games where you can consume stuff) and fill up a Minecraft esc hunger bar. 

Buffs means there is room for debuffs, room for making alcoholic beverages, poisoned food, junk food makes you lethargic but fills your food bar more in short period of time, healthy fills up the bar average and slows down the depletion of said bar. With that we make room for farm-building, food-hover trucks (come get your egg-rolls! Think 5th Element one of the first scenes). 

 

When you want to imagine a society, you must remember the four corners of culture (or at least to my own theory):
- Food
- Trade
- Entertainment
- Music

 

You could argue language is needed too but with hands and feet it's easy to convey what you want. I had some very interesting conversations with a couple of Ruskies in Empyrion: Galactic Survival on trading a large stockpile of iron for coin. As soon as "yes" and "no" and numbers are posted, we are well on our way to becoming the best of trade partners.

 

We could also argue that music is not a needed element produced by players, but no Admiral Ack-Bar is without some Star Wars cantina tune. 

The main focus will land on trade and entertainment. I can see plenty of you realise very well that the core demand being filled by a city is the need for a place for players to meet and sell or store their wares, team up with people (for raids, transport, adventures, mining trips etc), offer services (interplanetary bus-rides, employment agencies, catering-services, mercenaries/corporate spies, brothels etc.), rest (e.g. sleeping-pods, fancy suits and such), feed (restaurants, food-shops, food-carts, fast-food bars) and entertain (games, taverns, bars, casinos, public fora, libraries). 

What we need to prevent from happening, but is most likely going to be the case due to the nature of the elements involved: The safe-zone within the Ark's starting area changing into one big shipping and container area for big corporations with starting players quickly being shovelled from the ark ship to the edge of the safe-zone because their presence is taking up precious storage space for their trillion tons of resources. 

 

I'm currently writing a short story on what this game would look like, one year after it's release, when a new and naive player enters this world a friend of him told him about ("it's magical!"). 

I look forward publishing it next week and hear your feedback on it (if I can take my space-game addicted head out of Hellion, the most thrilling docking game since Elite: Dangerous, for a second).

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With hovercraft tech and similar, I think roads wouldn't necessarily help with speed unless you'd use wheels.

Yes that crossed my mind as well.

The speed bonus was more an idea to incentivise people to build and use roads.

 

Hovercrafts move faster on roads because...science? :P

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Yes that crossed my mind as well.

The speed bonus was more an idea to incentivise people to build and use roads.

 

Hovercrafts move faster on roads because...science? :P

 

Not sure if NQ istrying to encourage road building but if they are could always have a mechanic where engines are more efficient on roads or road somehow transfer energy to a hovercraft engine. This way it would be cheaper to transport goods from two points connected by roads or you could have more engines at the same fuel cost so you could transfer larger amount of goods.

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And roads tend to be less bumpy than the surrounding hills.

And straighter, allowing people to go faster since they don't need to turn as much.

Those are both exellent points.

This way it would be cheaper to transport goods from two points connected by roads or you could have more engines at the same fuel cost so you could transfer larger amount of goods.

Yea who knows...:)

However its done I think it would make a nice addition to the game.

 

You could use the road but increase the chance of being robbed. Or go of road, the safer but more costly option.

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Perhaps in the future, the roads can also work like powered rails, transferring energy to a "car" (hovercraft, whatever), thus actually letting you save your own fuel or energy. Of course "cars" would not be solely dependent on that energy transfer as they could go nowhere (or not far) without those 'energy roads', but it would basically be like a "free charge service" within settlements and cities or, respectively, between them as long as powered roads are there.

 

This actually sounds like a good idea but would rely on the appropriate gameplay mechanics.

 

It would also result in a good amount of work, you would not just have to plaster concrete somewhere but also make sure it has the necessary tech to power compatible "cars". If wheels make it in, they could work unpowered as well or cars would simply rely on their internal energy or fuel storage.

 

E: Totally patenting that!

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Perhaps in the future, the roads can also work like powered rails, transferring energy to a "car" (hovercraft, whatever), thus actually letting you save your own fuel or energy. Of course "cars" would not be solely dependent on that energy transfer as they could go nowhere (or not far) without those 'energy roads', but it would basically be like a "free charge service" within settlements and cities or, respectively, between them as long as powered roads are there.

 

This actually sounds like a good idea but would rely on the appropriate gameplay mechanics.

 

It would also result in a good amount of work, you would not just have to plaster concrete somewhere but also make sure it has the necessary tech to power compatible "cars". If wheels make it in, they could work unpowered as well or cars would simply rely on their internal energy or fuel storage.

 

E: Totally patenting that!

I like this *train* of thought.

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Actually you could turn that into an element. Since elements at the moment have in and out sockets you could connect a whole bunch of these road elements and then send power through them.

 

It would really make a great addition to gameplay. People making roads, industry constructing the elements, powerplants powering the roads, increased commerce speeds, cops and robbers....and probably a lot more!

 

Edit: it could add speed bonus or add buff to fuel efficiency? That would make a lot of sense.

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