Re: Smuggler's Run

From: Quicksilver <michael.kelly@lmco.com>

Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Off-Planet wrote:

> The most annoying thing about Quicksilver's post is that if there are a host
> of textual errors, then why don't players like you point them out to me so
> they can be fixed? I don't have the time to read every mission to see if
> there are errors like that, and I rely on players to point out such mistakes
> when they happen to stumble upon them.

I have but they crop up quicker than I can squash them. It seems with everynew
change you make comes a host of textual errors. And you make changes
often. I have given up on correcting them.

>
>
> Secondly, I consider myself a very competent programer, thank you. And since
> Quicksilver hasn't played in quite a long time, he wouldn't know the current
> condition of the game, so he really isn't in a position to judge it very
> accurately.
>

Not true. I submit  orders every week. SR-226 in case you wonder. And if
youwere a competant programmer you would not be producing code with that
many errors every time you make a change IMHO.

> Finally, as far as making lots of little changes, it's true. And sometimes
> the changes don't work, so I have to try something else. This is, IMHO, a
> good thing, not a negative. The game is always evolving and improving. And
> there are plenty of opportunities for players to interact, communicate,
> exchange money, items, information, etc.... so if players don't take
> advantage of that and then say there's little interaction, whose fault is
> that?

The interaction is on an informational basis for the most part. There is no
way,
for example to team up with a player for ANY action. You may give items/
money, trade info, and attack each other's ships  There is little incentive for

cooperation at this point, as there is little information to trade due to the
dearth of special locations and items. I think of the game as almost a
solitaire.

Things I would like to see:
1) A way for players to operate as a team, particularly when fighting pirates.
    How about an order to steal from another player, an order to fight
    hand to hand with another player, an order to train another player, and
    more importantly, reasons to do so. Special orders that require a
    team to get the item. etc, etc.
2) More special items for color besides weapons and armor. Clues
   about them and where they can be gotten obtainable by the
   snoop order.
3) The snoop action to actually provide useful information. I usually
   (cancel that, make it always) get information on surplusses and
   shortages in common goods I never deal in anyway as they make
   little profit for an advanced smuggler.
4) Undo the unlimited movement modification and have a maximum
   move based on jump drive again. I don't even look at the map
   anymore as everything is only one hop away.
5) More SO's, again for color. There is little point in exploring and
   visiting new planets as there is nothing unique about any of them.
   Or if there is, it is either rare or very difficult to find out the special
   order usable there. I think just about EVERY system should
   have something unique about it.
6) To be able to get something useful out of visiting an Alien planet.
   I either get trashed or end up with an ale flask or something
   equally stupid and frustrating.
7) A more understandable combat description. Currently the text
   gives a blow by blow that implies that the character has been
   hit and injured many times and will often end up with little
   or no damage. Sometimes the text does not mention a single
   hit but I still take damage.
8) Players affecting economies with their trade.
9) Reasonable destinations for Contraband goods. Why deliver
   them to the requested location when I can make twice as
   much going elsewhere. Perhaps add a biger bonus to a
   successful delivery (like 50%) and make sure the destination
   has a demand greater than 7.5 (out of 10).

One thing I do like about Mark is that I know very well he will
listen to those ideas and may very well implement them. The reason
I stopped making suggestions is that Mark at one point made it
clear that he did not have enough time to do the game justice. But
having hust looked over the latest game results and compared
them to previous ones, it seems he has been busy cleaning up
the most obnoxious of the textual errors.

References

Smuggler's Run
"Off-Planet" <mwmartin@gte.net>
Mon, 30 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Smuggler's Run
"Off-Planet" <mwmartin@gte.net>
Mon, 30 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0000