ATLANTISv2 atl-design-digest #45 From: csd@microplex.com (Christian Daudt) Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000 Errors to csd@microplex.com Now there should be a digest whenever (a) there are 10 emails or (b) whenever there is an email waiting for more than 48 hours for a digest to be completed. So don't get worried if the digest has only 1 or 2 emails, that just means the list has been slow. (I hope it works) If you want previous versions, they are available via WWW at http://www.microplex.com/~csd/atlantisv2/ ---------------------------------------------------------- From: tim.hruby@his.com Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 12:24:05 Subject: ATL: Start-ups Geoff, Now that I'm involved in a fairly large scale ship production enterprise, I'd like to add to the new faction start-up thread. Basically, rather than giving starting factions enough wood in their claim account to build a longboat, I think you should just allow everyone 1 actual _longboat_ int their claim account, if that wouldn't be too hard to code. It simply takes far too much of an effort to build a longboat for a starting faction, even if the wood is free. First of all, you must be part-Trade to even contemplate building a boat, preventing factions from specializing from the get-go. Second, you have to come up with 50 man/months to build the ship, which will cost a new faction a fair chunk of its starting money in purchasing, training and support costs. And then it can only carry ten of your guys, which isn't very much in the grand scheme of things, and almost certainly less than your construction crew. Of course, this changes a fair amount if/when factions set up player-run shipbuilding businesses to profit off the new factions, but I still think it is probably easier to let everyone have one longboat hassle-free. I won't even get into how I think ships might be way too costly anyway in game-balance terms. For now, that's just my formative opinion, and I'll have to wait to see how it plays out in the future, once my fleet really gets in gear. Tim ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 10:30:17 -0700 From: bonder@earthlink.net (Bruce Onder) Subject: Re: ATL: Start-ups At 12:24 PM 9/8/95, tim.hruby@his.com wrote: >Basically, rather than giving starting factions enough wood in their claim >account to build a longboat, I think you should just allow everyone 1 >actual _longboat_ int their claim account, if that wouldn't be too hard to >code. Why not just make longboats available products? If you implement a very simply auction system (IOW, players can bid over the starting cost of a "for sale" item in hopes of procuring the sale), players can get to somewhere it makes sense to own a longboat (ie, coastal hexes) and buy one. Boats should be a low-volume and low-end business so that players can set up a competitive shop ("we build 'em faster and better!"). >It simply takes far too much of an effort to build a longboat for a starting >faction, even if the wood is free. First of all, you must be part-Trade to >even contemplate building a boat, preventing factions from specializing from >the get-go. Well, this doesn't *prevent* you from specializing. It's just a decision. Bruce Onder | We write and design computer games. Digital Arcana | Ask about our interactive underpants. 310.519.5993 | 310.837.8533 fax | Or don't. Up