Mod Design Brainstorm [RPG harvesting]

[rkynick]

The main issue would be confirming that moves are valid with the server; you could probably do something like sending off the command to check the move (with the server being in control of the grid) and pausing the timer, then waiting for the server response before resuming it. The server response would send back any changes that occur in the grid, these are applied, the timer is resumed. That way the client doesn't have any control over the data, which prevents hacking or at least makes it harder.

You'd also need some kind of 'no moves' detection.

Something else that would be interesting is dynamic alloys; you talked about dynamic materials in another thread a long time ago. Dynamic alloys would be created by adding ores of whatever type into a furnace; for instance you could smelt copper, copper and tin to get bronze, then bronze and silver to get something else. (Silver-veined bronze!)

If only there was a good reason to do something like this.

Preferably, the server would exert complete control over the minigame. I think it's something we should look into.
Also, no moves wouldn't be completely necessary, we could add a 'board reset' button that erases the board and gives you a new one but uses a little time or something.

I vaguely recall talking about material combinations and such. I need to look that old post up.

Also, I think it's beneficial to remove ourselves from the 'copper, tin, bronze, silver' generics and focus on more abstract concepts. Having many many kinds of resources is not necessarily a good thing.

[Ad Bot]

[Tom]

I don't think the problem is resource gathering, I think the problem is that every RP is based completely around it. They all use the same "Resources -> Money" system.

[Doomonkey]

I don't think the problem is resource gathering, I think the problem is that every RP is based completely around it. They all use the same "Resources -> Money" system.

I just hatched an idea. A bartering system is used, and you can even get the ability to con people.

You can even barter for slaves and use them as currency, because everyone wants slaves.

[Chrono]

I just hatched an idea. A bartering system is used, and you can even get the ability to con people.

You can even barter for slaves and use them as currency, because everyone wants slaves.

But where do you get money to barter with?

[Doomonkey]

But where do you get money to barter with?

Barter with resources.

Barter: to trade by exchanging one commodity for another

[rkynick]

Quick, brainstorm topic, what would be the best/easiest/effective way to make a bejewelled GUI game?

[naturemon]

Barter with resources.

Barter: to trade by exchanging one commodity for another

Then one resource with be more rare than the rest and turn into currency.

[Wedge]

I think something that people sometimes forget is that Blockland lets you build things with your friends, and blow things up, and do goofy stunts in cars, and generally be creative. These are its strong points. You certainly don't have to use all or any of these in an RPG, but you shouldn't forget them either.

As an alternative to having to having to chop down trees and mine rocks, consider that Blockland is a bunch of plastic blocks and make the resource plastic. The trees are made of plastic, the rocks are made of plastic, the people are made of plastic. Instead of making Blockland trees, something they're not (real trees), make them plastic. Once you get past this idea of trying to turn Blockland into a hyper realistic logging simulator (oh god), you open up room for lots of interesting and amusing gameplay mechanics. Why do I need an axe? Why can't I just blow up the trees with rockets or run them over with a tank? Maybe tanks and rockets don't fit into your theme, but then again, out of all of the great RPGs I've played, I've spent exactly 0 minutes cutting down trees, and what "mining" I did consisted of essentially sneaking into mines and robbing them.

Do less things that are inactive and mindless, like logging, mining, and farming. Do more of things that are engaging and active, like fishing, driving, exploring, and construction.

[Destiny/Zack0Wack0]

In every resource based mod I've made I've used plastic as the currency and centralized resource.

[captain blue]

In every resource based mod I've made I've used plastic as the currency and centralized resource.

kiss-ass
Good input

[Barnabas]

I'm glad this topic topic was made. All the rps lately are nothing but horribly boring harvest games.

[indyjones]

I'm glad this topic topic was made. All the rps lately are nothing but horribly boring harvest games.

CodeBlock is coming out with something that should be.. interesting.

[J MASTER]

My farm rpg based on vce events has been very successfull. When you spawn, you walk around the farm and pick berries, then sell these berries at a sign, place a lot in front of an empty farm, purchase seeds with the money you got for picking berries, plant the seeds on your farm, water them every time they grow (15+second increments), and click the top brick to harvest the crop. Later on when you've collected alot of money, you can upgrade your farm with an anti-theft wall, a greenhouse (automatically waters crops), or you can purchase farms that support different, more profitable crops.

I haven't hosted it as much because it's huge, and generally vce gets buggy with over 7 or 8 people playing it.

[rkynick]

In the end, if it isn't interesting, underplay it, I suppose.

I think the mining-minigame sort of thing is something we can still work on that would add a layer of depth and fun to harvesting at least in that case. In the meantime, I'd like to suggest another topic question:

- How do we substitute harvesting if we cut it off completely? Many RPGs rely on this as some sort of backbone, so how would we work without it, and if we still need some form of harvesting, how can we boil it down to the bare minimum / only what's worthwhile and interesting?
One example of minimized harvesting that comes to mind would be a survival situation where you would scavenge for bricks and try to find the appropriate brick amongst the rubble or whatever.
More importantly I'm wondering how a resource pipeline could function without this base layer, and if the resource pipeline is at all necessary.

[Doomonkey]

- How do we substitute harvesting if we cut it off completely?

Make it modern-ish and trade based. We assume that laborers are already there, it's just your job to make money off of them. Buy low, sell high.