Where to start

For discussing and reviewing the development of a in game tutorial
Page
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Where to start

Post by Page »

Ok, basically any tutorial that is added is going to start off as a mission based thing.
Basically:
  • Enter game
  • Mission (tutorial) intro shown on CS info box with accept button
  • Click accept - get told how to do something (buy cargo/move sector)
  • The goal would stay on CS until completed
  • Once completed the CS message would change to Well done! Now click complete to receive your reward (turns/credits) and then a new mission would appear to be accepted
  • OR it would go straight into next goal (so maybe they have to do a few things in a row before a reward, but I think regular rewards are probably better)
No popups/NPCs/fancy stuff to start, this system I can get in place much quicker and is already partially implemented. Sure, it may be expanded in future with the fancy stuff, but start with this - it will also give us an idea of how it works (plus it will be easy to add extra for and have missions for vets as well).

So essentially what we need are a bunch of missions written up for me to add to the game that look something like this:
  • Mission Name: Tutorial1
  • Mission Start Text: Welcome to Space Merchant Realms, click accept to begin the tutorial! (There are rewards! ;) )
  • Mission Start Criteria: UserRank = 1
  • Mission Accept Text: You have started the tutorial, your first task is to buy some cargo holds, first click the [PlayerRaceHardwareShop] and then buy at least 5 cargo holds, click Current Sector on the left to get back to this page at any time.
  • Task 1 Text: Your first task is to buy some cargo holds, first click the [PlayerRaceHardwareShop] and then buy at least 5 cargo holds, click Current Sector on the left to get back to this page at any time.
  • Task 1 Criteria: Buy [>5] [CargoHolds]
  • Task 1 Complete Text: Well done, you have bought some cargo holds, click complete to collect your reward!
  • Mission Reward: X Credits, Y Turns
  • Mission Complete Text: You have been granted [Reward Credits] credits and [Reward Turns] turns for completing this mission.
And then something like:
  • Mission Name: Tutorial2
  • Mission Start Criteria: Mission = Tutorial1 and UserRank = 1
  • ...
Page
SMR Coder
Posts: 1779
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 9:17 pm

Re: Where to start

Post by Page »

Here are some places to look for ideas (feel free to copy them across to this forum if they are suitable):
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=9117
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9685
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=6185
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9531
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7651

If any of these are not accessible then let us know (I think they all are).

The precise format of the mission layout doesn't have to fit exactly, but it needs to be step based with the requirements to complete each step laid out.
RCK
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Re: Where to start

Post by RCK »

Looks good so far, good format for each mission as well. Will try to review the existing threads over the next couple of days if someone doesnt beat me to it.
Page
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Re: Where to start

Post by Page »

Bump.
Jester-
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Re: Where to start

Post by Jester- »

Page - I read your post, i like all that you have written. What do you need from us the playerbase? Do you need more ideas? If you can give direction on what you want i'll be happy to help. As I read your post, i can't really decipher what you need.
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Re: Where to start

Post by Jester- »

piratedan wrote:
  • trading into racial council
    selling a certain amount of a certain good
    maintaining a certain profit ratio
    improving relations to maximum with another race
    trading enough at a port to allow it to upgrade
    trading a certain diversity of goods (I think THIS would be good for the game overall)
    forces bought
    forces cleared
    sectors visited
    finding NPC's (but perhaps not killing them)
    stocking a planet
    making a certain level based on trade exp
    maybe even run a sweepstakes where a mission is to find the sector selling copper for the lowest price in the galaxy, making them a bargain hunter deluxe.
    owning a planet
These are all great ideas for missions. Some are for newer players and some for vets. I like these ideas.
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Re: Where to start

Post by Jester- »

A post from HK fits the bill too.

Harry Krishna wrote:
Something fun for new players would be good. Missions might fit the bill.

Missions were discussed on the suggestions thread a few times...could this become a serious development in the game?

Missions could be designed and tailored to both single players and groups and for levels of experience. Once they are completed, they cannot be done again. Some examples --


Solo player missions:
1. transport ambassadors from planet A to planet B, get 5 million credits and 5k exp.
- Required: any non-combat classed ship.
- player accepts the mission and receives ingame message with info on what sector to pickup passengers and where to take them
- player goes to pickup sector, probably a racial HQ or port or planet
- passengers remain on ship until dropped off at destination
- player drops off passengers, receives ingame message with info on their rewards

2. deliver special cargo from port A to port B, get 5 million credits and 2k exp.
- Required: 250 holds.
- similar steps as #1

3. locate and kill NPC in hunter-class ship who has been terrorizing traders, get 10 million credits and 8k exp.
- Required: hunter class ship or better
- player accepts the mission and receives ingame distress call from ships in some sector where the NPC is
- player goes to sector and battles the NPC
- if player wins the fight, receives ingame message with info on their rewards
- if player loses the fight, receives ingame message later with info on where to try again.

4. Contracted to clear a path thru a minefield for trade conglomeration
- Required: ship capable of clearing mines, cash for UNO
- player accepts the mission, receives instruction ingame on where the minefield lies
- player clears path thru mines or dies trying
- once the mines are clear, player receives ingame message with payment info

Group missions:
Raid different level ports for bonus cash and exp paid on completion.
- newbie port level 1, 3, 5, 9
- vet port level 9, 10+

Special port raid to gain a rare item that must be delivered to planet A to receive cash and exp.

Attack planets similiarly for special items, bonus cash and exp.
- newbie planet level 5, 10, 20
- vet planet level 30, 50, 70

Hold President and 3 top council seats for a single race: cash and exp bonus

Hold top 3 council seats in at least two racial councils: cash and exp bonus

Find and destroy NPC enemy fleets for bonus cash and exp.
- newbie fleet of 3 or 5 ships
- vet fleet of 10, 15 ships

-------------
I'd like to figure out some different scenarios also to make use of good and evil players.

These missions could be viewed and accepted in the racial HQ or UG interface. Newbie missions could only be accepted by newbies, vet missions only by vets.

NPCs and some mission destinations would appear only to the player doing the mission.

The database would need to track each player individually as to their progress for each mission.
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Page
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Re: Where to start

Post by Page »

Oh, you're right Jester, basically I need missions written up in roughly the format I gave in the first post, I'll also amend that post to try and make it clearer.
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Re: Where to start

Post by Jester- »

Page wrote:Oh, you're right Jester, basically I need missions written up in roughly the format I gave in the first post, I'll also amend that post to try and make it clearer.
How many do we want? Is this for only newbies or everyone?
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Page
SMR Coder
Posts: 1779
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 9:17 pm

Re: Where to start

Post by Page »

Start with newbies, initial tutorial missions. We can expand later on (in theory once the framework is properly in place it should be easy to add loads of missions)
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