Jump to content
Black Chicken Studios Forums

~ Suggestions & Improvement ~


Hawkey
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just to get back to the 2 step difficult class SS. When I ended my last game It became more the clear that Arithmetic and Dialectic classes cant be handled by the NPCs so fare because the Classes only teach enough to get to 50 maybe 60 in the exam if you have High atribute and even less if not. So a loot on NPCs ended below 50 in the Final Exam and no NPC managed to get above 95 in Exam of this 2 classes.

So if the goal is real to have 100 or more in the Finals ther must be done something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the last Sunday in the game could you put packing into the 3 time slots as long we cant save the game after processing this day?

If I rember right for at minimum the last 2 Month of the game I didnt get any more increases or perks from going to class for my Char but the SS Classskills Properties of Arithmetic (ended 6 +1 step) and First Princieples (ended 7 + 1Step) werent maxed so fare.

 

Ok was wrong about the Perks 17. Anedius I got the last Bonus from already haved a SS maxed from a class.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure how all the stats will work in year two, and I can't find a clear topic about it, but would it be a good idea to just keep using the same formula except now the stats is uncap to 20 while all the rolls for year one events is basically double difficulties so we can keep reusing everything like events from year one.

 

It would also make sense for the stats to start so low at 1 = normal at year one and become 1 = bad at year two.

 

Edit: And make familiar skill add on much much more important and meaningful...like investing in year one so you can reap the reward boost in year two when the skill is uncapped to 20 with the weak student who spend time with familiar suddenly have higher skill than those who don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the punishment system needs some work.

 

I had a character get a reprimand for skipping detention on a day he attended detention, followed shortly by suspension for ... who knows? I sure don't. It just tells me I'm suspended without rhyme or reason. This was followed by 6 weeks of suspension leading directly into the mid-terms. Wouldn't death have been kinder?

 

Or at least loosen the activities allowed under suspension since you currently cannot study in your room! What the heck? Is this a school or isn't it? OTOH the events seemed to take no notice of my suspension and apparently my days were filled with field trips with my friends and hanging about in taverns. Arrrgh.

 

It just feels very ill-fitted, as though these different aspects of the game don't interact at all. Which I suspect was indeed the case, but it should perhaps be otherwise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andor;

 

This system will see a lot more player interaction in Year 2, and possibly Year 1. Certainly reporting can be improved.

 

Regarding Studying, there's a change coming to Suspension which will allow your character several room only interactions.

 

Thanks!

 

The suspension procedures are also not very well explained...well, anywhere. You just kind of bumble along until the Praetexta Court expels you, from my experience; if suspension always results in expulsion, wouldn't immediate expulsion be kinder (to the player, at least)? If it doesn't, what are the criteria for redeeming yourself and how can they be achieved under the current regime of class-only actions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The suspension procedures are also not very well explained...well, anywhere. You just kind of bumble along until the Praetexta Court expels you, from my experience; if suspension always results in expulsion, wouldn't immediate expulsion be kinder (to the player, at least)? If it doesn't, what are the criteria for redeeming yourself and how can they be achieved under the current regime of class-only actions?

 

Really? I've been suspended twice and neither time resulted in expulsion. Although when you are suspended your calendar isn't quite right. The first two time slots on saturdays you have the option of resting or going to study halls. And if you rest (which is the default) you get in more trouble, I believe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suggested balance change: please let the "battle angel" familiar cc choice cost 1 point instead of 2, it is of limited usability and is overpriced at 2 points in my opinion. Also please include more character creation choices in familiar training like masterful mind and athletics, in my opinion 2 extra stat points for familiar per invested character point (like already the case with athletics training) would be balanced. Another suggestion would be to add more possibilities in the game for familiars to gain stat points.

 

As you can see these suggestions are aimed at making familiars more viable. It has a background: I like to play with familiars but I also like to have efficient characters, but at the moment all my characters with familiars end up in the end of the year with far lower stats and skills (already modified with +50%skills from familiars) than characters focusing on selfadvancement.

I think suggested changes would go a long way to make a character with a familiar comparable at the end of the year to a character focusing on selfadvancement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suggested balance change: please let the "battle angel" familiar cc choice cost 1 point instead of 2, it is of limited usability and is overpriced at 2 points in my opinion. Also please include more character creation choices in familiar training like masterful mind and athletics, in my opinion 2 extra stat points for familiar per invested character point (like already the case with athletics training) would be balanced. Another suggestion would be to add more possibilities in the game for familiars to gain stat points.

 

As you can see these suggestions are aimed at making familiars more viable. It has a background: I like to play with familiars but I also like to have efficient characters, but at the moment all my characters with familiars end up in the end of the year with far lower stats and skills (already modified with +50%skills from familiars) than characters focusing on selfadvancement.

I think suggested changes would go a long way to make a character with a familiar comparable at the end of the year to a character focusing on selfadvancement.

 

I think the payoff for familiars comes in the long run. (I.E. Not in year 1.) Meaning that if the skill caps don't advance or advance slowly then the only meaningful way to advance is indeed to train your familiar. Conversely that means that it is indeed wasteful to train your familiar before your own skills cap, unless some of the familiar quest awards are spectacualar. (I have no idea.)

 

My problem with familiars is that I can currently spend 0, 1, or 2 (exotics cost 2, right?) points on them for little to no appreciable difference in effect. Why waste the points when Moaning Myrtle is free? And heck! A ghost chick is cooler than a rat any day of the week and twice on sundays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

but at the moment all my characters with familiars end up in the end of the year with far lower stats and skills (already modified with +50%skills from familiars) than characters focusing on selfadvancement.

Well the main problem is probably the lack of good training place/action for familiar like Go outside the fence. (+1 SS explore, +1 familiar SS explore, +1 familiar SS ambush, +1 stress)

 

I also don't like the fact that my familiar is doing nothing while I am going to class, so It would be great if I can pay 400 Pims per month for some familiar trainer to teach him 1 random SS per day, 250 Pims per month to familiar daycare center for 1 random SS per two day, 100 Pims per month to for some student to do whatever minimum grooming to raise that 1 random SS each week, or 0 pims for it to hang around and gain 1 random SS once per month.

 

Preferably the choice to choose which skill to raise for those payable option except bond skill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I was going to say. Other people could never raise /your/ bond subskills.

 

I'm of the opinion that familiars should share in some of the skillgains from classes. I mean, they hang around, right? And they sometimes have pretty impressive intelligence scores, so it's likely they'd pick up a few things.

 

They should also gradually gain skills based on their species. Rats for instance would gain skills related to sneaking and spying, just from their general background 'doing stuff'. Things can be thought up for the other familiars too. Not sure what the fish would gain. Aside from Swimming, it'd probably be a very esoteric skillset, the kind of things someone could 'learn' by sitting around in a fishbowl being brilliant and bored. (Creativity, if nothing else!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the payoff for familiars comes in the long run. (I.E. Not in year 1.) Meaning that if the skill caps don't advance or advance slowly then the only meaningful way to advance is indeed to train your familiar. Conversely that means that it is indeed wasteful to train your familiar before your own skills cap, unless some of the familiar quest awards are spectacualar. (I have no idea.)

 

You are indeed right on both accounts in my opinion. If the skill caps do not advance familiars will be more important in 2 year, but it would be even more necessary to ignore them in year 1 to get own skills as high as possible in order to profit properly in year 2. But: year two is still 1,5 to 2 years away in real life, and i would prefer for familiars to be viable now.

And familiar quest awards are far from spectacular, especially since i was barely able to get an acceptable result in my exams as i concentrated on my familiar quests. It used pretty much all available time to get so far.

 

My problem with familiars is that I can currently spend 0, 1, or 2 (exotics cost 2, right?) points on them for little to no appreciable difference in effect. Why waste the points when Moaning Myrtle is free? And heck! A ghost chick is cooler than a rat any day of the week and twice on sundays.

 

Exotics cost also 1, but you get one random of 21 possible.

Another possibility to improve familiars is to choose athletical training +1 fitness and finesse + couple of skills and masterful mind training +1 intelligence + couple of skills these trainings are nearly mandatory imo if higher levels of skills for familiars are desired. This means that for me familiars are either 0 or 3 points option, leaving me with really hard choices what to do with the 7 points i have left.

 

And Pamela IS cool. Especially since ghost girl Pamela in Mana Khemia. I would really like to invest points in her to have her as a proper familiar, sadly it is not possible atm. The only possible alternatives in coolness (my opinion) are the shade and silent alice, i was unable to roll both so far. Randomizer does not like me it seems. Waiting for the next DLC to try rolling again till i get them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the main problem is probably the lack of good training place/action for familiar like Go outside the fence. (+1 SS explore, +1 familiar SS explore, +1 familiar SS ambush, +1 stress)

This hopefully will get a bit better when impoved familiar handling is back in useful form in new dlc, but you are right, there are not enough good training places/actions for familiars compared with the pupils. At least as important are low attributes the familiars have. While they start comparable to a character, a player can if he knows what he is doing improve his stats very well in reasonable time. It is possible to have stats in 5-7 points range middle/late in the year. The familiars do not have such possibilities. There are also huge problems applying spells to your familiars - no easy way to boost attributes/skills unlike for characters. I would love to get an ability to share stat ehhancement spells i cast on myself with my familiar given high enough bond. "Shared spell" ability would really fit the bond fluff in my opinion. Therefore it is vital to maximize their starting stats and even then getting skills to higher levels is painful.

 

I also don't like the fact that my familiar is doing nothing while I am going to class, so It would be great if I can pay 400 Pims per month for some familiar trainer to teach him 1 random SS per day, 250 Pims per month to familiar daycare center for 1 random SS per two day, 100 Pims per month to for some student to do whatever minimum grooming to raise that 1 random SS each week, or 0 pims for it to hang around and gain 1 random SS once per month.

 

Preferably the choice to choose which skill to raise for those payable option except bond skill.

Yes. I have written a lengthy post about familiars in general a while back where i also touched this point. Basically they are our familiars, our friends, our helpers. They can start out with intelligence higher then vast majority of pupils in first year. There is nothing to suggest they are barred from classes. We even get bonus to skills from them - something i interpreted as our familiars helping us achieve a goal, so they should basically be assumed to be present with us most of the time. Then it would be only logical that they attend classes with us and get the same increase to subskills steps as we do, of course based on their stats. They are also motivated and intelligent friends and helpers, we simply should be able, given sufficent bond, say them what they have to do -make a trainingsplan- and they should be able to train on their own. I would be also more than ready to pay someone to train my familiar more efficiently, but it should be an improvement to training rate, not a necessary step to be able to train at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I was going to say. Other people could never raise /your/ bond subskills.

 

I'm of the opinion that familiars should share in some of the skillgains from classes. I mean, they hang around, right? And they sometimes have pretty impressive intelligence scores, so it's likely they'd pick up a few things.

 

They should also gradually gain skills based on their species. Rats for instance would gain skills related to sneaking and spying, just from their general background 'doing stuff'. Things can be thought up for the other familiars too. Not sure what the fish would gain. Aside from Swimming, it'd probably be a very esoteric skillset, the kind of things someone could 'learn' by sitting around in a fishbowl being brilliant and bored. (Creativity, if nothing else!)

 

All very good suggestions. For fish one of the first enchantments i would learn is how to enchant books so that my fish could turn pages from the fishbowl. Magical remote control for an ebook anyone? Plethora of theoretical skills, my fish is coming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All very good suggestions. For fish one of the first enchantments i would learn is how to enchant books so that my fish could turn pages from the fishbowl. Magical remote control for an ebook anyone? Plethora of theoretical skills, my fish is coming.

 

You have a fish familiar? Did you name him Klaus?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone;

 

Excellent discussion on Familiars, and I think you will all enjoy the additions in Year 2 in regards to their usability. I want to say more, but we'll dole that out slowly. :)

 

In regards to Pamela, who certainly in no way was inspired by a certain ghost that appears in many NIS games, she will ultimately be much, much weaker than Familiars you have to buy. That said, many Academagians like Pamela, and so we're considering ways for you to overcome her lesser status and become a true Familiar as well. Probably won't be too easy. :)

 

Schwarzbart;

 

It's a fair suggestion, but we've done it intentionally to cut down on clutter in mods and because of how the game aggregates changes. We may break them out in the future, but I think probably no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about some achievement rewards that is more visually/sensory to the user than in game reward like pims and stats?

 

For example, when a certain parent skill reached certain level, the following is unlocked:

 

Music: The game plays a different music each turn with each level unlock a new music. Alternatively, you can buy the unlockable in a music shop.

 

Arithmetic: Random transparent plus, minus, divide, and multiply signs appear at the background. (System: Un-hide PNG file)

 

mathy.jpg

Something like this.

 

Gate: Maybe disable the dragon image on the top and use that as the reward for mastering gate to hint that you can summon a dragon in the future.

 

Religion: Angel wing grow out of your portrait.

 

Something badass like this.

 

PS: Holy Smoke, started a new char in Goldina and gotten King Goldina Shield(mystery packet) and a dragon! I am keeping this save!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, being an indie, our art budget is not very high and as a result we cannot always do the things we'd like. But who knows? We'll see what we can accomplish in Year 2. :)

But there are royalty free music/art online that can use for free in commercial product as long as you credit the artist. Especially those old classical public domain mozart music and such. MOZART!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...