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2676
General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 14, 2016, 08:26:48 PM »Biomatter's terminal dump for Data Miner doesn't contain a password for Warlord either.Yep, it was added after he wrote that entry. I mentioned it earlier this thread.
For what it's worth, it might be nice if one-time-use passwords were replaced with access credentials that appear as additional entries on the hacking screen. The player can't lose them that way, and it would help them figure out what they're for.That was discussed at the beginning of this thread as something that will be done, yeah. It's been on the back burner for a long while because there were so few long-term codes in the game, not enough for it to be a meaningful feature, but now we have a few so it's finally useful! It's on the Alpha 10 list.
What I mean is the lore and plot of the whole game--what is generally going on in the world. The Warlord situation is a coincidence, but I just tried to write more about five different ways and had to give up because I'll be giving away too much.QuoteWhy does the experiment have to finish while you're around? You're not the center of everything.Everything does seem to revolve around you. The MAIN.C assault starts right when you show up at Warlord's base. Warlord's ready to launch his assault just when you appear.
Speaking of Caves, I often find the upper caves on -5 and -4 to be run-endingly difficult. They're just brutal for a combat build.That could be the case!
I don't think they're any more difficult than the Factory, just challenging in different ways, though they are certainly more random, which adds to their potential deadliness. The rewards at the end of either of those branches are quite beneficial, so they can't be too easy.
Sensors do vastly increase survivability in the caves, though it's possible they could use some tweaking. I didn't fully balance them yet, so with more feedback from everyone (and my own additional runs through there--I haven't done enough) they will likely be changed. Only now is everyone wanting to head through there
Actually, part of why they couldn't be fully balanced yet is that more content is still to be added. I'll try to get some of that in for Alpha 10!
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Ideas / Re: Inventory: absolute integrity / vulnerabiliy graphs
« on: June 14, 2016, 08:00:56 PM »
I find the integrity graph minimally useful, but only because the colored boxes already give much of the same info. I do activate it sometimes for a clearer comparison, and I know players who use it as their primary graph.
Honestly my favorite is the coverage graph though, because 1) it's already relative values as the game uses them, and 2) while you have that active you can easily cross-reference it with the color box (which already displays current integrity) to get a clear idea of your situation.
That said, there is still a little more room for extra graphs (we can only have eight). I was already going to add a relative matter consumption graph, purely for weapon comparisons, that would bring the total to seven. (Well, technically if we take it far enough, secondary graphs could become optional settings so you can choose which ones you want, then we can add an unlimited number)
I like graphs, too
. Other opinions?
Honestly my favorite is the coverage graph though, because 1) it's already relative values as the game uses them, and 2) while you have that active you can easily cross-reference it with the color box (which already displays current integrity) to get a clear idea of your situation.
That said, there is still a little more room for extra graphs (we can only have eight). I was already going to add a relative matter consumption graph, purely for weapon comparisons, that would bring the total to seven. (Well, technically if we take it far enough, secondary graphs could become optional settings so you can choose which ones you want, then we can add an unlimited number
)the issue here is that treads and other strong items would squash the graphs of the remaining items out of viewYep, absolutely and completely squashed if you want real values. Think about how it's displayed: There are only 16 separate '|' markers, and the strongest parts have over 1000 integrity, while many utilities are below 50...
I like graphs, too
. Other opinions?
2678
General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 14, 2016, 08:15:17 AM »
I think you just need to read more of the basic lore, the terminal records, to figure out what's really going on. (Or just use biomatter's work on the wiki )
You don't have to, though, which was the point of making the lore optional while you can just focus on mechanics and reaching the surface, but if you want to make sense of some of the events and other aspects of the world, it'll take more familiarity with that background information. I'm somewhat surprised to hear you don't know what MAIN.C is yet, but I guess you're more about min-maxing for the win, which is fine, too
About the experiment, it doesn't imply that, but it's not out of the question to assume it. Why does the experiment have to finish while you're around? You're not the center of everything--in fact just a small side-player in all of what's really going on--and many of the events and encounters, especially towards the end, are meant to reflect that.
In any case, as I said earlier there will be a clearer indication that you should leave, one that I couldn't add in time for Alpha 9.
)You don't have to, though, which was the point of making the lore optional while you can just focus on mechanics and reaching the surface, but if you want to make sense of some of the events and other aspects of the world, it'll take more familiarity with that background information. I'm somewhat surprised to hear you don't know what MAIN.C is yet, but I guess you're more about min-maxing for the win, which is fine, too
So the attack is the actual experiment. But Warlord says he'll lead the assault once the experiment is over. That implies the player should wait around until the assault has been defeated! The bit about joining the party could be interpreted either to help to defeat the assault as well as to join Warlord once it's over.True, some of what he's saying towards the end could be interpreted multiple ways, though I don't want dialogue to seem too "I am NPC A and I am doing X. You can do X or Y"-ish. It's more free-form than that, but crammed into what should be a naturally flowing one-way single-time dialogue, limitations that make it harder to feel dynamic without relying on at least some ambiguity.
About the experiment, it doesn't imply that, but it's not out of the question to assume it. Why does the experiment have to finish while you're around? You're not the center of everything--in fact just a small side-player in all of what's really going on--and many of the events and encounters, especially towards the end, are meant to reflect that.
In any case, as I said earlier there will be a clearer indication that you should leave, one that I couldn't add in time for Alpha 9.
2679
Competitions / Re: Weekly Seed #42 [Alpha 8] [Seed: Shotty Mayhem]
« on: June 13, 2016, 11:25:15 PM »
Whoa, quite a long run in terms of all three factors there--real time, turns, and route!
I remember when Happylisk was facing the end game for the first times he reportedly played in only 15-minute stretches to avoid making the wrong move and screwing everything up--definitely lots of pressure behind some of those late-game decisions
. So close!
Now you can join us in Alpha 9
I remember when Happylisk was facing the end game for the first times he reportedly played in only 15-minute stretches to avoid making the wrong move and screwing everything up--definitely lots of pressure behind some of those late-game decisions
. So close!Now you can join us in Alpha 9
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 13, 2016, 10:12:54 PM »There are three codes given by Data Miner: One indicates it applies to Warlord, and the other two apply to God Mode and the gate to Recycling. None of these things are related to Extension.QuoteStill don't know what password you're referring to! The only password that relates to Extension is found within Extension itself.... what good is the password given by Data Miner then?
My favorite is when that happens while visiting the Data Miner!QuoteIt would be hilarious if you shot the machine before completion xDBeen there, done that.
2681
Announcements / Alpha Tier ($25) Now Permanent
« on: June 13, 2016, 10:07:30 PM »
The lower-priced Alpha Tier, added to the buy page for Cogmind Alpha's 1-Year Anniversary, is now permanently available as a purchase option.
We did pass the 100 sales threshold to which it was initially limited, but examining the rate of sales, and taking into consideration other factors described below, it doesn't seem necessary to remove it.
When first opening it up I was worried that the lower price might have the medium-term impact of bringing in too many new players, so I felt the need to announce up front that it would be capped, just in case. Yes, for a game still in development that already gets sufficient feedback, too many new players is actually not a good thing xD (it slows development because I like to be active in the community, so the size of that community is important! Too many disruptions and nothing gets done 
).
It turns out that with an Alpha Tier, the influx is just about right! Sales did not increase dramatically, merely recovered the steady pre-anniversary pace that had begun to falter around that point. This is good for the community overall (attracting a small amount of fresh players to account for those who drop out for a while) and also healthy development of Cogmind in the long run, because if revenue were to fall below the monthly minimum where it normally sits I'll be forced to move more quickly to 1.0 (that can mean feature cuts). Also, I'm anticipating the need for a little extra momentum over the next couple months given tomorrow's pending news.
In any case, the same reasons mentioned when first introducing the tier also still stand--it's been a year since Alpha began, so it's about time to have a slightly lower-priced tier, and it also makes sense in the existing hierarchy, with some still supporting at the Prime Tier anyway
Thanks everyone!
We did pass the 100 sales threshold to which it was initially limited, but examining the rate of sales, and taking into consideration other factors described below, it doesn't seem necessary to remove it.
When first opening it up I was worried that the lower price might have the medium-term impact of bringing in too many new players, so I felt the need to announce up front that it would be capped, just in case
. Yes, for a game still in development that already gets sufficient feedback, too many new players is actually not a good thing xD (it slows development because I like to be active in the community, so the size of that community is important! Too many disruptions and nothing gets done ).It turns out that with an Alpha Tier, the influx is just about right! Sales did not increase dramatically, merely recovered the steady pre-anniversary pace that had begun to falter around that point. This is good for the community overall (attracting a small amount of fresh players to account for those who drop out for a while) and also healthy development of Cogmind in the long run, because if revenue were to fall below the monthly minimum where it normally sits I'll be forced to move more quickly to 1.0 (that can mean feature cuts). Also, I'm anticipating the need for a little extra momentum over the next couple months given tomorrow's pending news.
In any case, the same reasons mentioned when first introducing the tier also still stand--it's been a year since Alpha began, so it's about time to have a slightly lower-priced tier, and it also makes sense in the existing hierarchy, with some still supporting at the Prime Tier anyway
Thanks everyone!
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General & Off-Topic / Re: Introduce Yourself!
« on: June 13, 2016, 09:18:46 PM »
Hey StrixNebulosa! I remember that stream . Wish I was still streaming weekly, actually, since it's a good way to hang out with everyone and sometimes share Cogmind with some new faces. (But too busy and streaming is rather time-consuming!)
That's a good list of roguelikes. Be sure to check out The Ground Gives Way, too. You'll probably like it.
And any roguelike+SMT fan should check out Demon, which you've probably heard mentioned a couple times in the SA thread? The dev is extremely active, working on it full-time and giving it away for free, actually! A well-designed game.
80s cartoons! Now that sounds like fun. My son is nearing the point where I can watch some of those with him. (For me that would be "re-watch.")
. Wish I was still streaming weekly, actually, since it's a good way to hang out with everyone and sometimes share Cogmind with some new faces. (But too busy and streaming is rather time-consuming!)That's a good list of roguelikes. Be sure to check out The Ground Gives Way, too. You'll probably like it.
And any roguelike+SMT fan should check out Demon, which you've probably heard mentioned a couple times in the SA thread? The dev is extremely active, working on it full-time and giving it away for free, actually! A well-designed game.
80s cartoons! Now that sounds like fun
. My son is nearing the point where I can watch some of those with him. (For me that would be "re-watch.")
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 13, 2016, 08:56:26 PM »There's no direct association in terms of gameplay, though (or even lore or story--Zhirov doesn't talk about Extension, or give any information about it, and vice versa).QuoteBut why do you need an exit to Extension after visiting Zhirov? It's certainly possible for Zhirov's lab to appear closer to the surface than Extension, but he doesn't give you anything that has anything to do with Extension. Or have I forgotten something there?You're not missing anything
Strategically speaking I think a combat build is better off preferring Extension as early as possible (not that you can control it), because then assuming you can build those allies there you can steamroll your way to the late game.
(And by the way: You can't meet Zhirov in both the Extension branch and his lab, even if you do visit both--he's only in one of the two locations.)
But since it's not guaranteed to spawn, I guess it's better to go for it as soon as you have the password.Still don't know what password you're referring to! The only password that relates to Extension is found within Extension itself.
Given that waiting is here to stay, perhaps a dumb version of the long pause command would make sense. Ignore sensors, wake on hostile spotted, incoming shot or machine time out. Not ideal, but as you say, there's no perfect solution here. It's faster than autorun, and safer.Too bad a simple feature like this would be a lot of work, and prone to bugs, otherwise I'd add it in a heartbeat. As is it's going to have to be rather low priority.
Corruption means that you shoot unexpectedly, so it's best to wait as far as you can (or swap in less damaging weapons while you wait, if you have them).It would be hilarious if you shot the machine before completion xD
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 13, 2016, 07:46:35 PM »But why do you need an exit to Extension after visiting Zhirov? It's certainly possible for Zhirov's lab to appear closer to the surface than Extension, but he doesn't give you anything that has anything to do with Extension. Or have I forgotten something there?QuoteNot sure what you're referring to here. Password for MAIN.C? No way to access what? (Also, there's always an exit to Extension, somewhere.)I was referring to the exit to Extension. That's the point of my comment: there wasn't an exit to Extension on -4 after I visited Zhirov on -5. I did Access(Branch) on -4 to verify that. Perhaps there was an Extension exit on -5, though.
Re: Waiting. Ah right, we talked about that aspect of it before.
Yeah there's a lack of a good UI solution if you're looking for perfection assuming you want to stay completely stationary while you wait--an alternative approach if you're worried about someone spotting you while you don't have sensors is to use the autorun command to pace, since it stops as soon as a hostile is sighted.
That said, what I do for fabrication is use that time to explore the local area to both scout and collect parts rather than sit around and waste it (and of course if you're building robots you can just leave the area and they'll join up with you immediately on completion
)There was also the whole "tactical overwatch" discussion (actually multiple discussions) about allowing you to automatically wait fractions of turns right up until someone is about to fire, and take your turn then, though this gets quite complicated...
With regard to fabrication specifically, it is so rarely used compared to the rest of a run that I don't think it taking slightly longer in real time terms is an issue worth completely removing the strategic implications of turn costs. On a several-hours-long combat run (or longer) you'll maybe spend maybe a few minutes fabricating.
2685
General Discussion / Re: UI Help
« on: June 13, 2016, 06:52:01 PM »
You don't really need to post the same question in multiple places to get an answer--someone will get to it in either community, whichever you prefer to hang out in (there was already an answer to your post on r/Cogmind)
It's the 1~4 keys, or if using the mouse you can hover over the Scan window on the right and press one of the buttons that appear. Note that all commands are documented in F1 help. Welcome and good luck!
(there was already an answer to your post on r/Cogmind)It's the 1~4 keys, or if using the mouse you can hover over the Scan window on the right and press one of the buttons that appear. Note that all commands are documented in F1 help. Welcome and good luck!
2686
General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: June 13, 2016, 08:20:55 AM »
Haha, feeding the slaughterhouse, a.k.a. Decker.
--we're not there yet so I don't have the details, but the idea is that some endings will be pretty tough for non-combat builds since you'll have to face some challenges rather directly. With guns That's not to stop a stealth runner from migrating to a different loadout, but doing so can sometimes be tough to do. That said, there might be some places in the late game where it's more feasible to do that, say... in a branch.)
One thing to consider: you still have to find those chute traps repeatedly. It's not always easy. Perhaps it gets easier with an allied operator.True, though I still think it's better to break the potential for a near-infinite chain.
Spoiler: (I think you meant to quote this) (click to show/hide)
Also, I suspect these fabrication changes will be most useful for stealthy builds and less useful for combat heavy ones. I'm sure certain endings for the game will require a beefy build and will be inaccessible to stealthy hackers, so that's a balancing factor too.Correct (I think
--we're not there yet so I don't have the details, but the idea is that some endings will be pretty tough for non-combat builds since you'll have to face some challenges rather directly. With guns That's not to stop a stealth runner from migrating to a different loadout, but doing so can sometimes be tough to do. That said, there might be some places in the late game where it's more feasible to do that, say... in a branch.)
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 13, 2016, 08:10:42 AM »
Whew, finally got to this thread! Was out for the entire day since I've got a lot of stuff to do before leaving and today's busyness included my one-month shoulder checkup. Good news: No surgery!
It already has 450 integrity which is nine times that of most weapons at that depth, but also occupies four slots with standard coverage, meaning it's four times as likely to be hit. So that boils down to it lasting about twice as long as the average weapon, unless you choose to protect it with armor, shields, or more specifically weapon shielding.
I'm not sure I want unique parts to be repairable (and definitely not fabricatable), since under the new machine mechanics it would be even easier to use them almost indefinitely. That one in particular, for example, isn't really meant to last into the late game, since by that point you could have even better unique weapons available to you. Maybe wait until there are more of those in the game and revisit this issue then? (I'm sure it will come up again)
Currently the only way to know/remember what each one does is to identify them by their art... (which unlike other items, you're allowed to see even before the artifact is identified), so I think they generally take some meta learning as is to get the most out of them. Only a small minority have an effect that would be considered "wasted" if used at the wrong time, though. I'm not claiming that system is perfect, however--I do think it's a slight issue, but not one I would want to modify right now.
Thanks for the typo notice--wrote too much text in too short a time on that stretch xD
) can tell you.
Some players figured that out right away, and another group was crushed to a pulp the first time xD
(With regard to what the experiment is, though, that he tells you in the previous sentence.)
(That was back when the weapons were slower to fire, so it made some sense, but now it's way outgunned by anyone with a multi-weapon volley.)
I really like Zion. Very smart to have the most important robots stationary. I found my first 4 slot weapon, the storm cannon or whatever it's called. Great weapon, it was one or two shotting everything in factory. I tried to make a build out of it (more heat dissipation than usual, rushed a 3 power source, got weapon shielding), but much to my disappointment I found out that you can't repair or scanalyze the weapon. While I think being able to fabricate the weapon much be too much, you might want to consider allowing it to be repaired. If no-reparing is intentional behavior, I would suggest doubling the integrity of the weapon. It's worth noting that other derelict weaponry can be scanned and repaired, but I guess Main.C has seen all that stuff before.Yeah, the Storm Laser is a so-called "unique weapon" you can never find among randomized loot, and none of those can be repaired/scanalyzed/fabricated because from a mechanics perspective they're too powerful.
It already has 450 integrity which is nine times that of most weapons at that depth, but also occupies four slots with standard coverage, meaning it's four times as likely to be hit. So that boils down to it lasting about twice as long as the average weapon, unless you choose to protect it with armor, shields, or more specifically weapon shielding.
I'm not sure I want unique parts to be repairable (and definitely not fabricatable), since under the new machine mechanics it would be even easier to use them almost indefinitely. That one in particular, for example, isn't really meant to last into the late game, since by that point you could have even better unique weapons available to you. Maybe wait until there are more of those in the game and revisit this issue then? (I'm sure it will come up again
)I also found a random derelict who gave me a code to hack a behemoth. I imagine you need a datajack in order to pull that off?Yep.
First time in Zhirov's base. The alien artifacts and schematics were handy. Unfortunately, I picked up both alien artifacts and then forgot which was which. I wanted to equip up the heat dissipation one but equipped the teleport one and wasted it. I can see lots of new players wasting thatartifact the first time they find it. I'm not sure what do to about that (maybe a confirmation prompt, maybe color coding artifacts (blue for things that modify you permanently, green for consumables, etc)), or if anything should be done, but it's worth noting.Worth noting, yes. A different color might be problematic to implement because that would require dividing them into two separate item types. Though color is a pretty good idea here, it still wouldn't help brand new players much. That said, I don't really mind the Reconstructor being wasted the first time it's found.
Currently the only way to know/remember what each one does is to identify them by their art... (which unlike other items, you're allowed to see even before the artifact is identified), so I think they generally take some meta learning as is to get the most out of them. Only a small minority have an effect that would be considered "wasted" if used at the wrong time, though. I'm not claiming that system is perfect, however--I do think it's a slight issue, but not one I would want to modify right now.
I'm very impressed how the branches are fitting into this game. At this point the only branch I haven't visited is Warlord. The game reminds me of a fusion of the best parts of ADOM with DCSS (with robots and lasers).Glad you're liking it--it's fun fitting all these parts of the world, pieces of the puzzle, into the bigger picture
Thanks for the typo notice--wrote too much text in too short a time on that stretch xD
There is a typo(?) in the storm laser description. "..They will twice.." should be "..They will think twice..".Hm, maybe you missed a word due to how it wrapped? (Or maybe the wrapping somehow screwed up?) I see that line in the game as "Even if you don't hit your target, it'll probably scare the hell out of them and they'll think twice before messing with you." (And here I'm referring to the dialogue with its creator, since it has no description of its own.)
Also, is there any way you can change the self destruct interupter to work while it's sitting in your inventory? My testing indicates you have to drop it on the ground for it to work. That's kind of annoying, and this last run I forgot to pick it up... womp.No, because as you'll learn it is not an infinite-use item. Dropping it to the ground activates it, and picking it up deactivates it. It runs out of power eventually. (Not great because you don't know exactly how much time it has remaining... I'd have to hard code that if it were to be shown, because it uses a scripted effect which is not part of the normal game code :/)
I'll experiment again, if I can refrain from murdering the dimwit who gives the password.Hahahahahaha--got to you, did he?
I note that it's possible for the player to have a password for MAIN.C but no way to access it (except through chute traps perhaps), which feels a bit weird.Not sure what you're referring to here. Password for MAIN.C? No way to access what? (Also, there's always an exit to Extension, somewhere.)
There is a locked door in Warlord's room but there's no obvious way to open it.Not telling. Someone else here (or in the world itself
) can tell you.There was an assault from MAIN.C with what appears to be an infinite stream of robots. I will admit that I found the experience frustrating. Warlord says you're welcome to join him once he's finished with his experiment but it's not clear what the experiment is and what you are supposed to do. I killed tons of robots, retreated, then I punched through the walls with my launcher stack, past the sealed barrier that leads nowhere (?). There was a dense wall of hostiles between me and the proximity exit. I got bored and suicided.With that event I intend to go a little further and hint that you're supposed to get out of there as soon as you think you can. It wasn't easy to fit that in in a good thematic way without more testing that I didn't have time for unless I postponed the Alpha 9 release, so I decided to first see how different players reacted to that event as is, and will be making adjustments!
Some players figured that out right away, and another group was crushed to a pulp the first time xD
(With regard to what the experiment is, though, that he tells you in the previous sentence.)
Behemoths feel much more powerful now that they are immune to criticals.I think they're properly scary now, too. Definitely not the pushovers they were (including also the upgraded integrity). I still want to redo some of their loadouts, because I found the Titan overheating way too easily, and the Cyclops is underpowered because I insisted on giving it a single weapon to live up to its name
(That was back when the weapons were slower to fire, so it made some sense, but now it's way outgunned by anyone with a multi-weapon volley.)I tried fabrication and I didn't like it. The waiting time is quite long and holding pause means that you get sucker-punched when an hostile pops in. It's probably more viable in Materials, since there is no corruption there and no programmer dispatches. On the bright side, it doesn't look unbalanced given the long wait time and the low base success rate. I vote for the following patch.HAHA. I can expect you wouldn't like it since you were the primary (nearly sole) proponent of zero-time builds. You can get pretty fast build times with better hackware + high-tier Fabricators and/or the right Trojan, but to expect that a non-hacker will be able to do a lot with it is asking too much. I'm open to shortening them further, but from what I've seen and heard so far I think they're in a pretty good place right now.Code: [Select]if (!strcmp(player_name, "Decker")) wait_time = 0;
So, here goes:It's fun to read Sherlockkat's theorizing
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: June 13, 2016, 07:17:52 AM »Machine changes are making it very good for hacking builds.That's quite the hacking setup! And you hadn't exactly maxed out on each one either, still using some lower-tier hackware.
Note: this is fun. Pls don nerfThis was actually the question that was already going through my mind
. As long as it's still fun (and fairly challenging!) then it's mostly good as is. I did have a great bit of fun with my latest run with excellent hacking bonuses, with all those new strategic options opening up, but I was also doing combat so eventually got in over my head...Tiny thing that bugged me: I loaded up something to fabricate, then realised I didn't have my last hackware equipped. I exited the fabricator screen and put it on, and opened the fabricator up again. I had to start from scratch. This led to a full trace and other awkwardness. It would be nice if it didn't remove the schematic like that!I can see keeping the schematic loaded until fabrication is actually started. I'll see about making it happen (might be a good bit of work since there's no precedent for that sort of behavior in the system).
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: June 12, 2016, 10:11:27 PM »Machine changes are sweet as. I've never fabricated so much. The on-map timer and changes to fabrication requirements are just awesome. I also love that the investigation squad dispatched after a detection is announced.That probably should've been in there earlier
. All dispatched are now announced, also making it easier for beginners to figure out the consequences of specific actions.Flight changes seem good. Combined with the machine changes I think flight wins will be more reliable than ever before.Excellent, reliable is good
. That was the original intent of the system, to fill in those holes and make sure you'd have a way to get something you can't find, especially for specific types of runs.I've been going in a loop where I keep entering the chute, then factory, then the chute, over and over. Gradually I built up items. Perhaps disable the chute traps from spawning on the floor after exiting the wastes. With an excellent combat build I can see massive scores being possible.Good points, I do believe chutes will need an adjustment, and that should be the first. I have been waiting for people to take advantage of that, and it's getting easier and easier to do so
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 12, 2016, 06:03:21 AM »
Haha, got it. I just use headphones . I used to be real big on using my nice stereo speakers, but once they kicked the bucket after about 12-13 years, I switched to a fairly good headset and got hooked on the ability to play/listen to anything I want without considering who else is around. Then of course there's the advantage of drowning out everything else to focus on work (sometimes I don't bother playing any music--they're just on my head ).
. I used to be real big on using my nice stereo speakers, but once they kicked the bucket after about 12-13 years, I switched to a fairly good headset and got hooked on the ability to play/listen to anything I want without considering who else is around. Then of course there's the advantage of drowning out everything else to focus on work (sometimes I don't bother playing any music--they're just on my head ).
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 11, 2016, 08:59:19 PM »I used the code on a terminal outside the locked door, and the first time something happened (I think?) but I don't recall the exact message. I tried again and then it said "insufficient resources." Still not sure what the benefit from this code is.Maybe you didn't have your volume up? There's an audio cue in addition to the text message. (And O7 sort of tells you what it's for, though not the exact effect.) It's an extremely useful benefit. "Insufficient resources" means you had entered it at the correct location and started the process; you just didn't wait around for it to finish
As for the Zhirov event, it was a lot of fun to watch. I'd love to get my hands on the weapons they're packing. Out of curiosity, is getting caught in those explosions instant death? I had quite a bit of core and armor when they went off.No, not instant death, just the second-most powerful explosion in the game (and as you can see there are many...). It's survivable even if you don't make it out in time--Decker got beat up but lived through it. That said, I've already noted here that I should probably tone their damage down (or at least test it again), because that scene was originally added when victims engulfed in multiple overlapping explosions would only take damage from one of them. That was a bug I found later, so that Archives situation has become a lot more deadly!
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 11, 2016, 07:24:21 PM »Unfortunately, I couldn't successfully hack the locked door, so the code wasn't too helpful.You don't need to hack any door to use the code--the machine controls for the fabricator are on a terminal out in the open.
In archives, I encountered the Zhirov event. Apparently him and his buddies whoop some ass, plant some bombs, and teleport out. That was news to me, and I was sitting around when the bomb went off. Whatever he set us was more than strong enough to instantly kill me.Ooh that's only the second time I've heard someone meet Zhirov there
I love this game.
. Doesn't happen so often. I think Decker was the one who found it a while back and made it out.
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Competitions / Re: Weekly Seed #44 [Alpha 9] [Seed: Fabulous Fabrication]
« on: June 11, 2016, 12:27:08 AM »
Noooo... died in -3/Research with a rather low score for me :/
That turned bad pretty quickly, since I had a rather unfocused build around -4 (see my peak state), and then because I really wanted to give a visit to Warlord and friends, which I'd already located. I made it to the map directly adjacent to that destination, but couldn't push through the last caves and had to instead flee to Research in terrible shape xD
Some nice hackware, though: +60 at one point and it was really easy to do what I wanted (this was the first run ever where I recalled a bunch of squads, which was awesome). Also did a bit of fabrication on the way up, building allied Grunts of various tiers, and that helped out but wasn't OP.
That turned bad pretty quickly, since I had a rather unfocused build around -4 (see my peak state), and then because I really wanted to give a visit to Warlord and friends, which I'd already located. I made it to the map directly adjacent to that destination, but couldn't push through the last caves and had to instead flee to Research in terrible shape xD
Some nice hackware, though: +60 at one point and it was really easy to do what I wanted (this was the first run ever where I recalled a bunch of squads, which was awesome). Also did a bit of fabrication on the way up, building allied Grunts of various tiers, and that helped out but wasn't OP.
Spoiler: Score: 9,443 (click to show/hide)
Nice run StrixNebulosa. I think nearly everyone dies the first time they reach -1, it's that hard.He sure was close, though
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 10, 2016, 08:05:03 PM »
I knew it! (Saved you from yourself )
That said, on the design side it also keeps the door open to acquiring nice schematics earlier than otherwise possible, via separate means (like an NPC).
)That said, on the design side it also keeps the door open to acquiring nice schematics earlier than otherwise possible, via separate means (like an NPC).
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 10, 2016, 07:53:32 PM »Re pwds: Just a suggestion. It might be useful to display the pwds in the left side of the interface that shows up whenever you access the terminal. You know, the bit with all the fluff.Possibly, although I'd be worried they wouldn't fit if too many were added/found, and it also doesn't really match the kind of stuff that's over there. Maybe it could replace the top-center window instead, which isn't otherwise being used. I'll have to do some mockups and see what works best.
Re Fab: I was trying to hack the schematic for a spectral analyzer somewhere in factory and got a "Data exceeds authorization" message. Are those restrictions necessary now that fabrication ties in directly to the alert level?Schematics are now the primary gatekeepers to what you can fabricate, so allowing them to be acquired anywhere would make it too easy to game the system to get late-game schematics early on. Find an easy terminal or two after you've discovered a nearby exit or chute, hack it up, and then just make a run for it. Alert level wouldn't matter much at all in that case.
I mean, I got a assault squad called just for fabricating a lowly flight unit and lgt ion engine.That was just a coincidence. All it does is raise your alert level (and that's only if discovered).
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General Discussion / Re: Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 10, 2016, 07:23:55 PM »Erm. So, I saw the warlord prototype stash entry in the Data miner cave. I forgot to jot down the password as I am used to scrolling through the log to find pwds. I am in front of the Warlord stash now and I am wondering if there is anyway to get access to the stash.Yeah, 1) that should really have been mirrored to the log, and 2) this will be done at some point:
I also think there should be some way to look up the pwds without having to write em down. Missing out on loot this way kinda sucks.I just hadn't gotten to it yet since it hasn't been very important before, given the small number of codes and your general proximity to where they were used anyway (plus all those were in dialogue and therefore going to the log, where you could reference them).
Sorry about that! I'll definitely be exploring a solution for Alpha 10. Good thing you managed to win anyway--first win of Alpha 9! \o/
Does your alert level take a hit if you fabricate too many things? I think I fabricated a couple of flight units and a bunch of power sources. They quarantined the local matter stores in response and a few turns later an assault squad got called in. Eeks.Yeah they'll not be nice if you're found fabricating too many things too quickly. It's a pretty big hit. There are some Trojans to help with that.
And the score sheet now contains a list of everything you fabricated, and where, so we can see what you built
I do think it is worth rescaling the speed bonus for a win now that flight has been rebalanced.Good point! I'll need to wait for more data from speed runs to see how long the average one might take, depending on build, so I can set an appropriate new value.
Glad to hear the new flight stats are working out so far.
I also like that there several branch strategies evolving for speed builds. Zhirov, Data-miner (if you swing at him) and Warlord are all beneficial. Zhirov gives you that power/heat dissipation buff which is great for stacking flight units. Swinging at the Data-miner provides valuable map data. Warlord makes late-game a bit more easier. Zion is cool but a bit meh. That might change once the deep cave branch is open.Zion is really hit or miss, meant mostly for lore and thematic purposes, but its usefulness in the strategic sense is highly dependent on who you find there. There are a couple potential benefits that are quite useful. It isn't done yet, either. You know about the Deep Caves, but there's also another area I want to add with more lore that might also have a longer-term impact on a run. (Still, in general its location is too early in the game to be incredibly and immediately useful like the Upper Cave branches.)
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General & Off-Topic / Re: Introduce Yourself!
« on: June 10, 2016, 07:36:45 AM »因此不少大陆玩家即使再感兴趣应该也会等到登陆steam以后再购买。沒錯，我就是這樣想
刚才仔细看了看Cogmind的开发历程，真的是您一个人啊！不得不说是一个伟大的工程！尤其是如此丰富的ascii特效和音效！確實是蠻大的工程，都已經三年了，所以我是很感謝各位的大力支持！沒有你們是偉大不了的！
看来支持您alpha的开发工作真是应该的！
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Competitions / Re: Weekly Seed #44 [Alpha 9] [Seed: Fabulous Fabrication]
« on: June 10, 2016, 03:54:55 AM »
Thanks for confirming--it would seem it does work fine under normal conditions, just whacked for those two players in particular who have something strange going on with their installation/settings and/or third-party software. Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it...
Come to think of it, I fired it up on my father-in-law's Win 10 laptop some time back and it was working just fine then, too.
Come to think of it, I fired it up on my father-in-law's Win 10 laptop some time back and it was working just fine then, too.
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General & Off-Topic / Re: Introduce Yourself!
« on: June 10, 2016, 02:28:25 AM »
原先的計劃是今年10月，但我最近發現台灣人上Steam非常麻煩，所以大概要延遲到不知道甚麼時候，事先得要在美國開公司 :/。 最晚一定是明年……
還有那個irc頻道怎麽沒有人呢？不是irc.quakenet.org這個server麽？這我已經有說明，但我可以加一句：目前習慣使用IRC的玩家不多。我自己已前有時候在那邊，但也太耗時間，會影響開發速度！（最早是quakenet，後來好像移到irc.freenode.net）
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General & Off-Topic / Re: Introduce Yourself!
« on: June 10, 2016, 01:58:22 AM »
我去年曾看到有人在貼吧那裏提到Cogmind，但也沒有趁機參加討論。目前我推廣的工作根本還沒上軌道，原因是價格偏貴，又不在Steam上。其實還不想吸引太多玩家，有礙開發遊戲的工作
等你的瞭解達到相當程度後再幫幫忙我也很感激
等你的瞭解達到相當程度後再幫幫忙我也很感激