Should the game have rpg skill elements?

[philthy mcnasty]

I have been playing for over a month now, and i really enjoy this game like i did with minecraft. I am a sci fi fan, so i think i will get more play time out of it than i did with minecraft.

That said, I got bored with minecraft after 6 months. Now, a few mods resurrected minecraft for me. the biggest one being dragon block c.

The reason was because it made punching things fun. I also found dragon ball to translate very well into minecraft. Goku punches trees to cut them down, gohon made a boat in one episode to go home, gohon's training involved surviving in the wilderness. All these things are very minecraft, so this mod made added a lot of levels to minecraft, not just the rpg element(punching stuff gave exp, not the kill, but the act of punching!!!)

Starmade is not minecraft though. For one thing, the scale is bigger, there are more blocks, logic is easier and does more, more ore varieties, block shapes determine output, and you build ships instead of houses, and the ships do stuff.

But i also feel that the game can benefit from an rpg skill system. I am not asking for huge bonuses, but tiny bonuses. Like a gunnery skill that lowers cool down time a bit, a pilot skill that helps turning a little, things of that nature. I feel that this would add some more play time to the game. It would also give a better feel of immersion. The pilot goes from being a poor bum to becoming a feared force to be reckoned with.

 

[Viridis00]

I don't think it would apply well to the game in most instances honestly. All I can really get behind is if we got something really small like if we got passive increases in running speed, jump height, crawl speed (if that gets implemented like rumored), and HP for our player character. Anything related to ship combat I don't think would be a good idea because right now as it is we have pseudo-skillset for ships as is with master/slave/effect ratios, eventually thruster configuration, and all those kinds of things as well as personal player skill with who can pilot better or make build more effective ships.

 

[jayman38]

I agree for astronaut-specific skills/abilities.

(E.g. A player experienced in personal mining should be able to mine a little faster. A player who buys and sells a lot should get a better price. A player who repairs a lot should repair faster.)

 

[philthy mcnasty]

I would not mind if they were astronaut specific. I think the astronauts need more work honestly. I want to see better weapons, and i would love to see a means to launch "boarding torpedoes" at other ships to have boarding actions. Though internal defense turrets would put a stop to that real fast.

 

[OdraNoel]

in this interview a couple years ago (it has English sub titles) schema at one point mentions that, yes, eventually once the main game world and building mechanics are finalized he would then like to add many RPG elements to the game.

Spoiler: Schema interview

Personally i feel this is an absolute MUST for adventuring and exploring gameplay. and is probably one of the game elements i am most looking forward too. and this can be easily and believably implemented through the use of progressively advancing technology and power suits. so instead of dave say getting +1 to strength and being able to jump a little higher, we would find different "circuits" or parts for our eventually coming power suits/ Armour. (confirmed to be coming at some point as well)

this aspec can be applied to just about everything dave does. like faster mining would require better parts for daves mining laser. i dont feel that a EXP based level system would fit well with the world of starmade. but if you make it all technology based, with things you CANNOT craft, then that would really force you to go out and explore and get better and better equipment.

so basically RPG elements ARE coming (eventually) as stated by schema. as for what form these rpg elements come in, we can only guess. but that being said i am almost positive it will be in the form of progressively advancing technology, because a player stat and EXP based system would feel out of place in the world of SM. and we still have a long way to go before real RPG elements start to become necessary for the game to progress. we will probably start seeing some form of RPG elements once quests and missions/storyline elements become the main focus of development.

***now i know this is just me going a little overboard with speculation, and i doubt we will get anything like it but.....but my dream system for SM would be a diablo style loot system for things like player weapons and said "power suits". this would even further encourage exploration and adventure and nothing compares to finding that "special" item youv spent days searching for.......a man can dream :D ***

 

[Viridis00]

so basically RPG elements ARE coming (eventually) as stated by schema. as for what form these rpg elements come in, we can only guess. but that being said i am almost positive it will be in the form of progressively advancing technology, because a player stat and EXP based system would feel out of place in the world of SM.

Agreed. Hopefully new tech will grant the perks and not some kind of exp system. I'd just like for it to be how ships are slowly becoming, specialized and focused instead of all-in-one. A basic equipment system or weapon customization system would really be the best fit for the game.

 

[Snk]

*whispers*
Crewability

That would go so well with RPG elements.

 

[philthy mcnasty]

Man, I am so glad i bought this game on steam at the low price of 10 bucks. It has an absurd amount of depth for just an early alpha.

I do hope schema is able to implement everything.

Though with the size and and health of this community, i think they will.

 

[Lidren]

Man, I am so glad i bought this game on steam at the low price of 10 bucks. It has an absurd amount of depth for just an early alpha.

I do hope schema is able to implement everything.

Though with the size and and health of this community, i think they will.

We can hope right? Things look very bright in this games future. I definitely agree on RPG elements being an option. Perhaps with scalable returns (slower or faster xp gains) and a toggle for servers who choose not to use it. As for the actual system or implementation? No idea how that will be handled.

 

[CyberTao]

Maybe we don't need scalable leveling? What if each level gave you a Valor point (or whatever you wanna call it), which is then spent in a special shop with different suit modules (with increasing point cost to upgrade). Each suit could fit X number of modules, allowing customization on which modules to add.
Energy pack = faster firing
Power storage pack = can use bigger handheld weapons
Armour pack = reduced damage
Health pack = increased health
I dunno, would be fun to have some character based progression (not ship), but am not a fan of grinding for loot drops xD

 

[philthy mcnasty]

Maybe we don't need scalable leveling? What if each level gave you a Valor point (or whatever you wanna call it), which is then spent in a special shop with different suit modules (with increasing point cost to upgrade). Each suit could fit X number of modules, allowing customization on which modules to add.
Energy pack = faster firing
Power storage pack = can use bigger handheld weapons
Armour pack = reduced damage
Health pack = increased health
I dunno, would be fun to have some character based progression (not ship), but am not a fan of grinding for loot drops xD

perhaps different npc factions can sell them?

 

[philthy mcnasty]

I would also be open to buying cybernetic body parts. Like night vision eyes...

 

[aceface]

you must be a higher level to pilot bigger ships. totally copying eve, but i think that would be cool though.

 

[Panpiper]

There is nothing I enjoy more in a game than being able to explore, collect and build. In Starmade we have an infinite procedurally generated universe to explore that will only get more rich as the game develops. Collecting is build into the game now as collecting building resources. I hope to see that expand over time to include alien artifacts that can give bonuses to things we build, but are not buildable themselves, as that will give us all the more excuse to explore, not just sight seeing or mining. Building in Starmade puts Minecraft to shame, as the things we build in Starmade have practical use in the game, whereas with Minecraft, most of it is quite cosmetic.

Anything that adds to building and collecting or giving us more reward for exploring is a huge bonus to my game play. An RPG progression system adds a lot of such potential to the game without detracting, as long as being able to pilot, fight and build one's ship as we do now, is not impinged by any such new mechanic.

Some sort of RPG system is almost required if crewability is introduced to the game (something HIGHLY desirable IMO). We do not want ship crew members to be merely bobby AIs in space suits. We will want for them to be able to either be different from the outset, or evolve over time to be different, and slightly better with experience.

I strongly recommend using a build system for RPG character creation and progression, as this is in keeping with the build focus of the existing game. A starting character gets a certain number of 'points' to spend on stats, skills and special abilities. Maybe they could take disadvantages that give them more points to spend. Experience growth simply results in more points to spend, as well as a small intrinsic growth to whatever skill gets used, each time it is used. (Experience would accrue as fractional, below the decimal points, but be able to be spent when it reaches a whole number.)

Other aspects of RPG progression I would also like to see is personal (customizable?) equipment complete with a 'paperdoll' inventory. That and cybernetic enhancements would round things out in a most ultimate fashion.

As if the developers didn't have enough to do already. ;-)

 

[jorgekorke]

RPG elements are the reason of why I'm here instead of EVE. Avoiding it like a plague.

So,

No.

 

[Panpiper]

RPG elementsRPG elements

RPG elements are the reason of why I'm here instead of EVE. Avoiding it like a plague.

I don't understand. What is it about "RPG elements" that you find so abhorrent that you avoid it like the plague? The idea I have in my mind would be something that would not detract from the existing game, merely add, meaning you could completely ignore those elements yourself and not suffer other than loosing a few likely rather trivial bonuses that might impact piloting. In fact you wouldn't loose much of those bonuses either, as whatever XP you inadvertently acquired, you could just every once in a while dump into whatever skill 'did' affect your preferred game play.

If you are thinking about 'grinding' for XP, that is by no means something that needs to be emphasized. The inclusion of such is a deliberate design choice by developers, it is however not something that has to be part of an RPG system. Most of the tabletop, pen and paper RPG systems I have bothered with in the past didn't have 'any' reward mechanism associated with 'grinding'.

 

[jorgekorke]

RPG elementsRPG elements

I don't understand. What is it about "RPG elements" that you find so abhorrent that you avoid it like the plague? The idea I have in my mind would be something that would not detract from the existing game, merely add, meaning you could completely ignore those elements yourself and not suffer other than loosing a few likely rather trivial bonuses that might impact piloting. In fact you wouldn't loose much of those bonuses either, as whatever XP you inadvertently acquired, you could just every once in a while dump into whatever skill 'did' affect your preferred game play.

If you are thinking about 'grinding' for XP, that is by no means something that needs to be emphasized. The inclusion of such is a deliberate design choice by developers, it is however not something that has to be part of an RPG system. Most of the tabletop, pen and paper RPG systems I have bothered with in the past didn't have 'any' reward mechanism associated with 'grinding'.

Grinding, huge death penalty, no-life people who have all skills capped on maximum... those things that keeps me away from MMO's

 

[Panpiper]

Grinding, huge death penalty, no-life people who have all skills capped on maximum... those things that keeps me away from MMO's

Well, Starmade already has a very huge death penalty, so an RPG doesn't need to add more of it. Skill caps are only a factor if such skills are the deciding factor in combat power, while in Starmade, it is the ships we build th t is the deciding factor, an RPG system would impact that only trivially. Grinding for XP needed to get those skills becomes moot if the skills do not significantly affect combat power. All this to say is that the things you are worried about would simply not apply in the case of Starmade.

(Oh, and skill caps are a truly idiotic thing to put in a game design, just have increasing experience point costs for every increment of skill growth and do away with caps all together.)

 

[jorgekorke]

Well, Starmade already has a very huge death penalty,

No, it depends on what ship are you driving. You just lose your ship and credits, (sure, if you are on a titan, you are screwed) but the former can be avoided by not going around with your pockets full. But that's reasonable, so people won't undock those FPS killers often.

However, a system like EVE when your "pilot" dies and you lose all progress will be awful.

And if those "skills" make the ship perform better, you bet that people will exploit the hell outta it.

 

[Panpiper]

And if those "skills" make the ship perform better, you bet that people will exploit the hell outta it.

Starmade is all about building and piloting ships, and it works just fine as is. It is the 'player's' skill at building, piloting and aiming that make the difference, a character's abstract skill points would have little to no impact on this. Character skills would be for other things for the most part, things related to when you are 'not' building or piloting your ship yourself. I would include a piloting skill that helped with turn rate in a minute way and a gunnery skill that would only really be applicable for NPCs manning non-missile turrets, but the degree of impact of those skills should be something that can be selected in one's options, so you can elect to join a server that has turned them off completely if you so chose.