RE: Madoc's request about the journal

[bobchaos]

I found it, early access. Hrmm. I am more into the fantasy genre, but I love good story and puzzles. Bob, is it worth the 20 bucks?

Jenn

If you like the survival genre too, then yeah. This time tho instead of zombies it's good old Canadian Winter that's the primary threat. There's not much of a story just now, but it's because it's being developed in secrecy so it's a surprise even for early access folks (which I can appreciate, so many early access games got ruined for me because version 1.0 felt like just another tiny patch... Feels like I already seen it all by then!).

I don't know you but judging from your posts I suspect you may enjoy it better once the story mode is released, likely with the last few updates before V1.0

I've got a 120 hours in that game, safe to say I find it enjoyable even in it's current state.

 

[Satorii]

I love the RP aspect of journal entries, too, but right now it feels a little too freeform, like I'm just writing to myself. I could just as easily write those things in Word without having to deal with the drop down UI. The thing I really like about RPing in video game worlds is the fact that I could do it with AIs, environments, and objects that respond to my actions. If this journal feature is a way for players to roleplay, it would be great if journal entries could play at least a small part in the story. Like, players with journal entries containing certain plot-related keywords could be mentioned as a footnote by (sequel?) NPCs who find the journal. Or maybe, an excerpt of the journal (ripped!) can be found on the body of an NPC.

Another approach (which I'm sure has been considered) would be to use the journal to compile written material the player has found. In the journal, you can perhaps organize these texts in a sort of web, connecting a book of folktales with a firsthand account of a scholar. With it, the player can piece together clues and form a better picture of the world. I know I personally hate carrying 1000 books and scrolls stacked on top of each other. I'd love to be able to access them easier and organize them in some way. Think 'Quests' tab but actually immersive and almost like a little detective mini-game.

 

[bobchaos]

*snip*
Another approach (which I'm sure has been considered) would be to use the journal to compile written material the player has found. In the journal, you can perhaps organize these texts in a sort of web, connecting a book of folktales with a firsthand account of a scholar. With it, the player can piece together clues and form a better picture of the world. I know I personally hate carrying 1000 books and scrolls stacked on top of each other. I'd love to be able to access them easier and organize them in some way. Think 'Quests' tab but actually immersive and almost like a little detective mini-game.

This is pretty much exactly what I had in mind when writing my own journal. I would have liked to be able to to "glue" parchments from the necromancer directly in there in some way, maybe like a hyperlink. I keep referencing his writings, might as well keep them close.

Syllabear3 also suggested (in another thread) some sort of a central journaling server that players could opt-in to have their journal uploaded to for public view, would certainly add to the experience. Right now I had to copy/paste on entry at a time to "export" my journal. Exanima is fairly linear (up to now at least), but SG should be fully open ended, so those journals might just produce gold.

 

[Jimmini]

As long as the automatic entries don't spoil things, I'm basically ok with anything. I just want to do the thinking myself, and not have the virtual me make assumptions or solve puzzles by himself like in other games. Neither would I want to have all conversations logged. If I forget something, don't pay attention or have a life outside the game, it's my own fault. Making drawings could be useful, don't want to waste all the real paper. And how about having to find paper and something to write first? (Or use my own or other's blood when necessary, with the risk of an infection. Oh my.)

 

[Homiccus]

Another approach (which I'm sure has been considered) would be to use the journal to compile written material the player has found. In the journal, you can perhaps organize these texts in a sort of web, connecting a book of folktales with a firsthand account of a scholar. With it, the player can piece together clues and form a better picture of the world. I know I personally hate carrying 1000 books and scrolls stacked on top of each other. I'd love to be able to access them easier and organize them in some way. Think 'Quests' tab but actually immersive and almost like a little detective mini-game.

This.
No other automatic entries please, as they would definitely spoil the fun. I want to draw my own conclusions from observations not get them handed on a plate.

Spoiler

As an example, consider the 1st level room with the fresh corpse and a zombie corpse tastefully arranged next to each other, and what you yourself have deduced from the scene. Now imagine getting an automatic journal entry explaining what conclusions your character drew from that scene, without you even noticing the hidden key or the barricade blocking the other door.

Exanima does not hold your hand so far. Let's keep it this way.

Edit: apologies for necromancy.

 

[Kaladin]

Just add a RP mode and Normal mode. RP mode you can write in journal and get some in-game benefits I dunno from writing in it, to encourage writing entries. I really think this is a good idea. Then Normal mode you don't get entries at all, story is streamlined more and made more accessible. This would be for those who just want to experience the story of the game.

 

[ThommiX]

At least those scrolls we find could be automatically added to the journal. Thats all it actually needs. I entirely forgot that there even is a journal where i could have written everything down, i just memorized most of it.

 

[ThommiX]

Just add a RP mode and Normal mode. RP mode you can write in journal and get some in-game benefits I dunno from writing in it, to encourage writing entries. I really think this is a good idea. Then Normal mode you don't get entries at all, story is streamlined more and made more accessible. This would be for those who just want to experience the story of the game.

Sorry,the answer is still no. You won't get an easier,dumbed down version of exanima or Sui Generis
There won't be any EASY-modes for you.

 

[Kaladin]

Lol. Did you develop a grudge against me now? I'm not looking for an EASY-mode. I'm actually making reasonable suggestions that would improve this game and make it more market-friendly. In contrast, what are you doing?

 

[ThommiX]

Lol. Did you develop a grudge against me now? I'm not looking for an EASY-mode. I'm actually making reasonable suggestions that would improve this game and make it more market-friendly. In contrast, what are you doing?

Nope,i'm just answering the same way, as you are not worthy of anything else and you are suggesting the same thing as in the other thread,to make the game easier for you

This game is not designed to be easy for majority.

My reply to this thread is above you. Also making videos to help people,wrote a review of the game and read a crap load of info about it and the devs visions. You ,apparently,have not done any of that. Enough?

 

[Kaladin]

Nope,i'm just answering the same way, as you are not worthy of anything else

> criticizing a game you don't like = not worthy of respect

Ah, so is this the kiddy pool now?

to make the game easier for you

Me, that other guy, that other other guy, and the many others who bought this game, enjoyed the combat but didn't pretend to love the idea of zero mistake tolerance. It's not something that is ever likely to happen, but people will make noises about it regardless. This is inevitable. Maybe you should just grow a thicker skin?

 

[ThommiX]

> criticizing a game you don't like = not worthy of respect

Ah, so is this the kiddy pool now?



Me, that other guy, that other other guy, and the many others who bought this game, enjoyed the combat but didn't pretend to love the idea of zero mistake tolerance. It's not something that is ever likely to happen, but people will make noises about it regardless. This is inevitable. Maybe you should just grow a thicker skin?

Again kiddo,as you were told before. This game is not going to cater for majority and they are not going to make it easier,no matter how many insignificant friends you bring in to this. Understand it. Only kiddie here is you,who just can't understand anything you are told.

 

[Kaladin]

Sigh. Fine, have the last word then. I'm not masochistic enough to continue down this line.

 

[gugand]

Exanima is like a survival game. In survival games if you do mistakes, you die.
What player need to do is explore, die, restart, explore more, die later, restart from a checkpoint and so on. It needs patience to arrive to the end.
If you let people to restart where they likes the game will lose the more important part of it: atmosphere. You need to feel the tension of being in a such dangerous place.
The game mechanics are similar to what Sui Generis will be. If you die in SG you can just do a new character and the world is like you left it and you will have the same experience of the died character cause the new character is a reincarnation. In exanima when you restart from a checkpoint experience is the same as when you die.