The question we should ask is not whether the game is realistic so much as if it's fun and balanced. Making it so that the character has a fun dynamic of play is paramount.
So, for Laue's comment, I do agree that these should be rare to build. The deal with building an entire town just to deal with one person, though, is that the town will grow based directly on how much you put into its development: If you trade a lot of valuable goods, you strike it rich on your own and people will flock to you because you have a lot of valuable resources that you mine and can trade off.
However, rarity is still an issue. We don't want to overflow the player. So, the basis for the town is that there's one building you can go to to pay off your debt (town hall) and one building to go buy general merchandise ("store") - these are the two most basic and the first two to be built.
For building further buildings, we have a number of options regarding progression.
1: The Player must invest for the town to grow.
This is a very player-controlled system. The player must invest a certain total value of goods or money, but when he does so, he gets to choose the next buildings. Certain buildings could have certain values, and so on. Probably difficult to program. An interesting option for this system is that a character could buy a foundation stone for each building and determine its positions. Of course, foundation stones would have to be a certain distance apart to work, to prevent overlap.
2: What the player buys determines what gets built.
This is fairly simple and intuitive. The player buys lots of weapons? A blacksmith gets built. Player likes food? A bakery or butcher or something. Player mostly prefers high-value or exotic merchandise? A foreign trader from very far away sets up shop, and so on. Again, fairly difficult to code (probably)
3: The buildings follow a simple, preset order.
This way is most likely the simplest to code and control, and mods could be put into place to determine building order. Basically, as you spend money, buildings are built in a preset order that is the same for every game.
With these systems, the town builds up only as you invest, so the more attention you pay to it, the more it grows. That way, you know where to place the town based on how much you'll use it (or, for the first option, if you take the foundation stone approach, you get to control the layout of the town completely.)
Regarding multiple foundation stones for towns, I'm not too sure there should even be several stones available unless you decide to edit one in. The foundation stone will get you a town hall, a town square and a store, and having multiple town squares might be something that you would only find if the town got extremely large. Maybe, after a long time, you could buy a second one, but I think at first you should only be able to purchase one.
RE: the idea in general (for SSP anyway)
I don't like it. The idea of any kind of support or bartering doesn't seem to fit with the game's current direction.
The value system already in place is sufficient enough to avoid the idea of currency. What i mean is, by comparing the traits of one block to another, one will be relativley more valuable (useful) or at least more valuable in certain situations.
Fun and Balanced is important and I do like the idea of investment into the town.
One of my concerns is that if this is suggestion is not arranged in such a way that it would be able to be coded, it will never become reality.
The choosing of individual building foundation stones might be a bit much, but I could see a arbitrary system of building points being used. EXP: I sell 2 diamonds for 500 notches (Currency) Since I only needed 50 for a blacksmith, and 300 for a stable, both of these will be built once a player leaves the sight of the town for the night.
As for multiple foundation stones, many players will venture far from their spawn points. If I create a town near my spawn, but then decide to resettle elsewhere, should I go kill them all off? The distance I suggest would be a rather large one, but having only one might be problematic. Although it might make long distance railways more valuable.
Oblozzor, the way I imagined Foundation blocks is that they remove all of the material in the way, rather than you having to go and clear out the space. Either way works, really. I imagine requiring you to clear out the space would be easier to code, as well. The advantage of this approach is that if you want to build the town, say, underground, or in a tree, you are capable of doing so without too much trouble.
As for multiple foundation stones, another option is that if you get far enough away from where your first town was built, you'll start finding single traders again who are just passing through. That way, you have to go through the effort of getting another town built, but you still have the option of moving.
Other than the "wizard and dwarf" idea, this is awesome. Maybe that's along the lines of Notch
's future NPCs that he had mentioned at one time or another.
Other than the "wizard and dwarf" idea, this is awesome. Maybe that's along the lines of Notch's future NPCs that he had mentioned at one time or another.
The Wizard and Dwarf idea is something that people have been either enthusiastic about or not. I think it'd be really fun, but I'm sure there are better implementations of NPC's as well. :smile.gif:
That's an interesting thought, dra6o0n. So you're saying that if a town is built up, there's a very low chance, but you might meet a "special" merchant who sells items rare or unattainable elsewhere?
Personally, I really like this idea. I was hoping for something like this, and didn't know if I should suggest it or not, but my plan was nowhere near as thought out as yours is. I think the merchant compass should be pretty much a must though. as otherwise, seeming as the merchants probably won't make an establishment too close to where you've built because of the fact that they might interfere with projects, it may be hard to find the merchants or their establishments, even with big towers and lights, especially if you've already established on a large area of land and would then have to venture further out of their region, so to speak, just to find the merchant establishment, so the merchant compass would definitely be a huge help, but this is an amazing idea. I really like it.
Personally, I really like this idea. I was hoping for something like this, and didn't know if I should suggest it or not, but my plan was nowhere near as thought out as yours is. I think the merchant compass should be pretty much a must though. as otherwise, seeming as the merchants probably won't make an establishment too close to where you've built because of the fact that they might interfere with projects, it may be hard to find the merchants or their establishments, even with big towers and lights, especially if you've already established on a large area of land and would then have to venture further out of their region, so to speak, just to find the merchant establishment, so the merchant compass would definitely be a huge help, but this is an amazing idea. I really like it.
I appreciate your feedback, and it's definitely a good idea. :smile.gif:
One unfortunate fact about a merchant compass is that you'll never be able to have multiple merchant settlements, so if you move far away, you'll have to travel all the way back to the original in order to buy anything.
A good alternative to this, however, is that, if maps ever get introduced, an "X" could be placed on the map where the town center is for each merchant area.
I like to pop in every once in a while to bump this. It's a great Idea.
MOD EDIT: Please don't do that.
Think about it this way: if everybody had this mentality, bumping threads up to the top because they support the ideas inside, then we'd have HUNDREDS of threads constantly being bumped up to the top. Everybody loses.
This is why we're asking you, and others, to just stop bumping unless you have something to add, something to criticize, or whatever.
I've seen a lot of stuff that regards this suggestion in the mod section now (some people working on building "saplings" as well as a number of NPC mods and UI modifications) Has anyone got any interesting thoughts at this point?
So, for Laue's comment, I do agree that these should be rare to build. The deal with building an entire town just to deal with one person, though, is that the town will grow based directly on how much you put into its development: If you trade a lot of valuable goods, you strike it rich on your own and people will flock to you because you have a lot of valuable resources that you mine and can trade off.
However, rarity is still an issue. We don't want to overflow the player. So, the basis for the town is that there's one building you can go to to pay off your debt (town hall) and one building to go buy general merchandise ("store") - these are the two most basic and the first two to be built.
For building further buildings, we have a number of options regarding progression.
1: The Player must invest for the town to grow.
With these systems, the town builds up only as you invest, so the more attention you pay to it, the more it grows. That way, you know where to place the town based on how much you'll use it (or, for the first option, if you take the foundation stone approach, you get to control the layout of the town completely.)This is a very player-controlled system. The player must invest a certain total value of goods or money, but when he does so, he gets to choose the next buildings. Certain buildings could have certain values, and so on. Probably difficult to program. An interesting option for this system is that a character could buy a foundation stone for each building and determine its positions. Of course, foundation stones would have to be a certain distance apart to work, to prevent overlap.
2: What the player buys determines what gets built.This is fairly simple and intuitive. The player buys lots of weapons? A blacksmith gets built. Player likes food? A bakery or butcher or something. Player mostly prefers high-value or exotic merchandise? A foreign trader from very far away sets up shop, and so on. Again, fairly difficult to code (probably)
3: The buildings follow a simple, preset order.This way is most likely the simplest to code and control, and mods could be put into place to determine building order. Basically, as you spend money, buildings are built in a preset order that is the same for every game.
Regarding multiple foundation stones for towns, I'm not too sure there should even be several stones available unless you decide to edit one in. The foundation stone will get you a town hall, a town square and a store, and having multiple town squares might be something that you would only find if the town got extremely large. Maybe, after a long time, you could buy a second one, but I think at first you should only be able to purchase one.
I know.
My mind is really creative at night.
I don't like it. The idea of any kind of support or bartering doesn't seem to fit with the game's current direction.
The value system already in place is sufficient enough to avoid the idea of currency. What i mean is, by comparing the traits of one block to another, one will be relativley more valuable (useful) or at least more valuable in certain situations.
Fun and Balanced is important and I do like the idea of investment into the town.
One of my concerns is that if this is suggestion is not arranged in such a way that it would be able to be coded, it will never become reality.
The choosing of individual building foundation stones might be a bit much, but I could see a arbitrary system of building points being used. EXP: I sell 2 diamonds for 500 notches (Currency) Since I only needed 50 for a blacksmith, and 300 for a stable, both of these will be built once a player leaves the sight of the town for the night.
As for multiple foundation stones, many players will venture far from their spawn points. If I create a town near my spawn, but then decide to resettle elsewhere, should I go kill them all off? The distance I suggest would be a rather large one, but having only one might be problematic. Although it might make long distance railways more valuable.
As for multiple foundation stones, another option is that if you get far enough away from where your first town was built, you'll start finding single traders again who are just passing through. That way, you have to go through the effort of getting another town built, but you still have the option of moving.
's future NPCs that he had mentioned at one time or another.
The Wizard and Dwarf idea is something that people have been either enthusiastic about or not. I think it'd be really fun, but I'm sure there are better implementations of NPC's as well. :smile.gif:
:smile.gif: I love it too, and there's been a big push for it lately
I appreciate your feedback, and it's definitely a good idea. :smile.gif:
One unfortunate fact about a merchant compass is that you'll never be able to have multiple merchant settlements, so if you move far away, you'll have to travel all the way back to the original in order to buy anything.
A good alternative to this, however, is that, if maps ever get introduced, an "X" could be placed on the map where the town center is for each merchant area.
MOD EDIT: Please don't do that.
Think about it this way: if everybody had this mentality, bumping threads up to the top because they support the ideas inside, then we'd have HUNDREDS of threads constantly being bumped up to the top. Everybody loses.
This is why we're asking you, and others, to just stop bumping unless you have something to add, something to criticize, or whatever.
Same here.