Been looking for a game like this for a LONG time now. Finally found it, and spent some time (couple months) both playing through the base game (SR24 vers) and doing some simple modding with things, like added parts, missions, etc. Used the source mod packages as baseline, and made some adjustments for my tastes. Note, I'm definitely an amateur in terms of programming, but I do understand some basics.
Gotta say, I really like what both Radnor started with, base-concept (and templates, etc.); and then what Squirrel has added to fill out the game even more. Good, simple baseline, with a lot of good tools and hooks to allow the game to be customized. And this is the kind of game that people would want to add things into. Sad to see that it was abandoned for a time; but it's also great to see some new interest reviving around this game. It's a solid shell, and one that I'd like to see further improved.
Squirrel - had some comments / suggestions / ideas. Not sure if you already have some of this in the pipeline; but wanted to put it out there in case it seems relevant. It's open for anyone who's also looking to do their own mods.
(For those concerned, this does some spoilers from info gleaned from reading the mod side code. Please don't read if spoilers offend you.)
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Bot Parts
* Removing a Part from a Bot Chassis - is there a plan to implement something like this, instead of replacing?
--- I find I want to do this sometimes, especially if I want to keep a good chassis, but want a specific part off of it right away.
--- Also might be useful for getting a specific part to complete a bot for redeem.
--- Functionally, thinking it would be something like just having a "missing part" take the place of the current one. Keeping the AP cost is fair.
* Bot Parts / Stat XP - there seem to be some parts that affect stat XP in different ways, and some don't do this at all.
--- Vocoders are the big offender here, IMO. They don't affect any stat XP rates whatsoever. Maybe at least social?
----- Feels kind of bad investing in something like a Melodia S, just for it to only add cash value on sell.
----- I added some lines in my own copy to have the vocoders add some XP adjustment for social.
--- I think it'd be fun to have certain parts affect XP rates in different ways.
----- For example, a specific line of mid-tier eyes / vocoders that improve combat, or powercores that improve mech/elec.
----- Might be useful for someone planning to make specific techie or combat bots.
--- Also a suggestion, for those who haven't dug through the code, might be worth adding some kind of tagging to let players know what parts affect which skill stats. Didn't really understand how specific the parts' impacts were until I went through it line-by-line to better understand this.
* F-Tier Parts - is there any specific reason to keep F tier parts in the game?
--- The stat lines for "F" tier parts are so bad that, even with their low price, they're really hard to find a use for.
----- Can't sell them on the BBS, and they won't qualify for anything currently that checks part tier.
----- I automatically strip and throw away / sell to get rid of any I come across.
--- "E" tier parts are also pretty bad; but at least there are things you can do with them / to get rid of them effectively.
--- Alternatively, one thought for specific "rare" copies in world, is if you want something like "Antique" parts to be a thing (definitely old/obsolete for efficiency, but might add insane value for a specific type of collector).
* XP by Part Type - one thought, instead of having specific experience levels tied into each individual bot and part by name, at least for parts, would it be feasible instead to have an experience level that just tracks on part type / slot?
--- If you do a lot of work on bot legs, regardless of specific tier / mfr., then you could gain general proficiency related to legs.
----- Main reason I note this, is that most folks probably aren't going to work on so many copies of the same part as to actually get reasonable progress on it (e.g., repairing countless copies of ShieldTech C skins). Most of these will simply remain at "F" tier rating for the whole game. (My opinion would differ if the progress rate on individual parts was better; but at Day 100+ on multiple runs, with only a couple parts at "E" proficiency...)
----- Would probably need to add a parameter in the "main character" class for this.
--- Alternatively, if you want to go with something themed around a specific manufacturer, could probably do that as well.
----- May need to add a property in the bot part or bot classes to make this though.
* Typos - just as a heads-up, there are a number of typos that I've noticed while playing. Most are kind of minor (switched letters, for example). Might be worth giving the parts overall a quick scan for this. I fixed the ones I saw in my own copy.
--- The one that always nags at me, since I use them a lot, are the S tier powercores. Assuming intent was "Ascendant" instead of "Assendant"?
--- Most of the rest are in the part descriptions.
* Opportunities for More Parts
--- Especially at the start of the game, I think the player needs better access to opportunities for some starter parts (build an early cache).
--- The current game mainly accounts for this by being able to buy bots from the Flea Market, or find them in the Scrapyard, and then actually scrap the bots for whatever parts they have. I kind of feel bad doing this early game though, TBH.
--- Adding the Ray's series of BBS posts was a great way to get more parts to the player, and adding the sell opps was also great! I think the game could use a little more of that though.
----- Some of what I added to my own, was adding parts packages (esp. with cores and processors) to help get scrapyard bots rehabilitated. Also added a line of BBS posts that just offered more opps for C and D tier parts, specifically.
--- I really think the Flea Market would also be a good place to change a bit, to offer packs of lower tier (C-E) parts, instead of effectively paying 1 AP per part; or just getting rid of the AP cost for the parts side. The AP cost at the Flea Market parts side is what kills it for me.
* (Modding) Random Parts - is there a good way to provide a function in the core game, that makes generating random parts more accessible?
--- I originally wanted to make a BBS listing that could provide a "grab box" of random parts, to help get started. I could not for the life of me figure out how to do this though.
----- Maybe making a function that specifically returns a random part based on the overall list of available parts, and maybe takes arguments to narrow down the potential list?
----- Since the Missions have a way of generating loot that is somewhat randomized based on the loot quality tags, I went with that route instead.
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Bots
* Bot Selling Opps - any plans to make more / better opportunities for selling bots?
--- This is something I accounted for in my own copy, by adding a ton of new opps to cash bots in on the BBS.
----- Something I also found pretty useful, was to include some opps where perfect chassis (100% integrity) were not required, especially for the cheaper opps / lower grade redeems. The code allows for this, which is really nice.
----- May also want to extend out the duration for bot redeem posts, as it can be quite hard to have something ready to cash out within a single time slot (many of these opps don't persist long enough, 1-3 slots I think).
--- Thinking a place like Ray's Boutique would actually be a good place to offer up higher tier chassis / bots with good skills.
--- Maybe improving the rates at the RoboSechs club can also help with this? Because the rates were so bad, I haven't really spent time selling bots to RoboSechs; not sure if this ends up triggering anything that I'm missing.
* Bot Buying Opps - wondering if this can be improved any.
--- Note here, unlike the item above, I was not able to figure out a way to add bot "buy" opps to fix game balance.
--- The current methods of buying bots are okay; but I think there's room to improve this some.
----- Personally, I think the average quality and option spread of the Flea Market is good, especially at the beginning. Lots of D and C tiers, with occasional B tiers.
----- The BBS, contrary to the tips, does not offer any opps to purchase bots (damaged or otherwise). I couldn't figure out how to get the BBS to do this either.
----- Ray's Boutique - offers the best overall range of stuff, but the price multis are high, and access is late game.
----- And, of course, the best option is always the scrapyard, since you get bots for free; and often the best finds are there (esp. including free skills).
----- Note, I think the thing that bothers me about the scrapyard in particular, is that it's kind of immersion-breaking to be able to find (and claim) top-tier packages for free. Without this in place, though, getting good bots is really hard (actually, basically impossible, except for Ray's, and the specific buy events).
--- Would it be worth considering ways to buy bots through the BBS (especially better packages, at earlier access), or maybe through RoboSechs?
--- Also, maybe having more random events like that one in the middle of the mob bots quest, where a customer can actually sell a bot to the MC?
--- Maybe make bots available as mission rewards? I couldn't figure out how to do this with the current code set (I only have Radnor's source as reference). Feels like missions should be able to reward with a new bot.
* Bot Skills
--- Question, is there a way to add a check limiter to skills, when a bot reaches 100% / S on a skill, that they stop gaining XP on it? Main reason being, they still get the instability on the skill, which can throw things off a bit.
--- Just curious, any plans to expand the list of skills bots can have?
----- While the current set (Combat, Elec / Mech, Sex, Social) seems to be pretty complete, wondering if there's room for a couple more. Something involving art / creativity, for example, would also be a different take.
----- That, or further involvement of the Autonomy trait, would be cool too (it's almost like another skill, though it's also more like a total XP tracker).
----- Other than small pedantic differences, with the way the skills are actually tracked, there's not much use in having electronics and mechanics remain as different skills, since both are factored at the same rates on the bots (both for training and with respect to parts adjustments). Just means two skills to build instead of one. Could track it as "technical" or something like that (even for the player).
* Bot Stability / Balance
--- Looking at the total spread on bots in the base game, stability decay rates, etc., kinda surprised me that even the good bots aren't really that good.
--- Having struggled through this on multiple runs / tests, what I've settled into doing generally, is actually using the D-tier AGRX-10 bots as my super techies / shopkeepers / everything bots, because they are the most stable. With a stability decay factor of 0.5, nobody else even comes close. Next best I saw was the Sigrid M2s and Techie V2s, at 0.8. All of the other bots, techie-types included, just don't have the stability to handle doing multiple tasks / getting large XP boosts. Most would de-stabilize every turn that I worked, or overnight.
--- For future, may be worth looking into this, and seeing if some things need to be re-balanced.
* Bot Capsules / Storage
--- With the 0.6.1 update, glad to see that the pods have a means to help bots maintain stability. Was getting kind of crazy, spending most of my AP just maintaining house bots.
--- Any additional ideas on pod upgrades?
----- Was thinking something like minor repairs, self-fixing parts at 90-95% or better (although your new Master Techie kind of covers this too).
----- Might also be worth having something that eases cost of replacing parts in upgraded pods (saving more AP)?
----- Better average Psychocore stability recovery for bots in upgraded pods (when you spend AP to stabilize)?
--- For Master Techies, any look at allowing them to also repair parts on bots in storage?
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MC / World Things
* The Scrapyard
--- This one is both a fundamental staple of the base game, and one of the most immersion-breaking, in that it is basically the only place where you can find really good bots, and by nature, for free. Not to mention basically any part, any tier.
--- Are there any plans to expand this any? Maybe make other scrapyard locations (or even junkyards/ruins outside of the base town), where the better stuff can be found? Restricting the starting scrapyard to a lower cap, maybe up to C tier (or similar restriction) on stuff, would help limit abuse.
----- Since I'm assuming the way the scrapyard works, is that it just generates a random bot or part out of all of the ones registered based on the "ALL" tag, if I have that right, might be an easier fix to change the tags that can be "found" in the scrapyard, especially if other avenues become available.
----- Might be less broken, if the number of bots you can bring home on any one trip is a little more limited (let's be real, you can do the quick save/load trick to get a stacked lineup every time you go out, up to 1 bot per AP). And, the MC probably isn't hauling 11+ bots out of the scrapyard without someone noticing, or breaking his back.
* District 13 / Other Locations
--- Any plans for other locations, like shops or social venues?
----- Even in the real world, some business opps come by meeting people, word of mouth, etc.
----- Most trade work knows other shops of their type, at least. Would make sense for the MC to know about other shops, and in turn for them to know about his (esp. as reputation increases).
--- One idea, depending on how you want to work it into your world, could be something like a contract to repair a number of an organization's bots, or supply them with new ones. Maybe as cleaning staff for a fast food chain or something; starts with supplying 5 bots over a few weeks to the chain, and then seeing the bots return 1-2 a week for repairs, for a given duration.
--- Could also consider adding occasional referrals from another shop (with higher MC rep) for better customers.
* MC / AP System
--- This game's AP system is both an excellent system, and at times needlessly wasteful.
----- I definitely like the way the initial balance is at 5 AP, with the opportunity to get extra AP from housekeepers (up to 5).
----- I definitely like the way the workout system provides a means to increase the base AP.
----- Some tasks cost way too much (even/especially at 1 AP) for what they are. Examples include the replacement of parts, or the cost to work on a bot on the storage rack (there really isn't a reason for that to have a cost, especially when moving stuff to/from the racks is free). It's amazing how fast the AP cost adds up when trying to fix up a bot for a particular request, and you burn through an entire day (esp. at beginning) just making minute tweaks and repairs.
--- It might be worth expanding out the AP number to allow for things to cost differently, and scale both the gains and spends accordingly.
----- As an example, maybe make the base AP 100, with most things costing 5-20 AP depending on task. Main tasks, like workouts, work, etc., can keep their higher cost (up to 60 AP by equal balance), while allowing some tasks to be cheaper (like parts swaps, stability, etc.).
----- Can make up to 100 extra AP avail with workouts, and 100 AP avail with housekeeping. Balance will be similar at that point.
----- This also provides an opportunity for proficiency in certain skills to actually reduce the AP cost, as a benefit. Maybe make parts swaps cost 10 AP initially, but with higher skill, this can go down to 7-8 AP, or even down to 5 at S tier skills.
----- Also allows you to add a small cost for some tasks that maybe should have had an AP cost, but would have been prohibitive in the original balance (e.g., moving bots from storage to pods, if that was intended, and vice versa).
* Work / Fix-Up Jobs
--- I really enjoy the fix-up jobs that appear occasionally. Definitely the kind of "work" the MC would get as a repair shop.
----- Higher frequency, variation on bot types, and some other specifics (like maybe train a specific skill), would be great to see.
----- Not sure if the fix-up job has a requirement for an open pod, but thinking MC should be able to accept as long as a pod or storage slot is free.
--- I definitely get a kick out of the junkie trying to sell a part to the shop. Kind of makes sense, that they may not know how valuable a particular part might be.
--- Maybe have more special work events?
* Moving Shop?
--- One of the things implicitly suggested by the description, is that the MC would want to move shop if it becomes convenient at some point. Will this be a quest?
--- One incentive to move shop, is if the maximum available upgrades are limited at lower level locations.
----- Example, if the starting area warehouse has a limit of Lv2 power, and maybe up to 3 storage racks. But, the better location, has a bigger warehouse, Lv3 power, and maybe up to 5 storage racks. And etc., for the next upgrade.
----- First suggestion to move could be canon to the main story, following the end of the mob bots job.
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I'll definitely be checking in now and again on this one; best of luck to you in further development!
