#48
by Flapper
My problem with the expeditions is the introduction of pure gambling to a strategy game. Ultimately the way they are set up is no different than a casino game. It’s just a matter of deciding what you want the payout to be, 101%, 99%; less . . . more?
If after sending out one hundred missions you break even, you have a problem. That being you’ve made it useless to play.
If after sending out one hundred missions you loose, you have a problem. There is no reason for anyone to play at all.
If after sending out one hundred missions you come out ahead, you have a problem. With big numbers it’s a 0 risk way to move forward in the game, so why not base your strategy on it completely.
If there is some mystery combination for profit (like the 1 EC used to be), you have a problem. The veteran alliance will profit and few else will.
My first thought is scrap it and forget it, but I admit the concept intrigues me. It’s different. So maybe we can take a lesson from Vegas.
1. Work towards a big variety of bells and whistled to make the adventure entertaining. Do this to the extent that game operators can easily adjust prizes and odds on a daily basis. That way you occasionally get a unique response, like maybe one day, one lucky guy discovers an artifact that bumps his Weapon’s Tech by one. This can also be done as simple as regular changes in artwork for fancy space scenes or as complicated as finding multiple pieces of a gadget to add to your Computer Tech. Maybe you find a box of super nanites that allow you to instantly finish one project on the planet the expedition originated.
2. Go for the big pay off. No body grinds it out at the roulette table, slots or kraps table. The thrill is that you’re the one guy in a thousand that makes the big pay off. Instead of sometimes getting a 10% return, change it up. Set the odds to one in a thousand for a payoff, but the payoff is 700%.
In other words if a thousand people send one fighter on a mission, everyone looses except the guy who gets 700 back..
3. As I write, I think the only way expeditions work in the long run is to make it a carnival. When you introduce the elite recycler work it into an expedition. One day JoeFleeter sends out a mission and is surprised to see “you have discovered a new kind of ship” Name the thing Joes Recycler and move on to the next fun ideal.
Outside the box? What box?