Your thought on realism

Bit of a silly thing to say. I would say a large % of this community is female.

OT: I think realism should only extend to things that aren't annoying. I already need to feed myself to continue game-play, why should I have to feed my in-game character. Physics on the other hand should be as real as possible.

 

IMO, it should be realistic so long as trying to be realistic doesn't start to become a limiting factor.

 

We're going for at least 4 Cuil.

 

If realism doesn't limit the games potential then sure, I'll have some.

 

Some examples of realism that I do NOT enjoy in games like Starbound:

• Hunger
• Fatigue
• Specific Injuries (i.e. broken bones, loss of limbs, permanently damaging injuries, etc.)
• Lack of creatures due to the fact that 99.99999999% of planets do not support life on even a bacterial level
• Travel times between planets taking lengthy amounts of time
• Having to wear full body space suits to prevent all sorts of harm while on other planets
• Dying from extreme weapons after one hit (Rocket launchers, flamethrowers, lasers, etc.)
• Communicating with new and foreign races being nearly impossible without months of observation/research/collaboration/etc.
• Carrying hundreds of misc items like "Candles" or "Stone blocks" would require impossible strength and storage space
• Squid can't actually rule the universe.

 

Realism is a fine line to draw for a game. Make it too realistic, and it's like life, which sucks some of the time, is neutral most of the time, and fun every now and again. I think every mechanic to make the game realistic should be implemented so it then has the true feel of a space game, but impact on the game they have should vary.

The way I see it is things that directly relate to the theme, space travel, should have a big impact. Something like a space suit, which is necessary for space travel to uninhabitable planets, would play a big role. Before you could go to a certain planet you would need the necessary equipment to survive, prolonging the game and creating a progression system similar to terraria (going into hell without the proper equipment always ended badly).

However smaller less related themes, such as food and fatigue, should be withheld to and extent, if not completely, for they add nothing and would only stop the player from getting on to their main goals in the game. Realism like this should be handled with care, for if not implemented in such a way to not inhibit the player, will only reduce the overall quality of the game.

 

I enjoy this aspect as well, however I don't like the idea of having to wear full space gear during the entire duration of time spent on foreign planets.

 

I believe some elements of realism would fit quite nicely into Starbound. However, there should never so be much realism incorporated that a player's overall capabilities to perform, usually improbable, tasks would be limited inside a game where there are nearly no limits to what you can accomplish.
I believe IndiscreteAccount summed this up very well already.

 

I would think that a suit would have low armor, thus making it hard to survive, but inhospitable planets would have rare recourse giving a dangerous incentive to go explore. However it should be possible to create a bio-dome of some sort so you could take it off in there, and even have the ability to change the hospitable-ness(lol words) of the planet.

Edit: Also, having rare resources on planets could be a way to make races different without any racial abilities. What's rare on one species planet would be common on another, and vice versa.

 

I may be alone here, but I am actually hoping for item durability in Starbound.

Terraria felt too fast to me with the dig dig dig, smelt, upgrade -- repeat. I know some of you are thinking "Um, I don't want to find a weapon with perfect stats and lose it." This could be solved by an enchantment/upgrade that prevented wear-and-tear. I don't care for Hunger however, it only ever felt like a hinderance in Minecraft. But, that's just my opinion.

 

I like having durability, but not when the items can be destroyed upon reaching 0 durability. I'd much rather have the items become unequipable at 0 durability.

 

Im cool with that. But I like when they dont disappear, just become unusable

 

The Following has been stated as NOT being in the game -

• Food Meter
• Item Durability

http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/list-of-announced-game-information.450/

just so thats out of the way aslo i think friendly fire has to be off by default in a 2d game. just my thoughts.

as far as other "realism" things. it really depends on how far they go with it. what % of planets will we need space suits on, (probably a high % irl) if we have falling damage does the planets gravity affect it? (or jumping height for that matter.) Cripples body parts would be hard to put in a 2d game, unless you have special weapons that target just those areas. (foot spikes etc)

 

ಠ_ಠ

Maybe off by default, but being able to turn it on would be hilarious.

 

Enable it on my server, let the Lols begin.

 

LOL then i think its just pvp

 

This, especially the last one.

I for one welcome our new Cephalopod overlords.

 

My take on this topic. It will be long. In case of 'tl;dr' - no one cares, if you don't want to read, it is kindly suggested to not be an asshole but move along. You have been warned.

I believe it all depends on the attitude of the player, not on the game per se. For example, many people approach Starbound as just a sandboxy-y platformer and for what it seems to be, it's also the closest idea to what developer team has in mind. They just want to explore interesting worlds, fight amusing aliens and make more and more funny pieces of equipment. They don't want to be restricted by some injuries requiring more tending than 'use an item to restore hp', food, wear and tear and the fact that their cowboy hat should be pisspoor-ly useful against toxic atmosphere and enemy's laser bolts. They want to go through some planet going 'pew pew at da monstarz'.

On the other hand, there are people liking survival games quite much. I, and from what I've seen aroudn the forums - not only I - actually wouldn't mind harder and more realistic gameplay, requiring more skill, being more unforgiving and putting more logical roadblocks on player's way which can be stumbled, worked around or charged through, leading to all kinds of consequences. I would like to be forced to first scavenge and then become self-sufficient when it comes to nutrition (although requirement to sleep - I believe as well - offers little in games), have to maintain my equipment from time to time, having to conserve resources to manufacture a space suit so I can visit some worlds etc. For me, struggling and finally succeeding in such endeavors is far more satisfying than building easily increasingly ridiculous constructions and grinding better equipment which is the same as earlier equipment, just with higher stats and different sprite.

Next, as far as the 'lore' goes. Again, while I like somewhat 'hard sci-fi' genre, the game is developed for people who like mismatched, not entirely serious worlds, where variety comes at the price of seriousness/realism but allows all those amusing moments when the player faces hordes of 'space-version' of Earth creatures, participates in quests befitting comedy show and so on. Unfortunately (or not) it's hardly a game for those who really hope for some glorious, dilemma and drama ridden voyage through the mysterious space, where dreams take their toll and many operate in gray morality zone. Even if there is some light and rather vague drama involved (rumors of destruction of the home planet of the characters, leading to them becoming survivors who start living on a derelict).

It's understandable that the game is for typical teenage, more 'casual' gamer of slightly less demands when it comes to the mood and background and not a product for Robinson's Requiem fans (which, as interesting as it was, took some survival and realism aspects slightly too far even for my taste). It still may be a nice game though (really, if I wouldn't think so I probably wouldn't be here now, would I?), and with easy and far-reaching modability developers promised there is also a chance that people of taste favoring realism will also find something for themselves.

We are already offered a handful of features which even if barely decently-done, suggest plenty of fun. Of course, I have no doubts at all that many people would prefer if such dramatic changes of setting and gameplay would be implemented as optional ones in already prepared game (with an 'Advanced settings' tab during world generation where all kinds of mechanics elements, creatures, items, technologies and quests would have their 'yes/no' switch) but for some reason I don't have overly much hope that we will be given such a thing.

In the end, we'll see what we'll get when we'll get it.

 

What I do not look forward in Realism:

• You need to wear space suits on most planets - My vanity items
• Hunger and Thirst - I wonder if these red tentacle plants look safe to eat...
• Gravity - These torches are as heavy as rocket launchers and rocket launchers are as heavy as trucks
• No atmosphere - I'm in the middle of nowhere with no oxygen... I'm screwed

And pvp on a 2D game? Should be auto off on all 2D games.

 

Realism? Nah, fun, addictive, thoughtful and strategic game play comes first. Let the devs make the game play they want before making it 'realistic'. Making starbound 'realistic' would probably severely limit what chucklefish can do with this game.