Break Time suggestion

[Pofski]

Hi,

 

I'm just going to post this question here, because it seems that I am having no luck contacting one of the Creators of this here new Dimension.

 

I got this idea some years ago, but I never really put a lot of thought into it. Recently while playing a game (Darksiders 2) I saw something similar to what I was thinking about, but a little slimmed down.

 

 

Would it be possible to include a "The Story so Far" save option?

What i mean with that is, that maybe the safegame could look how long ago it was that you played (with system clock or something) and based upon the duration could, before starting the actual game, give a short or slightly longer recap. Could be of the act that you are busy with (mayor decisions), or the global happenings of the last acts, or just of what you are doing at that moment.

This would be useful for when people have to take a real life break, and would like to stay up to speed with what they did when they get back in the game.

I for one have troubles playing a game on a regular base for more then 10 or 15 hours in total spread over a couple of weeks. This does give problems to finish a game, which I really would like to do. But real life takes over. i have a family, work, obligations, and sometimes gaming takes a back seat.

But when I do get back to a game, especially one as epic as Project Eternity will undoubtedly be, I sometimes have problems remembering what happened again, or what the heck I am doing.

 

Now if I would load a safegame, and the game can tell that I haven't played for a month, maybe it could show a bit, to bring me back up to speed.

It's something we used to do when we played tabletop rpg as well. Somebody used to keep a small diary of what happened, and before we started playing, we brought everybody back up to speed.

 

This could be in the form of just text, or with some nice animations. I don't know.

 

It's just something that has been in my mind for a while now, and I though #hey, now you finally have a chance to bring it out into the open, so why don't ye, ye wuss#

 

And even though, looking back now, that last sentence makes it sound as if I'm confessing a fetish or something, I really hope you guys understand what I'm trying to say.

 

*wave

[Shades]

I know exactly what you mean, I can't count the number of unfinished games I have where I go back to the saves years later and have no idea what I was doing or where I was up to (or in some cases, how to even play the game because I've forgotten the controls... Oops).

 

I guess in a way the journal system would already do this? As in games they usually list quests you have lined up/active, those you've completed etc. It would be nice if the save games themselves had the area that you were in at the time (and possibly chapter of the game if we have chapters), the usual screenshot, and of course let you name the save yourself (and please, no limited number of saves. I save a lot and hate it when I have to start going over old saves because I only have a certain number of slots).

 

I can see what you mean, but I'd worry that having such a reminder might get annoying (unless you could turn it on/off, though you did mentioned it only triggering if you'd been inactive for a month or so), depending on the amount of information it might also seem a bit big. Which is why I like things that are small and can fit into the save game information so you can scroll through saves and see where your character was area-wise and story-wise. Perhaps what you're suggesting would work as a journal tab though?

[Pofski]

O, I would make it skip able. Not everybody would listen to it, or maybe even need the full recap. And turning it off in the options should be no problem. Also, the further in the campaign you are, the more they could narrow it down to key points, and maybe a bit more details in the end.

They could make it a scroll by like Star Wars

[Pofski]

Nobody else is up for this idea?

Seriously, you guys all have way more time to play then I do then. Thought it would have been easy to implement and people would like it.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Pofski

[Shardbearer]

I really like this idea, and actually, it was somewhat implemented in the latest Final Fantasy game. It was not based on duration away, just on where your progress was in the game, but it really helped me remember what the heck I was doing when I could only play off and on weeks apart. (Plus the story was really choppy imo)

Edited September 27, 2012 by Shardbearer

[PsychoBlonde]

They could accomplish this a bit more simply by having your first loading screen into the game list out your major decisions thus far, as well as your most recently acquired quest objective. They could also change the appearance of the splash screen based on what kind of character you've been playing--ruthless human fighter, kind elven mage, etc.

 

If they leave the splash screen visible until you do something to dismiss it, I'll bet this could be a very nice memory jog for people who can't play all the time.

 

Don't ask for lots of animated stuff though, that gets expensive and complex to implement.

[Shardbearer]

They could accomplish this a bit more simply by having your first loading screen into the game list out your major decisions thus far, as well as your most recently acquired quest objective. They could also change the appearance of the splash screen based on what kind of character you've been playing--ruthless human fighter, kind elven mage, etc.

 

If they leave the splash screen visible until you do something to dismiss it, I'll bet this could be a very nice memory jog for people who can't play all the time.

 

Don't ask for lots of animated stuff though, that gets expensive and complex to implement.

 

I like it, it definitely needs to be something extremely low cost/low resource. I was going to mention that load screens, especially with the game being isometric, probably wouldn't last long enough, but you covered that with leaving the splash up until dismissed. Plus it's another opportunity for cool art.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Shardbearer

[Pofski]

Just use different splash screens with open areas drawn in there?

They can use concept art.

Maybe the game can use screenshots it takes at critical moments, blurr it around location where the characters are at that moment, and insert it together with small text of what happened?

I would really like it to have the rememberiiing of how long it has been since you got to play last.

I thi9nk it would be bothersome to constantly see the same thing.