Overworld map travel, too easy?

[x4000]

I think some grieving loopholes are inevitable in a fairly open world (example: stealing rare loot and not sharing), but the stuff we can prevent, we aim to. Players shouldn't need some custom mod to set up multiplayer server security; that should all be manageable by players directly in the game itself, I feel.

Right, there will still be some thing but you addressed my two biggest ones, someone killing all the NPCs in my settlement and people wrecking my settlement or wildly advancing turns.

Yeah, we aim to make it as clean as we can.

How about suiciding four times in a settlement (settlements other than the starting one have "green" areas attached to them after all)? That'd generate a vengeful shadow raid party and should do so right on top of the settlement.

Yeah, it's possible that could be an issue, but it's something we'll have to tweak as the time comes.

if its a coop game that is played in small groups, wont this be another affair of playing with friends or the same small group? thus, if someone trolls, they get the boot or you leave?

I think it will really vary.  We plan to have some PvP-style options in there too if we can manage it, despite the shared civ levels and so on.  And I expect that some folks will want to set up large shared servers that are advertised through our server list and that whoever can just connect to.  This isn't a P2P game like AI War, it runs a server, so setting up a server that you have people periodically popping in and out of, like an FPS game, is definitely possible and something that I think some folks will do.

[MooFrog]

As far as the overworld travel goes, I think there are a couple areas that might clear this up if they were changed or specified more clearly. Note that I have tried not to read much in terms of instructions (aside from patch notes and the initial tutorial). Also, if this ends up rambling on too much or becomes pointless please feel free to ignore it

It seems to me like there are 3 major areas of exploration - roaming the world map, sending settlement members out to scout, and actually going into the different squares (shows up as green on the overworld map).

When I started, I was running through the different squares and visiting everything. Later, I started going into each square so that they were all "100% scouted" as far as the surface level went. Then I realized I could send my people out to scout, so I have done that as well. I've just realized how to actually explore and find good stuff, so now I'm in that phase (mostly underground, going to find towers, etc.)

I think it leads me to 4 fundamental questions about the game:
1. What is the purpose of visiting or exploring surface areas?
2. What is the purpose of roaming the map?
3. What is the purpose of sending scouting parties?
4. How do I decide where to spend my time?

The answers as they seem to me now:
1. To get to specific things (commodity towers, etc.)
2. To travel to the good places (commodity towers, etc.)
3. To expand the overworld map, find new settlements and wind towers, minibosses etc.
4. Ignore the majority of the world and focus on the places that I know will have good stuff.


Rather than feeling too easy, the overworld travel map almost feels pointless to me at this time. I think that if the overworld travel, scouting parties, and physical exploration or areas were somehow tied together in a more cohesive fashion it could add another dimension to the strategic game. As it is it feels like there's a huge world out there, the majority of which is kind of pointless.

Of course, by the time I finish writing this post everything could have been overhauled again, which is kind of why I love playing in these betas. I haven't really opened AI war since the crazy daily patching stopped
 

[zebramatt]

I imagine much of that is indicative of early beta!

[Gallant Dragon]

hold on, are windstorms even in the game anymore?

[x4000]

hold on, are windstorms even in the game anymore?

Sure.  Every region with a * has a windstorm that you visually see, and that buffs all the monsters.  Or am I missing something?

[Gallant Dragon]

...oh.  Right.
Duurrrr...

[x4000]

No worries.