I think the two necessarily go hand in hand. I’m not usually one to dispense praise of any sort, so please do consider it sincere! I think your subject-matter set you in good stead from the off!
In terms of suggestions, I h
So far- and I’m sure this is deliberate because the whole idea of thaumaturgy is that it is restricted, arcane and esoteric- we know very little about the fundamental rules of the art, as the speculation above shows. I think, for a character that pursues thaumaturgy a separate index tab could be credited which archives everything your character has learned about it through i) experimentation and ii) reading, which could give the player a go-to guide when considering using magic in any given situation. If this isn’t too complex from a programming point of view (I have to admit I’m a complete novice on that front!) a more extensive knowledge of theoretical and practical thaumaturgy could introduce more creative (but potentially riskier?) magic options, as well as making the player feel like they actually understood the art more and were less at the whim of you as a writer as to what they could and couldn’t do.
As a corollary to this, I think it could be quite nice for the thaumaturgy-pursuing character to be able to and incentivised to hunt for texts that might illuminate them somewhat. The alternative is to sort of infodump/spoonfeed new knowledge and powers periodically, which I think is somewhat less appealing than a sort of pseudo-treasure hunt to find more knowledge.
I hope that makes as much sense written down as it did in my head?
Seriously, thanks, that’s very kind. And I like your suggestions. I’ve been planning a big Theurgy infodump early in Game 2, at which point the World Index would update with What You Now Know. But the treasure hunt for knowledge is a terrific mechanic – I really like the idea.
I can’t promise I’ll be able to include it, but I’ll let it roll around with the other good suggestions and see if it works itself in as I keep writing… that’s usually the way these things work for me.
For the record, no one responding to me need ever apologize for post length.
Slow. I’ve got a rewarding but fairly demanding day job; and while writing fantasy has long been my creative outlet on evenings and weekends, I’ve had less time then than usual for the last few months. Right now we’re in the window in my wife’s pregnancy where her nausea and fatigue have subsided enough for her to resume her art work (mostly etchings, sold through a shop down the road from us in London) so we’re prioritizing her job on weekends right now.
When I’m not doing child care, I’ve been traveling for my own job. I often get CoReb work done in the evenings when I’m on field visits, but my just-concluded Afghanistan trip proved fuller than usual – I have many more old friends there than in most places I visit.
Still, I’m hoping to have Ch 3 all done and ready for review next month. And after our second son is born in May (inshallah) I’m planning to take some time off from my main job and push hard to finish Game 1 by the summer.
Ah, so you’re a fellow Brit. *That* explains the quality of your work…
I wish you all the best for taking on another child! What with my degree to finish, it’s probably entirely for the best if it isn’t finished before the summer…
No, just a rather literal Anglophile. My lovely wife’s British, but I’m a dual-citizen Yank who says “pasta” and “salsa” with long aahs and retains the r’s at the end of words as God intended.
Good enough. If anything that’s even more indicative; the wisdom to place oneself in Britain is admirable.
Thanks very much; the PhD in Imperial History probably goes some way to explaining why I’m so keen on having more books and scholarship in the games I play…
Coincidence @Havenstone as my AP Literature class is reading two books set in Kabul right now.
Anyways… I tried a different path on the tax collector job and it proved to be a few shades more interesting/entertaining than the usual path I went. Settimg fire to the Alastors barracks had to be the highlight of the venture.
In one playthrough my rebel Hugh de Serin was called “Lie-Breaker” after raiding the monastery, and that showed up in the stat screen, which was cool. But later he was called “the Open-Handed” instead after making some generous donations to the helotry.
So, I thought, why not have a list of all the titles you accumulate instead of having one replace the other?
@Havenstone yes they both were actually. One of the books I read on my own and enjoyed immensely. The other was with my class and didn’t like the protagonist as much.
Bleys is the tax collector. If you had the option to set fire to the barracks, you’ll have had at least some kind of interaction with him and his family…
Thanks @Noogai! Glad it defied your initial expectations, and comparison to Sabres is high praise indeed.
The 0.99 is a placeholder for an IAP, intended to spark discussion of how people would feel about buying an easy mode; but in marked contrast to my last placeholder (for the Telone raid subplot) this one hasn’t started any conversations. Guess I should “turn it on” and give people a chance to see what difference it actually makes.
Okay… So this game really shocked me. Expecting either a half furry-waifu magical world with over the top magic I instead got excellent dialogue and writing with many different branches and routes to go. This game is easily sabres of infinity quality and I can’t wait for you to finish all the books. Also I noticed when asked about my weaknes there’s an option unlocked for 0.99$ or so. Nothing seems to happen when i press it.
@Havenstone I just think people is used IAP purchases to cheat the game, many Cog have them. I just don’t care due i never buy cheat IAP because destroy the challenge. i would be more interested in a for instance another childhood story background meet your mother including some perk like IAP a cheat bonus , its not my thing.
@havenstone I suppose you could justify IAPs if you planned on making the game free but if you plan on charging people for it then expect some barbed comments. As for me I’m ok with it and with what I’ve seen so far I’m happy to pay a little extra.
Seriously, thanks, that’s very kind. And I like your suggestions. I’ve been planning a big Theurgy infodump early in Game 2, at which point the World Index would update with What You Now Know. But the treasure hunt for knowledge is a terrific mechanic – I really like the idea.
My lovely wife’s British, but I’m a dual-citizen Yank who says “pasta” and “salsa” with long aahs and retains the r’s at the end of words as God intended.