Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

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Cogliostro
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Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Cogliostro » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:21 pm

First you have to understand what's meant by "automation", as staff term it. It's anything that allows for things to happen in Cantr without a live human player being there to drive it.

Cantr is suffering many setbacks in its ability to function as a game because a peculiar philosophy is prevalent among players & staff, that brings with it confused notions about the idea of allowing emergent societies to develop in the game by themselves.

Things may improve radically with one small change in these ways of thinking, and it's about time we consider it as a community.

(!) Cantr is slowpaced and asynchronous (people log in at different times).
(!) People's interactions in Cantr like trading and talking are real-time, real human time.
(!) Emergent societies depend on the combined volume of people's interactions to really emerge.

===> The vision of emergent society MUST be supported by judicious use of "automation" in key areas of the game! This is crucial to bridge the timings gap and allow players to consistently carry out key actions regardless of when others log on.
Last edited by Cogliostro on Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:38 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Cogliostro
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Cogliostro » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:22 pm

With this understanding, first of all we can agree with staff that this is a complex area and too much of a good thing can spoil the fun. But then again we know too well what too much conservatism does to it, from sorry past experience.

We would like staff at the highest level to reconsider their "no automation" ideas, in order to explore special kinds of player-to-player tools and features for the game, which could well bring with them a veritable Cantr renaissance.

So what's the big idea, then? We need to envision and implement restricted forms of "automation" that are based on events being driven by Cantr characters (no longer only by logged on players), working in accordance with a player's previously made settings.

Imagine tools that let players set up markets and exchanges for semi-automatic trading, work assignments for newspawns and serfs, the ability for emergency lockers to temporarily hand out weapons and equipment to defenders, and much more - those are the kinds of things that we previously could not even discuss, simply due to the catch-all "no automation" beaurocratic stamp.
Last edited by Cogliostro on Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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SumBum
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby SumBum » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:39 pm

Huh?

Please don't say "we" as if there is some sort of petition or consensus. One reply in favor of more automated projects for ovens doesn't equal a majority.

I don't think the staff is purposely sabotaging the enjoyment of the game by making chars actually work for things. There are major issues to consider when balancing projects, resources, output, etc etc etc. I greatly appreciate the things that are automated now, but you put in too much of that and what's left? If you make things too easy to obtain then people lose interest.

Maybe you should be more specific? This broad push for "automation" is very vague. If you're saying that there should be NPCs then I will flat out say don't bother suggesting it. What player-to-player tools do we need that we don't already have?
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Mitch79
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Mitch79 » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:40 pm

SumBum wrote:Huh?

Please don't say "we" as if there is some sort of petition or consensus. One reply in favor of more automated projects for ovens doesn't equal a majority.

I don't think the staff is purposely sabotaging the enjoyment of the game by making chars actually work for things. There are major issues to consider when balancing projects, resources, output, etc etc etc. I greatly appreciate the things that are automated now, but you put in too much of that and what's left? If you make things too easy to obtain then people lose interest.

Maybe you should be more specific? This broad push for "automation" is very vague. If you're saying that there should be NPCs then I will flat out say don't bother suggesting it. What player-to-player tools do we need that we don't already have?


What she said....
Cogliostro
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Cogliostro » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:42 pm

Nothing to do with ovens, SumBum! Nothing to do with ovens. In this thread we get to really think big.

Imagine tools that let players set up markets and exchanges for semi-automatic trading, work assignments for newspawns and serfs, the ability for emergency lockers to temporarily hand out weapons and equipment to defenders, and much more - those are the kinds of things that we previously could not even discuss, simply due to the catch-all "no automation" beaurocratic stamp.
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Henkie
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Henkie » Fri Mar 23, 2012 7:20 pm

All I see is blablabla complaint, blabla, people log on different times blabla...

What is it in essence that you are suggesting here, Cogliostro?
That people can set the next project for their char to work on while they are working on a different one?
Because that would make even more simmers...

This would basically automatize the whole process, and that is not the way this game should work (in my -apparently bureaucratic- view). Cantr is about Role-Playing and in that part I most strongly think the start is very important, because in most cases the start is what characterizes your char (lol). Automatizing this would make the force behind the starting character to RP disappear. Me no likey thaty!
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby SekoETC » Fri Mar 23, 2012 7:50 pm

There are some characters that would benefit from project queues, while several others aren't working on anything because they either already have everything or feel it's too difficult to do anything besides chat and rp. I don't think automation would destroy the game, it would make it more lively. It's a fact that people can't be online at the same time.
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby psychowico » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:31 pm

It's hard for me to take position in this case.. I'm must think about how big consequences this would have for game..
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NancyLee
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby NancyLee » Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:35 pm

SumBum wrote: [...] If you make things too easy to obtain then people lose interest. [...]


+1

Henkie wrote: [...] Because that would make even more simmers... [...] Automatizing this would make the force behind the starting character to RP disappear. Me no likey thaty! [...]


You both just spoke my mind!
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Vega
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby Vega » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:11 pm

What SumBum, Henkie and Nancy said.

I prefer a slooooow good RP where a char says a sentence at my 5am, I answer in the morning and have to wait to 5 again, that no RP and just automatisez work. To that, there are a lot of "ville" games on facebook.
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RedQueen.exe
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Re: Call for change in staff philosophy (Automation)

Postby RedQueen.exe » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:48 pm

This belongs in the general forum. It is so vague that there is really no definition of what it would mean for this "suggestion" to be "implemented". Since it can't be implemented, it is therefore rejected.
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