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Pretty much my complaint with the majority of "steampunk" produced today. Thankfully, Clockwork Empires seems to be dodging this bullet so far, with what you dubbed "low steampunk". Just have my fingers crossed for something closer to Westerfield's Leviathan than The Iron Duke. (Any concept art for your airships yet nvining? That's always a good indicator of quality universe building.) But yes, consider all of my buttons pushed, and I cannot wait to see this game in motion.
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Aug 29, 2012 02:16
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nvining posted:Did you miss the poster? It's up at http://clockworkempires.com/  Well, as an apparent airship connoisseur, it looks like an excellent trading airship. Personally I'd like any military airships to be more solid and armor plated, but I'm just a goon with dumb opinions.  The plague-mask constables look kickass thoughSpeaking of military though, how will warfare be conducted in multiplayer? Will you have control over the units; or will you assemble an army and send it off, and let the AI take over when it gets to the opponent colony? Or are you months away from figuring that out?
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Aug 29, 2012 02:56
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nvining posted:Umm, so here's a stupid question for people to discuss and fight over: what do people *want* out of generational games? It sounds like you guys have a pretty decent grasp on what a procedurally generated game needs, and what makes the games you are drawing from so addicting. But to reiterate, additional customization never hurts, both in terms of story writing and as a way to make notes for later players. Naming Citizens and Buildings are little things that really help for LPs. Hell, give us a chance to rename everything. The other big draw of a game like Anno or DF is the simple joy of watching your citizens walk around and do things on their own. Like ants, completing jobs without your input, and every so often you get the chance to poke a stick into that anthill and to see them scramble in panic. You're the overseer, but exactly how in control you are is up to debate.
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Aug 29, 2012 14:18
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Iunnrais posted:For LPs, the ability to import histories would be nice. For example, in our DF games, worlds are typically not stable to continue playing in the same world for long. So while we can narratively reference Boatmurdered, we can never actually have the game reference that history again, because it took place in another world that we can never get back, due to version differences. Something I forgot to add. You mentioned that playing multiple colonies in the same game world would create little bits of history that would effect later colonies (i.e. aluminum and aristocrats). I would like it if that was embraced and expanded on so it might affect subsequent colonies in actual gameplay rather than confining it just to fluff in newspapers. For example, you create a colony that exports a great deal of aluminum over its lifespan, but it eventually collapses. When the next colony is founded, have the Royal Steam Troopers arrive wearing aluminum armor, or have aluminum products brought by trading zeppelins cost less. That's been DF's missed opportunity for a few versions now; We have this vast extensive history with significant events occurring, but it has very little effect on fortress mode outside of what types of exotic animals or cloth you're able to embark with.
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Aug 29, 2012 18:00
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ten dollar bitcoin posted:Well, I'm just saying, people are already projecting all kinds of things onto a game that was just announced days ago, which seems like a recipe for disappointment to me. Been down that road before. (Battalion Wars II  ) Not trying to say you can't pull it off nvining, but we have over a year of hype to go through. It might be wise for everyone to dial back their enthusiasm just a bit
Triskelli fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Aug 30, 2012 |
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Aug 30, 2012 05:48
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Daynab posted:FYI the devs are all gone to PAX so there might not be any new answers for a couple days unless they find some time while there. Indeed, so lets change the subject: What sort of Industry would you develop in your Colony? Me personally, I would like to try my hand at Salt, which would lead to the newly discovered science of pickling. Ultimately I want my Carib Colony to become its own Parris Island, where Marines are trained and pickled to be distributed across the Empire in Her Majesty's Service.
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Aug 30, 2012 23:02
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Here's a question; How involved will the military system be? Despite all the micromanagement of DF (uniforms, weapons, patrol routes), there's no orders other than "run here" or "kill that". On the other hand this is a colony builder, not an RTS, so it can't be too in-depth. Me personally, I like the idea of having the option of switching between direct control and letting a Main interaction would be convincing the prime minister to keep sending you troops, and making sure you've built proper defenses such as walls and bunkers. Want to make sure a wiff of the ol' grapeshot will do the trick. 
Triskelli fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Sep 10, 2012 |
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Sep 10, 2012 04:20
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nvining posted:Re: the military system questions - I can't answer this one intelligently right now, but we're aiming not to totally bugger it up. That's fine, I understand that the game is still very early in development and not everything has made it into design documents, let alone implemented. Still, I think an AI commander would model well in terms of petty bureaucracy. Say the major general stationed at your colony has a seething distaste for poets. When the enemy comes he might decide to let the Arts district burn to the ground if you don't catch him on it. Plus, am I the only guy that boots up strategy games just to watch the computer play against itself? Just remember that all too often it's fun to let the simulation run on its own, while you watch on; sipping a glass of Shiraz.
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Sep 10, 2012 17:45
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Phobophilia posted:Don't you dare put Minecraft mechanics into this game it's already starting to suffer from feature bloat and any more will eject all four balls straight off the cliff.
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Sep 12, 2012 04:19
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My hope for open-air stockpiles is that there'll be a significant vertical aspect. Mainly so that my colony isn't overrun by an ankle-deep sea of cogs when the trade zeppelin doesn't make it past that interminable blockade mounted by those uncultured Yanks.
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Sep 25, 2012 20:31
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I see railways in the background of that concept art; will we be able to channel our inner Sid Meier and become Tycoons of the Empire?
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Sep 25, 2012 22:55
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nvining posted:I hope you like trains with guns on them.  I suppose that's one kind of Tank Engine. 
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Sep 26, 2012 01:44
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Reading through it now, and I adore the "lore" tags you've created so far for events. quote:The “norton” tag is used to indicate the name of the gentleman who consistently writes to the Empire Times; his primary function is to complain about things. This is based on, and named after, a real chronic letter-writer to the Times of London circa 1898. e.g. "A short letter by a Mr. Norton Updike to the Times about the unsightly picking of Berries by a Mr. Phineas Turngage." 
Triskelli fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Oct 2, 2012 |
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Oct 2, 2012 20:19
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Fuligin posted:Speaking of, do we know if the Bay12 guys are aware of this project's existence? I'm kind of curious what their reaction would be. Here's the thread on the Bay12Forums. If I had to describe the reaction of the larger members of the site, it's cautiously optimistic. Some are concerned that things will be dumbed down too much, like they believe occurred with Dredmore. Maybe it's because they don't have nvining to keep everyone excited.
Triskelli fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Oct 2, 2012 |
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Oct 2, 2012 21:31
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Love the names of the foreign nations; République Mécanique, Stahlmark, Novyrus. "#beware any trader with green and yellow striped pants" Also, would have never considered a night/day cycle, but it makes a lot of sense to have moments of suspense and increased military focus. Maybe as Madness spreads, the night/day ratio can be tampered with, as C'tan or Cog-Shoggoth brings shadow across the land.
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Oct 9, 2012 22:30
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nvining posted:The Novyrus Imperium: Land of snow, fur hats, large beards, political oppression, and trains. Lead by a reform-minded Tzar who insists that everyone really ought to shave their enormous beards off to better fit these New And Changing Times, but this call is met with stiff resistance. Proprietors of whale oil, gulags, serfdom, and male choirs. Readers may laugh, but there was indeed a Beard Tax. Really need to stockpile some weird history books to contribute to the brainstorming Triskelli fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Oct 10, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 23:29
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^ Someone on the forums suggested Cog-Sothoth, which is closer to the actual name (Yog-Sothoth), but I think that Cog-Shoggoth makes for a better joke. H.P. Gearcraft posted:Imagination called up the shocking form of fabulous Cog-Shoggoth — only a congeries of incandescent gears, yet stupendous in its malign suggestiveness.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:55
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Stanko-Prussian posted:The Settlers of C'Tan Dammit, that is just too perfect, but I don't think the Lovecraft Estate would let it fly. Also, no blog update this tuesday? 
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Oct 17, 2012 00:31
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Phobophilia posted:What if they run out of fingers then they can't contribute to the Economy. You lack efficiency! Fingerless Urchins could still fill the role of Saddle Mules to carry posts and products from one Place to Another. It is only Urchins that are Lacking in both Fingers and Feet that have no use other than Urchin-Loaf.
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Oct 18, 2012 03:59
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Mighty Dicktron posted:While the nod to fine satire is lovely, please don't encourage turning children into edible foodstuffs. There's only so far you can go before you breach creepy goon territory. In fact, why not make that an achievement? If someone tries to hook up an orphanage or other residence to a meat factory, up pops the text "A Modest Proposal", followed by "Really? Wow...". Nothing actually occurs, or maybe you get struck with instant civil uprisings. I mean, Progress is Progress, but some things just go too far.
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Oct 18, 2012 04:49
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Bernardo Orel posted:Is... is that obleskian whateverthing trying to mate with the sanitorium? I... I think it's feeding off of the madness of the inmates, which is converted into sustenance for the obleskian, and produces heat as a waste product, which is then used to create steam. This is amazing
Triskelli fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Oct 24, 2012 |
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Oct 24, 2012 00:35
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Also, another interesting thing shown by this devlog: Just how brutal these insanity spirals are planned to be. All it takes is one dumb descision to kick off a colony-ending spiral of death. The Anti-Paranormal Incursion Squad especially. It incorporates all the worst aspects of an inquisition, a witchhunt, and a roving band of jackbooted thugs. I get the impression that even if they were called in for a situation that they could actually handle (A hobo carving voodoo dolls from Perfectly Safe Soap), half the colony would be rounded up and sent to Science Jail anyway.
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Nov 1, 2012 22:42
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Ratoslov posted:I also hope that there is a nice keyboard shortcut for 'pack luggage and prepare the zeppelin'. ---Clockwork Empires Protip: Things starting to look ugly? Press Z for Zeppelin!
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Nov 2, 2012 03:46
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Was trawling "clockwork empires" on google, and here's some PAX Prime autographs I  Lovingly ripped from RepoMan of the Broken Forums.
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Nov 2, 2012 15:37
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Okay, I'll bite: What the hell is Crimble, and how do you make it? I'm looking for some new recipes.
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Nov 4, 2012 07:11
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Ratoslov posted:I suspect it's a fictional Horrible British Foodstuff. If I had to hazard a guess, it's some sort of disgusting but filling hot cereal; like oatmeal or grits in consistency but nothing you add to it can make it taste good. It's the kind of glop Oliver and the other Urchins eat at the orphanage. But considering the horrific stuff we've seen in CE, it could be anything from mulched obeliskian to daisy petals.
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Nov 4, 2012 07:33
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Phobophilia posted:Dear game designers I would also like a pony. Make it purple. I want the nerdy pony. (Twilight would be the best Imperial Bureaucrat, actually.)
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Nov 5, 2012 06:33
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rudatron posted:Clockwork pony Compromises are Magic!   I'll take my probation now. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Nov 5, 2012 06:42
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Gormless Gormster posted:So I can have my seccessionist cyborg state intent on bringing trans-humanism to the unwashed masses? In the sense of things that we actually know about, though, nvining (one of the developers of the game) has revealed the following: nvining posted:The République Mécanique: Ostensibly a republic in which all are equal. Call each other "Citizen This" and "Citizen That". Reformed units of measurement. Gears bought from traders will not fit standardized machines without widget conversion sets. Government is effectively ruled by a giant difference engine named "Le Dictateur". Uses automaton workers and soliders. So yes, you will be dealing with a faction of clockwork robots. Getting them to work for you has yet to be seen.
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Nov 5, 2012 07:05
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Orv posted:Spiders made of crates? Crates filled with spiders, stamped with "Contains One (1) Standard Shipment of Left Socks".
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Nov 5, 2012 15:11
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spider wisdom posted:It's next on my to-read list. No spoilers! It's really a good read, and I can see a lot of the Bas-Lag setting in Clockwork Empires, at least in the sense that the arcane and wholly alien is taken at face value and incorporated into the bureaucracy as best it can. "Oh, a race of chitinous bug-people just showed up at the harbor from lands unknown in bizarre clockwork ships? Are they hard workers? Show them to the nearest pipe factory, would you? My ambulatory cactus bodyguard is reminding me that I have a previous meeting arranged for today." iirc, the Mayor of New Crobuzon literally has a portal to hell in his office, and he can call up the devil for favors. EDIT: Remembering Perdido has me thinking; most of the only "good" steampunk that I've seen occurs in societies that are fundamentally unhinged in one way or another. Brutal police state. Entire roving cities eating each other whole. A slowly rotting utopia underneath the ocean. A flying beacon of progress divided by jingoistic xenophobia. Rather than presenting how awesome the spirit of Victorian exploration, invention, and etiquette are, you need to show how low people can sink in spite of innovation. And that's how Clockwork Empires suceeds. The Empire worships those same ideals to the exclusion of everything else. Who cares if that coffin is loving creepy and a sin against nature. It has to do SOMETHING productive, and by God we'll figure out what it is. Then we'll just fit it into its socket on the Grand Frame, and the whole Empire might turn towards a brighter future. Triskelli fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Nov 5, 2012 |
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Nov 5, 2012 17:33
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Orv posted:E: Roving cannibalistic cities I can't comment on. Gone for three days, and you guys couldn't hazard a guess? I'm referring to Phillip Reeve's book series, alternatively known as The Mortal Engines Quartet, the Predator Cities series, or the Hungry City Chronicles in the US. After the apocalypse, all the cities of Europe have strapped on tank treads and rove about the countryside, "eating" up smaller cities in a perverted display of Social Darwinism. But yeah, the remainder of titles were guessed at, "brutal police state" referred to Perdido Street Station, though. On topic though, I love the models, but the discolored skin on the character models makes them look more like zombies than citizens. Temporary I know, but it's a little disconcerting.
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Nov 8, 2012 20:44
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Triple-Kan posted:What are the odds we're going to see those plant people in the finished game? If we keep mentioning them, just as likely as we'll see La(r)va fields.
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Nov 22, 2012 08:54
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Not to belabor the point, but how does Canada deal with Fair Use? I know shows like South Park name drop Cthulhu fairly easily, but the protections and all may be different north of the border.
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Nov 28, 2012 17:55
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Orv posted:Now do you mean 'enforced' or do you mean 'abused'? I get the feeling that's the point. And after a few minutes of cursory research, it seems that the people that "hold" the copyrights are still fighting over who owns what, so best to avoid that kind of mess altogether.
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Nov 28, 2012 18:16
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I'm a weirdo, but I LOVE fog. It adds to a sense of mystery, and in my hometown where you've got lazy winding rivers and spartina grass everywhere a good morning fog will make the far coast disappear and allow some pirate galleon or dinosaur to emerge from the mists, and make a short bridge extend into infinity. Why yes, I could use another swig of Laudanum to enhance my Poetry, pass it round  Things are looking great, nvining, glad to know you beat the flu.
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Jan 16, 2013 19:15
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nvining posted:We played that at a staff meeting and were immediately greeted by "we have a spy in our midst!" The entire office is now undergoing interviews to determine who is the spy. Time to break out the flamethrowers. If you yell "SPYCHECK!" first it's okay.
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Jan 25, 2013 23:45
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7c Nickel posted:#the mod community will not be allowed to experience joy only suffering# Honestly, I hope that modding is easier than that, because that's one of the things that makes Dwarf Fortress so drat compelling. Give me a creature and 20 minutes and I'll have it ready to fight in the arena. Editing tokens in DF is so easy, even a non-programmer like me can produce interesting results from it. Hell, about a half-month into the DF2012 update I was one of the first people to figure out how to code shrinking illnesses, and I've gotten Cs in all my computer science courses. Of course, since Clockwork Empires will have stuff like textures and graphics modding is going to require a little more effort than opening Notepad and editing the creatures.txt file no matter what. Still, try to keep things readable to people that haven't taken programming courses. Notation will set you free! Oh, and personal request: Once the game is fairly stable and you're conducting internal testing, please for the love of Cog write down any particularly hilarious bugs and preserve them for the final release in some form. Stuff like "fish being too hardcore" is what defines DF, and is miles funnier than any conscious effort at comedy would have been. And gotta reccomend the recently completed Matul Remrit to the "Inspiration" folder.
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Feb 1, 2013 02:56
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Pretty sure he claimed to have developed a
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Feb 5, 2013 02:37
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A friend just reminded me that Mark Twain and Tesla were best buddies, and Twain would volunteer for electrical experiments. Just an interesting little factoid about the intersection of art and science, and shocking the poop out of people.
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Feb 12, 2013 15:37
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