Game Lobbies and Menus

Post by **Balthagor** » Oct 30 2007

We're doing some work on this area and I have a question for everyone;

What do people think of being asked to fill in a profile when the game launches? The current idea would be you fill in a name and select an avatar picture then select okay before you even see the main menu. This would only be done if you have never created a profile otherwise it would simply load with the last used profile. Two game examples of this would be the Mechwarrior 4 series and the Need for Speed series. These are of course somewhat different styles of games since they are pilot/driver focused, but we are somewhat "ruler" focused.

The reason why we would do this is that each profile could store separate savegames/preferences so that multiple users on one system could keep their game stuff separate. We would also be able to look at ways to expand on the profile such as importing your own avatar or stat tracking. It does mean that if your kid brother starts playing and does not change profiles he could mess your settings, but I'm not sure that's worse than no profile at all.

Obviously this isn't a major element of the game, but we figured we might as well ask.

tkobo · Post by **tkobo** » Oct 30 2007

Sounds good to me.

Lightbringer · Post by **Lightbringer** » Oct 30 2007

Chris wrote: The current idea would be you fill in a name and select an avatar picture then select okay before you even see the main menu. This would only be done if you have never created a profile otherwise it would simply load with the last used profile.

I am guessing that you forgot to mention the option to create a new profile in options or something. The way you worded it sounds like after the first profile there would never be any chance to create another. In any case, I am in favor of "profiling" (

), it saves time with repetitive option choices. Case in point: I was recently toying with a half dozen region choices in a North American scenario. During the process I spent almost as much time checking off the same game play options for each region I was scoping out as I spent looking at units and resources in each place. Yes, I could have skipped the options until I chose, then restarted, but the profile would have saved me the trouble of either method.

I Vote Aye

(going off now to find avatar sized photos of various despots and Generals

) -Light

Post by **Balthagor** » Oct 30 2007

Lightbringer wrote:... I am guessing that you forgot to mention the option to create a new profile in options or something. The way you worded it sounds like after the first profile there would never be any chance to create another...

Sorry, I did mean to make a mention of that, probably a main menu option "manage profiles".

Lightbringer wrote:... During the process I spent almost as much time checking off the same game play options for each region I was scoping out as I spent looking at units and resources in each place...

Do you mean game menu options or game options in the game in the GUI? You have found the Ctrl+S/Ctrl+L options, right?...

dust off · Post by **dust off** » Oct 30 2007

Sounds good. I guess I'd like to see an easy to select avatar supplied for the impatient people like myself who'd probabl go back and change the avatar later.

tkobo · Post by **tkobo** » Oct 30 2007

Ya know, this goes beyond just having your own personal setting for multiple people on one system.

It would also allow each person to have multiple settings for himself, so he can log in and have a preset setup for each type of region he plays.

Feltan · Post by **Feltan** » Oct 30 2007

Sounds good as described.

At first, I thought you were talking about an on-line profile for multiplayer. I would seriously pause if the profile had a lot of questions and was being shipped to BG HQ for business intel.

Regards,
Feltan

Lightbringer · Post by **Lightbringer** » Oct 30 2007

Chris,

I take it that "Ctrl-S, and Ctrl-L" allow you to change things like "AI- Aggressive" to "AI- Passive" and other such options? Those were the ones I was alluding to. End Date and victory type and such... If that is a short cut to that menu, then great.

I would not ever have had need of it during normal play, too easy to cheat. "Looks like I won't win the unification vote...better change the end date and make the AI regions less aggressive..."

I will keep it in mind the next time I am regionally comparison shopping though.

-Light

Legend · Post by **Legend** » Oct 30 2007

CTRL+S - saves your "settings". CTRL+L - loads your "settings".

Your "settings" are your current gameplay settings such as which boxes you have checked for nearly every aspect of SR2010. Which rules of engagement you have selected, which priorities for cabinet ministers you have selected all are saved. If you can check a box, then it gets saved in your "settings" profile.

You can also make a few of them to alternate between sets. I think I recall making some settings for at peace, or at war. This way I could quickly change many settings when someone attacked.

tkobo · Post by **tkobo** » Oct 30 2007

I dindt know you make multiple sets in sr2010.Ill have to look at that again.

Post by **Balthagor** » Oct 30 2007

Lightbringer wrote:...change things like "AI- Aggressive" to "AI- Passive" and other such options? Those were the ones I was alluding to..."

ah, sorry, no. I was thinking about the profiles in game that you can save and load, as Legend described. For saving settings of taxation, social, research, ministers, etc.

d0mbo · Post by **d0mbo** » Oct 31 2007

A profile would be great, especially if it's possible to load the in game settings of certain tick boxes and ledgers.
I don't really care about the Avatar as that's more like turning a good book into a movie: the movie/picture is never as good as the original picture which one makes up in the mind.... anyway drifting off.

what i would like (ask): does a profile include certain characteristics of the ruler which influence the game?

Perhaps a few options to select (like in Revolution: the Game), where questions are asked about your background.

As an (simplistic) example: During your time in congress you voted for a law that a) increased the funding for the war on drugs (+ for domestic)
or b) lowered taxes on smaller and medium businesses (+ for economic)

Anyway, a few of these choces would give you ratings on the different skills of a ruler (like the ministers have now), giving either boni and mali on things as tax revenue, dissent, build cost etc.

Idea?

Post by **Balthagor** » Oct 31 2007

d0mbo wrote:A profile would be great, especially if it's possible to load the in game settings of certain tick boxes and ledgers.

Initially we're not suggesting that, but having profiles in the code would be the first step towards such things.

d0mbo wrote:...what i would like (ask): does a profile include certain characteristics of the ruler which influence the game?

We have considered this sort of thing, one issue we often get with this idea is it would add a lot of text which makes translation more of a problem. Still not clear what we'll use the profile for, but it seems everyone likes the idea of giving players a profile that is more than just a name.

Seydlitz · Post by **Seydlitz** » Nov 04 2007

I like this idea. Would it maybe include statistics for the user, such as wins/losses/etc.? This could be especially useful for MP as others could view it and see who they're going up against

.