Everybody has their gameplay gripes, minor though they may be, with the Island. Let's find out how widespread the individual dislikes are. My top three things I'd like to see changed:

1. Level 1 takes way too long to slog thru at high experience levels. I spend nearly half my DK at level one!

2. Too big a difficulty gap between rank 6 and rank 7. Rank 6 is child's play, but I can't get thru rank 7 without blessed armor.

3. The Titans sounded great, but they came and went before I could even see one. Bring them back!

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I ATE PINEAPPLE!

(bawwwww)

This is all sorts of unproductive, I feel! Especially since "level one is too long" has been a topic for consideration elsewhere in the forum, and the other two topics are not so much "problems with the Island" as they are "Zpatula's personal Island irritations." Talk to talkydoor et al if you'd like tips on R7s. Wait a while if you want to see a dang Titan.

Just, generally: If you are going to whine, at least have the decency to counterbalance it with positives also?

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BARK BARK BARK.

1. Uh.....

2. Is there a difference in cig gain for different ranks? I haven't noticed.

3. What are these Titans you speak of, Z?

Um, before this spins out of control, a moment of reason:
If a player complains about the game, help them -- don't accuse them of whining.
Or leaven their comments with positives.
Just help them.

For my part, yeah, more titans would be cool.

~CTP

re: 2: yes, noticeably so. They're scarce as hell on r1 - remember how exciting getting 10 cigs from Mr. Stern was? If you run r7s often, you have more cigs than you know what to do with.

Kash's post gets it right.
~CTP

1.

2. Yes, there is -- it's most pronounced on R6s and R7s. Otherwise, yep. You don't notice it very much. CMJ's been amply reminded of this and I'm pretty sure the cig drops are where they'd like 'em to be for a balanced economy.

3. Titans are great lumbering arses of monsters that crawl from the ocean and slowly lumber toward Outposts with every intention of squashing them with their ruddy big thighs. They have Ludicrous Amounts of HP, and aside from finding them on the map, you can howl to other players that you've found them on the map. Then you can traipse off and kill them, aware of who you are fighting against. Islanders are so good at extirpating new indigenous species of the Island that, as Zpatula astutely observes, we've not seen much of Titans since their hush-hush viral launch.

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BARK BARK BARK.

Not an unreasonable reminder, sir! However -- when a player posts short, non-constructive criticisms which they don't demonstrate to be symptomatic of larger "problems with the Island", and instead are symptomatic of problems with their Island, specifically... then yeah, I'm sort of inclined to call that whining. I'd not call it whining so directly if this thread were more, hm, straightforward about that? I feel like the topic title in someways misrepresents and sensationalizes the thread. Not dramatically so. But that is my feeling.

There are plenty of times that people start threads to raise issues with their gameplay experience that aren't necessarily "leavened with positives." Just: the Island has a long and wonderful history of reasoned, constructive critique from its very clever, very committed players. I would hate to see a trend away from that.

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BARK BARK BARK.

Positives... all right:

1. I like level 1 because I keep running into This Guy, who is terribly careless with his cigarettes.

2. I like Rank 7 because it isn't child's play. Also, it's a grand excuse to get gargleblasted.

3. When Titans do come back, I'm sure they'll be even greater.

How's that?

Just one little comment: R6 isn't child's play. I find it very hard, thank you. Especially if you're more a roleplayer than a MMOplayer.

Uh, sorry, Jay. You're right to call me out on that. It does get easier...

Going back to Zpatula's original idea. My top three gripes.

I) There are people on the Island so willfully ignorant that they don't recognise Midgets as the naturally superior race. Out of all the races, they are, of course, the kindest, gentlest, most intelligent,...,most good natured,..., tallest,...

II) Where's the free cider for Midgets in Squathole?

III) There are some players out there who do something other with their lives than paying homage and tribute to the Skronkys. What on earth do you people think you're here for? Sheesh.

1) It's terribly hard to find willing test subjects these days. Or unwilling ones, for that matter. People need to stop running away whenever i enter with something that gives off sparks.

2) Those heretics at the AAA need a good banhammer up their orifice of choice. And thát, ladies and gentlemen, will be making prime-time.

3) Dan serves a coffee i wouldn't water my plants with. Fix that. NOW.


(Okay, okay, i agree with the higher ranks not being worth the effort when it comes to ciggie hunting. Mind, i barely survive a rank 5 even if i'm trying to get through a dk.)

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"Censure acquits the Raven, but pursues the Dove." "So, that means i'm -always- innocent, right?"

[pedant]Ciggies aren't part of the island's economy, as neither they nor the things they purchase can be exchanged between players.[/pedant]

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Unofficial Improbable Island out-of-character chat is at irc.foonetic.net, channel #iisland - come on by!

1) Stupid Newbloods won't stand still so I can eat them.

2) Seriously, tell them to stop.

3) Ow! Now this one's kicking me. Dammit, quit!

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I make the many models of a mutant individual. To make them I use vegetables, animals, and minerals. From robot bugs to zombie bears to many singing barnacles.

Chimental, i propose an alliance. You herd them to me, i experiment on them, and afterwards, you get to eat them. Pre-cooked, at times. And often not quite in the mood for kicking stuff.

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"Censure acquits the Raven, but pursues the Dove." "So, that means i'm -always- innocent, right?"

1. There are currently between 2 and 6 member of Chimental gnawing on my leg as we spek
2. 'Verb keeps waking me up in the middle of the night only to look dejected and leave my room mumbling something about "Bloody loud autoProbulators"
3.I have yet to be able to butcher a titan for 200 metric tons of crap meat to sell to the skronkys

And, if I may add a fourth,

4. The island contains too many people who are much too much cleverer and far more awesome than myself. This must stop! Why must they be so brilliant? BAN THEM!

1) It's a bit too late to change this now without upsetting the game balance between people who were there at the start and people who weren't. It is a problem, yes, but there's nowt to be done about it right now, sorry. :-/
2) Wait 'til you see Ranks 8, 9, 10 and Bastard Rank.
3) The Titans don't automatically spawn right now (I spawn them manually). The concept is working just fine, but they're going down waaaay too easily. I'm gonna try to sort out some automatic difficulty adjustment before I flip the switch to have them auto-spawn. Shouldn't take long.

I don't understand. Not that I doubt you -- you've been doing this sort of thing much longer than I have -- just that you'll have to explain before I get how it would unbalance anything.I believe a new algorithm has been proposed that would keep the overall experience per DK unchanged while evening out the differences from level to level at higher numbers of DKs.ldn't take long.[/p][/QUOTE]

I shall now hide under the sink. Rank 6 gives me a hard time unless I start with a plasma gun, and you're telling me there will be four more ranks, one of which that might as well be called the "Be prepared to curse at your computer" rank?

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I make the many models of a mutant individual. To make them I use vegetables, animals, and minerals. From robot bugs to zombie bears to many singing barnacles.