Game Design, Programming and running a one-man games business…

Blog crash and mega-playthrough

I’ve had database issues on my server which thankfully should now be sorted, and I won’t have to gnaw off my own leg in frenzied frustration every time I try to make a new blog entry now. It was something to do with SQL processing limits or some such. We never used to have these problems with text editors, grumble grumble.

Today, after doing a small bit of classic ‘work’ I did a very long play-through of the game (Kudos 2). The game was originally design to last 10 years, like the original. (With the option possibly to keep playing..maybe..not sure).

The thing is, having done a four year playthrough this afternoon, I’m thinking that’s possibly long enough. One of the things I’m concerned about is the long-term playability and re-playability of the game. The last thing I want is for the game to feel like a chore towards the end. I’ve already made enough changes and design tweaks to it that this is far less of a concern than it was for Kudos 1, but I’m still seriously considering changing it to be five years instead. The thing is, five years sounds weird.  The other option is to do ten years, and double the rate at which time goes by, basically by skipping every other month. Would that seem weird? Or I could change months every 3 days instead of every seven. Decisions…decisions…

BTW I got The Starship Tycoon data off that old disk. i’m going to attempt to tidy up a bit each weekend then release it one day.


2 thoughts on Blog crash and mega-playthrough

  1. Maybe have the option of how long the player wants that game to last? That way people who get bored easily can have the game as short as they like and people who want to play it ‘Sandbox’ style could have it run without a date limit (or a very long time)? Just an idea.
    I think I did a mod for Kudos 1 a long time ago where, as part of the mod, I extended the time limit to 20 years or something because I found ten years to be too short.

  2. Think 10 yrs is just right, 5 years would be too short.
    After playing kudos and krl I always wanted it to last a bit longer when my years were up and it never felt like a chore cos there was so much to do.
    Think that’s why I like your games

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