Why are you looking at me Starvling cat?

Professor Smarmiarty · 01-31-2011, 08:36 AM

So pretty sure I'm massively behind the times, but over the weekend starting hitting some Echo Bazaar. If you haven't heard it's a free browser game where you explore a subterranean victorian style London full of mystery and intrigue.
On my first few days I've broken out of prison, hunted down an escaped devil for the agency of Hell, starting hanging out with bohemians and anarchists (what else would I do?), learnt the secret language of tatoos and lingered on the brink of madness.
Also I've been to lots of dinner parties and played chess (once you have friends on their you can invite them to come do stuff iwth you and get lots of rewards).
One of the best things is the major NPCs all have twitter feeds in character which are hilarious.
The major problem with the game is its slow pace- you can make a maximum of 70 actions a day and you can have 10 actions recharged at a time. Once used an action takes 6 minutes to recharge so once you've run through your actions you need to wait an hour to use them again (or a good chunk of the day if you hit your 70) which is massively frustrating. It has a simplistic art style but works pretty well and the descriptions and the world are all very flavourful, intriguin and comic.
So anybody playing?

PyrosNine · 01-31-2011, 03:58 PM

I am playing as myself, PyrosNine.

I am a perceptive and persuasive individual not entirely skilled in physical roughhousery but am quite shadowy in my movements.

I saw it on the Extra Credit's "non violent gaming", but I thought that Extra Credit's point was stupid because the gameplay style used could equally be used for violent gameplay and has, because it all goes down to stats and grinding, albeit a more real world thing.

I dunno. Seems novel, but not different from any other Casual apps on Facebitter.

Professor Smarmiarty · 01-31-2011, 05:08 PM

Haven't een the extra credits but I don't see how non-violent and violent gameplay would be fundamentally different, they both going to need game mechanics which could work each side. But games these day tend to skew towards violence so non-violence is nice in a game even if it uses the same mechanics- I don't relaly see how you could avoid that.

Aerozord · 01-31-2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

Haven't een the extra credits but I don't see how non-violent and violent gameplay would be fundamentally different, they both going to need game mechanics which could work each side. But games these day tend to skew towards violence so non-violence is nice in a game even if it uses the same mechanics- I don't relaly see how you could avoid that.

make a game based around being an attorney

Professor Smarmiarty · 01-31-2011, 05:47 PM

Wait a second while I open my magical game maker!

If I was making an attorney game (I haven't played Phoenix Wright or know how they work) I would have lots of minigames about investigating, and interogatting witnesses and preparing which give you bonuses in the main trial where people present cases and you can call out objections, throw in evidence, have different lines to take questioning- basically lots of timing opportunities, dialogue options. I don't think it would work that well, probably wouldn't make it.

Azisien · 01-31-2011, 08:25 PM

This sounds kind of cool, maybe something I can do on my phone while on the bus. Will check it out.

EDIT: You can find me on there as Mustachio!

BloodyMage · 02-01-2011, 05:29 AM

I can't stop playing. I hit my limit a lot, and I've already went insane once, and went back to prison.

Evidently, I have nothing better to do...

Azisien · 02-01-2011, 10:49 PM

I guess you have to be facebook friends to do stuff together? Bah.

Professor Smarmiarty · 02-02-2011, 03:28 AM

Or twitter feeds. If you need a partner folow me, my twitter feed used to be gems of SMB wisdom but lay dormant for a year and is now just my Echo Bazaar account.

Azisien · 02-02-2011, 10:44 AM

Well twitter search didn't bring up that username. Maybe inactive? Mine's Azisien unsurprisingly.

Whoever will Mustachio play chess with?

01-31-2011, 08:36 AM	#1
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Why are you looking at me Starvling cat? So pretty sure I'm massively behind the times, but over the weekend starting hitting some Echo Bazaar. If you haven't heard it's a free browser game where you explore a subterranean victorian style London full of mystery and intrigue. On my first few days I've broken out of prison, hunted down an escaped devil for the agency of Hell, starting hanging out with bohemians and anarchists (what else would I do?), learnt the secret language of tatoos and lingered on the brink of madness. Also I've been to lots of dinner parties and played chess (once you have friends on their you can invite them to come do stuff iwth you and get lots of rewards). One of the best things is the major NPCs all have twitter feeds in character which are hilarious. The major problem with the game is its slow pace- you can make a maximum of 70 actions a day and you can have 10 actions recharged at a time. Once used an action takes 6 minutes to recharge so once you've run through your actions you need to wait an hour to use them again (or a good chunk of the day if you hit your 70) which is massively frustrating. It has a simplistic art style but works pretty well and the descriptions and the world are all very flavourful, intriguin and comic. So anybody playing?

01-31-2011, 03:58 PM	#2
PyrosNine Zettai Hero Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: A figment of my own imagination Posts: 6,103	I am playing as myself, PyrosNine. I am a perceptive and persuasive individual not entirely skilled in physical roughhousery but am quite shadowy in my movements. I saw it on the Extra Credit's "non violent gaming", but I thought that Extra Credit's point was stupid because the gameplay style used could equally be used for violent gameplay and has, because it all goes down to stats and grinding, albeit a more real world thing. I dunno. Seems novel, but not different from any other Casual apps on Facebitter. __________________ Pyrosnine.blogspot.com: An experimental blog of writing. Updated possibly daily. Possibly. A fair chance. Current Works for reading: War Between them, Karma Police. PyrosNine: Weirdo Magnet Extraordinaire!

01-31-2011, 08:25 PM	#6
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	This sounds kind of cool, maybe something I can do on my phone while on the bus. Will check it out. EDIT: You can find me on there as Mustachio! Last edited by Azisien; 01-31-2011 at 09:52 PM.

01-31-2011, 05:08 PM	#3
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Haven't een the extra credits but I don't see how non-violent and violent gameplay would be fundamentally different, they both going to need game mechanics which could work each side. But games these day tend to skew towards violence so non-violence is nice in a game even if it uses the same mechanics- I don't relaly see how you could avoid that.

01-31-2011, 05:47 PM	#5
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Wait a second while I open my magical game maker! If I was making an attorney game (I haven't played Phoenix Wright or know how they work) I would have lots of minigames about investigating, and interogatting witnesses and preparing which give you bonuses in the main trial where people present cases and you can call out objections, throw in evidence, have different lines to take questioning- basically lots of timing opportunities, dialogue options. I don't think it would work that well, probably wouldn't make it.

02-01-2011, 05:29 AM	#7
BloodyMage I'm not even in the highscore. Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 667	I can't stop playing. I hit my limit a lot, and I've already went insane once, and went back to prison. Evidently, I have nothing better to do...

02-01-2011, 10:49 PM	#8
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	I guess you have to be facebook friends to do stuff together? Bah.

02-02-2011, 03:28 AM	#9
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Or twitter feeds. If you need a partner folow me, my twitter feed used to be gems of SMB wisdom but lay dormant for a year and is now just my Echo Bazaar account.

02-02-2011, 10:44 AM	#10
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Well twitter search didn't bring up that username. Maybe inactive? Mine's Azisien unsurprisingly. Whoever will Mustachio play chess with?