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Forums » List all forums » Forum: Game Design » Thread: Time factor in gem theft |
Thread Status: Normal Total posts in this thread: 22 |
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LongJohnGrey
Joined: Mar 6, 2004 Posts: 2210 Status: Offline |
Since everything else in a ship resets after 30 minutes in port, why do gems get stolen faster? Why not have the gem theft speed be at the 30 minute mark? (Heck, I'd like to see gem theft removed, as the runs are just too long for me to do in one sitting). ---------------------------------------- Re: Market on Scurvy Reef:
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char
Joined: Jan 4, 2004 Posts: 1544 Status: Offline |
Aye i agree.\ Zife ---------------------------------------- Zife Senior Officer of Black Death Host of the 11th Black Death Tournament Co-Host of the 10th Black Death Tournament |
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Bran
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I love the time factor. If it weren't for the time limit and subsequent theft of gems, they'd be camped just like any other rare commodity at a market. ---------------------------------------- Blackbran Captain of No Quarter |
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Pippy
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The theft factor for gems adds a little thrill and incentive to the game similar to searching for skellies. Also, I'm against anything that's timed so that players set an alarm. Gems would definately be camped and stored on ships if thieves weren't around. I have to say that I love how a gem run gets the cooperation of our flag's officers when one announces the start of a gem run. I fondly remember the 3.5 hour run that got our hold up to 44 rubies. Tons of cooperation and skill in that run = good memories. |
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54x
Joined: Jul 28, 2003 Posts: 7142 Status: Offline |
I thought gem theft was instant? ---------------------------------------- Diamondblade, Cartographer, Crimson Tide. from Midnight. Dear sir or madam can you read my book, it took me years to write, will you take a look? |
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Pippy
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No, gem theft isn't instant. I've left a ship for 5 minutes and they were still there. |
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Gigahurtz
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it should be removed as i once had Jet gems and it would have taken me ages to get there ---------------------------------------- Lormidia---Mercenary for Hire |
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Shanoyu
Joined: Jul 28, 2003 Posts: 4600 Status: Offline |
Gems are commodities that don't actually contribute to the economy. They generate poe via the markets and that's it. For Gems to work as a fun element at all they really have to poof quickly, otherwise you end up with hoarding. Don't think of Gems as commodities, think of them as events. If you can't run them when you get them, well, too bad man. Also, keep in mind that they spawn at various markets if you ever REALLY want to do a gem run. ---------------------------------------- His Holiness, The Dope |
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AizIril
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The short theft time is the entire point behind Gems. If you don't have time to get there, don't buy them... I mean, they're supposed to be high risk high gain trading items, which are uncampable. Hence the theft idea. It works well, and loads of people every day run gems around sucessfully. Why change it? ---------------------------------------- Xyphus on Hunter. Aiziril on Midnight. Bored on all oceans. |
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danicaeoin
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I agree that gems are something that add an element of fun to do that should not be altered. If you don't have time to run the gems yerself, don't buy them. If you pillage them either risk losing them by leaving them on yer boat, run them, or trade them to someone else who has the time and inclination to do so. The new(ish) commodities trading feature makes it much easier to offload gems that you have neither the time nor the inclination to run. Personally I try to make gem runs with at least one other officer aboard so there is always someone available to run the ship if one of us has to step away for a moment. ---------------------------------------- Danilynna Wench Extraordinaire First Mate Rumour Has It |
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SailinTony
Joined: Apr 27, 2004 Posts: 224 Status: Offline |
Ding ding ding! Beautiful, well put. ---------------------------------------- Long-dormant Sailintony , Midnight. Actively Carlbert, Emerald. |
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spinn
Joined: Jul 31, 2003 Posts: 1175 Status: Offline |
Let's ignore LJG's unfortunate "why do they disappear at all" footnote and consider his original question: why five minutes instead of thirty? ---------------------------------------- And thus, the message is concluded. |
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LongJohnGrey
Joined: Mar 6, 2004 Posts: 2210 Status: Offline |
Good point. My counter: With events, I (generally) know where they are ahead of time. For gems? I find gems on a market. It's 4 gems, will give me a profit of 2000 after rum/shot, for 2 hours sailing. Hmm, not really good enough. Ok, what if I could check other islands, find out where else that gem is? Ahh, if I sail here, there, over there, I can collect 15 gems total; that brings my payout up to 7K for 4 hours. Nicer. OK, now I need maps all over the place. Oh dear. Gotta go to the crew map ship, ask an SO to hand me maps (assuming that they aren't doing a solo trade run), now I have to go sail them. Or, deciding that it's a big crew thing. Alright, send an /crew message. Hmm. OK, "/fo help for a gem run anyone?". Get a crew, start sailing. Now to deal with the divy. Oh, not everyone could make the full trip length. Double ohh -- I can't purchase gems from the booty cash. I have to purchase from the hold cash. After all is done, I want to divy the profit -- but I bought these gems at this price, those gems at that price, this person put in this money from the gems, etc. -- The accounting for gems is a mess when it's not strictly crew funds or a solo activity. So again: Why 15 minutes and not 30? With the 30 minute deal, I can actually have a meal or take care of problems in the house. At 15? I've been logged out for inactivity when an emergency happens at the house. Bottom line: Gem runs are not fun for me right now. ---------------------------------------- Re: Market on Scurvy Reef:
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anothername
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Yeah, because if it isn't fun for you, it's obviously a flaw in the game design. |
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Barrister
Joined: Dec 2, 2003 Posts: 1997 Status: Offline |
You should join the exclusive cult -- er, club -- of people who have memorized the entire ocean. No more charts needed. Actually, you'd only need to memorize Emerald, Diamond, 4 inter-arch routes, and 1 route each in Ruby, Opal, and Jet. That gets you all the markets where you can buy or sell gems. I do gem runs about once a week, and I can usually make a hefty profit on the trip. And, if after all that, you still don't like gem runs, don't worry about it. Different aspects of the game appeal to different people. I just discovered that I didn't like running a shipbuilding stall. ---------------------------------------- Barrister - YPPedia Administrator - Looterati |
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spinn
Joined: Jul 31, 2003 Posts: 1175 Status: Offline |
LJG: Everything you posted there except the paragraph that contained "why 15 minutes" can just be answered by "that's what gems are about". Yes, they're inconvenient. You have to work for it. Myself I still think the "why 15 minutes" is the only interesting question here, though personally, I think a short time limit still works anyway. When I first saw the question I was going to join in complaining about it, because there are times you grab some gems, and then you have to do a bunch of prep work to get going--maybe find maps, get more cash if necessary, look at other markets in the arch to see if others are available, etc. Being able to skip off and not be too flustered about it would be nice. But then I figured--yeah, I'm getting off a ship with a bucketful of gems. Being worried about them and feeling time-pressured is probably appropriate. Otherwise, your theoretical household emergency could similarly ruin a sword tourney, battle nav, conversation, or any other number of time-sensitive game issues, so I don't see how that's relevant anyway. ---------------------------------------- And thus, the message is concluded. |
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LongJohnGrey
Joined: Mar 6, 2004 Posts: 2210 Status: Offline |
Maybe that's it. Gem running isn't really accessable to me, because I don't have a mem'd ocean, and I don't have a large stash of personal maps, and I can't get the crew's maps off the map ship, and I can't get someone else to chart for me because I can't hand them the deed. (Remember, I started by saying that this was when there were no crew SO's online at the same time). If I really wanted to do gem running, I'd have to start by shipping poe out to, and burying on, the foreign market islands. Probably worth doing anyways.
Lorandite, blood, etc, are worth much more than a gem, and don't disapear, even if the ship resets. Now, the comments about camping gems -- ok, I can see why you want them to disapear rather than being stored. I still think 15 minutes is too short.
Not theoretical, and other than a tourney, every one of those has been ruined for me at one point or another. I've been away long enough to be logged off. I even fell asleep at the wheel once, and by the time I woke up the ship had been reset into port. If I had been gem running that time, I'd have really been upset. *** IDEA *** What if all markets would purchase gems? Lets face if, if Emerald markets know that they can sell Diamonds at 540, why not have them purchase at 450? For that matter, why not have gems be subject to the same bidding system as anything else? Lets go another step -- what if markets would accept buy orders for ANY good that is currently bid on -- so if there's a bid out there for 20 units of <X> at 50, I can sell <X> to the market at 50 (or 49, or whatever). Suddenly, gems become another commodity. The closer to the target, the less value in running them; but even if you can't run them all the way, and only run them a short distance, you still get some of the value. ---------------------------------------- Re: Market on Scurvy Reef:
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cmdrzoom
Joined: Jul 25, 2003 Posts: 7328 Status: Offline |
I don't have the skills, time etc to be competitive in sword tournaments. I consider myself a mediocre hand at the wheel in battle. I can't gun worth a fig. I have neither the resources, time, nor interest to run a stall (right now, anyway). As a result of these factors, certain portions of the game are not available to me, or at least not convenient. You will note that I do not advocate that they be changed to suit me. (Not even the gunning part, though I really wish I could have two guns and/or the slider back.) ---------------------------------------- Starhawk of Mad Mutineers, Azure Catalina of Twilight's Sabre, Cobalt |
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spinn
Joined: Jul 31, 2003 Posts: 1175 Status: Offline |
Yeah. So what? That's gems for ya. ---------------------------------------- And thus, the message is concluded. |
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Shanoyu
Joined: Jul 28, 2003 Posts: 4600 Status: Offline |
Because it's not suppose to be easy. Concidentally, the fact that Blood is worth more is probably also why it's a rarer loot. As for maps, well, that's sort of hard luck. Think of it as incentive to mem the ocean. (Or better yet, just get someone in your crew/flag/hearty list to chart it for you.) And other than that, strangely enough spinn pretty much has my opinions covered so i'm going to defer to him. Poof. ---------------------------------------- His Holiness, The Dope |
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TheCosmicChz
Joined: Aug 24, 2003 Posts: 486 Status: Offline |
Mebbe this isn't the right thread to put it in, but since LJG brought up his inability to move charts . . . Officers seem to be able to move charts now. Fun ---------------------------------------- --Dcurd : Not the cap'n of Dcurd's crew Stick-wielder of questionable sanity-or something |
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RedDog
Joined: Aug 31, 2003 Posts: 842 Status: Offline |
Hey! It is so long since I saw any gems from sale I thought they had been done away with in an update. It must be a couple of months at least since I have seen a sniff if any. Thanks for letting me know they still exist. Seasnake ---------------------------------------- Captain of the Flying Tigers, King of The Patrician's Flag Fortunatly the seasnake rarely bites humans. 11 years and still flying the flag. |
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