Campaign Solution
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 1:15 pm
I just recently read the campaign was cancelled and I feel the way you were going about the campaign is the wrong way.
You don't need to design a campaign to be played in a "specific manner" - a good example is Starcraft campaigns where you can use any strategy to win - you don't need a specific set of actions to win as long as it is designed in an open mindset.
The whole goal of the campaign is more to setup a "Lore" to the game.
The current problem I feel the game suffers from is lack of meaningful purpose - which I think the campaign would help solve.
What I mean by meaningful purpose is - you end up just building a rocket and that really is it.
You are a "Factory Owner" and really are not driven to produce anything but the rocket.
The campaign could solve this by having objectives and changing the end game.
Let's take the rocket for example.
We breakup the Rocket into 2 separate states.
Private Rocket and Company Owned Rocket.
Company Owned Rocket lands on the Rocket Pad at specific intervals requiring you to have minimum amount of resources ready in time.
If you can get more than the minimum you get paid extra based on the difference.
You get a list of prices of various commodities and prices - as well as random "emergency contracts" you can pick up for extra cash.
If you fail a contract or minimum you have one more chance of full filling your quota on next rocket ( missing previous quota + current quota )
While Emergency contracts will fine you.
You can use the money to buy research or buildings, or specific goods which will arrive on the next company rocket.
Though the main goal in the campaign would be to free your self from the Tyrany and make your own rocket and become a private company.
Which would require 2 goals ( Campaign )
1. Get enough money to pay back the company to free your self from Indentured Servitude
2. Reach far enough in Tech level to be able to craft your own rocket.
3. ( Bonus ) Earn enough Private Funds to buy out your company to enact revenge.
This, of course, is the overarching purpose not - each individual mission purpose.
Each individual mission would have it's own flair.
1. Lunch Meat -
As a young intrepid entrepreneur wanting to make a name for themself in this dreary universe you set off to the nearest recruitment center. Unfortunately for you are quickly blinded by the glow of hope in the recruiter's eyes ( or it could be the excessive radiation poisoning from handling dangerous goods, who knows! ) and didn't read the contract. Now you are being sent to Omega - 3 a backwater planet full of rabid aliens and scattered resources to enrich the powers above.
Objectives
Craft a Landing Pad
Gather total of 5,000 coal, Copper, Iron in 10 cycles
2. First Pay cheque
Proving you are more than Lunch Meat for aliens you managed to successfully fulfill your contract. Excited you read over your terms only to find out you owe the company 2,000,000,000,000 Factorians until you are free from Indentured Servitude! Thankfully you aren't great at math and full of pep, decided this may take only a few weeks or so. After all how bad could the pay be?
Objectives
Full Fill 10 Contracts
3. Call my Lawyer!
After receiving your first paycheque you realize there is no way you will earn enough to free your self. No wonder the recruiter said, "Once you join the company you would never want to leave!" apparently it would be more apt to say, "You can't leave!". Not disheartened by this further set back you decide to learn the ropes until you can find a solution to your problem.
Upgrade to Tier 2 tech
Full fill 10 contracts
4. Can I have a cup of Sugar?
You are soon contacted by a shady individual in a trenchcoat and a big fur hat of some sort of cat like creature. You aren't sure if it still alive or dead as you swear it's eyes are looking at you. As you gaze into the hat the creature below appears to be talking, yet you have yet to catch a word of what it said. You nod your head pretending to listen and it soon leaves a contract on the ground replacing it. A private company apparently wants to hire you to make products on the side. Giving you a new source of income! What could possibly go wrong?
Full fill 10 company contracts
Full fill 5 private contracts.
Etc.
You don't need to design a campaign to be played in a "specific manner" - a good example is Starcraft campaigns where you can use any strategy to win - you don't need a specific set of actions to win as long as it is designed in an open mindset.
The whole goal of the campaign is more to setup a "Lore" to the game.
The current problem I feel the game suffers from is lack of meaningful purpose - which I think the campaign would help solve.
What I mean by meaningful purpose is - you end up just building a rocket and that really is it.
You are a "Factory Owner" and really are not driven to produce anything but the rocket.
The campaign could solve this by having objectives and changing the end game.
Let's take the rocket for example.
We breakup the Rocket into 2 separate states.
Private Rocket and Company Owned Rocket.
Company Owned Rocket lands on the Rocket Pad at specific intervals requiring you to have minimum amount of resources ready in time.
If you can get more than the minimum you get paid extra based on the difference.
You get a list of prices of various commodities and prices - as well as random "emergency contracts" you can pick up for extra cash.
If you fail a contract or minimum you have one more chance of full filling your quota on next rocket ( missing previous quota + current quota )
While Emergency contracts will fine you.
You can use the money to buy research or buildings, or specific goods which will arrive on the next company rocket.
Though the main goal in the campaign would be to free your self from the Tyrany and make your own rocket and become a private company.
Which would require 2 goals ( Campaign )
1. Get enough money to pay back the company to free your self from Indentured Servitude
2. Reach far enough in Tech level to be able to craft your own rocket.
3. ( Bonus ) Earn enough Private Funds to buy out your company to enact revenge.
This, of course, is the overarching purpose not - each individual mission purpose.
Each individual mission would have it's own flair.
1. Lunch Meat -
As a young intrepid entrepreneur wanting to make a name for themself in this dreary universe you set off to the nearest recruitment center. Unfortunately for you are quickly blinded by the glow of hope in the recruiter's eyes ( or it could be the excessive radiation poisoning from handling dangerous goods, who knows! ) and didn't read the contract. Now you are being sent to Omega - 3 a backwater planet full of rabid aliens and scattered resources to enrich the powers above.
Objectives
Craft a Landing Pad
Gather total of 5,000 coal, Copper, Iron in 10 cycles
2. First Pay cheque
Proving you are more than Lunch Meat for aliens you managed to successfully fulfill your contract. Excited you read over your terms only to find out you owe the company 2,000,000,000,000 Factorians until you are free from Indentured Servitude! Thankfully you aren't great at math and full of pep, decided this may take only a few weeks or so. After all how bad could the pay be?
Objectives
Full Fill 10 Contracts
3. Call my Lawyer!
After receiving your first paycheque you realize there is no way you will earn enough to free your self. No wonder the recruiter said, "Once you join the company you would never want to leave!" apparently it would be more apt to say, "You can't leave!". Not disheartened by this further set back you decide to learn the ropes until you can find a solution to your problem.
Upgrade to Tier 2 tech
Full fill 10 contracts
4. Can I have a cup of Sugar?
You are soon contacted by a shady individual in a trenchcoat and a big fur hat of some sort of cat like creature. You aren't sure if it still alive or dead as you swear it's eyes are looking at you. As you gaze into the hat the creature below appears to be talking, yet you have yet to catch a word of what it said. You nod your head pretending to listen and it soon leaves a contract on the ground replacing it. A private company apparently wants to hire you to make products on the side. Giving you a new source of income! What could possibly go wrong?
Full fill 10 company contracts
Full fill 5 private contracts.
Etc.