I'll fix this for final. After 5 citations or so on a single day it'll be game over. Pretend it's fixed when you play the beta
Dropbox has some of my money now. Should be back up!
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Papers, Please |OT| Glory to Arstotzka!
- Thread starter Messofanego
- Start date
I'll fix this for final. After 5 citations or so on a single day it'll be game over. Pretend it's fixed when you play the beta
Dropbox has some of my money now. Should be back up!
This is a great little game Dukope. It's done so well already!
A few notes though --
With such a minimalist design approach the cards and the shutter lever having no purposes felt underused. I'd get rid of them or give them purpose. I thought that weird guy was a suicide bomber as he was talking about the greatest of the country so much I slammed the shutter closed. The problem is your game makes so much ado about minor details that when you give frivolous options my first thought is they must be important.
Also it'd be great to get rewarded for detaining vs denying. Detaining makes guards work harder, maybe they give you a kick back.
Lastly, I lacked attachment to the meta game. You play each round for 10-15 minutes and then see your dying family for 30 seconds. All while on a black menu screen vs a beautifully bleak work day world. So for me, unless everyone dying causes me to game over I just don't care because I don't put the time in to care. And having them game over would be tough to swallow unless you're going for a rogue-like experience. I'd rather they die and that bothers me, than it makes me replay from the start.
But if I did care about my family it could lead to all kinds of new options... If I cared about my family by watching them slowly die, that would open up options for bribery. Obviously with a nasty chance of getting caught and losing money. Also would be interesting to use the shutter to stop people pulling guns/bombs on you as I discussed early, and if you don't you can miss work as a penalty as you recover.
Overall the game was very fresh and well executed.
Anyway, just some fun ideas. Feel free to completely ignore everything I said... You're the artist!
I'll definitely be pimping this game out to others to check out for sure.
A few notes though --
With such a minimalist design approach the cards and the shutter lever having no purposes felt underused. I'd get rid of them or give them purpose. I thought that weird guy was a suicide bomber as he was talking about the greatest of the country so much I slammed the shutter closed. The problem is your game makes so much ado about minor details that when you give frivolous options my first thought is they must be important.
Also it'd be great to get rewarded for detaining vs denying. Detaining makes guards work harder, maybe they give you a kick back.
Lastly, I lacked attachment to the meta game. You play each round for 10-15 minutes and then see your dying family for 30 seconds. All while on a black menu screen vs a beautifully bleak work day world. So for me, unless everyone dying causes me to game over I just don't care because I don't put the time in to care. And having them game over would be tough to swallow unless you're going for a rogue-like experience. I'd rather they die and that bothers me, than it makes me replay from the start.
But if I did care about my family it could lead to all kinds of new options... If I cared about my family by watching them slowly die, that would open up options for bribery. Obviously with a nasty chance of getting caught and losing money. Also would be interesting to use the shutter to stop people pulling guns/bombs on you as I discussed early, and if you don't you can miss work as a penalty as you recover.
Overall the game was very fresh and well executed.
Anyway, just some fun ideas. Feel free to completely ignore everything I said... You're the artist!
I'll definitely be pimping this game out to others to check out for sure.
The shutter will get more use in the final. Pretty much as you describe, but I'm actually using it in the latest beta (0.5.7) for that guy exactly. For "cards" I think you mean the brothel and ezic cards? Those kinds of things will also become more and more important and even in the basic form now they allow me to do a lot more with the story elements.
Yeah you're right that there should be some differentiation between deny/detain. Gonna try attaching a small bonus to it.
It will probably just game over when they die. You can always continue from the start of the current day to try again. There'll be scripted night-time events to draw a little more out of the family, but I'm inclined to keep it very minimal.
Thanks for the comments and ideas!
I would put an in game hint in too. Nothing that's really holding the player's hand though.
Maybe if you sit there for a while have the guy say something like "What's taking so long? Are you investigating the desk or something?"
Regarding the deny/detain thing, do you plan to make the bonus conditional on the detainee being really bad, i.e. a bomber or a criminal, or will everyone who has something wrong with their papers result in a bonus for being detained.
And, if the latter option, would you insert some kind of representation of the detaining. Since this is a repressive, autocratic country one assumes that those detained are going to be tortured and/or killed regardless of them being major criminals or innocent people who made a mistake. Some players will naturally imagine such consequences which will act as an automatic deterrent to just taking the bonus, but for others such a thought won't spring to them and it will seem as though detaining is just free money.
InfectedZero
Member
This this this. I thought I was alone on this thought. I frantically went to click the shutter door for some cover, expecting him to blow up. You know, what would be cool is if he pulled a gun on you and if you don't shutter it fast enough you get shot and end up having to skip the day for a hospital visit or something, I dont know hahah. Just throwing things out there
. I just got done with the beta as I closed it all excited to not play anymore so I can just give it all my time when I buy it.maquiladora
Member
Really loved the beta.
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
I think that's sort of a hidden point, you depersonalize these NPC's further by focusing on the gamey aspects to the point that when you notice they have the wrong city as an issuer of their passport instead of looking for a way to give them a pass you just grin and think "hehehe sneaky sneaky but no one out wits me!" despite the fact they may have just told you they'll die if they don't go through.
Messofanego
Banned
Giant Bomb played this on Unprofessional Fridays (April 19th, 2013). Skip to 26:39. If you're a subscriber, you absolutely must watch their segment because it's goddamn hilarious and entertaining to see their reactions.
Jeff and Drew, a duo that makes Arstotzka proud!
Jeff and Drew, a duo that makes Arstotzka proud!
Cuban Legend
Member
XANDER CAGE
Member
This game is practically perfect.
Messofanego
Banned
I got it for a month just to get that Unprofessional Fridays for Papers, Please. Glad I did, their playthrough was hilarious. I could put it on youtube, if you want.
Messofanego
Banned
GLORY TO ARSTOTZKA
Lucas Pope tweeted this. Video made me laugh like a hyena when the music kicked in. And the comments are great.
Lucas Pope tweeted this. Video made me laugh like a hyena when the music kicked in. And the comments are great.
nah i'll wait for a sale. Want to rewatch the North Korea Gaming Extravaganza again.
Weltall Zero
Member
Just wanted to say thanks and congratulations to Dukope for making such an awesome game. I voted for it as one of my top five on Toma's indie thread back in March, and after seeing it was on Greenlight I was going to do likewise, until I realized I already had done so.
John Rabbit
Banned
successfully made it all 8 days with no deaths and some money to spare. game is awesome; can't wait for the full version.
@dukope - is there any plan to have a "speed" setting? i actually wanted the opportunity to check more people per day (because it's fun). i understand this has serious ramifications on the way the game's economy would work, but maybe there could be different levels of...servitude (difficulty) that allows you to check more people per day at a lower rate per person.
HIGHEST OF GLORIES TO ARSTOTZKA.
@dukope - is there any plan to have a "speed" setting? i actually wanted the opportunity to check more people per day (because it's fun). i understand this has serious ramifications on the way the game's economy would work, but maybe there could be different levels of...servitude (difficulty) that allows you to check more people per day at a lower rate per person.
HIGHEST OF GLORIES TO ARSTOTZKA.
I just tried the game and the concept is really fantastic (even though I'm appantly really bad at it).
It resonates a bit with me since I have had to go through a lot of administrative/immigration stuff throughout my life and still do. Luckily it wasn't as drastic as in the game, but still it definitely takes a big toll on you.
It resonates a bit with me since I have had to go through a lot of administrative/immigration stuff throughout my life and still do. Luckily it wasn't as drastic as in the game, but still it definitely takes a big toll on you.
Phonomezer
Banned
How will I know if my name is in the game?
How will I know if my name is in the game?
By buying it once its out. *ingenious shyamalan marketing twist*
Phonomezer
Banned
Just played this. Damn it's a great game.
I think the search option should not be hidden; in the day where you must not search all the dirty kolechians, I would have searched one if the option had been available to me; but I had to go through the correlate-rules-with-violations mechanics, and since the rule was gone, my ass was saved.
I think the search option should not be hidden; in the day where you must not search all the dirty kolechians, I would have searched one if the option had been available to me; but I had to go through the correlate-rules-with-violations mechanics, and since the rule was gone, my ass was saved.
MisterC20XX
Member
I tried the beta for the first time this afternoon. This game is more engrossing and intense than the last several $60.00 games I've played. It gave me the experience I love most about great games: I forgot I was playing a game. I am sold beyond sold. Amazing!
Messofanego
Banned
AWW YEAH
reptilescorpio
Member
Yay Greenlit!
If any game deserved to be Greenlit, it's this. Congrats dukope.
Select the entry ticket rule and the counter where the documents go.
See? Something obvious. Thanks!
i agree with wanting to keep the nighttime/family stuff brief and simple. but maybe something to make it a LITTLE more effective? pictures of the family members faces when their sick
and some kind of punishment for letting them get sick or die, beyond the emotional one. i'm not sure what/how though. i dont think just having game over when the family dies fits the mood of the game.
and some kind of punishment for letting them get sick or die, beyond the emotional one. i'm not sure what/how though. i dont think just having game over when the family dies fits the mood of the game.
Adam Scott Aukerman
Member
The emotional hook is what the game really hinges on though. You've got people pleading with you to let them through for various reasons when all you really need to do is stick to the rules. I don't think you need any more impetus than that.
yeah I should reword that. I think it needs more a further emotional hook, which pictures might help with? I'm not sure
Oh yes! I'd rather let the uncle die that the family dog! Go to work you lazy uncle!
Haunted
Member
:lol
So you're saying Lucas should add a wallet with pictures of your wife and kids and the family dog (kittens!?)