Random world

[Mil1983]

Hi!
I just signed in on this forum, but I first took some time to read about the game, users' suggestions and so. I've got to tell you this game makes me think that it's designed for me, and I'd like to thank developers for this.

By the way, I've got a suggestion to make the game more replayable: the possibility to start the game in a "random" world.

Let me explain my idea...
You start a game in "real world", that represents a realistic economic and demographic situation of the world in a certain year, don't you?
Imagine you can choose to start the game in a world where economic and demographic stats of every single nation is "randomized". It means that, everytime you start a new game, you have to face an entirely different situation (e.g. Congo is a super-rich nation where everybody wants a convertible supercar).
This could be a relative easy way to improve replayability for players who cannot play online (not enough free time, or not enough bandwidth in the town they live in).
You can let the player choose to play in "real world" or in "custom / random world" too.

[Killrob]

This is a good suggestion as it really does increase replayability. But on the other hand it requires quite a bit of scripting / AI to make a believable random world. To create a single point in time in which the world has a certain random setting is easy... randomizing parameters is trivial. To have dynamic markets in such a setting is very much non-trivial though! So I don't know if our devs have the time to consider this, even though it would be a really good feature!

[JeffreyCor]

I think rather than a full random world, due to the issues Killrob pointed out, having random events that effect markets would be an easier approch and add replayability.

[loady740]

i kinda like the idea of random world though

[serothis]

This is a good suggestion as it really does increase replayability. But on the other hand it requires quite a bit of scripting / AI to make a believable random world. To create a single point in time in which the world has a certain random setting is easy... randomizing parameters is trivial. To have dynamic markets in such a setting is very much non-trivial though! So I don't know if our devs have the time to consider this, even though it would be a really good feature!

Although I agree that a dynamic AI a massive undertaking it's almost seems necessary. If zussy and daffy create a market with hard coded demands for each given time period, then eventually people will figure out the formula and we'll all be creating the same cars over and over again. As a corollary to that if the market is dynamic then the AI controlling the other companies have to be dynamic as well.

And really if you think about it this game is all about dynamic creativity. The flexibility of the market and competition, i think, will have a great impact on end product.

ps. zussy and daffy , sorry for putting you guys on the spot

[JeffreyCor]

One of us may have misread things Serothis. From what I have read, dynamic IS to be included it is the random world aspect that was suggested here that likely wouldn't be. From your post it seems to be advocating a dynamic market, which I believe was already planned, as if it was stated contra.
Thinking of a random world, it would basically also be pointless on that to have country names. If the country dynamics are all random, the name is irrelevent. Also with a dynamic non random world, there is still no magic formula for creating cars. I know some games have this option and some people use it, but it's not something I ever use. I like to know where I am and have some reality even if not historical. I would think the dymanics would satisfy the unprodictibility, coupled with unknown events that can throw a wrench into the works popping up now and then, to keep users guessing.

[Mil1983]

My idea was the possibility for the user to start a new game with random "starting conditions". Then, if a sort of "dynamic market" is already been implemented, all the "story" of the game naturally becomes "random".

[serothis]

Jeff, I suspect you might be right.

I wonder about implementations of regulations by countries. I'm guessing that it'll have to be heavily influenced by historical timeline. But I wonder if different countries will implement regs at different times then what is historically accurate. Like say there's an oil shortage earlier than 1970's one. maybe that'll prompt countries to implement fuel economy standards sooner. Or if there is no oil shortage, the countries could implement it a little later (or not at all )

[JeffreyCor]

I do remember something mentioned before (of course if it is in the release is unknown) that counties will have different requirement of fuel efficience, emitions, safety, etc and will change over time and also there was plans to have a "historical" mode as well as a "random" mode for world events like the oil shortage Wouldn't that be something for no oil shortabe at all, more big honken engines with loads of power Maybe with the dynamics our company's actions might even influence events.

[Daffyflyer]

Historical mode will be the base thing we work on, but we will also aim to have a more random mode too

[JeffreyCor]

Yeay! Glad to hear it hasn't ended up on the cutting room floor

[Daffyflyer]

Yeay! Glad to hear it hasn't ended up on the cutting room floor

YET, doesn't mean its safe though!