The game is too easy

[wbonx]

I don't understand why authors are still not giving the chance to the players to choose the difficulty level they prefer.
I assume it would be quite easy to just limit the amount of money at the beginning and the amount of money you get over time. Why then focusing on porting the game on other platforms while in the current state something so foundamental is still missing?
Right now is almost impossible to lose and the game get's just repetitive over time.
Come on guys! I love this game

PS. I know there are tricks to challenge yourself. I would prefer to play a normal game (let's say at difficulty hard), facing the real possiility of getting fired or bankrupt.
Playing the game as it is, even a monkey would be able to run the first prison without any trouble.

[knoest26]

The game is an Alpha, things like balancing will happen later on

[Threehorns]

Hi Wbonx,

You can change the difficulty setting by choosing the difficulty of the prisoners.

for a small challenge: http://forums.introversion.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=52294&p=585987

[sausages]

The difficulty doesn't come with $$$ issue but the re-offending rate and how many days without incident; from statistical point of view, having 2% or less re-offend rate will be a feat.

[wbonx]

I don't agree. Having only the chance to choose the type of prisoners is a limitation. Having economical trouble would give the game a totally different taste!
Same applies to being fired much more easly.

It is something so damn easy to implement, the limitation in money, that I just don't get why the authors are not going in this direction. Would maybe take 10min of coding, come on.

The game is yes still in alpha, but quite complete, being able to choose level hard, let's say with 50% of the starting and money per day), is reasonable.

[Threehorns]

difficulty options:
- play with non-stop prisoners intake.
- try to achieve 500 prisoners before day 80
- design a prison that can last 14 game days without player input (200+ prison)

fun options:
- create a scrolling light text with your name
- create a Paradise prison next to a lake
- create a prison using an image as layout plan
- create a prison where prisoners race to canteen, derby race style with jail door on timer
- create a prison using an actual prison layout, like from the tv series
- create a prison where pressure pads turn on lights where prisoners etc are walking
etc, etc.

Prison Architect is an open game ... most of the fun is the unlimited fantasy you have. And from the forums, I've read about the dark side of options as well.
To easy, nah, not really. The scrolling light text gave me headache. So i gave up and settled for the easy yard lights.

[wbonx]

difficulty options:
- play with non-stop prisoners intake.
- try to achieve 500 prisoners before day 80
- design a prison that can last 14 game days without player input (200+ prison)

fun options:
- create a scrolling light text with your name
- create a Paradise prison next to a lake
- create a prison using an image as layout plan
- create a prison where prisoners race to canteen, derby race style with jail door on timer
- create a prison using an actual prison layout, like from the tv series
- create a prison where pressure pads turn on lights where prisoners etc are walking
etc, etc.

Prison Architect is an open game ... most of the fun is the unlimited fantasy you have. And from the forums, I've read about the dark side of options as well.
To easy, nah, not really. The scrolling light text gave me headache. So i gave up and settled for the easy yard lights.

I think we have a completely different approach to playing.

Like in all sand box / simulation/ "arcitect" games, loosing playes an important role. I want to face the challenge to run a prison that is actually hard to run, not wasting my time in dumbs ways like writing my name with walls.
since I bought the game in alpha state I'm giving here my opinion, to improve it.

I stronly believe being able to set the amount of money earned and starting money is a necessary feature, much more important then others implemented like presence of lakes or ruins, come on).

Instead of asking directly the amount of money would be better to have difficulty levels.
For example at level hard prisoners intake could be randomized and not stoppable for more then a short time, and the level of money coulb be halfed.
That's it, I think a small change and this game would become a must (because it is already great).

regards.

[moosegun]

Firstly I would totally disagree that 'losing' plays and important role in sandbox games, one of the key aspects of the sandbox is moving away from defined goals such as 'winning' and 'losing'. Personally I really enjoy setting my own difficulty, I am currently running a 800 man prison with four different types of prisoner and am finding it a good challenge to maintain order. For me income and finances shouldnt be the most decisive measure anyway. You should measure your success on reoffend rate, death rate etc.

That said I think that having more customisation at the start, such as starting revenue, a % modifier for income etc would be useful and allow players more customisation.

[kojakdobermann]

It is something so damn easy to implement, the limitation in money, that I just don't get why the authors are not going in this direction. Would maybe take 10min of coding, come on.

While I generally agree with you, this here simply isn't true. In a game of this scale, nothing can be coded within 10 min...

But give them time. They might well come up with different difficulty settings.

[Threehorns]

I think we have a completely different approach to playing.

Like in all sand box / simulation/ "arcitect" games, loosing playes an important role. I want to face the challenge to run a prison that is actually hard to run, not wasting my time in dumbs ways like writing my name with walls.
since I bought the game in alpha state I'm giving here my opinion, to improve it.

I stronly believe being able to set the amount of money earned and starting money is a necessary feature, much more important then others implemented like presence of lakes or ruins, come on).

Instead of asking directly the amount of money would be better to have difficulty levels.
For example at level hard prisoners intake could be randomized and not stoppable for more then a short time, and the level of money coulb be halfed.
That's it, I think a small change and this game would become a must (because it is already great).

regards.

lets see: you humored with lights, out of the fun section, not the difficulty section

one of the difficulty suggestion: 500 prisoners in 80 days ...

150k first block + 150k per extra block + 40k per land expansion = 0.75m ... (4 expansions for 500, semi tight fit)
salary fees for guards etc ...
research costs
guard outfits (tazers, vests)
programs costs ...

with an income of maybe 1000 per prisoner upto max 500 = 0.5m income
don't use Grants, Workshops and use minimum sec prisoners only
and every day about 8-9 prisoners into your prison..

yeah, its definitely money headaches. ..... go for it.

ofc, you can rather prefer to write your name with light bulbs. its in the fun suggestion section.

[wbonx]

I would rather prefer to play a normal game just trying to run the prison in the best way possible.

And I would prefer doing it after choosing the difficulty level.

Just looking at the stats sounds a bit lame to me (es. crime reiterance, number of death etc..).

I would love to struggle buying beds and giving all the services I want, you have to understands that a low amount of funds would introduce a totally new dynamic to the game. Would be a huge boost even for people that just wants to look at the stats.

I truly believe it is not too complicate to implement, let's say just an hard option where you get 50% of money and grants.

[xlr8films]

I would imagine that if a difficulty level were to be written it would be a scale on how fast/slow the inmates' needs rise. Since that is ultimately what you're managing at the core, within a limited timeframe. It wouldn't be too much different from Tropico, The Sims, or SimCity in that respect - all classic life simulators.

[moosegun]

I would rather prefer to play a normal game just trying to run the prison in the best way possible.

And I would prefer doing it after choosing the difficulty level.

Just looking at the stats sounds a bit lame to me (es. crime reiterance, number of death etc..).

I would love to struggle buying beds and giving all the services I want, you have to understands that a low amount of funds would introduce a totally new dynamic to the game. Would be a huge boost even for people that just wants to look at the stats.

I truly believe it is not too complicate to implement, let's say just an hard option where you get 50% of money and grants.

I am really confused why you think that having less money has that much effect on how difficult the game is, all it does is controls the speed you can do things. The security level of your prisoners, the regime, etc all have a lot more effect.

Also I am not sure why you think the stats are 'lame' they are the true indicators of how well you are doing, NOT how much money you have. For me success is about having as high a level of security threat with a low a death rate, having as few riots as possible. Money purely control the pace of expansion, nothing else.

As I have said I am all for as many options as possible but I think you are giving to much weight to the money side of the game. If you truely wanted a 'hard' setting start a new game and set the intake to full / max security, limit to only two low quality meals a day and see how easy it is.