[suggestion] RPG element/guard level up

[Krall]

Not sure if this has been suggested:

Guards level up based on:
+How long they have been active
+How many fights they've broken up
+How many injuries they've sustained
+How many fights they've prevented

You could level them up 5 times unlocking a special ability each time:
+Chuck Norris unlock - Able to take down multiple prisoners during out breaks
+Peace Keeper - Able to 'negotiate' with prisoners keeping the violence to a minimum when it does break out
+Max Sight - Able to see a few more tiles more than other guards
+Speed Step - Moves a little faster than other guards

At each unlock your guards get their pay increased. This makes you think more about sacking a guard because they now have value.

Guards could also level 'down':

+ Too many knife fights seen their speed decrease
+ Multiple injures reduce their ability to take down prisoners
+ If they've been injured more than 10 times it will cause them to contemplate retirement

You could do the same for cooks and workers.

[Disc10]

I like the idea of a simple levelling system for the guards, and the prisoners for that matter. You can have the grizzled veterans of the prison system showing the fresh meat what's what.

[adamwpe]

I like some of the ideas but my issue is, rpg don't normally mix well with building/ business games . but I think if you can by upgrades for your staff that would be go. E.g. all guard get better weapons or all cleaner get a faster mop

[HerrJoebob]

rpg don't normally mix well with building/ business games

Actually Dwarf Fortress mixes them quite well. Once your dwarves level up in valuable skills it gets painful to lose them...

[Ric666]

I personally don't like this idea at all. This ain't the sims & you don't usually get rpg elements/levelling elements in a tycoon/simulation game. for good reasons I would assume.


Just my opinion though

[Chad]

I like the idea too.
If you hire you have to choose how skilled the employee is. Skilled staff will cost more. And if your staff gets more skilled over time, they may demand more money. (I think thats how it works in Theme Hospital)

[Mas Tnega]

In Theme Hospital, you gave them more money to bring their happiness back up. You could have them become more skilled, though. You just can't miss that training room. Or the Consultant Researcher Surgeon Psychiatrists you'd eventually put in front of the projector screen.


I think the idea of staff becoming visibly better than others depends very much on whether or not the staff should be individualised. It appears that prisoners' individuality is supposed to matter a lot; they have names, body types, faces, needs. Staffers are basically clones of each other. If you're going to have the tough motherfucker with the aura of fear who even the warden would call "sir", he might as well have an actual identity on top of it. Likewise, the doctor who doesn't know a heart attack from tooth-ache and you only keep around to engineer that one "accident" you can allow before your rep demands her dismissal wants an identity of her own too.

If staff were to improve in particular, I think the limit of the player's control over it should in cultivating the work environment that would produce them. No deciding this guy wants "Eagle Eye", just stop making him do laps around that circle of CCTV monitors you set up and no expecting that guy who's on 24-hour CCTV monitoring duty to get "Weapon Mastery: Baton" - expect "Cardio" instead.

One thing that might be cool regardless is the permanent injury system.

[adamwpe]

In don't like anything that you people are saying. The employees should not be individually the should be like robot

[Krall]

In don't like anything that you people are saying. The employees should not be individually the should be like robot

That's what I don't like, they are robots more or less. Long term it makes for a boring game with no diversity, once you master the money part of the game you'll loose interest.

I personally don't like this idea at all. This ain't the sims & you don't usually get rpg elements/levelling elements in a tycoon/simulation game. for good reasons I would assume.


Just my opinion though

With all due respect the idea doesn't make the game like the Sims

I personally think your wrong about these elements not being in a tycoon/simulation game. In Railroad Tycoon games you always get to pick traits of your company head which effect game play. Not directly, but in upgrading your engines to faster ones or ones that can haul more cargo you're essentially taking an RPG path which upgrades you over base models. Setting your track gives you positives and negatives depending if you place on level terrain or inclines. In Theme Hospital if I recall you hire personal based on abilities.

So it has been present it other games of this type.

I'm not proposing you make guards invincible either and that's why I say give them 5 ability upgrades.

[Krall]

In Theme Hospital, you gave them more money to bring their happiness back up. You could have them become more skilled, though. You just can't miss that training room. Or the Consultant Researcher Surgeon Psychiatrists you'd eventually put in front of the projector screen.


I think the idea of staff becoming visibly better than others depends very much on whether or not the staff should be individualised. It appears that prisoners' individuality is supposed to matter a lot; they have names, body types, faces, needs. Staffers are basically clones of each other. If you're going to have the tough motherfucker with the aura of fear who even the warden would call "sir", he might as well have an actual identity on top of it. Likewise, the doctor who doesn't know a heart attack from tooth-ache and you only keep around to engineer that one "accident" you can allow before your rep demands her dismissal wants an identity of her own too.

If staff were to improve in particular, I think the limit of the player's control over it should in cultivating the work environment that would produce them. No deciding this guy wants "Eagle Eye", just stop making him do laps around that circle of CCTV monitors you set up and no expecting that guy who's on 24-hour CCTV monitoring duty to get "Weapon Mastery: Baton" - expect "Cardio" instead.

One thing that might be cool regardless is the permanent injury system.

Good point, as it stands now staff is nameless so this may not have been in the plans.

Well there is the possibility of abusing this, I'm not sure how you'd prevent a guard stuck on CCTV duty from leveling up.

[adamwpe]

Having the staff have a personality would make the game more enjoyable in the long term but may be annoying in the start of The game. I'm a big fan of theme hospital but I feel there is too much micro management if you have to give them a pay rise and having over 100 staff. And I don't not want to give them break. That one of the reason I HATE prison tycoon.

[Pauleh]

I figure something like FTL's crew system would work, where the longer they do something the better they get at it. I mean it makes sense for this game to have something like that, the longer a guard works at the prison the more experienced they would get, perhaps they could spot contraband easier, etc.

[BreadMurderer]

In Theme Hospital, you gave them more money to bring their happiness back up. You could have them become more skilled, though. You just can't miss that training room. Or the Consultant Researcher Surgeon Psychiatrists you'd eventually put in front of the projector screen.

Always back to Theme Hospital! It is a gem. I like the idea of 'simple' rpg elements, stuff that you can leave to happen naturally over time. The same could be applied to gang members where the more fights they get in the tougher they get... maybe that's over complicating it a wee bit.

[miR]

I think a level system for the guards is a great idea. It also opens the door for alot of other potential avenues such as stat gear you can obtain for staff, etc?

Either way - I like the idea.

miR

[RMJ1984]

The good thing about levels is that, its sad when you suddenly loose a level 8 guard or something.

But also say when you start a prison, all the prisoners are more or less equal, but those who are the leaders of gangs would like become level 10 eventually, and lesser gang members level 9,8 and so forth.

Its pretty cool, because its like if you have low level guards you better not send 1 level 1 guard into deal with a level 10 gang leader.