[suggestions] And a first impression from an ex-con.

[lugaru]

Really digging this thread, I love anything that fleshes out the lives of my virtual prisoners. As for a changing of the guard, this is especially interesting... the prisoners do not even need to be (virtually) aware, they already seem to have an uncanny ability to start trouble right when all my guards are busy bringing in new prisoners.

[CplHenderson]

Waitwaitwait. The religious stuff might actually be for the cutscene in the tutorial. Remember Edward goes to church to confess?

[wige]

Changing of the guard may be rather tough from a playability perspective though. How would you manage a shift change? If everyone leaves and new guards come in there will be chaos, and it would probably be a pain on the deployment screen setting it up cellblock by cellblock.

Honestly, I'd much rather see a system where you could change the deployment of the guards in line with the regime. During free time more guards in the yard, moving them into the mess during mealtime, more on the perimeter during sleep, etc.

[thatguy790]

Great ideas! +1 to all of them

[christhekiller]

Waitwaitwait. The religious stuff might actually be for the cutscene in the tutorial. Remember Edward goes to church to confess?

No. A priest comes to his cell block. But you don't ever actually see a chapel outside a couple of photos

[CplHenderson]

Well, actually, you do. Right before you actually execute the guy, there's a cutscene where Edward runs into the church and confesses to the priest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uND-IETJ6Y at 10:36

[airbrushist]

@christhekiller I had noticed this in another thread but was confused by it being included in Alpha 10 though not implemented. That's more just my ignorance of how the whole 'alpha/beta' development works than anything and seeing more people mention that this is in the current build makes me want to start poking around the game files. Seeing the stuff in that link has me pretty excited for sure.

@wige, the barrier in real life was usually just a read line separating the area (inside) and gravel (outside). This, again, is just based on my experience in my state institutions where write-ups and discrepancies of any kind could force inmates to lose good time or be placed in worse housing or even the hole (the way the hole, or solitary, works here is sort of unique too, so I wouldn't suggest that being implemented though having more control over the 'sentence' inmates are given in regards to solitary would be nice).

As far as shift change, this almost always occurred at night time and could easily be done so in game I think. Usually the interior guards were changed over (those watching cell blocks, patrols, segregation/solitary, etc) and then those who oversaw the hubs (CCTV stations, sally port/cell controls) next, and then outer patrol. In dorms, it was usually during this time that blanket parties would occur or contraband would change hands (as well as when the smoking of weed and tobacco would happen). In prisons with cells it was generally when the sex would happen (oddly enough, there was almost no rape in the state I was housed during the time I was there). In segregation it was usually when inmates would flood cells (a big favorite in the newer prisons that had these 'vacuum' toilets that could literally suck an entire sheet down the toilet - obviously the challenge was seeing just what the limit was on those things). And a full on shift change may not be necessary or practical in the game, though I would love to see some more 'needs' on the guards/staff side (Perhaps a guard doesn't like patrolling the yard alone because he's a rookie, or staff don't like their office being close to the holding cells etc).

Thanks again everyone for the feedback and information. I am seeing that some of my ideas wouldn't really be practical and learning about some of the changes coming in. Good stuff.[/quote]

[steviebuk]

Good ideas apart from the religion. Don't want no bullshit religion in the game.

[MAdMaN]

Good ideas apart from the religion. Don't want no bullshit religion in the game.

It's already in the game (during the tutorial).

[Lars Ebert]

@airbrushist: Do not worry, to me it did not sound like you were forcing anyone to include something. This forum is the right place to suggest anything that might come to ones mind, that's why it is open alpha!

I think it is really interesting to hear the opinion of someone with actual "experience".

The dorms are really a must-have. But I do not know, if the half walls will be easy to use in the top view setup. Privacy also should be an important point to the prisoners! I also like the idea of glass separated visitor tables.

Prison labour and contrabands could use some more variety, that's right. Also, the shift changes would be a good idea. It really bothers me that all the employees seem to work 24/7.

Keep up the nice suggestions, they sound good and hopefully inspire the devs!

[Dosedmonkey]

Kudos to the original post. Enjoying the insider feedback.

Would be nice to hear some feedback from prison guards as well. I hope that wouldn't offend you.

How did people get contraband in? I notice in the game that if you have a metal detector in an area where prisoners are forced to walk through, you pretty much solved the contraband problem.

Once a person arrested, who knew they were going in to prison, had two mobile phones, a cigarrette and a lighter all up their anus. The officer spotted the end of one of the mobile phones while the person was squasting naked for drug search in the police station. Seems a bit extreme to me, but its pretty common practice from my understanding, just not normally objects as big as two mobiles!

If you watch WWII PoW films like Stalag 17, they give you some other ideas of how to get contraband in, in a different prison environment too.