Hi there; your happy moderator/designer here..

[mlmbd]

Originally posted by StormcloudCreations:
Wow, congrats! You are truly a master strategy gamer! Nanotech is considered the most difficult game to beat of the 4, just so you know.

I bow to your strategy gaming skill.

No need to bow. At least not yet! I have not managed to repeat the conquering of all four games again! Not just yet! But, I have not, or will not give up! I have this really bad habbit, GAMES!!!! I never stop just because I beat a game one time! It will probably be the death of me!

mlmbd

[StormcloudCreations]

Thanks, SunDevil for giving Nanotech a try! Nah, your post wasn't rude at all, I always value comments, sometimes even if they're critical. Makes a designer better...sometimes.

I always thought Nanotech was one of my best overall designs, even if it kinda flopped commercially when I sold it by itself (probably because it was quite hard to get started, and I do admit it didn't have enough documentation really, even with the readme file included).

Your suggestions are all good for the most part. Here's some answers to your questions:

E. Bytes are for definately more than selling. Using the Mainframe feature when you have enough bytes built up, you can access special features and favors (including healing up your HQ points, recruiting gang members for free, and other stuff) and paying bytes for them instead of money. You just need to set a gang member to Explore mode (usually use an pretty weak, expendable one for that).

A. I thought of adding this, but thought it might be imbalancing later in the game when you may have more money. The police in this game are seen as an "evil entity" that you just have to live with.

B. Good suggestion.

Thanks for playing Nanotech and appreciating it. I dunno, I might go back to it for a retooled sequel at some point (though I hope it would get a better reception here than it got when I sold it).

To ALL: Anyone else like Nanotech and think with some work and tweaks, that you would buy it? Feel free to chime in with your opinion!

SunDevil: Also, thanks for trying out Trader 2 as well. Make sure you glance at the patch info as well, it makes a lot of fairly big changes that aren't represented in the demo.

Look forward to hearing more from you, SunDevil!

[SunDevil]

Nanotech:
This game would not be so hard, and actually more enjoyable if some of these things were implemented.

1. Give the player more options.
A. Be able to bribe the police from even arresting my gang members. Have the police look the other way could add a new dimension to this game. Its all about having the police in my pocket. Is there a mayor or govenor as well?
B. Start the random encounters a little bit later in the game. Give the player a couple of turns of breathing room before you start arresting the gang members and having rival crime lords killing my gang members. I think the random encounters should start off minor events then increase their devastation.
C. Increase the chance of having good lawyers and good gang members available more often. If the player sucks and doesn't have much money, this option won't matter, but at least reward a player if he has enough money to buy good help. It is very fustrating when a couple of my gang members get killed or arrested and no one is available that is any good. This also includes lawyers who in real life are always willing to represent someone with enough money.
D. Make the HQ attacks a little less often and maybe give the abilities to upgrade the defenses of the people who are defending the HQ. Can you increase the hitpoints of the HQ? With only twenty points and a couple of raids later, I always seem to be down in the single digits in no time. Can you heal or ever regain the hitpoints of the HQ back?
E. What is the point of bytes? Can you just sell them or is there more depth to this feature?
F. This game needs way more documentation
G. Give the ability of loans, maybe loan sharks or even the ability to interact with the bank or casino to get more money.
H. The ability to interact with the properties that are displayed in the game. Being able to go to the casino and play some games and make more money. Rob a bank or any of the stores to get more money. Burn the store down, trash it, beat up the owner/shop keeper. It shouldn't have to take 6 turns with two gang members to overcome a bakery with a resistance of 3 and the gang members both having a control in the 70's.
I. Give a better perspective/indication of the gangs and/or rivals that kill my gang members and raid my HQ but you don't give the player a chance to retaliate. Why can't I raid their HQ's, sick the police on them because they are in my pocket, kill their gang members.
J. When player runs out of money, how about the player's boss who kicks him out onto the street to live on the outskirts of the city in shame, gives the player a couple of more turns to become profitable, a little more flexible and longer Lasting game.
K. How about the ability when clicking on the properties that the illusion of traveling and actuallying having an image of the establishment with options mentioned above being displayed. Give the player the feeling that they are moving around in the large full of possibilities city.
L. Last but not least, when you start a new game and have to enter your name, the background picture shows this huge city, and its a great picture, but it just gives the first time player that this city is huge and full of possibilities and options. Within this huge city there must be a way to simulate or give the illusion of movement, or freedom. Then when you get to the main game menu, and background picture is looking up at the tall skyscrapers it just seems like you are at the bottom of the ladder and have to drag yourself up. I was just wondering since I haven't gotten this far, but as the player gets more money and influence within the city, does the background picture change to represent progress of the player's climb to the top. How about towards the end its a background image looking out of a penthouse suite window onto the city below, that would be cool.

It's 4:35 in the morning so I am sorry if my post sounded curt or rude I just feel this game has a lot of potential and I can only begin to comprehend how much time and effort you have put into this game. I just wanted to thank you for your effort and I hope that you plan to continue development of this title. I am know moving on to Interstellar Trader 2.

[SlapBone]

Double-Post...sorry

[ May 19, 2003, 08:26: Message edited by: SlapBone ]

[SlapBone]

Please limit the amount of encounters that can happen in a turn. It sucks to have 2 gangs die, another arrested, take control of a building, and have that same building raided by the police ALL IN THE SAME TURN... click the turn button... gang goes to jail...click the turn button...lose a lawsuit then lose the game. I had no money because I spent it all greasing judges and hiring some dope-smoking lazy lawyer with seemingly good connections.

I WILL BEAT THIS GAME!