Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

sigmen4020 · 2020-02-17 17:20:19

Basically I have two ideas for overhauls that could potentially replace the current systems of race specialization and tool slots, while essentially keeping the same idea. Here's the two ideas:

Tool slot replacement: Professions

To introduce it, this would categorize tools under certain professions, so the amount of tools you know would be in a category that makes sense instead of having certain niche tools be noob traps (like knitting needles and firebow). This list of professions will only cover tools that are currently considered tools in-game. And along with this you could use the leaderboard scores to potentially let you a few extra tools along with the profession you've chosen. Here's my suggestion for how a list of professions could look like:

Survival profession (Meant primarily for Eves and Eve camps):
Firebow
Hatchet
Kiln
Tongs
Smithing Hammer
Hoe
Hot coals
Needle and Thread
Axe
Shovel

Smith:
Kiln
Smithing Hammer
Tongs
File
Pencil
Hatchet
Axe
Blowing Pipe
Stakes (For construction of Newcomen multitool)

Industrialist:
Axe
Hatchet
Kiln
Tongs
Newcomen Hammer
Newcomen Roller
Newcomen Bore
Newcomen Lathe
Newcomen Drill
Camera
Car
Plane
Diesel Well
Diesel Mining Pick

Cook (Includes healing skill):
Axe
Hatchet
Knife
Hot Coals
Oven
Sterile tools
Shears

Hunter:
Knife
Bow
Fishing Rod
Fishing Net
Lasso

Explorer:
Pencil
War Sword
Car
Plane
Diesel Mine
Shovel
Mining Pick
Mallet

Tailor:
Knife
Needle and thread
Shears
Loom
Knitting Needles

Farmer:
Shovel
Hoe
Knife
Shears

Builder:
Axe
Stakes
Firebow
Bowsaw
Mallet
Mining Pick

Ok, so these are the professions that I would suggest. Some of them are probably lacking. Along with these professions I would suggest that one can learn a few extra tools outside of a profession based on score. For example: (Score: 0-20 = 0 extra tools, Score: 20-40 = 1 extra tool, Score: 40-50 = 2 extra tools, Score 50-60 = 3 extra tools). Would like to hear if you think this system could work as a replacement, and I would like suggestions to change the tool listings if pertinent.

Biome debuffs

Ok here is my suggestion for an overhaul for the race specialization system. Currently you can't do anything outside of your specialty biome. This overhaul would make you able to work in different environments, but would still make it optimal to work in specialty biome as the race corresponding to the biome. For these debuffs the visual effects would still be seen (dehydrated, heat stroke, and palor).

Here's my suggestions of debuffs given to people walking into biomes, when they are not of the right specialty race:

Jungle: Every action taken in the jungle will be hungry work (A less extreme version of hungry work, draining 3-5 pips for every action taken in the jungle)
Desert: High pip drain rate (Comparable to pip drain rate of a yellow fever victim at max heat)
Tundra: Movement and action slowdown (25 % or 50 % slowdown)

Would love to hear your thoughts on these ideas. And I will adjust in this post where it makes sense.

Melea · 2020-02-17 20:16:40

I think one of the problems with tool slots is that you get COMPLETELY locked out of other tool usage. I know the intent is to rely more on others, but it's frustrating when something ABSOLUTELY needs done and there's no time to: find, tediously chat at, hope the other person is 1) listening 2) understands you and 3) is willing to help, go back to whatever needs done, and then find out that your "helper" wandered off who knows where before doing that one simple task.

Current tool slots, and even your profession idea, both feel like a punishment-based attempt to make players more inter-reliant. Vastly restricting the possible actions you can take in a life.

Why don't we try a reward system instead? Choose one profession a life, and be effective or extra-effective with all those tools. But if something comes up, even something fairly simple like nobody's around and the main fire is going out then you still have the ability to fix the problem. And assuming we still want to push inter-reliance, there has to be a downside. Perhaps all non-profession tools are hungry work, or have a somewhat tediously long animation period.

For example, the tailor can make clothing fast and easy, but if a dedicated farmer is nowhere to be found then the tailor can still take up a hoe and plant some carrots for his sheep. But since he isn't wise to the ways of farming, tilling soil is hungry work. Or instead of being nearly-instant, each time he tills the tailor is stuck in a 5 second animation from being slow/inexperienced in that task. Annoying enough to where the tailor is probably not going to be a full-time farmer, or even a part-time farmer...but using tools outside of their specialty is still POSSIBLE.

That's one of the things important to me in games. That things are possible. Some easy, some difficult...but things that magically lock parts of the game away are frustrating. Dropsy on entering biomes, wrong skin color - frustrating. Nobody nearby, fire going out, but oh no all the tool slots are full - frustrating. Absolute inability to harvest resources in the wrong biome - frustrating.

So my view is...Jason: give us debuffs, give us tedious penalties or less-effective harvests from working in the wrong specialized areas / working with the wrong tools. But please don't completely lock us out of interacting with large areas of the game. It's not fun when there's absolutely nothing you can do to help. You've cut out some of the possible stories of trial and tribulation that make lives worth remembering. A white family braving working within a hostile jungle to get rubber - plagued by debuffs/disease and terrible harvest (low percent chance to actually harvest rubber from a cut tree + one-use trees for non browns?), but if the family is strong enough and persists maybe their town can live for another few generations. And then a brown family is discovered nearby! The white family's rubber harvest is so tedious and low-yield that it makes the most sense to trade or pair up with the brown family now, and the rubber trade begins.

But right now stories like that are impossible. If you're the wrong color or if your tools slots are full...then just give up on what needs done. There's nothing you can do. It doesn't make for a good game, IMO.

pein · 2020-02-17 22:14:33

drop the whole shit, add stamina, each job requires stamina so asking others to help would be required
refilling stamina would consume special foods, some foods would be good to fill hunger but bad for stamina, some would be good for energy but not for food
other effects of working like jobs which could produce different results based on you strength, working a lot would increase strength

PeachyCheech · 2020-02-18 06:47:13

pein wrote:

drop the whole shit, add stamina, each job requires stamina so asking others to help would be required
refilling stamina would consume special foods, some foods would be good to fill hunger but bad for stamina, some would be good for energy but not for food
other effects of working like jobs which could produce different results based on you strength, working a lot would increase strength

I like this idea.

When starting a new settlement it's incredibly frustrating to run out of tool slots. It makes no sense to be unable to learn something because I've already learned XYZ, especially when some tools are needed to progress to others. If I can use a spindle and make yarn why can't I use the loom or knitting needles? When learning how to make clothes I spent my life learning the whole process of husbandry and then at old age when I had finally gotten ready to make clothes, I couldn't use the loom or knitting needles because I was out of tools slots. Life wasted.

I get that it gives a purpose to the genetic fitness leaderboards, so we can get extra tool slots and it makes it more competitive to play but I consider this a life simulator and there's no limit to how much you can learn in life, it really makes no sense to me.

Last edited by PeachyCheech (2020-02-18 06:50:11)

Amon · 2020-02-18 08:08:49

Having them separate in profession is a lot more elegant in my opinion, plus over time as tech improves, so will the jobs improve with more tools. (Vaccines when?)
Most people end up doing one job in their life, this mechanic would perfectly align with that player behavior and reinforce/limit it.
Having some extra tool slots come from the gene score would now be a boon
Instead of people keeping their gene score low for a tolerable amount of tool slots.

Also I would seperate builder and carpenter.

JasonY · 2020-02-18 12:06:33

Could have it so professions get a few different "tech levels". Like an Industrial Smith gets all the machines, Ind farmers get refueling, etc.

Futuristic Smith gets a robotics lab, Farmers get hydroponics, etc.

Coconut Fruit · 2020-02-19 02:29:55

Or just remove tool slots completely.
Game was simple, yet great and enjoyable af.
Who cares that we could solo oil... everyone had fun. Why not making the game harder in different ways? Why do we still have +4 pips food bonus for every food? I liked it way more when it was +2.
While I can stand toold slots, it's playable, I can't stand race specializations at all.

My perfect vision for the game would be something like this:
No tool slots, no race specializations. Food bonus +2, all wild foods would be finite, rabbits woudn't respawn, backpacks would decay (but make another way to craft it from domestic animals), food pips would drain faster but yumming would give more bonus (to make yumming the only efficient way - it would be cool to actually care for having many food types in the town).
That's just for beginning. Later on could add some actually cool mechanics, instead of bs :D

In the very first video I saw on youtube about this game, it was shown how hard survival this game is. "Can we afford this baby?", "Better not keep babies yet". I loved this concept. As a beginner I was totally fine if my family didn't want to keep me, because it couldn't afford a baby. You don't want to keep a baby? It's totally fine and up to you. I loved it, therefore I would remove all "disadvantages" for dying young and I would find better mechanics for fitness score. Also genetic fitness should have very little impact on the game (maybe a little bit more food pips for those with high score? maybe only at old age? idk)

I believe this topic was made to make compromise with Jason on tools slots and race specializations, but let's be honest, this game would be better without those at all.

One Hour One Life Forums

#1 2020-02-17 17:20:19

Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#2 2020-02-17 20:16:40

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#3 2020-02-17 22:14:33

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#4 2020-02-18 06:47:13

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#5 2020-02-18 08:08:49

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#6 2020-02-18 12:06:33

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

#7 2020-02-19 02:29:55

Re: Tool slot and race restriction overhaul suggestions

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