Comments on: Flight of the Atropos http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/ Wed, 10 Sep 2014 20:17:18 +0000 hourly 1 By: Harbour Master http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/#comment-10017 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:19:45 +0000 http://thesiteformerlyknownas.zachtronicsindustries.com/?p=630#comment-10017 I may be really late to this party, but that really looked like a lot of fun, like a Disney simulation but actually having to do something. With other people. I love the dot matrix printouts.

Maybe this would be a great thing to make for teambuilding courses.

]]> By: Alsee http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/#comment-3782 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000 http://thesiteformerlyknownas.zachtronicsindustries.com/?p=630#comment-3782 The photo with "ARS-24 Instructions" inspired an idea. Part of the game and challenge could be for the team members to interact with each other, communicating their individual needs and balancing competing desires between players in order to succeed. Before the game each player gets a few minutes to examine their instruction packet for the role they are going to play. For example the Navigator packet lays out the fact that three different navigation terminals exist: ARS-24, automated ARS-25, and enhanced ARS-26. The ARS-24 instructions are even uglier than your original ARS-24 Instructions, requiring the navigator to preform obviously unmanageable calculations in their head in order to set course. Running the automated ARS-25 terminal requires a few very simple steps, taking maybe 10 seconds to set a course or activate an FTL jump. The enhanced ARS-26 is dead-lazy where just click what you want and instantly go. When the players get in game the first thing they can do is buy ship upgrades/weapons/cargo/whatever. When the team launches the space station will radio with an order "Set course and move out, you’re blocking traffic". If the team failed to upgrade from the basic ARS-25 navigation system they won’t be able to move and station command will tow them back in, billing them for the tow and an upgrade to their navigation system (maybe seizing cargo or whatever to cover the cost). If the Navigator failed to tell the commander he couldn’t run the basic ARS-24 navigation system, or if the commander fails to buy the upgrade to solve that problem, then the team gets penalized for it. The Navigator would prefer the enhanced ARS-26 system over the automated ARS-25, and the team would definitely benefit from the faster navigation response, but the commander must trade that off against getting more weapons or cargo or something when preparing the ship for launch.
Another example for team members to interact with each other, communicating their individual needs and balancing conflicting desires, could be done with ship energy. The various player all want to do stuff at the same time during a crisis – firing weapons, moving the ship to dodge asteroids, scanners to detect threats and see what the hell is going on out there, communications to calm a hostile ship or call for help, shields, life support, whatever. The point is that there isn’t enough power for everyone to do everything at once, and the players need to communicated with each other what they NEED to get and what they would strongly prefer to get, and someone has to decide who gets power and decides which player-desires get denied power. Are we going to deny power to the weapons and use engines to dodge asteroids and flee the attacking enemy? Are we going to kill the engines and use weapons to blast incoming asteroids and attack the enemy? Are we going to risk cutting life support for a minute (room goes dark and LOUD annoying sirens) to both dodge asteroids and fire on the enemy?
The general theme I’m thinking is finding multiple ways to give the players conflicting needs and desires, forcing them in their role to communicate with their teammates and to effectively resolve those competing needs and desires. "I’m Tactical officer and I really *really* want to fire my guns, but Navigation is telling me we’re going to hit a planet and die if i don’t give him total power for the engines."

]]> By: cyberjacob http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/#comment-3781 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:08:00 +0000 http://thesiteformerlyknownas.zachtronicsindustries.com/?p=630#comment-3781 WOW. I think I could make something like this but would need a bit of help,
Zach could you send me some plans or even just how you used the PCs i.e. code.
Thanks
I will post pictures when im done btw what is pygame

]]> By: Blueation http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/#comment-3780 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:42:00 +0000 http://thesiteformerlyknownas.zachtronicsindustries.com/?p=630#comment-3780 I like the idea, I think that it had been very hard to make (or am I wrong?). But, if I could, I would build a version where you can fly alone (or with two or three persons), so you don’t always have to be with more people than 1 player and a game master to play it. Maybe a good idea for you?

]]> By: Christian http://s260278621.onlinehome.us/flight-of-the-atropos/#comment-3779 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:14:00 +0000 http://thesiteformerlyknownas.zachtronicsindustries.com/?p=630#comment-3779 The concept is highly interesting, and it looks like your group executed it very well.
I actually think i have to go and try to build something similar myself, just to try it out.

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