Ideas for Literature

[dannyisdude]

I think that there should be some changes to the way literature, like books, magazines, comic book, and newspapers work. First of all, these things shouldn't disappear when you use them. Once you've read a book, you should be able to read it a second time for half the stats as the first time. This represent how when you read a book a second time, you generally notice things you didn't on the first read. After this second read, the stats for reading the book should go down drastically.  Next, over time, the stats for reading a book you've already read should slowly go back up as you forget the details, characters, and plot of the book, to the point that after maybe, say, a year, you have forgotten the book entirely. This would encourage players to build libraries of books, not only for single player, but especially for multiplayer. This way, players can share books and other literature to prevent boredom and sadness. This all would also make it easier in the long run to prevent boredom and sadness.

[Keshash]

Sounds very good! 

 

I understand, that it'd require a lot of work, but I would love to see some readable for player books, that would tell more about PZ's lore. WIth same boredom-reducing stats, too.

[Okamikurainya]

@dannyisdude

It is a cool idea, but I'm worried it could get a bit annoying. Though we certainly do need a way to make keeping books worthwhile.

 

@Keshash

Like in Elderscrolls and such? I used to spend hours reading all the books in Morrowind. XD

I'd be up for writing some if the work load is a bit much, I'd be happy to!
Here's an example of me starting a zombie story in space: http://fav.me/d4nlr8d

Edited July 18, 2016 by Okamikurainya

[Scyoni]

It's a neat idea but would require books with specific titles... Honestly one of the things I love about Hydrocraft and it's ridiculous amount of books is collecting them. I always have to designate a room in my base to be a library - but that adds to the whole "end of the world" feeling IMO, as you want to collect and preserve as much knowledge as possible (while ripping up duplicate books to start fires  )

 

After a few reads a book could actually go into the negatives. I don't know about you, but I remember reading a book through once or twice in school for English class - and wanting to slam my head into the desk when I had to go over it AGAIN looking for the answer to some inane question. Unless it's your favorite story there comes a point where reading it is very far from fun.

 

 

@Keshkash's idea is interesting - but I'm not really sure how practical in this instance? I mean my understanding of PZ is that it takes place in what is basically the real world in the 90s. Fantasy games have a lot more content to shove into original books to elaborate on setting. Newspapers and magazines could have small tidbits of information about what led up to the end of the world in articles and headlines - but in terms of actual 'books' you wouldn't get much plot.

 

Skill books could have another option to open a kind of skill tutorial though - just a brief explanation of how a skill works, how to level it up, and what it applies to. I mean a lot of us have been playing the game for a while and take for granted knowing how to do things because we've tested them as they were released - but the tutorial for the game is pretty limited, and setting things up so that the 'tutorial' is an OPTIONAL feature included in the skillbooks would be immersive, useful, and in terms of game design a far better approach to teaching players than a front-loaded set of instructions. Depending on how detailed the information provided is (for example the more advanced cooking books might have recipes in them?) it might be worth it to hold onto them as reference materials, meaning they don't lose all value to you the instant you finish reading them.

[Magic Mark]

Wanted to get this in before somebody makes the "this makes books OP" argument,

 

I think this is very reasonable considering it is disheartening to get your boredom/happiness up as-is when there is so many ways the player could potentially  find entertainment that don't currently give them. I understand there is work going into new ways to fill these stats, but books definitely could use an improvement in the way you have presented.

 

To be up front about my opinion - the idea of a book disappearing because somebody read it is a pretty big logic hole especially when it comes to multiplayer, where at the least it could just use the "already read/unread" tag used in magazines to prevent people from continuously using the same the book while still letting other people read them.

 

I like this idea, but I could see why it wouldn't be desirable to make the coding for books too complex/memory using.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2016 by Kim Jong Un

[MyTJ]

On ‎2016‎-‎07‎-‎21 at 2:01 AM, Scyoni said:

(...)

 

After a few reads a book could actually go into the negatives. I don't know about you, but I remember reading a book through once or twice in school for English class - and wanting to slam my head into the desk when I had to go over it AGAIN looking for the answer to some inane question. Unless it's your favorite story there comes a point where reading it is very far from fun.

 

I had the same concern.  It could go away overtime but I share @Kim Jong Un concern about memory.  I think a read/unread tag would serve the cause enough.  Maybe even a read once/twice/whatever number is required to get to the worst stats for a book.

 

On ‎2016‎-‎07‎-‎21 at 2:01 AM, Scyoni said:

@Keshkash's idea is interesting - but I'm not really sure how practical in this instance? I mean my understanding of PZ is that it takes place in what is basically the real world in the 90s. Fantasy games have a lot more content to shove into original books to elaborate on setting. Newspapers and magazines could have small tidbits of information about what led up to the end of the world in articles and headlines - but in terms of actual 'books' you wouldn't get much plot.

 

Still, books from that era could be fun.  Newspapers and magazines with headlines from the past  But it involve quite a bit of research.  I'd settle for reusable books (at least for fires).

 

On ‎2016‎-‎07‎-‎21 at 2:01 AM, Scyoni said:

 

Skill books could have another option to open a kind of skill tutorial though - just a brief explanation of how a skill works, how to level it up, and what it applies to. I mean a lot of us have been playing the game for a while and take for granted knowing how to do things because we've tested them as they were released - but the tutorial for the game is pretty limited, and setting things up so that the 'tutorial' is an OPTIONAL feature included in the skillbooks would be immersive, useful, and in terms of game design a far better approach to teaching players than a front-loaded set of instructions. Depending on how detailed the information provided is (for example the more advanced cooking books might have recipes in them?) it might be worth it to hold onto them as reference materials, meaning they don't lose all value to you the instant you finish reading them.

 

That's an interesting idea.  It could also include what it unlocks (such as carpentry level vs what you can build).  I'm not sure I understand what you mean for the recipes though.  Are you talking about bread and such?  If so it would remove the need for those magazine so I don't think it would happen.

 

If you're thinking about ideas of recipes (such as rabbit and mushroom styr fried with a red wine sauce?), that would be great

 

12 hours ago, Kim Jong Un said:

Wanted to get this in before somebody makes the "this makes books OP" argument,

 

I think this is very reasonable considering it is disheartening to get your boredom/happiness up as-is when there is so many ways the player could potentially  find entertainment that don't currently give them. I understand there is work going into new ways to fill these stats, but books definitely could use an improvement in the way you have presented.

 

To be up front about my opinion - the idea of a book disappearing because somebody read it is a pretty big logic hole especially when it comes to multiplayer, where at the least it could just use the "already read/unread" tag used in magazines to prevent people from continuously using the same the book while still letting other people read them.

 

I like this idea, but I could see why it wouldn't be desirable to make the coding for books too complex/memory using.

 

 

I share your concern for erosion on specific book.  I like the idea of a simple tag.  After a book has lost it's use to you (and/or your team) you could always burn it.  Same for newspaper and magazines.

[Rass]

Right now the happiness/boredom system is set up in such a way that unless you're trying to survive on worms, you don't need to pay much attention to it. The idea is good, but there would need to be an overhaul of the whole system for it to affect gameplay in any way.

[Scyoni]

Said overhaul is probably going to be a thing, whenever they decide to get back to managing sanity and actually giving it side effects. 

 

[Magic Mark]

6 hours ago, Rass said:

Right now the happiness/boredom system is set up in such a way that unless you're trying to survive on worms, you don't need to pay much attention to it. The idea is good, but there would need to be an overhaul of the whole system for it to affect gameplay in any way.

From my interpenetration it isn't as much about the happiness boost as it is not having the book suddenly not exist because the text on it has been absorbed and the idea of being able to share it with others.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Kim Jong Un

[GOGOblin]

On 21.07.2016 at 9:01 AM, Scyoni said:

Honestly one of the things I love about Hydrocraft and it's ridiculous amount of books is collecting them.

Yes yes yes, this is what PZ needs.

Collecting books could give us "challenge on demand" that improves gameplay (and inspires from-town-to-town roaming).

Reading books may be a part of "sanity mechanics" remastering.

I hate Hydrocraft, but those "endless" books are extremely good and realistic. 

 

Whenever black thoughts come into your head,
Uncork yourself another Champagne bottle
Or reread 'Le mariage de Figaro.'"

 

Just like a guide to PZ mood modifiers..

 

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by GOGOblin

[Okamikurainya]

A simple fix is make all books based on how the skill books work. They'll give you a large happiness boost and a boredom boost but will give it gradually over the time you're reading the book, like how the skill books work. To pass the time for the real player, maybe it would have a small text to read while it's busy in game reading, rather than leave the player twiddling their thumbs or clicking the time speed up. The skill books could work the same way, bringing up a simplistic text on how to do some things based on the level of the book you're reading.

[MyTJ]

2 hours ago, Okamikurainya said:

A simple fix is make all books based on how the skill books work. They'll give you a large happiness boost and a boredom boost but will give it gradually over the time you're reading the book, like how the skill books work. To pass the time for the real player, maybe it would have a small text to read while it's busy in game reading, rather than leave the player twiddling their thumbs or clicking the time speed up. The skill books could work the same way, bringing up a simplistic text on how to do some things based on the level of the book you're reading.

 

I like that twist on the idea, especialy if combined with a "read" tag that allow you to keep it.  Once you got you're full boost from a book, you're free to keep it to share with friends, as a souvenir/trophy or even burn it.

[Scyoni]

This is true... It would actually be neat if there were a 'reading' animation... to show what the player was doing, besides. There's a lot of creepy nights in my MP games where my friends and I seem to stand and stare vacantly into space for hours while telepathically reading books somehow, but I know that's a cosmetic thing that'll come later if it comes at all.

[MyTJ]

42 minutes ago, Scyoni said:

This is true... It would actually be neat if there were a 'reading' animation... to show what the player was doing, besides. There's a lot of creepy nights in my MP games where my friends and I seem to stand and stare vacantly into space for hours while telepathically reading books somehow, but I know that's a cosmetic thing that'll come later if it comes at all.

 

We'll have to remember that for after the animations overhaul.  If it's already in there, great.  If not... we can always make a specific suggestion.

 

Or should we suggest it now?  While they are working on it?

 

Agreed it's not the thing you do most of the time, as opposed to running/climbing/fighting... but since skill books are a big part of the character developpement process... maybe it's significant enough.

[Guest]

On 7/18/2016 at 0:07 PM, dannyisdude said:

I think that there should be some changes to the way literature, like books, magazines, comic book, and newspapers work. First of all, these things shouldn't disappear when you use them. Once you've read a book, you should be able to read it a second time for half the stats as the first time. This represent how when you read a book a second time, you generally notice things you didn't on the first read. After this second read, the stats for reading the book should go down drastically.  Next, over time, the stats for reading a book you've already read should slowly go back up as you forget the details, characters, and plot of the book, to the point that after maybe, say, a year, you have forgotten the book entirely. This would encourage players to build libraries of books, not only for single player, but especially for multiplayer. This way, players can share books and other literature to prevent boredom and sadness. This all would also make it easier in the long run to prevent boredom and sadness.

UR A BOOK,

 

 

Now with that out of the way: This seems like a good idea. I would really like to see this put in.  

[MyTJ]

Thinking back on OP idea, there may be a way to get diminishing bonus with additionnal read through but still have a low impact as far as tracking is involved.

 

Like weapon repairs, there could be multiple tags for a book (but based on the player... however that would work !?!).  Obviously there would be "unread", "read once", "read twice" ... up to "read that boring old thing far too many times".

 

[GOGOblin]

12 hours ago, Scyoni said:

'reading' animation

http://map.projectzomboid.com/?desc=Survival_1xL0#0.8210088413227502,0.15481127945809708,905.8088930936614

 

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,               
Over many a quaint and curious volume of reducing bore                                  
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,               
As of some one gently rapping, scratching at my chamber door.                  
`'Tis some lonely zombie raoming, scratching at my chamber door -
Lonely zed, and nothing more.'

 

Grabbing knife from kitchen taken, I stood up completely waken
Willing to - by means of weapons - set the zed to final rest.
"F***ing zombie! I was reading to reduce the stress of feeding
Feeding myself with a roasted mouse at the times of best.
So be it, the door I open, enter now, unbidden guest!
Enter, stinky rotten pest!"

 

Once the door was opened widely, that zed stepped in roaring wildely
But without a sign of fear I have stabbed him with my blade. 
Through the jaw and through the palate pierced the knife. It should be valid 
To admit I have a tallent, skill to manage the decayed!
"Zed is dead" - I grinned in darkness - "There is nothing to afraid.
Back to reading I delayed!"

 

(Tried my best, I hope this is still english)

Edited July 26, 2016 by GOGOblin