crystite assays

[rodz]

to improve risk and reward assaying should cost 1 food unit. on entering assay in store player immediatly loses 1 food unit of time

[kipley]

Whether assays are rewarding enough even as it stands right now is debatable.  In the current system you already pay a time penalty to do the assay.  And any information you gain from an assay is shared by ALL players, not just you.

I've seen many players content to never do their own assays as it is.  They instead just watch other player's assay, and they spend their extra time getting higher returns gambling in the pub.

You propose to punish the people doing the assaying even more than they are already?  I can't see why.  The reward for assaying is already minuscule (since it's globally shared information).

Now on the other hand, if the results of the assays were revealed ONLY to the player that made them, then I could see making the assay cost more, as in that case the info would actually be quite valuable.

[rodz]

yes you are right kipley.had that thought but forgot to put it in. only the player doing assay should be able to see result

[gdgdgdgd]

it should cost 10 dollars because other players
can see it but only for some seconds

P.S:good game with Gohar,Mute,Rodz,and i (gdgdgdgd)

[kipley]

it should cost 10 dollars because other players
can see it but only for some seconds

Respectfully disagree.  Players like me make note of all other player's assays on paper.  So no matter who does the assay, I get the information.  There's already a built-in penalty for doing the assay (it takes time/food, and thereby reduces the average amount you'll win in the pub gambling after wasting time doing assays).

On the other hand, 10 dollars is a pretty small additional penalty, so it wouldn't change the gameplay much.  But it also wouldn't really do anything to improve the game, either, in my opinion.... so why add a feature that doesn't really make the game better?

[mulefan]

M.U.L.E. was often referred to as an economic simulation as well as a game, so when proposing changes to the game's implementation we should make them relate to some economic theory, IMHO.

I always regarded assaying as representing research and development (R&D). But it is kind of pointless, when you have to share your findings with everybody else. So I would vote for making assaying hidden. I also think that assaying players are penalized enough by spending time that could be used for wampus hunting, development or gambling (what economic theory would this represent  ).

[C64]

I agree, it would be better if assays are private.  There's not much point in the leader assaying when he won't get the plot.

[Metahive]

I think the assay results should only be available to the player doing it. And it should cost 25.

[veridia]

Crystite assays already have the downside of informing everyone where the crystite is. Assays do not need to be nerfed with extra costs, they were perfectly fine exactly the way they were in the original.