Ways to speed-up game without affecting gameplay

[C64 nostalgia]

These are simple but will cut bits (bits add up) of time without affecting game mechanics:


Skip crystite auction completely if no one has any crystite (like in the original game)

Skip the timer part of a land auction if no one can afford to buy the plot

Increase the production speed during the production phase of development

If a player holds down (or up) during an auction sale, the rate of sale increases (like in the original game)


I'm sure more time-savers exist, so please share them. However please only post suggestions that don't change "the rules" or the rough feel of the MULE.

[piete]

1. Allow player start development pressing fire (skipping the counter).

2. Show player events faster. Then go to step 1.

3. Speed up development timer to resemble more original. I can develop at least 4 new plots, original max 3. I can switch easily 6 left-side plots (max 4 in original). I can release 7-8 mules for smithore gambit, in original max 4 (if I remember correctly but nevertheless there's a big difference). Anyway, this part requires a lot of testing and tweaking if we want to have parity with the original.

4. Not only crystite, but skip also smithore in the rare event of no ore (according to Kroah total lack of food or energy ends the game, I have never experienced this though).

5. Speed up the production animation of auction phases (and after reaching top of the screen you can jump directly to the totals).

6. Speed up the timer to choose buy or sell.

7. Speed up the characters walking in status screen.

8. Skip round 12 auctions (which Intergalactic Mole disagrees, although I already agree with him that the Atari version is the best).

[dynadan]

Some great suggestions guys.  I think this is an area that we can all agree on (finally!!)  MULE would be a lot more popular if the games played a little faster.

I agree with all of the suggestions C64 Nostalgia made.  Although i would make the production phase gradually get faster as the game progresses (The first few rounds the current speed works great....it's only in the later rounds that 1 person not clicking can cause everyone to wait 1 -2 min for production phase.)

I don't agree with all of the suggestion Piete made....so i will address them individually.

1. Great suggestion  (will also help with people not being ready at the start of their turn)

2. I don't think this needs any change as long as #1 is implemented  (people can read the events if they want or decide to click right away.)

3.  I would leave this alone.  I don't think the problems in this regard are due to the timer speed difference.  I have mentioned in another thread that the timer moved twice as fast when you moved diagnally in the original c64 version (not sure about atari)  I think this is what is causing the differences in what you are able to do during a turn.  Personally i think the timer is perfect exactly like it is now.

4.  agree on this.  I like the game ending if there is no food or energy in the colony.  (makes for a possible failure scenario which i think improves the game.

5.  I would leave this alone.  This really doesn't add much time to the game, and i think it adds value by adding suspense to the game.

6.  I would leave this alone also.  I think the speed is perfect creates a certain amount of meta-game and let people go up and down several times.  Speeding this up would cause serious problems if someone lags for a second.

7.  No opinion on this one.  My guess is any time you could shave off by making them walk faster would just be added on by people taking a little longer to click.  How it is now seems true to the original.

8.  They already did and is working great.


I have thought of a couple more that i think could speed the game up also.

A.  In situations where all units have been bought or sold make the timer move faster or even just end the auction.  i.e.  Everyone has sold all their crystite.  i.e. Everyone is on buy side for food, energy, or ore and the store gets bought out.

B.  Make the land auction timer move twice (maybe 3 times) as fast if only 1 person has enough money to buy land.  The latest update is great, but its been a while now and everyone still runs up immediately even if they are the only one with money, thus causing the timer to slow down and wasting a lot of time.

[piete]

Thanks dynadan, some comments on your comments...

1. Great suggestion  (will also help with people not being ready at the start of their turn)

I meant that the counter would still tick, otherwise this could be abused and it would make the game even longer.

2. I don't think this needs any change as long as #1 is implemented  (people can read the events if they want or decide to click right away.)

It is important for other players to see the player events, like glac-elves who only appear once and thus define the food strategy. Although if I remember correctly, you could skip this in the original, too. So maybe you're right.

3.  I would leave this alone.  I don't think the problems in this regard are due to the timer speed difference.  I have mentioned in another thread that the timer moved twice as fast when you moved diagnally in the original c64 version (not sure about atari)  I think this is what is causing the differences in what you are able to do during a turn.  Personally i think the timer is perfect exactly like it is now.

For me it is a big change in game dynamics if you can switch 6 plots instead of 3. A better solution for me would be making the player movement slower, but since this thread was about speed-up...

A.  In situations where all units have been bought or sold make the timer move faster or even just end the auction.  i.e.  Everyone has sold all their crystite.  i.e. Everyone is on buy side for food, energy, or ore and the store gets bought out.

True. Moreover, this game differs from the original in such way that the store is immediately updated, and selling stuff to store makes them appear for sale, even if the store was originally empty. If the original mechanics were followed, more possibilities to speed up the game would be available.

[dynadan]

Ahh ok i understand your 1st suggestion now.  I still think it is a good idea. 

I think the other reason that we can get more done is because you don't have to have the mule in the plot to let go.  And also the extra 2 store exits.  With the speed we have now, it is just barely possible to place 3 mules on the farthest plots from the store.  And it is super hard to place 6 mules (must be expert player with near perfect plot placement).  I am just freaked out by the notion of messing around with turn timer like what happened with land auctions.  Turn timing is the most important aspect of this game and not so easy to adjust to.

[piete]

Turn timing is the most important aspect of this game and not so easy to adjust to.

I think they really hit the mark with the original since it always seems there's not enough time. And playing with humanoid is like playing expert difficulty level on original Gameboy Tetris

[C64 nostalgia]

I put my responses in bold in the following quotes:

1. Allow player start development pressing fire (skipping the counter).
Good

2. Show player events faster. Then go to step 1.
Showing events faster is fine by me. But like in the original, we could start development at any time during the showing (even before the event text appears).

3. Speed up development timer to resemble more original. I can develop at least 4 new plots, original max 3. I can switch easily 6 left-side plots (max 4 in original). I can release 7-8 mules for smithore gambit, in original max 4 (if I remember correctly but nevertheless there's a big difference). Anyway, this part requires a lot of testing and tweaking if we want to have parity with the original.
This definitely affects gameplay and should be discussed in another thread.

4. Not only crystite, but skip also smithore in the rare event of no ore (according to Kroah total lack of food or energy ends the game, I have never experienced this though).
Don't skip smithore completely... we need to see the price.

5. Speed up the production animation of auction phases (and after reaching top of the screen you can jump directly to the totals).
I like the suspense, too.

6. Speed up the timer to choose buy or sell.
Sure, I guess?

7. Speed up the characters walking in status screen.
Sure, I guess? A wash...

I have thought of a couple more that i think could speed the game up also.

A.  In situations where all units have been bought or sold make the timer move faster or even just end the auction.  i.e.  Everyone has sold all their crystite.  i.e. Everyone is on buy side for food, energy, or ore and the store gets bought out.
Great Idea.

B.  Make the land auction timer move twice (maybe 3 times) as fast if only 1 person has enough money to buy land.  The latest update is great, but its been a while now and everyone still runs up immediately even if they are the only one with money, thus causing the timer to slow down and wasting a lot of time.
Good