Power-ups and size of the board up to 9x9, 5 players

[gdgdgdgd]

There should be powerups like more speed.
You should be able to select the size of the board to a maxium of 9x9.
Also up to 5 players.

[piete]

I personally think the original MULE is as close to perfection as a game can be. But it doesn't mean another version or game couldn't get there, too.

I'm for sure willing to experiment any new versions of the game. Most of the new ideas presented on this forum are very interesting and I can't wait to play something different.

Don't remember if somebody has already said it but the playfield could be in "3d" in a sense of a rotating planet, if you run enough to one direction you would end up again in the store. So even bigger than 9x9. With even more players. And a longer game... or not if everybody does their development simultaneously. Then the auctions could be simultaneous, too, with the screen divided in different auctions, with some kind of mouse-driven management... so a bigger and shorter game, what about that?

Sorry to digress but this post gave me these ideas...

[gdgdgdgd]

Thanks for the ideas

[gdgdgdgd]

please more people give ideas

[piete]

Commenting my previous comment: the "3d" planet would do justice to the name "Planet M.U.L.E." so I really hope it is taken into consideration!

[gdgdgdgd]

yes, because if not it isnt a planet.

[Jaradakar]

There should be powerups like more speed.
You should be able to select the size of the board to a maxium of 9x9.
Also up to 5 players.

Currently I believe the discussion for MULE 2010 is to increase the number of players to 5 -- which naturally leads to needing the map/grid to also be bigger.

Of course one of the other goals is to speed the game up so that games don't take 1.5 hours (I think the goal is to get it down to just 1 hour).  Which if you think about it, adding a 5th player adds time so it's not an easy challenge.

[piete]

Of course one of the other goals is to speed the game up so that games don't take 1.5 hours (I think the goal is to get it down to just 1 hour).  Which if you think about it, adding a 5th player adds time so it's not an easy challenge.

Not necessarily, see what I wrote earlier. If development AND auctions happen simultaneously, a game can become even shorter. Handling the auctions simultaneously in practice will be a challenge and will require at least mouse control.

[gdgdgdgd]

We actually dont need to use mouse piete.
Because we can use the arrows.
??

[piete]

Using arrows may be too slow to handle 4 simultaneous auctions. At least that's the feeling I've got but I'm willing to test either implementation.

[gdgdgdgd]

well that maybe can be true.

[Jaradakar]

Of course one of the other goals is to speed the game up so that games don't take 1.5 hours (I think the goal is to get it down to just 1 hour).  Which if you think about it, adding a 5th player adds time so it's not an easy challenge.

Not necessarily, see what I wrote earlier. If development AND auctions happen simultaneously, a game can become even shorter. Handling the auctions simultaneously in practice will be a challenge and will require at least mouse control.

I'm not sure adding mouse control is a great idea.  It really depends on future plans for consoles.  If they developers plan on expanding the game to consoles it might be better to stick to the more joystick control scheme.

As to simultaneously phases that is also being discussed as well as a more radical real time version.

Problems that occur in my mind is that for auctions to really work well and be a social experience they need to happen at the same time.  Yes, you could move to a more ebay like structure where you post min and max bids so that you can choose when you want to go to the auction house.  One idea I had was that all auctions would resolve at a specific time no matter when you post them.  So that way everyone (if they want to) could head to the AH to try to under cut each other all at the same time.  Unless of course you set your max bid to be really high and don't care...

While real time (RTS?) would speed things up a ton... I'm still not 100% it's the right direction to go.  Would it still feel like MULE?  To me part of MULE's charm and character is it's turn based board game like feel.  So will see what the dev's think (I'd love to try a real time version ;-)

[Keybounce]

As to the size, how about very, very large.

Don't increase the turn time. Land plots close to the center have more value than land plots farther away.

[gdgdgdgd]

thats true
if you are in the center you are near the market

[gdgdgdgd]

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