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Sep-3-2008 21:45

I've been doing some brainstorming with a few people, and wanted to write some of them up here. What do y'all think? We'd like to hear your feedback.

Also, here's a place to post YOUR brainstorms, ideas, suggestions, or what have you. Get creative, and have fun!! ;-D

Sep-3-2008 21:55

I put this up in another post, but thought it'd be more appropriate if it went here:

As I said on Ctown's debut broadcast on 8/17/08, I've been brainstorming on this for a bit now. This idea incorporates multiple new ideas that various people have suggested (sometimes multiple times) on the boards:

1. A new kind of hunt
2. A new jail in each city (ironically, something of an oddity that we seem to lack here at Sleuth)
3. Random difficulty levels for favors
4. A possibility of getting rid on an unwanted contact
5. An expansion of reward items
6. An expansion of hidden 'Big Lucy' type establishments
7. A possible better use of the Detective Shops

The hunt would involve probably 10 target favors total, 2 from each city. Case file and agency access in home cities would be and admin decision, but I'd be inclined to allow it due to the probable length of this kind of hunt, and the fact that everyone will have equal access (and, as favors cannot be stored, there's no undue advantage given there).

How it would work:

Each city would have a jail/prison of some sort except Shangri-la (probably wouldn't need one there). I start off by going to either any jail or a specific one (admin's choice there), and inquiring if they need any help. I'm told that yes, they do need some help. A certain villain, Baron Mortimer Aryaman, for example, has escaped from custody and is on the loose. They'd be much appreciative if I tracked the miscreant down for them. Last they heard, he was last seen in Delhi (for example). Bon voyage, bye bye, buy bonds.
Once in Delhi, I contact the jail there to learn that the Postal Clerk (for example) has been heard about town possibly to have some info on my boy. Being nice to her may help my cause....
So, I work 3 cases. I come up with a bartender favor. Now, in this new kind of hunt, favors can be ANY!!!! level difficulty--Intermediate to Almost Impossible. In this case (example only), I get a Stupendously Hard case, with a reward potentially worth $9600. (Cont'd)

Sep-3-2008 21:55

After solving it, I do 3 more cases, come up with a Podiatrist favor, hard level ($1600 reward). This goes on until I come across my blipety-blip Postal Clerk favor. Yay. There's the good news. Bad news is, it's an Almost Impossible level (potential payout--$38,400). Three threads and a hair. Peachy. I go through the case, get down to two suspects. Do I guess or do I quit? Being the old codger I am, I quit. Back to the drawing board....
Eventually, after umpty-ump more cases and random-level favors, I come across the P. C. again. This time it's a Riduculously Hard case this time ($19,200 potential reward). Through an unbelievable strike of luck (or perhaps pure stupidity ;-), I manage to solve the thing. In addition to the reward, the Postal Clerk tells me that my fugitive was here, but fled just before I arrived. I might want to go talk to the Fortune Teller here in Delhi now.
Now, another twist to this hunt. The P.C. (theoretically) is my contact. Because she's harbored a fugitive from justice, and has actively refused to tell me anything about it for all this time, she's violated my trust in her. I now have the option of severing our relationship and looking for a new contact, or choosing to keep her as my standard Delhi one (two tabs would appear, and I would have to choose one of them).
After that, the whole process starts all over again, until I find the Fortune Teller. Boom. First favor I get, it's her. Really hard level case, fairly easy to solve, $3200 reward. She tells me (again) that my guy was there, but took off just before I arrived. She thinks the Baron is headed to Cairo. I'm off to my next city.
The process repeats through all 5 cities, New York, London, Shanghai, Delhi, and Cairo. At the last city, with the last favor, I finally capture my fugitive. YYYAAAYYY!!!!!!!!! Now I drag him back to whatever jail I started out at, and collect my reward.

(Cont'd)

Sep-3-2008 21:56

Here, there are a couple of options that could be implemented:
1. I could simply get a large lump sum of cash from the jail, and I'm done.

2. I receive some kind of certificate, redeemable for various things I can look through at the Detective Shop, or again, said large lump of cash (All items in the Detective Shops would be the same in all cities.).

3. I receive some kind of certificate (again), redeemable for various things I can find at a 'Big Lucy' type of establishment found in each city (Items available in each city would be unique and fitting to that city, but again would still be worth the same large lump of cash as 1. and 2.).

Sep-3-2008 22:13

Another idea I've explored with a few people is the idea of expanding the hidden mobile 'Big Lucy' type of establishments to the other cities. My idea would involve having one mobile site in each city, and one permanently fixed site. In order to get to the permanent one, one would have to go through the mobile one. Each site, mobile and permanent, would have a variety of things to do. A list of places in each city follows:

NY -- Big Lucy's (mobile) and a beach (permanent) (possibly Coney Island)

London -- A double-decker bus (mobile) and the London Zoo (permanent)

Shanghai -- A mahjongg/checkers/chess game (mobile) and a secret garden/pagoda (permanent)

Delhi -- A polo or cricket match (mobile) and an underground river cave (permanent)

Cairo -- A pirates' tavern or nomads' camp (mobile) and an archeological dig (permanent)

Shangri-la -- A candlemaker's cart (mobile) and a buddhist temple (permanent)

New York may also have the possibility of having a secondary expansion like the installation of a Casino, taking place through the Beach.

Sep-4-2008 02:56

'In order to get to the permanent one, one would have to go through the mobile one. '

I think that this might have to be changed or to apply for only some. Or it might work completely but it'll take some creativity to figure out how a cricket match and an underground cave are connected.

I like your hunt idea a lot btw!

Sep-4-2008 03:01

If all is get implemented , we will talk about a Noir Expansion who will have many more twists , will be more challenging and with actually many new things to discover.It will be a huge project and I am quite sure that will attract more people to the game both from Shades and others unfamiliar with the Sleuth Community.

Maybe some new factions can be introduced too , both of them mobile , like Pirates and the Romanov family with some new exciting skills:~)This could add even more depth in the game especially for those with really high experience
score.

Also , how about a certificate of non-retirement ?Meaning that if you have gathered a certain amount of certificates , you could get a special certificate from Big Lucy that could help you avoid retirement after having done 3 FAs.

When it comes to that special hunt , I really like it although it involves much more luck than a regular AVH . It will test the players' patience limits but certain amount of brainstorming should be done on the amount of money flow as we will end up with too much money and no way to spend them :~) .

I like the possibility of changing a contact and the fact that this is not done easily as you will have to get that special hunt to have a try to change your contact.

To sum up , great brainstorming Breit , I think it's a very good basis to work on and a fantastic opportunity to revive Noir's spark once again :~)

Sep-4-2008 04:53

Bmp

Sep-4-2008 06:11

Love the ideas Breit!

Maybe it could be possible to win certificates which enable one to find the location of mobile sites when needed (1 certificate per location clue).

I like the idea of new skills and items too.

Sep-4-2008 10:32

Its always good to see people put in the effort into making their ideas actually happen.

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