Add "Unkillable" option to Test Mode.
By
Aces_High,
Posted on: 2009-05-15 07:09 in Suggestions and Ideas
Alright. Let's summarize here:
The suggestion is to add an "Unkillable" Option to test mode in order to test out mission flow, vocabulary, texts, Animations etc.
Two of the major complaints against it:
It wouldn't allow you to test out difficulty.
There would be no risk in getting rewards.
Here's my answer to those complaints:
If you want to test out the difficulty of your mission, simply turn the option "off" and test the mission. Simple solution, eh?
No Risk for Rewards? What kind of rewards do you get in test mode anyway besides a few Badges? Even if you were using this option to exploit your missions to get those badges, you still have to go through the process of creating the missions and completing mission objectives. Really, I think the devs just put those Badges in to inspire people to use the MA. But As long as you can only get "test badges" through testing, I don't see it being much of a problem having an "Unkillable" option.
Provided that toggling "Unkillable" on automatically turns all rewards (xp, inf, prestige, MA badge credit) off, I support this as a useful tool for players testing and tweaking their arcs.
This would allow for more point testing. If I've just changed one aspect of Mission Three, this expedites my testing process. However, if the player can earn any kind of rewards while in Unkillable Mode then I'm against it for abuse potential.
Any badges for testing your arcs should not be awarded if any part of the arc was done in Unkillable Mode. This would further encourage (some) players to play through at least once without the protection of godmode.
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server
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Heh. 
Still have that one around, too. >.> Felt the need to change, though. Full piece here. (Just because the artist's easy to work with and cheap... I like pointing people to him.)
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Oh, good.... That helps.
I wasn't able to figure out what I was looking at just from the avatar.
.
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Alright. Let's summarize here:
The suggestion is to add an "Unkillable" Option to test mode in order to test out mission flow, vocabulary, texts, Animations etc.
Two of the major complaints against it:
It wouldn't allow you to test out difficulty.
There would be no risk in getting rewards.
Here's my answer to those complaints:
If you want to test out the difficulty of your mission, simply turn the option "off" and test the mission. Simple solution, eh?
No Risk for Rewards? What kind of rewards do you get in test mode anyway besides a few Badges? Even if you were using this option to exploit your missions to get those badges, you still have to go through the process of creating the missions and completing mission objectives. Really, I think the devs just put those Badges in to inspire people to use the MA. But As long as you can only get "test badges" through testing, I don't see it being much of a problem having an "Unkillable" option.
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That's a good summary.
Unless it's been changed, you can earn tickets in test mode. If you check the list of test mode badges I provided some of them are awarded for earning tickets.
Tickets when traded in can be used to get recipes, IO salvage, etc. Hence my objection. Being able to earn them with an unkillable mode would let people set up invisible ticket farms they could exploit.
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Provided that toggling "Unkillable" on automatically turns all rewards (xp, inf, prestige, MA badge credit) off, I support this as a useful tool for players testing and tweaking their arcs.
This would allow for more point testing. If I've just changed one aspect of Mission Three, this expedites my testing process. However, if the player can earn any kind of rewards while in Unkillable Mode then I'm against it for abuse potential.
Any badges for testing your arcs should not be awarded if any part of the arc was done in Unkillable Mode. This would further encourage (some) players to play through at least once without the protection of godmode.
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I, for one, was curious as to why it was not in the system when it launched.
*click*= Debug-like mode: unkillable while at the same time unable to collect badges.
then
*click* again= Normal Mode: test as if playing noarmally to judge difficulty and collect testing badges. (Warning: can be dangerous to squishies)
Sounds good to me OP... And Bill (AKA: avitar of amillion faces)... and Forbin... and ... well... everone elese who fleshed out the OP's suggestion.
But let's face it... I thought of it first... because I said so, and my mommy always told me I was always right! 
Actually, Forbin, per the wiki:
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Playing in test mode will not award Experience, Influence/Infamy, Salvage, Recipes, or Mission Architect Tickets. However, playing in test mode is the only way to make progress on the following Mission Architect Badges:
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All you get are test mode badges.
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Actually, Forbin, per the wiki:
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Playing in test mode will not award Experience, Influence/Infamy, Salvage, Recipes, or Mission Architect Tickets. However, playing in test mode is the only way to make progress on the following Mission Architect Badges:
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All you get are test mode badges.
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Thanks Bill. I knew at one point I got tickets in test mode, but I don't use the AE that much for creating things.
Edit: Yep, just double checked, I earned 201 tickets in test mode on my MM.
Not a terrible Idea, I sure could use it the way I make my missions, though not too fair. But yes, it would HAVE to be in test mode. Maybe a pop-up on the side of the screen with an On/Off button, just to be sure.
Nah. Full on choice at the start of the mission. You simply can't change back and forth.
Definitely make it stop all XP, Inf, and Mish bades (even the test badges) and tickets shouldn't be dropping from test missions, so you should /bug that one...
-Rachel-
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Nah. Full on choice at the start of the mission. You simply can't change back and forth.
Definitely make it stop all XP, Inf, and Mish bades (even the test badges) and tickets shouldn't be dropping from test missions, so you should /bug that one...
-Rachel-
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I hope I wasn't misunderstood, I remembered getting badges at one point while in test mode, I confirmed it by checking my badges, I earned 201 tickets giving me the virtual ticket taker badge (100 tickets) and a good portion of the second test mode ticket badge.
I don't have anything arcs published or in test mode at this time so I'm trusting what Bill has said that it has been changed.
Unsigned.
Being unkillable would make it difficult to guage the toughness of a mission while testing. I realize it would be toggled....but you would have a slew of creators making impossible missions as a result.
(like we do now but more so)
Could have it record the damage enemies are dealing to you. Or, more specifically, remove the 'dead' tag at 0hp while running the mission on Unkillable.
That way you can see exactly when you would die, even if you don't.
-Rachel-
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Alright Devs. This is badly needed, especially if people are going to plan on placing AVs into their mission arcs.
[/ QUOTE ]No it really isn't. Change the AV to an LT and then test. Change back when done.
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Perhaps let our Health bar drop to 0, but don't allow us to die? We can also test out how hard our mission is then.
[/ QUOTE ]Here's a thought: If you the author of a mission are constantly dying while testing said mission, then maybe it's too hard and you should tone the mission down?
There's already to many missions filled full of overpowered minions. Your idea would just make it worse. Much worse.
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Not necessarily, how much testing do you suppose those people actually DO before sending it out? At least the OP is trying to test his arc.
/signed