It seems probable that this sort of motivation would only be necessary during the initial stages of gameplay. (As the gameplay itself would provide other motivations while playing) If acquiring wealth is a necessary aspect of proceeding through the game, then before long the character shouldn't have to worry near as much about things like food, which they should be able to buy with ease. However, if various foods can cause different enhancements, then many players will still want to manage it.

The easiest way I can see to implement a system that allows full resource management while actually requiring very little, is to have an automatic option on the food-management screen. Basically, you can purchase whatever foodstuffs you choose to have, and set up a sort of 'diet' which will automatically use the food you have in stock, and impart any enhancements, each game day. In the outset of the game, food items may be relatively scarce, and as such this would still be a motivation to accomplish something. Later on, when food is more abundant, there will probably be a number of other aspects which will motivate the player, and this method will allow the player to choose how deeply involved they want to get in the day-to-day care of their character.

Another way to create motivation is to impart a sense of time to the player. Some of the potential actions/missions you can take may very well have time limits. (For example, you have exactly 3 days to deliver a ransom, or your first mate will be killed.) Others may have conditions that will result in a failed status if simply ignored. (For example, if you are responible for negotiating the release of hostages in a terrorist situation, simply ignoring the issue will result in failure[Although NPC's may do it for you, some consequence should be evident if the character is knowingly responsible]).

The mission screen could impart this pretty easily, telling you the relevant information that you have picked up about each mission, and simply provide some sort of indicator to the 'general feel' of how close to victory/failure the player is. If an exact time limit is known (such as in the first example) then a timer could be used so the player can easily see this. For this method to be truly motivational, at few of the missions should have some sort of easily visible consequence for not undertaking. Also any new missions should be immediately brought to the player's attention via a pop up or some other mechanism.

If the process of obtaining and comsuming food/energy is intended as necessary distraction from aimless wandering. Then there should be some advantage or interesting gameplay associated with doing so, other than staying alive and healthy.

For example, whilst eating at local cafe you overhear information about the area, resulting in a new mission. Maybe you can have a heated discussion with another customer about Cyborgs taking human jobs, resulting new allegencies or a fight.

If your aimlessly wandering then your doing so because you enjoy it or expect to find something new and interesting eventually. Having to stop for food/sleep would be a chore without some reward.

I like how being a cyborg or human can be more appealing different player types. Playing as cyborg would suit someone who would want to dip into the game occasionally and expect instant action. Where as a human player has more micro management options and can explore the game world to its fullest.

in relation to the fate cards in another post:


how about a limited number of fate cards, accumulating over time (say every 50 hours of playing time) The player may reveal a fate card anytime with limits (perhaps opening a fate card every 20 play hours)

Fate cards are just a way to give the players direction, a notification that something, somewhere happened. Fate cards can be good or bad, vague or detailed. During the first stages of the game, the player may choose not to reveal the fate card. Fate cards are recommended to be used when the player is bored, or does not know what to do next.

I would like to reveal a fate card which gives me a riddle, then I would try to solve the riddle somewhere in the game world. or a fate card of a calamity and I try to recover. Even if fate cards can have such negative effects, the fact that they are optional might be acceptable to the user since the user made the decision to use the fate card (because he was bored of the game or something).

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Original post by Wavinator Dude! Thank you for the time & energy!

No worries, I enjoy a world building/design exercies and the oppertunity to do something creative.

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I kept thinking about your emphasis on alternate gameplay paths. I know it's a bit tired, but what about something as concrete as a difference between psionics and technology? The same dynamic that Shadowrun uses could work here, in that the more pure you are as a human, the higher your psionic potential. As psionics affects cyborgs more adversely than humans, this could be a balancing mechanism (counter-balanced by Siegers, who affect humans more adversely but cyborgs much less so). Still, I don't want the majority of humans to be psionic, so at least in terms of the world, your idea aobut community and improved social interaction would be ideal.

You could do that, altough in shadowrun the higher your psionic potential the more adversely you where effected. But the danger of that is you create a human vs cyborg dynamic into your game. Not a problem if this is also a story aspect.

You don't want to make every human psionic but you could make humans the player plays as psionic.

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My first reaction was not to make anyone limited, but you give me an idea that strengthens the fiction & gameplay: Anyeone can add skills together, but humans will have an easier time doing so via leadership. So a human player is more likely to gain the morale and respect than a heavily modified or full cyborg player because people will trust them more easily.

Limiting people in diffrent ways helps make the gameplay interesting, since the intestering part of game is not complete freedom but the illusion.

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This is great material. I'm not exactly sure how to do the philosophical part, but I agree that it should be done. Being just a tad bit faithful to science, I think the cyborgs should lose the ability to socialize over time. I'm imagining that the brain and part of the spinal column are preserved in the unit. So everything is still there to have emotions, but there are no chemical feedbacks coming from the body. Cyborgs might then suffer from various forms of aphasia (harder to speak), disassociation (disconnected "out of body" feelings) and apathy.

Continuing with scientific reason for their loss of socilization it could also be as result of become less qualitative and more quantitative. Meaning a cyborg will never feel cold instead a cyborg will know that the temperature is
0 degrees.

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This is why I made morale degrade for them, with the hope that it would be tricky / difficult to build it up. Maybe things like memorabilia or more cerebral challenges like chess work, depending on their personality type. I wanted the management for this to be slow, though, both to give time to search out the right stuff to build up and to show how independent they are.

Most likly raising moral will present divergent gameplay from what the cyborgs normal actions. Since raiding starships and destorying enemy facilities may well be what cyborg player spend their time doing however none of that will raise moral. Like wise unlike the other types who can eat a good meal and spend some time with their friends none of this would raise a cyborgs moral.

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I do like the idea of routine maintenence, which can be upgraded out of necessity. Power I thought to keep steady at the beginning, and make this a tradeoff like upgrading a starship, though. (Side question: I wonder if power loss should equal shutdown or if the player should always be able to go on, just like humans without food, but in an impaired state?)

Hmm, I think alot of people would hate to run into the tin man syndrome and be stuck powerless an immoble in a location until some either kills them or rescues them. So perhaps when power = 0 the cyborg dies since they now longer can support the remaining organic components. All cyborgs could contain auxilary powercells which provide enough energy to sustain mobility and essential systems for several hours or days depending on the capacity of the cell. But then again maybe you just remove powerloss entirely after all if they can build cyborgs in the furture then why not powercells that can last for 50 years to sustain those cyborgs?