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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    Rob Roy's Avatar

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    Default Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    What's this you ask? Why it's my very own LP for one of the greatest management sims ever made! Set after a very bloody war, the games focus is on rebuilding Standford Tori, while making money. It plays a lot Dungeon Keeper, as it was programmed by the same people. In addition to making money you can trade, get involved in minor wars and make sure if you have memaus you keep litter levels down. This LP will focus on the missions since they provide a good introductory to the game. Anyway, the first update will be up shortly. Done!
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-13 at 12:21 AM.

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    Default The Labor Association

    Episode #1:The Labor Association
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    If your wondering what the above picture is, the red circle is the energy collector (which powers your station), The blue is an energy booster (which boots your power) and the light blue arrow is pointing to the camera controls.
    ****

    This is the start, the of my first day as a station administrator! Anyway, this AI named VAL tells me I'm running a place for asteroid miners to eat and sleep. Boring, is one word I would describe such a job. Still, you have work your way from the bottom to get to the top. VAL tells me I need to build a port.

    Done.

    This is the first person to come through, I didn't think Greys were into the mining business. They're more into cattle mutilation.
    And now VAL wants me to build sleeping berths for the Salt Hogs. Can't they just sleep the on the way here?

    Done, now I should probably build some toilets and cheap vending machines. After all, people do plan on staying here. After that (sorry no screenshot) VAL unlocks another station segment for me, and he expects me to build a recycler of things there (no screenshot again). Once thats done the mechanical being suggests I build more sleeping berths and toilets. Though this after he tells me to hire some employees.

    Also VAL gives me some enlightening insight on Salt Hog culture.

    Shortly after I hire employees VAL informs that the station has been leased out to some bugs that want to make it a communications outpost, oh joy. This turns out to have been beneficial however, as it turns out a ship carrying a sick diplomat just sent a message.

    I quickly hire a docter, build a makeshift hospital and cure the diplomat. Such an act may even get me out of this dump!
    ****
    Comments, critiques, suggestions? Also, I see that I may have gone overboard on the pictures, and made them to small even when you click on the thumbnails.

    Here's a picture of the station, when your eye level with the inhabitants. We're not at the point when you can really see the curvature of the station yet though, so it doesn't look as amazing as it will.

    EDIT
    I'm uploading the pictures into a larger size as I type, so you should be able to see them once you click on them. Once I edit the post with new urls, of course. Done, just click on the picture, then click again and you should be able to see the picture full sized. Fixed again, in the way that Domochevsky suggested.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-13 at 11:39 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    So. Damn. Tiny. *squints eyes* =_=
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Domochevsky View Post
    So. Damn. Tiny. *squints eyes* =_=
    I know, the pictures will be larger in the updates after this. I'll get to fixing them in this update too. Sorry about that.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Yeah, getting pictures we can see would definitely help.

    Besides that, this seems fun. I've never heard about this game before (or at least I don't remember running into it) but the premise sounds exciting. Dungeon Keeper IN SPAAAACE? This calls for some decisive Googling!
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Conjob View Post
    Yeah, getting pictures we can see would definitely help.

    Besides that, this seems fun. I've never heard about this game before (or at least I don't remember running into it) but the premise sounds exciting. Dungeon Keeper IN SPAAAACE? This calls for some decisive Googling!

    Here's the wikipedia page

    And the TV Tropes page

    There's a useful guide here

    Also, how do you get it so you can have say the word "here" be the link? Thanks for the help Domochevsky!
    Explanations 1
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    Rereading the first update, it seams I didn't explain how to play the game.
    In the interest of allowing people to know what's going on, here's a quick guide that will update whenever I feel that I didn't explain enough in the main update. Normally I wouldn't do this, but the game's fairly obscure.

    These are hardplan crates. The orange ones are packaged robot workers, and the rest have blueprints for buildings.

    These are scuzzer droids. They're your robot workers. There are also security scuzzers (nicknamed fuzzers by the fanbase that once existed for the game). They look the same as the one in they picture, except they're painted differently.

    These are worker applications, yes the Grekka-Targ pictured is an easter egg.
    The skill, dedication, and loyalty are rated in stars, with 0 being worst and 5 being best. If the alien in question has a criminal record, it's best not to hire them.
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    And these are just really cool pictures of the biodeck and and the exterior of the station, that were taken when I was done taking pictures that I needed for this Explanations update.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-13 at 11:49 PM.

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    Default Running a Space Hospital

    Running a Space Hospital
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    Apparently the Greys were so impressed by my ability to build a Sick Bay and hire a doctor, that they want me to run a hospital. Oh, and VAL's my assistant again, joy. So now the robots' got me unpacking scuzzers and setting up an energy collector.

    Once I get everything running (including the port and sick bay) VAL tells me to expand. I really don't need to, but the section's free, so I might as well.
    Once I've expanded, a Mr. Arona Daal sends me a message. Oh joy the biggest cheapskate in the galaxy offers to sell me some stuff at "low prices". Anyway I buy from him anyway, since I don't have a stardock, thus no one else will be able sell me anything.

    VAL tells me to install the com-sensors that I bought from Arona, since he thinks I wouldn't have installed them anyway.

    Using a system most would consider a huge violation of privacy, I track down two Grekka-Targ to look after the com-sensors. After a brief interview I hire them.





    VAL informs me that health inspector may come. When they do come they're impressed. Then VAL lectures me on how to build a hospital.

    VAL also informs me that there are a bunch of people sick from food poisoning coming aboard.



    I'm adding a motel and some stores to the station, and then a while later he tells me start running a "love nest". Using the all seeing security cameras, I look into a customer of the "love nest". A few seconds after that VAL tells me I've fulfilled my contract with the Grey Council. I've worked for the Salt Hogs and Greys, so I bet I'll end up working for the Grekka-Targ next. No reason why, besides a gut feeling.
    ****
    Next update will be up tomorrow, and it'll be dealing with the Grekka-Targ, as the endding of this one suggests. Also, I think I've got the pictures to be bigger. JUst click on them once, then click again when it sends you to image shack. If you a better way of doing it , I'll be happy to see it, as clicking on the pictures several times can get really annoying. Fixed. Thanks Domochevsky
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-14 at 12:22 AM.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Tip: Use full-size pictures and put the whole update in a spoiler tag, with bolded title and episode number above it. It's annoying having to open all the pictures in another tab to see what's happening.

    Also:
    PHP Code:
    [url=http]Text[/url
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Domochevsky View Post
    Tip: Use full-size pictures and put the whole update in a spoiler tag, with bolded title and episode number above it. It's annoying having to open all the pictures in another tab to see what's happening.

    Also:
    PHP Code:
    [url=http]Text[/url
    Thanks for the tip, and thanks for the help with the link thing.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Episode 3.1: The Targ Collective
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    I was right, I would be working for the Targ. However I didn't really think I'd be running a merchant operation. Since when is a hive mind concerned with money? The Targ provided a star dock which means I don't need to trade with Arona, which is some of the best news a station administrator could hope for. In addition to the star dock they provided a dine-o-mat, a lavrotron (toilet) and a comsensor. Also, they cave me 50000 bucks to help start up the operation! This will be the best assignment ever. No hopitals, or rest stops. Just money.

    Here's the star dock being built. Just think of what it means. No more Arona Daal!

    VAL is exercising his insane need to state the obvious. Who knows why he does it. It's common sense that a species of doctors will sell medical equipment cheaper than say, a species of farmers.

    Anyway a Grey trader stops by, and I buy his medical equipment and sick bay.

    A Siren stops by a little while after that. I buy a brothel "love nest" and a disco. I sell them all the medical equipment I'm not using. You may ask, why did you set up the sick bay in stead of keeping it and selling later? I didn't sell the sick bay because every now and than a plague ship will request to dock and they will pay handsomely to be cured.
    VAL: Administrator, I must inform you that buying everything the merchants have is not good business, when what you sell to them is worth less than what you bought.
    Care to elaborate on the advice that I value so much.
    Buy only what you need and what cam make a profit off of, which is something you don't seem to be doing, though I'm sure you have your reasons to be running the station into the ground.

    Salt Hog merchants, oh joy. They litter bins. Woopty do.

    It's time for the first vote, what should be bought from the salt hogs. We can't buy every thing the have so we need to decide.
    They have:
    Endeavor (a statue)
    Three liter bins (which are vital if don't want space rats are bug eyed monster attacks)
    Three factories
    A recycler
    Two boxes of mineral ores
    And five boxes of industrial goods.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-14 at 04:53 PM.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Just how much can you buy from them?
    (Also, the screenshots have a good size now, but the VAL text is still way too small for comfortable reading. Not sure if you can do anything about that though. Maybe with some strategic cropping/editing.)
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    We could buy all of it, but that would make us loose massive amounts of energy (which is money in this game) and cause power failures. As for VALs text, I can't do much about that, besides rewriting the text under the pictures.
    EDIT
    To elaborate on the situation, we don't have anything they want to buy. All we have are boxes filled with luxury goods, and Salt Hogs don't agree with concept of luxury.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-14 at 08:29 PM.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    That brings back memories. Startopia is one of my eternal top 20.

    Anyway, the recycler is usefull in most situations, the factory not so much (yet) since you do not have a lab yet and no way to accses the better equipment.
    My vote is to the recycler for you and the ore and industrial products for trading with others.
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Oh, Startopia. it's a fun game even if sometime quite uneventfull

    Anyway, the recycler is usefull in most situations, the factory not so much (yet) since you do not have a lab yet and no way to accses the better equipment.
    If I remember well; you can get somme from Arona (at prohibitive prices of course).
    Last edited by smuchmuch; 2010-11-15 at 11:27 AM.
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Seonor View Post
    That brings back memories. Startopia is one of my eternal top 20.

    Anyway, the recycler is usefull in most situations, the factory not so much (yet) since you do not have a lab yet and no way to accses the better equipment.
    My vote is to the recycler for you and the ore and industrial products for trading with others.
    Ok your vote has been counted.
    Quote Originally Posted by smuchmuch View Post
    Oh, Startopia. it's a fun game even if sometime quite uneventfull



    If I remember well; you can get somme from Arona (at prohibitive prices of course).
    You can buy buy techs, but buying techs in general isn't that go of an idea, since they're normally expensive and we can only buy them from Arona, who jacks up the price even more. Ayway voting may close tonight or tomorrow depending on if anyone else votes. Also I'll have another one of those mini "explanation" updates up later today, this time to explain what each species "hat" is.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-16 at 06:59 PM.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Explanations 2
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    Species that will work for you
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    First up, the Karmarama. They Space hippies and farmers. Like the Zedem Monks, they work in the Biodeck. Unlike the monks, who just hang out at the temple, these guys will proudly work the fields, planting tree's and shrubs. If you harvest too many plants at once however, they will quit, complaining about the travesty to the artificial environment that you're responsible for.

    Here is a Kasvagorian, a proud warrior race if I ever saw one. They don't like the Karmarama at all. These guys run your security force, and understandable, criminal Kasvagorians are a pain to deal with because they subvert your entire security system.

    These bug eyed things are none other than the Grekka-Targ. Compared to the the other insectiod abominations in this game, these guys aren't scary at all. THey run your communications, and therefore your cash flow. Which is rather odd for a hive mind, isn't it?

    This something you can probably recognize from every ufo conspiracy theory ever. They are your doctors, and because of this you'll want to hire many of them. Typical Grey hobbies include planting crop circles, and mutilating cattle. You know, everything aliens do in conspiracy theories and in urban legends.

    The Salt Hogs are paid laborers, and are really frugal. They like the worst accommodations and the cheapest things. As you can guess they're really easy to satisfy.
    .
    These angelic looking beings are called SIrens and they proved "special services" at the love nests. They're also the only species with gender dimorphism. Funny thing about there appearance too, the ones that look female are actually male, and the ones that look male are actually female.

    The Zedem Monks are the priests of the universe, spreading the word of Zedem. They'll often convert criminals, and pay you more per conversion than rehabilitation would, so they're handy to have around.

    These guys run your science industry, and work at your labs. If want to manufacture anything you need them, or you don't want the technology to manufacture anything.

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    The aristocrats of the universe, they don't like cheap things. They spend money, but only on the finest and the most worthy of their interest. As such there are many expensive things in the game for them, and one thing that only they are capable of using.


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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Okay, voting's closed. I'll edit the next update into this post so I don't commit the atrocity of quadruple posting in addition to the horror of triple posting that I'm currently committing.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Y'know, i'm thinking that, in order to make this more interesting for readers, you should spin a narrative of sorts around the whole thing instead of just describing what you do in a sentence or two. Maybe even add more reader interaction into the whole thing. (Right now there isn't much for readers to "do".)
    Last edited by Domochevsky; 2010-11-17 at 02:38 AM.
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Chapter 3.2: A Deal with Arona
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    I buy a recycler and some ores off of the Salt Hogs before retiring for the night. I was rather looking forward to a nights sleep until partway through what could only be described as a nap the speakers light with VAL's voice.
    "Administrator, Arona Daal's ship has been picked up on the senors. Orders? "
    "Let vile , pitiful excuse for person say what he needs to say" I said while trying to think of other adjectives to describe Arona.
    "Hey, old friend, I've got some stuff that you wouldn't believe at prices that you won't find anywhere else "
    "Ya, I doubt I'd ever find anything so overpriced anywhere else in the entire galaxy."
    "Onto the reason I came, I've noticed that you seem to dipping into bankruptcy, and looking around at this station it seems it could be profitable if you had the money to make it so.

    " So, how about it?'
    Looking at the deal, and my current funds I accept. I have a feeling that this will be the stupidest thing I ever do, but I don't ever have to pay him back, I could just ignore his communications, maybe get VAL to say I left. If I could get VAL to agree to anything that is.
    " Wonderful, just one thing, if you are unable to pay me back, I can get your contract with Targ terminated. Among other things."
    I really wish I had declined his offer now. I really, really do.
    On a much more happy note, Siren traders stop by.

    I'll have to think on what to buy from them.

    Okay, in addition to what we have in the picture, we have 7 boxes of medical supplies. You can start the second vote now, "What do we buy, what do we sell". Also Domochevsky, what do you suggest to get the readers involved, It'd be rather boring to decide where to place buildings, so all I can think of to get readers involved would be to decide what we buy, sell, and eventually produce.
    Last edited by Rob Roy; 2010-11-17 at 04:57 PM.

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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    No, involvement-wise i'm saying that you could assign roles for readers to take and roleplay with, like the UFO LP of xp194 or various XCOM bits. That way you can also integrate them into the story as you spin a narrative. Making decisions on gear to buy isn't going to fly, as most people don't know what any of that stuff does or what it's good for.
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    Default Re: Rebuilding Society for fun and profit (Let's play Startopia!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Domochevsky View Post
    No, involvement-wise i'm saying that you could assign roles for readers to take and roleplay with, like the UFO LP of xp194 or various XCOM bits. That way you can also integrate them into the story as you spin a narrative. Making decisions on gear to buy isn't going to fly, as most people don't know what any of that stuff does or what it's good for.
    Good Idea, in fact reading through the thread I've noticed that I've been LPing in the way most LP an RPG instead of sim-management game. I'll make a new thread for it tomorrow, as it's really late here and I don't want to post a long post when I'm about to collapse of sleep depravation.

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