Concrete or Side Effects?

Well, I'm putting the wraps on a new game function for Tightfloss Maiden called "Item Cooking," which allows the player to mix up to three loot items in a bottle and create a new item. In my testing, I discovered a side effect where mixing three items together has the potential to create more than one variety of item based on the ingredients chosen. For example (and this is purely an example), mixing chicken and broth together would make "soup," while chicken and tuna would make "dinner." But mixing chicken, broth, and tuna together would make "big meal" as its base, but also "soup" and "dinner."

So my question is this: As a player, would you prefer to have the bonus items from one mixture, or would you prefer each combination yield one specific item to increase the element of discovery for each mixture?

If this helps your decision, there will be a journal that records each discovery as it's made, so the player can go back and check to see which ingredients make which items.

Let me know ASAP. I'm releasing this update very soon.

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Well, as a player I would have to say Side Effect, but here's the thing, players like it when its easy. If I'm getting this right, mixing the three ingredients makes three items, as opposed to two making one. While yes, that would be awesome, from a game play stand point what you're doing is eliminating the desire to ever mix just two items together. Even the worst businessman in the world will tell you mixing three items is a better deal.

Concrete would make the item mixture something to actually think about, instead of a way to get a ridiculous number of items. it also makes the player wonder if they should mix items to get a larger amount of small items, or a lesser amount of big items.

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—- So anyway, how are you?

I love this reasoning.

I agree that the side effects would make the game easier than it already is, and that's not my goal. However, James made a great suggestion on Castle Paradox about earning your right to have side effects. If a player makes enough successful concoctions the concrete way, then as a "skilled cook," he or she can form multiple items through a single mixture. I'm tempted to go that road, which would give us the best of both worlds.

Any additional thoughts?

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Just a reminder: The game (and this feature) is out now.

Did anyone get a chance to play with this Item Mixing feature yet?

Anything you'd like to see changed?

Does it seem like something you'd find useful later in the game?

How many failed concoctions do you make on average before finding a successful combination?

There are 26 possible successful combinations currently available. How many have you figured out so far?

As usual, I'd like to make this feature and this game better, so comments are helpful.

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