OpenXcom Forum

Modding => OpenXcom Extended => OXCE Suggestions DONE => Topic started by: Delian on July 20, 2022, 04:40:18 pm

Title: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Delian on July 20, 2022, 04:40:18 pm
A feature that would allow limiting the amount of certain items/craft/soldiers that the player can purchase per month would open many doors for the mod authors.

Among other things, the mod authors could then also limit the amount of items the player can manufacture per month (by requiring a material with monthly purchase limit).
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: krautbernd on July 20, 2022, 08:58:35 pm
FtA already implements something similar, might want to have look at that.

IIRC purchase limits have been requested in the past, often in combination with some kind of dynamic economy. Has been deemed not worth the trouble because it provides no meaningful benefit justifying the work needed to implement it. Event scripts can also provide a similar function by providing the players with a set/randomized number of items depending on certain conditions (for example the presence of manufacturing materials).
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Ethereal on July 20, 2022, 09:12:17 pm
Extra management. I have already tried similar restrictions, but in a slightly different form. The idea of a "trading post" that gave access to the store failed miserably. It will also be in this case, since any such restrictions lead to an increase in the limit to such values that it is not very clear whether a limit is needed at all?
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Delian on July 20, 2022, 10:25:38 pm
Well, the storage limit and monthly purchase limit are two relatively different things. Also, I'm not suggesting any economy features. Event scripts I suppose can give you a certain set of items per month for free, but that's not quite the same (or convenient) as simply paying money to buy them from the shop.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Meridian on July 20, 2022, 10:50:41 pm
Easy to do.
And I'm not generally opposed to it, even though I personally don't see a need for it.
If there's demand from modders for it, it can be done.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 20, 2022, 11:07:57 pm
Easy to do.
And I'm not generally opposed to it, even though I personally don't see a need for it.
If there's demand from modders for it, it can be done.

I think it's a moderately useful idea - not groundbreaking, but potentially applicable in many, unpredictable ways. It's worth considering.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: krautbernd on July 20, 2022, 11:28:23 pm
Might I propose making the reset intervall user configurable (days) and add the possibility to randomize both the intervall and the limit across a range? I don't have a use or need for this, but this would be an easy way to add more functionality in case this is implemented.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: mutantlord on July 21, 2022, 10:29:56 am
I would too like to see such a feature. With a fluctuating price range on the items and random availability per day.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Meridian on July 21, 2022, 10:41:03 am
Dynamic economy, fluctuating prices, etc. have already been rejected in a different thread.

This thread is about fixed prices and a monthly limit on the number of items.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Delian on July 21, 2022, 10:56:45 am
For now, I'm against adding any fluctuating prices or randomness features, because randomness can be achieved through other modding features. Similarly, I think a custom reset interval is unnecessary. If, for instance, you wanted the interval to be 10 days, well, that's same as limit of 3 per month. If you wanted the interval to be 10 months, then that can be achieved through manufacture that requires 10 material items with availability of 1 per month. Altho... a possible solution involves allowing decimal numbers for monthly availability of items/soldiers/craft. For instance, if the modder sets "monthlyBuyLimit" of an item to be 0.1, then each month 0.1 is subtracted from the item's "boughtCounter". So after 10 months, the "boughtCounter" would reach 0 and the item would be available for purchase again.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: mutantlord on July 21, 2022, 03:27:08 pm
Dynamic economy, fluctuating prices, etc. have already been rejected in a different thread.

This thread is about fixed prices and a monthly limit on the number of items.

There is not much fun in playing a mod, if you pretty much knew what to expect.  It is the unpredictability that makes even a modder want to play their own mods.

Then again, a feature like this would have little chance of being implemented.  I am not holding my breath at seeing it one day.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 21, 2022, 05:03:47 pm
There is not much fun in playing a mod, if you pretty much knew what to expect.  It is the unpredictability that makes even a modder want to play their own mods.

I agree, as long as it's part of what the game is about. X-Com has a lot of randomness where it matters: missions, research, events, etc. Adding something like agents calling in sick at random would not be that fun, because it's not a game about people management. (Unless someone makes a mod about this, but it'll be a different game then.)
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: mutantlord on July 22, 2022, 02:48:02 am
Dynamic Economy and micromanagement in the game are mutually not related.  It allows the enabling of certain special material or goods available some day and some not. 
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Meridian on August 11, 2022, 08:53:50 pm
A feature that would allow limiting the amount of certain items/craft/soldiers that the player can purchase per month would open many doors for the mod authors.

Done.


Code: [Select]
  - type: STR_PISTOL
    monthlyBuyLimit: 4

Code: [Select]
crafts:
  - type: STR_SKYRANGER
    monthlyBuyLimit: 1

Code: [Select]
soldiers:
  - type: STR_SOLDIER
    monthlyBuyLimit: 10
Title: Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: mutantlord on August 12, 2022, 07:16:02 pm
This is a very nice addition to OXCE. However, it is a real pity that it makes the item’s amount every month utterly predictable.

Predictability = Boring + No mystery + No fun

Would a player play a battlescape mission,  if the fog of wall is missing at the very start of the mission?

Would a player think it is fun? If they knew they only get ten amount of Elerium each month? Not X amount that can be in between 0 and ten.
Title: Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Yankes on August 12, 2022, 07:38:57 pm
Yes, fixed amount is "fun", beside request was to add limit not new sub-game: "hunting for rare toilet paper in shop".
Title: Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 12, 2022, 08:37:54 pm
Not to mention that there are many ways to add unpredictable bonuses already, like for example events.

A very nice feature, potentially quite powerful.
Title: Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: Delian on August 13, 2022, 12:18:34 am
Thanks a lot for implementing this.

it makes the item’s amount every month utterly predictable.

Predictability = Boring + No mystery + No fun

You do realise that... by default all items have no purchase limits. Which is predictable. So you're saying that the game and all the mods are already boring + no mystery + no fun? Why are you here if you hate this boring no-fun game so much lol

X amount that can be in between 0 and ten.

For such a feature to be practical, you'd need UI with sliders, like the one xcomapoc has. It would be too much work trying to replicate that UI. Also, that UI would only work well if ALL the items had their limits and market info set. So it would also be incompatible with all the existing mods.
Title: Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit
Post by: mutantlord on August 13, 2022, 04:19:05 am
Quote
You do realise that... by default all items have no purchase limits. Which is predictable. So you're saying that the game and all the mods are already boring + no mystery + no fun? Why are you here if you hate this boring no-fun game so much lol"

You misunderstood the difference between hating and suggestion for improvement. Yes, by default items have no purchase limits. Some mods has change that by completely removing the item which can be purchased at all, with monthly random availability though events. If the same can be done through events, why not item availability limits? No, not all the mods are boring. Some mods are fun to play, just perhaps you never played them, or heard about them.

Quote
  For such a feature to be practical, you'd need UI with sliders, like the one xcomapoc has. It would be too much work trying to replicate that UI. Also, that UI would only work well if ALL the items had their limits and market info set. So it would also be incompatible with all the existing mods.

A UI is not necessary to make such a feature possible. Old fashion modding can do it. You need to set a hard min and max limit availability in the rul files. The amount is available in between the limits set. When the player purchase the items, it doesn't have to show how much is available. Once the purchase limit is reach, a message will pop up saying it runs out of inventory. From the paragraph you wrote,  this begs of another question. Have you made or published any any mods? If you have, I would like try them out.