[DONE][Suggestion] Monthly purchase limit

[Delian]

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).

[krautbernd]

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).

[Ethereal]

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?

[Delian]

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.

[Meridian]

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.

[Solarius Scorch]

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.

[krautbernd]

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.

[mutantlord]

I would too like to see such a feature. With a fluctuating price range on the items and random availability per day.

[Meridian]

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.

[Delian]

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.

[mutantlord]

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.

[Solarius Scorch]

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.)

[mutantlord]

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. 

[Meridian]

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


[mutantlord]

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.