Intelligence options

[Weeble]

I'm curious as to why we have to buy intel scans before we can use them. Would it not make more sense to just say "you have the capability to do these scans" and then whenever you choose to perform one, it deducts the cost straight away and performs the scan?

I know that people like to stockpile them incase they end up with 0 funds and need to scan someone, but could we also have the ability to just instantly scan (if we have the funds) instead of having to purchase one or more scans and *then* use it?

Not entirely sure if that makes sense..so let me know if not and I'll attempt to clarify. My brain has gone to mush after this much revision :-/

 

[Martin]

Agreed

 

[timtadams]

I definitely want to be able to buy them and stockpile intelligence items. Because usually i use 100% of my leftover funds from hiring to buy gardeners or tractors, left with practically nothing. I want to be able to use 100% of my funds without having to worry about not being able to do scans.

However, i wouldnt mind if this idea was combined with what is already there. So i can stockpile intelligence items, but when if i end up on zero and i perform a scan, then and only then will it perform the scan while deducting the funds from my stores. (did you mean something like this Weeble?) [edit]after rereading your post i realise you did [/edit]

But definitely dont remove the ability to buy up. Im not sure i would want this anyway.

So its only a maybe from me. I dont favor it but im not against it

 

[harriergirl]

how bout a pop up? or warning

"You currently have no spies/hax/whatever available, would you like to purchase? (box here for amount)

then if you purchase you go right into your hax.

Its annoying to type a number into the screen only to find out you've run out of scans, an have to take a little side quest to buy up , then remember your target again,... blah blah blah

 

[No-Dachi]

I agree, but I also deem it necessary to be able to stockpile. If implemented, should the system spend your cash first (and risk running you out of money for a dev), or spend your stockpiling first, rendering it largely useless unless you have money (in which case you could've stockpiled anyway)?

On the topic: up the maximum amount to 1k? When I play actively I spend those 150 hax/spies quite fast =/

 

[Weeble]

I know that people like to stockpile them incase they end up with 0 funds and need to scan someone, but could we also have the ability to just instantly scan (if we have the funds) instead of having to purchase one or more scans and *then* use it?

 

[Maxi]

Changing the max amount you can have at any time might be a better idea... How often are you going to buy hacks/spy's if you can buy 250-300 for example? Much less often than having to sell seeds to get that one spy, because you ran out of funds.

 

[CFalcon]

To be honest, considering how little they cost, would it not just be simpler to scrap having to pay for each scan? They cost barely anything, and if you somehow end up with 0 scans and not enough funds you will just sell seeds. It's hardly a tactical game choice, so we could do without it and get rid of all the annoyances as described by harriergirl.

 

[timtadams]

To be honest, considering how little they cost, would it not just be simpler to scrap having to pay for each scan? They cost barely anything, and if you somehow end up with 0 scans and not enough funds you will just sell seeds. It's hardly a tactical game choice, so we could do without it and get rid of all the annoyances as described by harriergirl.

CFalcon, nothing is free

 

[Alcibiades]

I currently like the system the way it is; when i first get enough funds i buy several thousand hacks/spies each so that i won't run out for a long time. Then when i see they're running low i buy more. If you can't keep an eye on your intel and can't manage to keep enough then you deserve being sans-intelligence for the tick it takes you to get seeds you can sell.

I don't like the idea of automatically purchasing intel when you can simply buy some right away and re-hack/spy/flyover/driveby your target. It strikes me as totally unnecessary, if you can't remember the ID you want; then go to your search page and find it again. Sheesh.

 

[Weeble]

Well at the very least it'd be nice to get a message saying something to the effect of "you have no intelligence scans of that type left to use. Purchase some more and try again".
Currently it does bugger all leaving you perplexed for the next couple of minutes until you remember you need to stockpile them before using them, which seems (in itself) counter-intuitive. You don't purchase 40 cars at once so that every time you want a new car you take one out of the pound, you get them one at a time! (At this point in this post I'd like to ask people not to come back with the stupid "Bushtarion = game & is not real life" as I know that perfectly well)

 

[Alcibiades]

Well at the very least it'd be nice to get a message saying something to the effect of "you have no intelligence scans of that type left to use. Purchase some more and try again".

Sounds good to me. Although tbh, for the experienced players you shouldn't be confused when it happens but i can see it being awkward for new players.

 

[Mattheus]

To be honest, considering how little they cost, would it not just be simpler to scrap having to pay for each scan? They cost barely anything, and if you somehow end up with 0 scans and not enough funds you will just sell seeds. It's hardly a tactical game choice, so we could do without it and get rid of all the annoyances as described by harriergirl.

I actually really like this idea. He has a point. By the time you have access to each intel you're making enough funds for the cost to be utterly insignificant anyway.

 

[Souls]

but could we also have the ability to just instantly scan (if we have the funds) instead of having to purchase one or more scans and *then* use it?

This (inferred that this only kicks in if the stockpile is 0)

 

[timtadams]

Don't we have to deal with mistakes everywhere else, such as planting in bad weather, or at night, or selling seeds accidentally.

Im actually against the idea at this point. Simply cause i like it the way it is.

Weeble, im sure you're not too confused when you try to hack and it doesn't work. And if you have no funds, sell some seeds. That's what i do, probably done it at least twice this round

 

[Souls]

I don't think you read the suggestion, timtadams. Weeble is asking that when the stockpile hits "0", then the price of the scan is taken directly out of current funds. He's not asking that we do away with the current system.

 

[timtadams]

I don't think you read the suggestion, timtadams. Weeble is asking that when the stockpile hits "0", then the price of the scan is taken directly out of current funds. He's not asking that we do away with the current system.

i know, in my first post i actually stated that i realised this. But i still dont want it

 

[Weeble]

I'm actually more concerned about newbies who have no idea why their scan didn't work. Would help enormously if there was either some sort of descriptive text on the page saying something to the effect of "you must purchase/stockpile scans before you can use them" and even an error message given when you attempt to scan with nothing in stock. Currently...nothing.

Get my point?

It's hard to know if you're doing it wrong when there's no site-feedback.
At least if you can perform a scan without any in stock then it'll work (unless you don't have enough funds) and so reduce the level of confusion. It just seems fairly counter-intuitive at first.

 

[timtadams]

I'm actually more concerned about newbies who have no idea why their scan didn't work. Would help enormously if there was either some sort of descriptive text on the page saying something to the effect of "you must purchase/stockpile scans before you can use them" and even an error message given when you attempt to scan with nothing in stock. Currently...nothing.

Get my point?

It's hard to know if you're doing it wrong when there's no site-feedback.
At least if you can perform a scan without any in stock then it'll work (unless you don't have enough funds) and so reduce the level of confusion. It just seems fairly counter-intuitive at first.

OK, point made. Then i am in favour of having a message that appears when you try to scan with none in stock:

"you do not have any of that type of intel in stock. You must purchase more to perform that type of scan"
or whatever

 

[pinpower]

Agreed with the orginal suggestion.

Have it so you can still stockpile intel like before, but if you have 0 of any intel type at the time you hit "Send" it automatically takes the cost of the scan out of your funds (assuming you have enough ofc).

As like HG said its really annoying to find a possible target and (using the new feature ) click their nick to bring up intel options, click Hax0r and then find out you have run out (and the ID has disapeared from the input box) and then have to find the target again.

I know you can just copy the ID or make a note or something but if its possible to stop this happening, why not?