FTL - Slot machine or something more?

[FireDr@gon]

Sooo, here I am to chat about FTL - specifically the luck element.

There seems to be two schools of thought - some think that FTL is too hard because of the luck element, some feel that all it takes is good strategy to win easily.

I find that both veiwpoints sell the game short. First let me say I have every reason to hate the game, I've won only 10 games out of around 300, probably because I've only played on normal since my first victory on easy. So one doesn't need "mad skills" to beat the game on normal, or be a sucker for punishment - and you don't need to just be a lucky son-of-a-***** all the time either...That said, the game IS hard, and you probably will loose most of your games, even an experienced player can make the wrong decisions.

This leads me to why I think those touting their "foolproof" strategies for ensuring victory are somewhat wrong. There is no "beat-it-every-time" strategy. You really can get the short end of the stick in FTL and some runs are just going to be doomed to failure no matter how experienced you are. Trust me, I know. I'm ashamed to admit that I've clocked around 150 hours of this game so I know what I'm talking about. But luck is not the be-all-and-end-all of the gameplay by a long shot and those relating it to slot machines haven't taken the time to learn the game they're playing.

The thing that makes FTL challenging, and it's fairly obvious really, is not luck OR strategy, it's the fact that each bad decision, each setback, each bit of bad luck, stacks on top of the last one, snowballing into a defeat. So while good strategies can buffer you against some bad luck, nothing will make the game more impossible than failing to adapt to what the game throws at you and consistently making bad judgement calls. You make your own luck.

Besides, no-one ever comments about poker being "too luck based" they just play the hand they're dealt. In FTL you don't have to fight every battle, or save every backwater station from fire. As in poker, the skill lies in knowing that sometimes, you have to fold to win.

For all the people that found this game too hard or luck based to be fun. Let me say: it's not too hard, it's just hard enough. Honestly FTL's charm is that it is difficult. Can anyone that has played this game honestly say they Didn't want to play again just to beat it? With the current games all being "too easy" I for one find it refreshing for a game to truly challenge me.

If a game is going to be difficult then it needs to be replayable and FTL delivers on that. The fact that the same answer to a familiar encounter can have a different outcome is a very good thing. Sure, some might find it frustrating when an answer that always yeilded good results suddenly kills a crew member, but for me it means the sense of tension and the unknown that I had on my first playthrough will be with me untill my last, something I can say for very few, if any, other games...

And finally; some may find this a bit sad but myself and my friend play this game together, making joint decisions along the way. One of us will read out the text to the other, who decides what we should do - it's a pretty good way to really feel the effort put into the narrative and it's good to have someone to council you out of your greed - GIANT ALIEN SPIDERS? JUST SAY "NO".

 

[ThatQuietGuy]

Eh, FTL is a rougelike game, their supposed to have a random factor that usually against you, prime example is Oregon trail. Can't really help it if you get sick and die, your just supposed to see how far you can make it with the odds against you. Winning being give or take half luck is very intentional and if you don't like that I wouldn't recommend rougelikes to you.

 

[FireDr@gon]

I DO like rougelike games! What about my post gave you the impression that I don't?

I'm just trying to point out that FTL is fun, or at least replayable because of it's random element and that the random element of the game is not it's only feature. I disagree that the random element is "usually against you" though - it seems to be fairly evenly balanced.

 

[ThatQuietGuy]

Well, your entire post seems to be more or less trying to justify the way FTL works so I was under the impression you weren't familiar with what a roughlike is. Sorry if I misunderstood.

 

[TheBeatlesProject]

I've had FTL for quite awhile now and I've yet to beat it even once and that's even on easy! Just need more practice and get on Lady luck's good side.

 

[Zhukov]

I was fine with most of it.

Except those text-based encounters that either give you a bonus or screw you over on a whim with no way of knowing the odds beforehand.

That isn't gameplay. It's not even a roll of the dice. It's like flipping an invisible coin.

Yeah, fuck that for a joke.

 

[Atmos Duality]

"Easy Mode" is the more-balanced mode of play as it gives you just enough scrap to win as long as you don't make too many bone-headed maneuvers (and is by no means a pushover mode). I have regularly beaten Easy mode with a few bumps here and there, but I largely attribute those to my own foolishness.

"Normal Mode" is a slot machine, plain and simple. I cannot count how many times I have been fucked over entirely on account of random chance, or making decisions that end in "GOTCHA!" moments.

And the hell of it is: You HAVE to take stupid gambles far too often for the chance to get the scrap you need or to break the game wide open. (which is incidentally, the source of my wins in Normal. Like grabbing a free Ion Mk II or Burst Laser Mk II right away)

Good roguelikes force you to make tough decisions to get to a stable, and then winning position.
Easy Mode does that and it works for all the Cruiser variants (even the really shitty ones), and that's good enough for me.

 

[FireDr@gon]

I was fine with most of it.

Except those text-based encounters that either give you a bonus or screw you over on a whim with no way of knowing the odds beforehand.

That isn't gameplay. It's not even a roll of the dice. It's like flipping an invisible coin.

Yeah, fuck that for a joke.

except it's a three sided coin with a no-thanks side that you can always pick...

 

[[REDACTED]]

ROGUE. LIKE. Not rougelike. Not roughlike. ROGUELIKE.

CAPS-LOCK.

 

[FireDr@gon]

thanks mr spellcheck, but it seemed we all knew what we were talking about despite minor typos. Now have you got anything actually useful to add to the debate?

 

[Tanakh]

It's not even a roll of the dice. It's like flipping an invisible coin.

I really don't see the difference between the phrase "rolling a dice" and "flipping an invisible coin" (that goes visible on result).

OT: I don't like the pause system, too abusable, too boring to play.

 

[Requia]

It's more like a good poker game. You might get screwed by the cards, but there's a ton of skill involved as well.

 

[Eve Charm]

Well the problem with FTL is you need to play 25-50 games before luck is even a factor. You barely get told much in the tut. other then running your ship. You've gotta learn what the weapons are by owning them or in the shop because you can't hover over the enemy ship to see exactly what they have. Youy have to memorize the events and possible outcomes to even know if one is worth it or not. Then the first time you get to the boss and it's forms is a big WTF moment.

but as for a pro or at least pretty good at it, it is a bit to much luck base, or at least bad luck and you might as well start over or you'll never win.

Losing a crew member at the start, or just not good luck with the shops when you need a better weapon or drone or a system can make you useless come the boss.

If anything I'd say a bigger selection in the shop would make it less slot machiney