Possibility to improve prisoner behaviour through positive or negative reinforcement.

[lordlycastle]

Recently I noticed that bookshelves, right now (Alpha 21), doesn't serve any function. Neither does, making your prison policy more or less severe, although I did notice a slight change in demand and supply of contrabands, but that could have been coincidental. I think that there should be more of a freedom as to how you want to keep your prison i.e. you could keep your prisoner's mind numb by putting TVs in all their cells, or put bookshelves in there and the are more likely to be intrigued about taking a foundation course.

There should be ability give prisoners items such as better/larger cell with own shower, or better meal, or more free time based on their behaviour in the prison. So they are positively reinforced to behave better. On the other hand, you could have harsh punishments so they are more scared to commit to bad behaviour. However, only these would make the game too easy, also they would come with negative attributes such as prisoners who are treated worse, are likely to riot more often; for positive reinforcement. Prisoners are less likely to take any programs or work; for negative reinforcement.

These should also affect, if not every prisoner, at least every class of prisoner differently i.e. high security prisoners are more likely to be controlled by more negative reinforced attributes when compared to low security prisoners, who are more willing to improve themselves and their behaviour to gain a better cell/meal.

This would make the gameplay more evolving i.e. finding the balance that suits you at that time; than right now. Now, I have a critical path to building my prison, which almost never fails to work in establishing a decent size (60- 80 prisoners) prison. I can just set the regime at the start, keep building more cells for new prisoners and complete grants, and the game would proceed just fine. I do not have to change my policies, because they don't really affect their behaviour in any way. I also have no way to make prisoners interested in study programs, to improve my prison grading.

If you think this is good idea, please show it Mantis Bug Tracker[bugs.introversion.co.uk] so devs can hear about it.

[Emmote]

Suggestions should be taken to the official forums. Not the bug tracker, or these forums.

[lordlycastle]

Where's that at?

[Emmote]

You haven't read the pinned topics have you?

[Bamwich]

Um, you CAN give them better meals to enact the Well Fed status. When well fed, they are more amenable to education reforms.

[Do Nock]

by the way reward with better meals does not work for me : 2 days single meal 2 days 3 different meals... i serve them week of different meals and it does not count for reward ((

[Bamwich]

Originally posted by Do Nock:

by the way reward with better meals does not work for me : 2 days single meal 2 days 3 different meals... i serve them week of different meals and it does not count for reward ((

Do a search. There are TONS of threads about this.

[Amenophys]

Bro, there are so many cool features that this game could support that I don't even know where to start of.

Your idea is great, and I am sure the devs did think about bookshelves features already.

Oddly, throwing "features ideas" on this game feels like throwing drops of water in the ocean. The potential is simply too vast... oO