New "random" Manual versions ?

[warlock]

Game is great, but eventually it become too easy - after experts learn enough of rules.

Adding new version of Manual (even without adding new modules) would be one way to refresh this, and improve on game staying power. It would be enough to change rules (which wire, when, what conditions, etc), or change words (in morse options, in Who's first options etc).

But even new Manual would soon be learned - faster then first one, and certainly faster than developers can manually add next one.

So my actuall proposal is to allow automattic "random" creation of manuals:
1) for each new bomb game generate random 4-6 digit number and based on that number as "seed", it generates new set of rules (logic about how it generates rules does not need to be public)
2) player who need to defuse bomb will tell that number to experts, who enter it on site and site generate and display appropriate manual

I know that allowing random automated creation of rules and Manuals is harder than just manually creating new Manual (pun intended) , but random automated creation would ensure that game stays interesting much longer - not to mention that it would prevent usage of helper "expert programs" like one I wrote ;p

[Allen]

Hi warlock,

The manual "variants" that we are currently working on are very similar, in implementation, to what you described, except we currently plan to limit the number of manuals to a hand-picked selection. So once we've finished our work on manual variants, you can expect to see version "1-A", "1-B", "1-C", etc.

We can generate a lot, but we will need to manually inspect each variant to ensure that formatting does not break as a side effect of randomly generating the instructions.

How many variants would you like to see to keep the game fresh and challenging?

[Derick]

5 would probably be enough to prevent memorization. But I'm wondering how exactly it would be implemented. Due to the time limit on the bomb and most people preferring to print out the manual. Would the defuser be able to pick which manual variation would be used before starting the bomb? Not knowing untill the timer has already started could be really frustrating.

Also many defusers enjoy the challenge of memorizing and soloing bombs without using the manual or an expert, it's another way to play the game that may not have been intended and it would be nice if the option was left in the game somehow.

I think a lot of players who are playing now would like the option in freeplay to be able to veto more than 3 modules, so instead of the veto option, make it tick boxes where you can choose which modules to include in freeplay. Someone already edited some dll files to make this possible.

[warlock]

Hi Allen,

That is great, since even adding 4-5 versions of Manual would make it much harder to memorize ( or at least much harder to be certain if what you remember is for this exact version).

Random generation would still have benefit of making it really impossible to remember, and also negating helper tools (programs etc) for experts, which at 4-5 versions of manual would still be very much possible. But those are benefits with diminishing returns, and potentially important only to those who would like to do competitive gaming ( to ensure that "opponents" do not have advantabe by using expert programs ;p ). For most of users, just adding 4-5 manuals would be enough.

BTW, when I mention "expert programs", I mean something like this: https://mega.nz/#!eVwVnRxD!HZhn-2eTlCu1wA9DU1vcjQuSzgG_MjBorx8k08xLXwQ

[GrundleGrump]

I think it would be good if when the timer starts, the first thing you need to do is work out which manual relates to that bomb. It could be done with a combination of "x batteries" + "serial number" checks. That way, scrabbling for the right manual creates a fun panic right off the bat.

Might even be worth adding some modules that actually do not require specific instructions, just intelligence i.e. complex equation modules with X and Y value options i.e 2x+3y= ?? where you have maybe 0-25 on a reel, making guessing difficult.

I truly hope to see plenty of DLC and added modules as time goes on as I think this is one of the most clever, well implemented, fun games of the last 5 years.

[teoleo]

and...nothing happens

[FoxWise]

I know this post is very old, but this is still very relevant...

Is there any status update on this matter?