Goonhub
11-03-2019, 01:01 PM
The Problem
Plenty of radio hosts and comms officers don't know that there's records and tapes they can play hidden in the radio station's desk. I can't blame them for not knowing they exist. It's the game's fault.
First of all, while the desk sprite features a drawer, suggesting that there might be something inside of them, the game otherwise doesn't mention that they hold records or otherwise indicate that there's something special about them. Thus, a lot of people don't know there's records and tapes in them.
Once they do realize there's something special in the drawers, they won't always figure out how to get to it. They'll try left-clicking because it's how you interact with most inventory items, and they'll try right-clicking because pretty much everything in the game can be done through the right-click menus, but neither will work.
Instead, they have to use click-drag, which is quite underused. Lab tables use click-drag, sure, and most inventory items work with it, but it's so little known that people are often genuinely surprised that these functionalities exist.
Worse, to add to the confusion, there's a few tables that have drawers you can't open at all, namely the one holding the record player. And isn't it weird that the records are in some random desk rather than in the drawer right below the machine that plays them?
In short, due to poor design, the records are hidden, and it's not obvious how you can access them.
The Solution
Put the records in record sleeves on the desks, and while you're at it, put the tapes out in the open too. Not only are they more visible, but they're easier to access too. One record per sleeve, two, three, seven, it doesn't matter.
Now there's a small problem, and it's the reason I suggested a record sleeves category for the monthly contest: we have only one record sleeve sprite:![[Image: 0wJmOOo.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0wJmOOo.png)
. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly fine. It has some nice perspective, the matte effect is great, and, most importantly, you can tell it's a record sleeve. But considering the great variety of record sleeve designs in real life, some of which are deeply embedded in pop culture, it's a real shame it's the only one. Personally, I don't think it's absolutely, CRITICALLY important to have new record sleeves sprites, but I do think this is a great opportunity to showcase of the creative talent of the entire community, spriters and non-spriters.
Plenty of radio hosts and comms officers don't know that there's records and tapes they can play hidden in the radio station's desk. I can't blame them for not knowing they exist. It's the game's fault.
First of all, while the desk sprite features a drawer, suggesting that there might be something inside of them, the game otherwise doesn't mention that they hold records or otherwise indicate that there's something special about them. Thus, a lot of people don't know there's records and tapes in them.
Once they do realize there's something special in the drawers, they won't always figure out how to get to it. They'll try left-clicking because it's how you interact with most inventory items, and they'll try right-clicking because pretty much everything in the game can be done through the right-click menus, but neither will work.
Instead, they have to use click-drag, which is quite underused. Lab tables use click-drag, sure, and most inventory items work with it, but it's so little known that people are often genuinely surprised that these functionalities exist.
Worse, to add to the confusion, there's a few tables that have drawers you can't open at all, namely the one holding the record player. And isn't it weird that the records are in some random desk rather than in the drawer right below the machine that plays them?
In short, due to poor design, the records are hidden, and it's not obvious how you can access them.
The Solution
Put the records in record sleeves on the desks, and while you're at it, put the tapes out in the open too. Not only are they more visible, but they're easier to access too. One record per sleeve, two, three, seven, it doesn't matter.
Now there's a small problem, and it's the reason I suggested a record sleeves category for the monthly contest: we have only one record sleeve sprite:
. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly fine. It has some nice perspective, the matte effect is great, and, most importantly, you can tell it's a record sleeve. But considering the great variety of record sleeve designs in real life, some of which are deeply embedded in pop culture, it's a real shame it's the only one. Personally, I don't think it's absolutely, CRITICALLY important to have new record sleeves sprites, but I do think this is a great opportunity to showcase of the creative talent of the entire community, spriters and non-spriters.
