Setting a new Highscore - Feeling so Limited in How to Play the Game

[Daeid]

Hi all,

I played the game quite a bit and loved every moment so far. I'm reading a lot in the forums, but haven't contributed thus far. Time to change that

 

After figuring out how to beat the game fairly consistently it is more or less about beating the game even more, i.e. getting a new highscore on my next run. Lately my problem is that I'm feeling so limited in options to achieve that.

 

If I really want to go for a highscore then I need to meet a lot of pre-conditions before I start the 2nd mission:

• run with archive Banks because of her ECON chip
• have a lvl2 Cybernetics Lab close to my starting position
• find a SLAM augment during the first mission
• have a good layout of missions in world map
• (additionally I feel like the non-archive Tony Xu is mandatory to use as well, but that might be just me...)

As long as "remaining credits" count towards my score I don't see how to maximize credits/my score without those conditions. I'm even forced to do additional things along the road that cut down on options on how to play the game:

• max out Hacking on either Banks or the other character
• max out Anarchy on Banks
• don't spend any further money on skills (other than Inventory)
• don't buy any items
• sell every single item during the mission in day 4

Feeling so limited in options drastically reduces the fun factor for me. Sure you can go for 'randomized' runs, or set your own restrictions. I've done that and this is fun and all but at least for me this isn't as satisfying as beating my highscore.

 

Maybe I should just start not caring too much about my score, at least for now. Think that would solve a lot of my problems...

Still, Invisible Inc. is a wonderful game. Maybe the best game on my personal list for 2014. Good job Klei

 

tl, dr: not happy with the scoring system which I feel limits your options on character selection, items and on how to play the game in general

[5thHorseman]

I don't agree with the way the score is calculated but I also don't agree that your problem is caused by it. I really think you're heaping massive restrictions on yourself and then having a problem with those very restrictions.

I used to have a similar problem with FTL. I even thought about dropping it when I realized that the score had very little to do with how well I did or how hard the particular run was. Then I realized that the game was fun in and of itself and now I don't even pay attention to the score. Same with Inc.

[syrant]

Of the things you mentioned that are required to score well, I would only agree on the Bank's econ chip and maybe not maxing out all skills (for secondary characters). The others aren't really that important. The SLAM augment gives ~300 credits per mission, which for 10 missions is only 3K. Selling off all your items might give roughly that amount as well. I believe you're not taking into account the (imo) 2nd more important factor for scoring (after the Econ chip), which is the number of missions (and particularly high level missions) you're able to do during the playthrough. I would guess that each level 4 mission is worth ~10K (or more). As this is such a large determinant in your scoring, and since you won't really know how many missions you can fit until later (when they spawn, or if you get a string of Executive missions), almost any start can lead to a high score. I don't understand the complaint about having to max out Hacking/Anarchy skills.. would you not max them out otherwise?

 

I originally didn't like how the floating credit counted towards score worked in this game either. But I've come around to the fact that it gives a little more optimization/challenge choice, and it's not mandatory that you play to that edge (and even if you do, it's still probably within the variance of a single extra mission during the playthrough). (I would offer a suggestion that the resale value of all your items be added to your score, though; it seems counter-intuitive to want to sell all your stuff before exiting the last mission).

 

I agree with the 5thHorseman's suggestion to just enjoy the game. Don't worry too much about the start, since it's really the missions you get throughout and at the end of the playthrough that really determines things. The suggestion to not buy items is kind of hilarious -- it's certainly not worth the time and effort to try to get a high score by not purchasing a better weapon or portable server or EMP or programs, besides the fact that they're very helpful in making sure you actually get to the end.

[Daeid]

the (imo) 2nd more important factor for scoring [...], which is the number of missions [...] you're able to do during the playthrough.

You're right, this is pretty important factor which I didn't mention explicitly but it's what I meant with to "have a good layout of missions in world map". Basically you're presented with a couple of travelling salesman problems that you got to solve in order to maximize the amount of missions that you can squeeze into one playthrough. There's not a lot of freedom in choosing your next mission and you almost depend on getting the occasional Executive Terminal mission. Strangely that doesn't bother me too much.

My complaint about running only with Hacking/Anarchy maxed was the other way round. I meant that I am not allowed to spend money on other skills because that would again reduce my final score.

If you choose to ignore the money that you save or get from

• not maxing out (other than the mentioned) skills (8k+)
• SLAM (3k+)
• not buying two or three higher tier items (2k+)
• selling items in the last mission (3k+)

then you give up on the value of like one or two additional missions, which has significant impact on your score by I'd say about 10%?

I'll try to just enjoy the game for now, but I think that I'll need some goal to work towards to when I play the game. That goal changed a couple of times already. It went from surviving missions to surviving a complete run to figuring out the game to beating my current highscore which I now feel kind of stuck at.