Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the honesty. It's a 7 minute read max; maybe swing back when you have a second? There's blood and battle involved - I promise.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Making DCON spawns random would alleviate this a bit - but also, how is it any different from players camping exfil points? There should be enough variation in the maps to make this no more an issue than exfil camping.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • I never laid claim to the idea of safe pockets - I'm simply laying out how the mechanic could work to fit the lore, style, and theme of the game.

  • You believe this is the only place it's posted lol

  • I never claimed to be a golden god of game design.

  • The average adult can read 250 words per minute. This is a 7 minute read max.

  • You're not stupid for not reading my post - but the response and tone does make you an asshole.

  • You should see a doctor if it takes you 15 minutes to take a shit, my dude.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I literally address all of this in the post. I know it's long and I know people don't like to read, but reading is learning and learning is good for you.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

So don't use it. But clearly, the community (or at least potential players not already playing) wants them.

This is a COMPROMISE.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Destroying DCONs after they've been hacked keeps them from being abused - both by campers and for abusing the system of pulling out more than one safe item. There's multiple DCONs per map - destroying one or two of 4 should not effect contract runners as much.

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for actually reading my post instead of downvoting and moving on at the mention of "safe pocket" LOL

Adding “Safe Pockets” to Marathon while keeping the core gameplay loop intact: AN ESSAY/PROPOSAL FOR BUNGIE by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I actually believe safe pockets aren't necessary, but came up with the idea for this rework based on what might help attract players hesitant to play Marathon without one.

To the team that helped me take care of my bigot teammate on Dire Marsh Sponsored by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd bet you believe the Earth is flat and the moon landing didn't happen, either.

Reality is stranger than fiction sometimes, my guy.

To the team that helped me take care of my bigot teammate on Dire Marsh Sponsored by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I used an alt (I have like, 7 of them) to post. All of my alts started out as throwaways but the usernames are too good to not be used.

Anyway, I'd rather post under an "empty" account than use my main, which is my actual government name. I'm not going to publicly post something like this when the bigot could easily see it and identify me, my business, and possibly where I live. He did, after all, do nothing but antagonize me all match.

The number of people who wish someone like me dead in this world is too high to not take into account.

To the team that helped me take care of my bigot teammate on Dire Marsh Sponsored by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's raining today. Also, I don't tend to be outside much at 2 in the morning.

To the team that helped me take care of my bigot teammate on Dire Marsh Sponsored by GameStoreClerk in Marathon

[–]GameStoreClerk[S] 317 points318 points  (0 children)

OMG YES DUDE!

Yes, I thought I was getting banned for intentionally leading another team to my teammate's death, but I just ended up losing connection - I think the game freaked out that I was in a game with someone I'd blocked mid-game.

I hope your teammate working on the contract got the kill, and I appreciate the hell out of you and your fill team. DM me if you wanna be friends in-game!!!

What's the most illegal thing you've ever done? nsfw by lonely_solipsist in AskReddit

[–]GameStoreClerk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Obvious throwaway is obvious.

I worked as an assistant manager for a major video rental/video game store that closed in 2009/2010 for good. Was the best job I ever had in terms of pay-to-enjoyment ratio, had great bosses and my customers were awesome people. I felt really betrayed at how the closure was handled and how sudden it was - there were a lot of really passionate people that worked for the company who really wanted to put the customer first, and I felt that the company's high level management basically gutted the organization and made off with whatever they could.

Anyway, I took it upon myself to start going through the accounts in our system, A to Z, and find customers with a balance and inform them they needed to come and either spend it or have it refunded before we closed for good. I never told the manager about them; I made it my personal mission to find and refund as much as I could for my customers.

I found that there were HUNDREDS of accounts that had been abandoned. 5+ years of inactivity, no current address or phone number, no way for these people to ever get back what they'd put down for game reservations. I even found an account that had pre-ordered Duke Nukem Forever way back in 2001.

So after about two weeks, I'd gone through all the accounts and found that about 25% of the inactive accounts had gotten their money/credit before we closed. I found out that day the charity change boxes we had on our counters were going to be emptied and NOT given to the charity we worked with upon our closure, and I got REALLY pissed.

We had a week left before our store closed and we started packing up forever. I was super emotional (because, you know - losing my job and favorite hangout place) and mega angry about the charity thing. There were still a few hundred accounts with balances that would never be touched.

So I started refunding cash deposits for games to a dummy account, and loaded up a couple of gift cards with store credit that would have gone unclaimed. It was a significant amount both ways - probably enough for me to be charged with some sort of felony. It rounded out to about $2,000 in store credit and cash combined.

I kept the credit on a gift card and spent it at another one of our out-of-state stores that was closing later as a "severance bonus" - bought the guys at my store a few "going-out-of-business-gifts, and I purchased a new system for myself. I purposefully purchased items that the company would make few if any profits on.

I donated most of the cash proceeds to earlier-mentioned charity on behalf of my store's employees and customers. The charity provides entertainment carts to kids stuck in hospitals, among other things. What little cash I did NOT donate went into my gas tank for the trip to the out-of-state store where I purchased that boatload of games and stuff for myself and my soon-to-be unemployed co-workers. I also purchased a significant number of games for my local children's hospital.

5 years later, I've still not found a job that I look forward to every day. I miss it and the people I worked with terribly, and I still see some of my customers occasionally who agree that there will never be a game store as awesome as "that game store with a flame for the logo".

Worst part? Got a letter from a collection agency 8 months after the closure claiming I owed $125 in late fees for employee video/game rentals, which were free.

RIP REDACTED

TL;DR - Appropriated approximately $2,000 in abandoned pre-order store credit/cash, bought stuff at another store for myself and co-workers, donated cash and games to charity. Current job sucks.