Shannon's Journal Discussion Thread, Vol. 5

[Shannon]

A 7-stage LTU is awesome news IMO. Will each stage cover something different, or will the program be more powerful for each stage?

Of course each stage will cover something different.  Otherwise, why have more than one stage? 

Power level will be uniform.  The goal of the step up is to build a foundation, and then build steps to the goal on top of that foundation.

I'm sure that you know the right way to do it, but in my mind it would be great to have a program that was the same but increased in power level for each stage in connection with the increase in technology (so that a new shield or FRM would be added in a new stage if released).

I might be the only one who feels this way but of the 12 titles, there are 2-3 that I'm really excited about, 6-8 that I think are great to have in there but that I wouldn't purchase as a stand alone, and a few that I couldn't care less about. 

So I would maybe feel that it was a would be a bit of a bummer if one particular stage eg. covers one title that I think is ok plus one title that I don't really care about. Unless the one stage builds on top of the previous. Then it would make sense.

But I'm sure you know what is best.

The issues with a program that was the same but just increased in power level would be as follows.

The first stage would be too weak.  The last stage would be too strong.  At some point in between, the strength would be optimal.  But you would have to spend 6 months figuring that out.  Furthermore, that would be 6 months of the same script, which defeats the point of having a multi-stage stepped script designed not only to prevent boredom, but to gradually work on each issue to allow you to step up to the next more difficult issue, and so on.

Shields and FRMs don't determine power.  They're modules that add functionality.  The power is determined by specific parts of the skeleton script, which are designed to be adjustable.  

The reason for the 12 titles that are included is that they all add something significant and important to the end goal.  They all support one another in specific ways on the way to that end goal.  Each stage would not add or remove titles, it will add or remove statements or modules, which are independent of titles.  

The whole process is a lot more complex, difficult and intricate than I make it seem.