Design Directions

[Azzer]

I want to make a few threads I will title "Design Directions" - features that should be explored with discussion, and suggestions. It's easily possible nothing will come of them, or completely unrelated ideas will spawn from discussion on them, or some epic change that vastly improves the game will come about.

This thread is to discuss possible new design directions. The design direction threads will be decided upon, created and worded by me, and all tagged "Design Directions". If you can think of a field/area of the game that you don't have a suggestion for to "solve", but it's something you'd like others thinking about, then post your ideas here, eg;
"We need some sort of resistance built in to the game"
"We need *REAL* HQ tech trees, or some sort of mechanic, that allows 1 alliance to develop features that makes them genuinely distinct from another".

So far the official "Design Direction" threads are;

1: In-Built Resistance System
2: HQ Tech Trees

 

[Polo]

I'd like all units and technologies to be looked at and rebalanced/changed. Nothing as extreme as Sordes' has suggested in the past (ie. completely redoing everything from scratch). I suggest keeping most of the current routes but changing a few things to make the game seem more "fresh" for the more old school players. Unit changes that would allow different playstyles, etc.

I'd also like to address the "useless" routes/units in the game so every route is worth playing and every unit is worth buying in conjunction with the above suggestion.

 

[Dark_Angel]

I agree with Polo, I think everything should be looked at again.

As for how this should work, I think a discussion could definitely do with taking place at a set time on IRC. (Obviously when Azzer's around).

Give everyonce a chance to discuss possible changes to routes/units/balancing etc.

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Also, and this may sound a bit backwards. I'd like to propose that the game doesn't introduce an entire new route to the game for a set amount of time (2-3 rounds, mebbe)

A large part of succeeding and failing in this game is based on extensive knowledge of routes, knowing and being able to recall kill ratios, how much flak you need to do this, to do that, whats good vs this, vs that, does this unit fire faster than this one, does this unit have a bonus, etc.

I'm all for having a look at units, introducing new ones, removing others, but I think it'd be worth agreeing not to introduce an entire new route - at the risk of making the battle element of Bushtarion overwhelmingly complex.

I'd sooner see a route replaced than a new one brought it.

I'm basing the above proposal on the perspective of the newcomer. There is much more to learn about routes/units than 3-4 years ago, I think we need to consider that when thinking about any new route suggestions.

 

[BlackWolf]

Main problem is in current units and balance of routes as DA and Polo have stated above.

I see that removing all bonuses and redoing routes, even with same unit names but completely over done stats would be really much in place.

This game is circling around same routes and units round to round and people are playing only those few routes as they are only routes that can be used in large scale. Same time some very good routes have been scrapped with all kinds of add on units and bonuses to those. When I needed to get our completely new player in to game and they asked what route they should pick it was next to impossible to tell them what to do. What route to pick and what kind of differences those have.

Also P units should be VERY VERY much looked at. Current way of some routes needing P unit and some not doing smeg with those is not the way people understand what P unit means.

 

[Dark_Angel]

Also P units should be VERY VERY much looked at. Current way of some routes needing P unit and some not doing smeg with those is not the way people understand what P unit means.

Agree entirely. Some routes can be played without their pUnit without hindrance, others are simply crap without it.

Perhaps most notably Terrorist Leaders. Thug-PB's strength has gone to crap without TLs, and even with them the route is debatably weak against anything but prots. (Yes Tleaders firing before a lot of advanced-level units, but you need huge amounts of them to do much)

Without TLs, the first tick of battle for a thug consists of terrors firing at 200, but primarily at flak, the only LET targetting unit being PBs, which fire at a really crappy 550.

Compare that to robo, CWs firing at 380, spec ops, assassins firing at 270, gargs 330.

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I'm sure there are a few people with suggestions for re-balancing, as I've said I think this would work best at a meeting on IRC.

[edit] - Spoke to Polo about this, we agreed Thug needs bolstering given the fact that with Fantasy now in the picture, there's another two routes that own Thug.

Thats too many enemies for the average thug player, compared to most other routes.