LittleBoyBlue
06-06-2010, 12:04 PM
I have always enjoyed how this game promotes customization without being overpowered--a true "rock-paper-scissors" game. And it also looks like this game attempts to reward longtime players not with overpowered options but rather the ability to customize. [...This] idea honors that paradigm.
I give you, in my opinion, one of the coolest game-improving/expanding ideas we ever came up with.
This concept was born and discussed in... IRC of all places. Yes, we do actually talk/think/develop ideas in IRC. Who knew it's a happening place? (WTF ARE NONE OF YOU DOING IN THERE?)
Credit for this idea belongs primarily to Steel-PenPen (who has sadly vanished), Slamscape, and Beefthief. Other contributers are Drakon, myself, and NeoXenex (aka E=MCVag|na).
>>>Auxiliary Upgrades/Slots: Prepare for a wall of text that may just improve your already favorable opinion of this game....
::: Beefthief:
We had this discussion on IRC for almost a full 30 minutes. Everyone seemed to really like this idea. So here goes:
Possible auxiilary upgrades are as follows:
- Faster reload
- Faster shield regeneration
- Increased power gain
- Less power drain for powered shots
- Less power drain for boost
- Increased base speed
Basically, you would gain an auxiliary upgrade point every 5 levels (or whatever amount it needs to be). These upgrade points can be "spent" on one of the above upgrades. If you spend a point towards the "Faster reload", then your guns would reload slightly faster. And I stress slightly. Currently, since the max level is 40, you gain a maximum of 8 upgrade points. Of course, the upgrades will have to have a cap, so one person can't spend all 8 points on increased base speed, making them so fast, that no one can catch them.
There should also be an option to reset your spent upgrade points (NOTE: Not your level, just your earned upgrade points). This way, once you get to a higher level and you find that you don't like the way your points are distributed, you are able to reset and tweak them to your playing style.
::: LittleBoyBlue:
*paraphrased* : Whine, Whine, Grief, Whine, Disapproval, QQQQQQQ.
::: Slamscape:
Well even if the boosts are small, its something to make you slightly different from everyone else, you'd be able to spend points to boost your play style. Right now the levels don't really add anything to the game play, I don't think increasing stats like health, damage, or shields per level is the way to go either, there are already upgrades that do that, and things would become hard to balance.
Some other upgrades could be.
-Increased starting energy
-Increased ball throwing distance
-Shorter deceleration distance
My ideas for numbers
-3 points max per skill
-Reload speed (percentage based) would wind up subtracting .5 seconds for long reload weapons and around .2-.25 for quickest reload weapons
-Shield regen would have to be a value not percentage based 10% faster recharge (armor I think adds shields, so they would regen even faster)
-Less power drain around 5-10%
-Increased starting energy, would start you at about 1 +1/2 instead of 1 now
-Increased ball throw distance again 5-10% further
-Shorter deceleration distance not sure but you can change direction just a little bit quicker
Again these numbers would all be at max points
-Speed, I'm not really sure, but it would have to be where when the Speed upgrade is also used that It's only slightly faster than it is now. But full speed max points would have to be maybe halfway between base speed and with the current speed upgrade.
-Same thing as above for the power upgrade
::: Drakon:
I kind of like this idea because it just adds a nice little element to the game play but it should be a very limited.
As said before one point every 5 levels and that would give you a total of 8 points
Each modifier has a max of 5 slots/levels
Each modifier would get a 1-2% boost
Things modified -
Speed
Armor
Energy
Reload Time
Sense you all ready get a damage bonus from leveling up any ways there is no need for an option.
This seems like the best and most stream lined way IMO and would be easy to implement down the road.
::: Steel-PenPen:
I have to say im not a fan of this either. One the the resons i like this is its not your typical " higher level allways wins" games. This could change that.
I do have a little idea for it, however. Lets just say when you start the game you have three points to each section:
Speed: 3
Armor: 3
Energy: 3
Reload Time: 3
3 is the base level, what it is now, but say i level up to level five i get one " change point " this allows me to take a point from one area and place it on another. (max can be 5-6) Personally, i would do this;
Speed: 4
Armor: 3
Energy: 2
Reload Time: 3
That that would give me an extra 5% speed at the cost of 5% Energy! This way higher levels aren't automatically better in every way; something i hate in games.
::: LittleBoyBlue:
*paraphrased* : WINWINWINWINWINWINWIN. /signed.
::: NeoXenex/E=MCVag|na:
I believe the player base would benefit most if the customization wouldn't be a permanent change, but rather give a player the option to change at the beginning of a match or before every spawn in the match. I wouldn't want to take away a significant portion of my armor and regret the decision later. This would give players the option to further customize their role in more competitive games, like having one person fill the "artillery" role by significantly lowering reload time and upping energy and armor and have another person also lower their reload time but up their speed and armor to be a ball runner. Things like that.
In the end, the ultimate version of this concept we agreed upon was Steel-PenPen's. His idea seemed most balanced and capable of implementation. As I've stated already, this idea is freaking awesome. If you thought you were customizable now, think about what this concept entails. FTW.
Please comment if you approve or have any additional suggestions. We will be happy to discuss in-depth.
PS/Note: NeoXenex/E=MCVag|na (the "|" is to avoid censors) is the only person to ever topple Drakon in the scoreboards. He arrived, conquered in a week, and disappeared. :O
I give you, in my opinion, one of the coolest game-improving/expanding ideas we ever came up with.
This concept was born and discussed in... IRC of all places. Yes, we do actually talk/think/develop ideas in IRC. Who knew it's a happening place? (WTF ARE NONE OF YOU DOING IN THERE?)
Credit for this idea belongs primarily to Steel-PenPen (who has sadly vanished), Slamscape, and Beefthief. Other contributers are Drakon, myself, and NeoXenex (aka E=MCVag|na).
>>>Auxiliary Upgrades/Slots: Prepare for a wall of text that may just improve your already favorable opinion of this game....
::: Beefthief:
We had this discussion on IRC for almost a full 30 minutes. Everyone seemed to really like this idea. So here goes:
Possible auxiilary upgrades are as follows:
- Faster reload
- Faster shield regeneration
- Increased power gain
- Less power drain for powered shots
- Less power drain for boost
- Increased base speed
Basically, you would gain an auxiliary upgrade point every 5 levels (or whatever amount it needs to be). These upgrade points can be "spent" on one of the above upgrades. If you spend a point towards the "Faster reload", then your guns would reload slightly faster. And I stress slightly. Currently, since the max level is 40, you gain a maximum of 8 upgrade points. Of course, the upgrades will have to have a cap, so one person can't spend all 8 points on increased base speed, making them so fast, that no one can catch them.
There should also be an option to reset your spent upgrade points (NOTE: Not your level, just your earned upgrade points). This way, once you get to a higher level and you find that you don't like the way your points are distributed, you are able to reset and tweak them to your playing style.
::: LittleBoyBlue:
*paraphrased* : Whine, Whine, Grief, Whine, Disapproval, QQQQQQQ.
::: Slamscape:
Well even if the boosts are small, its something to make you slightly different from everyone else, you'd be able to spend points to boost your play style. Right now the levels don't really add anything to the game play, I don't think increasing stats like health, damage, or shields per level is the way to go either, there are already upgrades that do that, and things would become hard to balance.
Some other upgrades could be.
-Increased starting energy
-Increased ball throwing distance
-Shorter deceleration distance
My ideas for numbers
-3 points max per skill
-Reload speed (percentage based) would wind up subtracting .5 seconds for long reload weapons and around .2-.25 for quickest reload weapons
-Shield regen would have to be a value not percentage based 10% faster recharge (armor I think adds shields, so they would regen even faster)
-Less power drain around 5-10%
-Increased starting energy, would start you at about 1 +1/2 instead of 1 now
-Increased ball throw distance again 5-10% further
-Shorter deceleration distance not sure but you can change direction just a little bit quicker
Again these numbers would all be at max points
-Speed, I'm not really sure, but it would have to be where when the Speed upgrade is also used that It's only slightly faster than it is now. But full speed max points would have to be maybe halfway between base speed and with the current speed upgrade.
-Same thing as above for the power upgrade
::: Drakon:
I kind of like this idea because it just adds a nice little element to the game play but it should be a very limited.
As said before one point every 5 levels and that would give you a total of 8 points
Each modifier has a max of 5 slots/levels
Each modifier would get a 1-2% boost
Things modified -
Speed
Armor
Energy
Reload Time
Sense you all ready get a damage bonus from leveling up any ways there is no need for an option.
This seems like the best and most stream lined way IMO and would be easy to implement down the road.
::: Steel-PenPen:
I have to say im not a fan of this either. One the the resons i like this is its not your typical " higher level allways wins" games. This could change that.
I do have a little idea for it, however. Lets just say when you start the game you have three points to each section:
Speed: 3
Armor: 3
Energy: 3
Reload Time: 3
3 is the base level, what it is now, but say i level up to level five i get one " change point " this allows me to take a point from one area and place it on another. (max can be 5-6) Personally, i would do this;
Speed: 4
Armor: 3
Energy: 2
Reload Time: 3
That that would give me an extra 5% speed at the cost of 5% Energy! This way higher levels aren't automatically better in every way; something i hate in games.
::: LittleBoyBlue:
*paraphrased* : WINWINWINWINWINWINWIN. /signed.
::: NeoXenex/E=MCVag|na:
I believe the player base would benefit most if the customization wouldn't be a permanent change, but rather give a player the option to change at the beginning of a match or before every spawn in the match. I wouldn't want to take away a significant portion of my armor and regret the decision later. This would give players the option to further customize their role in more competitive games, like having one person fill the "artillery" role by significantly lowering reload time and upping energy and armor and have another person also lower their reload time but up their speed and armor to be a ball runner. Things like that.
In the end, the ultimate version of this concept we agreed upon was Steel-PenPen's. His idea seemed most balanced and capable of implementation. As I've stated already, this idea is freaking awesome. If you thought you were customizable now, think about what this concept entails. FTW.
Please comment if you approve or have any additional suggestions. We will be happy to discuss in-depth.
PS/Note: NeoXenex/E=MCVag|na (the "|" is to avoid censors) is the only person to ever topple Drakon in the scoreboards. He arrived, conquered in a week, and disappeared. :O