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effigy wrote:I was born into squared, and TW style multiplayer. Even though squared will remain special to me for that reason, I have to risk passive pretend patricide (angstful coming of age) in saying I too can see it's troubling to balance the game for maps with 24-40 oil resources per player(whether or not they're in a clump in your base).
I can relate. In '99-2000 I played extensively along these lines. Made some maps back then with high-oil and very much like squared too. There is a certain intoxicating appeal I can honestly remember first hand. Live and let live. Whoever wants to play along those lines, cool.... Find each other and go at it. It is what it is. Same goes for other preferred types and styles of playing. If like minded can readily find, arrange, engage... it's all good. But again, the games basic design roots are only supple enough for balance to be predicated on low-mid oil.
effigy wrote:That said, I lost interest in even experimenting with the Super Transport when I discovered it could only hold 3 tracked units, or 10 regular cyborgs(the same as the current cyborg transport!). I liked the idea of needing a landing zone for the Super Transport, to add a bit of campaign seasoning to MP, but I can see how that would adversely effect old maps. I had also assumed that it would carry 10 of any tank, just like campaign.
The loss of interest is understandable. I would guess in it's current state, that is the prevailing sense. However, I see this introduction as just a place to start and not the end state. It is an adjacent possible state with still many more combinatorial variants to explore and test on the road to uncovering the optimal depth and fun.
effigy wrote:I had a chat some time ago on IRC with [I don't remember who] about the point system [3 for track, 2 for half-track, 1 for wheeled, 1 for [Super]Cyborg???] for the transport. The idea that he was promoting to pack more units in the Super Transport (and justify the title) was based on Super Cyborgs deserving less space. IIRC we talked about it holding 10 Super'borgs or 20 regular, and that the older Cyborg Transport should only allow 5 Super'borgs. If that idea were absorbed perhaps the balance between the two could come as a lowered cost of the Cyborg Transport or increase in the cost of the Super Transport?
Worth exploring and still on the continuum of increasing the Super Transport's current payload.
I take it the point system refers to a unit's occupation of Transport slots.
1 Trax = occupying 3 slots, Super Borg = 1 slot, 2 Regular Borg = 1 slot for example.
Perhaps in keeping with these guidline proposals,
upping the # of slots for the Super Transport and keeping the Cyborg Transport at 10.
This does go down the path of complexification but it just may be the right degree & kind as to make GP more interesting, deeper and fun without invoking countervailing frustration.
Hypothesizing and pure thought experiments are only so useful - really need to implement and stress test wide to get a true handle on the viability of any of these changes. Though, again, I think they are worthwhile exploring in-game and not just in-brain.
Generative input effigy, to be sure, and appreciated.
- Synergistically, RV
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