Zarel's Improved Campaign planning

[Zarel]

with infinite time, you still haven't addressed the 'research everything' issue

The campaign time limits have never been so short that you can't research everything. And making them that short would make them too short for a reasonable player to finish.

You do realize campaigns don't have a tech tree like skirmish, right?

[Safety0ff]

How much AI work are you planning for this?
I would think that the AI would need significant modifications to balance the removal of time restrictions.

[Vibonacci]

Campaign Delta 4 is my suggestion! Nexus started secretly rebuilding their destroyed base in some other sector where they managed to absorb some project dudes. Ill start on this personally in 1,5y

Also I'd like some rebalancing of the AI in some (well most) campaign maps. The maps where AI produces units from factory should have the AI make better choices concerning unit combinatings. New Paradigm and Collective should make less HC's and more pure DPS units. Maybe in the big defense missions (last beta, the drops in alpha campaign, the missle lock research gamma missions) it would be nice if AI added some mobile artilerry like hovered riplles or howitzer types? I like the fact they add a few AA turrets in these assaults already. Nexus should also use more scourges in their assaults.

Something should also be done about the fact that nobody uses cyborgs in the campaign. Increasing their armor and body points and power costs might do it. Make it favorable to use a combined army of tanks and cyborgs so that you don't take extra damage from certain damage types. (ie it should be easier rushing a base having many rockets/missles as defense with a combined army then with only tanks). Make enemy AI do the same in their rushes? Now it seems they either attack with only cyborgs or only tanks in a certain wave.

As for removing the time limit: I think we should listen to the cutscenes word for word and see if we can determine from the text of the cutscene if the mission should have a time limit.

And as for adding new propulsions and turrets: I think we shouldn't do this until the campaign is extended. Save the goodies for the future...? Maybe heavy repair turret to reduce repair time in gamma campaign would be a pro. Dragon with 2 pulses and scourges and gausses would just be overkill against nexus final base .

Anyway these are just suggestions from a loyal fan; hope it helps,

greet,

vib

[TVR]

... If someone else wants to play a different way, what's wrong with that? ...

Nothing, that's why the debug version cheats should be in the standard binary, that way people can fast forward at 10x speed again, or disable time limits for difficult missions.

[Zarel]

How much AI work are you planning for this?
I would think that the AI would need significant modifications to balance the removal of time restrictions.

True. I'm hoping plonking in a multiplayer AI like semperfi will be enough.

Nothing, that's why the debug version cheats should be in the standard binary, that way people can fast forward at 10x speed again, or disable time limits for difficult missions.

time toggle is buggy, and in general should not be used.

[TVR]

... time toggle is buggy, and in general should not be used. ...

What's wrong with that? It's should be the player's discretion to deal with scripting errors resulting from cheats in campaign, or gameplay balance errors resulting from forced no-timelimit in campaign.

[Olrox]

... time toggle is buggy, and in general should not be used. ...

What's wrong with that? It's should be the player's discretion to deal with scripting errors resulting from cheats in campaign, or gameplay balance errors resulting from forced no-timelimit in campaign.

Yeah, but it's up to the developer's discretion wether to make buggy things more available or not. Activating debug mode already includes a wide range of things that could crash the game, so I think it's a way for the developers to group those features so that the player knows that all of them will either change balance or crash the game, so that they don't comply about that.

Or at least I think so.

~Olrox

[Zarel]

What's wrong with that? It's should be the player's discretion to deal with scripting errors resulting from cheats in campaign, or gameplay balance errors resulting from forced no-timelimit in campaign.

As Olrox mentions, it should be a developer's discretion as to what the default should be.

Of course, as is intended by this thread, we are here to discuss defaults, and I'm still not convinced a time restriction on every mission should be the default.

[Tenoh]

Since no one bother with what i have to say can i have my account deleted pls?

[Zarel]

...I just missed your post... gosh...

1.power caps.replacing time limits is a good idea,like others i agree with it cause i had my share of frustration with it.
As for power caps, i got a small idea.Why not introduce a structure that gives .. lets say +3k to power cap? that way you can limit the structures and have your power cap.Other small idea is to give player reward at the end of the mission ..say 1k power?

A structure that raises caps is a good idea - I'm planning on having the Command Center and Command Relay Center do exactly that.

An interesting idea to discourage structure spamming, would be to start the next level with a certain amount of power, minus the cost of the structures you have.

3.Skirmish tech is awesome lol,i have been adding to single player for long time now.Sure not everything should be added but auto repair should be added after you destroy first nexus base in my opinion.Uplink sensor wont do any harm as well.

Uplink, as mentioned earlier, would defeat the point of having to explore every campaign map... The only time I can see it being given is really late in the last mission.

Auto Repair, I suppose I can do, but not as early as Gamma 1. Maybe something like Gamma 4-6.

4.As for a7 map... i would rework the whole map making it bigger, then it would be a real race for the artifact,would be much more fun.

It's really supposed to be a normal intercept mission... I'll leave it here...

oh.. almost forgot,is it possible to change display when you click on the defense structure or units so the stat can be displayed? a range circle would help allot as well.

I suppose I can add that...

[theArmourer]

I think that unless massive AI rework is done, the timer has to stay. For example, Alpha 7. The Timer makes the mission difficult. If there is no timer the mission becomes almost as easy as the first mission. The New Paradigm is not capable of defeating you, so there is no challenge.

[DuKe2112]

In addition to a power cap, you might also want to think about power consumption. In that case if one starts turtling they will reach a point were their power usage equals their power production. Furthermore the closer they get to that point the harder it will be to produce anything more, especially tanks.

[dmkp]

In addition to a power cap, you might also want to think about power consumption. In that case if one starts turtling they will reach a point were their power usage equals their power production. Furthermore the closer they get to that point the harder it will be to produce anything more, especially tanks.

Exactly what I meant on my power thread.

[Zarel]

The reason turtling is an issue in skirmish is because of the tech tree.

There is no tech tree in campaign (well, there are mini-trees, but they don't count) - the only research you're given, you're expected to finish by the end of the mission anyway.

The only turtling you can do is building up defenses and units, which is what you'd be doing if you weren't turtling, anyway. It's not like rushing enemies is a valid strategy in campaign.

[Assault Gunner]

I think that unless massive AI rework is done, the timer has to posting.php?mode=edit&f=30&p=50678stay. For example, Alpha 7. The Timer makes the mission difficult. If there is no timer the mission becomes almost as easy as the first mission. The New Paradigm is not capable of defeating you, so there is no challenge.

Someone didn't read some of Zarel's posts. He said that about half of the missions will retain their timers. I have little doubt that this one will retain its timer. He will simply remove the timer in those missions in which the timer makes no(that is, zero, none, zip, nada, etc.) sense.

For example, the missions where you have to crush an enemy base. The timer is just frustrating there, because it gives you an artificial need to hurry. And it ticks me off when I am about to nail the final enemy structure... and the timer runs out.