Add in Upkeep
ScardyBob
ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
Upkeep is pretty common in many RTS games (WC3's system is the one that comes to mind), that helps balance matches, increase the chance for the losing side to make a comeback, and mitigate spam. The basic idea is that for each additional building, unit, etc. built, resource gathering is reduced by a certain amount. This type of system provides a soft cap on buildings/units in which you have to balance the value of an additional building against the cost of reduced resource gathering. In NS2, I'd say a good system would be
<ul><li>Structures = each structure constructed reduces carbon gathering by X%. However, each side gets one CS/Hive, IP, and extractor/harvestor with no upkeep required. The X% could be adjusted for each building to account for the different values of each structure or the desire to restrict the benefit of an additional structure (i.e. sentries and hydras could have a high X% to prevent spam).</li><li>Marine weapons/Improved alien players = each marine weapon or alien type on the field reduces plasma gathering by X%. Assault rifles and skulks have no required upkeep. Similarly to the structures, the X% can be adjusted based on value or to prevent spam (i.e. make it so only 1 or 2 marines can get flamethrowers or 1 or 2 aliens go fade/onos at one time).</li></ul>
However, the above is just given as an example. There are many different permutations that include thresholds at which upkeep begins or increases, which resources the upkeep applies too, a guaranteed min resource gathering rate per extractor/harvestor, etc. Upkeep is a great way to prevent spam without forcing a hard structure/weapon/alien type cap. However, I think you would have to include a method for the commander to restrict certain weapons/alien types from being purchased or else several newbs could accidentally grief a team by choosing the most expensive upkeep items, reducing the teams resource gathering to a slow crawl.
From discussion forum (thanks Spellman23!): <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=111593&hl=upkeep" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...3&hl=upkeep</a>
<ul><li>Structures = each structure constructed reduces carbon gathering by X%. However, each side gets one CS/Hive, IP, and extractor/harvestor with no upkeep required. The X% could be adjusted for each building to account for the different values of each structure or the desire to restrict the benefit of an additional structure (i.e. sentries and hydras could have a high X% to prevent spam).</li><li>Marine weapons/Improved alien players = each marine weapon or alien type on the field reduces plasma gathering by X%. Assault rifles and skulks have no required upkeep. Similarly to the structures, the X% can be adjusted based on value or to prevent spam (i.e. make it so only 1 or 2 marines can get flamethrowers or 1 or 2 aliens go fade/onos at one time).</li></ul>
However, the above is just given as an example. There are many different permutations that include thresholds at which upkeep begins or increases, which resources the upkeep applies too, a guaranteed min resource gathering rate per extractor/harvestor, etc. Upkeep is a great way to prevent spam without forcing a hard structure/weapon/alien type cap. However, I think you would have to include a method for the commander to restrict certain weapons/alien types from being purchased or else several newbs could accidentally grief a team by choosing the most expensive upkeep items, reducing the teams resource gathering to a slow crawl.
From discussion forum (thanks Spellman23!): <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=111593&hl=upkeep" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...3&hl=upkeep</a>
Comments
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=111593&st=0&p=1809446&" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...;p=1809446&</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=111593&st=0&p=1809446&" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...;p=1809446&</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks for posting that. I seemed to have completely missed that thread. I'll post my response over there since it already has more discussion.