General > Discussion

Just finished 2.3 (destroyed 1. base) - a bit of feedback

(1/6) > >>

Viento:
First: Great game! I've been enjoying it tremendously and I'm downloading the newest build to start it over again! I love the development (this time there was a Corrupter-Model in a terror mission and the alien base which I'd never seen before) ;) So, great work, keep it up.

Feedback:

> Maximum limit / month: 600 000 Cr

Phallanx needs to defend earth against the virus. This can only be done if Phallanx has fighter aircraft available almost everywhere. Basically every continent would need a base but this is impossible at the moment. I had 5 bases and I'm not sure whether a 6th one wouldn't have ruined me financially in mid-game.

=> such an important institution should (if successful!) have enough money to expand.

=> Another alternative: I could imagine that Phallanx would just use cities of friendly countries to put a fighter there. I played another remake of UFO and this was a very nice feature. The cities repaired and fueled your aircraft but didn't rearm "fancy" weaponry (like alien stuff, etc). They cities were paid for this "service".


> Research and triggers

At the beginning of the game there is an awful lot to research. It's very hard to decide what items to go for first. That's brilliant and I think it's realistic in a scenario in which a lot of new technology is introduced via war. Now, I've been playing with 60 scientists and thus I had quite good research capabilities. 

In mid-game there is still some interesting things but the closer I git to the end (virus enters the game), the less interesting things there are to research.

=> perhaps it would be good to use "triggers" to make sure that there is enough to research left even in the later part of the game. An example will be given in the next point.


> The Corruptor Story and research: Feed the player more smaller bits

Some things that sprang to my mind: Basically it splits the story up into more smaller bits of information.

> Corrupter shot down => mission => research: "Ship Corruptor"
> "Disassemble Corruptor" => new pieces of alien ufo equipment are recovered: "Virus canisters", "Injection Devices"

=> new research: "Injection Devices" => more horror details about aliens infecting humans
=> new research: "Virus Canisters" => more details on the virus
=> new research: "Dropping mechanism" => player learns about the ability to drop these "injection devices".
=> new research: "Alien from a Corruptor" => player can learn (if there are enough other captures aliens) something about the mission
=> new research: "Hypothesis on Corruptor" => after having done the research on the new ufo stuff and a crew member, the mission of the Corrupter should be revealed.

You see what I mean: Don't give the player all the information in just 1 research mission (as it is now), but feed them bits, but lots of them. The appearance of the Corruptor is a key element in the game. I would like to stress its importance by making the player reserach a lot and piece the story together.


> Improve close combat firing weapons in mid- and end-game.

All close combat weapons are useless once medium armor is used by aliens. It's a pity that all the brave close combat 50+ skill guys have no weapons to use but only carry stun grenades.

=> my favourit solution: After "medium armor" is researched (=trigger), makind comes up with new kinds of ammo to counter the better armor. This could be combined with the next point (alien materials) because that stuff should be great to make highly penetrative  rounds.

=> there is a thread on this topic, so I keep it short here: http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=4327.0


> Make Alien materials useful or allow me to get rid of it faster

I accumulated whole tons of Alien materials. If you sell >6000 of these, you need to put a heavy item on the mouse button. I made coffee while all the stuff was sold (no joking). It took several minutes.

=> add a faster "counting" after 30 secons. Steps of 100 would be fine for worthless (3cr) items like alien materials.

or, much better:

=> give sense to the alien materials:

> Fighters can only be built with these.
> New weapons need it
> new kinds of ammunition could use it (see above)
> Bases could be protected effectively against bombing runs by adding "armor" (this would also explain why aliens do not simply wipe out Phallanx bases but attack them with soldiers)

=> this would open up another research branch: "What can we do with these materials?" with easy trigger points "New development: We found a way to shape the materials even more precisely. Now we are able to form smaller things like..."


> Ranking system of soldiers

It's too slow. I only got 1 soldier who wasn't a Rifleman.

=> speed up the ranking system: For every 5 soldiers in Phallanx there should be a superior (a Sergeant), for every 15 an officer, etc... the best person gets promoted. 


> Skill system

I also don't understand how the skills increase. Some seem to be linked to the weapons you use, and to kills (grenade launcher guys level fast), some other skills don't change at all while others change faster. I didn't find a system behind it.

Health is a problem, though. I haven't seen it rise, which I would like to. My best Close Combat soldier had 80 HP which was not enough at the end of the game. She kept dying from every stupid needle. :)


Okay, this is what I wanted to feedback to you. Thank you for the great game! ;)

Andy


 

Kildor:
Glad to hear that you are able to finish the game. Is it good to know that campaign framework works ok.

Some notes:
About corrupter: that part of the game is not complitely written, and will be extended.

About ranking and skills: It will be revisited one day.

BTAxis:

--- Quote from: Viento on January 02, 2010, 01:03:37 am ---> Maximum limit / month: 600 000 Cr

Phallanx needs to defend earth against the virus. This can only be done if Phallanx has fighter aircraft available almost everywhere. Basically every continent would need a base but this is impossible at the moment. I had 5 bases and I'm not sure whether a 6th one wouldn't have ruined me financially in mid-game.

=> such an important institution should (if successful!) have enough money to expand.

=> Another alternative: I could imagine that Phallanx would just use cities of friendly countries to put a fighter there. I played another remake of UFO and this was a very nice feature. The cities repaired and fueled your aircraft but didn't rearm "fancy" weaponry (like alien stuff, etc). They cities were paid for this "service".

--- End quote ---

About this, the choice was made to make expansion expensive on purpose. You're MEANT to not be able to cover the entire earth with your radars/fighters unless you are very successful. It's a game element, and though it may sound unrealistic, I consider it sound.

That being said, the economy is far from properly balanced, so changes will certainly be made.


--- Quote ---> Research and triggers

At the beginning of the game there is an awful lot to research. It's very hard to decide what items to go for first. That's brilliant and I think it's realistic in a scenario in which a lot of new technology is introduced via war. Now, I've been playing with 60 scientists and thus I had quite good research capabilities. 

In mid-game there is still some interesting things but the closer I git to the end (virus enters the game), the less interesting things there are to research.

=> perhaps it would be good to use "triggers" to make sure that there is enough to research left even in the later part of the game. An example will be given in the next point.

--- End quote ---

Well, the tech tree just isn't finished yet, especially in the area you describe. UGVs, more armour types, more base facilities, more craft and psionics still have to be incorporated. Not to mention the rest of the story. I'd try and get those in first, and then see if the tech starvation is still there. If so, we can try to flesh it out a bit.


--- Quote ---*snip*
=> new research: "Injection Devices" => more horror details about aliens infecting humans
=> new research: "Virus Canisters" => more details on the virus
=> new research: "Dropping mechanism" => player learns about the ability to drop these "injection devices".
=> new research: "Alien from a Corruptor" => player can learn (if there are enough other captures aliens) something about the mission
=> new research: "Hypothesis on Corruptor" => after having done the research on the new ufo stuff and a crew member, the mission of the Corrupter should be revealed.

You see what I mean: Don't give the player all the information in just 1 research mission (as it is now), but feed them bits, but lots of them. The appearance of the Corruptor is a key element in the game. I would like to stress its importance by making the player reserach a lot and piece the story together.

--- End quote ---

There is an important drawback to that approach, which is that the individual research topics are essentially pointless. We strongly feel that each and every research topic must have a merit in its own right, be it storyline progression or a benefit ingame (unlocking equipment, etc). Stringing up storyline research like that is going to seem very artificial and forced, and that's not a good thing.


--- Quote ---=> give sense to the alien materials:

> Fighters can only be built with these.
> New weapons need it
> new kinds of ammunition could use it (see above)
> Bases could be protected effectively against bombing runs by adding "armor" (this would also explain why aliens do not simply wipe out Phallanx bases but attack them with soldiers)

--- End quote ---

Yeah, I see Alien Materials working much like that in the game. There should really be various uses for it.


--- Quote ---> Skill system

I also don't understand how the skills increase. Some seem to be linked to the weapons you use, and to kills (grenade launcher guys level fast), some other skills don't change at all while others change faster. I didn't find a system behind it.
--- End quote ---

For 2.3, the system is described here.

Winter:

--- Quote from: BTAxis on January 02, 2010, 10:11:44 am ---There is an important drawback to that approach, which is that the individual research topics are essentially pointless. We strongly feel that each and every research topic must have a merit in its own right, be it storyline progression or a benefit ingame (unlocking equipment, etc). Stringing up storyline research like that is going to seem very artificial and forced, and that's not a good thing.

--- End quote ---

With regards to the Corrupter especially, I'd like to take this comment and add that stringing the player along beyond reasonable doubt -- when the player has figured out what's going on with the Corrupter and XVI while all the highly-trained PHALANX staff are still in the dark -- is a good way to kill the whole experience. There will absolutely be more research leading from the Corrupter, but it will be linked to the XVI research and the Breeder alien rather than artificially lengthening the tree.

Regards,
Winter

ChemBro:

--- Quote from: BTAxis on January 02, 2010, 10:11:44 am ---For 2.3, the system is described here.

--- End quote ---

Is it possible to be more specifically, because as I stated in this thread, you don't gain any skill points for accuracy, if you use assault/bolter/sniper rifle (at least, I don't get any skill points in accuracy). What do you really have to do to gain skill points in accuracy?


@TO (Viento): When (ingame date) did the game end for you? And how about mission variety for you?

I'm asking because it is Jan 2085 in my game and the game is getting boring, because I do the same missions over and over again and there is nothing to research. And there is no coilgun, sheevar or whatever. When did the "endgame" start for you? I want to know how long I have to wait to get to this point.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page