User:CrazyEddie/Draft Commander Framework Proposal - Revision history

CrazyEddie: /* Framework Design */

2019-06-24T02:05:50Z

Framework Design

CrazyEddie: /* Economic Value */

2019-06-24T00:48:38Z

Economic Value

CrazyEddie: /* Economic Value */

2019-06-24T00:36:02Z

Economic Value

CrazyEddie: /* Stats: Weapons, Modules, and Chassis */

2019-06-23T22:59:35Z

Stats: Weapons, Modules, and Chassis

CrazyEddie: /* Upgrade Sequence */

2019-06-23T22:15:46Z

Upgrade Sequence

CrazyEddie: /* Upgrade Sequence */

2019-06-23T22:09:23Z

Upgrade Sequence

CrazyEddie: /* Unit Value Allocation */

2019-06-23T22:09:02Z

Unit Value Allocation

CrazyEddie: /* Stand-alone Modules */

2019-06-23T22:04:02Z

Stand-alone Modules

CrazyEddie: /* Modules and Tracks */

2019-06-23T22:02:18Z

Modules and Tracks

CrazyEddie: /* Modules and Tracks */

2019-06-23T21:54:40Z

Modules and Tracks

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 This rule ensures that morphing a Commander is cost-effective, but only under the right circumstances. If the comm is morphed but remains in the base where its combat capabilities will be largely unused, the player will have spent 100 metal for only 50 EV and would have been better off spending the metal on economic development directly. If the comm is morphed and used as a disposable unit in battle in an attempt to make cost in kills while expending the unit, the player will have spent 100 metal for only 75 UV and would have been better off spending the metal on units directly.
-With this rule, morphing a Commander is cost-effective only if the player makes use of the morphed comm's unit capabilities, either offensively in battle or defensively in high-threat locations, AND the player keeps the comm alive to get the payoff from the morphed comm's increased resource production. If the player can manage to do that then the morphed comm is very cost-effective, as the player will be getting 125 metal worth of benefit for only 100 metal cost.
+With this rule, morphing a Commander is cost-effective only if the player makes use of the morphed comm's capabilities, either offensively in battle or defensively in high-threat locations, AND the player keeps the comm alive to get the payoff from the morphed comm's increased resource production. If the player can manage to do that then the morphed comm is very cost-effective, as the player will be getting 125 metal worth of benefit for only 100 metal cost.
 The balance rule encourages players to upgrade their comms and make use of them because doing so is effectively free metal, but it also increases the risk in order to claim the reward. Making use of the morphed comm offensively or defensively puts the comm at risk; higher morph levels have both a higher payoff - an extra 25% of all metal spent on the morph - and a higher risk - a larger UV and larger EV combined in a single unit that could be killed. This creates a strategic decision. Morphing a comm is neither definitely correct or definitely a mistake; the player must evaluate the trade-offs and make the best decision given the circumstances.

@@ Line 314: / Line 314: @@
 "Economic value" is hard to define. As I use it here, it is intended to be the economic benefit (metal and energy production) that would result if the player spent the EV's worth of metal on economic production rather than on morphing the commander. Since in Zero-K there's no way to directly purchase metal production, this has to take the form of purchasing energy generators.
-The first hurdle is to define how much energy production you get from spending a given amount of metal. For our purposes here, I propose that the right value to use is a Fusion reactor: 1000 metal spent for 35 energy production. Fusions are more efficient than solars, less efficient but more accessible than singus, and much more durable than windfarms. It makes a reasonable comparison for energy generation that's tied to the Commander chassis.
+The first hurdle is to define how much energy production you get from spending a given amount of metal. For our purposes here, I propose that the right value to use is a fusion reactor: 1000 metal spent for 35 energy production. Fusions are more efficient than solars, less efficient but more accessible than singus, and much more durable than windfarms. It makes a reasonable comparison for energy generation that's tied to the Commander chassis.
-The next concern is that energy generation is tremendously less valuable if it is not connected to mexes. Ungridded energy generators are essentially of no value as long as you already have a net positive energy income; if your energy bar is full and is going to stay full, then there is no point to adding generators that aren't and can't be used to power overdrive.
+The next concern is that energy generation is tremendously less valuable if it is not connected to mexes. Ungridded energy generators are essentially of no value as long as you already have a net positive energy income; if your energy bar is full and is going to stay full, then there is no point to adding generators that aren't and can't be used to power overdrive. Accordingly, I propose that energy generated by Commanders be considered attached to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team. This will require new code, but hopefully the benefits will be deemed worth the effort. With that change, defining EV becomes straight-forward.
-Accordingly, I propose that energy generated by Commanders be considered attached to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team. This will require new code, but hopefully the benefits will be deemed worth the effort. With that change, defining EV becomes straight-forward. Every 200 metal spent on Commander morphing produces 100 EV, and every 100 EV produces 3.5 energy which is added to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team.
+Thus: every 200 metal spent on Commander morphing produces 100 EV, and every 100 EV produces 3.5 energy which is added to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team.
 {|
 ! Level
-! Cost
+! Upgrade Cost
 |-
-|Orange
+|1
-|10
+|n/a
-|7.00
+|n/a
 |-
 |4
-|3.00
+|600
 |-
-|Butter
+|5
-|1
+|800
-|5.00
+|600
 |}

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:36, 24 June 2019
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	== Economic Value ==		== Economic Value ==
		+
		+	"Economic value" is hard to define. As I use it here, it is intended to be the economic benefit (metal and energy production) that would result if the player spent the EV's worth of metal on economic production rather than on morphing the commander. Since in Zero-K there's no way to directly purchase metal production, this has to take the form of purchasing energy generators.
		+
		+	The first hurdle is to define how much energy production you get from spending a given amount of metal. For our purposes here, I propose that the right value to use is a Fusion reactor: 1000 metal spent for 35 energy production. Fusions are more efficient than solars, less efficient but more accessible than singus, and much more durable than windfarms. It makes a reasonable comparison for energy generation that's tied to the Commander chassis.
		+
		+	The next concern is that energy generation is tremendously less valuable if it is not connected to mexes. Ungridded energy generators are essentially of no value as long as you already have a net positive energy income; if your energy bar is full and is going to stay full, then there is no point to adding generators that aren't and can't be used to power overdrive.
		+
		+	Accordingly, I propose that energy generated by Commanders be considered attached to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team. This will require new code, but hopefully the benefits will be deemed worth the effort. With that change, defining EV becomes straight-forward. Every 200 metal spent on Commander morphing produces 100 EV, and every 100 EV produces 3.5 energy which is added to the largest grid owned by the Commander's owner or allied team.
		+
		+	{\|
		+	! Level
		+	! Cost
		+	\|-
		+	\|Orange
		+	\|10
		+	\|7.00
		+	\|-
		+	\|Bread
		+	\|4
		+	\|3.00
		+	\|-
		+	\|Butter
		+	\|1
		+	\|5.00
		+	\|}

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:59, 23 June 2019
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	== Stats: Weapons, Modules, and Chassis ==		== Stats: Weapons, Modules, and Chassis ==
		+
		+	The main goal of this proposal is to create a design that will enable Commanders to be balanced in a coherent fashion. The Framework Balancing Rule is the foundation of that goal. It sets, for each Commander level, a Unit Value that the Commanders should approximate. That Unit Value can be compared to other units or sets of units of equal value, and the relative strengths of those units and the Commanders can be evaluated both by looking at the stats and by actual playtesting on the battlefield.
		+
		+	However, balancing any unit is partly objective, partly subjective, and certainly a matter of debate. Ultimately balance decisions will rest on the best judgment of the developers and contributing players. My goal here is to provide some guideposts that the balancing decisions should aim towards.
		+
		+	As a starting point, we can just use the existing weapons and modules. Treat each of the stackable stat boosting modules as Minor modules worth 50 UV, and build Major and Ultra modules by stacking them two or three times. Treat the existing primary weapons as base primary weapons worth 250 UV; for weapons upgrades, use the stackable stat boosting modules and choose the ones that best follow Quant's rule, and/or add effects like Stun and Slow and Fire as Major weapons upgrades. Likewise, we can use the current starting chassis definitions as a starting point, and change their upgrade schedule to match what's proposed here.
		+
		+	But once that's done, all the weapons, weapons upgrade levels, modules, and chassis upgrade schedules will have to be playtested and refined. This will likely take a substantial effort.
		+
		+	== Economic Value ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:15, 23 June 2019
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	\| 50 (I)		\| 50 (I)
	\|}		\|}
		+
		+	== Stats: Weapons, Modules, and Chassis ==

@@ Line 202: / Line 202: @@
 * 200 UV of chassis improvements
 |}
 === Unit Value Allocation ===

@@ Line 207: / Line 207: @@
 {|
 ! Level
 ! Added Unit Value
 ! Total Unit Value
@@ Line 219: / Line 220: @@
 |-
 | 1
 | n/a
 | 600
@@ Line 231: / Line 233: @@
 |-
 | 2
 | 150
 | 750
@@ Line 243: / Line 246: @@
 |-
 | 3
 | 300
 | 1050
@@ Line 255: / Line 259: @@
 |-
 | 4
 | 450
 | 1500
@@ Line 267: / Line 272: @@
 |-
 | 5
 | 600
 | 2100
@@ Line 279: / Line 285: @@
 |-
 | 6
 | 750
 | 2850

@@ Line 124: / Line 124: @@
 === Stand-alone Modules ===
-There can be some modules which are not part of a track and which can instead be added on their own without prerequisites. One example might be the Lazarus Device; another might be Radar. Stand-alone modules are still classified as Minor, Major, and Ultra, which determines at what morph levels they can be added (see "Level Sequence" below). A module's classification depends on how many UV the module's capabilities are worth. As above, Minor modules are worth 50 UV, Major modules are worth 100 UV, and Ultra modules are worth 150 UV.
+There can be some modules which are not part of a track and which can instead be added on their own without prerequisites. One example might be the Lazarus Device; another might be Radar. Stand-alone modules are still classified as Minor, Major, and Ultra, which determines at what morph levels they can be added (see "Upgrade Sequence" below). A module's classification depends on how many UV the module's capabilities are worth. As above, Minor modules are worth 50 UV, Major modules are worth 100 UV, and Ultra modules are worth 150 UV.
 === Weapons ===

@@ Line 112: / Line 112: @@
 * Shield
 * Drones
 Each track has three levels of module: Minor, Major, and Ultra. The lower module levels are prerequisites for the higher module levels.
@@ Line 121: / Line 119: @@
 * Regen II (Major): +20 HP/sec (total of +30 HP/sec)
 * Regen III (Ultra): +30 HP/sec (total of +60 HP/sec)
 === Weapons ===

@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 === Modules and Tracks ===
-At every new morph level, the player can choose various modules to add, similar to the current system. Unlike the current system, the modules are organized into tracks, and each track has a sequence of modules that must be added in order.
+At every new morph level, the player can choose various modules, similar to the current system. Unlike the current system, the modules are organized into tracks, and each track has a sequence of modules that must be added in order.
 The tracks are: