Balance thread for release 20190314
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:05 pm
This will be a general balance thread for the current release cycle. What we're looking for from you, dear readers, is feedback on the state of balance for this release. I expect to see several opinions on hijackers and opportunity fire, but feel free to write down other ideas as well. I'll keep a running list and go from there. GET TO THEORYCRAFTING!
My personal balance list is short and nebulous. These ideas are more personal musings and not something you should 100% expect in a future playtest:
1. Have the Mobile Gap Generator 'leave' shroud against the opponent as it moves. Mobile Gap Generators are on the (Now shorter!) list of unused units in ORA. The unit is actually counter productive as it tells your opponent exactly where the MGG is. A common suggestion I've seen is to remove the shroud creation of the unit but leave the sight reduction it gives the enemy. The counter-argument to this is that shroud creation from the gap generator and MGG is heavily rooted in Red Alert lore (even in some mission videos) and removing shroud takes us too far away from the source.
The idea behind shroud leaving is that it will allow a player to cover their frozen actors and will put the burden of memory on their opponent.
2. Make shock troopers uncrushable. This was a feature of the shock trooper in the original, and might be worth looking into. With opportunity fire, tanks are more powerful than ever, and while I don't want to return shockies to melt everything status, uncrushable troops vs a large tank army would make both players think more on how they want to engage that situation.
3. Overhaul the MAD tank. I've seen plenty of ideas on this, and what I've been able to gather is that the M.A.D. must retain one core feature: Mutually Assured Destruction. While the frequently submitted EMP idea is cool, it doesn't fit the narrative. My suggestion is to A) remove the self destruct from the unit B) give the shockwave weapon repeat use on a long cooldown, and a range of 15-20 cells. C) Make the shockwave hit buildings only, but buildings of all players.
This, in theory, would make the MAD tank a vehicle you would put out in the open to siege down your enemy, especially along flanks. MAD tanks would need to be protected by a army but couldn't accompany a base crawl.
There are some feasibility issues with ideas 1 and 3 but I'd like to hear feedback before acting on them.
Anyhow, this doesn't work without feedback, so leave your ideas below! (Or discord if I'm paying attention)
Edit: Forgot to list an old idea of mine. Spies should be able to infiltrate the Soviet tech center for a production option, and thieves should be able to infiltrate the Allied tech center for a production option. I'm thinking Chrono Tank and Telsa Tank atm. I think this would need something like a InfiltrateForProductionOption trait to pull off.
___
Running idea list:
- Have the Mobile Gap Generator 'leave' shroud against the opponent as it moves.
- Make shock troopers uncrushable.
- Make MAD tank reusable, and only have it damage buildings.
- Reduce Hind health by a small amount.
- Reduce Tesla Tank health by a small amount.
- Reduce Mammoth Tank tusk missile range by at least a cell to compensate for opportunity fire.
- Increase light tank range to match the other tanks.
- Rework GPS to a pulsing support power on a timer. (We could use the never-seen sonar scan icon for this!)
- Reduce Iron Curtain duration by up to 20%
- Rework nation special units/abilities to make them more interesting.
- Add fake tent and fake refinery.
- Spies infiltrate Soviet Tech Center for plans to Tesla Tank, and Thieves infiltrate Allied Tech Center for plans to Chrono Tank.
- Give Attack Dogs slow health regeneration.
- Move Thief to Radar Dome prerequisite from Service Depot.
My personal balance list is short and nebulous. These ideas are more personal musings and not something you should 100% expect in a future playtest:
1. Have the Mobile Gap Generator 'leave' shroud against the opponent as it moves. Mobile Gap Generators are on the (Now shorter!) list of unused units in ORA. The unit is actually counter productive as it tells your opponent exactly where the MGG is. A common suggestion I've seen is to remove the shroud creation of the unit but leave the sight reduction it gives the enemy. The counter-argument to this is that shroud creation from the gap generator and MGG is heavily rooted in Red Alert lore (even in some mission videos) and removing shroud takes us too far away from the source.
The idea behind shroud leaving is that it will allow a player to cover their frozen actors and will put the burden of memory on their opponent.
2. Make shock troopers uncrushable. This was a feature of the shock trooper in the original, and might be worth looking into. With opportunity fire, tanks are more powerful than ever, and while I don't want to return shockies to melt everything status, uncrushable troops vs a large tank army would make both players think more on how they want to engage that situation.
3. Overhaul the MAD tank. I've seen plenty of ideas on this, and what I've been able to gather is that the M.A.D. must retain one core feature: Mutually Assured Destruction. While the frequently submitted EMP idea is cool, it doesn't fit the narrative. My suggestion is to A) remove the self destruct from the unit B) give the shockwave weapon repeat use on a long cooldown, and a range of 15-20 cells. C) Make the shockwave hit buildings only, but buildings of all players.
This, in theory, would make the MAD tank a vehicle you would put out in the open to siege down your enemy, especially along flanks. MAD tanks would need to be protected by a army but couldn't accompany a base crawl.
There are some feasibility issues with ideas 1 and 3 but I'd like to hear feedback before acting on them.
Anyhow, this doesn't work without feedback, so leave your ideas below! (Or discord if I'm paying attention)
Edit: Forgot to list an old idea of mine. Spies should be able to infiltrate the Soviet tech center for a production option, and thieves should be able to infiltrate the Allied tech center for a production option. I'm thinking Chrono Tank and Telsa Tank atm. I think this would need something like a InfiltrateForProductionOption trait to pull off.
___
Running idea list:
- Have the Mobile Gap Generator 'leave' shroud against the opponent as it moves.
- Make shock troopers uncrushable.
- Make MAD tank reusable, and only have it damage buildings.
- Reduce Hind health by a small amount.
- Reduce Tesla Tank health by a small amount.
- Reduce Mammoth Tank tusk missile range by at least a cell to compensate for opportunity fire.
- Increase light tank range to match the other tanks.
- Rework GPS to a pulsing support power on a timer. (We could use the never-seen sonar scan icon for this!)
- Reduce Iron Curtain duration by up to 20%
- Rework nation special units/abilities to make them more interesting.
- Add fake tent and fake refinery.
- Spies infiltrate Soviet Tech Center for plans to Tesla Tank, and Thieves infiltrate Allied Tech Center for plans to Chrono Tank.
- Give Attack Dogs slow health regeneration.
- Move Thief to Radar Dome prerequisite from Service Depot.