Gated unlock system for team games about zero-k HOT 8 CLOSED

What is the aim?

from zero-k.

1. Keep units that newbies are likely to screw up with out of their hands till they have some playing experience
2. Do 1) while not screwing over people playing in competitive environment (1v1, Platinum, FFA)
3. 1. is not needed if the newb screwing up hurts no-one except themselves, so turn it off if this is the case (1v1, FFA)
4. Don't limit potentially essential stuff in chicken games
5. Don't make people grind just to have a full unit set - the point is simply to make sure new players don't cut themselves, not as Skinner box
6. Restore some of the anti-smurfing functionality of old unlocks system

from zero-k.

I'm against unit unlocks in general. Instead I'd like to see commander module unlocks "gated" like this, the unlock menu removed and the module unlock list moved to the commander configuration screen.

If all lead designers agree that unit unlocks are really really necessary, then at least remove factories, DDM, Anni and Reef from the list. The only units I can think of in your list of locked factories that might be harmful to teammates are Blastwing, Tremor and Firewalker. Anni/DDM aren't really harmful either. Reef is essential as sea antinuke.

from zero-k.

Softly against any proposal for re-implementing unlocks which is not robust and has clear directions and goals. The proposed system does not exclude enough units that a player is not capable of completely playing the game wrong, and these unlocks are so far down (You can often jump right past level 1 or 2) that players may in fact be heavily incentivized to use these new units: I can imagine the phase where everyone first gets Singus, Annis and DDM's and just start spamming them thinking they're the best thing.

You reference a post by sfireman. I don't credit much of what sfireman has to say.

from zero-k.

That post also has 23 upvotes from a wide range of people and no downvotes.

Though Anarchid mentioned in chat that to be fully effective (in particular, I figure it'll need a unit explanation to stop the "clearly this newly unlocked unit is better than the not-locked ones!" effect), it'll need a popup notification that tells you what you just unlocked and what it does.

Alternatively, I could implement that "play Krow tutorial to unlock Krow" concept.

from zero-k.

A genuinely new player might need 100 games or more to know when to make a storage or radar. And they'll probably only learn it by building one and being told not to. If they're lucky they'll see another player build one.

It's not clear why amph would be blocked, or even gunship and plane for that matter. And the rest of the units are 'big, tempting noob traps' which is only made worse by gating them, if you ask me (Better to hide them behind a physical gate, IE, the strider hub).

from zero-k.

If all lead designers have to agree to include unlocks then we may as well close this ticket here.

from zero-k.

Guess so.

from zero-k.