Post by bons on Sept 13, 2008 23:02:05 GMT -5
So is A.F. trying to be sort of like an RPG?
It seems like one of the key elements in any RPG is the need to make difficult choices about where you want to put your time when developing your character. In an RPG, you can't be super skilled at everything. You usually have to pick a tract to focus on.
In the mining game, for example, I see at least two different play styles.
One would focus on chains and high multipliers. A player focused on that tract might want to avoid skills that cause tools to show up more often (i find tools get in the way of the planning needed to get really good multipliers and long chains). There would be some reward for really skilled players that would allow for even higher multipliers and chains, or better tools for achieving this that the player could focus on obtaining. A master of this play style has less problems when building blueprints at the smith due to his skill at chaining and getting high multipliers.
Another would focus on speed and efficiency. The grid fills immediately up to the top, and the reward is based clearing the down to the bottom row in as few moves as possible. When you do clear to the bottom row, it fills up again (i do this with the two-finger push), and perhaps the speed could increase to keep it challenging. The number of moves it takes to collect all the resources on the board acts as some positive multiplier or bonus factor when low. This rewards focused, strategic play. This tract or discipline would benefit from putting a lot of points in tools that would help you clear massive areas. Not being skilled in getting chains makes the challenges at the smith difficult for this type of player. In order to beat the challenges at the smith, you can beef up the elemental skills to speed up resource collection to give balance between the chain/multiplier play style and the speed/efficiency play style. I like the challenges at the tower. There are two of them I still have not figured out.
Someone focused on chaining skills wouldn't care about the elemental skills that speed resource collection because they get big multipliers anyway but the other play style would. This would achieve multiple skills tracts you can go down to focus your character on a specific set of skills that suits a particular style of play.
Of course, when you start down one road, the rewards would need to be compelling with tools and abilities that only that discipline can have that provide real benefit.
Them's my thoughts. Since your refocus on chains (which would not be my play style... i like using tools to clear the board FAST and in as few moves as possible), I still find the game enjoyable, but it seems to take a lot longer to level.
I hope this all makes sense.
It seems like one of the key elements in any RPG is the need to make difficult choices about where you want to put your time when developing your character. In an RPG, you can't be super skilled at everything. You usually have to pick a tract to focus on.
In the mining game, for example, I see at least two different play styles.
One would focus on chains and high multipliers. A player focused on that tract might want to avoid skills that cause tools to show up more often (i find tools get in the way of the planning needed to get really good multipliers and long chains). There would be some reward for really skilled players that would allow for even higher multipliers and chains, or better tools for achieving this that the player could focus on obtaining. A master of this play style has less problems when building blueprints at the smith due to his skill at chaining and getting high multipliers.
Another would focus on speed and efficiency. The grid fills immediately up to the top, and the reward is based clearing the down to the bottom row in as few moves as possible. When you do clear to the bottom row, it fills up again (i do this with the two-finger push), and perhaps the speed could increase to keep it challenging. The number of moves it takes to collect all the resources on the board acts as some positive multiplier or bonus factor when low. This rewards focused, strategic play. This tract or discipline would benefit from putting a lot of points in tools that would help you clear massive areas. Not being skilled in getting chains makes the challenges at the smith difficult for this type of player. In order to beat the challenges at the smith, you can beef up the elemental skills to speed up resource collection to give balance between the chain/multiplier play style and the speed/efficiency play style. I like the challenges at the tower. There are two of them I still have not figured out.
Someone focused on chaining skills wouldn't care about the elemental skills that speed resource collection because they get big multipliers anyway but the other play style would. This would achieve multiple skills tracts you can go down to focus your character on a specific set of skills that suits a particular style of play.
Of course, when you start down one road, the rewards would need to be compelling with tools and abilities that only that discipline can have that provide real benefit.
Them's my thoughts. Since your refocus on chains (which would not be my play style... i like using tools to clear the board FAST and in as few moves as possible), I still find the game enjoyable, but it seems to take a lot longer to level.
I hope this all makes sense.