Making Research more difficult / rewarding
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:17 pm
I've just recently starting playing and the only big issue I see with the game and balancing is how boring research is. It's not boring because you can't research cool stuff, but boring in that it's too easy.
The first thing I decided to do once I figured out machines could assemble items is build a science making factory. Shortly after automating making the red and green flasks and putting them into science stations I had more stuff researched than I knew what to do with. I had the ability to build trains and laser guns and rocket launchers before I even encountered a single enemy. There was so much research being done I didn't even know what half the stuff was or what to click on next. I pretty much just randomly clicked all the red/green ones until they were done.
So while I love tech trees, I like to look forward to researching a new tech in a game. The game should have you excited about researching shotgun upgrades and rocket launchers because it's something you need.
So in how to go about this I would suggest moving a lot of the research things for later game (trains comes to mind) into locked off areas that you need to have certain building/factory requirements before you can research them. I understand there are already item requirements that keep progression linear like you need to mine oil before you can build rockets, but then what's the point of research?
Perhaps it would work better if the resources required for science flasks were rarer for some items. There is the purple alien tech for later in the game, but a lot of earlier research can be done with minimal work. I don't think complicating the flask creation anymore than it already is would be any fun, but maybe having to search out further for mining science resources. Perhaps all science materials themselves could be a special type of resource that isn't as plentiful as metal and copper.
Anyway, to sum up, research as it stands seems rather pointless and boring as you never have to wait for the good stuff as you likely already have it researched before you even desire it.
The first thing I decided to do once I figured out machines could assemble items is build a science making factory. Shortly after automating making the red and green flasks and putting them into science stations I had more stuff researched than I knew what to do with. I had the ability to build trains and laser guns and rocket launchers before I even encountered a single enemy. There was so much research being done I didn't even know what half the stuff was or what to click on next. I pretty much just randomly clicked all the red/green ones until they were done.
So while I love tech trees, I like to look forward to researching a new tech in a game. The game should have you excited about researching shotgun upgrades and rocket launchers because it's something you need.
So in how to go about this I would suggest moving a lot of the research things for later game (trains comes to mind) into locked off areas that you need to have certain building/factory requirements before you can research them. I understand there are already item requirements that keep progression linear like you need to mine oil before you can build rockets, but then what's the point of research?
Perhaps it would work better if the resources required for science flasks were rarer for some items. There is the purple alien tech for later in the game, but a lot of earlier research can be done with minimal work. I don't think complicating the flask creation anymore than it already is would be any fun, but maybe having to search out further for mining science resources. Perhaps all science materials themselves could be a special type of resource that isn't as plentiful as metal and copper.
Anyway, to sum up, research as it stands seems rather pointless and boring as you never have to wait for the good stuff as you likely already have it researched before you even desire it.
