jack1974
Nov 20, 2015
Haha WTF
well, the mission11 I'm designing now has some interesting Robobrain actions:
http://i.imgur.com/tziem5H.jpg" style="max-width:100%">
also notice the hacked autorepair bot
I'm uploading a new version with the deck screen fix now.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
The exercise for the optimal first turn, if you want to go through it, is as follows. You're playing a side mission, starting with 2 credits, 1 of each other resource.
1) Play Recruiter (1 credit, 1 personnel)
2) Play Recruit (1 material)
3) Play Sharpshooter for free
4) Play Assault on Sharpshooter (1 credit, draw a Sharpshooter)
5) Play Sharpshooter for free
6) Win
This is the perfect turn though, most of the time the best you can hope for is 2 units. Is Recruit too strong? Well, this is made with the units we have right now, and it's pretty good.
jack1974
Nov 20, 2015
I think the issues might be two:
1) the AI is not very smart right now. Most of my Hard plays are a race against the CPU to who reduces the opponent's HP to zero. But if I just do a small change, that is try to kill Recruiter ASAP with units or offensive actions (which currently AI doesn't have), would be different
2) tweak the Recruit so that works only for current turn? though when I asked Anima he told me was a bit of a pain
or have Recruit cost more, so can't be used quickly.
I'll make sure that a way or another the missions after 10th are tough on Hard, and if some card combos are too strong will tweak them.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
You shouldn't be trying to balance the game around somebody who manages to play three strong units on the first turn. That's going to break the game for every other deck. You have to tweak the Recruit card.
One possibility could be that it reduces only the Personnel cost of Organic units by 1. Sure, you can play all your Scouts and Regular Infantry for free, but these aren't very strong. However, Recruiter gives us more Personnel resources, so having those two cards at the same time would be pointless, and we'd have to tweak Recruiter too. It also might make Recruit too weak.
How about Recruit reduces only the credit cost of all Organics by 1? (It already reduces everything by 1, including credits.) Now we can play stronger units without killing stuff, but we don't get free units.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
Just so we don't forget, amidst all the breaking and abusing I do, we've done some really good things so far, such as:
1) Made Diana's starting cards as good as Alex's. They play differrently, but they're both good now.
2) Identified some very weak cards and made them much better.
3) Found some highly problematic cards and put them more in line.
4) Reworked some missions to be much more playable, especially adding HP to the enemy, so we can end fights without going 20 turns.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
A more general issue that I've found, that I think you need to address:
- Sometimes it's "health", sometimes it's "HP", sometimes it's "hit points"
- Sometimes it's "attack", sometimes it's "AT"
- Sometimes it's "heal", sometimes it's "repair", sometimes it's "regain", sometimes it's "regenerate"
These should each be made to say the same thing, if you mean the same thing.
jack1974
Nov 20, 2015
How about Recruit reduces only the credit cost of all Organics by 1? (It already reduces everything by 1, including credits.) Now we can play stronger units without killing stuff, but we don't get free units.
Hmm I think this is the best idea. This way the more powerful card later would still cost credits that you don't get so easily. Yes, I think will ask Anima to change the card reduction ability to work this way (there are other units with this skill later in the game).
Just so we don't forget, amidst all the breaking and abusing I do, we've done some really good things so far
Definitely, I'm quite happy how things are going so far. Thanks for your feedback BTW, was really useful
A more general issue that I've found, that I think you need to address:
Yes, I will review all cards and use same word. In some I used short forms because the text was too long, but probably I will just use attack and hit points and try to reduce the description in general.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
Bug:
Apex-Rahn Berserker isn't doing what it says it should.
"Every time it takes damage, gain +1 attack."
Instead it's doing this:
"Every time it deals damage, gain +1 attack."
jack1974
Nov 20, 2015
Ah, the description is wrong, effect is right (at least that's the intention).
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
Definitely, I'm quite happy how things are going so far. Thanks for your feedback BTW, was really useful
Finally, 20 years of playing CCGs have found a use.
Ah, the description is wrong, effect is right (at least that's the intention).
Ok, I'll have to re-evaluate how good/bad the card is then. And here I was making a Hard Discipline Apex-Rahn Berserker deck. Also, I thought that the text made sense, since we get Matrick Mercenary from the same character, who damages the units next to him.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
Too late. Of course here comes the prize question. What will happen now when you try that little parlour trick?
So now what happens is:
1) Automated Repair Device 0/4
2) Optimization 3/4
3) Unoptimal Balance 7/0, we die instantly
1) Upgraded Automated Repair Device 1/6
2) Optimization 4/6
3) Unoptimized Balance 9/1
So, the bonus from Optimization will no longer be swapped.
However, we don't lose the +3 from Optimization until start of the next turn. Which means we can now make Cannon Turret +3 attack during opponent's turn.
Franka
Nov 20, 2015
Gambling just gave me 5 credits?? (It was the second Gambling card I played in that game, if that makes any difference)
For some reason, I cannot play Gambling as my first card in a game?
Wait, it's worse than that. If Gambling is my last card on the right, I can't play it as the first card. If it's not, I can play it, and I get a new copy of Gambling as my far right card. Well, it doesn't acutally get played, it just moves to the far right of my hand.
jack1974
Nov 20, 2015
Regarding the optimization maybe swapping the stats can cause too much trouble
in that case will change it to something else.
About gambling, might be some wrong parameters, I'll check the card myself (I never tested it before).
jack1974
Nov 21, 2015
Gambling is now working. Also I tweaked the AI, now they target units which can give a discount more often. Before doing any tweaks to the Recruit card, I want you to test the new update (which will upload later next week with 5 new missions). I did some tests and even if you manage to do your "exploit", it's not an automatic win anymore vs the new AI
Franka
Nov 21, 2015
Also I tweaked the AI, now they target units which can give a discount more often. Before doing any tweaks to the Recruit card, I want you to test the new update (which will upload later next week with 5 new missions). I did some tests and even if you manage to do your "exploit", it's not an automatic win anymore vs the new AI
Sure, but the problem is not so much that I have a discount unit. The problem is more that I have 13 attack worth of units before the AI even has a turn.
jack1974
Nov 21, 2015
Yes that might be an issue, but I added some new enemy actions which are really bastard... like decreasing all attack to 1, and so on. Anyway, after new version is up you can tell me if your trick still works or not
Franka
Nov 21, 2015
Yep, looking forward to it. It's also ok that you can walk all over the game to begin with, but it gets harder over time.
jack1974
Nov 21, 2015
The side missions should be harder also early in the game now, since are optional. Those after 10 scene are even harder, I wasn't able to beat some, but of course I haven't optimized my deck or anything. Will just let player tell me what's wrong
Finished mission11 and began the 12, so probably to get to 15 will be faster than a week I think.
jack1974
Nov 22, 2015
Ugh today computer started to give problems...
I went out for a walk and when was home the UPS was broken
and the computer is behaving randomly again, random reboots, etc. It's only 3 years old!
I'll need to order a new one, I have also a Mac and Linux, so I can continue development there, but is a bit of a mess. I cleaned it (had lot of dust in the power unit) and maybe will work now. But just to be sure I'll get a new one and transfer everything there
jack1974
Nov 23, 2015
So while I'm getting a backup PC, this one SEEMS working (crossing fingers!). Today did mission13, with a nice "guest card":
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUfY440WEAAkOBp.jpg:large" style="max-width:100%">
(of course the card above just shows up for a mission, otherwise would be quite overpowered!)
