Alon
Known Hero
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posted March 03, 2020 03:45 AM |
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How to have mechanics that support a faction's feel
Strategy game factions usually have unifying themes ("proud warrior race," "undead," etc.), and also differences in mechanics (spammer vs. elite, specialized vs. unspecialized, etc.). This thread is about how these can support each other in a Heroes-like TBS.
Things that probably aren't possible:
- Elite vs. spammer doesn't work well when units are stacked. In an RTS, the undead faction would spam a ton of skeletons and zombies trying to surround their living enemies in the open, while the more elite opponent factions would try fighting in choke points. In a TBS with stacked units, there's no difference between a stack of 100 units and a stack of 50 units with twice the HP and damage.
- Kiting in a TBS is either trivially easy to the point of breaking the game, or impossible. So skirmisher tactics have to look different from in an RTS, where the player with the mounted archers has to actively kite them.
Things that definitely are possible and there should be more of that:
- Might vs. magic. H4 doesn't do it well, but it's possible to have factions that rely on spells more than on raw creature stats vs. one that have little reliance on magic. Spellcasting factions can also differ in how they use magic, again ideally better than H4.
- Specialized vs. unspecialized units. H3 has this distinction but I don't think it works well with how factions are supposed to feel - the most specialized faction is the Fortress, whereas it probably should be the Castle (complex state society) or Tower (advanced magic). The Stronghold should probably be the least specialized, to enhance the barbarian feel.
- Hierarchical vs. egalitarian. The H3 base game doesn't have this distinction at all, but the expansion adds the Conflux, which is egalitarian in the sense that the level 5, 6, and 7 units are weak for their levels and the level 1 and 2 units are strong for their levels. Probably the Sylvan/Preserve should be the most egalitarian faction, while brutally tyrannical factions like Dungeon, Necropolis, and Inferno should be the opposite, with weak, disposable low-tier units acting as cannon fodder for the high-tier units.
- The concept of necromancy. This works really well for the H3 Necropolis and gives it the feel of an infinite force.
- Some kind of skirmish or harassment. Not sure how easy it is to implement - maybe some skirmish units that are ranged but have limited range and can't shoot over walls, but can move and attack the same turn?
- Range differences. Either actual range differences in the field, or having some factions have way more ranged units than others. I like how the H3 Necropolis is weak in ranged units - zombie horror has a can-run-but-cannot-hide feel. Nomadic and magical factions in contrast should be strong in ranged units, like how Tower has 3 ranged units; Preserve/Sylvan should be strong there too because elves, rather than having just one ranged unit like H3.
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