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[Shobalk]

I like the idea of reward mechanics in Garrisons and the new Hub_04(d).  I'd like to see more of them

What I'd really be interested in are concrete ways to boost your score or pimp your Cogmind. 

Some examples:

• find a special item +pts.
• blow up a specific robot +pts
• blow up a specific structure +pts
• make it through a branch without being seen +pts
• liberate a robot for an awesome NPC ally (a little of this already here)
• find a one shot item/hack that permanently boosts a stat (permanent +25 energy for example)
• Find a unique item (alien artifact?  HCP storage unit )

I really enjoy having to look or do something on a level other than book for the stairs.

[Kyzrati]

The design of ALL branches already takes this into consideration. Aside from developing the story, from a gameplay point of view it's the main reason branches exist in the first place

Points, however, are a very secondary concern that aren't always rewarded. Bonus points are only given for major content (some of which has yet to be discovered).

The main complex is mostly done in terms of content, while for months to come all I'll be doing is adding more branches with very good reasons to visit them. There are also more benefits to the current branches than anyone's discovered yet

By the way, there already is an area in which you get benefits for making it through unseen! But you don't get points for it--doing so just significantly lowers the difficulty, among another big advantage. Actually, your entire list is either already in the game or coming at some point.

Hcp. Storage Unit, ha! I never thought to bring it back as a unique item. That's a pretty good idea . I should give it a special name and even improve its stats, then bring it back with alternative art!

[Kyzrati]

I should add that from a design standpoint, when starting a new branch map the first thing I do is make a list of reasons why the player would even want to visit that map, and whether it's worth it compared to all the other available routes. The answer must be yes, otherwise in my opinion there's no reason for it to be in the game

Sometimes the reasons might not be entirely apparent at first*, but that's where one of the new branches I'm adding in Alpha 7 comes in: It will help you learn what advantages you can earn/find/get in the other branches. *That said, in most cases I do try to make at least some of the advantages apparent when you first explore it.

[Happylisk]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Currently, there's no reason to visit the mines, or better put none of us players know the reason(s) that makes mine's worth visiting.

I suspect the answer is the chance of finding a signal beacon, which currently can't be found anywhere else (though K has said we'll be able to find more of them in future branches).  I further suspect that the point of the signal beacon, which can't be attached, is to carry around until you drop it, at which point it will have some sort of beneficial effect like messing up programmer dispatches honing in on you.  I might do a couple of runs into the mines, get the beacon, and test this theory in factory. 

[Kyzrati]

Spoiler: Mines talk (click to show/hide)

I'll admit the Mines are sort of an exception to what I've said. Even I don't visit the Mines, but that has to do as much with my play style (and experience) as it does what I know they contain. They are partially for lore/fluff reasons, and also to teach beginners a few things. I have heard at least one player saying they liked the Mines for one of the reasons on my list--there are several, but I'll not be listing them

I should also say the Mines are partially incomplete. I'd like to add more to them before 1.0, unlike many of the other added branches which are essentially complete. The Mines and Storage in particular were rushed to be completed before Alpha 1 because I didn't want to release the game without any branches (and of course many beginners would only be seeing the early game for a while, anyway ).

Spoiler: beacon talk (click to show/hide)

You know, one player brought the beacon all the way to the end of the game (and won), just because they weren't sure what it did. That still amazes me

[Happylisk]

Flash back to point and click adventure games like Loom or Monkey island where there was always one item that did nothing and you carried it around for the entire friggin game just in case. 

[Draco18s]

Hcp. Storage Unit, ha! I never thought to bring it back as a unique item. That's a pretty good idea . I should give it a special name and even improve its stats, then bring it back with alternative art!

Dwarven Quantum Stockpiler

[Sherlockkat]

Actually, one mechanic that I would like to see is the ability to stack delay modifiers. I believe there are no utilities which directly modify the time to fire. This kind of item can lead to a whole new kind of playstyle. Think glass cannons. The reason we don't see a lot of fast moving combat builds is because the "time to fire" stat is a equalizer. Fast moving builds can get into an enemy's line of sight with a good chance of not taking fire due to its high speed. But, the moment the first volley goes off, any initiative gained by moving into their field of view without them spotting you dissipates. Now, imagine a utility which does percentage reduction to time to fire. The ability to unload a volley of 5 rail guns at the cost of 2 would be amaaaaazzziinng. Then you can have builds which can forego defense coz their damage output is that of a machine god. Something to think about....

[Kyzrati]

@Happylisk: This! (and thanks for the SA gift, didn't want to post about it yet again on the thread over there--I guessed it was you )

@Draco18s: Heh, funny that my first reaction is to always put the word Quantum in there, too . That exact name would even be pretty cool for the DF reference as long as it were an incredibly rare almost easter eggy find, but I'd rather it be not quite that rare so I'll have to go with something 100% in theme

@Sherlockkat: Yep, it's been in the cards! (It just happens to be pretty far down on the todo list.)

One of the problems I see is that such a utility would be extremely powerful, though at least it would be less advantageous than when the idea first came to me, back when multi-weapon volleys were much slower than they are now. (Honestly if you stack lots of weapon slots you already can be a machine god .)

It would probably be a rather costly utility to use, either that or be one of the special rare utilities that you have to go somewhere specific to retrieve and will probably only ever get one, in which case it wouldn't really be a standard part of your strategy. Also I was thinking that such an item might work better (mechanics-wise) the fewer weapons you are firing, although from a logic standpoint it would seem that the reverse should be true. I'll have to examine the numbers when the time comes.

[Sherlockkat]

It would probably be a rather costly utility to use, either that or be one of the special rare utilities that you have to go somewhere specific to retrieve and will probably only ever get one, in which case it wouldn't really be a standard part of your strategy.

I think it would be ok-ish if its upkeep is about the same level as ECM suites. I don't know why I feel that way . I just do. (edit: Thought about it a bit more. It seems like this utility should let the cogmind pull ahead in short encounters while punishing longer ones. That's why I was thinking really high energy upkeep would balance out its ability. Given how expensive it is to run ECMs, a similar energy upkeep should make this utility hard to stack)

Also I was thinking that such an item might work better (mechanics-wise) the fewer weapons you are firing, although from a logic standpoint it would seem that the reverse should be true.

You are absolutely correct. I had the exact same thought after I posted that. Firing 2 weapons at 100 time is better, coz you can get 2 full volleys off before taking return fire than say firing 4 at 200 time where you will take return fire and a 4-wide volley might overkill anyway. It would also fit the romantic view of an alpha-striking cogmind which is more lean and mean than a lumbering tank .

[Kyzrati]

I think it would be ok-ish if its upkeep is about the same level as ECM suites. I don't know why I feel that way . I just do.

Heh, well ECMs are one of the highest upkeep utilities in the game, and they were designed to generally require their own dedicated power source (or alternative energy equivalent) to operate, so maybe that's it

You are absolutely correct. I had the exact same thought after I posted that. Firing 2 weapons at 100 time is better, coz you can get 2 full volleys off before taking return fire than say firing 4 at 200 time where you will take return fire and a 4-wide volley might overkill anyway. It would also fit the romantic view of an alpha-striking cogmind which is more lean and mean than a lumbering tank .

Good way to put it. I'd probably end up going with that. Strategically it does open up truly new options rather than simply improving on an already effective existing one.