Gamer advice required

[Welshieinnz]

Hi all.

You guys are great! I expected one or two replies but this is just beyond anything I could have hoped for! The detail in what you've given is fantastic!

I really appreciate it. Many many thanks! And, if you want, keep them coming!

 

[dobwal]

Are the only choices top-down or down-top?

If so, I would prefer top-down as it seems more natural.

If not, I would prefer left to right for the same reason stated above. Would look more like a time line.

 

[Welshieinnz]

Are the only choices top-down or down-top?

If so, I would prefer top-down as it seems more natural.

If not, I would prefer left to right for the same reason stated above. Would look more like a time line.

Well, the two choices we had at the moment were just thoughts. We're also looking at the left-right thing.

I've posted this on another forum and i'm leaning towards the question of whether its actually needed anymore. Are people actually interested in this sort of thing, would they use it? Its something i'm going to have to ponder I think.

 

[dobwal]

Well, the two choices we had at the moment were just thoughts. We're also looking at the left-right thing.

I've posted this on another forum and i'm leaning towards the question of whether its actually needed anymore. Are people actually interested in this sort of thing, would they use it? Its something i'm going to have to ponder I think.

I never heard anyone complain about the inclusion of a tech tree. I think if its implemented well then people will use it. I think in general people like to have some level of progression in games and giving them choice is never a bad thing.

WOW makes millions every month off the ideal of character progression.

 

[Skrying]

I never heard anyone complain about the inclusion of a tech tree. I can't even imagine some game without it especially the MMORPG(?) without it.

RPG games of all types really tend to have some type of skill tree/tech tree. Its really an essential part of the game, leveling all for better abilities (you could just give those, but that's take away huge amounts of the skill/tactic). Also most RTS games have some sort of tech tree.

 

[Naboomagnoli]

Just thought it's worth pointing out (in accordance with what everyone has said) that genealogy has used top-down family trees for centuries. Since new technologies are descendants of older technologies, it makes sense to follow the same template. Also, you don't know who your great great grandchildren are going to be, so why know what technology you'll be getting in hundreds of turns' time? If anything, limit any future technology references to vague descriptions of future advances.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I like the idea of vague references, also drop clues in game of which fields to develop for particular items/weapons....adds depth/immersion.

 

[Welshieinnz]

I like the idea of vague references, also drop clues in game of which fields to develop for particular items/weapons....adds depth/immersion.

Hi,

could you eleborate on what you mean here please? Its intriguing.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Events in the story outside of just your technology tree giving hints on what you can develop based on the different branches you can research.

I'd have to know more about the game to really develop it any further, but basically just dropping some additional story elements into the game that tie in to the vague hints you get in your technology tree to point to some interesting future stuff. I prefer when all the elements of the game compliment/overlap each other, I find the sum of the parts sometimes tend to be greater that way.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Further to Digi, something that irritates me in games is enemies with weaknesses where those weaknesses are unknown, and you either have to spend ages experimenting, or look up cheat guides. The information need to make strategic decisions on what to develop should be present in the game. Eg. If the player is coming up to an Ice zone where things are immune to cold and weak to fire, the player ought to be informed of this far enough in advance that they don't invest everything into cold skills. Also most technology trees have loads of redundant nodes. Invariably there's a few key techs that you develop and win, and developing the rest is a waste of time except having to in order to reach the key techs. That sucks.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Agreed. Too many games seem to forget that the story can provide clues, information, and immersion lately.

The story should be what ties all your features/bells & whistles together, they shouldn't just stand alone.

 

[ban25]

I see a lot of comments here suggesting that the story should provide clues as to what the next skill or ability on the tree should be, and that's true, but it only holds for the first playthrough. If you game is designed to have a high level of replay value (certainly true for multiplayer games), then I think that issue becomes a mute point and the real concern is to make sure skill scale properly and are generally relevant even late-game. One way this was accomplished in D2X was with synergies. As a I said, though, it depends on the game and whether repeated playthroughs are intended.

While the general focus of this conversation has been RPGs, it also applies to the strategy (turn-based and realtime) genre as well.

 

[Welshieinnz]

I see a lot of comments here suggesting that the story should provide clues as to what the next skill or ability on the tree should be, and that's true, but it only holds for the first playthrough. If you game is designed to have a high level of replay value (certainly true for multiplayer games), then I think that issue becomes a mute point and the real concern is to make sure skill scale properly and are generally relevant even late-game. One way this was accomplished in D2X was with synergies. As a I said, though, it depends on the game and whether repeated playthroughs are intended.

While the general focus of this conversation has been RPGs, it also applies to the strategy (turn-based and realtime) genre as well.

Absolutely. Again, many thanks for your insight and comments. I want to be able to instill within the gamer(s) the sense they are achieving something, as opposed to just "going through a tech tree".

What do you think?