Topic: Random assignments balancing

The first balancing pass is now in, which includes:

  • Objective balance: NPCs, mining/harvesting amounts, transport volumes, artifact areas

  • Reward balance: NIC, faction tokens, relation bonuses/hits and level progression

As mentioned, the first patch will include level 0-2 assignments only, as that will be the limit for Alpha 1 islands, so those levels are our focus currently. But of course feel free to comment on higher levels too.

One thing I'd like to point out is that when you request an assignment, the info window shows you an estimate for the NIC reward. It's an estimate because it does not yet include the "walking compensation" part, which means that the final reward should be always higher than that, depending on the distance of the objective locations.

Re: Random assignments balancing

does that mean, the mission generator does:
1. dice roll how many objectives a mission will have and give a reward based on the number
2. dice roll where and what the first objective will be
3. do the roll for the next objectives location after the first one was completed
4. summ the distances stored for each location and add it to the reward

?

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3 (edited by DEV Zoom 2015-06-11 21:36:36)

Re: Random assignments balancing

1. No, that's fixed by the mission template.*
2. Where it will be, yes, what it will be, see 1.
3. No, that's determined when you start the mission, when possible. But there are objectives where we can't know beforehand, like mining and "deliver anywhere" types.
4. Yes, including locations that can only be determined after you have completed the objective.

*edit: The type of objectives is determined by the template and is fixed, but yes, the actual rewards are summed based on the objectives in the template.

Re: Random assignments balancing

you can't know where the closest mineral field to a mission dispenser is???

- take the code from the directional scan algorithm to determine which is the closest node to the mission terminal
- take the pathfinding algorithm and draw a patch from that node to the terminal.
- the server always knows the location of all plants, so the pathfinding algorithm should not fail
- A* naturally counts the steps, so calculating a distance is a matter of x*y + u*v (x=number of orthogonal steps, u=number of diagonal steps, y and v the respective distances)
- taking teleports into the equation can be done by adding those connections into the terrain data
- taking highways into the equation can be done by giving them a lower movement cost then normal tiles

same rule goes for the "deliver anywhere" type, since you know exactly which location is the closest to the last objective.
artifacts can also be generated as you pick the mission, unless you want to avoid having all artifacts generated at once for multi-step missions.

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Re: Random assignments balancing

How should we know that you will go to the closest mineral field/terminal/etc?

Re: Random assignments balancing

because no employer would pay for more then necessary?

and if he does, then i would always take my mining mission from a terminal at one end, gather stuff on the other (teleport in between) and teleport to the farthest outpost to deliver.

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Actually you wouldn't because you're better off starting a new mission asap instead of walking around.

8 (edited by Celebro 2015-06-11 22:59:37)

Re: Random assignments balancing

About time we got paid for walking around smile

Just make sure walking does not get abused as Anni pointed out.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: Random assignments balancing

Zoom will we be using a new token system?  Like are my tokens going to be obsolete?

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Ville wrote:

Zoom will we be using a new token system?  Like are my tokens going to be obsolete?

They are not going to be obsolete but we will probably rebalance the prices in the shop when we introduce the new items.

Re: Random assignments balancing

DEV Zoom wrote:
Ville wrote:

Zoom will we be using a new token system?  Like are my tokens going to be obsolete?

They are not going to be obsolete but we will probably rebalance the prices in the shop when we introduce the new items.

I would assume the reason for this is to shorten the gap for new players, due to countless years of mission abuse. Good move.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: Random assignments balancing

Honestly, I'd convert the tokens into liquid nic prior to the mission patch going live on Monday...

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Always the newer people getting *** over.

Re: Random assignments balancing

Ville wrote:

Honestly, I'd convert the tokens into liquid nic prior to the mission patch going live on Monday...

+1

Just give us some notice, so we can decide to use them in the current market or have them converted to NIC

Re: Random assignments balancing

Ville wrote:

Honestly, I'd convert the tokens into liquid nic prior to the mission patch going live on Monday...

not that NIC is kinda out of hand either.

DEV Zoom wrote:

Actually you wouldn't because you're better off starting a new mission asap instead of walking around.

complete that with a historical quote (because i cannot be bothered to look for the game related one)

noone has the intention to build a wall

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Ville wrote:

Honestly, I'd convert the tokens into liquid nic prior to the mission patch going live on Monday...

Well, since we know what is going to happen good luck selling them at a decent price now.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: Random assignments balancing

Better to convert to beacons or ammo really. It doesn't matter as much that people do that, the key is making sure every corp has a reason to do end game PVE and risk assets rather than just some.

Re: Random assignments balancing

Can we just delete them?

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Of course you can but there's a whole load of STC, fnavy, DOY etc people who did it too. Best to have a solution that works across the board.

Re: Random assignments balancing

I mean delete the across the board...

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Yeah why not. I never did any of the missioning tbh so don't have any stockpiles but if folks are ok with a wiper that's the best option.

Re: Random assignments balancing

there are still no item sinks ingame
to much fear to lose a "new" or "old player" because his precious pixels exploded upon an NPC.

PvP doesn't happen often enough to count as "material sink", and the great sinks called "gama bases" are crap too.

so, what do we test in this "balance pass" on missions?

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Re: Random assignments balancing

Given that they still haven't said how much they expect to make per hour per person per level of mission *** knows anni.

Re: Random assignments balancing

well,
the goal should be clear:
a new player needs to be able to get back into an assault with equip from a full loss, starting with an arkhe - and that within one play-session.

at the same time, someone just doing those next-to-full afk transport assigments all day long with his 10 accounts, should not make so much out of that he doesn't need to care about anything for the next 10 years, after a few days.
not to mention all the tokens that can be turned into top-class gear that exceeds anything that you player can build with their knowledge base - directly without any restrictions.

now tell me...
how to balance that with the mission reward alone at the given mechanic restrictions?

*Disclaimer: This post can contain strong sarcasm or cynical remarks. keep that in mind!
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Re: Random assignments balancing

Annihilator wrote:

well,
the goal should be clear:
a new player needs to be able to get back into an assault with equip from a full loss, starting with an arkhe - and that within one play-session.

at the same time, someone just doing those next-to-full afk transport assigments all day long with his 10 accounts, should not make so much out of that he doesn't need to care about anything for the next 10 years, after a few days.
not to mention all the tokens that can be turned into top-class gear that exceeds anything that you player can build with their knowledge base - directly without any restrictions.

now tell me...
how to balance that with the mission reward alone at the given mechanic restrictions?

Diminishing returns reward system. Give it a 24 hour timer and make your first mission 4x your second 2x and your third 1.5x. After 20 missions you lose 10% per ten missions until your at .35 reward. You increase the amount of daily logins, give people who don't do missions a bit of an incentive to try a couple a day and discourage all day farming / botting.