Players eroding terraforming could be ok i think but balancing this would be very hard.
Having "Decay" of TFing being done by the server would be an even bigger mistake than the current modular wall system is.
Decay or erosion call it what you may doesnt actually address the real issue:
Terra forming needs balancing! And just introducing a new module wouldnt fix that. The way it fundamentally works needs to be changed.
Terraforming needs to do 2 things:
1. A way to allow the building of PBS by flattening out the land.
2. To provide basic defense to a base (aka take away the ability for mechs to walk into a base wheres the defenders dont want them = Walls).
Lets ask this Question, Why do Designers use terraform to build walls around bases & TPs among other things? Because its the best way. Until this changes no new modules or erosion will fix the core design problems that TFing have.
How can this situation be changed?
1. Change the way TFing works. For instance: If you "pull up" 1 tile then the surounding tiles will be effected, The higher you go the higher the surrounding tiles will go to & increase the radius of tiles that are effected.
Doing this will still allow the creation of impassable Terrain But not as harsh as we currently can do. Second it will not bring the terrain rendering that we see now, TBH this alone makes me question the Devs, I dont get why they would allow such an ugly Mechanic into a game that doesnt look to bad graphics wise.
2. Remove the Current modular Walls. They are badly designed mechanic that doesnt fit properly into this game. And should never have been allowed to be used on Beta! Beta isnt for Siege Warfare Gamma is.
Walls need to be rethought & made into a proper & real Modular system that base builders will use to defend their Structures.
The possibilities for what walls can do & how they could be used would be awesome.
3. GATES. God really we need to be able to build gates That operate on standings. i mean all it needs to be is a shield that either lets you pass thru it or not. That can be Destroyed if undefended.
Terraforming needs more love & im saddend its a year later & it still hasnt gotten that love the devs need to give it.
But Heres the really Big problem. Gamma In conjunction with Terra Forming lays open one of the biggest flaws this game has: Movement & access to & from a Gamma island.
If i had the will to & money isnt a problem for a player as old as me in this game, I can make a design for a gamma island defense that is impossible for ANY enemy to defeat No matter their Numbers. & this could be built in a few weeks. Giving me a 100% safe island that i could AFK mine in & only ever die to NPCs ALL this is due to the way TFing works & because an enemy can only access my Island at a few Set points Teleports.
Untill we can move between islands with out the need for teleports Gamma Islands will always be the single most unbalanced game play this game has.
No new (land traveling) Mechs, bots or Modules will change that. Even the addition of Artillery wouldn't bring Balance to Gamma. Remember Balance is need for both attacker & defender.
I have more i could say but :effort: tho ide be happy to chat about this on TS any time
True Pros make a Podcast to influence the Devs minds,
The rest of you guys are Hacks
PS. I got my Highways & stopped playing b4 they came in & have never used them! ...... Irony much ?