Balance Power Plant function

[des1206]

Can we make power plants do more than just control advanced base and AA defenses? That's all they do now, correct? Can there be scripts that increase build times when PP goes down?

[devilslayersbane]

Except for when they DID do more, (they used to double unit prices) it hindered late-game balance when one team was able to jump on nothing but your pp. This was crippling for both sides, especially the soviets. Also, right now, there are building which do arguably less than the Power plants. Take the Radar dome, for example. Sure it provides radar, however, it also doesn't have a secondary spy-specific function.

[Nodlied]

Also, right now, there are building which do arguably less than the Power plants. Take the Radar dome, for example. Sure it provides radar, however, it also doesn't have a secondary spy-specific function.

Actually, when you infiltrate the radar dome as a spy, you will provide your team with free radar.

[FRAYDO]

 

Also, right now, there are building which do arguably less than the Power plants. Take the Radar dome, for example. Sure it provides radar, however, it also doesn't have a secondary spy-specific function.

Actually, when you infiltrate the radar dome as a spy, you will provide your team with free radar.

 

you also get the best Soviet programming

[GeneralCamo]

What about doubling unit production times instead of cost?

[devilslayersbane]

That wouldn't really make a difference for infantry. Also, it would hamper the balance that does exist.

[Ice]

That wouldn't really make a difference for infantry. Also, it would hamper the balance that does exist.

How does waiting an extra 2 seconds for a tank hamper the balance?

[Isaac The Madd]

You could have it allow for the purchase of miniature EMP devices which could disable vehicles, shock rifles, buildings, and Volkalov temporally as log as the power plant is intact.

[Ice]

You could have it allow for the purchase of miniature EMP devices which could disable vehicles, shock rifles, buildings, and Volkalov temporally as log as the power plant is intact.

Although a cool idea, this isn't Tiberian Sun.

[devilslayersbane]

 

That wouldn't really make a difference for infantry. Also, it would hamper the balance that does exist.

How does waiting an extra 2 seconds for a tank hamper the balance?

 

How does it actually affect gameplay? In RA doing something like this made sense, because build times were important. That's not a factor here. Build times are fairly instant.

[harvester]

Can we make power plants do more than just control advanced base and AA defenses? That's all they do now, correct?

Wrong, they also control radar.

[Mojoman]

Can the build time even be changed? I don't think I've ever heard that question been asked.

[gammae102]

In APB raising the price is just about the same thing as increased build time, since it means you have to wait longer to get the money from your silo or ore truck. Doubling prices is way too much of a penalty, but if we did want to go that route, maybe something like a 10-25% price increase would suffice.

 

That being said, I don't think we really need to tie anything else to the power plant. Taking down the gap generator/tesla coil is already a pretty big reward, and I think the power plants are already some of the first targeted structures on many maps.

[Killing_You]

Any map with Tesla Coils paint a gigantic target on the Power Plant. Otherwise it's not a big deal; although I don't think there are any maps at the moment where Power Plants do not have any major defenses to power.

[ganein14]

Any map with Tesla Coils paint a gigantic target on the Power Plant. Otherwise it's not a big deal; although I don't think there are any maps at the moment where Power Plants do not have any major defenses to power.

Of course, said major defenses fall rather easily to a few volleys of arty/V2 fire, so there should be a slight penalty for letting the power plant die aside from losing the major defenses.

[System Error Message]

Longer build times would really be nice if there is no power plant so instead of instant it should take a few seconds.

 

A few seconds more to wait for a vehicle would barely do anything but it makes the game more interesting as a minor feature. Not particularly needed but is felt.

The speed of which ore is unloaded from vehicle to refinery be influenced if there is power or not is something that can also be done too(as in power affecting refinery speed).

 

more of a gamplay thing.

Edited March 19, 2016 by System Error Message

[System Error Message]

Sorry for double posting but it would be nice if when the power plant was offline that it would be noticed in a certain way that only affects gameplay in a minor way but adds to the feel.

For example:

- vehicles take a few seconds longer to build

- building lights change (they could go to emergency light or turn off)

- radar goes offline

[Pushwall]

- radar goes offline

 

So... that thing that it already does on maps that have a radar dome and therefore allow this to work?

 

- vehicles take a few seconds longer to build

 

This is supposed to happen but I think the logic for it is broken, BuildTimeDelay is 2 which could either mean 2 times longer or 2 seconds longer, but neither of these actually seem to be the case. I've paged the scripts guys so hopefully they should be able to fix this (or clarify if the function is for something else entirely).

 

- building lights change (they could go to emergency light or turn off)

 

Lighting is baked into terrain so all this will do is lead to rooms still being bright but containing shadowed infantry. And the Renegade approach of "paint all the walls red" looks dumb.

[System Error Message]

- building lights change (they could go to emergency light or turn off)

 

Lighting is baked into terrain so all this will do is lead to rooms still being bright but containing shadowed infantry. And the Renegade approach of "paint all the walls red" looks dumb.

 

How about painting the walls yellow?

Is lighting really static?

 

Even if they cant be implemented there needs to be a feel for it. Essentially renegade did very well with feel even though they didnt have as much content as you have.

 

Edit: not to be misleading but i think TSR has a very C&C and base commando feel just like renegade has but it is something w3dhub made whereas RA APB was something w3dhub acquired.

Edited March 22, 2016 by System Error Message

[ChopBam]

If we lightmapped the building interiors, it could potentially be possible to the point of seeing your surroundings respond appropriately to lighting changes, but infantry themselves will still cast shadows from the LE-placed/proxied light objects.

[System Error Message]

Well i think the shadows should be fine but why not make the building interiors darker by default so when the lights go out everything gets darker or the lighting changes seem more significant.

 

This isnt for a major gameplay change, this is just to add some minor things to the gameplay to make it better.

 

If the script doesnt work try different values or some debugging.

[Pushwall]

Edit: not to be misleading but i think TSR has a very C&C and base commando feel just like renegade has but it is something w3dhub made whereas RA APB was something w3dhub acquired.

 

Reborn certainly does have the feel down, you've got that right. Too bad feel isn't the most important thing huh? I rarely ever see people actually playing it, except for the occasional tryhard killwhore that joins the empty server, gets the unit that's unkillable in 1v1 unless someone on the other team does the same AND can match their "skill", and just camps out waiting for someone to join who then very quickly gets bored and leaves because they don't find the game to be enjoyable when they always find themselves facing down a unit that they cannot kill or avoid.

 

APB is not trying to be Renegade or Reborn. It's trying to be APB.

[ChAoS]

 

 

Edit: not to be misleading but i think TSR has a very C&C and base commando feel just like renegade has but it is something w3dhub made whereas RA APB was something w3dhub acquired.

 

Heh, apatbeyond was developed by BHP as was AR, Reborn was made by a separate team but all 3 teams worked together as BHP for a great deal of time. W3D was formed by some key BHP staff. It's actually it's pretty complex how many people worked on the 3 games and how many people crossed over between them.

[delta]

Aren't there like 5x the number of players on CNCnet as we usually have on a game of APB or Reborn? If there's people who are still interested in playing the classic C&C games, wouldn't they be interested in this as well? That seems like an obvious target audience there.

 

Regarding the power plant, I had another idea...what if the Tesla Coils and Gap Generators are shut down when then power plant is damaged to 50% or below?

[System Error Message]

I would like the idea of those power hungry buildings shutting down with damage power plant.

 

W3d hub is working on red alert 2, only a matter of time till they get to the recent C&Cs. Its not the fact that its a classic game, rather its more of bringing a newer approach so you can consider the game new even if it is based off something old. Take star wars and star trek for example, they are old but they have many reincarnations many different games that are even new.

 

Is there a difference in health between normal power plant and advanced power plant?

Edited March 22, 2016 by System Error Message

[Einstein]

The PR discussion has been split to here.

[harvester]

The power plant is fine, it just needs to appear on more maps with gap generators/tesla coils, anti-air defenses and radar dome so destroying it would affect the gameplay more, especially if Radar dome is important on the map (such as having tech buildings, abombs, etc). I remember someone saying RA_ToTheCore is too dependent on Power Plant for Soviets (not sure whether this is true but at least he sees the power plant very useful there).

 

Changing production costs would be too much for the game.

 

I like aesthetic changes like lights going out or emergency power lights but I understand if it couldn't be done due to lighting issues.

[FRAYDO]

The PR discussion has been split to here.

how dare you

[Einstein]

 

The PR discussion has been split to here.

how dare you

 

but but job?!

Is there a difference in health between normal power plant and advanced power plant?

 

I believe so. Exactly how much, I'm not sure. The Advanced power plant is removed currently because it was considered at the time, a redundant structure. Will it make a return? No idea.

[ganein14]

Is there a difference in health between normal power plant and advanced power plant?

 

I believe so. Exactly how much, I'm not sure. The Advanced power plant is removed currently because it was considered at the time, a redundant structure. Will it make a return? No idea.

 

I kind of thought the Advanced power plant fit in with the game and made it more believable as it traditionally provides 2-3x the power of a normal power plant and could power the more 'demanding' structures.