Regenerating Resource Nodes

[neat elbow]

A staple in many modern RTS's is for the resources, whatever they be, to never fully be depleted and resources to become technically infinite.

• In the Tiberium/RA C&C series, a Tiberium/Ore field can be depleted but will slowly regenerate if left alone for a while.
• In RA3, specifically, resource nodes would provide much less to their harvesters if they were depleted, but would still give something.
• In C&C Generals, each faction had an alternative way to acquire funds outside of the normal supply depots.
• In some games like the AoE series, you could trade for resources you need, with Gold being something you could get infinitely

I'd like to suggest that we follow in the stead of RA3, with Oil Derricks giving a highly reduced load to harvesters after they've been fully emptied. So, that way, you are still heavily incentivized to expand and conquer nodes, but you're not entirely screwed over because you emptied one. You'll still get a very slow trickle of something.

Another alternative is to go the Generals route and give every faction an alternative, passive form of income, one that pales in comparison to harvesters (and probably locked behind the Armory or equivalent), but is reliable.

Granted, I do realize that "infinite" is an option, but that's just infinite resources at normal harvesting speeds. I'm suggesting infinite resources at a highly reduced speed when the node is emptied, so that you can't theoretically get stuck because some AI player sent all their harvesters to your nodes when you weren't looking 😛

[lament vapor]

The RA3 version would also solve harvesters driving through the enemy base for a random node after depleting the local ones

[tall flame]

Feels like we get this request every month. I'll bring it up again.

[neat elbow]

I agree with that.

[tall flame]

@hollow surge @lament vapor @neat elbow @devout furnace what would you think of a lobby option where you get a regular income injection or bounties where you kill units and get resources from it?

[lament vapor]

Personally for me it's not really about the economy difference, I think the economy is pretty fine -- it's more that having all of my harvs automatically drive across the map to get to some random derrick near the enemy's base and all die feels kinda... clunk

Feels like at a certain point of the game it's just sorta expected that you'll lose all of your harvs to it and everyone stops caring 😛

[neat elbow]

Those options sound more like "cool faction abilities" than something I'd want as a regular gamemode option. I could see Deathsworn getting a cash bounty ability, for instance, as their replacement for the Paradrop/Shrink Ray

I agree with @lament vapor, it's a shame that my harvesters become useless after a while and eventually just decide to kill themselves by running into enemy/hostile territory

Another, but potentially clunky, option is to reuse what you guys do in Survival, where the nodes get refreshed a little every now and then.

Pros:

• you've already coded it
• it does the job

Cons:

• feels clunky
• might still lead to issues with harvesters being suicidal, as the nodes probably wouldn't be in a proper "empty but giving low resources" mode. The harvesters would just see them as normal nodes, and then ditch them when they deplete again and again

[tall flame]

We've been brainstorming some ideas. A lot of issues relate to core game design or harvester AI though.

And yes that includes potentially reusing survival mode stuff but that would likely mean a different game mode.

[neat elbow]

I definitely understand the conflict with "core game design", as you obviously want to encourage people to expand and fight over nodes. Regenerating nodes would obviously get in the way of that, to some extent. I also understand the want to ensure the game ends at some point, as eventually, there will be nothing left and someone has to win at some point.

But even then, you can't fight turtling player if you can't overcome their turrets due to a lack of funds, and that march to the inevitable only seems like it'd perpetuate an eventual stalemate

[hollow surge]

That´s not what I mean. Instead of doing this option better use time and resources for other stuff.

I have more gameplay in mind meaning that total amount of resources (in MP and QM // In the Campaing on Hard or Hardcore the 16 especially in COOP Mode are fine)

Great would be a mix like 2 different Types of Oil Nodes.

Type A has just a limited amount of Credits (not fixed but editable for each map)

Type B uses also a limited amount plus a small amount that regenerates. Similar to RA3 with reduced output so that instead of 2 Oil Trucks you can only Harvest with 1 Truck instead.

This would

primary give very interesting options in map design and help getting players to fight for some hotspots or not allow to camp in the base turtelling.

Secondary you won´t come in a issue where money completely runs out.

Trying to show that in a pic here.

So lets say BLACK are Oil Nodes filled with 6000 k that run out and won´t regrow.

PURPLE are Oil nodes with let´s say 5000 k but regenerate a small amount of credits over time.

So you are forced to push out and control certain areas of a map.

And don´t take that layout or numbers to serious. I just want to show out what my idea behind is.

But if that´s not a thing you can do let the eco system as it is.

Hope I could make my points clear. 🙂

Ah .. so as all games on this map I have played or seen. The outer islands or mostly the other spots with the purple ones are not used. (Only in the center there is a fight) So this would also give an option to get a bigger variety how a map can be played.

Lets say for example:

Delete 1 of the Oil nodes at the starting location (as you can expand with Mobile HQ there should be no issue here)

Make also instead of the 2 purple ones 2 black ones (which run out after a certain amount X got harvested) and maybe increase regrow rate on the island purple ones.

So now player has to make a choice. Go all in and push hard on the land and end the game. Or go to control naval and win the game long term with infinit money

[tall flame]

The problem with changing the nodes is that it runes up against core design principles and the AI for the harvesters. Some would require map redesigns, others would require engineer work.

We had discussion yesterday about it and was what led me to thinking about lobby game rules solutions.