How to make subfactions more diverse and titans more balanced
Sins Forums
So after a few days of playing I'll agree the beta is pretty stable with some nice extras we weren't expecting. Good job Stardock. However, there are two things that technically function but don't agree with how they were implemented, the subfactions and titans. Here are my arguments why and what I think should be done about it.
1. The subfactions really don't play that differently from each other. Sure, they have a couple of nice goodies, and perhaps an extra way to win each (Early Novalith bombardment, super rapid colonization after allying with neutral factions), but they could have more. However, the bigger issue is I don't think there play styles are going to be all that different, especially in the all important early game. This may have made more sense when you choose your faction after the game start, but under the current system it just feels generic. My biggest gripe is that you need at least 3 labs before you can get any faction specific tech (minus the almost identical corvettes). I think each faction should get a few bonuses either at the start of the game or within the two labs in each tree players usually build right away.
Now these bonuses could take a few different forms. My personal favorite would be to have a few small bonus that are active at the start without any research, but these things could also be done as very early research to keep things consent. Another option would be to have each subfaction have slightly different versions of units that are superior to their default counterparts. Some ideas I think would make nice early (unless otherwise noted) bonuses include.
Loyalists
- +2 (or whatever number) tactical slots
- Tactical slot upgrade price and build time reduction
- Repair bays heal +30 hull instead of +20 at start, upgrade to +40/50
- Have trade ports be affected by the tier 1 tech "similar type" module cost reduction
- All planets get a +7.5% population bonus
- Increased amount of starbase upgrades (mid/late game)
Rebels
- Krosov siege frigates are stronger and available without research
- Weapon damage techs are cheaper
- Extra targetting banks for capitalships
- Get extra resources/credits from destroying trade/refinery ships
- Tech for lower fleet upkeep
- Get extra experience from destroying enemy capitalships/titans
- Flak get a small reduced cooldown for every strikecraft they destroy
- Frenzy: When a unit delivers the killing shot to a frigate/captialship/titan, that one unit gets a small damage buff until it leaves the gravity well (mid/late game)
2. The titans are unbalanced. Now everyone has their own idea of how they want titans to be, but as it is now they pretty much make fleets irrelevant, and the game often becomes a contest of who can get the highest level titan. Players are also coming up with ever more strategies to exploit this situation (hit and run raids with titans, which can quickly do serious damage but can move fast enough and take enough hits to retreat with minimum damage to be healed with repair bays and a Dunov). Its one thing to have a very powerful game ending unit, its another to have a very powerful game ending unit that can be deployed fairly early and can only be killed with another, higher level game ending unit.
The first thing I would try is to make titans more specialized. I really like the ability to put your upgrade points into starbase like stat boosting upgrades. However, the titans get enough stats on level up to make them very powerful even if you choose just to max out your abilities. I would suggest removing (for the most part) the health/shield/damage etc. stat upgrades from level ups, and instead give them all entirely to upgrades. Thus you can get a titan that's as strong as it is now, but you won't be able to spend very many points getting the high level abilities, and if you want the super powerful abilities your titan as a ship will be much weaker. Thus, players will need to think even more carefully about what kind of titan they want, and should over all make them easier to deal with (though another solution will probably be needed).
Summary: I think the factions could be more diverse, especially early game, and gave some concrete constructive ideas of how to make this better. I also think Titans should be specialized as either very powerful fleet destroying warships or high level ability casters (I.e. as super capitalship), but not both. Both changes are fairly easy to implement and would give the game more depth and ultimately more fun.
