Couple ideas to cut micro on dread upgrades

from AshesoftheSingularity Forums

I think the dread instant heal 'upgrade' should auto apply when the dread is about to die. However, to not make it OP, maybe it should only heal 50% of the max health. This way the annoying micro controlling experience of trying to hit the upgrade button at the optimal moment in middle of a battle would go away. The button wouldn't even be there, but if you haven't selected any of the (other) upgrades on a leveled up dread, and it's about to hit 0 HP, it would consume the level up to auto heal.

Another way to cut a bit of micro management on the dread upgrades would be to make the upgrades only apply after the dread has not engaged in combat for 10 seconds or so. The upgrade could be chosen during combat, but it would only get enabled after the dread hasn't taken (or caused?) damage for a while. This way players wouldn't need to worry about clicking a dread upgrade asap. Additionally this would add a bit of strategic depth in the form of having to decide whether to keep the dread in the battle, or to withdraw it to apply the upgrade.

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Reply #1 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

i think when you have several dreads getting the right army can be a pain. So having a hockey assigned to one of the three sections of the upgrade.

 

ctrl. Q, w , e to apply?

it's not exactly op to have a dread instant heal though, everyone has it and the chance to use it. 

 

The use of micro is entirely wrong though, this is just a simple action, let's not confuse this.. Any way simplfying it reduces any skill gap between players who can multitask and those who can't. 

I get you're not very good and want to be part of the skilled crowd but reducing the skill cap won't really do anything but barren the game.

Reply #2 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Hotkeys are definitely a good idea as well. And I think I have seen someone suggest placing the upgrade button into the army UI for easier access without even selecting the dread.

I think any action that only applies to a single unit, especially when it's timing is critical in margin of seconds, is definitely micro management in an RTS. In practice, when micro management is reduced macro management is pronounced as players naturally move their effort towards it. I believe these ideas are in line with the game's design philosophy of rewarding good strategic decisions over high APM and fast reactions. Also, multitasking is certainly an important part of an RTS, but multitasking can happen on macro management level as well. I don't think these changes would barren the game. Quite the contrary, as I explained, the delay for applying updates would add some strategic depth. 

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Reply #3 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Yea I entirely get that, but this game isn't requiring high apm. 

In fact it's almost all micro and no macro.

Micro refers to managing an economy and bases. Anything not to do with direct combat.

Macro is the actions one takes during combat to ensure victory.


Compared to almost all rts's this game has no macro play.

I've come up with one thing that does qualify as macro but other than the Dread levelling there isn't anything that you "have" to do... arguably you don't have to level your dread and tbh I rarely use the +life ability with them anyway. If supported properly I always feel bolstering my army with extra abilities is better.

Though 10 nemesis will certainly fuck a dread, but that's why your dread army needs tons and tons of t1 units to throw the aim.


So you just learnt something about micro.

In this game when an army is formed, all you can do as an opposing player is target that army, you can't snipe one particular unit so make your decision wisely in what you compose your army with :> 

Reply #4 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

I think there's a massive gap between our interpretions of micro and macro management. I do think mine is closer to what for example wikipedia had in mind:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromanagement_(gameplay)

..micromanagement are minor, detailed gameplay elements that must be manually addressed by the player..

Macro generally refers to managing large quantities of tasks at the same time. For example, building units from various structures throughout the game while also building more structures, scouting, creating new bases, etc. This is different from micro, which is generally controlling small amounts of units and giving them very specific orders.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macromanagement

Macromanagement is the act of leading decision makers or managing the managers.

In strategy games, especially StarCraft and Warcraft, macromanagement is often misused to refer to the general economy aspect of the game such as constructing buildings, conducting research, and producing units, among other things involving the intake and expending of resources. This is actually a form of micromanagement done to a relatively large number of units.

In turn-based games, macromanagement is a style of play where the player manages the overall strategy of the game, such as the overall economy or armed forces. In real-time games, macromanagement refers to a player's management of the overall game or the management of large groups of units rather than individual ones, whether those units are involved in resource-gathering or combat.