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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0004642Valley 1Balance IssueJan 27, 2012 10:14 am
ReporterJerebaldo1 Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Severitytweak 
Status resolvedResolutionopen 
Product Version0.519 
Summary0004642: Difficulty factor between levels higher than ideal
DescriptionRight now it appears that the difficulty factor (spell damage, monster hp, monster damage) is on an order of magnitude scale. I played .519 at length and just feel that this is a bit too extreme for the difficulty range that you are going for.

In my opinion, the maximum +10 level curve should provide a difficult equal to what most players on medium difficult would consider "nigh-impossible to beat a miniboss [the median boss]". I am not exactly sure what that difficulty factor is or should be offhand, but my gut tells me around 4x difficulty increase at 10 levels up and 0.25x difficulty at 10 levels below or greater. I hope this isn't too onerous to change, and that it's a lovely global variable that can change everything all at once.

The actual number is debatable but I think as long as it satisfies that "nigh-impossible" at 10 levels above, then level progression has reached zen. As it stands it seems that nigh impossible or why bother miniboss difficulty is reached when the level difference is only 2 or 3. With a greater range, things become less treadmill-like and extreme.
TagsNo tags attached.
Internal WeightNew

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Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 6, 2011 7:34 pm

administrator   ~0015982

Well, this is an interesting point, and I don't pretend that the curve is perfect yet. However, you're also missing a lot of tools that you will have later on. Right now you have only the weakest spells, and you have no shield spells, and so on. Once you're better equipped, I expect the same-level stuff to be pretty trivial for most players of reasonable skill, and for the difficulty curve to be more like what you're expecting.

But then again, that has to be kind of carefully managed, especially since that stuff isn't in yet. Curious what others think on this who have playtested 0.519 more than me.

Jerebaldo1

Oct 6, 2011 7:50 pm

reporter   ~0015993

That is encouraging, and it sounds like all the more reason to be enthused about the new content :-). However it is achieved, I will be most enthused.

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 6, 2011 7:52 pm

administrator   ~0015994

Ideally, monsters go through a difficulty progression as well as the spells -- so potentially I just need to get it balanced better now, like you say, because the basic tools AND the basic monsters are already in place. As I add more advanced tools, I'd also add more advanced monsters, so ideally the challenge stays the same or creeps up a little based on the new monsters rather than just numbers scaling.

So from THAT perspective, probably this is actually as off as you say, if there's a general consensus that things are scaling too much too fast.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Oct 6, 2011 7:29 pm Jerebaldo1 New Issue
Oct 6, 2011 7:34 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0015982
Oct 6, 2011 7:34 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Oct 6, 2011 7:34 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => feedback
Oct 6, 2011 7:50 pm Jerebaldo1 Note Added: 0015993
Oct 6, 2011 7:50 pm Jerebaldo1 Status feedback => assigned
Oct 6, 2011 7:52 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0015994
Jan 27, 2012 10:14 am tigersfan Internal Weight => New
Jan 27, 2012 10:14 am tigersfan Status assigned => resolved
Apr 14, 2014 9:29 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Gameplay - Balance Issue => Balance Issue