One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

Hi all,

I decided to put up a poll based on yogurt312's suggestion in the thread on multiple factions:

EDIT x2:

I created a poll on another site which lets you rate choices, so, if you'd be willing, try voting here.

It's not really the best solution; I'll post the results link later (as it shows who voted and by extension, you can see what they voted for).

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So here it is... 6 choices -- either you're strictly for ONE Faction with twice the number of units, or you're for TWO factions -- similar to each other (e.g., ARM and CORE to something arguably UEF/Cybran) -- or TWO factions radically different.

Three of the choices also allow you to pick a secondary option, such as "TWO Factions (Different) OR Two Factions (Similar)" which means your first choice will be to have two different factions... and second choice will be to have two similar factions. This way, everyone's preferences can be accounted for.

EDIT:

Assume, if you will, that this is for a stretch goal.

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

If they want to make 2 factions, they should really play different, otherwise it's a waste of development time. However, to design(graphics and gameplay) and balance 2 completly different factions takes time and time is expensive.
Imo they shouldn't even consider making a second faction if they don't exceed the 900k by alot.

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

Yeah, the assumption was that this was for a stretch goal. I've altered wording

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

What is the difference between One faction, 2x units OR two factions (similar) and two factions (similar) OR one faction, 2x units???

Way to go, complicating a simple 50:50 or at most 33:33:33 poll poll like this.

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

Nice to meet you too.

Because some of us have preferences. And maybe some of us would prefer option A, but if we can't have it, option B.

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

This poll makes baby usability jesus cry. :cry:

Re: Poll: One faction, 2x units? or 2 factions?

You could lay off the insults.

Unless there's a better polling solution than what comes with phpBB, it's not like you can do better than 6 options if you want to incorporate preferential ordering.

While three options makes an easier poll, it doesn't let anyone pick a second choice.

You could have selected "two votes per user"

And yeah, I was a bit brash. Sorry. :| I can be a terrible fanboy at times.

Yeah, two votes might work, but the problem is that I don't think you can put two votes in for the same option.

So in other words, if you just one to see "ONE faction, 2x the units" you're only gonna give it one "voting point", whereas someone could give two points (one each) to the two-faction options.

This could end up giving the illusion that two factions are uniformly more popular than one, etc..

I did some searching online and I couldn't find an appropriate alternative that allowed ranked polls (that worked).

Edit:
Here's one that sucks less, but it's really not made for this, and it can't prevent vote gaming or provide privacy for votes.

If we see multiple factions, I'd prefer it to be like in Moonbase Commander, where the different factions have different models (sprites really), but their toolbox is identical other than the graphical differences.

Instead, I'd rather push for better polish on the tools for modders to be able to create the content on their own. A new race is finite content, but solid mod tools is infinite content.

Honestly, I'd prefer something like that as well... either that, or just one faction with more units... and we'll let the community make a proper secondary faction. So... I did what I could to make sure this poll could capture the ranked choices :/

Then again, I was a fan of how the ARM and CORE were very similar overall, minus some differences (but nothing big enough to guarantee a game going to one side over the other).

So long as mod support is robust enough, I think that one faction with double the units is fine. It's easier to balance, it's cheaper to produce, and it offers more variety for you in a single game. The crux here is that mod support will allow additional factions (and going off of what they have said, I don't see why it wouldn't).

You forgot the option of two factions with a third faction that has access to everything. Its not quite the best of both worlds but its close.

Id like to thank you for your effort but I think that is a terrible idea.. It would obviously make one faction completely op... Plus it would make that faction quite frustrating because you would have a **** ton of units where a lot of them are basically the same...

Id like to be my own faction tbh. Its not an idea often used in RTS's so I welcome it.

Half your point is valid, the third faction is obviously not meant to be played against the other two, but against itself. Regardless, i was just attemtping to find some way out of the single faction situation, as i feel that it harms the games cultural aspect by not allowing players to side with one team against the other.

The only convincing arguments for one team that i've heard so far are economic, which while very relivant and very important aren't in the best ideals for game construction.

Okay then what would you cut to get a 2nd faction?

It's not about what the absolute best option is, cause yeah, if we had the choice more factions would be better if done right, but Uber only has 900K to work with, so what would you cut? Air units? Asteroids? Hmmm?

When working within a TIGHT budget, you can have everything, you either go full bore on some things and skimp on everything else or you go with the most economic options as often as possible.

Mike

I would have to look at the stretch goals when revealed, to answer what i'd cut out. In other threads i've mentioned how it should only ever be a stretch goal or perhaps an expansion because of those financial reasons.

Personaly i'd like to see factions for gameplay because i like that but thats just an irrelivant opinion (unless i dig up ten grand anyway). Creating a self sustaining culture is what helps games stand the test of time, perhaps even more so than even actual quality (although quality is never a gamble so... see previous paragraph). Given these reasons i am more against setting in concrete that there will only ever be one faction, because once that idea is set it is very hard to change and people wont want to change it. As long as there is the aspiration for factions, even without their existance, it is almost as good.

Personally, I would like to see at least two factions.

But as long as you can mod in multiple other factions, I wouldn't care if there wasn't any factions to begin with.

IMO, Total Annihilation Zero does three radically different factions very well.

This poll is weird. What is all this "one faction" nonsense? doctorzuber also had this weird point of view in another thread. There will never be just one faction. If there is only one faction, there is no war. There will always be 2 or more "factions" in the game, depending on how much people or teams play against each other.


As it stand right now, there will be one set of units and buildings in the game which are at the disposal of as many factions as there are in one battle that is taking place.