Resource system - suggestion to add rare resource types

I agree with that part. So we need a balance between the worth of conquering a planet or just crushing it.

Yes, totally agree with all of this. I would like to see a less exponential economy and generally more scarcity of resources. There should be units, structures, and strategies that cost so much that they're only conceivable in large team matches or games lasting more than an hour. Rare resource spots could be used as one way to help this goal (possibly).

Smashing planets could bring to the surface some highly activated metal, whose units nanolathed near them could have more armor, power, less build time...

It would be a pretty interesting Gold Rush for shiny resources.

Couple more things:

1. Not talking about single spots as there'd be types of rare resource unique to each planet type. Everyone will presumably own at least part of one planet to begin with and then fight over others.

2. Yes resource spots should grant an advantage. So does a geo. So does a metal extractor. That's why you fight for these things. It's no different just because it's something new.

I actually rolled that around in my head some...

Total Annihilation's intro talks about the thousands of worlds that have been stripped bare to fund the war effort, completely void of natural resources. What if planetary metal resources would gradually dwindle, until a planet eventually became a mineral-void husk, but smashing an asteroid into it would (after it cools and reforms as a new world) deposit new minerals.

The only thing I don't like about this idea is that I think an asteroid bombardment should be a fairly rare achievement, instead of a routine 'Oh my planet is dead, let's BLOW IT UP' kind of thing.

closest to this i wouldnt mind seeing is "high yeild" minerals. Very exposed, but high reward if you manage to cap and hold!

I'd argue the same effect can be achieved simply by increasing the "density", in SupCom Terms just more Mass Spots in close proximity to each other.

Mike

Mike's suggestion sounds better to me, because otherwhise you would just play turtle and defend the **** out of your rare res once you get them.

Wouldn't help, because with different rare resources on each planet type gaining territory would still be key.

About how much different rare res are we talkin about? I'm not a fan of too many variations in the res system thats why I assumed we're talking about one type of rare res.

I hope you understand my point of view now

The primary objective of rare resources as the forums general consensus is leaning towards and the hypothetical impact on gameplay is to decrease the amount of turtling and provide more strategic elements that being said,
Turtling: From my experience in supcom, and FA, players expand simply to take more mexes, because they could not fabricate or upgrade enough efficiently as expanding and taking new ones. If mass/metal/whatever fabrication is not implement, (which I hate) I have no doubt that high level players will immediately colonize every planet, because if not player B will and acquire the mexes and player A will fall behind economically. So i do not see a need for rare resources for expansion, and making every planet important. If a planet has mexes and rocketing engineers is cheap its a very important planet. This of course is hypothetically assuming that the economy will support aggressive expansion, cheap interplanetary travel, and mex upgrade inefficiency which i would love to see.
Strategic Elements: Having a rare resource or a a buff in the map undoubtedly adds more strategy to any game. From Total War, capturing the Dojo to Lol killing the Baron obviously forces you to adjust your strategy, and give you more options. I love hydrocarbons in FA, and would love to see "them" or some static buildings that are geographically restricted that produce bonuses. If you go all Civ 5 or Sim city I will oppose that because it drives me crazy to hunt for some silly iron to build a swordsmen. Mass and Energy, NO more bars.
Summary, Rare Resources, I don't like that title, I don't want stockpiles and i don't want to worry about how much iron i have. Buffs, Static Resource Buildings, that are geographically restricted would be awesome.

That pretty much sums up my opinion

So...we do agree another resource type/bar would suck? Just makes it more complicated and micro intensive. That's no fun if we want to fight epic battles.

Just from a design perspective, "special spots" on planets would be very interesting in my opinion. If you just have different kinds of planets and you have to plan you strategy, why go for a gas planet/water planet instead of something else? You need do have different rewards for your choices, so there has to be something that makes different planet types unique.
A simple "From planet A, I can attack planet B, leading to my enemies base at planet C" is pretty boring, I think. That is always present in the mind of general, but why choose planet A/B/C, if you have the choice?

From a strategic point of view, to a more tactical:

Where would you build your base, if you are the first one to arrive on a planet? Get the spot where you can defend yourself the best and/or get most resources. So, everyone would look for the best risk/reward spot and defend themselves there.

This is where special resource spots might change the game. Instead of giving the first person to arrive the bonus to choose the best spot to build up a base, you could build in some "focus spots" on every planet. Choose between "easy to defend" and "getting that bonus"! Make it worthwhile, while not game deciding. In the end you should want to have that spot, or at least the enemy not to have it.

These spots would give incentives to decide for a special planet type, would focus battles to certain spots, gives advantages to someone who invests resources in there and in the end, pressures the arriving force to scout and go for these spots.

Overall, I think having special resource spots would make the game more offensive and focused. There is a good risk/reward system in there, that gives advantages to the defender and at the same time makes him focus his forces there, which can be good, but may be bad at other times. Nuke his base/forces at that spot and he is screwed. Don't do anything and be overrun by better/more units. So, both sides have to think about going for that spot and might profit from it, or doom themselves. Sounds like interesting, certain action for me.

The big question is just, what kind of boni would you receive?

I don't like the idea of plain metal/energie boni. That might be a nice side dish, but sounds bland if you want to focus battles to certain sites on planets. A simple and certainly doable approach would be special powered factories, giving you cheaper/faster produced units.

As a scenario, you have to choose between an awesome mountain fortress or a steamboosted factorycomplex in the plains, where attacks can come from everywhere. Tough choice, but boths spots have pros and cons, making it interesting. If you succeed in gaining the factories running, you might win that planet. Higher risk, higher reward.

But personally, I would go with special units you can create in these factories. Maybe experimentals? A logical explanation for that might be hard to find, but just for the gameplay, it would make sense.

If you have all units from the beginning, you could define your personal playstyle by going for certain special units, the experimentals. That would make sense in a strategical point of view: go for planet typ x if you want experimental x and go for planet y if you want experimental y. You had to scout to see what your enemy is doing and if he is going for that special experimental or not and adjust your gameplay to it.

And it would make sense in a tactical point of view. Ditch that spot if you don't have resources for that experimental/you don't want to have it and play it safe, or risk something and get the awesome killer robot. And for your opponent it's good and bad too! If you have to focus your troops, nuking them is easier. Especially if you have to invest a good amount of resources to get that experimental done and are weakened by that. But if you finish it, he might be in a tough spot, even if he got the better defensive position. Sounds like sure fights and fun for both sides involved.

The problem with that idea is how to implement experimentals in the game and I do agree, having these spots for experimentals only sounds a bit lame. I want to have my awesome facemelting robot anytime, not just if I can get that stupid water planet from my enemy!

Will post something in the experimental thread too. Still can't figure out what to give as a bonus from these spots. Just my 2 cents for this topic.

I just don't like one thing, but I think thats a matter of taste.
I don't like the idea of building special units with this rare spots. You should be able to build every unit, even if you're defending your last planet (in my opninion).

As mentioned before just small producion buffs (faster production, slightly increased stats) would be fine for me. But as I said: It's a matter of taste.

Why not have the ''rare'' stuff only occur on asteroids? instead of the planet or moon.

I think that was mentioned some pages ago. Yeah that forces you to deceide either you use the rare res or you sacrifice them as a KEW for planetary anihilation.
Sounds good to me. I like these kind of decision.

Explain to me, what does KEW mean? I have seen that word more times on the forum :?

Kinetic Energy Weapon.

Simple: Move dat asteroid into a planet

If asteroids house rare materials, it should turn into a hollow husk when it is mined out. This would reduce the asteroid's mass, and decrease its effectiveness as a KEW.
That would make the choice harder, in my opinion.

Great post, that's exactly what I've been aiming for and you explained it better than I've been doing I think.

I completely agree no more resource bars. Also special spots (good name) shouldn't be game winning, just fun and interesting and provide moderate advantages that still feel special. I would support unit production from special spots, but if they only supported static buildings (including special turrets, radars, shields etc.), that would still be cool.