Internal Playtest – Main Build Testing – 4/3

http://www.twitch.tv/metabolical/b/516819462

Two Planetary Annihilation playtests in one day? Well happy birthday to me! Today’s earlier playtest was the balance changes build, this is the main build of the stuff that is slated to go into the next build release.

I didn’t notice anything new when compared to other playtests. Just another generic test to make sure the build is stable for release. The previously debuted Orbital Fabber model was in the build, so that’s pretty cool.

Pretty exciting stuff! Hopefully this means a new build at the beginning of next week since Uber doesn’t release builds on Fridays.

Keep up the great work Uber!

They actually have released on Fridays, so we will see. It would be fun to watch the big game between ColaColin and Matiz if they need to relearn the balanc!

They have stated they don't like to release builds on Fridays. After a issue where a Friday build caused devs to work the weekend to fix, they avoid doing so. Only small or time pressing builds have been released on Fridays.

I doubt we'll get a build tomorrow.

(and now this is the part where Uber leaps from the shadows to disprove me. Please?)

We don't mind releasing on a Friday.. IF we can have it ready early enough, which is a big if. That usually means a window of 2 hours or so before we have to say yes/no based on build quality.

The changes to gunships (or all air?) to make them less OP, if they were in that play test (hard to tell) didn't seem so bad, so I'm happy. It looked like some of the effects (T1 bomber thrusters?) have changed, which look nice, but again that might just be going crazy.

Looks like the in-orbit factory wasnt in, which was a bit dissapointing for me.

Having your second factory be T2 should be an "extreme" strat that's risky and probably won't pay off, but it looked like it went OK for meta *grumbles*

Brian, you seem to have given yourself the ability to summon uber fom the shadows to do what you demand. Achievement unlocked.

!WARNING!

BALANCE BUILD INCOMING
ETA - SOON
POSSIBLE ROBOT DEATH TOLL - ALL OF THEM

Wait a second, what?
All the advanced stuff is supposed to triple in price, right? But why are all the T2 vehicles the same price? (you can see that at the 7:30-ish mark)
In fact, so are advanced mexes.
I'm... confused.

IIRC it was mentioned in an older playtest that the idea is to make T2 harder to start, but have it really pick up from there. By making the factory more expensive both to build and run, as well as increasing resource use from T2 fabbers, they are trying to push T2 viability later into the game.

That doesn't answer my question, I'm guessing I worded it badly, let me rephrase.
"Why are the t2 vehicle prices the same as the version we play?"

Why should they be more expensive? From what I understand they're trying to make the jump up to T2 more of a jump from an eco standpoint, making the units more expensive would only make would only result in less units on the field. By increasing the running cost they increase the economic infrastructure required to run the factories effectively, which I understand is the only goal they're shooting for in this patch. Does this answer your question?

I know, but according to one of the other stream notes it said that everything in t2 was tripled, cost, production, and resource generation.
Maybe I'm just stupid and misunderstood it.

I think that was just an experiment. It might still happen, but maybe not in the next update.

@tehtrekd: Developers often do experimental things in separate "branches" of the program so that the main program won't be broken if the experimental stuff causes problems. The balances that you mention are being done in a separate branch so scathis can do crazy wild things that will never work but give him good info on what will work. Eventually the balance will be considered good enough to merge into the main "branch" but not as of yet.

This wasn't the balance fork. It was the main fork.

The balance changes are a different fork. They're not ready for release.

Did I see Metas T2 units have a radar range? About 11 minutes in when he advances his T2 tanks they show radar blips in front of them when his actual radar was down due to lack of power.

Neat little feature I think.

Vanguards have a 150 range radar currently (their sight range is 100).

Ahh didnt know that. I dont tend to send my vanguards in without vision or radar coverage.

That means that it takes 3.333 seconds to build a Leveller. Vs 10 seconds to build an Ant.

RIP.

Because they are in the balance branch, hence his expectation. They're experimenting with increases in T2 eco along with identical percentage increases in T2 pricing.