Optional feature idea - Map Resource Scaling

I were talking about high density of metal patches. Not high valuable metal patches. We don't know if metal patches will have variable amounts of extraction rate. Personally I think that variable metal patches is too much complexity for the depth added.

Anyway. If all metal patches are worth more then mexes on them payoff more quickly which actually means you can be more risky with their placement as they don't have to be alive so long to pay off.
Higher value mexes means that the economy grows faster because metal is usually the bottleneck determining the economic growth rate. When the economy grows faster it effectively makes raiding worse as the defender have more resources to prepare defense before the raiders arrive.

You didn't read my post. The point is starting points become disruptive to the map design because they are high value.

"High value" as in producing more per mex? If mexes are clustered together they are actually easier to defend unless you are talking of splash weapons that would hit em all at the same time.
If there is an area with lots of metal patches then that area is obviously of high value to the player. Nothing is inherently bad or good about that in my opinion.

Yes, so you build your bases there and thats where the enemy wants to attack. It disrupts the map design.

You misunderstood the context of my original question, bmb.

What you actually say here is that that spending time and resources capturing the resources surrounding starting positions in SupCom detracts from the intention of the map design. I'm not sure if you think that it increases micro but I don't think that it necessarily does.

As for PA:
1. We don't know if there will be more metal patches around the player starting position.
2. We don't know if fixed starting positions will be default for PA or if you will be able to chose starting position.

As for map design:
3. Many planets will be autogenerated. Maybe most of the games will have autogenerated planets.
4. Resource scaling should IMO be possible when you generate the planets. This resource scaling could be:
a. Number of mexes on the planet.
b. Extraction rate.
5. Metal patches might in some biomes/terrain types/planets be clustered together to promote certain kinds of gameplay.

And that is easily fixed by changing the map design. Supcom Commanders were absolutely awful and could not function without the starting 4 mexes. It was not a problem in TA, and it is easily fixed in PA. Just put more starting resources on the Commander. Done.

I'd say it should Stick to A, I don't like variable Metal Spots as it doesn't add anything unique to it and just increases the learning curve for new plays. Want a Metal Spot to be more valuable? Add a second one in close proximity, want it to b less Valuable? Put other Metal Spots farther away.

Mike

Supcom can easily function without, the problem is it lengthens the earlygame to trotting around looking for extraction points. Which is exactly how it was in TA.

Don't forget the egg. It is supposed to speed up the start.