Patch Contemplation...

[Kamikaze28]

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  I'd love to see game centre achievements. Especially as the hidden ranking is, well, hidden, achievements could add another way to attempt to earn bragging rights without messing with, or disclosing more than the devs want about, the current system.

The topic of achievements came up during beta and to this day, I am an advocate of extreme caution when it comes to achievements in a 1v1 (or in the case of Outwitters 2v2) competitive multiplayer game.
The primary reason for this is the shifting of objectives and potentially ugly side effects, I will demonstrate this with your examples below.

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  Win a league game spawning and not loosing 2 specials

You could win the game this turn - but you would also like to do the achievement, so you corner your opponent into a situation where he cannot win while you take 3 turns to spawn your two Specials and only then destroy the base.
Oh, and imagine your rage when your opponent understandably decides to forfeit the game one turn before you could fulfill the achievement requirement.

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  Win a league game healing 10+ units

Same scenario as above - you delay your win to safely earn this achievement and give your opponent the chance to spoil your plans by forfeiting.

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  Win a league game with only 1 unit left

This is extremely risky. You are either fine with this achievement happening at some point in the future or possibly never or you try to get it and lose a lot of league games along the way.

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  Win a league game 10 times in a row

What's the easiest way to get this achievement? Lose a lot of games, get demoted to Fluffy League (or purposefully botch your placement matches to start in Fluffy League) and steamroll a lot of noobs after which you can work your way up the ladder again.
Getting this achievement in Master or Super-Titan League is really really tough.

(08-27-2012 08:39 AM)RandyDogz Wrote:  [...] And stuff to force people out of routines, ie try new stuff. Tangible goals to work towards, other than accumulating fun points and hoping for (dreading) league promotions (demotions).

Are you willing to risk a league demotion to earn achievements? Because that will inevitably happen once you introduce secondary goals into the gameplay. What's more important to you? Winning or getting that last achievement?

For the sake of completeness there should also be mention of a different achievement design: the inevitable but boring kind:

• Win 10/100/1,000/10,000 league games.
• Spend 100/1,000/10,000/100,000 Wits in league games. Although, this one could actually incentivize prolonging games again.
• Inflict 100/1,000/10,000/100,000 points of damage in league games. This one also has the potential to prolong games to inflict more damage.