The future of Outwitters

[Syvan]

(07-16-2014 05:22 AM)CombatEX Wrote:  I think that my +2 wit space suggestion and tailoring map design to it can go a long way towards addressing your concerns without crippling the soldier. The problem right now is that you're encouraged to only attack along one path (MAYBE two on certain maps like Long Nine or Thorn Gulley). Part of the reason is that harassing wit spaces just for the sake of harassing them is hard to do efficiently. Usually wit spaces are best harassed on the way to your opponent's base which means that it doesn't really open up new possibilities for aggression but simply adds another element to the single path of aggression on a given map. By making harassment of out-of-the-way wit spaces (wit spaces not on the way to your opponent's base) cost efficient, it encourages more movement around the map instead of turtling until you can break through your opponent's defenses along the single optimal attack route.

I also have a suggestion for revamping the bombshell into a more aggression-focused unit which should help further, but I'll post that thread later. I don't want to distract from discussion here at the moment.

Yeah, maps are part of the problem, but I think if there is any chance of a future mode where we play synchronously, games need to be shorter. A quick check of the SuperTitan replays suggests that the average game length is 30 turns, and each turn probably averages more than a minute once the game gets going, so for the 50 turn matches, we're looking at hour long games. If we compare to something like hearthstone, those games run about 10-15 minutes and that feels really nice.

In addition to more victory routes, I think that a sequel really needs to think about how to promote shorter matches in a balanced way. The game already promotes defensive play by design, it simply costs more to attack than defend. The soldier furthers this mentality by being really tanky. I feel like I could write all day about the problems with a 4 HP soldier, but it basically boils down to the fact that it can't be 1-shot by snipers and heavies.

Maybe a better solution is to remove medics entirely and consider boosting the HP of the sniper and maybe the specials to compensate.

It's also possible that I am missing the appeal of Outwitters, so is the fun for most people in a slow battle of positioning a soldier wall?