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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0004649Valley 1Balance IssueOct 12, 2011 11:02 am
ReporterJerebaldo1 Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version0.519 
Fixed in Version0.523 
Summary0004649: scaling of potions and scrolls within tiers to smooth out level of usefulness throughout the 10 levels
DescriptionBecause it seems the game has become more difficult overall, I fear there is no way around smoothing within-tier effectiveness of scrolls and potions so that they don't become so anemic by the last 3 levels of a tier. Each level after the start of a tier, potions and scrolls of that tier should gain in power up until the next tier level is reached by the civ, at which point in time, the power of these items is capped.



1. Magic power of potions and scrolls (whether rhino/decoy fireworks or amount healed) = base value * (sqrt<sqrt<<amount of levels civ is above base tier level>> + 0.15)

2. The formula caps at 10 levels above base tier level.

Example: tier 1 potion

 heals 1920 at civ level 1

at civ level 2 will heal

1920 * (1.15) = 2208

at civ level 5 will heal

1920 * 1.645 = 3158

at civ level 8

1920 * 1.832 = 3517 (about twice as much as potions currently heal at my level)

last example:

at civ level 11 (once civ is at the next tier, the amount of increase is capped at 10, so it only uses a multiplier of (base * (sqrt<sqrt<<10>> + 0.15)) )

1920 * 1.928 = 3702


Ewww ma god Chris, Tiger, and Keith, I am sorry for this brain dump, and providing a billion examples. It's mostly to make sure my math comes up with a happy curve that won't mess up the improvement that going up a tier gives you.




ps. I also think that if there is ever a way to turn in 5 tier 1 items for items of the next tier, then there'd be less need this system, as combined with my previous suggestions, would allow players to collect gobs of same-tiered items that they could convert into higher-tiered items.
TagsNo tags attached.
Internal WeightFix Before Major Release

Activities

tigersfan

Oct 7, 2011 8:45 am

reporter   ~0016046

I dont mind the brain dump. :-) I definitely think that there should be a smoother curve within each tier.

If I'm reading your post right though, potions become more useful as you level up? I'm not sure that's the way to go. I think that at the first level of each tier, one potion should heal you, or darn near (depending on how much life your current character starts with). As you get near the end of the tier (level 9, 19, 29, etc.) I think that three potions should just about cover everyone. Then, IMO, once you hit that new tier mark, the older tier potions should significantly fall off in usefulness.

Jerebaldo1

Oct 7, 2011 10:20 am

reporter   ~0016068

Right, I tried to come up with a formula that increases the power of the potions and scrolls such that it doesn't keep pace with the increase in difficulty, but bridges the gap partway towards that end. Right now with tier 1 potions, it'll take a little more than 4 potions to heal me once I reach level 9. That combined with the previous 15 second cooldown made me cry a bit inside.

My scaling is logarithmic, so that by level 9 it will take 2.3 potions to heal you. A good compromise would be to add a third square root to the formula,and reduce the constant to 0.10. So: base value * (sqrt<<<sqrt<<sqrt<amount of levels civ is above base tier level>>> + 0.10). That would make for an even more subtle increase, I believe such that by level 9 it'll take 3 potions instead of 4 to do fully heal :-).

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 12, 2011 11:00 am

administrator   ~0016462

I didn't do quite what was noted above, but I think this would solve the same core issue:

* Put in a pretty major balance change in favor of the players:
** Previously, your equipment was always getting progressively worse each time your civ level went up, which meant that with same-tier equipment you were actually losing ground, which wasn't our intent.
** This has been rebalanced to have a 9-level "grace period" wherein equipment doesn't start degrading.
*** This means that as soon as you hit civ level 10, for instance, your tier 1 stuff STARTS to degrade. But the degradation is equivalent now at level 10 to what it used to be at level 2 for tier I stuff. And level 11 is like level 3 was, and so on.
*** The net effect means that there are no longer increasing "periods of weakness" between levels 2-9 and 12-19, and so on; those remain stable areas, and your equipment only starts to get weaker when you're actually able to get replacement equipment of a higher tier.
*** This also applies to potions and the like, not just stuff you craft yourself, so that's really quite helpful all around. Now you actually have time to FIND more potions, more equipment, and so on before you're hurting from the lack of it.

tigersfan

Oct 12, 2011 11:01 am

reporter   ~0016464

FWIW Chris, I like this change on paper. I guess I'll have to go see how I like it in practice now. :-)

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 12, 2011 11:02 am

administrator   ~0016465

Cool stuff. There are always other ways to make the game harder, so I think this one's a keeper. ;)

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Oct 7, 2011 1:00 am Jerebaldo1 New Issue
Oct 7, 2011 1:02 am Jerebaldo1 Description Updated
Oct 7, 2011 1:02 am Jerebaldo1 Description Updated
Oct 7, 2011 8:45 am tigersfan Note Added: 0016046
Oct 7, 2011 8:45 am tigersfan Internal Weight => Fix Before Major Release
Oct 7, 2011 8:45 am tigersfan Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Oct 7, 2011 8:45 am tigersfan Status new => assigned
Oct 7, 2011 10:20 am Jerebaldo1 Note Added: 0016068
Oct 12, 2011 11:00 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0016462
Oct 12, 2011 11:00 am Chris_McElligottPark Status assigned => resolved
Oct 12, 2011 11:00 am Chris_McElligottPark Fixed in Version => 0.523
Oct 12, 2011 11:00 am Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => fixed
Oct 12, 2011 11:01 am tigersfan Note Added: 0016464
Oct 12, 2011 11:02 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0016465
Apr 14, 2014 9:29 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Gameplay - Balance Issue => Balance Issue