- Joined
- Aug 25, 2013
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 15
If the Checkers board game was like StarMade:
* The board would have a tremendous number of squares and they would all be nearly identical
* There would be no limit to the colors of the checkers
* You could put checkers on the board as you obtained them
* You could move your checkers anywhere on the board anytime you wanted to
* Other players could take your checkers off the board when they wanted to
* If you whined enough about losing your checkers somebody might give you some
* Any number of players could join or quit the game any time they wanted to
* The only way you could keep other players from taking your checkers when you're away from the board is to put them in a lock box
The lack of consequences in-game is what makes StarMade almost pointless to play for an extended period. You can safely remain at your faction base isolated from all other players because there is no need for trade; income is easy. Adding 'awesome' features to the game that make things easier to do won't improve that situation, it will make it worse.
Current gameplay is mostly building and shooting. Battle is not needed but players who want it often arrange it. AI reduces the number of players needed for battle and the interaction between those players. You can passively watch your AI turrets fire at your opponents AI turrets.
StarMade is an excellent 'game space' that needs some limits to make it more interesting and engaging. Determining those limits by committee or by popular vote would probably yield poor results. Polling may suggest some improvements but it rarely produces a desirable product on its own. Almost nothing pleases everyone, and that's what committees often seek to do.
This is a task that requires a singular vision of the game's goal. Many people have crafted alternate styles of gameplay in the past, but until the better of these plans rise to popularity StarMade may eventually be reduced to a little-played voxel design toy. We can do better than that for a game that holds so much potential.
* The board would have a tremendous number of squares and they would all be nearly identical
* There would be no limit to the colors of the checkers
* You could put checkers on the board as you obtained them
* You could move your checkers anywhere on the board anytime you wanted to
* Other players could take your checkers off the board when they wanted to
* If you whined enough about losing your checkers somebody might give you some
* Any number of players could join or quit the game any time they wanted to
* The only way you could keep other players from taking your checkers when you're away from the board is to put them in a lock box
The lack of consequences in-game is what makes StarMade almost pointless to play for an extended period. You can safely remain at your faction base isolated from all other players because there is no need for trade; income is easy. Adding 'awesome' features to the game that make things easier to do won't improve that situation, it will make it worse.
Current gameplay is mostly building and shooting. Battle is not needed but players who want it often arrange it. AI reduces the number of players needed for battle and the interaction between those players. You can passively watch your AI turrets fire at your opponents AI turrets.
StarMade is an excellent 'game space' that needs some limits to make it more interesting and engaging. Determining those limits by committee or by popular vote would probably yield poor results. Polling may suggest some improvements but it rarely produces a desirable product on its own. Almost nothing pleases everyone, and that's what committees often seek to do.
This is a task that requires a singular vision of the game's goal. Many people have crafted alternate styles of gameplay in the past, but until the better of these plans rise to popularity StarMade may eventually be reduced to a little-played voxel design toy. We can do better than that for a game that holds so much potential.
