So, I have several games of Megacorp under my belt by now and I gathered up a couple things that (in my opinion) need to change from a design standpoint:
[Note: please take the points in the spirit I tried to convey them, I tried to stay neutral-ish but passions can run high]
[Note 2: it seems I can't type for shit today, so bear with me]
1) Specialized World
I like the concept, but think it would work better as a Decision. As long as it is bound to what I actually build, it just keeps being wonky. And the bonus could be higher, doesn't really feel good to focus things on a planet and get 5% but that might just be me.
2) Districts
Again, I like it, I really do. But why do Hive Minds and Machine empires get a AP to free planets of their district restriction when everybody else doesn't? Why can they strip mine a planet but I can't? This issue becomes more pronounced when you simply can't find a decent mining plant (or food planet, or energy planet). Again, make it a decision: Mining Planet: Only City and Mining Districts can be build on the planet without restriction from planetary features. Happy to have it locked behind an AP as well (would be fair, to be fair)
Ecunomopolises are not a suitable alternative, even though I love them. Not even close as they target different points in the resource chain.
3) Mega Engineering
.... too late to be really worth it and rare to boot. It is such a fun thing to build mega structures, but they simply come too late. Way, way, way too late. At the very least, make it not rare. 9 out of 10 games I wait real-time hours on nothing else but this one tech. (getting it through AP is not always the suitable play-style, but I appreciate that it is possible)
Make it an event chain when I discover a megastructure in the universe, make it take dozens of years with multiple steps. Or many other alternatives I can't think of right now. As it is now, it is just too late.
Earlies megastructures would also, maybe, lessen the impact of point 2)
4) Criminal MegaCorps
They just don't work. I build buildings to raise crime, he builds precincts and I get thrown off. AI does that to my planets and after dozens of years with 0 crime, I still have to wage war to get them off my planets.
Also, why can't they enter regular trade agreements? They just don't feel fun to play ... or rewarding.
To be fair, haven't played that much with syndicates, so maybe I'm not 100% up to date or did make mistakes.
5) Machine Empires
Feel super slow in the beginning and energy is ridiculous to manage. Just don't feel good, end of rant
6) Consumer Good & Amenities
Good idea, way too unbalanced. Every empire should need both, because they both represent different things. Amenities are things that people need to life and be happy, Consumer Goods are things necessary for certain tasks.
Maybe the hive mind needs less of one, but more of the other, maybe the machine empire the other way around. But I firmly believe, that everyone should need both.
Also, the fabricators should really make more consumer goods (or jobs consume less). So many games where it feels all I'm doing is finding new places for more fabricators. They should pressure and limit you, but I think the balance is slightly off.
7) Marketplace
I like it, it makes it ok when one part of your economy is not quite working. But the AI just makes it unusable currently. I'm okay that the AI cheats (please people, every AI cheats. Yes, it needs improving, but the fact that it cheats its not the problem), but currently it just drives all prices in the market to the maximum ... constantly. Really takes the whole point out of the feature.
8) Strategic Resources
Hm hard to pin down. They don't really feel good to me. I don't mind the technologies, or buildings or distribution. But it feels just annoying when every second building needs a strategic resource as maintenance. Maybe include it as a (high) cost in the building costs and not as maintenance?
These are my thoughts on some/many of the new features. Any tries on my part to "solve" issues are not fully thought out so take them with a grain of salt.
Maybe someone will actually read them
Cheers,
Janken
[Note: please take the points in the spirit I tried to convey them, I tried to stay neutral-ish but passions can run high]
[Note 2: it seems I can't type for shit today, so bear with me]
1) Specialized World
I like the concept, but think it would work better as a Decision. As long as it is bound to what I actually build, it just keeps being wonky. And the bonus could be higher, doesn't really feel good to focus things on a planet and get 5% but that might just be me.
2) Districts
Again, I like it, I really do. But why do Hive Minds and Machine empires get a AP to free planets of their district restriction when everybody else doesn't? Why can they strip mine a planet but I can't? This issue becomes more pronounced when you simply can't find a decent mining plant (or food planet, or energy planet). Again, make it a decision: Mining Planet: Only City and Mining Districts can be build on the planet without restriction from planetary features. Happy to have it locked behind an AP as well (would be fair, to be fair)
Ecunomopolises are not a suitable alternative, even though I love them. Not even close as they target different points in the resource chain.
3) Mega Engineering
.... too late to be really worth it and rare to boot. It is such a fun thing to build mega structures, but they simply come too late. Way, way, way too late. At the very least, make it not rare. 9 out of 10 games I wait real-time hours on nothing else but this one tech. (getting it through AP is not always the suitable play-style, but I appreciate that it is possible)
Make it an event chain when I discover a megastructure in the universe, make it take dozens of years with multiple steps. Or many other alternatives I can't think of right now. As it is now, it is just too late.
Earlies megastructures would also, maybe, lessen the impact of point 2)
4) Criminal MegaCorps
They just don't work. I build buildings to raise crime, he builds precincts and I get thrown off. AI does that to my planets and after dozens of years with 0 crime, I still have to wage war to get them off my planets.
Also, why can't they enter regular trade agreements? They just don't feel fun to play ... or rewarding.
To be fair, haven't played that much with syndicates, so maybe I'm not 100% up to date or did make mistakes.
5) Machine Empires
Feel super slow in the beginning and energy is ridiculous to manage. Just don't feel good, end of rant
6) Consumer Good & Amenities
Good idea, way too unbalanced. Every empire should need both, because they both represent different things. Amenities are things that people need to life and be happy, Consumer Goods are things necessary for certain tasks.
Maybe the hive mind needs less of one, but more of the other, maybe the machine empire the other way around. But I firmly believe, that everyone should need both.
Also, the fabricators should really make more consumer goods (or jobs consume less). So many games where it feels all I'm doing is finding new places for more fabricators. They should pressure and limit you, but I think the balance is slightly off.
7) Marketplace
I like it, it makes it ok when one part of your economy is not quite working. But the AI just makes it unusable currently. I'm okay that the AI cheats (please people, every AI cheats. Yes, it needs improving, but the fact that it cheats its not the problem), but currently it just drives all prices in the market to the maximum ... constantly. Really takes the whole point out of the feature.
8) Strategic Resources
Hm hard to pin down. They don't really feel good to me. I don't mind the technologies, or buildings or distribution. But it feels just annoying when every second building needs a strategic resource as maintenance. Maybe include it as a (high) cost in the building costs and not as maintenance?
These are my thoughts on some/many of the new features. Any tries on my part to "solve" issues are not fully thought out so take them with a grain of salt.
Maybe someone will actually read them
Cheers,
Janken