Since there's not enough walls of text in the world, here's like a pre-emptive mini Q&A regarding the pins, to provide some context to our wishes, but not meant to shut down discussion (disagreeing with our goals is welcome feedback)
Note that this testing is being run on the "Meatshield" beta branch, which is a place where only the daring should come! To join, type "discordslime" into the beta access code field in the game's properties on Steam.
To activate the Arcade Mode Pin Beta, type /ArcadeTest while in Arcadia and you're good to go!
Why?
To give a bit more of a "story" to each run, and to give an incentive to think outside the comfort zone. We hope it will make players a bit more excited about starting a new run.
The combination can get quite powerful, is it supposed to be like that?
Yes, a good setup will bump a player's power considerably and that's fine by us, as long as it's fun to play.
Are the pins supposed to be internally balanced?
No, some pins will be more useful, especially in combination with others. That said, a pin that's never useful at all should be buffed or removed. Also, pins that can't be a part of meaningful combos should probably be a bit stronger on their own (on average).
How many pins are there?
39 right now, if we keep the system it will probably be quite a bit higher in the end.
This kind of increases the luck factor and reduces need for raw skill
It does, though getting sloppy still gets you killed very quickly. It does for sure reduce high score integrity but that's already dubious. The suggestion of adding daily, seeded runs (where layout, items and pins will be the same) is probably the best thing for having a fair comparison anyway.
Also, in the end, there will be... certain incentives for displays of raw git-gud skill.
What feedback are you looking for?
Any feedback, really, but mostly: is it fun? If so, do you think it will stay interesting? Does it change the buildup of fatigue when playing?
Note that this testing is being run on the "Meatshield" beta branch, which is a place where only the daring should come! To join, type "discordslime" into the beta access code field in the game's properties on Steam.
To activate the Arcade Mode Pin Beta, type /ArcadeTest while in Arcadia and you're good to go!
Why?
To give a bit more of a "story" to each run, and to give an incentive to think outside the comfort zone. We hope it will make players a bit more excited about starting a new run.
The combination can get quite powerful, is it supposed to be like that?
Yes, a good setup will bump a player's power considerably and that's fine by us, as long as it's fun to play.
Are the pins supposed to be internally balanced?
No, some pins will be more useful, especially in combination with others. That said, a pin that's never useful at all should be buffed or removed. Also, pins that can't be a part of meaningful combos should probably be a bit stronger on their own (on average).
How many pins are there?
39 right now, if we keep the system it will probably be quite a bit higher in the end.
This kind of increases the luck factor and reduces need for raw skill
It does, though getting sloppy still gets you killed very quickly. It does for sure reduce high score integrity but that's already dubious. The suggestion of adding daily, seeded runs (where layout, items and pins will be the same) is probably the best thing for having a fair comparison anyway.
Also, in the end, there will be... certain incentives for displays of raw git-gud skill.
What feedback are you looking for?
Any feedback, really, but mostly: is it fun? If so, do you think it will stay interesting? Does it change the buildup of fatigue when playing?
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