I have some questions about units gaining experience, and then spending this experience on their statistics.
- What is an appropriate upgrade speed for a board game? I have doubled the unit statistics after killing 6 times its own worth. In a full battle where one side wins everything, that side gains 16,67% in statistics in total. Such fights take about 30 minutes alongside 5 other fights.
- What is an appropriate upgrade speed after completing the first tier? 50% extra needed? 100% extra needed?
- Is a linear or exponential system better?
I was rather curious about the speed of upgrading in a game that most designers use.
Sorry for the long post. But I have made little chapters. The questions are in the end.
The effects in detail, I can tell you:
HEALTH
Each unit starts with 3 times it's armour value as health.
And every upgrade adds 1 more time it's armour value.
With tier 1, or the first 3 upgrades we get for the unit types:
3 health 1 armour; 4, 5, 6.
27 health 9 armour; 36, 45, 54.
108 health 36 armour; 144, 180, 216.
The upgrades cost roughly 1 time its own worth. Meaning that an unit of 100, will need 100 in experience for adding 1 upgrade. In other words, Health increases with 33% after killing itself. And after spending 300, the Health is doubled.
Tier 2, costs 2 times it's own worth, meaning 200 for each 33% increase.
Tier 3, costs 3 times it's own worth, after completing this tier. The unit in question has killed 3+6+9=18 times it's own worth.
This might sound strange, but an unit of 100 has a chance on getting the 1800 XP from helping destroying a War Factory.
DAMAGE
Each unit starts with 1 time damage (1/3th of the total health).
There is a random dice roll that rolls 0,0,1,1,2,2 corresponding to the 1,2,3,4,5,6. A 0 is a miss, a 1 is a hit, and a 2 is a double hit.
Damage too increases with 33% each upgrade and also costs the same in tiers.
But then the player has to follow a table for rolling the dice:
tier 1;
0,0,1,2,2,3
0,1,1,2,3,3
1,1,2,2,3,3
tier 2;
1,1,2,3,3,4
1,2,2,3,4,4
2,2,3,3,4,4
etc.
After tier 1, you have 100% certainty that there is at least 1 hit.
SPEED/RANGE
These are tricky, since their effects are exponential to health and damage. They start very high, and they increase in price with each upgrade. Sometimes the upgrade is so expensive, that players rather not wait for it.
But once upgraded, the unit might become several times stronger in certain situations. So it might be worthwhile the wait.
SOME more questions:
- If it is only 1 little battle, then it would be over after 5 to 10 minutes. And the winning group gains 16,67% by spending experience. Is this likely?
- Putting experience on the unit that kills only? This might give problems if you want to do group battles. So the next option perhaps.
- Or would putting all experience together for a group of units (that make the kill) work as well? (Am testing that right now and shows promising "less" handling)
- Saving up all the experience, and simply upgrade any unit? Even some that are build later? Or those that are about to die in the field? (Might be a optional rule)