After the changes described in previous posts, the builder's gameplay started to form a clear and cohesive picture. The key adjustments were the radical simplification of construction mechanics and the introduction of a rock-paper-scissors dynamic among the minion races. Most of the time, the builder was busy gathering resources in the forest and immediately investing them in development. Occasionally, they had to shift focus from base building to either adjust a wave of minions or issue direct orders to a specific one. We fine-tuned the balance of this mode and made some minor adjustments to the storage system, and at that point, we could say the mode was more or less ready. It was time, once again, to take a critical look at the result.
Once we stopped making radical gameplay changes and started playing a stable version of the game, successful tactics and strategies quickly emerged. These strategies also highlighted the key player skills that had the most significant impact on victory. We soon discovered that the most crucial factor affecting the entire course of the game was the builder having a pre-planned action sequence for the first 5-10 minutes. During this period, the champions were still too weak to engage in ganks and were focused on farming minions. Builders were left to their own devices without any external threats, and the faster they developed during this phase, the stronger their foundation for victory would be.
As a result, from the very start of the game, the builder would rush to a specific tree to gather an exact number of logs, immediately construct a crafting table, then follow a pre-determined route to gather a specific amount of stones to build a furnace. And so on. It became clear that we had unintentionally introduced a new mechanic into the game – an element of speedrunning.
Speedrunning
In general, speedrunning isn’t inherently a bad thing – it’s a mechanic that has its own dedicated fan base. Some players even create speedrunning challenges for themselves in games that weren’t originally designed with that in mind. For an outside observer, it can be fascinating to watch a skilled player navigate through difficult sections of a game with precision and speed. However, I know for a fact that this style of play isn't for me.
In my games, particularly Force of Nature, there has never been any pressure on the player in terms of time constraints. I didn't even include standard survival mechanics like hunger or thirst, which often force players into a constant state of stress, preventing them from relaxing. Instead, health and stamina in my games regenerate gradually, signaling to the player that there’s no need to rush. Perhaps this reflects how my mind works – I enjoy solving complex problems, but I prefer to tackle them at my own pace. You might ask, "Artem, if you’re not into fast-paced gameplay and prefer a slower pace, why did you even decide to create a real-time, multiplayer battle game where speed inevitably plays a role?" Well, it’s true that in a MOBA, you can’t afford to be slow, but the required speed is of a different nature. In a MOBA, you need to carefully observe your opponent, assess the situation, spot opportunities, and strike at the right moment. You’re not in a rush; you simply need to be precise and attentive.
The fact that the resulting playstyle didn’t suit me personally created some challenges, as it’s difficult to balance something you don’t connect with. However, the experience of developing both parts of Force of Nature taught me that you can’t create a game solely for yourself. You need to tap into the preferences of the majority within your target audience. So, let’s take a closer look at the popularity of speedrunning among players of similar game genres.
Real-time strategy (RTS) games are quite similar to MOBAs, especially considering that the MOBA genre originated from Warcraft. In our case, it’s not just about the MOBA elements; we also have resource gathering and base development. If you closely observe multiplayer matches in RTS games, you'll notice the presence of speedrunning, especially in the early game. Optimal strategies are often calculated down to the second during the first few minutes. But how popular are strategy games these days? According to research, the number of players interested in strategy games has been steadily declining over the years. You can read more about this here: Gamers Have Become Less Interested in Strategic Thinking and Planning. The article analyzes the preferences of millions of players and reveals a consistent drop in their desire to plan their actions far ahead.
Now, let’s consider the MOBA genre itself. There is a class of heroes that doesn’t level up on the lane but instead roams through the jungle, killing neutral creeps. These heroes also follow a pre-planned route, and speed is crucial in executing that plan. Essentially, they are performing a speedrun. However, in a team of five professional players, only one hero usually takes on the jungler role. And in casual teams, it’s not uncommon for no one to want to play the jungler at all. This suggests that playing as the jungler in a MOBA is a role mostly preferred by experienced and hardcore players.
After analyzing all this information, I concluded that I should avoid including speedrunning elements in my game as much as possible. Speedrunning significantly raises the entry barrier and alienates a large portion of players. However, avoiding it is easier said than done. The success of the builder’s gameplay depends heavily on how efficiently they gather resources, and with proper planning, resource gathering can be far more effective than without any planning at all.
Closed Gameplay
But the issues don’t stop there. Another major problem that surfaced is the overly closed nature of the gameplay. Let’s assume a new player has somewhat figured out the game and devised a basic development strategy. However, they’re playing against a slightly more experienced opponent with a better strategy, leading to a loss for our new player. Now, the defeated player understands that they need to change their approach, but how will they figure out what exactly needs to be changed? How does a player actually learn to improve?
Let’s take a look at champions. Champions are constantly interacting with one another, allowing players to observe what their opponent is doing. If a less experienced player is up against a more skilled one, they can pick up on certain techniques and adopt successful strategies. This creates a constant exchange of knowledge between players. Even if a player doesn’t win, they’re still learning something new. While most MOBAs feature the Fog of War, which obscures a team’s overall actions, the most fundamental mechanics – farming on the lane and passive combat with the opponent – remain fully visible. This allows players to quickly grasp the essential skills of the game.
For the builder, however, the most fundamental skills are resource gathering, base construction, and minion wave selection. Of these, only the wave selection is visible, as the opponent can immediately see which minions are coming down the lane. Resource gathering and base development, on the other hand, are completely hidden behind the fog of war. This means that if the opponent is more efficient in these areas, the losing player has no way of learning from their tactics or improving their own gameplay.
Conclusion
Both of the issues discussed – speedrunning and closed gameplay – stem from the builder's core mechanic: resource gathering. This means that changes need to be made to the very foundation of the gameplay. It was a tough decision because altering the core mechanics would inevitably lead to a cascade of radical changes throughout the rest of the game, requiring almost everything to be rebuilt from the ground up. But the decision was made. In the end, we discovered an unconventional resource-gathering mechanic that addressed both of these problems, and I’ll dive into that solution next time.
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