Is it true pathfinding being too good can be detrimental to RTS? How?
Asking because I read someone say so about Starcraft 2 the other day and couldn't ask before the thread died, and has been bothering me since. The algorithms and computational power keep getting better each generation, but is there such a thing as a 'sweet spot' after which the algorithms are just too good and somehow ruin the game? In other words, is it somehow good for the depth of the game if units stumble upon each other every now and then?
Yeah, you need sc:bw tier dragoon pathfinding so you can show how good your micro is.
>>333386504
I think no, unless the AI gets to a point where it's playing the game for you.
That said, broodwar bonjwas made microing that shit into an art.
I imagine that, by having poorer algorithms, it would require the player's input in order to get the desired effect. This input, in turn, becomes skill, which affects the outcome of the game. By having something be too automated, it reduces the amount of 'skill' necessary to be good, which makes it less fun to higher end players, and perhaps middle end ones as well if something to counterbalance that isn't added. As such, yes, it can be detrimental to the genre, as RTS is more of a "thinking" genre than some others.
However purposely hindering the player can similarly backfire. Think of it as T-Spinning in Tetris, the games where T-spinning is disallowed are not the ones people like, but the ones where T-spinning is too easy are similarly frowned upon.
>>333386504
>In other words, is it somehow good for the depth of the game if units stumble upon each other every now and then?
No.
SupCom 2, despite its flaws, had a system which prevented units from bumping into eachother all too much, and it looks fucking glorious even to this day.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA2epda-RkM
>>333386504
Sure, and shit like injecting larvae is great mechanics.
Fuck people who think more unfriendly towards the player = more skill. This is the kind of people who would think that lower fps or fov or archaic controls are good because they make game harder to play
>WAAAH I'M NOT CLICKING EVERYWHERE LIKE A SPASTIC THIS IS TOO CASUAL MUH ESPORTS
Fuck off, no such thing as pathfinding being too good
Jesus fucking Christ, no. Have you tried playing Dawn of War lately? It's nauseating how bad it is.
>>333386504
The less you fight the game, the better. I've recently played Icewind Dale 2, and the way you're constantly fighting your own party's formation and pathfinding makes the game incredibly frustrating.
Pathfinder is awful, same with all of 3E.
>>333387610
3.5 will always hold a special place in my heart since that's what I started with. But what's your preferred system?
>>333386504
I think what you want is that you point somewhere and click and then your units take the shortest and smartest path for it - but you are always free to interfere if you think the pathing needs meddling - I doubt there will ever be a PERFECT algorithm that takes EVERYTHING into account - that is avoiding being damaged, not taking too long, not stumbling into something, etc etc and a lot of things are things you want pathing to ignore as well (like walking into an enemy territory, since you want to scout anyway)
>>333386504
If your game needs you to be struggling with moving units (unless it's implement in an interesting logistics way) to keep them interested then your game isn't fun.
Something like controlling unit direction in order to bring guns to bare or show a side with more amour is a much better option if you're the desperate to engage the player.
>>333387713
Brood War
SC2 has some fairly major problems compared to BW but improved pathfinding isn't one of them, that's just people complaining for the sake of complaining.
>>333387713
If we're strictly talking D&D, I like B/X or AD&D2e depending on how crunchy I want.
I like Dungeon World for people new to the genre (Teaches new people how to DM very effectively) and I LOVE Burning Wheel.
>>333386504
A strategy games focus should always be on the strategy, not on the micro-management of units.
Using a skill tester type arm to play chess wouldn't make it a better game.
>>333390641
I watched a pro-match once and some guy was spamming siege tanks. Barely any other unit for unit composition, just siege tanks.
As a RTS fan that's just disgusting.
>>333387207
Shit son, that one video made me want to play SupCom 2