POI Rebalance

Khulkhuum

Khulkhuum

New member
There is one thing that i would like to be adjusted. POI loot and enemies. Here is what i think there is (correct me if i'm wrong):

- POIs differ mostly with the amount of special loot containers. So a higher tier POI supposedly has more higher grade containers.

- The most influential thing to consider when looting is GameStage. So considering having GS 1-10 with GS 200 (in A18) you will get the chance according to your GS, even if it's low.

- The number and type of enemies is influenced with GS. If you enter a T3-5 POI at the start of the game, it will differ for when you entered mid-game.

This is how i wish things were:

- POIs differ with the amount of special loot containers. Higher tier POIs should not only have more higher grade containers, but their loot should be staged also. This means T1 gun safe or weapon cache will be assigned to T1WeaponLoot list, while opening a T3 will use T3WeaponLoot list.

- The most influential thing is GameStage, but each POI should cap at a minimum and maximum GS due to how "difficult" a POI is and how big also. For example, a T1 should have MIN-GS = 1 and MAX-GS = 45, while a T3 will have MIN-GS = 60 and MAX-GS = 180. This means if you have GS 5, in a T1 you will et GS5 loot, but in T3 GS20 loot. If you have GS 65, in a T1 you will get GS25 loot, but in a T3 GS65 loot. Now imagine walking into a T4, where MIN-GS = 150 and MAX-GS = 600. Values can differ.

- Similar as in loot. Pimp up that difficulty for higher tier POIs, while limiting it for lower tiers. If you enter a T1 at GS100, you will still get up to GS30 enemies. But if you enter a T4 at GS20, you will get enemies with the MINIMUM_GS, for example 150. 

Perhaps create a simple MINIMUM_GS and MAXIMUM_GS for each POI, meaning both enemies and loot will be appropriately generated based off it. This could help the progression, as well as influence what kind of POIs players will visit. Seeing Radiated (or mid/end-game enemies) in a POI will definitely scare people from visiting it before gathering appropriate equipment. But the changes in loot will well be worth the effort too. Not only different tier loot lists, but also differences with GS on different tiers.

Or perhaps make it general, that each T1 POI will have GS 1-45, T2 will have GS 35-90, etc. Numbers can change, but the overall idea is important.

 
This would only create a problem of forcing players to farm the same high-tier POIs for the best loot over and over, if high-end loot was exclusive to them. Even if, say, the Shotgun Messiah factory had a higher chance of dropping T3 items (M60, auto shotgun, etc.) would you really want to do that POI over and over?

(On an unrelated though, finding rocket launchers and M60's in ammo piles and wall/desk safes is a bit odd and imo should be changed.)

 
If I understand your idea correctly, you want specific POIs for specific difficulties.  The general idea is not bad but implementation and balance, and replayability might be tricky, especially on a RWG map.

Here are a few considerations for location based difficulty.

1) Player Identification, the player should be able to tell if a location can be attempted by their current level.  Otherwise, things turn into a trial and error game (death loops) until they figure it out which can get frustrating for new players.

Some would probably argue that is what makes it fun. 😅

2) Location based difficulty can alienate the lower difficulty POIs as it will be looked at as little value or not enough value to the experienced player.

 
Above concerns could be alleviated with letting T4, T5 and T6 not have a MAX_GS value. Still, i would like T4 and up to have the higher difficulty zombies and not simply allow me to go through them with practically anything equipment wise and clear it with enough time.

I remember in A17 i think i went into a big hotel POI and on top there was a Rad Fat Guy. If not for a ladder cheese, i would have not finished clearing the place, even though i died a couple times. Still, that was only top floor (which usually is way harder).

 
Yeaahhhh... I do get too ahead of myself with mentioning T6. I just am accustomed to having 6 tiers of weapon quality.

 
I'd like to also see more purpose for going to different climate zones, travel larger distances and explore the poi.  What would you think of regions having unique recipes, for example, maybe the desert has a unique handgun and have a chance to drop at the poi?

 
August Spies said:
I'd like to also see more purpose for going to different climate zones, travel larger distances and explore the poi.  What would you think of regions having unique recipes, for example, maybe the desert has a unique handgun and have a chance to drop at the poi?
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I don't see a point why a specific item should only drop in one climate zone. Why sould one specific handgun only be found in the desert?

And additionally only in a specific POI? In other threads people complain about having not found item X on day Y, and if you are playing on RWG there is no gurantee that this POI is even existent on your map, so you will perhaps have no chance at all to obtain this item.

Afaik some POIs only spawn in special climate zones, however there is no unique loot for them. If you want to see all of them, you need to move.

You can find enough reasons why to travel for yourself, it's not needed to be enforced more. Usually you will move anyway when you have looted the whole town (and not set loot respawn to 2 days). E.g. if you want oilshale, you need to go to the desert anyway. Also people who prefer basebuilding would complain about such enforced traveling.

There are also mods out there that enforce traveling. Darkness Falls afaik has some kind of storyline which makes you search for special POIs.

In late-game you can travel from one side to the other on a 8K map easily with the motorcycle, 4x4 or the gyrocopter.

 
I wouldn't be for having items drop in specific biomed POIs. You could limit that with POIs having their distinctive loot, but i don't see a point in it. This is mainly because difference in biomes doesn't necessarily constitute in higher/lower difficulty, they are simply different with varied "variables". It's not like in many games, where advancing to a harder area you need better equipment, better skills, etc. So far, only Wasteland needs better preparation, but i wouldn't go to a conclusion that you strictly NEED better skills and equipment to go there.

Additionally, i'm mostly talking about POI tiers, which can be handled in many different ways with how i describe it.

1. Low tier POIs will have only a MAX GS for both loot and enemies, while high tier POIs will have only a MIN GS.

2. Each tier will contain specific MIN GS and MAX GS, making it ideal to get low value/quality items and enemies in lower tiers, but having higher value/quality items and enemies in higher POI tiers.

 
Thanks for the input

For me, there isn't enough incentive to see much of the map or zone.  I had some friends try out the game, but they all asked, what's the point of such a big map?  You are right that there are geographic differences, such as shale oil or carbon steel.  Yet it could be interesting to have a "social" diversity, that is often reflected in different societies.  People have different foods, clothing, ect.  I wouldn't want them to go overboard, but several different items might be enough to leave your zone.  I would also see no problem wth them showing up at merchants.

I agree with the issue of rng.  Yeah, it would need to have a better drop rate for sure.  

 
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