Forging the Protoforge

The release of Beta 15's X2 version at the end of February marked the completion of the UFD story arc together with its new ending and related challenges. Many thanks to everyone who's been doing UFD runs and trying out the new content!

I'm pleased with the results on that and it was clearly worth all the design time, including the pages of math dedicated to calculating out progression and balance for different builds, as well as running many simulations to test and confirm various outcomes.

By comparison I hadn't yet spent much time on the local and macro elements of the non-UFD portions of the new map, and it shows :P

I knew it would be off to some degree, but I wanted to get X2 out early enough to give plenty of time for testing and experimentation, so I tabled a lot of the potential concepts for the non-UFD portions--specifically why you'd visit the new map if not for the UFD. While there was always a chance it might've been okay to wait for a while, clearly it was lacking, so it's time to push ahead with other plans that require inserting a new X3 into the release schedule before we get to the finalization of the extermination/assault changes, now to come in X4.

Not that this coming process will necessarily take a long time, just they will break saves so we'll be getting a new minor version number.

As of today the last patch for X2 is out (all of them save-compatible--see the X2 release post for changelogs), and interestingly as far as the new map is concerned it now includes some temporary content and changes, just to play around with before the new design is ready since it will take a bit longer to put that together (it comes with some new items and mechanics).

So that's a general status update, and beyond this point I'm going to now talk SPOILERS. I'll specifically be writing about the new map, a redacted-level deep research branch, and other features related to it. So if you're not into spoiling new content, or aren't even familiar with the Protoforge at all yet, feel free to stop reading now.

[Spoilers=Protoforge]

Here starts the optional reading, where we cover the changes to the new map insofar as it relates to primarily non-UFD adventurers, although technically even they could and will make use of these features, I'm sure.

(Some of this design talk originally appeared in redacted-level patron chat on Discord, where there has been much discussion since X2 came out, though here I'll be fleshing it out with more details.)

Forge Exclusion Principle

One of the main macro issues with the Protoforge is that there were a lot of ways it could block one from later visiting Section 7, despite not being worth that loss. Some of the blocks between these two maps were for lore purposes, others for balance (which we can also use lore to explain away), although it wasn't a complete block in all cases, which is rather destabilizing when there often remains at least the possibility of visiting both Protoforge and Section 7 in a single run. This is made worse when the luck of world layout or local events could make it less likely you'd be able to visit both of these two potentially very useful locations.

I'm okay with layout affecting routing decisions, but you should at least often be getting something useful in exchange for losing access to something else, and the "loss" in this case could be especially significant.

Unfortunately before releasing X2 I never did get back to thinking more about the implications of how Protoforge access was controlled, and when putting it together had simply copied the normal Section 7 access method and linked it from the opposite research branch, because that approach was the quickest to implement, and it'd be interesting to see what people do! Turns out the main thing people did was complain, so definitely needed to get back to that :P

Strategically speaking, if forced to choose between Section 7 vs. Protoforge, in X2's initial form one would choose S7 every time unless you're possibly working with the UFD, want to take on the new boss, or just want to do something different, but the Protoforge is suboptimal in general and that is the real fundamental issue that its final form would need to address.

Another reason I was really keen to lock one map due to actions in the other was to help prevent extended runs from getting even longer by adding Yet Another Map to the route. This desire suggests we instead simply use the traditional "mutually exclusive" approach to map branches, which we can do here by making both these deep research branches accessible only from the same branch map--you have to pick one and by default cannot visit the other! This "fork in the road" method was on my original access list (that I didn't get back to :P) as a possibility, and has already been done in the latest X2 patch.

(Before one laments the loss of any possibility to combine Section 7 tech with Protoforge tech, note that it's possible we can do that in the future through other means, just a bit early to discuss that now.)

Back to the other issue then, Protoforge needs to be as enticing as S7, but in its own way!

Loot is Greed

Section 7 itself is already an incredible power boost, so from that angle it also makes sense that we don't really want to enable builds to loot both maps in a single run. Rather, we want to make different types of builds possible in each. Of course the power level of each route needs to be comparable if we hope to convince serious Cogmind's to take it seriously, so let's take a look at that...

X2 did not originally lean heavily into the mutual exclusion aspect, on the contrary it was assumed that the potential rewards of both maps could theoretically be combined (especially with the right builds, technically another limitation/problem!), and therefore the non-UFD portions of that map, specifically the rear "research area," could only be so good. Now that the choice is forced, we can lean much more heavily into the Protoforge rewards, the question is simply what tack to take.

In a general sense, S7 provides some unique parts and also the chance for permanent upgrades and other consumables, but is also fairly random in terms of what rewards you get. Most are pretty good so it's more a case of doing the best with what you find, a pretty typical Cogmind approach.

Protoforge, on the other hand, will be geared towards consistency. It gives you access to a lot of parts, including a lot of unique parts, and many of these will be available in every run. And not just many types, either, but duplicates as well, since it's not uncommon to either 1) carry spares or 2) stack parts of a similar type, e.g. propulsion or weapons. This allows you to know in advance what you have access to (with room for surprises), although acquiring these items will naturally involve different challenges from S7, which is also part of the point.

The latest X2 patch already significantly changed the Protoforge rear research area to start reflecting this concept, although the final iteration will work somewhat differently than you see there now.

Keys to the Castle

Aside from outright loot/build potential, another key to being on par with Section 7 is the ability for Protoforge to meet any fundamental strategic needs served by the former.

An important example of this is teleportation, specifically TRs which allow one to more safely reach further into the extended game. These were added as permanent fixtures to S7 to ensure another acquisition route other than Zhirov (or Quarantine luck).

Expect to see something similar integrated into the Protoforge as well. (I was going to drop one for free in the latest X2 patch, but forgot to do that before putting it out xD. Oh well, the area's in a temporary state and will be seeing more significant changes soon enough...)

Another example of borrowing a feature from one map to another is the famous ITN, or Integrated Thermal Network. This has always been a really desirable part for the unique builds it can enable, even though random and not always available in Section 7, so in order to keep this particular item from causing too strong an imbalance in route choice, there will actually be two different versions of it, one in each map. Also both will be nerfed from the current state (although in slightly different ways)--it was always going to be nerfed at some point, and it seems like the right time has finally come!

But I don't want to go overboard in this area--they're supposed to be different maps with different flavor and challenges offering different rewards for different purposes, so overlap is best avoided where possible.

Also there will be yet more new items coming to the Protoforge. I'm sure everyone will appreciate parts like the Cep. Network Penetrator, Cep. Directed Potential Cannon, and more.

Elephant in the Lab

I haven't yet touched on the obvious new intimidating fellow doing his best impression of an FFF that wants you to actually care, guarding the main entrance to all the goodies.

The Superfortress is a bit of an anomaly, something you may be able to skillfully circumvent entirely, or perhaps attack head on to defeat for a first "+", even choosing to thereby embark on a much harder +++ attempt.

SF warrants some careful balancing, but was started out on the crazy hard side to see what kinds of counter builds people might come up with before setting it to some more reasonable final level that opens it up a bit more. The final X2 patch makes several adjustments to see how players deal with that, for another point of reference (also in the context of the new Protoforge labs).

That it begins dormant and requires a startup sequence should make it obvious (after a first visit :P) that stealth (or at least jamming hostiles) is a viable option for bypassing it without any extra trouble. Overall Protoforge makes for a decent stealth map, though the challenge of doing so will be tweaked somewhat later on as necessary.

Anyway, now you have a general idea of where we stand, what I'm thinking, and the direction we're headed with the Protoforge. As usual I'm sure it'll get to a nice place that fits right in to certain routes. Looking forward to putting X3 together, which will focus almost entirely on that area with some of the new optional features drawn from my original notes. You will go there and you will like it! (kidding: yes it's not for every build or every player, but neither are other maps :P)

Bonus

Over a year ago I did some sketches to outline the general features and flow of a new research map...

Actually one of the features in this original vision was not implemented in the first iteration, but it's coming in X3. Also you might notice the vision was mainly oriented around the w9 (UFD win) aspect, without strong regard for how the rest of the map might play out, a factor that's taking more definite shape now.