'Nuff said...

Balancing based on kill/death ration has been suggested but on further thought I realized this also has some fundamental flaws. Take myself and X. We are rather comparible in skill, though I play more offensively then he does, usually resulting in me having more kills, and him having less deaths. Regardless we are always in the top ranks for kills. What this means is, if it autobalanced based on kill/death ratio, the game could mis-stack players it perceives as "worse" players simple because of this ratio. Or players could manipulate the system by ensuring one gets enough deaths to drop in the rating to stack on sides with high-kill/low-death players.

Also, levels can mean very little if it is someone who is prone to log mid-game, or pop in and off constantly. You can easily get stacked with a bunch of people who don't stay the entire game, while the other team has a bunch of loyalists to it under the current model. These people can also end up with great ratios simply by making their one lucky kill and leaving before dying, but not truly be very good.

PART I

Better solution:

(A) Average kills per game.

(B) Average assists per game.

(C) % of games finished.

(D) # of upgrades purchased.

(E) # of Ships owned.

(F) % Kill+Assist/Death Ratio per game.

Use the following formula:

(A+B+C) + (D/E) + (F/10) = SKLRANK

Example:

• PiranhaBob is a Piranha addict, and has only purchased the Piranha which he has upgraded to max. He completes most games, has high kills and assists, and dies 40% of the time. 
  (20+20+90) + (30/3) + (60/10) = 146 SKLRANK 
  
  
• MambaSue loves her Mamba, but hasn't spent any money on the game yet. She is a skilled player who finishes all the games she plays, and only dies 10% of the time. Piranha players fear her. 
  (15+5+100) + (20/2) + (90/10) = 139 SKLRANK 
  
  
• NewbieJoe has just started last week. He still is learning, finishes most games but not all. He gets assists, but dies most of the time while trying to learn. 
  (1+10+80) + (20/2) + (10/10) = 102 SKLRANK 
  
  
• GreatTeacherLargo is amazing. This is his house, and he lets it be known. 
  (20+20+100) + (270/9) + (100/10) = 180 SKLRANK 
  
  
• CasualBeth is learning and studies the masters. She put some money in, and is alright at the game. She gets even usually on kills and deaths, and finishes almost all of her games. 
  (6+8+80) + (102/5) + (40/10) = 118 SKLRANK 
  
  
• FlankyMike is flaky. He quits games, dies far more then he makes kills, and only owns one ship he has upgraded to max. He is pure liability. 
  (0+2+10) + (30/3) + (30/10) = 23 SKLRANK
  

In order to use this for balance, the next step is to push all these players into an array sorted by their SKLRANK. Then precede to start at the beginning of the array, and assign the first to one side, the second to the opposing side, and so forth. If a new player logs in, rather then resort, it looks at the shortest of the two new array/lists, and fits that person in based on score.

Example:

Sorted Array : (160,160, 160, 148, 139, 122, 102, 68, 44, 44, 23, 23) = (160, 160, 139, 102, 44, 23) vs (160, 148, 122, 44, 23)

New Player with SKLRANK 153 arrives.

Becomes       :  (160, 160, 139, 102, 44, 23) vs (160, 153, 148, 122, 44, 23)

Squadron Play:

Some players like to play with certain players, and there is the eventual issues of Squads, Teams, Clans etc that has been discussed. To solve this, the members of a Squadron are taken out of the stack prior to dividing it into the two teams. They are assigned to one side together. From there, it takes an equal number of players with scores as similar as possible to the Squadron from the array, and assigns them to the opposing side. Once that it is done, it totals the SKLRANK of each side and compares the two values. It then looks for a player with a SKLRANK as close as possible to the difference and assigns it to the side that is lesser. The rest of the array is then sorted normally as it is done without Squadron option used.

Example:

Squadron      : (160,160, 142, 140) TEAM_SKLRANK : 602

Sorted Array : (150, 138, 135, 120, 119, 100, 89, 76, 23, 23, 21) TEAM_SKLRANK  543 (Remember, only use the top players from the array, and only the same number of players as in the Squadron being compared.)

Difference    : 59 SKLRANK. Closest is 76.

End result     : (160, 160, 142, 140, 119, 89, 23) vs (150, 138, 135, 120, 76, 100, 23, 21)

Result           : 7v8 Game. Side 1 has players that singular are slightly better on average as individuals, but the overall balance is offset by the addition of another player to the opposing sides, while keeping the SKLRANKS as close as possible with what is available.

And to clarify, while scores look even now, Government eventually lost by about 2 to 1.

This is really nothing more then a sort of random brainstorming of ideas and concepts to just toss out there and see what ideas it sparks. Enjoy (Or don't!)

SUGGESTIONS

MISSION IDEAS

• MOON HARVEST
  TIME: 15 Min
  CONCEPT: Carriers move into position and each launch a space drill that begins to drill the moon to crack it open. The goal of the opposing team is to destroy the drill of the opposing team. IF the drill is destroyed, the Carrier will eventually relaunch a new one after a downtime. Whichever sides drill cracks the moon wins. Allow Nukes from bombers to aid in cracking the moon, though have nukes do damage akin to what normal gunshots would do to a Carrier.

• TURRET OPTION
  Allow players to select to man a turret for 30 second brackets during ship selection, or perhaps man a turret until they decide to abandon it to return to a ship. This would aid in increasing the intelligence of the Carrier defense as times.

• ASTEROID HARVEST
  TIME: 10 MIN
  CONCEPT: Have the carriers attempt to use a tractor beam to capture and draw asteroids from the field one at a time. The players must defend the carrier operations and attempt to stop the opposing teams harvest. Destroying the opposing teams tractor array downs the array for 30 seconds before it is rebooted. Destroying the Carrier obviously also downs the tractor beam. The team which captures the most wins.

SHIP IDEAS

• Allow for coloring, skin, logo, flag options from a library of options to be purchased with HE-3/Credit to add uniqueness for players willing to invest.

• Chaff.
  Have this work similiar to Thrusters, so you can't use them often, but they can be occasionally handy to disrupt missiles or create a smokescreen behind you to obscure vision of someone behind.
  
  
• Squadron/Tribe
  Allow players to spend HE-3/Credit to purchase a name/emblem for a Squadron/Tribe that people can join. This does not mean you will be assigned to one side or the other, merely that when you are on assigned to a particular side, it will show you as being a member of whatever Squadron or Tribe for that faction (Government/Pirate) that you have elected to be a part of. Thus Pirates would actually be groups of roving tribes working in semi cohesion for shared profits, and the Government would have Squadrons they kept in tow and took with them to engagements.

LEVEL IDEAS

I'm inclined to error on the side of suggesting a slight advantage to those players who achieve more levels. While agreeing game balance should not be unbalanced, a fraction of a fraction custimizable difference in things such as top speed, turn rate, gun max heat, recovery rate for gun or thrusters, would be interesting to see. If you were allotted .01% to assign to any one area each level, it would still take 100 levels just to receive a 1% difference in any one category. Minute differences while not being game changing, would still be important and valued, as well as giving a token reward and encouregement to people as they level and allow for some variety in design of fighters, styles, and gameplay. (since it would be 10000 levels dedicated to one stat before seeing it ever actually double, and that would require neglecting other areas entirely)

AWARD IDEAS

My idea for this is similair to what we have seen in other game as "Badges" that are awarded for completion of tasks. This would also give more to do to experienced players to occupy their time then merely soaking up kills, and expand a level of gameplay. The general concept would be that each player would have a profile that would display a ribbon and medal bar similiar to that worn by contemporary military members. Not knowing the inner working so rscope of the database structure, data being tracked, etc, here are merely some suggestions to start.

• Space Service Medal (Missions Completed)
  The obvious suggestion is a ribbon for X number of missions completed. Say, 100 missions, and then a bronze leaflet or adornment on the ribbon for each increment x2 (100, 200, 400, 800, etc) up to four bronze, then silver, up to four silver and then to gold for an approxmate maximum of 2mil missions)

• Expeditionary Medal (KILLS)
  Similar to the Expiditionary Medal, but for kills. Start at 1k kills.
  
  
• Flying Cross (CARRIER KILLS)
  Similar to the Expiditionary Medal, but for Carrier kills only. Start at 10 Carrier kills.
  
  
•  Space Defense Service Medal (Torps destroyed)
  Similar to the Expeditionary Medal, but for torps/missiles destroyed only. Start at 100 torps/missiles destroyed.
  
  
• Combat Action Medal (Assists)
  Similiar to the Expiditionary Medal, but for assists. Start at 100 assists.
  
  
•  Sharpshooter Medal (Turret kills)
  Similiar to the Expiditionary Medal, but for turrets destroyed. Start at 100 turrets destroyed.

1. Other ideas that came to mind would be:
2. Number of times survived Asteroid collisions.
3. Destroying multiple Turrets without dying.
4. Performing multiple torp hits on a carrier without dying.
5. Number of times survived collision with enemy planes.
6. Number of times survived collision with friendly plane.
7. Distance flown.
8. Distance flown using thrusters.
9. Number of times mission completed without using thrusters.
10. Number of kills using only gun.
11. Number of kills without assist.
12. Number of times mission completed without missiles. (While making at least one kill)
13. Number of times mission completed without guns. (While making at least one kill)
14. Number of missiles avoided.
15. Number of times shields have replenished back up.
16. Number of deaths.
17. Number of enemies killed by collision.
18. Number of times being inside the enemy hangar.
19. Number of times flown Light/Mid/Heavy planes (While making at least one kill)

For those familiar with things like the Navy ESWS/ASW (the silver emblem worn above the ribbons) there could be one of those for those who have achieved a selected group of the medals all at the minimum level.

RANK IDEAS

Assign ranks based on levels. While this does not need to add any game play functionally to things, it is more merely adding to the theme by giving everyone a broader sense of reality of the game, by seeing themselves follow an Admiral into battle, while growing up as a young Airman, eventually to a Chief, and on into the Officer ranks as a budding LT, finally making Captain, and eventually becomming that Admiral himself.

CNOHigher Level Player in the Game

FLEET ADMIRALTop %5 of leveled players in the game

ADMIRALNext %5 

VICE ADMIRALNext 10%

REAR ADMIRALNext 10%

CAPTAINNext 20%

COMMANDERNext 20%

LT COMMANDERLevel 500

LTLevel 400

ENSLevel 300

E1 - E9(Airman - Master Chief) New Rank each 25 levels.