Goon Game Retrospective: Sprint 8

So this retro is a little late, as after sprint 8, I took a week off from the project to let things simmer a bit. A lot has changed since I first put the idea to pen, and even more has changed after placing the idea into practice. In this last sprint alone, I’ve retooled how nearly every basic Goon works, altered Zolo’s kit and role as a commander, revamped Goon scaling, and redesigned the whole testing map. Safe to say that things aren’t stagnating, at the very least, as goals are more or less being hit week to week. However, the problem I mentioned in earlier entries about having played the game too long is still prevalent. To that end, I have made the first step to getting outsider eyes on the prototype, and after the holiday weekend, I will take the next step towards testing with those outside prospects. But regardless of that, I think there will be more change on the horizon, some minor, some game-changing.

See, as I’ve toyed and fiddled with the game, it moves (in my opinion) away from other contemporaries in the same genre. The map redesign was probably the most notable change to that end, as the whole board got tighter and narrower to give players better vantage points to play their next moves while not giving them an easy shot at the mission objective. More sub-objectives with varying timers have also been placed around the board to encourage players to move forward and discourage turtling. However, the fear of this turning into a stealth game is still present, especially after the changes to Operative Goons I made. But again, only testing will tell me if these fears are unfounded and if I need to nerf Operatives or incentivize players to play more active.

I suppose that’s the root of my worry: the game becoming too reactive. Side tangent, I don’t like a strategy game to be solely reactive experiences. Ones where the player is just reacting to whatever new bullshit the game has to throw at them. This is not to say that reactive elements can’t improve a game, only that if your strategy revolves entirely around waiting, there’s no risk. Yes, you should never fight a battle you don’t intend to win, and patience is a strategist’s greatest tool. However, the most thrilling battles are the ones where one party takes an active role in outsmarting their enemies. Hanibal did not nearly cripple Rome by waiting for his chance to strike; he manufactured situations where he would be victorious by playing on Roman pride and arrogance. He created controlled chaos in the battles he was a part of, aimed squarely at his enemies so he could more effectively crush them. That is what I am aiming for manufactured and directed chaos. It's all good to avoid a direct fight at first, but a fight is coming, and you better hope you are the one starting things, not your opponent. Instructing the players, as well as Zolo, that planning is essential, but action, not reaction, is what wins the day.