Research and brainstorming for Crafting / Material Systems
Videos I used to learn more -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMtIAXtAGxwWhy is it so easy to break video game economies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ch3IRJpKYWhy video games want you to fail
Notes to keep in mind while designing the crafting system -
1. Crafting shouldn't feel like a chore or be grind heavy.
Rather than making players feel like they need to go back and grind for something maybe having limited time events on certain completed planets could incentivize players better.
Example- a limited time event of a vulcanian asteroid storm on a certain planet during which players can harvest more MAGMA currency.
The difficulty of this planet could also be raised during these events.
2. The "shooting star" mechanic referenced in Power Ups could also be a mechanic for players to harvest loot or currency.
Players would need to shoot these special comets right when they are above the player (these special interactables aren't obstacles and pose no threat to the player).
Reference
3. video for the shooting star dropping loot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egYEE-MfutQ&t=24s (See 0:21 second and the way the boost slowly descends onto the player, something like that)
Quick time events like in Dead by Daylight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1zOTjYRXdE (reference video) could be used to determine the quality or strength of the item crafted. Basically the better the player performs at the quick time events the better their power up or upgrade.
Making sure that materials that can be used to craft items should have a dual use.
For instance - Rags in Last of Us can be used to make molotovs (a weapon) or a first aid kit (safety net).
Some examples for what the material icons could look like -
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/769200811381476131/
Materials in Typestroid could have similar properties.
For example - MAGMA could be used to create a deployable bomb that players can use at any point in the match by selecting the icon on the screen (say powerups equiped appear below the lives icon) to destroy all obstacles on screen OR players could use it to create a shield which blocks off obstacles for 5 seconds and finally explodes destroying 3 random obstacles.
This
4. is what the crafting menu could look like -
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/31525266135996939/
Creating an item degradation system could also be interesting.
If players don't use certain materials within a day they become gravel. Players can either risk leaving the game and not using them only to have them degrade or they must use them asap or convert them into another form that has is less potent when crafting but will not degrade.
For example - If player get 10 ice from a planet they can risk leaving the game and having some of the ice melt to become gravel (base common material) or convert 10 ICE into 1 CRYOFUEL which acts as 2 ICE in crafting but never runs the risk of degrading.
References for features -
This is what the crafting menu could look like
Some examples for what the material icons could look like
Reference video for the shooting star dropping loot (See 0:21 second and the way the boost slowly descends onto the player, something like that)
Quick time events like in Dead by Daylight could be used to determine the quality or strength of the item crafted. Basically the better the player performs at the quick time events the better their power up or upgrade.