Dev Diary #39: Rating Rework and Secondary Objectives
One of the main points of criticism in the MENACE demo was the Mission and Operation Rating System. We took a step back, did a complete overhaul of the system, and added secondary objectives! Let’s get to the details:
[h2]The Old System[/h2][hr][/hr]In the old rating system that is still used in the demo, the Mission Rating was calculated from a variety of hidden factors that depended on the Mission Type. Each factor had a fixed maximum number of points, which was multiplied by a different factor depending on the Mission Type.
For example, one factor was “civilians killed”, another would be “enemies killed” or “units lost.” In a mission with no civilians, the “civilians killed” point pool was multiplied by 0, so it was, of course, not possible to get any points from that pool. In a mission where civilians had to be rescued, the factor was very high; in one where civilians were on the map but not crucial to the mission, it was reduced.
This system was very complex to set up and balance. Most importantly, it was not transparent to players at all and did not create the ratings players expected. This led to a lot of confusion and frustration, and created a stark mismatch between player mission performance and mission rewards in the form of promotion points and, ultimately, OCI points.
Secondly, the lack of transparency made it impossible for players to proactively adjust their approach to a mission to achieve a high rating, which contradicted the rating's purpose. And lastly, the logistics factor, which rewarded utilizing fewer supplies than players had available, was disliked all around.
[h3]Gathering Feedback and Design Goals[/h3][hr][/hr]We took some time to talk with the community about a possible new approach, and some great ideas emerged. Ultimately, the system we decided to go with was majorly inspired by these discussions, so thanks for your contribution!
When designing the new system, we had some principal design goals.
Primarily, the new system had to be transparent. Without transparency, the system will always fail to be predictable and cannot set the right incentives for players. It also had to feel fair, so players know why they get a particular rating, how that rating translates, and the rewards, so that they can adjust their game plan accordingly next time.
Failure has to be given low ratings, and success has to be rewarded with high ratings. If this does not correlate correctly, players will disregard the whole system, and rightly so.
To achieve this, we ditched the whole existing system.
[h3]The New System[/h3][hr][/hr]To start, we removed all hidden factors from the player rating and split it into two base factors: Primary objectives and Secondary objectives. The Primary Objective is always defined by success or failure, depending on whether the primary mission objective is completed. Completing the Primary Objective alone will grant 15 promotion points and a zero-star rating.
To earn a higher rating and more Promotion Points, players must complete the all-new Secondary Objectives. Each mission will have between 1 and 5 Secondary Objectives, each granting additional rating points, with a maximum of 5.
The Secondary Objectives are, for example, completing a mission without losing a squad, killing a certain number of enemies, finishing the mission within a specific timeframe, or completing the Primary Objective exceptionally well.
Each Secondary Objective completed grants a 1-rating start and three more Promotion Points.
Important: All of these numbers are examples and are being used for testing right now. The amount of points earned for Primary and Secondary Objectives will most likely change.
Secondary Objectives are handcrafted for each mission, and while many missions will share secondaries, we can create a unique set for each mission. Over time, we will, of course, add more secondaries and change them around to balance.
The new system provides maximum transparency, as players can already see during a mission what their exact rating will be and what they need to do to increase it. They will know ahead of time how many Promotion Points and, now, also OCI points they will earn.
We also create intermediate mission objectives that provide additional gameplay incentives and add brief sub-stories to the mission itself.
With the new system, we also have a mission that does not auto-end on primary completion. You will now be able to intentionally stay in the mission for a while longer or leave.
[h3]Operation Rating and Rewards[/h3][hr][/hr]The new system will also see some changes to the Operation Rating and Rewards. The overall Operation Rating is still the average of all Mission Ratings, but OCI points are now awarded for each individual mission, even when an Operation is lost. This will make losing a mission or operation less punishing.
We also added a new Operation item reward that works similarly to the original mission item rewards. Upon Operation completion, players can select one of three different items that are offered by the faction that wanted the ops completed. The rarity of these items scales with the overall Operation Rating, so having good Mission Ratings will help to get more rare items!
[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr][p]Be sure to check out our tips and tricks thread for more tactics to help you out in-game.
There's also the The Beginner’s Guide explains how to manage squads, prepare missions, and handle combat. For more details, you can also visit the community wiki, and follow our how-to-play video.
You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also subscribe to our monthly MENACE newsletter on our website — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
[h2]The Old System[/h2][hr][/hr]In the old rating system that is still used in the demo, the Mission Rating was calculated from a variety of hidden factors that depended on the Mission Type. Each factor had a fixed maximum number of points, which was multiplied by a different factor depending on the Mission Type.
For example, one factor was “civilians killed”, another would be “enemies killed” or “units lost.” In a mission with no civilians, the “civilians killed” point pool was multiplied by 0, so it was, of course, not possible to get any points from that pool. In a mission where civilians had to be rescued, the factor was very high; in one where civilians were on the map but not crucial to the mission, it was reduced.
This system was very complex to set up and balance. Most importantly, it was not transparent to players at all and did not create the ratings players expected. This led to a lot of confusion and frustration, and created a stark mismatch between player mission performance and mission rewards in the form of promotion points and, ultimately, OCI points.
Secondly, the lack of transparency made it impossible for players to proactively adjust their approach to a mission to achieve a high rating, which contradicted the rating's purpose. And lastly, the logistics factor, which rewarded utilizing fewer supplies than players had available, was disliked all around.
[h3]Gathering Feedback and Design Goals[/h3][hr][/hr]We took some time to talk with the community about a possible new approach, and some great ideas emerged. Ultimately, the system we decided to go with was majorly inspired by these discussions, so thanks for your contribution!
When designing the new system, we had some principal design goals.
Primarily, the new system had to be transparent. Without transparency, the system will always fail to be predictable and cannot set the right incentives for players. It also had to feel fair, so players know why they get a particular rating, how that rating translates, and the rewards, so that they can adjust their game plan accordingly next time.
Failure has to be given low ratings, and success has to be rewarded with high ratings. If this does not correlate correctly, players will disregard the whole system, and rightly so.
To achieve this, we ditched the whole existing system.
[h3]The New System[/h3][hr][/hr]To start, we removed all hidden factors from the player rating and split it into two base factors: Primary objectives and Secondary objectives. The Primary Objective is always defined by success or failure, depending on whether the primary mission objective is completed. Completing the Primary Objective alone will grant 15 promotion points and a zero-star rating.
To earn a higher rating and more Promotion Points, players must complete the all-new Secondary Objectives. Each mission will have between 1 and 5 Secondary Objectives, each granting additional rating points, with a maximum of 5.
The Secondary Objectives are, for example, completing a mission without losing a squad, killing a certain number of enemies, finishing the mission within a specific timeframe, or completing the Primary Objective exceptionally well.
Each Secondary Objective completed grants a 1-rating start and three more Promotion Points.
Important: All of these numbers are examples and are being used for testing right now. The amount of points earned for Primary and Secondary Objectives will most likely change.
Secondary Objectives are handcrafted for each mission, and while many missions will share secondaries, we can create a unique set for each mission. Over time, we will, of course, add more secondaries and change them around to balance.
The new system provides maximum transparency, as players can already see during a mission what their exact rating will be and what they need to do to increase it. They will know ahead of time how many Promotion Points and, now, also OCI points they will earn.
We also create intermediate mission objectives that provide additional gameplay incentives and add brief sub-stories to the mission itself.
With the new system, we also have a mission that does not auto-end on primary completion. You will now be able to intentionally stay in the mission for a while longer or leave.
[h3]Operation Rating and Rewards[/h3][hr][/hr]The new system will also see some changes to the Operation Rating and Rewards. The overall Operation Rating is still the average of all Mission Ratings, but OCI points are now awarded for each individual mission, even when an Operation is lost. This will make losing a mission or operation less punishing.
We also added a new Operation item reward that works similarly to the original mission item rewards. Upon Operation completion, players can select one of three different items that are offered by the faction that wanted the ops completed. The rarity of these items scales with the overall Operation Rating, so having good Mission Ratings will help to get more rare items!
[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr][p]Be sure to check out our tips and tricks thread for more tactics to help you out in-game.
There's also the The Beginner’s Guide explains how to manage squads, prepare missions, and handle combat. For more details, you can also visit the community wiki, and follow our how-to-play video.
You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also subscribe to our monthly MENACE newsletter on our website — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
