Game Design: FFA Stun

[JJMAJR]

For a game I am making I am trying to make stun matter in gameplay other than just be a nuisance to players and unfavourable to lethal weapons. Stunning enemies is not necessarily a kill, but results in the stunned enemy becoming a virtual radar beacon for everyone around him. Stunned enemies just get a whited-out screen and can still act and try to fight off enemies during the entire time they are stunned. However allies can typically de-stun friendly units through an action that requires the ally to be close to the stunned unit.

This, combined with light mechanics and stealth gameplay, makes the game balance difficult when considering it from an FFA-perspective. On one hand the stun can get really dangerous for enemies that are inflicted by stun as they become radar beacons, and can't see anything and therefore unable to react to enemies that can be practically anywhere. This can result in everyone going stun-happy with sleep gas mines and tranquilizers. In FFA information is valuable while stealth is horrible, and gadgets and support abilities falling further behind.

So if there is any way that I could make stun affect these styles of play in a positive manner without making stun overpowered in FFA then I would love to hear it.

[Star250]

syphon filter air taser. Instead of the air taser doing dmg and setting people on fire, it does what you discribe and has an infinity long string once it is attached to the enemy. Only catch is the person that uses the weapon can use no other weapons, as long as the taser is attached. So attaching the taser is more like making a semi dangerous hand held radar out of the other person. It would also be cool to see a string attached to another player as the ran around.

[JJMAJR]

At 4/15/15 09:35 AM, FlabbyFabby wrote:

At 4/14/15 11:31 PM, JJMAJR wrote: So if there is any way that I could make stun affect these styles of play in a positive manner without making stun overpowered in FFA then I would love to hear it.

How long does the stun last for? Couldn't you make the time you are stunned shorter?

I just want to see other ideas that would make Engineer and Spy/Sniper-non-detector playstyles more favorable than normally presented in FFA gamemodes while making sure that stun doesn't end up being overpowered.

Of course, there is the idea that my game doesn't need FFA. I mean, TF2 lacked FFA, as it is focused on organized teamwork rather than individual skill. Since my game forces players to manipulate information or perish/(accidentally) teamkill FFA would be seriously broken for play styles that specialize in obtaining information than obscuring it, as well as the typical run-and-gun play style.

[JJMAJR]

At 4/15/15 03:50 AM, Star250 wrote: syphon filter air taser. Instead of the air taser doing dmg and setting people on fire, it does what you discribe and has an infinity long string once it is attached to the enemy. Only catch is the person that uses the weapon can use no other weapons, as long as the taser is attached. So attaching the taser is more like making a semi dangerous hand held radar out of the other person. It would also be cool to see a string attached to another player as the ran around.

I am sorry, but in my game "stun" is an actual weapon statistic, alongside damage, firerate, and etc., and the stun mechanic was designed as a way to encourage using nonlethal weapons if stun was considered to be an effect of equal value against damage in weapon balance, for the sake of modes like TDM and such.

There is also friendly fire and light based stealth mechanics.