A lot of games today, namely MOBAs, use a pick/ban system for choosing what each player uses in a game. Pocket Tanks, a huge inspiration for SSL, also has a similar system of choosing weapons for each game. A pick/ban system is great for further balancing games by removing half the luck that is from the random weapons you get at the start of each round. Sure, it's still a random selection, but it's a larger selection that's picked by humans rather than computers. The numbers I'm using in this post are in no way what the system should be, this is just a general idea on how the system would work. For 1v1s 1. Player 1 and Player 2 are both given a pool of 30 weapons from each of their arsenals. 2. Both players pick 5 weapons from their own pools to use in the game. 3. Both players pick 5 weapons in the opposing player's pool to ban from the game. Banned weapons cannot be chosen to be played. 4. Steps 2-3 are repeated 2 more times so each player has 15 weapons in their arsenal, leaving 5 weapons behind. For Teams Similar to 1v1s, but "Partners" are chosen, each partnership containing 2 players from different teams. They do steps 2-3, then when steps 2-3 are repeated, partners are switched around so it's not the same person banning your weapons each time. For FFAs Similar to how "partners" are switched in teams, but instead, for example in a 3 player FFA, Player 1 would ban Player 2's weapons, Player 2 would ban Player 3's weapons, and Player 3 would ban Player 1's weapons. As steps 2-3 are repeated, the "partnerships" are rotated so it's not the same person banning your weapons each time. However, since it's likely something like this would take a bit of time, there could be an option in the game whether to go through picking and banning for those who'd prefer to jump right into the game. Luck would carry over into the 30 weapons that are initially chosen, making it more likely for high tiered weapons to show up in the original pool of 30. Since weapons can show up as duplicates, each duplicate would have its own tile, each duplicate being individually picked or banned. There are a lot of positives to this system: 1. Since players pick what they use before any bans, players can always choose their 5 favorite weapons from a pool of 30. 2. Kyle could use this system to track statistics on which weapons are more sought after than others to balance the game and to keep the meta fresh. 3. Makes it less likely for a player to get an absolutely horrible loadout in the beginning, predetermining the outcome of the game. 4. Makes luck even more powerful, as it would have another 15 chances to generate high tiered weapons. 5. Lets players choose to build their own arsenals and cull their opponents arsenals, developing an entire meta game around certain builds for certain maps and certain matchups. 6. Arsenals, on average, will be better than with the current 15 random weapon selection, but they wouldn't be too overpowered. Cons: 1. It slows things down. 2. Everybody knows everybody's arsenal. This system is also extremely flexible. Instead of the pattern of pick 5, ban 5, pick 5, ban 5, pick 5, it could be something entirely different. Like p2, b5, p5, b5, p7, for example. This flexibility can also lead to the ability to balance the pick/ban system itself to accommodate for larger initial pools. I feel like a system like this could add a ton to this game, and is a simple enough system to build off of to make it something even better.
In Pocket Tanks there were no bans, both players chose from the same pool. This is different since every player has a different arsenal, and it follows the classic MOBA pick/ban system more so than PT. It's really a basic system in a lot of games, using the system isn't a sin.
I don't really see this working. So, you get to ban the best weapons of your opponent. So, you end up playing with bad weapons...? I'd rather have a 30 turn game like in SSL2 than that. To me, just get 30 random weapons and shoot them. It doesn't really have to be more complicated than that. Like deathmatch. Get your 14 weapons, shoot them, wait for new weapons, and repeat. Simple.
Again, the numbers aren't final and can be adjusted. The general idea is to make it so players are able to craft their own arsenals without making each arsenal insanely overpowered. It's not even that complicated ._.
I didn't say it was complicated; I just said it was an unnecessary complication compared to a normal 30 turn match. There is a difference. Anyways, I like something which remains the same throughout all modes. From 1v1 to Team to FFA, deathmatch is deathmatch. Here, it alters for everything. Even though it livens up the gameplay a little, I would rather have a constructed, uniform system for each mode. Also, partners aren't even necessary. They'll just ban your best weapons, as you ban theirs. Period. Then, we have the reverse problem as we had before; now, you never get to use the weapons you worked so hard to achieve.
You're not getting what I'm telling you. You can pick your 5 favorite weapons right off the bat. Want to use heavy napalm? There's a heavy napalm right there for you to snatch without worry of some sucker banning it on you. The rotation system is there to make it so you don't have the same person, the same mind, banning each weapon for you. You're underestimating the balance between each weapon, hard decisions can be made and different people will make different decisions. The most obvious example would be a newer player with little knowledge on each weapon banning weapons at random and a highly experienced player carefully choosing which weapons they wouldn't want to deal with. And each system is quite uniform throughout each gamemode, nothing is really "altered" except for how people are chosen in the same line people are chosen for each gamemode. Teams choose against players, players choose against everybody. It's actually a really simple system. Also keep in mind you are able to ban weapons as well, not just the enemy.
At first glance I thought this was one of those "ban all bad weps" idea but I was wrong. I like this very much. (Suggestions these days are awesome)
