PTR Changelog 2019-02-01: Power Creeps

artch

This post describes changes on the Public Test Realm.

Long story short: first iteration of Power Creeps development is deployed to the PTR!

See these blog posts (first, second) for more details.

Only Operator class is available. Power creep spawn and delete cooldown is set to 0 for testing purposes.

API changes

Introduced new object prototype PowerCreep and static method PowerCreep.create.
Added global property Game.gpl.
Added property RoomObject.effects.
Added property StructureController.isPowerEnabled.

This update is available in ptr beta branch on npm and Steam:

npm install screeps@ptr

You can run this command in CLI to add some processed power in your account and start testing Power Creeps on your local server:

storage.db['users'].update({username: 'MYNAME'}, {$set: {power: 1000000}});

Shibdib

Just let this idea die already...

duckymirror

In PTR sim:

> PowerCreep.create('PowerCreep1', POWER_CLASS.OPERATOR);
PowerCreep is not defined

artch

@duckymirror Sim is not supported yet.

duckymirror

@artch Oh, thanks for the information. I'm looking forward to see the first power creeps in action! (Won't be mine though, my bot is still very stupid )

artch

Update: Implemented power effects:

PWR_OPERATE_SPAWN
PWR_OPERATE_STORAGE
PWR_OPERATE_LAB
PWR_DISRUPT_SPAWN
PWR_REGENERATE_SOURCE
PWR_REGENERATE_MINERAL

Davaned

I'd like to report a critical bug. You're missing the PWR_OVERWHELMING ability. Given that my slack icon is an Archon this makes the game unplayable.

On a more serious note: Any planned interactions between power creeps and power banks? Seems like it could be an opportunity to enhance their identity. Perhaps a way to heal in the wild or gain a temporary boost (maybe tough-style) to a power creep for 1500 ticks upon draining energy a power bank. This could also be a power denial technique between players.

artch

Update: Fixed a bug that prevented PowerCreep.create intent from being executed in some circumstances.

artch

@davaned said in PTR Changelog 2019-02-01: Power Creeps:

On a more serious note: Any planned interactions between power creeps and power banks? Seems like it could be an opportunity to enhance their identity. Perhaps a way to heal in the wild or gain a temporary boost (maybe tough-style) to a power creep for 1500 ticks upon draining energy a power bank. This could also be a power denial technique between players.

It's an interesting idea, we have to consider that!

Davaned

@artch I'd love to see reasons to bring the more homebody power creeps out into the wild. Op-gen bots, spawn increasers, etc. have a pretty uninteresting gameplay pattern that's non-interactive for other players. If you allowed them to enhance their capabilities with an additional risk it could be fun.

Just for fun, some options could be:

Power abilities operate 1 rank higher when within range 5 of a power bank/for a duration afterwards.
Power Creeps have the ability to drain power from power banks to perform effects (heal, boost self, maybe even have it be the only way to regen full use of body parts)
Special power creep ability that lets them harvest power directly from a power bank without killing it (might be snowbally but it represents a significant opportunity cost).
CORE GAMEPLAY CHANGE: Power creeps slowly diminish over time. They will lose current (but not max) levels over many ticks. They can be rejuvenated with an expensive power spawn ability or by consuming power from a power bank.

I like the idea of a power creep defending a power bank from enemies in a miniboss format, or risking themselves out in the wild (maybe with an escort) to empower themselves.

Geir1983

Can we get the possiblity to setDirections for the powerSpawn?

artch

@geir1983 Please test it yourself on the PTR or at least watch the attached GIF - power creep is spawned right on top of the power spawn, you move it manually at the next tick.

artch

Update

Added aging mechanic to Power Creeps. They now have ticksToLive property which equals to the same 1500 ticks after spawning. When a power creep dies of old age, its spawn cooldown is not activated, you can respawn it immediately.

Power Spawns can use renewPowerCreep to instantly restore TTL to the maximum without cost.

Also, Power Creeps can instantly renew themselves from any Power Bank in the wild.

That means they are effectively as immortal as before, but maintaining them alive becomes a coding challenge rather than automatic feature.
Introduced new power:

PWR_OPERATE_CONTROLLER

Increase max limit of energy that can be used for upgrading a Level 8 Controller each tick by 10/20/30/40/50 energy units. Cooldown 1000 ticks. Range 3 squares. Duration 800 ticks. Consumes 200 ops.

Upgrade on level: 20/21/22/23/24
Introduced new power:

PWR_OPERATE_POWER

Increase power processing speed of a Power Spawn by 1/2/3/4/5 units per tick. Cooldown 1000 ticks. Range 3 squares. Duration 800 ticks. Consumes 200 ops.

Upgrade on level: 10/11/12/14/22
Implemented power effects:
- PWR_OPERATE_CONTROLLER
- PWR_OPERATE_POWER
- PWR_OPERATE_EXTENSION
- PWR_OPERATE_TERMINAL (it now reduces cooldown as well)
- PWR_FORTIFY

Renamed PowerCreep.spawnCooldown to spawnCooldownTime, it now represents real timestamp rather than game ticks.
Renamed PWR_REGENERATE_SOURCE to PWR_REGEN_SOURCE and PWR_REGENERATE_MINERAL to PWR_REGEN_MINERAL.

Reminder: you can use the Power Planner Tool, it has actual info about all powers (added to the top post).

wtfrank

A comment about some of the levels of some of the effects which consume ops (Operate Spawn, Operate Tower, Operate Storage, Operate Lab, Operate Extension, Operate Observer, Operate Terminal, Disrupt Spawn, Disrupt Tower, Disrupt Source, Fortify, Operate Power, Operate Controller, Disrupt Terminal).

These are all set up so that the more levels you invest into the effect, the more efficient the effect is in terms of ops. Either the effect lasts longer, or it has a bigger effect.

Because of this, it feels like you're being inefficient if you use any op-consuming effect at a level less than max-level. But because of the levelling constraints you're pretty much obliged to end up with some "non-efficient" uses of ops.

It might be that this is intended to be part of the puzzle we're solving when we design operators, so this isn't necessarily a criticism of the design. (In fact I would be strongly against any hypothetical design where there was a single objectively optimal solution). It just feels a little unsatisfactory that I can't design an operator that is "optimal" in my self-imposed terms.

An example operator that might pootle around a base and work on the economy, with some ability to assist in base defence if necessary:

5: GENERATE_OPS

5: REGEN_SOURCE

5: REGEN_MINERAL

4: OPERATE_TOWER

4: OPERATE_OBSERVER

2: SHIELD

What I would like to do with this operator design is have no SHIELD and OPERATE_TOWER and OPERATE_OBSERVER both at 5. But when I get GENERATE_OPS, OPERATE_TOWER and OPERATE_OBSERVER to level 2, there's nothing else I can add levels to unless I go into something like shield. But putting points into shield means that some of the other powers can't reach their max level so that feels like this is an inefficient design. Perhaps this is a consequence of the decision to use both REGEN_SOURCE and REGEN_MINERAL (which both kick in at 10) on the same operator.

So lets try a different design where we replace REGEN_SOURCE with OPERATE_LAB:

5: GENERATE_OPS

5: REGEN_MINERAL

5: OPERATE_LAB

5: OPERATE_TOWER

5: OPERATE_OBSERVER

This design isn't possible - once you get all of those to level 4, you need to put two points into something else to unlock the level 22 upgrade for each of those.

So it appears that the design is that you can have a maximum of three max level operator skills, and other skills must be partially filled (thus potentially inefficient).

artch

@wtfrank said in PTR Changelog 2019-02-01: Power Creeps:

So it appears that the design is that you can have a maximum of three max level operator skills, and other skills must be partially filled (thus potentially inefficient).

Yes, exactly, this is how it's designed. You have to choose what will be your focus - either ops efficiency (use only subset of powers), or power efficiency (use all available powers regardless of their level).

Geir1983

@artch said in PTR Changelog 2019-02-01: Power Creeps:

PWR_OPERATE_POWER Increase power processing speed of a Power Spawn by 1/2/3/4/5 units per tick. Cooldown 1000 ticks. Range 3 squares. Duration 800 ticks. Consumes 200 ops. Upgrade on level: 10/11/12/14/22

My current bottleneck is the amount of raw power itself, not the processing speed. Currently i can process all the power i can farm with my power spawns. There is also a intent reduction by processing the power in bulk, but im still not sure if its worth it. I guess if you buy power in addition this makes sense, but what if it can increase the power gained by each power processed instead? Maybe too overpowered?

Tigga

I agree with @Geir1983. There's no way I ever need 6x power processing rate if energy consumption and power consumption stays the same (300 energy/tick for 6 power/tick). From the description it seems to me that a 1:1 map of power to processed power is staying but it's not clear how energy is handled. If it made it more energy efficient it may be interesting.

o4kapuk

@tigga You both are high-GCL players having lots of RCL8 rooms. The power supposed to provide a similar processing rate for players who chose power way of development over GCL way.

Geir1983

I would think a player with less gcl will have similarly less access to highway rooms and thus have access to fewer powerbanks (due to owning less rooms), putting him in a similar position? I have been focusing on power farming lately, going after all powerbanks i can reach and still i cant haul back more power than i can process.

If the power kept the energy cost at 50/reaction or increased the gain of power it would benefit new players and still be an attractive power for higer gcl players in my opinion.

artch

@geir1983

I have been focusing on power farming lately, going after all powerbanks i can reach and still i cant haul back more power than i can process.

You might consider buying it on the market then, if you want to level up your Power Creeps as fast as possible.