Suggestion: Make engine features usage score based on feature relevance rather than console capabilities usage

[PwaDesu]

Greetings,

So I must admit it had been a while since I last played CGS, not due to a lack of will, just a lack of time... Regardless, I've finally gotten back into it a bit.

One thing stood out to me, and it's how the engine features count in a game's score.

How it currently works

Currently, engine features are completely disconnected from the game you're producing. What matters is maximizing the console's computing usage and graphics usage.

The problem

This disconnect creates silly gameplay, such as toggling on advanced physics while disabling save features for a visual novel game, simply because that's the most optimal way to max out the console's capabilities. As it is, the mechanic highly breaks immersion, when you get to select which engine features you'll be using for your game, you stop paying attention to what game you're even making, you just run the numbers to see how to maximize capabilities; it just isn't very fun.

Rework suggestion

(Note: I do realize the following is not an insignificant amount of rework, potentially not backwards-compatible even, maybe keep this suggestion for a CGS 2 instead?)

The suggestion is to completely change how engine features account for the game's score, by tying them to the game instead of the console. Each engine feature will contribute to a game's score in one of three different ways based on the game's genre:

• The feature is missing despite being a critical feature for the game's genre: negative score modifier
• The feature is enabled and a critical feature for the game's genre: neutral or minor positive score modifier
• The feature is enabled but isn't particularly relevant to the genre: minor positive score modifier

(Maybe determine each genre's critical features based on the genre's sliders?)

This suggestion aims to change how players think about the features, instead of just enabling whatever feature is mathematically optimal, the player has to think about which feature makes sense for the game they're currently making. No longer should the player be able to get a good score for a rhythm game without even the "basic music" engine feature.

So, features not relevant to the game's genre just give free score?

The positive modifier of irrelevant features should be minor so as to work well with the other existing mechanics of the game. Sure, you can enable "realistic physics" as a fun gimmick for your visual novel - but you have to consider whether the minor score increase is worth not being able to port your visual novel to lower-powered consoles anymore.

[MasterStudioCZ]

I second this. It would significantly improve the game (or its successor) and make it more realistic and interesting.