@CCP_Psych @CCP_Rattati
Waste mechanic sounds like a really big mistake. Its potential loss, but still the loss. And in human psychology losses are perceived twice as intense as gains.
There’s a great GDC talk on psychology of loss aversion Board Game Design Day: Board Game Design and the Psychology of Loss Aversion
At 17:40 of the video they offer an excercise:
A deadly desease is spreading! If nothing is done 600 people will die.
Choice A: 200 people will be saved.
Choice B: 1/3 chance 600 people are saved. 2/3 chance no people are saved.
Choice C: 400 people will die.
Choice D: 1/3 chance no people will die. 2/3 chance 600 people will die.
72% of players choose A over B, 78% of players choose D over C. Even though A = C and B = D.
Framing is key. And with Waste mechanic you are forcing people do the “wrong” choice. And people would rather not do wrong choice, thus stop playing.
If you wanted to introduce offensive mining, as a way to spoil enemy asteroids fields, which is great btw, would you consider conventional weapons do damage to asteroids. Combat ship locust fleets. Make asteroids destructible objects. And even, make mining lasers a real weapon which could deal damage to ships, and x3-x5 (or whatever the right ratio is) to asteroids.
Tractor beam/webifier tiericede?