Board Thread:Weekly discussions/@comment-27385163-20181019232326/@comment-25230228-20181026080151

AstroNut1 wrote: ECLISE leveling system is the only balanced one (sun cost and/or recharge increase alongside plants' power), everything else is a straight up bad idea.

But personally I wouldn't even like any form of leveling system whatsoever (not even the ECLISE one) because I think it takes away from the approchable and charming way of how classic PvZ works and how each plant has defined stats and ability and only form of "upgrading plants" PvZ 1 had is those purple seed packet plants like Gatling Pea and Cob Cannon you'd place over other plants which was a good mechanic.

All I want for PvZ 3 gameplay is new plants, zombies and lawn mechanics across various places (like PvZ 2 time era worlds and parts of your house exterior in PvZ 1). The upgrades were a terrible mechanic that seemed good at the time because it was considered advanced, what with the limited technology of the time. We could never have conceived of a leveling system in the game back then, which would have made a great substitute. I'd rather have a system where if I want to use a plant that's actually competent, I don't have to waste an extra seed slot. Additionally, the recharge and cost decreasing IS THE WHOLE POINT because it makes the plant stronger. In last stand or Battlez, having a lower cost means you can start off with more of that plant, or, if the decrease isn't enough for that, it at least lets you build up more of your support, such as Infi-nut or Sun-shroom. If a plant does a little more damage, but costs 25 Sun more, then it's hard to place a lot of that plant, and the bonus damage becomes negligible at best, worthless at worst.

New lawn mechanics have a limit. There's only so much space in the traditional 5x9 grid to work with. TBH a lot of the new "mechanics" in PvZ2 are a bit much, like sliders. It's just needless difficulty. New lawn mechanics need to either be much more subtle (like Night or Fog, which make certain plants act different or block part of your view, respectively) and less intrusive, or they need to be neutral additions, like when trample flowers are in the middle of a column, instead of on the edge of it.