Why do we love PvZ? Everything PvZ 3 needs

So after seeing this here: "This game has given us an opportunity to go and dive in and try to figure out exactly what it is that people love about PvZ" this made me question, I never clearly asked myself why I still love PvZ... but I knew exactly what I didn't like, not forgetting the balance that was ruined with the new plants and the Level ups in PvZ 2, since I don't have the same pleasure in creating strategies if all the plants are strong enough and the fast pace of the levels.

PvZ 3 seemed to follow the same path, albeit a bit off course. However, it wasn't as well received, and we got a second version, which suffered from the same problems as every beta: a lack of freedom to build your strategy. Everything was so fast-paced and disorganized... you didn't have time to defend yourself or build your strategies because there were hordes of random zombies moving quickly, and progression was stressful and a bit uninteresting at one level or another.

There's not much news about the development of the third version, but that's okay! This time around, I have reason to believe that you will see better what to do.

This experience that drew me in so much wasn't just one thing! It was a combination of everything, and I still have my opinions about why I love playing:

🍁🌿 Sun Meta 🌿 🍁 

📌🧩 I have no idea if the next solar meta will follow the example of classic PvZ or the second one, but in the old meta, one sun equaled 25 suns! You had to get 4 suns to plant a pea. I like that, but I'd prefer if the solar values were based on the old system of large numbers, like 25 or 50, to open up opportunities for virtually every possible solar value! Like 5 or 10.

📌🧩 Sun producers plants must be a support, it is not such an easy way to get sun. If you follow the above suggestion about the value of suns, it will help other sun plants act more as a support than a replacement for sunflowers! an example:

• ☀️ Sun-shroom production: 15/25 suns as it grows.

📌🧩 Adding a merge system to the game could lead to the same thing, as you could have something that would always give you an exorbitant amount of suns over time and take up fewer tiles, so regardless of the meta, this could happen. 

So, I had some crazy ideas:

📍🌿 1° Change solar production stats as it merges with other Sunflowers.

• ☀️ First Sun: It takes about 10 seconds for the plant to generate the first sun.

• ☀️ Production Rate: Each additional sun is produced every 36 seconds.

📍🌿 2° sunflowers cost 75 suns now. I think that's a viable option. 

• ☀️ Cost: 150 suns (Sunflower×2)

•☀️ Evolution: 300 suns (Sunflower×4)

It seems like a fair price to me if you're fusing Sunflowers, which normally cost 125 suns, but the delay will make you more cautious about merge them at the start of any match.

📍🌿 3° The Sun falls in larger amounts randomly

• ☀️ Before the first wave: 25, 50 or 75 Suns. 

• ☀️ After the first wave: 25 or 50 Suns.

This helps at the beginning of the level, now that sunflowers are more expensive 🫠

🍁🌿 Progression 🌿🍁

📌🧩 So, right now, I don't know if it's so necessary to repeat things like "the life system is so bad, the levels are too fast, the zombie spam is scary, and 500 levels are exhausting." Since it directly influences the game's progression! Because without balance, there's no strategy and no fun.

📌🧩 I'd suggest something more like traditional PvZ 2 mixed with classic PvZ; where you could end a chapter with a few longer levels, averaging 5-7 minutes, and add at least a few tricks to each level to keep players interested in progressing! Even the "formula" for a new merge is a good reason.

📌🧩 A speed button exists, so... you can just use it.

🍁🌿 Balance Changes 🌿 🍁

📌🧩 Mentioning what I said before, in the second game the balance is completely ruined by Level up and all the factors give more advantages to the players than challenges, I really want an experience that is a challenge with many changes in how the plants work because the zombies were unable to fight back and a spam doesn't seem like a solution to me.

I mean, nerfs isn't so cool, but there are a lot of broken plants; besides being a challenge, you need a nerf to make sure the game has more options, since everything is more OP except the zombies.

📌🧩 Not everything needs to be weakened to achieve balance, something like a simple cost readjustment can work like this:

• 🪴 Lychee cost 125 suns now.

• 🪴 Bonk choy cost 225 suns now.

• 🪴 Melon-pult cost 325 suns now.

📌🧩 So I'll end this thread by talking about reworks! there are some dysfunctional plants that are difficult to balance, so I don't think buffing or nerfing them is a viable solution-- so here are some suggestions:

• 🪴 Some plants can have their plant food activated instantly upon planting. 

• 🪴 Remove unnecessary explosion or stun effects. 

• 🪴 Increase or decrease attack area. 

• 🪴 Recharge time. 

• 🪴 New special abilities. 

I think that's enough for now! Bye