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SigInt

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Landsmen

Landsmen (1/13)

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  1. Because it is clear that over time AI fights will be boring and there is no alternative pve content tree that could keep ones interest. That becomes clear a few hours into the game. If the PVE was something like Port Royale with story modules, NPC/port interaction, Dev generated meta stories like in ED combined with the NA combat engine, this would look very different. PvP offers the variability only human adversaries can offer and the resource sink any game needs. However, choosing PvP and being forced into PvP are 2 very different things. "Forced" not meaning having to accept combat when in tactically disadvantageous position, but having to accept combat when it materially damages ones resource base (only really concerns Newbie players) or impedes on Real Life time constraints (aka I have an hour to play, not 90 minutes). Time consumption for an AI combat can be gauged fairly well, PvP intrusion throws this all to hell.
  2. For all this supposed "hard-core" crowd, the only real "hard-core" gameplay is for the new players while being very CareBearing for the veteran players who have grinded their way through or mostly through the progression tree. While increasing combat value through grind is nothing new, the special part of NA is that there is no filter between the max geared and the non geared. Instead of a matchmaker ensuring that the absolute spread in combat power doesn't fall out of certain bounds, the ridiculous bonus caps and Perk system mess up much of the supposed skill matching and also how the different ship types relate to each other. This is further exacerbated by the winner takes all nature of combat rewards, which quickly teaches newbies every fight is an auto loss. Either they can't catch the ganker, or they can't kill it. So loss of considerable in game asset and progression for little return. Progression, money sinks and the Module/SkillBook/Perk system mean the game is hardest in the first few weeks/months and then gets progressively easier after x hundred hours of playtime. My play experience now is mostly easy mode, in comparison the first 2 months were very tough. This is not due to skill increase, I still mostly lose PvP fights, but the discrepancy in gear is much less or non existent and I can now easily replace losses, which makes all the difference. This is not skill based gameplay, but pure grind. This also shows in the focus on meta exploitation and the ganking/farming behaviour of many players (myself included, I gank if the opportunity comes along, though I don't farm) which is so damaging for newbies. For all the talk of PVP some obsess over in this thread, there seems to be little organised PvP among the "skilled" max geared players here. Something that would be a given if it was all about "skill". Also, at least some of the lauded solo players here are just meta abusers, if one looks with what setup they are sailing with. In conclusion, the average poster on this thread are not "BAD HARDCORE M****ERS" but rich old overweight slobs sitting on their thrones of gold being served by the great unwashed while dreaming of their (imaginary) golden youth. The problem with this setup is that here the great unwashed can choose to leave, and are not being given much reason to stay except for the unspoken and uncommunicated promise that life will get much easier later, if they are willing to sink in the playtime.
  3. A good change, I suggest that damage giving meaningful rewards gets extended to normal PVP. To sustain PvP one needs a resource flow to buy ship/mods and some kind of incentive to engage in it, even if one loses. Also a mechanism to prevent a snowball from turning into an avalanche would be nice, the inverse of the present PVP reward system. At the moment PvP is self perpetuating and self reinforcing for the gankers who have org mates and stacked builds that limit losses, but the 70%-80% fodder needs to be supplied with the means to sustain and advance in PvP stack building as well or else it becomes a pure tax on casuals and they leave the game. Most importantly there needs to be meaningful reward for inflicting damage. Right now, with the gang bang speed meta, most fights are decided before the first shot is fired. Engagements are only sought when having an overwhelming advantage and the losing side often might as well save time and surrender. Sticking around for a few hundred XP is not worth the time. Allow casuals to build up resources before engaging in PVP. The safe zones do that fairly well IMO for newbs, but it could extended for the intermediate and advanced levels by allowing players to run OW NPC traders on their own account. This would mean the outpost limit would need to be extended, but IMO would provide much meaningful gameplay, give new meaning to free ports, allow things like trade routes and focus everybody more on the combat side of things. Please consider imposing anti-ganking measures. PB's might offer a model. Fighting a roughly comparable but superior ship is one thing, fighting 3-4 is another. Extend the OW Battle timer but impose a BR limit on OW battles like with Port Battles. Make it attacked BR + 50% or something, with a minimum of the attacking ship being able to join. Defenders can join to attacker BR+50%, then more attackers can join as well etc.. Big groups would still have an advantage, heavies will still want to sail in groups as defence against frigate ganking and group battles would still be encouraged, while the raiding groups have an incentive to have several ships with BR spreads instead of only 1-2 meta builds. But fighters willing to take on superior opponents (in BR terms) get rewarded and everybody has at least more of a chance of something of fair fight than with the current system.
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