Starhawk

[Stezza]

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morgothemighty wrote:
Players need to be encouraged to leave the base - this could be increased XP for setting up team based objects such as the spawn beacon, or getting good XP for team mates spawning at your beacon or on you if you have the perk.

There is a medal for having 10 people spawn on your beacon, can't remember what it's called but I've earned it a couple of times, I think it gives you 75xp. It wouldn't a bad idea to reduce the requirement and award it every 5 spawns.

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morgothemighty wrote:
It's been mentioned by others, but perhaps each maps should be dotted with Rift Rich energy sources which waiting to be tapped? Like zones, but different - this will encourage exploration and fighting to maintain other areas of the map other than your base (for CTF and TDM, obviously)

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I don't see why there can't be one permanent winnable zone in the middle of each map, the large maps are so enourmous I think it could be incorporated without detracting from the Build & Battle system.

With regards to the 'Rift Rich energy sources', we already have Rift Barrels so perhaps they could contain a lot more Rift (or maybe there could be a couple of über-barrels in prime locations), encouraging people to fight over their control.

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morgothemighty wrote:

oh, and more maps please - I feel short changed with what we have - especially with no infantry DM or very small map variants

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Couldn't agree more. In Warhawk I loved maps like Grinder, Urban Strike, Garden Showdown etc., they were perfect for small-handed infantry battles. It's a real shame there's nothing like that in Starhawk.

[morgothemighty]

cheers Stezza

I think you should get 10xp every time somebody spawns on you/your SB - then an award at 10 or 5 as you suggest

I would rather get rid of the rift barrels and install rift fissures (whatever you want to call them) which need to be tapped - basically it's captuarble zones with gifts!

Some of the maps are just too damn big and fighting from one end to the other with nothing in between is a boring slog

Small maps are definitely needed to break up the gameplay of the large maps - I wanted to re-ignite the MMMM night, but without small maps I don't see the point

[TheTreeFrog]

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morgothemighty wrote:
cheers Stezza

I think you should get 10xp every time somebody spawns on you/your SB - then an award at 10 or 5 as you suggest

I would rather get rid of the rift barrels and install rift fissures (whatever you want to call them) which need to be tapped - basically it's captuarble zones with gifts!

Some of the maps are just too damn big and fighting from one end to the other with nothing in between is a boring slog

Small maps are definitely needed to break up the gameplay of the large maps - I wanted to re-ignite the MMMM night, but without small maps I don't see the point

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Evidently Troop and Tank DMs are on the way, as is the free Cypress map pack.

Personally I'd like to see the option of non-ranking games.

[morgothemighty]

Aye, I was aware of that - don't know when it's coming though - they are also reducing the cost of spawn beacons in the upcoming patch.

Having read through the patch notes, it looks like they are trying to address the base ravaging issue, but to me, it doesn't look like it will be enough - like most patches, it will probably anger 40%, please 40% and 20% will go wha?

The game needs some physical changes to how it plays, but I honestly doubt they will happen - the biggest being rift focal points that are to be captured to create strategic game points away from the base - I think this is a step too far from what has been laid down as the core game mechanic - rift barrels are not enough

[wingkong85]

I think Morgo is on to something with bonus points for team-based activities and buildings (especially spawn beacons) although I think if you hand out points for players using your structures, then people will recall them and put theirs down instead to claim the points.

[Shifty_Geezer]

I think people are throwing out too many ideas where only a couple need to be implemented to change things The Outpost is being reduced to 4 rift cost. that means more outposts and more spawning, which means more XP from spawners. If we also add more XP for peope spawning on bases, and even more energy lying around on top of the skills, we introduce more imbalance. Everyone will ahve stupid amounts of energy, skills will be useless, XP farming will become an objective, etc.. The usual response of people to correct a problem is typically to go too far in the other direction, and I'm seeing that now. Let's see how the hotfix changes the experience first, before suggesting large-scale changes are needed. The Beta was working with the current mechanic and in theory we just need tuning to get back to that sort of tight, varied gameplay.

[Causton97]

Yep, I think we've gained 3 solid ideas here that should definitely be put forward to the developers!

I mean seriously put them forward. Spam them if you have to but MAKE SURE they take notice!

1.) Having spawn locations/bases off the radar

2.) Having fissures instead of barrels) although some people could argue that this makes zones pointless...

3.) More teamwork points! I know it was suggested that people would claim the points themselves but I can't see this happening if it's implemented properly and they're equally distributed. Points for the people that supply stuff and points for using stuff too! 

The game could turn into 'xp farming' but perhaps they could do a Battlefield 3 and make the levels take a relatively long time to level up! It would make the game last longer for most people too. Plus they're planning more levels anyway so that'll be good! If you work harder for your bonuses it makes you appreciate them more!

Oh and I still think it would be a good idea for outposts to have some defensive structures with them to protect them because they're quite fragile! Or they could just buff their health up...

[Shifty_Geezer]

XP farming is only a problem with ranks that come with rewards. In Warhawk, rank meant nothing except bragging rights, so people would play the game to enjoy themselves. The introduction of levelling and unlocks means some people will focus on cheap ways to level up. Another serious problem with level unlocks is whne new players are at a disadvantage because they have inferior skills or equpiment. That's not a problem when playing similarly ranked players, but it's a great frustration when high ranked players (who'ce XP farmed maybe) use their rocket launcher or sniper rifle to kill you over and over where your low level means you're stuck with the pistol only.

[rowlands121]

jumped in on the usual problem yesterday, Dust Ground pounder.

joined the game to find our spawn with loads of Enemy tanks , a shield , and even a supply bunker.

team were desperatly trying to land on the tanks without success, so i spawned straight into their supply bunker started shooting the tanks with rockets, eventually after a couple of respawns, managed to clear out the enemy tanks, so i built a tank depot, inside the enemy shield next to the supply bunker.

all was well until the noobs on my team all spawned in , shot the hell out of the ememy shield and destroyed the bunker i was using.

just in time for the enemy to roll up with a new batch of tanks, and level our spawn area again.

A SHIELD IS A SHIELD IS A SHIELD. if your up against the wall, use the enemy shield to protect your tanks.

we could have cleared the enemy out by spawing a few tanks and hiding behind their shield.

then replacing it with our own , when we had earned enough rift.

Honestly you cant help some people.

[HackenbushPhD]

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Shifty_Geezer wrote:
I think people are throwing out too many ideas where only a couple need to be implemented to change things The Outpost is being reduced to 4 rift cost. that means more outposts and more spawning, which means more XP from spawners. If we also add more XP for peope spawning on bases, and even more energy lying around on top of the skills, we introduce more imbalance. Everyone will ahve stupid amounts of energy, skills will be useless, XP farming will become an objective, etc.. The usual response of people to correct a problem is typically to go too far in the other direction, and I'm seeing that now. Let's see how the hotfix changes the experience first, before suggesting large-scale changes are needed. The Beta was working with the current mechanic and in theory we just need tuning to get back to that sort of tight, varied gameplay.

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Great post! People get quite carried away with ways to change the game, when I imagine it is incredibly difficult for the developers to balance. Every tweak is bound to have a knock on effect, so the first port of call is surely to make subtle adjustments to existing variables, like weapon strength, spawn times and rift costs and see what happens (which they are doing). Plus these things can probably be changed relatively easily, rather than programming in new game features and changes to the actual battlefield. If the tweaks to existing factors don't work, then they can start to look at new mechanics. I have some faith that LBI know vaguely what they are doing and the game will get better and better, I just hope everyone hasn't jumped ship by then!

Some things could and maybe should have been picked up on in the latter stages of the beta, but having said that, they couldn't balance out everything, no developer in their right mind would release a complete set of in-game elements free of charge (albeit on just a couple of maps), when they are about to charge £40 for the final game.