Console Suggestion: Back button usage

(SinDonor) #1

Back button currently does nothing during gameplay in Brink, except maybe to do voting? I think it’s a waste since there could be better uses for the back button as I rarely see many votes during gameplay. I see maybe 1 vote per 10 games if that. If this is the case, may I offer a few suggestions:

  1. Map it to the Scoreboard. Lets us quickly see teammates’ class and their current objective/task. If a new objective is up and I’m not the objective class, I could quickly tap my back button to see how many obj-class teammates I have then know if I need to run back to a command post or not to switch.

  2. Turn names/labels “ALL ON->ONLY FIRETEAM->ALL OFF”. My screen is too cluttered with everyone’s names and other labels. I’d love an option to be able to turn these labels on and off at my leisure. Also have the middle-option to see my fireteam names only. This could be an option within the Visual Settings menu instead.

  3. Ask for a buff from teammate. Sometimes, a bot or another teammate not in your fireteam is standing right next to you and you need a weapon buff or ammo, or whatever. It’d be great if you could target that teammate and hit the back button to say “Hey Medic/Soldier/Engy, give me a buff!”. Currently, I just stand in the teammate’s view if they’re human, give them a buff if possible, and then hop repeatedly in front of them until they go “Oh, okay, here ya go!” and buff me.

Can you console players think of any other good uses for the back button?

(yuval152) #2

I’d go with 3.

(AmishWarMachine) #3

^ THIS ^
10chars

(thesuzukimethod) #4

it’s definitely better than the melee/knife option that I currently use (FF-off, only, lol)

“why are they knifing me?!?” - oh, right…i’m a medic/engi/soldier and they want health/wep-buff/ammo

(VG_JUNKY) #5

it’s definitely better than the melee/knife option that I currently use (FF-off, only, lol)“why are they knifing me?!?” - oh, right…i’m a medic/engi/soldier and they want health/wep-buff/ammo

lol yes i agree to the OP’s 3rd option, tho removing non Fire Team ppl would be nice too :smile:

(gooey79) #6

Something wrong with the player(s) if they’re not buffing each other pretty much constantly. Having a button requesting a buff doesn’t make a player who won’t do it, do it. Unless of course, that button automates the closest necessary class to down tools and come do it.

(SinDonor) #7

Sometimes the player that you’re asking for a buff is focusing on a certain area or just doesn’t realize you need a buff because he hasn’t put his cross-hairs over you. Also, bots for some reason only buff randomly. I don’t know if this is because they’re already out of pips, or just inconsiderate robots who hate the human race.

Either case, no need to be negative. Not every player out there is a selfish prick. I’m not looking for a button to spam unfriendly teammates into submission. I’d just like a button to make teammates aware when I could use a buff. If they don’t buff me after a request, then fine, I’ll move on…

Fireteam or XBL voicechat works wonders with my friends when I say, “Hey wait up, I need some CANDY!” and then they turn around and buff me. So for all other players not in my fireteam/XBL chat or bots, this would be a good idea IMO.

(gooey79) #8

I’m not being negative, I’m being realistic - that’s an awful lot of assumption on your part.

For the best part, people buff each other just fine. The back button would be for those who need a buff but aren’t receiving one. A vsay isn’t going to suddenly stop someone from ignoring you that otherwise wouldn’t have given you a buff anyway. I concede there are some times people don’t see/know you need but that’s only occassional compared to how many buffs you do receive on a regular basis.

Plus, a simple vsay response really doesn’t do anything in particular. You’d perhaps need it to outline the character and provide some sort of visual dislay for the required class you need a buff from. There’s so much more to it than is being thought through.

Also, you could need health, ammo and a weapon buff all at the same time. You could want a vest, adrenaline, a metabolism boost, a speed boost. Which one does the back button represent?

The game is too complicated on that level to have one button do it all. Oh the irony!

Far too many complications to be a good idea. It would actually just be easier to turn on VOIP in all games. Job done.

(thesuzukimethod) #9

with regulars i rarely have to ask for a buff, and on the rare occasion that i do, it’s def over mic

in randoms matches, and in particular when there are bots involved, it would be nice to have something that triggered behavior that is “automatic” with my friends (i.e. buffs). I’ve found that if i’m out of ammo, and i run near a soldier, and shoot (clicking) w/ empty ammo, i’m very likely to shout out the scripted “need some ammo”, and i’m also very likely to receive ammo from the soldier.

if there was a way to trigger it, i would use it on occasion. that is all.

(SinDonor) #10

[QUOTE=*goo;372161]I’m not being negative, I’m being realistic - that’s an awful lot of assumption on your part.

For the best part, people buff each other just fine. The back button would be for those who need a buff but aren’t receiving one. A vsay isn’t going to suddenly stop someone from ignoring you that otherwise wouldn’t have given you a buff anyway. I concede there are some times people don’t see/know you need but that’s only occassional compared to how many buffs you do receive on a regular basis.

Plus, a simple vsay response really doesn’t do anything in particular. You’d perhaps need it to outline the character and provide some sort of visual dislay for the required class you need a buff from. There’s so much more to it than is being thought through.

Also, you could need health, ammo and a weapon buff all at the same time. You could want a vest, adrenaline, a metabolism boost, a speed boost. Which one does the back button represent?

The game is too complicated on that level to have one button do it all. Oh the irony!

Far too many complications to be a good idea. It would actually just be easier to turn on VOIP in all games. Job done.[/QUOTE]

No effing way. I would not want to have to hear that 11 year old kid’s voice, someone’s music playing in the background, or someone sitting in front of a fan all game just to be able to verbally ask for a buff.

If I point to a teammate and they are a specific class, I’d like to be able to ask them for their class’ basic buff.

Medic’s Health Boost
Engy’s Weapon Buff
Soldier’s Ammo

Those are the top three requests from everyone in the game. If some newb Medic doesn’t give me Metabolism or some Engy doesn’t give me kevlar, oh well, I don’t care as long as my heath’s full, my gun’s strong and it’s full of ammo.

(gooey79) #11

So it’s only a half working request button? That makes little sense. There’s other tools there you’re going to be missing out on and probably are already, by the sounds of it.

(SinDonor) #12

It makes a lot of sense to me and most of the other people who have replied to this thread so far. Do you have any better suggestions then, instead of just being negative?

(gooey79) #13

You want to paint me as negative because I can find fault in the idea? Fair enough. I didn’t realise it was supposed to be a simple nod and agree.

My apologies, I’ll start again. Mmm back button requests buffs? Yes, that sounds great!

I’ve got one or two ideas, yes.

:slight_smile:

(SinDonor) #14

[QUOTE=*goo;372173]You want to paint me as negative because I can find fault in the idea? Fair enough. I didn’t realise it was supposed to be a simple nod and agree.

My apologies, I’ll start again. Mmm back button requests buffs? Yes, that sounds great!

I’ve got one or two ideas, yes.

:)[/QUOTE]

Yes, be facetious, everyone loves that. I don’t care that you don’t like my suggestion, you don’t like a lot about Brink. But if you’re gonna waste your time replying, why not be constructive instead of negative? You offered NOTHING except “I don’t like that because it doesn’t do exactly what I’d want it to do.”

(Hot-Wire) #15

3 definitely. At the moment when I need a buff, I either bust out my mic and yell at the sniper to give me ammo or jump in front of his scope and teabag his muzzle.

(gooey79) #16

Of course I’m being facetious, what other reaction did you expect?

Your knee jerk reaction was to call me negative because I didn’t pour adoration all over the idea. You’ve maintained that ‘opinion’ for multiple posts now instead of thinking about the idea and the most ‘fleshed out’ we got it to was that it would only be for basic buffs. That’s hardly useful when several buffs are being ignored.

Instead of focusing on the fact I didn’t think it was great, we could have talked around visual awareness for the class you need rather than just a vsay and taken the discussion from a completely different angle. We both know you just wanted to go right in for the kill to defend your idea, though.

As for the ‘you don’t like a lot about Brink’. That’s utter nonsense and a completely childish response. I have issues with Brink on PC. I have some issues with it on PS3 too but I actually quite like the game on PS3. As I’ve said before, it plays much better on PS3 than PC. We both know you’re focusing on my ‘issues’ with the game to portray me as ‘negative’ and a Brink hater to further your agenda, however.

My posts are as equally constructive as yours at this point, maybe you should take some of your own advice. And I didn’t say I don’t like it because it doesn’t do exactly what I want it to. I said it won’t make people who don’t buff, buff. I said a vsay is not enough of an action there needs to be more awareness for the class you need. I said there’s too many buffs for it to be an effective idea. In my view, they’re all valid criticisms.

Interestingly, you refuted the idea of turning VOIP on. Yet, in one of your posts you talk about the merits of communicating via VOIP to ask for ‘candy’ (do they sell Snickers on the Ark?). Your reason was the annoying people on VOIP. But if you actually had option 1 as the reality and a quick method on the scoreboard of muting (i.e. scroll up/down and press ‘x’ or ‘a’ for the respective platform), you could solve all the issues you’re concerned about and allow option 3 to be covered by default - it would also allow you to ask for pretty much anything you need in-game as well as co-ordinate more tactically. Including asking for things like mines to be dropped, command posts to be upgraded and firewalled etc.

Tip: Don’t pick up a conversation if you don’t want to talk it through.

(wolfnemesis75) #17

Good ideas Sin. :slight_smile:

(darthmob) #18

Not being able to request something is an unlucky design choice meant to stop people from spamming and therefore very unlikely to change.

Number 1 sounds more realistic.

(RabidAnubis) #19

How about a screenshot button?

>.> <.<

(VG_JUNKY) #20

How about a screenshot button?

>.> <.<

oh oh oh i want 1 mister :slight_smile: