I decided to split my feedback in different parts since a wall of text is not the best way for a solid feedback.
This Part contains the mechanics about Pre-Game / Matchmaking and Tactical Depth.
General – Menu:
- We come to the point where we basically have 2 full servers again and we really need a queue-system or a “Join when possible” option. I hate looking at the server-slots all the time.
- Friends Menu is still missing, was really hoping to see it again
- “Set as primary” still not working right
- It is annoying that servers jump down to the bottom of the list, when full and clicked
The overall performance in the menu and the navigation is pretty good now.
Pre-Game:
- We now have the problem that totally ruined Titanfall for me: Extremely short matches, but a lot of timers before the matches even start. It’s not fun to wait ~2 minutes and watch the intro-videos over and over for a 3 minute match.
The timers would be in a good shape, if there were any tactical decisions in the pre-match (draft/counter-picking / team tactics).
Matchmaking :
-That is one of the biggest issues right now. I totally agree with pixel, that the game feels absolutely horrible when mercs can be stacked. We have so many overpowered mercs right now that stacking them is nuts. Multiple Arty/Redeye/Thunder/Aura destroys everything.
While Talking about pre-game and draft modes – tactics:
I really want to see what the game feels like, when you have to choose only one merc for a whole match. Let me see what my opponents are picking so I can decide the best choice of merc. The problem with this is: Counter-picking and draft mode only works with solid spawn times and maps.
While I currently think this is one of the only possibilities to help the game out of the misery, imagine following:
You see your opponent picking Rhino – You counter pick him with nader
Oh! Almost forgot: Doesn’t matter if you kill him, because the spawn is 1 second away from the ojective (Hello WC) or Rhino just hops back in ( Hello instaspawn ).
Just make is straight now:
The 3 merc-rule is non-sense. Either we can chose from ALL mercs or we have to pick one for the whole match. There is no way that the current compromising works out.
Just like a newbie on the Nexon forum wrote: “If nothing works, switch to heavy.” – NO.
The only option this game has to be entertaining in long-term is meta-game/tactics/mindgames. I want to communicate with my team about certain tactics and mercs.
There has to be a big penalty for teams that don’t stick with certain classes for the objectives or don’t communicate about their team-setup.
Since we are so far away from the game design in the first alpha-days, I don’t believe that there is another option.
This is one big chance for another learning-curve, again:
Tracking and WASD cannot decide about a player’s skill. (While rifles and shotguns are ridiculous OP now, the fights are totally random. So we don’t even have this anymore.)
Picking the right merc for the team-setup and knowledge of maps and positioning = Part of a players skill.
Earning XP and the other currency in the game is good for… nothing:
Ok, ok… matchmaking benefits from XP from the gathered XP per player. But then what? Can I spend my XP and the-other-point-thingy at the end of the match on items/skins/donations for mappers? The current XP system could just be replaced with a Ratio of games won/lost – like in CS:GO.
Will there be a minimum level required to play ranked matchmaking? Any plans for that?
The other point is: While everybody is still playing TDM, I don’t give a crap about my earned points. People are still bitching about their K/D instead of points earned by doing the objectives.
If I have 3/12 Stats and push my team to victory by doing the objectives I am the better player and deserve more points than the other TDM-Players. Highlighting the player that who has done the objective would be a beginning.
One statement that sums up the current tactical depth of DB:
“In CS:GO and games like UT/Quake I know exactly what kind of mistakes I have done when I got fragged by other players. Dirty Bomb only gives poor feedback on this and the deathcam is just frustrating me more and more. The only thing I see is that I have been shot again in total random and short gunfight or being back raped for the 10th time. I just hit the “respawn” button and here It goes again…”