Flag Caps, Doc Runs, & Other Stuff

(Sun_Sheng) #1

Last night I had a rare moment of glory. One of those exciting moments I remember from the past where I actually felt like i’d done something useful. Respawned, ran to the objective, 8 man kill streak on the way, and for a short while I felt pretty chuffed with myself. Looking back and it was pretty pointless. I rush my way to the objective, and then I find myself stood there like a virgin in a brothel suddenly realising it’s all over before the main event even got started.

The problem was the first stage of Underground, but it could have been pretty much any map. I had my moment of glory, I got my arse shot off for it, and nothing worthwhile happened. I stood there waiting to be executed or for the clock to tick over for a few minutes whilst I tried in vain to capture the first stage, and it would all have been so much better if i’d had a flag to cap. Ok, the end result would probably still have been the same and i’d have died and the flag would have been retaken, but to just stand there like a turkey waiting for Christmas just seems so … boring.

I can understand and fully support the idea of teamwork being needed, especially for caps and stuff, but surely there has to be a better way of doing things?

A flag cap would be an easy solution, but I sense a resistance to that route due to it being too reminiscent of ET, and the same would probably go for a doc run. After that i’m a little stumped I must confess, but if doc runs and flag caps are out, how about maybe a 2 stage process of some sort or some variation? What i’m thinking in terms of a 2 stage option would be perhaps something like “any merc” taking some parts to a location, then only an engineer being able to build those parts. That way you could bring back the excitement of the doc run and lose that feeling that all your effort was a waste of time when you do something good. Also, you can still retain the need for teamwork on the second stage of the capture and also control any time requirements to complete the capture.

That’s just an idea off the top of my head and i’m sure there must be other ways as well, and even potentially include an option for the zone to be captured back by the defenders. whatever is chosen, I just feel like there needs to be something more rewarding than a meat grinder for every stage completion

(tokamak) #2

I would love it if the next patch drastically reduced the amount of time and effort it takes to cap the forward spawn in Terminal. Like really fast.

That would mean the spawn point is easily obtained but also easily lost. It will make the whole thing incredibly reliable and requires both teams to constantly compete for it.

And please see it as a way to explore extremes. A 5 second capture for one player should already do the trick.

(spookify) #3

We have been saying flag cap, forward spawns, enemy only doors, reverse doc runs and many other things… SD said something like they do not forsee it…

(Sun_Sheng) #4

Aye…but maybe one day they may see sense … or at least listen to the reasons why people don’t like the current system and why they do like the other options. that’s why I threw in an alternative, in the hope that it might at least generate a half acceptable change at some point …because standing around like an idiot for 15 minutes really isn’t working from either a fun or excitement perspective

(xdc) #5

  • attackers build(objective) a teleporter that changes the map, (defense will respawn on the other map, or will use the teleporter)

  • players can build(non objective) a jump pad/launch pad (think quake 3) instead of a stair case, etc

  • map with sewers where the sewers can be flooded to slow down attackers

The game lacks an essential quality of gaming modernity, the maps give no quality of uniqueness or diversity

(Glottis-3D) #6

yeah, when there are only 4 things to do it does get boring.

  1. you run.
  2. you shoot.
  3. use ability
  4. press a button F

also features:
-speed-obj. this obj is temporary, and in order to make it you realy need to be very quick, using all the tricks out there. and very little mistakes allowed. like a big door (think Indiana Jones and the temple of the Doomed).OR like a evaporating carry OBJ, if you get it too late - it evaporates.
-OBJs, that make HUge changes to layout. Like a BIG crane falling and destroying stuff, and giving/taking away routes, spot. i.e. changing layout.

(Violator) #7

This is a bit of a ramble but so far we’ve had/have the following objective types in DB:

Main
C4
Hack points
Capture points
Doc runs
EV escort

Side
Construction
C4

The main problem is anyone can do them (with varying degrees of speed). I’ve found Bush arming C4 has a good speed increase over a non-engy class but in practise covering a teammate planting for 2 seconds as opposed to 4 or 5 doesn’t usually make a difference, especially if you know you can plant it yourself if they cop it. I’ll usually only go engy if I’m not already if there are seconds left on the clock for a disarm. In fact I rarely change merc at all during a match :(.

Hack was removed and it was very similar to C4 (except it couldn’t be ‘disarmed’) - EV is kind of a mobile hack objective.

I’d like to try (off the top of my head) -

  1. Side objectives only one merc can do, can be undone by a few enemy mercs and benefit your whole team or class -

An objective only Aura can do say, probably a side objective e.g. purify a contaminated river that harms you if you run through it. Enemy medics can re-pollute it.
A radar-tower that Arty can upgrade to double the duration/damage of airstrikes for field-ops who have airstrike abilities on your team, and duration of spotting for recons. Enemy engies can C4 it.
A radar-jammer

Might be tricky to get this info across to players that they can / can’t do this (a simple avatar icon might do).

  1. Command posts - reduce spawn time for your team while held (W:ET style).

  2. We can shoot the EV to disable it, how about some fixed targets to take down with regular weapons?

(tokamak) #8

Yes. Merc-specific objectives please.

Final objectives can be generic bomb plants. It doesn’t matter, but side objectives can be ANYTHING without every obstructing gameplay. We can have side-objective nodes that have entirely different outcomes depending on what merc interacts with it.