Furthering Merc Identity

(INF3RN0) #1

This has been an ongoing topic since the beginning, but I for one am still very unsatisfied by the lack of unique feel/potential between mercs. I’d like to consolidate all the ideas in this thread in the hope that SD actually attempts to flesh things out further. Aside from refining all the basic functionality, the game needs to tap into merc identity as the flag ship of retention, monetization, and boosting the overall appeal of the game play.

One of the big culprits for the high variety in MOBAs is not just that they have 100 different champions, but more so that there’s so much potential in each champ in terms of how they can be played solo, in the team, with the map, with the objs, etc. DB has yet to achieve this type of thing, which I think should be the next logical step in the game’s development beyond the basics.

What we have now:

-weapon types (now furthered by loadout cards)
-perk sets (offensive, defensive, support)
-1 unique special ability
-obj tools
-movement speed

What MOBAs have:

-Unique movement abilities/map interaction
-Counter abilities
-Unique side-obj proficiencies
-Ability synergies
-Ultimates

This kind of stuff would make the game so much more interesting to play, where in you wouldn’t be limited to such a basic set of skills or such repetitive game play. So if you agree then please contribute or reiterate on any ideas that you had in the past.

Some old ideas:

-Unique archetype side-objs
-Special grenades
-Skill/timing based counter abilities
-More intuitive merc/ability synergies (ex. medic+heavy or conc+turret?)
-Unique movement maneuvers
-Unique map traversal opportunities
-Team oriented ultimates

(PixelTwitch) #2

The issue I see and has been had out with Smooth and Anti on these forums…
Is stuff like Merc Size being directly linked to Speed and Health, All weapons should be balanced within their class as well as on the general field and the fact you can have multiple of the same Merc in a match (I understand that right now there needs to be multiples as in 1 on each team but eventually with more mercs I would hope for draft).

On top of that…
Things like Time To Kill being quite low limits the possible effects of abilities. The health regen and self heals mean effects of shots and abilities are only lasting a few seconds anyway. While Proxy, Stoker and Thunder do have decent voice acting the rest of the characters feel very dull due to lack of infelection in their voice. (Often sounds sly and sarcastic rather then funny or excited).

Little things I think could help both Gameplay and Merc identity is simply matching the eye height with the characters eye height (I believe they are all the same now) It would fix the getting shot when its impossible to see someone because their model is not on screen never mind their gun… It would also give more feeling of speed differentiations.

I still feel each Merc needs + 1 ability (even the mercs that already have 2).
If I am a Medic surely defibs should not class as an abiity… Medpack throwing is the most dull ability ever…

(Anti) #3

Thanks for the post Inferno. This is something we want to develop more and we have some ideas but right now we’re focused on other parts of the game. It’s definitely something we’ll come back to though, especially with future Mercs.

(Glottis-3D) #4

the game realy needs some unique catchy thing(s) that will keep ppl interested. deep gameplay.
i spoke with my mates from ru-community and we agreed on that DB does have deep gameplay stuff.
even with better maps, even with better performance it is not enough after 1 year. but we did play in ET and ETQW for much longer.

so i kinda plus everything, that posted Inferno as well as old stuff from all around the forum.

most valuable thing imo:

Interaction between mercs:
-fighting combos like medic+heavy
-object-make boosting
-double-merc abilities
-counter abilities
-movement tricks involving two mercs. (pushes, double jumps from crouched teammate)

also important for FUN factor
-special grenades and mines.

(PixelTwitch) #5

haha I just wish that some of the mercs would speak to some of the other mercs!

“PROXY GO AND DEFUSE THE C4”
“NICE SHOT VASSELI”

and the odd dig…

“You don’t look too stoked with your performance”
“I have been whacking bushes since I was six years old”
“Be sure to say out of my Poximity”

lol, Doubt it would happen but it would add a bit of feeling to the gameplay.

(tokamak) #6

I want temporary bonus items handed to people who beat 24h records in any random statistic. Also similarly (for casuals) for consistently beating their personal average or for any time they beat a collective average the first time (resets after a while again).

You can hand these items immediately while the player is still playing.

(Glottis-3D) #7

[QUOTE=PixelTwitch;507995]haha I just wish that some of the mercs would speak to some of the other mercs!

“PROXY GO AND DEFUSE THE C4”
“NICE SHOT VASSELI”

and the odd dig…

“You don’t look too stoked with your performance”
“I have been whacking bushes since I was six years old”
“Be sure to say out of my Poximity”

lol, Doubt it would happen but it would add a bit of feeling to the gameplay.[/QUOTE]
n1 idea!
“Hej, remember me - i’ve been couple of times in Miami…? erm… Got it? in MyAimie?”

(INF3RN0) #8

Yea, this was all meant as something I’d really love to see after the game is fully developed in its current state, but I truly think that without additions similar to those listed- the game won’t offer enough of a unique experience to draw people in and the retention will suffer. I’m definitely looking forward to progression in the game play, whatever that may end up being :).

(Rokkamaisteri) #9

[QUOTE=PixelTwitch;507995]haha I just wish that some of the mercs would speak to some of the other mercs!

“PROXY GO AND DEFUSE THE C4”
“NICE SHOT VASSELI”

and the odd dig…

“You don’t look too stoked with your performance”
“I have been whacking bushes since I was six years old”
“Be sure to say out of my Poximity”

lol, Doubt it would happen but it would add a bit of feeling to the gameplay.[/QUOTE]

This is something I really wish for, characters interacting with each other, maybe even to opposing team. Would be awesome to hear someone screaming from incoming Rhino with minigun all the way ready.

(INF3RN0) #10

On the topic of ‘special movements’ I’d compare this to the MOBA equivalent; ex. from LoL- wall hopping, teleporting to a friendly, flash/dodges, etc. The same concept of unique maneuvers could easily be applied among the merc sets to further define them. A few ideas might include; extra wall-hops, extended long jumps, kick-boost wall jumps, a ‘human ladder’ of sorts (auto-stacking), slides/rolls, wall scaling, ledge grabbing, speed boosting friendlies, grappling, teleport beacon (etqw), entrenchment for heavies, etc. With these sorts of things in the mix, you could then have entirely specialized map routes that only mercs with specific movement abilities could take advantage of and then give these routes better access to objs/side objs, etc.

(PixelTwitch) #11

I have been asking for this none stop >.<
We can hope and dream…

However, its been made clear in one of my old threads by Smooth that they are determined to not have Mercs with different movement. :frowning:

(Mustang) #12

I have no idea what this has to do with Merc identification, but what the heck…

Yesh please! Gief all of the awesome advanced and intuitive movements, if was one of the things Brink lead the way with, now iterate on it, give control back to players instead of locking into animations and let’s bring some fun back into the movement!

Every other FPS are stealing all our amazesauce movement and we seem to be giving zero cares about it.

(INF3RN0) #13

[QUOTE=Mustang;508153]I have no idea what this has to do with Merc identification, but what the heck…

Yesh please! Gief all of the awesome advanced and intuitive movements, if was one of the things Brink lead the way with, now iterate on it, give control back to players instead of locking into animations and let’s bring some fun back into the movement!

Every other FPS are stealing all our amazesauce movement and we seem to be giving zero cares about it.[/QUOTE]

It’s about giving unique movement abilities to specific mercs. So it has a lot to do with merc identification :tongue:

(PixelTwitch) #14

Well technically Identity/Personality I think what Mustang means is Identification as in easier to see and spot in a match.

(INF3RN0) #15

Oh well I always used the term ‘identity’ to define the unique attributes of game play surrounding each merc, but maybe that’s just a mustache for Mustang :wink:.

(Glottis-3D) #16

all this is realy good.
-heavy mercs being good for human ladder
-Small mercs with extra-jumps.
-grapling hook and teleport for new mercs
-friendly pushes for everyone (can boost heavy’s jumps)

(Rokkamaisteri) #17

I want lasso to bring enemies close instead of moving. :stuck_out_tongue:

(Erkin31) #18

-Skill/timing based counter abilities
-More intuitive merc/ability synergies (ex. medic+heavy or conc+turret?)
-Team oriented ultimates

I don’t like this. I search an FPS (how to kill its adversary = aim/shoot/dodge), not a game where we will launch abilities (not fun for me).

-Unique movement maneuvers

Also don’t like this. I will always play the mercs which will have the best maneuverability/speed/movements. So this will limit the mercs available for me.

(Glottis-3D) #19

if it was only for aim/shoot/dodge i wouldnt even bother playing ET and ETQW in the first place. depth in what was apart from shooting is what realy kept me playing those games for several years.

(INF3RN0) #20

[QUOTE=Erkin31;508221]I don’t like this. I search an FPS (how to kill its adversary = aim/shoot/dodge), not a game where we will launch abilities (not fun for me).

Also don’t like this. I will always play the mercs which will have the best maneuverability/speed/movements. So this will limit the mercs available for me.[/QUOTE]

This is a really cynical mentality. There would never be a ‘best’ of anything as long as the variety was balanced. I could argue 'Hey we should only have one class in every game because there’s always gonna be an OP one!" and then we’d get the most boring game ever. I can’t think of any great game that was just dodge+shoot…