In the name of humanity, please fix Shipyard as Security with bots!

(Faux) #1

I’m a reasonably calm individual. I rarely get upset, and even more rarely when playing games.

But playing Shipyard as Security with bots makes me want to tear my face off.

I am utterly convinced it’s a 2 in 10 chance your bots will function intelligently enough to complete the second objective.

Five minutes ago, I spent damn near 10 minutes holding the hacking area on my own as a Soldier with a Rockstedi and my team:

  • Either refused to show up or, if they did, it was one at a time and they died immediately

  • Operatives would hang around the hack point and exchange fire with the enemy and do nothing else (I saw three of them do this at once!)

  • If an Operative started to hack, he’d go full retard and run into some completely exposed and vulnerable area instead of hiding somewhere sensible

  • Spent most of the match (I assume) dicking around over some worthless command post

I could go on, but dear god, playing this as Security makes me want to uninstall Brink. It’s that frustrating. (Just hearing the ‘All units, code black!’ starting line is enough to make me seriously consider exiting the game.)

And yes, I tried to play it online first with humans, but the servers were all empty. :frowning:

So please, Splash Damage, in the name of whatever you consider holy, please do something about this map. Make the hacking objective unable to be removed by an Engineer. Move the damn Security spawn closer to the objective since Resistance spawns five feet away. Make Operative bots use both hemispheres of their brain and complete the objective rather than engaging in worthless firefights with the enemy while they have cover.

Something… anything!

(And while you’re at it, please fix up Airport as Security on the ‘carry the intelligence’ phase. Resistance camps that room like crazy and the Security bots just run in one by one and get slaughtered. I saw a Resistance bot break 10k today because of it.)

(BiigDaddyDellta) #2

There’s an AI update comming with the DLC.

(wolfnemesis75) #3

Ran into this same problem on this map too. Very hard!

(General Techniq) #4

I love playing Shipyard as Security. I find the challenge… challenging. :slight_smile:

I really like attacking Container City, also.
Montage of a Container City battle

Anyways, didn’t they already fix shipyard by changing the hackl/dehack speeds?
I don’t think that they’re going to allow the bots to be powerful/smart enough to complete hack objectives with regularity.

(SinDonor) #5

I agree, this is the hardest challenge of all the maps when you only have AI as teammates. It really shouldn’t be, as a competent team of humans can usually complete that 2nd task without fail.

I had the easiest time using an Engineer, setting up a pair of mines on each side of the platform near the hacking station, and then setting my turret either up above, or down in one of the corners. My Engy was a heavy with the GotLung and Drum-Mag Kross 2nd.

I also set my Objective to Escort the Operative AI guy when I can. Dunno if that makes a difference.

(wolfnemesis75) #6

Can I offer some tips? Capture and upgrade the command posts. This will draw some of the enemy forces away from the Hack or Crane repair and will boost your strength. Hide in the side room when doing the hack part. Keep trying.

(Faux) #7

[QUOTE=General Techniq;361558]I love playing Shipyard as Security. I find the challenge… challenging. :slight_smile:

I really like attacking Container City, also.
Montage of a Container City battle

Anyways, didn’t they already fix shipyard by changing the hackl/dehack speeds?
I don’t think that they’re going to allow the bots to be powerful/smart enough to complete hack objectives with regularity.[/QUOTE]

I enjoy a challenge as much as the next man, but there’s a very marked difference between something being challenging and something being mostly impossible as I’m seeing on Shipyard.

I would consider Container City as Security challenging, because I can complete the objective if I’m on the ball and good enough. But with Shipyard, I have to fight off their entire team every 15 seconds or so. By myself. And hack/repair an objective while doing so. That’s not a challenge; that’s masochism.

This isn’t Serious Sam. I shouldn’t be expected to combat the entire enemy team while my teammates are off twiddling their thumbs. :frowning:

(General Techniq) #8

[QUOTE=Faux;361564]I enjoy a challenge as much as the next man, but there’s a very marked difference between something being challenging and something being mostly impossible as I’m seeing on Shipyard.
[/QUOTE]
Oh! It’s the big “I” word, once again. I’m starting to feel that familiar “gameplay commentary” itch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhdNo-C9pjI = Random Brink Commentary?

Funny thing is, I hadn’t even considered a shipyard AI-only commentary until just this moment.
I think I may do this, just to give me some more stuff to do while I wait on my next payday (building a new PC).

(wolfnemesis75) #9

[QUOTE=Faux;361564]I enjoy a challenge as much as the next man, but there’s a very marked difference between something being challenging and something being mostly impossible as I’m seeing on Shipyard.

I would consider Container City as Security challenging, because I can complete the objective if I’m on the ball and good enough. But with Shipyard, I have to fight off their entire team every 15 seconds or so. By myself. And hack/repair an objective while doing so. That’s not a challenge; that’s masochism.

This isn’t Serious Sam. I shouldn’t be expected to combat the entire enemy team while my teammates are off twiddling their thumbs. :([/QUOTE]
All true. What level are you? This map is prime for an Engineer Operative hybrid. :slight_smile:

(Faux) #10

[QUOTE=General Techniq;361565]Oh! It’s the big “I” word, once again. I’m starting to feel that familiar “gameplay commentary” itch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhdNo-C9pjI = Random Brink Commentary?

Funny thing is, I hadn’t even considered a shipyard AI-only commentary until just this moment.
I think I may do this, just to give me some more stuff to do while I wait on my next payday (building a new PC).[/QUOTE]

Note the ‘mostly’ qualifier in front of ‘impossible.’ I’ve beaten Shipyard before as Security with bots, but the overall point I’m trying to make is that it’s a crap shoot and the odds are weighted heavily against you.

(Faux) #11

Right now, I’m using a new character who’s level 10 or 12 or something.

But the map is just as bad (worse, now that I think about it) at level 20. (Every damn enemy has Downed Fire, Cortex Bomb, Self Resurrection, etc.)

(wolfnemesis75) #12

I kept using the below ground passage to get to the Crane fix. And made sure to upgrade the command posts. Honestly, the map is more fun with friends. When hacking, move to the side door and take cover behind the wall. Listen for the sound of an enemy engineer trying to dehack. Pop out and shoot him then take cover again behind the wall. It is nigh impossible. By yourself. Hardest mission in the game. :slight_smile:

(Faux) #13

The bots were strangely competent at the Repair the Crane objective. We actually locked the thing down and had the hack finished by the 6 minute mark.

But once the Hack the Missile Control objective started… it all went pear-shaped.

(wolfnemesis75) #14

It usually does at the hack part on that map. Try what I suggested. Oh, throw caltrops all over the place, around the hack and then hide in the side room. Keep an ear out for engineers on the Resistance. :slight_smile:

(Faux) #15

I’ll probably try it again later. In my last attempt, I literally got Zerg-rushed by the enemy team. I was never not firing. To put it in perspective, I wasted three clips killing engineers as they tried to de-hack the point. Then, as Engineer, I ran out of ammo and since there were no teammates nearby, I had to go to pistol. (Which soon ran out of ammo, too.)

I felt like the damn Germans trying to hold the beachhead at Normandy on D-Day. :frowning:

(SinDonor) #16

[QUOTE=Faux;361569]Right now, I’m using a new character who’s level 10 or 12 or something.

But the map is just as bad (worse, now that I think about it) at level 20. (Every damn enemy has Downed Fire, Cortex Bomb, Self Resurrection, etc.)[/QUOTE]

Cap those ComPosts like Wolf said. That will distract the enemy AI bot long enough to buy you some time to start hacking and get some teammate bots in the area to help. Also, your teammate bots won’t be busy trying to cap ComPosts themselves.

(SinDonor) #17

G’damned Nazi!

(wolfnemesis75) #18

[QUOTE=Faux;361576]I’ll probably try it again later. In my last attempt, I literally got Zerg-rushed by the enemy team. I was never not firing. To put it in perspective, I wasted three clips killing engineers as they tried to de-hack the point. Then, as Engineer, I ran out of ammo and since there were no teammates nearby, I had to go to pistol. (Which soon ran out of ammo, too.)

I felt like the damn Germans trying to hold the beachhead at Normandy on D-Day. :([/QUOTE]

It does feel like that. I am not gonna lie to you! Capturing the command posts the one near the crane for the drawbridge and the one that is at the back of the map opposite the Resistance spawn. Once you do that, then you have the added bonus to make your push. Also, enemy A.I will be drawn away to the command post to retake it, and your guys will remain near the primary objective since you took care of the secondary objectives. Make sure the Crane is fixed and the bridge is lowered! Firewall the command posts if you have that skill and the upgrade. That’s why I recommended an Engineer/Operative hybrid. Hand out buffs to all of your squad mates like candy when you can, then switch to Operative. Make your push at the Hack. It is very hard. Like I said, hardest mission by far. :slight_smile:

(Faux) #19

Well I just tried it again and beat it in record time.

The difference?

Hell if I know. My bots just didn’t seem to be functionally retarded this time and we held the missile and didn’t allow them to get a foothold.

Seriously, I have no idea what changed, but my bots actually had their acts together.

(Although I did see a lot more of the ‘Enemy team about to lose, activate Cheating Engine at 1 minute left!’ behavior than I usually do.

I’m starting to think the game throws virtual dice before each round to decide what variables to throw in. :slight_smile:

(wolfnemesis75) #20

In a way, the game does so that the experience is different every time. Seems that way to me many times. Also, if you are pushing aggressively then you can get stuff accomplished before the bots can react.