Underwhelming objectives causing lack of interest

[Zarlor]

To further note; the old objectives that were simple plants, constructs, hacks, etc were more fun because you could perform jumps, dodges, prones, etc while doing them as well as being able to freely place explosives in an interesting manner. Even then they weren’t really that exciting, but if anything needs some progressive thinking and change it would definitely be obj design. Part of the reason people aren’t motivated to do objectives is simply because shooting people instead is just more fun. Doc runs are so much more favored simply because it is the most dynamic obj type.

This is exactly how I feel about the objectives. I want to be able to start a plant and either be able to break it off quickly if I’m getting attacked, or leave it half planted for someone else to finish -this is exciting!

[Violator]

Planting currently feels like this:

//youtu.be/QH7fIkV8nsk

You either get the plant down, or you are dead if any enemy is nearby - i.e. virtually no chance to escape.

[Angrim]

I remember hack objectives in Quake Wars being unique in that they allowed the interacting player to move freely within a certain area. In contrast to other percentage based objective types like repair/build objectives, this allowed players to hide and take cover within the same room without actually interrupting the interaction. Combined with the class restrictions (only Engineers could build/repair stuff, only Covert Ops could hack stuff) this helped to create interesting types of objectives with different characteristics.

Hack objectives in Extraction however - like the control panel that needs to be hacked at the end of Waterloo - seem to behave exactly like repair objectives. You can’t hack manually and moving more than a single step away instantly cancels the interaction. Since there are also no longer any class restrictions in place, there doesn’t seem to be anything to differentiate these two types of objectives. Hack objectives are now basically a mere reskin of construct objectives. Objectives are a important part of the gameplay and I don’t really understand why such a degeneration of the concept used in Quake Wars was necessary.

[montheponies]

Whilst I agree with pretty much everything relating to the current objectives and for that matter the maps, I’m still finding the game good fun and at times exciting (even on pub). Last night we just failed to get the EV to the finish line on LB with a proper ding dong between the teams. Never thought i’d say that about an escort mission…

Maps have always been an SD issue - for some reason they always have to be multistage, serial setups. As mentioned before, a single stage objective with some side objectives and forward spawn would make the world of difference.

As would getting the same spawnwave mechanics into Obj as is in SW (current Obj spawning is just painful) - anyway, starting to ramble so will cut it short.

[DarkangelUK]

My second biggest gripe next to EV, hack objectives that decay over time when not touched ¬_¬

[prophett]

[QUOTE=Kendle;474112]I’m coming to the conclusion I’m bored with this game already, and not sure I’ll make open beta at this rate. I quite like the gun-play now, it’s been getting better patch by patch, and if the TDM / Execution servers were used I’d probably play a lot more, I don’t mind mindless fragging if the mechanics are right, but I’m really going off objective mode, to the extent I just can’t be bothered to fire up XT any more.

What’s wrong with objective I hear you ask? Well, allow me to explain …

Blow **** up

For me this just doesn’t work without Engineers / Soldiers doing the planting / defusing. I’m sorry, I want to get used to new stuff, and I even understand the logic behind classless objectives, but for me this is like re-inventing the wheel, un-necessary and counter-productive. It’s like putting oval wheels on a car and then devising some sort of wacky suspension system (proficiencies) to smooth out the ride. Just put the damn round wheels back on.

For me the whole point is “someone” plants / defuses while team-mates cover, keep the objective guy alive etc. I want to accept the brave new world of classless objectives, but it seems like a shallow bland version of the “real thing”, totally underwhelming and uninspiring, and just plain boring.

Escort the big ol’ lump of slowness

Yawn inducing and IMO one of those things you might add to a map to add variety, but not something you base an entire map (LB / WC) on. I like that more team-mates near the EV makes it move faster, but when it’s ALL the map is about I’m gonna skip those maps when the final game is released (assuming I even play the final game).

Carry the jugs

This is wrong, just wrong, with how it’s done at the moment. The whole point of carrying something from A to B is you need team-mates to ride shotgun, and each team should have reasonable chance to get it there or get it back. Carrying something towards or away from one team’s spawn is just nuts, the routes should be longer, they should be perpendicular to each team’s spawn and there should only be one something to carry. Adding multiple jugs just rubs salt in the wound, and as it stands now carryables in XT are either just meaningless, or they’re meat-grinders.

So, decent gun-play, pretty good class and character, and even more importantly weapon, variety, but objectives are plain, boring, meaningless exercises in drudgery.

Hopefully when / if the player base increases Execution and TDM will be played more, but for now I just can’t bring myself to jump on Casual Objective, it’s just mind-numbingly underwhelming. Sorry. :([/QUOTE]

A lot of good points which I agree (sadly I can’t give you any more rep) with with the exception of playing the Execution game mode. I am headed in the same direction if all of the maps are not improved. Haven’t touched the game n over 2 weeks and made the choice to upgrade my PC in preparation for BF4.

The game isn’t fun for me because the maps are not fun. I won’t even log in to test the newest patch until maps are improved (unless steam goes down). xT needs capturable spawns, side objectives/team doors, and proper doc runs for the 100th time…

[acQu]

Aka hackobjectives:

//youtu.be/uKkmhRLv4fQ

An idea for another covert ops character? Would make hacking definitely more interesting. Of course, you should not be able to hack from 100 meters away, you should be in a certain range, then pull a device out of some sort (ah xT only has buttons, right? meh) and hack it like in the video. The device could be made such that it has a red light and a green light, and it only indicates green when you are in range and pointing your crosshair at the hacking objective. Then you enter the visual hacking mode. You can abort at any time also.

There was once a suggestion actually like this, multiple actually, so yeah … but i think it would be great for another covert ops character

[BioSnark]

Clearly the perfect time for a rhythm game! Or steal cyberspace jacking from Dystopia

[acQu]

Why not

jees, with that attitude nothing fun would be ever implemented. I would love it Clearly the awkwardness would make it epic for me

Another idea: hack stuff, electricity goes on somewhere, people walk over it, get mad => RQ

EDIT acutally i would make that covert ops guy extremely OP, range over 9000, hacking stuff through walls, just to see all the mad people crying. Hell that would make it at least interesting. SC2 lived by that. It is a good sign, haha

[acutepuppy]

Here’s my dream version of Whitechapel

The EV is no longer an objective in itself, it’s impervious and drives quickly checkpoint to checkpoint.

First objective:

Rather than fix the EV, have an impassible barricade below the bridge. First objective is to blow it up. (Kind of like Outskirts in ET:QW)

Second objective:

The EV would drive swiftly to the turn after the bridge and stop there, it can’t park closer due to “artillery fire”. Have a single data core run from around the MG nest. It’d then drive quickly to the lift, with some of those big artillery fire explosions following it.

Third objective:

The lifts would be quick to hack, but have to be activated in order, within 60-90s of each other. From the tunnel, to the construction site, to the elevated platform.

Fourth objective:

The lift would activate, drop to the bottom, and the last data core bit would be essentially the same as it is now (but with a 5s transmit time, and instant return for defenders ;)).

[onYn]

I havent played all the game enough yet, to give detail input about the map/objectives itself. But what I really misslike so far is the fact, that every class can do every objective. I mean what the heck? Of course it was sometimes annoying, to not have the right objective class. But puting together the right team, in order to protect the objective guy, or simply to just kill the objective guy, in order to deffend the objective even tho being weaker in terms of fire power was one of the exciting things in some past SD games. Why would you take out this opportunity? So many epic moments in pro matches, just were made because of the objective class, where he gets killed by an outstanding performance of one player that was last man standing, or a team that is a big underdog is able to hold an objective because they manage to gib the objective guy with insane teamplay, that I can´t understand why you would take away this part of the game.

[mortis]

I’m in favor of some major class-based objective, with minor anyman-type side objectives to be honest.

–mortis

[Nail]

[QUOTE=mortis;474464]I’m in favor of some major class-based objective, with minor anyman-type side objectives to be honest.

–mortis[/QUOTE]

what he said

[ImageOmega]

I havent played all the game enough yet, to give detail input about the map/objectives itself. But what I really misslike so far is the fact, that every class can do every objective. I mean what the heck? Of course it was sometimes annoying, to not have the right objective class. But puting together the right team, in order to protect the objective guy, or simply to just kill the objective guy, in order to deffend the objective even tho being weaker in terms of fire power was one of the exciting things in some past SD games. Why would you take out this opportunity? So many epic moments in pro matches, just were made because of the objective class, where he gets killed by an outstanding performance of one player that was last man standing, or a team that is a big underdog is able to hold an objective because they manage to gib the objective guy with insane teamplay, that I can´t understand why you would take away this part of the game.

Yup. Agreed.

[BomBaKlaK]

More I read, and more it feel like there is something big who just broke this game.

[INF3RN0]

[QUOTE=mortis;474464]I’m in favor of some major class-based objective, with minor anyman-type side objectives to be honest.

–mortis[/QUOTE]

I’m actually quite the opposite. I’d like to see more class based side objectives that significantly impact the flow of engagements before reaching the objective. I’d like to see main objectives be much more innovative, fast paced, and entirely new though- plants, repairs, hacks, etc are just uninteresting to perform.

[BomBaKlaK]

I like the idea like in ETQW with a map begin outdoor and finish in sort of base, with a crescendo in obj difficulty
last obj need to be harder than the previous ones. Need more intensity in the narration.

Maps in Execution mode are look much better than what we have in obj mod, I like the big warehouse, there is more space and way to move over, or sneak around. We need better Obj design so we need also better map design.

[acQu]

I’m actually quite the opposite. I’d like to see more class based side objectives that significantly impact the flow of engagements before reaching the objective. I’d like to see main objectives be much more innovative, fast paced, and entirely new though- plants, repairs, hacks, etc are just uninteresting to perform.

As you said already and i agree: a major problem is the reduction in decission making with these oldschool type of objectives. For example you want to plant something, then have fun getting stuck in animation mode …

The other problem is, to me, not necessarily a problem related to hacking, planting, repairing itself, but the context in which you do this. This is where the setting of xT comes in, and the story. For example, would you want to repair a slow elevator derping your EV 1 meter from up to down level, or would you want to repair fin stargate, which brings you in the next dimension … I know that example is random, but immersion is everything, just stand beside one of a nicely staged stargate with nice sounds and visual effects and a backing with background story and there you go, you will immediately want to fin construct the sh… out of it xD Well, yeah.

So i rather think it is the world itself which makes it so hard to make proper objectives. I really feel here with the LDs of SD, it is a really restricting setting, and quite frankly unintersting. From that imo spiral down the objectives. Because LDs are probably themself not quite feelin it … could be a possibility at least. Try make an interesting objective in this world, you will see how hard it is. Of course, much of what i just said are mere assumptions. But imo the major fault comes from the unintersting setting itself, and lack of immersion: you just come for the shoots in this world.