What's DB Going For?

[Tanto]

Hey all! I’d like to start off by saying that this game is awesome and I hope it manages to keep a strong start, especially going into release, whenever that may be.

I’ve been playing the game on and off since it first popped up, but never really put serious time into it until a few months ago. Since then I’ve really been enjoying the game and am looking forward to where it goes. But, while playing, I’ve run into some certain things that really make me wonder what exactly the game is going for. So, I’d like to ask you guys, who have no doubt been playing longer then I have.

What kind of game is DB trying to be? The most noticeable thing about the game is how it moves away from the modern trend of games having extremely low time-to-kill. It also has awesome gun-play and it really seems like the game could be the next popular competitive shooter. It doesn’t have too many unbalanced weapons or classes (if any at all) and it seems like, in the average one-on-one fight, the player with more skill will probably win.

But that’s really what I’m wondering about. If this game is going for a more competitive feel (I have not followed the DB devs enough to know whether or not this is the case,) then aren’t there a little too many features in the game that enable un-skilled players to do better, or players to perform well without exercising actual skill?

Particularly I’m talking about people who play Fletcher and only throw sticky bombs at you and never fire a shot, or people who run up to you as Proxy, drop a mine in front of you and then shoot it, or people who run around as Stoker and just throw Napalm right onto people for an easy instant kill, or when you kill a Nader in CQC only to have their Martyrdom kill you even though you just out-gunned them in a 1-on-1 fight.

I suppose you could say there is another kind of ‘skill’ involved in doing all those things, but it seems like they enable an “easy-mode” where you don’t have to headshot, out-track your opponent, or play with a sense of tactics. It’s just frustrating to turn the corner and run into a Fletcher who one-hits you with a sticky bomb before you get your second shotgun shot off.

Any-who, I’m interested to see how the community feels about this subject. Keep in mind, I’m still pretty new and I’m not trying to say my opinion is fact and that’s how the game should be. I’m just curious as to where the game is intended to be, and if certain features of the game belong there or not.

Also I’m not campaigning for mass nerfs on Fletcher or Proxy or any other class, so please, don’t get the wrong idea.

[SteelMailbox]

It tries to be a competitive game more than anything but currently it is a pub game.
Devs need feedback to be able to get this game in shape and feedback is always appreciated as long as it is constructive gentleman like criticism.
Even a titan of competitive gaming such as CS:GO took it’s time developing into what it is today and even now it isn’t the most balanced stuff without 3rd world parties such as FaceIt, ESEA and more.

[srswizard]

There’s a different kind of skill and awareness required, for avoiding most merc abilities, that you grow over time, and with trial and error.
That said, there are situations where you can’t do jack, like being stickied, and you might have to rely on healers on your team etc.
It’s a team game, though, and it’s balanced accordingly.

[FalC_16]

Particularly I’m talking about people who play Fletcher and only throw sticky bombs at you and never fire a shot, or people who run up to you as Proxy, drop a mine in front of you and then shoot it, or people who run around as Stoker and just throw Napalm right onto people for an easy instant kill, or when you kill a Nader in CQC only to have their Martyrdom kill you even though you just out-gunned them in a 1-on-1 fight.

I rarely see fletcher players who really know what they are doing. Those who master stickies or mines are skillers according to my book.

[blonk]

[quote=“Tanto;22362”]But that’s really what I’m wondering about. If this game is going for a more competitive feel (I have not followed the DB devs enough to know whether or not this is the case,) then aren’t there a little too many features in the game that enable un-skilled players to do better, or players to perform well without exercising actual skill?

Particularly I’m talking about people who play Fletcher and only throw sticky bombs at you and never fire a shot, or people who run up to you as Proxy, drop a mine in front of you and then shoot it, or people who run around as Stoker and just throw Napalm right onto people for an easy instant kill, or when you kill a Nader in CQC only to have their Martyrdom kill you even though you just out-gunned them in a 1-on-1 fight.[/quote]

I have an opinion similar to some of the other people on this thread, people who can flick a sticky at me at medium range fit my definiton of skilled with ease. Even your example of dropping mines and shooting requires practice and situational awareness to pull off successfully, as do a great number of the merc abilities, not to mention all the movement and trickjumping. Tactics are also really important, I see often on Stopwatch a defending team with a plan can do amazing things, even when they are short of players. I’m 200 hours in at this point but sometimes I feel like I’ve just dipped my toes when I see others in action.

Knowing when not to lean on LMB or how to click on a head is not the only measure of skill, and there’s a fuckton of skill in Dirty bomb, at least in my eyes. It strikes me more as arena-shooter skill (a la Quake 3) as opposed to Counter-strike. Both require tons of skill, but not in the same disciplines.