Idea to spice up PUBS

[NightHawk043]

We all know that pubs often have little team co-op (you're just as often competing with your team-mates to be the one who gets to cap the flag as you are fending off enemies), and in my opinion, there's very little that can be done to avoid that, without mandatory game strategy education for new players, and even that wouldn't work if the player decided he'd rather not play as a team.

Proposing that we accept that lack of team strategy is going to happen any way, I suggest a special "Focus on ..." feature that can be toggled on or off by the host (or by admins in the case of dedicated servers).
Keep in mind that this is designed to be done as a casual gameplay thing, and would not be used during any kind of competitive play.

Now, what I mean by "Focus on ..." is that every five minutes or so the game selects a particular skill that you "Focus on", and if you succeed in that, then you are rewarded for it.

For example, the game might say "Focus on Rocket MidAirs", in which case, for those five minutes, any player who scores a midair would get double the number of points as normal (that is, if a system is implemented where "style points" or similar are awarded for things like ma's. If not, then the player could simply be given an extra "kill" point (but not in DM mode) )

Now, while obviously a portion of these would be shooting related (rocket MA, Grenade MA, MA sniper Headshot, long range shots of RL or GL, Overdrive Nukes), some could be related to other things, perhaps giving players (not teams) a bonus point for a cap if it says "focus on capturing the enemy flag", or points for flag returns, etc.

I stated this up above, but I'll say it again to make sure it sinks in, so I don't get any rage comments, This would NOT be intended for during competitive play, but merely designed to make the game a bit more enjoyable when nothing serious is happening. It could be made to only turn on by default when there is below a certain number of people in the game, and then be switched on (or off) by an admin / the host, after player hosted servers become available.

 

[Gheist]

[...] It could definitely help new players get used to the flow of the game and understand the main objectives of CTF. [...]

Since when does the "flow of the game" change every "five minutes or so"? And since when is getting sniperhits or MAs during specific periods of time a "main objective of CTF"?

NightHawk043, I'd totally agree with your suggestion, if it was possible to get something like situation dependant hints. Something that would really make players aware of what they could/should do to help their team. Sadly, I can't really imagine that something like that would be possible (at least not above a very basic level). Your current suggestion though, would rather be detrimental to teamplay. Sure, 5 minutes in which everyone would try to go for MAs*, flaggrabs, or for bodyblocks etc. would give people something to do. But would it be the right thing? Something that really improves gameplay in PUBs? Or would it be just something to do, something to divert from the fact that you're playing in a CTF server but would actually rather like to do something else?

I'd rather like to see features that encourage good teamplay, than features that keep you busy when teamplay went down the gutter.

* (Assuming the "Focus on..." messages would be the same for everyone. But even if everyone got different messages, it would still distract from the actual CTF gameplay.)

 

[Revelation]

From your description, your "focus on" feature appears largely similar to a goal system, however I don't see how that will help team cooperation and game strategy education in pubs. Sure, giving players goals and objectives might make them more more useful, but it doesn't address how to work well with other people. I see this idea as being generally ineffective because players have the ability to simply ignore it altogether. I also disagree with your statement that it will "make the game a bit more enjoyable when nothing serious is happening." Enjoyable to who? I knew many players, myself included, who had a great deal of fun in pubs without actually capping flags or killing enemies. My opinion - forcing players, especially casual ones, to play a game a certain way is the wrong way to go about doing things. Instead, make the casual players aware of pugs and let them make the decision as to whether or not they would like to play in a more structured environment.

 

[Strife]

Not a bad idea, I think a "Tips and Hints" system could work well. I still think the most efficient way to teach pub players to play effectively would be to get one or two volunteers from each position and have groups of players learn from them until all the positions have been covered - especially because the community is smaller and pretty much everyone knows each other. It'd be similiar to how Filter and others used to host newblood pickup games and help them out on vent, but more thorough and easier to manage. I'm sure if enough well-known players volunteered to help, newer players and others willing to improve themselves would sign up. The only real flaw with this is that people usually aren't willing to go out of their way to help newbs.

 

[stefygraff]

This sounds fine, and can make the game harder (at DM and TDM) but i can't see how it can influence CTF(the spot that has the biggest problems of team-up).
Thinking about it better, DM and TDM are not really made for co-op at all.

And implementing such a "MA kill bonus" on CTF will actually make the game awful, nobody will defend, nobody will cap, everyone will try to MA.

On the thin line of your idea i thought of something for CTF. at the middle of game the Shazbot randomly makes defense and attack for each team.
Example:
Red team: defense: stefygraff, nighthawnk/ attack: xspeed and gheist
Blue tean: defense: rizzal, my grandpa/ attack: my dad, my mom *just examples

And the one who dosent keep to his position gets " - " points...

 

[Whitewhale]

i kinda like it as a warmup periods b4 the ctf starts

MA comps BB comps etc rock!

 

[Mhi200]

There are headshots?

 

[Gheist]

There are headshots?

Nope, there aren't. Or at least, there haven't been as we were last able to play the game.

 

[NightHawk043]

On the thin line of your idea i thought of something for CTF. at the middle of game the Shazbot randomly makes defense and attack for each team.
Example:
Red team: defense: stefygraff, nighthawnk/ attack: xspeed and gheist
Blue tean: defense: rizzal, my grandpa/ attack: my dad, my mom *just examples

And the one who dosent keep to his position gets " - " points...

As much as I like the fact that players will then be divided into tactical positions, at what point would the computer determine that you haven't kept your position?
If one player chooses to completely ignore the fact he was asked to go defense, and just go offense, would the Computer swap someone off offense to keep it even (and subtract points from the ignoring player)
or would it just subtract the points? I can't help but feel a lot of people would just not care they were getting negative points.

Also stefy, I can't help but feel that it wouldn't be the best way to get players to learn.
Back when I was really learning how to play, I found it easiest to start off, only playing (when able) my favourite position (/s) which was capping, and later chasing as well.
I found it easier to just play those, until I got good at them, then try learning something new. That way I didn't have to work on setting so many things into my head at once. (I say that because once something is properly learned, it's far easier to remember it, than if you've only Begun to learn it)

Also, I did just think of a few other things. I agree that my idea would not encourage team play (which is obviously a bad thing), but I'd suggest it would still be on when it's say 2v2 or less, and (since there's going to be a voting system implemented) players could just vote to turn it off. I say this because while if there's a good couple of players on each team who are doing their best to keep the teams balanced they can still get some good ctf, but for the most part a 2v2 will rarely have even teams, and it's a bit hard to just have one person on offense, one on defense.
I figure a majority vote could work because if they vote it on it basically means, "we're not playing ctf properly and it's just getting boring, can we do something a bit different (without playing another game mode)".
Looking up at my suggestion above, I also realise it could work equally well if it's just off by default no matter the number of people, and the players can vote it on if they so choose.

 

[Mhi200]

Nope, there aren't. Or at least, there haven't been as we were last able to play the game.

Lol, didn't think so.

 

[mausgang]

How about, in CTF, you got points for playing defense while the enemy flag was in the base and your flag isn't, or killing an enemy chaser. Not necessarily objectives that change, but rewards for watching out for you team. Then, in the loading screen and suchlike, there can be tips that point to the fact that individual players get more points and rewards for helping out the team in CTF

 

[Novaz]

Since when does the "flow of the game" change every "five minutes or so"? And since when is getting sniperhits or MAs during specific periods of time a "main objective of CTF"

Gheist is correct... No matter what happens, the main idea of the game is what it's called, either CTF, TDM, or DM. The rules don't change as the game progresses, no matter what happens. The priority is always the same.

 

[UtadaHikaru]

This would be a great idea to implement if we set up.. well newbie rooms for lack of a better term, I know when i started out i had no idea what to practice first be it capping chain gunning or mid airs etc. i doubt that other new players wont be having the same issue.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I kind of feel like this would simply organize the chaos, make it worse. If everyone is going for the flag in the first place, and everyone is out of position because there is no coordination, you have a problem (several). If the same message, "Focus on capping" was sent to the whole team, now you would have automated disorganization. I suppose this could work if everyone got a specific recommendation for his/her individual position. However, that seems like a lot of extra work to implement. In terms of position assigning messages in PUBs, you're always going to get the group of people who aren't going to listen.

I do think this is a decent idea. I just don't know how to properly design/implement, without impeding progress/furthering PUB chaos.

 

[Alex]

you guys are talking like the world doesn't know how top play video games...I'm sure most of the people out there played at least a shooter in their life...but again what you're talking here is about noobs...noobs usually do that kind of things

 

[Novaz]

you guys are talking like the world doesn't know how top play video games...I'm sure most of the people out there played at least a shooter in their life...but again what you're talking here is about noobs...noobs usually do that kind of things

wtf are you talking about?

 

[w00tyou]

I think This is revolved around Moltendorf's idea that his is going to implement in his game.
Lets say 14 people are in a pub it starts then the system Assigns Positions to The player such as...

Player 1(player name) "you are going to be a capper"
Here is a breif Description of capping.
Player 2 "you are going to be a... ect ect

Give the game start 30-45 seconds for them to read and then your good to go.

I really think this is a good idea to guide new players. Instead of having them Llama grabing all the time.

 

[NightHawk043]

That hadn't actually been what I meant, but having thought about it more thoroughly I didn't like the way I'd meant the idea to be. I agree with what W00tyou said, except for the part about my idea revolving around what molten is doing in his game. As far as I can remember molt didn't tell me about that part yet.

 

[ocarina_boy]

Some good ideas there NightHawk043, they reminded me of some other games I've played that have similiar features, and they do work well. The 'Focus-on' mode would work wonders in a private game with friends or even as a clan practice thing.

 

[w00tyou]

I Talked with Molt and he said that his system would recomend positions baised on stats. Such as the stats that the nanu nanu servers ran.