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++Monster Play Option??++
nabreeki
Member Posts: 2,657 Arc User
Since creating fully-fledged factions is simply not a reality in STO -- a point that's been reiterated over and over again by the Devs -- and mini-factions tend to disappoint (thinking about the disappointment when leaving the 23rd century after level 10), I think we need to do away with the "faction" vocabulary/mindset altogether and move on to a concept that might appease those wanting to immerse themselves in another "faction" while removing the expectation entirely that this "faction" will be fully, or even mostly, fleshed out.
This is where the idea of "monster play" comes in: short battlezone or STF-length opportunities to play AGAINST the Federation or Klingons. Not only will this make matches more challenging, more participatory, and more interesting, but imagine the RP and immersion possibilities for those players itching to be part of the Borg Collective or the Dominion, even if just for an hour or so.
Example: People who know me in-game know that I'm in immersion player, and sometimes I want to get a taste for what the "other side" is like, so to speak. During ground STF runs, I sometimes like to immerse myself as an assimilated Starfleet Officer -- a new member of the collective -- and I like to try and help the borg defeat the "good guys" by using a variety of methods. The match is more challenging for the other players, since they're down a man, and it allows me to really get into the story from another perspective.
There are some issues that will have to be worked out on power/damage balance for players joining as Borg, or Undine, or whatever, but I think that monster play folks should be stronger than Elite ground Borg, with some powers true to their species unavailable to other players. Tholians could have an ability (with a lengthy cooldown period) to disable others' EV suits, causing that player to choke to death. Undine can teleport behind other players. That kind of thing.
If players fail to meet the STF objectives within a certain timeframe, the "monster" players get double the rewards (since monster play would come with inherent disadvantages in a match). If a "monster" player is killed, he or she simply respawns as another Borg or something in place of an NPC until the match is complete.
With the new competitive reputation system being introduced into the game, this would be a great opportunity to suggest some new ideas for competitive play styles that would make matches a little more challenging and fun, since no two runs will be exactly the same.
This is where the idea of "monster play" comes in: short battlezone or STF-length opportunities to play AGAINST the Federation or Klingons. Not only will this make matches more challenging, more participatory, and more interesting, but imagine the RP and immersion possibilities for those players itching to be part of the Borg Collective or the Dominion, even if just for an hour or so.
Example: People who know me in-game know that I'm in immersion player, and sometimes I want to get a taste for what the "other side" is like, so to speak. During ground STF runs, I sometimes like to immerse myself as an assimilated Starfleet Officer -- a new member of the collective -- and I like to try and help the borg defeat the "good guys" by using a variety of methods. The match is more challenging for the other players, since they're down a man, and it allows me to really get into the story from another perspective.
There are some issues that will have to be worked out on power/damage balance for players joining as Borg, or Undine, or whatever, but I think that monster play folks should be stronger than Elite ground Borg, with some powers true to their species unavailable to other players. Tholians could have an ability (with a lengthy cooldown period) to disable others' EV suits, causing that player to choke to death. Undine can teleport behind other players. That kind of thing.
If players fail to meet the STF objectives within a certain timeframe, the "monster" players get double the rewards (since monster play would come with inherent disadvantages in a match). If a "monster" player is killed, he or she simply respawns as another Borg or something in place of an NPC until the match is complete.
With the new competitive reputation system being introduced into the game, this would be a great opportunity to suggest some new ideas for competitive play styles that would make matches a little more challenging and fun, since no two runs will be exactly the same.
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Comments
Something like monster play could add in an interesting playstyle to some pretty stagnant gameplay and missions.
These days it's always the same old at every new season; a new 5-tier rep, a weapon set, a ground set, a space set, a few story missions, a couple of PVE queues and maybe a battlezone with essentially the same mechanics as previous ones.
Something new and refreshing like this could add in a bit of fun from a different angle.
It'd be interesting to get to play the Borg in Hive ground, or ISA. As a Borg mob on the "bad guy team" you'd be given a set build/toon and faster respawn, but be at the mercy of the player team who had access to all that powercreep allows.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
You're suggesting a new PvP mode, all fine and good and not a bad idea though it'd need to have some quirks studied and hopefully prevented to make a fun experience.
Then, you mention you are sometimes playing against your own team in PvE queues, which is all about teamwork, for your own reasons, going against the objectives and derailing the mission by adding a difficulty not planned by the developers. All of which doesn't really have much to do with your subject which is about new PvP queues.
I've argued before that Liberated Borg should have a more useful trait, like turning an enemy drone into an ally. Doing it the other way around would definitely be fun.
We need more randomisation in the current content and this can be a nice way of doing it.
If by trolling you mean trying to play your side's objectives, which are to stop the hero's winning then yes.
Any "trolling" would be no more that one side or the other winning the mission. That there is basic PVP 101.
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However, I do think given the difference in power levels between players, I see some issues coming up. Since I assume that the baddies will have fixed strength for this and not depend on anything their captain does or buys - possibly with different levels for N, A, E - an experienced monster will probably easily destroy less experienced players and at the same time be no match for better ones at all, since the best strategy is moot if you get blasted in .3 seconds. While you could argue that at least for the first group I mentioned some incentive to learn the ropes is a good thing, I doubt those most in need would see it that way and just be unhappy about it, while the monsters up against captain Dee'Pee-eS and his crew will also not really enjoy it, since they have no way to scale against it. Unless you also scaled the player side down, or restricted them to certain sets, but since this apparently isn't an option for real PvP, I doubt it would happen here.
Separate rankings and levels relevant to that Zone. PVE Missions also in that Zone that award the 'currency', and Commendations also relevant to that Zone.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
On that note, I cannot think of any species more monstrous than the Bajorans.
Maybe they could be the monsters we fight against?