There are a bunch of missions or random exploration missions that honestly feel too easy. For example, I'm on a random exploration mission where I am supposed to defend an asteroid base while they are finishing a project. Yet at NO TIME is the asteroid base in any harm.
I'm not saying outright destroy it but the enemies SHOULD be able to target the base and do damage to it and if you are REALLY slack they SHOULD be able to destroy the base and force the mission to be terminated with a failure.
With story missions, you can't do that but can certainly have the player either restart the mission or restart from a 'spawn point' at least. I'm TIRED of seeing NPC's being dropped to 0 shield/health and running around looking like they're at 100% - if they are at 0 shield and 0 health, they should drop and the mission should be a 'failure' if the purpose is to defend them/keep them safe.
Without working on these, the missions still have a sense of 'fakeness' to them, you know what I mean? Make keeping the NPC's/mission objectives safe COUNT.
I agree just the other night I was playing a mission were I had to escape from the base before it self-destruct went off. I kept expecting to see a timer pop up but it never did I could have sat there all night if I wanted to and not be in any real danger of blowing up. It was rather disappointing really
One problem is that this would require proper balancing to give you time to close the distance to the NPC or object that needs defending, which would then be messed with by group-scaling. In some missions the unkillable NPC is at zero hull and shields before even appearing on sensors when you're grouped up. Sometimes that's even the case solo.
One solution would be to add more ships to defend and/or scale the structure's HP to group size, but the former would require making space NPCs actually somewhat able to work together to heal each other or they'd just chain-pop from hostile NPC focus fire...
I think these problems speak more to weak elements of game design than being intensely difficult problems inherently, though. Actual escort missions appeared in the SFC games, which had more complicated space combat systems and minimal healing assist (just the ability to slowly beam over spare parts for self-repair). The combat maps were also bigger and detection ranges were massively greater so that intercepts and screening actions could actually be accomplished.
The idea of that particular mission is supposed to be that the Base remain Stable during the mission. If they get Jolted around from weapons fire during the process of completing the research, then the research will be ruined as I understand the prior chit chat with the base personnel.
Im not say a revamp of the game is need Im just say it would be fun to play some missions were you have to escape be for time runs out or you fail and have to start over or if you cant stop the ship your trying to save from being destroyed mission fail. just ideas for new missions
I sort of agree, the chance of failure adds 'weight' to a mission. I remember being disappointed when an episode required protecting a ship and yet, when that ship hit 0% hull, nothing happened.
But personally, on some level, I tend to dread escort/protection missions in both MMOs and single-player games. Perhaps it has something to do with the stupid AI of the NPCs you have to protect, or the potential for griefing (by both 'friendly' players and 'enemies') -- but it's usually that type of content I do last.
Anyway, in one of the new FDC episodes, I made a mistake and got a big fat FAILED. I had to drop the episode and start from the beginning again. I thought that was somewhat interesting...
I wouldn't be adverse to a change like that at all. It would certainly change some of my play style. I would stop scanning all the anomalies before actually completing mission requirements, such as in the very first mission when the SS Azura is being attacked, if her hull actually breached I might make it a priority to defend her and THEN get the anomalies.
I wouldn't be adverse to a change like that at all. It would certainly change some of my play style. I would stop scanning all the anomalies before actually completing mission requirements, such as in the very first mission when the SS Azura is being attacked, if her hull actually breached I might make it a priority to defend her and THEN get the anomalies.
But you can always get the anomalies after you saved the ship insted of just departing to sec space,
But you can always get the anomalies after you saved the ship insted of just departing to sec space,
Sure, but because there are no consequences, it really doesn't matter. And its by consequences alone that decisions can be made. I realize Cryptic wants to keep the game balanced for casual players, but at the same time I wouldn't mind seeing it so that my actions have ramifications.
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One solution would be to add more ships to defend and/or scale the structure's HP to group size, but the former would require making space NPCs actually somewhat able to work together to heal each other or they'd just chain-pop from hostile NPC focus fire...
I think these problems speak more to weak elements of game design than being intensely difficult problems inherently, though. Actual escort missions appeared in the SFC games, which had more complicated space combat systems and minimal healing assist (just the ability to slowly beam over spare parts for self-repair). The combat maps were also bigger and detection ranges were massively greater so that intercepts and screening actions could actually be accomplished.
But personally, on some level, I tend to dread escort/protection missions in both MMOs and single-player games. Perhaps it has something to do with the stupid AI of the NPCs you have to protect, or the potential for griefing (by both 'friendly' players and 'enemies') -- but it's usually that type of content I do last.
Anyway, in one of the new FDC episodes, I made a mistake and got a big fat FAILED.
But you can always get the anomalies after you saved the ship insted of just departing to sec space,
Sure, but because there are no consequences, it really doesn't matter. And its by consequences alone that decisions can be made. I realize Cryptic wants to keep the game balanced for casual players, but at the same time I wouldn't mind seeing it so that my actions have ramifications.