For those who dont know me i am an avid PvPer and RPer. i have 2 level 51 Klingons and a level 51 Fed, as well as 3 other characters. I have experience in all 3 officer classes and have completed ALL the content in the game on at least one of my characters.
I love space PvP!
i like the game! (despite its many shortcomings)
The space combat system in this game is one of the best space combat experiences in the industry in my opinion. Balance is ALWAYS an issue in ALL games. however i enjoy flying my Bird and Refit Defiant more then playing Eve, Homeworld, Tie/X-Wing fighter, Wing Commander, or most other sci-fi space sims.
That being said, there has been NO actualy content (not balance) improvements to the Space PvP gaming system since the start of the game.
NO ONE CAN DENY: although space PvP isnt the primary experience of STO, it is one of the most important! also, most players spend a lot of time preparing builds for, or fighting in, space PvP matches.
WELL... how do we make the experience better without reinventing the wheel?
most players i have asked say that they tend to get bored of PVP space matches not because of the actual combat system, but because its "the same old thing over and over"
ok then! we have a direction now!
In nebula exploration missions, there are essentially 3 different space missions. defend outpost, clear system, and destroy defended objects.
what makes the missions so replayable is that each time the system background is different, the terrain in the map is different, the buildings are different, and the enemies you fight are different.
lets apply some of these principles to the space PvP gaming experience.
we have Salvage Op, Briar Patch, Solar Wind and Cracked planetoid (also mining operation but i dont see it in the new Q system)
lets keep these staple maps!
these can be broken into 2 catagories: Arena and capture and hold.
however, lets develope 2 new "skins" for each.
Sure arena already technically has 3 skins, but lets add two more. these maps dont have to be overly complex. Just a change in scenery and terrain.
Salvage Op will be more complex, but if possible keep the locations of the flags, just change the style of the "stations" in the map to a Klignon base, or a Romulan base, or an orion/borg base. we dont have to reinvent capture and hold, just change it up a little!
Moreover...
once we have 2 new map layouts for each of the 2 main catagories, lets implement different sky/space colors/backgrounds. Even when you show up for one of the pre-fabricated map layouts, the sky color or asteroid/building color will be one of 6 color/nebula variations. this will also break the monotony.
OK... now on to more complex suggestions for adding space PvP content:
NEW MAPS: Convoy Escort, KHitomer, Duels
Convoy Escort:
10 player map, 5v5
one of 3 different map payouts and one of 6 different backgrounds (space color)
a convoy of heavily armored supply/civilian ships are making their way past an enemy blockade (uncloaked). The convoy enters a large map in 3 groups of 5 ships. each group continues along one of 3 paths, which are the same each time (to keep programmer work down to a reasonable level). one path has no cover, one has moderate debris, and one has heavy asteroid cover.
the center path has no cover, but the defenders spawn in the exact center of the map, where there is a "way station" (small salvage op style starbase) which has defensive fortifications!!! (to prevent spawn camping... *ahem*Klingons*ahem*)
the attackers spawn in one of 4 spots each located in the four Corners of the map. They will not start together, 2 will spawn in one random corner, and one will spawn in each of the other three corners. respawning after death is RANDOM (for the attackers)
The attackers MUST destroy all 15 convoy ships to succeed in the mission. The ships are slow, but they might be hard to attack due to cover, and the center convoy will be dangerous to approach.
the defenders will have an advantage in the middle of the map, and during the middle section of time of the match.
the attackers will have the advantage during the very begginning and the very end of the match, and have the advantage where the convoys enter and leave the map.
Like i suggested before, this match will have 3 different map layouts.
Layout 1
IF{federation defender}
convoy is federation ships, as well as center base
asteroids are brown, any terrain buildings are bio domes
IF{Klingon defender}
convoy is Klignon ships, as well as center base
asteroids are ice colored, any terrain buildings are mining facilities
IF{third option + any defender}
convoy is romulan, center base is also romulan
asteroids are grey colored, any terrain buildings are romulan style buildings
ALSO: no matter what map layout/style is used, the sky/space background will be one of 6 different colors/nebulas (like all other maps theoretically)
The defender is chosen randomly per match and the map type is changed based on the defender type. The romulan scenario is just there to break monotony and set the ground work for the future romulan faction.
This match will probably have attacker advantage, but it will be a desperate fight! Does the defender put all there eggs in one basket in the middle, or do they agreessively intercept the attackes on one of the side convoys and hope the middle base will scare smaller escorts and raiders away?
If only ONE convoy ship leaves the map.... DEFENDERS WIN!!!
whoefver wins, however, both sides will recieve the normal PvP awards for completeing the misison.
DUELS:
a 2, 4 and 6 player map.
Random back ground and layout. 6 different sky/space otions couples with either borg remains, asteroids or ice mining facility.
1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 duels to settle epeen honor!
unlike arena, the two sides will fight and not reapwn untill one entire side is destroyed.
once one entire side is destroyed both sides respawn and go again, best 2 out of 3!!!
Khitomer Simulation:
6 player: 3 klingons 3 federation
2 basic map layouts and one of 6 different sky/space background colors/nebulas
layout one: Damaged Klignon starbase, brown asteroids, mining facility
layout two: Damaged Federation starbase, grey asteroids, bio domes
The Damaged starbase will have 100,000 hull points, no defenses and weak/slow regeneration shields. The starbase will be located in the center of the map.
The klignons and feds must work together to fight off three ELITE (no easy mode) waves of Romulans before they attack the base.
Each wave will consist of FOUR attacking squadrons which originate from each corner and head in to attack the damaged starbase simultaneously. Each squadron consists of 1 Dederidex Battleship, 2 Mogai escorts, and 3 romulan Warbird raiders. The attacking squadrons remained cloaked untill they get half way to the base. However, they remain on a straight trajectory at half impulse, and if one ship in the squadron is detected, the entire squadron will uncloak.
once the squadrons are in weapons range of the base, the D'deridex Battleships will fire on the base and NOTHING else. The other ships in the squadrons will attack ANY player ship within 15km of the Battleship they are escorting. If they have no target to attack they will attack the damaged starbase.
Players must work together on this mission! Klingons may not attack feds, and vice versa!
IF: the players fight off 3 waves of 4 squadrons and the Starbase has 1 or more hull points they succeed and get a rare (blue) prize (random)
IF: the starbase is destroyed the game ends and the players are made aware of their EPIC FAIL!
although they do NOT recieve a prise, they recieve the standard PvP awards: honor, money and experience.
IF the base is destroyed, the "winner" of th econtest for PvP awards purposes will be the side that destroyed the most romulans!
ok those were my ideas. PLEASE give feed back and add your own ideas. New content is only developed through player suggestions and consensus!
One thing that would help pvp also is some sort of standings. At this time there is really no way to see who is best at anything. I do believe this would help pvp a ton. Can you just see how many ppl would get bored of sports if there were no standings. Baseball, soccer, football, nascar, golf, ect all play the same game over and over, but they have a point to it and standings. We won't talk about the money, most did not start playing thinking about what the could earn.
In a way PVP is the sport of mmo's. You are putting your skill vs another. If you think about it most mmo's do have some sort of standings for pvp. Some for each player others for teams and some both.
The hardcore pvpers like myself i am sure will get bored of pvp the way it is now unless something is done.
Maybe a PvP map where the back drop is the battle lines, clashing fleets. Ya know kinda make you feel apart of the larger battle but not actually have to drop that many models?
These are excellent ideas worthy of a 2 thumbs up. Even (if dumbed down) versions of these should have been in the game from day 1 imho. The TRIBBLE pointlessness and non sense making of pvp matches currently could be solved in part by the addtion of these addtional options.
unlike arena, the two sides will fight and not reapwn untill one entire side is destroyed.
once one entire side is destroyed both sides respawn and go again, best 2 out of 3!!!
Thats the best part of the whole thing in my mind. These matches would work great inside of an actual dynamic open pvp mechanism if sector control or true world pvp ever comes to us. These are just a few of the things very similar to what laready succeeded mightily ig maes like sfc3 dynaverse.
i´d really love to see some of this stuff implemented.
especially rotating backgrounds etcf for the arenas, and adding the assault map to the cap n hold queue, plus one or two more maps would be really nice. As of course in the longer Term more interesting PvP maps and gametypes.
i am not a proffessional programmer but i have some programming experience.
so i realise my 3 scenarios may be somewhat difficult to design, but i think the "rotating terrain and backgrounds" is an easy way to add content (also, thank you for coining the phrase i like it!!!!)
i also LOVe the idea of a permenant record of damage, ships destroyed, and repair stats!
most games have a ranking system and sometimes it helps settle a lot of cheesy flaming if people can throw up their stats and see how they fair against other "proffessional PvPers!!!"
thank you for the feedback and keep it coming, even if its negative!!!
Comments
In a way PVP is the sport of mmo's. You are putting your skill vs another. If you think about it most mmo's do have some sort of standings for pvp. Some for each player others for teams and some both.
The hardcore pvpers like myself i am sure will get bored of pvp the way it is now unless something is done.
Maybe a PvP map where the back drop is the battle lines, clashing fleets. Ya know kinda make you feel apart of the larger battle but not actually have to drop that many models?
Just a thought.
Heres a bump to ya.
unlike arena, the two sides will fight and not reapwn untill one entire side is destroyed.
once one entire side is destroyed both sides respawn and go again, best 2 out of 3!!!
Thats the best part of the whole thing in my mind. These matches would work great inside of an actual dynamic open pvp mechanism if sector control or true world pvp ever comes to us. These are just a few of the things very similar to what laready succeeded mightily ig maes like sfc3 dynaverse.
right on!
especially rotating backgrounds etcf for the arenas, and adding the assault map to the cap n hold queue, plus one or two more maps would be really nice. As of course in the longer Term more interesting PvP maps and gametypes.
/bump
i am not a proffessional programmer but i have some programming experience.
so i realise my 3 scenarios may be somewhat difficult to design, but i think the "rotating terrain and backgrounds" is an easy way to add content (also, thank you for coining the phrase i like it!!!!)
i also LOVe the idea of a permenant record of damage, ships destroyed, and repair stats!
most games have a ranking system and sometimes it helps settle a lot of cheesy flaming if people can throw up their stats and see how they fair against other "proffessional PvPers!!!"
thank you for the feedback and keep it coming, even if its negative!!!