| Author |
How to balance the MV: Mercenaries |
Chewy Squirrel
Chief Marshal
Joined: January 27, 2003
Posts: 304
From: NYC
|  Posted: 2010-07-27 20:50
As we all know the MV has cycles of certain factions completely steamrolling the other 2 due to a massive population superiority. There are times where one faction has 20 members on while another has 2. This problem is solved easily in scenario via a script that disallows you from joining the most powerful faction based on population and rank. But this cannot be done in the MV due to fleets, and the majority of people playing a single faction(so their garage only ships from that faction).
So whats the solution? Allow players to opt to become a "mercenary" instead of joining a fleet. As a mercenary they always have to join the weakest faction(determined by the same script as in scenario-based on population and the ranks of that population). Now there are several obvious disadvantages to the player who chooses to be a mercenary:
-They are always on the losing team
-They can't choose their faction
-They must have ships from all 3 factions in their garage
So why would anyone want to become a mercenary? There are a few incentives that can be given for someone to be a mercenary including an additional a 10% prestige bonus to all actions, additional garage space, access to pirate ships(they are mercenaries not aligned to a faction after all, how would they get military ships?). Perhaps even allowing mercenaries to only use pirate ships(no factional ships). Although access to pirate ships leads to problems of its own such as those ships not being balanced for PVP, and there only being a handful of varieties of pirate ships currently. So the easiest thing would just be to give mercenaries a prestige bonus.
In-universe explanation? Simple- the faction that is losing and weakest will be the most desperate and pay the most for the services of mercenaries. So naturally mercenaries would go to where the most money is.
Also the faction hoppers would have an excuse 
_________________
|
Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2010-07-27 20:54
Question:
Wouldn't it simpler to subject unfleeted players to the same team balancing mechanism used on the Scen servers?
Meaning: If you're fleeted, you go to your faction.
Unfleeted? Then you can join only those factions which are not "full" (in other words.... not outnumbering the other 2)
_________________
... in space, no one can hear you scream.....
|
Tenebrean
Grand Admiral
Joined: November 19, 2007
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2010-07-27 21:46
Quote:
|
On 2010-07-27 20:54, Kenny_Naboo wrote:
Question:
Wouldn't it simpler to subject unfleeted players to the same team balancing mechanism used on the Scen servers?
Meaning: If you're fleeted, you go to your faction.
Unfleeted? Then you can join only those factions which are not "full" (in other words.... not outnumbering the other 2)
|
|
no horrible idea for im thinking of staying UGTO but i cba with fleet cause of personal reasons i think quite a few players can agree with me on this that when i say this should be voluntary
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
as for the mercenary idea i love it , give faction hoppers a chance to feel at home everywhere ^^ about the ships it might be best for having the factions ship otherwise it could get quite confusing during a game
_________________
|
Fatal Perihelion
Chief Marshal
Fatal Squadron
Joined: April 15, 2010
Posts: 308
| Posted: 2010-07-27 22:58
Maybe palestar should "pay" the mercs:
50 Credits each hour.
_________________
|
Starcommander
Marshal
Joined: December 14, 2005
Posts: 579
From: In your base, stealing your cookies
| Posted: 2010-07-27 23:49
Quote:
|
On 2010-07-27 20:54, Kenny_Naboo wrote:
Question:
Wouldn't it simpler to subject unfleeted players to the same team balancing mechanism used on the Scen servers?
Meaning: If you're fleeted, you go to your faction.
Unfleeted? Then you can join only those factions which are not "full" (in other words.... not outnumbering the other 2)
|
|
This would put a more important role to fleets now. If you want to be on X faction all the time, then you gotta join a fleet or make one. Would be a benefit to fleets, since fleets would ignore the auto team balance. Thus allowing you to always play, and always play the side you want.
To those who don't like this idea. Too bad, this is an attempt to fix faction hopping and sabotaging at the same time.
_________________
WH 40k armies, Grey Knights, Dark Angles, Imperial Guard (Vostroyan First Born) and Orks.
There is a thin line between knowing when to give up and when to try harder.
|
Lrd_Hunter
Grand Admiral
Joined: August 16, 2006
Posts: 245
| Posted: 2010-07-28 05:16
Quote:
|
On 2010-07-27 23:49, Starcommand of ICC *XO* wrote:
Quote:
|
On 2010-07-27 20:54, Kenny_Naboo wrote:
Question:
Wouldn't it simpler to subject unfleeted players to the same team balancing mechanism used on the Scen servers?
Meaning: If you're fleeted, you go to your faction.
Unfleeted? Then you can join only those factions which are not "full" (in other words.... not outnumbering the other 2)
|
|
This would put a more important role to fleets now. If you want to be on X faction all the time, then you gotta join a fleet or make one. Would be a benefit to fleets, since fleets would ignore the auto team balance. Thus allowing you to always play, and always play the side you want.
To those who don't like this idea. Too bad, this is an attempt to fix faction hopping and sabotaging at the same time.
|
|
i don't like the idea call me a faction hopper if you want i don't like being forced to play one faction there not that much gameplay as is so i like to switch it up a bit so the game dosent get boring. one min i may like luth next i might like to play ugto.
and about the idea for the merc it could use some twinking but sounds good players trying to push this game into having more gameplay keep it up.
[ This Message was edited by: Meehan on 2010-07-28 05:17 ]
_________________
|
Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2010-07-28 05:26
OK, to me, it's not about faction hoppers or anything.
The reason why I suggested unfleeted players being subjected to team balancing is because it already happens in Scenario, so why not in the MV too?
Next, fleeted players are locked (i.e. forced to play) to their factions anyway, so unfleeted players will merely be "locked out" of the faction that is currently numerically superior.
It's like any other team based shooter like CounterStrike, Battlefield 2, or Day of Defeat. You'll get a "Team Full, Join the other Team" message.
It only makes perfect sense from a gameplay perspective to balance the teams out as much as possible.
_________________
... in space, no one can hear you scream.....
|
nicklane1
2nd Rear Admiral
Joined: October 03, 2009
Posts: 112
From: Eating your cheese behind you.
| Posted: 2010-07-28 08:05
If i could use pirate ships, id LOVE it. the rogens flagship would be my choice, but maybe 50 creds per hour because of how weak pirate ships are, because not many really need the pres bonus, only a few newer players
_________________
Hey guys i hope you dont like cheese, cuz ima eatin al urz chaezeyZ
|
Starcommander
Marshal
Joined: December 14, 2005
Posts: 579
From: In your base, stealing your cookies
| Posted: 2010-07-28 08:13
Also fleets are not locked to factions like most people think. Fleets CAN move about the factions. Only not as freely as an un-fleeted can, fleets have a 7 day cool down between faction jumps. Although every fleet has a "home" faction that is calls.
A fleet called Faster Than Light (my own fleet) tried this, by moving about the factions as player numbers were needed. Alas this idea didn't work out too well as most of its time was spent in ICC, who needed the players the most at that time. It was proven tho that a fleet didn't need to stay loyal to a faction, fleets are as free to move about as anyone else.
_________________
WH 40k armies, Grey Knights, Dark Angles, Imperial Guard (Vostroyan First Born) and Orks.
There is a thin line between knowing when to give up and when to try harder.
|
Fatal Command (CO)
Chief Marshal
Fatal Squadron
Joined: November 27, 2002
Posts: 1159
From: Back in Texas and noticing some ppl are like canoes.....they need to be paddled.
| Posted: 2010-07-28 08:36
no.Fleets are locked to a faction for 7 days...unfleeted can change factions every 5 mins if they feel like it..so fleets are NOT like everyone else.
_________________
|
Shigernafy
Admiral
Joined: May 29, 2001
Posts: 5726
From: The Land of Taxation without Representation
| Posted: 2010-07-28 08:45
Well the intent with the 7 day timer was to have a loyalty timer for unfleeteds too, but it never made it off the drawing board.
And Pirates aren't currently balanced for pvp, but there's no reason they couldn't be relatively quickly. There aren't many of them, after all..
_________________
* [S.W]AdmBito @55321 Sent \"I dunno; the French had a few missteps. But they're on the right track, one headbutt at a time.\"
|
NoBoDx
Grand Admiral
Joined: October 14, 2003
Posts: 784
From: Germany / NRW
| Posted: 2010-07-28 08:53
afaik the balance-script check the rank of players in scen so basically if 2 marshals are on one team, its locked, until (one) other team have enough ranked players on their side ( maybe 5 or more low-ranks)
_________________
The only good 'ooman is a dead 'ooman. An' da only fing better than a dead 'ooman'z a dyin' 'ooman who tell you where ter find 'is mates.
|
Marius Falix
Grand Admiral
Joined: July 05, 2010
Posts: 268
From: Luyten
| Posted: 2010-07-28 10:20
i got half way thru the thread, but if ya do this i suggest you people to use the ship from any factions.
would be intresting to fight alongside a luthy dread huh?
it would change alot about the way people play/build/fight/survive.
would it not?
_________________
“We give our lives for the lives of Humanity. May you all see better days.”
We are the Falix Brothers...
|
Sops
Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 490
| Posted: 2010-07-28 13:03
I would like to see the original suggestion implemented.
_________________
|
-Arkaeus-
Fleet Admiral
Joined: May 16, 2010
Posts: 13
From: Definitely NOT under your bed, so dont even bother checking. ;s
| Posted: 2010-07-28 14:28
Quote:
|
On 2010-07-27 23:49, Starcommand of ICC *XO* wrote:
To those who don't like this idea. Too bad, this is an attempt to fix faction hopping and sabotaging at the same time.
|
|
Actually, there is no mention to this being an 'attempt to fix faction hopping and sabotaging at the same time' by the original post. This is a suggestion to add a new, promising feature to the game with Voluntary playtypes.
_________________
|
English
Deutsch
Nederlands
)
