Zero Notion
Red Star Jr.
EoN.
203
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Posted - 2013.08.18 06:04:00 -
[1] - Quote
Let's have a discussion about Redlines, maps and design.
Right now, they're not the best; they're obviously going to be intended (hopefully) for more large scale warfare (as seen by many of the maps 'connecting' within one another) but as of right now, the basis of the design is inherently flawed in the Skirmish mode. Part of the issue is the Redline, what the Redline means, how the Redline mechanic works and ultimately, how it fails to do the job its there for.
While many of you are critical of Snipers camping behind the Redline, there is a growing capability within the community to utilize the Redline as a way to box the enemy in who is given a false sense of security by what the Redline offers them. As the community adapts, evolves and grows more skilled within their toolsets, Lavs, tanks, dropships and even players can turn the Redline into a killing field for an entire match.
While I am sure CCP did not intend for this to happen, I believe there is a potential solution for the problem. This is a rough draft of an idea that I've been conceptualizing for a couple of hours but let's consider it an Open Source Idea.
Let's take away the Redline entirely. In its place, we draw the Killing Line; this line is placed two hundred meters out from either team's spawn locations with capture points in the middle/wherever on the map you'd like them, with plenty of space within this killing zone and your typical objectives within. Each territory behind this line is the Friendly Zone; it is the zone that the enemy should not be pushing into unless you have done something incredibly wrong or have simply become completely overwhelmed. They might even just have huge clone balls.
Within this territory lies two to three new capture objectives which offer unique bonuses to the home team and imposing penalties against invading teams. Unless captured, of course.
Each territory possesses short range turrets in tactical locations to offer the best potential defense against a possible incursion.
Any kills made in this zone offers double the WP due to the difficulty to attack and, if attackers have gone so deep, the increasing pressure to defend.
Objective One; The Tac-Net Objective
When an enemy crosses this dividing territorial line, he receives an instant penalty to the dropsuits dB due to being within enemy territory. This increases as they move deeper into the territory, inevitably showing up on Tac-Net - unless you are an appropriate stealth-trained Scout using the appropriate modules; the penalty still exists but it offers a stealth character more viability and flexibility.
Finding these new objectives will be incredibly difficult. They will not show up on the map as typical objectives. Instead you will have to hunt to find them. However; if the Tac-Net objective is discovered and captured, this will completely disable the penalty imposed upon the attacking team and reveals the location of the other objective points.
Objective Two; MCC Shield Battery
This serves as a booster to the MCC shields; I see nothing changing with the current health of the MCC as is and is simply a placement for a new objective to be captured. However, if it is captured, it diminishes MCC shields by 25%, increasing the odds of a faster victory.
Objective Three; Uplink Receiver Dish
This acts as a beacon to help pinpoint CRUs and Uplinks by the MCC, increasing the signal of all so that spawn timewith friendly territory is vastly reduced. Capturing this point will remove that bonus.
I like to think once all three points are captured, it has reached a critical point in the match where the possibility of coming back from this becomes more difficult. However, if one team has only captured their enemy's home objectives without assaulting the contested, 'neutral' objectives, then it is pointless. So a zerg rush doesn't amount to much; their opponent might lose their 'base' but they will still win the match.
Winning the match while capturing any three of these offers an extra 500 WP to the team along with a bonus 50,000 ISK payout per objective. Perhaps even random officer weapons?
As it is, this is a very rough draft and obviously unorganized. I imagine it would work much better with larger teams and a bigger player base but I believe it could be modified to adapt to current maps. The idea is to give some flexibility to both teams, reward players for defending points and even attacking dangerous objectives, spread players out more, encourage more squad activity, etc. Currently, there is no real protection behind the Redline; not from LAVs, Snipers, Dropships, etc. You can just as easily die within it as outside of it. That which is behind the Killing Line needs to be incredibly difficult to assail and must be able to be guarded easily. Promote caution, tactics, thinking. Promote sweet rewards.
How about neutral objectives that offer team bonuses; A small outpost on the map holds an objective that can improve the opposing teams hack time for a brief period. Say, 2 minutes before the link goes 'dead' and returns to neutral mode, forcing a re-hack. Let's see more tactical thinking; how to be utilize the tools and resources that the maps give us. |
Zero Notion
Red Star Jr.
EoN.
204
|
Posted - 2013.08.18 06:43:00 -
[2] - Quote
Shattered Mirage wrote:I like the idea but, there is quite a bit of potential for 'abuse' of it.
Definitely; the abuse would be limited and would require, to some degree, a lot of logistics to maximize the abuse out of it. You could 'farm' WP in each territory, definitely, but the better rewards come from actually winning the match.
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