Please, please, please do something to incentivize actual combat in an FPS.

If that doesn't work give a month long PAUSE on KDR stats.

Just look forward to Skirmish 3.0

This and this:


Are at odds with each other. As sad as it is, KDR is the holy grail of FPSers while DPS is such for RPGers.

I do agree that things need to change for the better, but removing one of the core metrics of FPSs is not how it should be done.

Dust needs more rewards for tactical and squad play. Thankfully some of those changes are live with 1.5.

Just look forward to Skirmish 3.0

I always play to win because I'm not a little btch that's my incentive to win.

On another note, ISK incentives would be cool.

How about fixing matchmaking 1st

I can play games where im in a 3man squad and we are the only squad, 13members of the team are all solo and we get put againt 2 6man proto stomping squads

I don't think we have the player numbers to have a robust matchmaking system.

I had a post a few weeks ago about how terrible these game modes are currently and it got ZERO blue love.

There is no incentive for people to battle each other over these objectives. How long is it going to take CCP to heavily weight SP and ISK gain to winning battles and contributing via WPs??

Keep the payouts the same as they are currently for the losers, but double, triple, or perhaps even QUADRUPLE the payout for the winners. Hell make it a month long event. If that doesn't work give a month long PAUSE on KDR stats.

Please, please, please do something to incentivize actual combat in an FPS.

If I'm not mistaken, you get all of the WP you earn if you voluntarily leave the game. This might lead to a bad problem.

If the winner gets a ton more SP than the loser it might make the losers redline and afk in the MCC with rubber bands more. It could even cause a mass exodus of players from a match if it looks like their team is going to lose.

It might even cause people to leave matches when the game starts if they see corporate squads (squads with mostly one corporation) on the other team.


Munch

When I'm solo, I **** around in skirmish. There is absolutely no incentive to win. I earn virtually the same amount of Sp and isk as when I play to win. The only difference is the amount of isk I lose trying to push objectives.

I agree though. Something needs to change. I'm not sure about increased isk, maybe a substantially higher salvage chance for winners.

Having pdf'd map layouts, both top down and screen grabs, highliting in big red ciurles with brief description of the area and ultimatly its strategic importance to hold, would be a big help.

Heavies would know where to stand in urban areas with an elevated position dissecting two road approaches with a couple of guys with repair, ammo and SMG's cover the one or two stairway access to it at the rear.

uplinks and ammo drops are pretty essentially to holding a fortified position more frontline infantryman need to start carrying them so heavies and grunts can insta teleport back.

And almost out of total coincidence there are plenty areas that are specificaly made as if by magic for the very purpose of exchanging small arms fire. These points must be secured even if there is no obvious marker position, certain positions dotted around maps acts as vital choke holds on enemys ability to move through the map simply through superior positing of your forces.

Anyway, would be a handy thing to have, mad military secrets though, a lot of serious squads probably a bit shady about telling people where the best kill sites are, meh.

You sir are the minority.

Soon I'll be a guy who finds a spot on a roof and hangs out to get cheap kills. I won't do anything to actually win the game, I'll just pad my stats and try to make more ISK.

That sounds quite boring maybe it is because i like to have fun by killing people in closer combat.

This gets into another big issue for me. These maps are too big for individual squads to try and win skirmishes on.

I actually think these maps need to be MUCH smaller for pub matches. Even if that means reducing the amount of players in the pub matches.

These maps are for TEAMs to win. Without team deploy it just leads to squads separating and attempting to overcome the stupidity of the other 10 people they are stuck with.

Stupidity is probably harsh. If they are actually fighting that is something, but you could have a squad that is holding down the city yet the blob of randoms just hang out there in the city with the outside points vulnerable. So your squad leaves the city to take the outside points a few moments later the city falls and you spend 2 or 3 clones each retaking the city only to see the outside points fall. It makes me want to turn my coffee table over.

^the above paragraph doesn't account for the 5 or 6 random blueberries on turrets in the redline, driving LAVs around still looking for those road kills, seeing how fast they can fly their dropship from one side of the map to the other, or sniping with little care for supporting or taking objectives.

This gets into another big issue for me. These maps are too big for individual squads to try and win skirmishes on.

I actually think these maps need to be MUCH smaller for pub matches. Even if that means reducing the amount of players in the pub matches.

These maps are for TEAMs to win. Without team deploy it just leads to squads separating and attempting to overcome the stupidity of the other 10 people they are stuck with.

Stupidity is probably harsh. If they are actually fighting that is something, but you could have a squad that is holding down the city yet the blob of randoms just hang out there in the city with the outside points vulnerable. So your squad leaves the city to take the outside points a few moments later the city falls and you spend 2 or 3 clones each retaking the city only to see the outside points fall. It makes me want to turn my coffee table over.

^the above paragraph doesn't account for the 5 or 6 random blueberries on turrets in the redline, driving LAVs around still looking for those road kills, seeing how fast they can fly their dropship from one side of the map to the other, or sniping with little care for supporting or taking objectives.

There are two problems you are glossing over. Both are endemic to DUST.

First the SP Cap limits the most important resource in DUST as SP is the only thing that matters.

Second boredom sets in about two weeks after a release. Depending on what the release did or did not deliver.

Now, add those together. If you need 1.9M SP to get to lvl 5 Logi Suit that is a lot of grinding. Grinding is boring and DUST is a grinder in every sense of the word. So when a release works okay, aka doesn't break stuff, then Mercs come in after SP Cap reset and grind away their 190,400SP.

When a release doesn't work out many just bug out and wait until the next release to try again.

All the ISK in the world isn't going to change the basic nature of DUST as a grinder. It cannot. Once a Merc figures out how to make ISK and get Kills the rest is just grinding away. So wins are fine but not important for most players. For Faction Warfare, PC and, personally, when playing with a squad wins are rewarding. At the least they are satisfying. A squad with mics and a tough battle that manages to pull off a win even though the Blues contributed next to nothing produces a great feeling. Even lone wolfing is fun when the Blues wake up and start hacking objectives, the win can feel good.

Entry level Mercs and those that are using Suits above their pay grade (dying enough to kill profits) ISK is important. So many will play just to make ISK once the SP Cap is hit. Winning is important but being at the top of the leader board is more important because ISK payout is highest at the top.

Good Luck with your idea however it turns out. But DUST is going to stay a grinder. Once we hit 2.0 it might be time to revisit the situation, until then ... I'll be grinding down in here the DUST.

Thor - spot on. +1

I really like the new maps, however, the scale of them is much better suited to a larger battle (say 24 on 24) and the new layouts make support positions much more focused on single OBJs or key avenues of approach for your sniper and overwatch personnel. In the older maps a single organized squad could make a serious impact on the match, you can still effect things but I think the raw distances involved has changed that quite a bit.

Technique I've used a couple times is to break up our squad into two actual squads and stay on team chat. We try to pick up blueberries and coach them through the fight. You can still coordinate with your Corp mates and you have a chance at increasing your combat power. The long term game benefit is that you might teach the blueberries a thing or two which helps us all out.