CELESTA AUNGM
Kang Lo Directorate
Gallente Federation
109
   |
Posted - 2014.01.14 16:58:00 -
[1] - Quote
This turned out to be a very insightful study on the HAV issue. From the first post down the line you can see a progression towards a particular conclusion, and the last 5 or 6 posts really are the assessments that CCP needs to follow.
Kudos for Dericks, bogeyman m, RINON, and Ghermard for their conclusions...
Dericks' post hints at something that is going on with MANY of the players on the map IN RESPONSE TO THE HAV CHANGES MADE IN 1.7. Many of us players log onto Dust with a specific goal today' (win 5 matches, find a good squad, hack 3 cannons per match, whatever),... but being harassed by HAVs infesting each map distracts us from our Dust goals, pesters us into resenting the blasted HAV plague, and derails our matches into a wasteful 'deal with the tanks' session instead of the potentially more satisfying objectives we originally set out to do.
Ghermard's post reveals that the PLAYER BEHAVIOR using tanks has changed from the previous patches. 1.7 is enabling HAV operators to abandon most of their potential ( arguably, responsibility?) toward accompanying and close-coordinating with your team. I can attest to the fact that MOST skirmish matches aren't decided by HAVs at all anymore (lots of players just THINK they are). In reality the HAVs mostly (though not always) are off on their own installation-bagging and HAV-chasing spree through the ENTIRE MATCH, and the MCC victories were decided by the tiny few of us footmercs who learn to "not get roped into fighting those 5 random HAVs--just wait and let each one drive away"... and then we diligently resumed and hacked that null cannon as usual.
Bogeyman's post hints at the idea that 1-player HAVs are damaging to the game. His post also endorses an HAV driver being dependent on at least one fellow teammate to be truly effective in this game--and I agree with that. Just like the standard Dropship is encouraged to be effective only when its interacting with fellow players... HAV operators should be effective the most when she is WITH teammates, not passing them by.
Rinon's post, to me, represents what EVE Dust 514 seemed to be trying to make a cardinal focus: Co-op gameplay. The REAL kind. Even if we don't "force" the driver to need a crewman like Rinon is proposing, Dust should at least always "persuade" and reward team or buddy assistance in everything possible. Giving a driver the destructive independence to no longer need anything from his team anymore,... is fine for other shooter games, but shouldn't be allowed too much in THIS game.
Patch 1.7's HAV changes came out a month ago, so I'm don't complain about the HAVs anymore.
I play each match with this confident attitude  :
"When an HAV player is accompanied by infantry/gunners, she's a threat and a victory-tool, but bopping around as a loner they're just pests--let them stop by and blow some clones up, they'll quickly leave (they almost always leave because loner-HAVs aren't concerned with map objectives), so as each one leaves I can resume the game."
...It is a wrong attitude for me to have each time I play the matches  . Because I know Dust was not intended to be played like this. And with the posts you just contributed, I hope the devs'll see the fact very clearly. |