CELESTA AUNGM
Kang Lo Directorate
Gallente Federation
672
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Posted - 2015.10.14 21:11:00 -
[1] - Quote
I have made this risky suggestion before, but I'd like to make it again here. I think it is very applicable:
The Matchmaking Engine HAS improved the game substantially, (though it will NEVER be able to do what players are expecting and demanding be done---NO artificial software script can predict a human player's combined performance and motivation in the next match, and pair her up against an "equal" combi-performance-n-motivation human player). Scotty HAS raised itself to a level where the word "matchmaker" is falling into our subconscious while we're in the gameplay, instead of being up front in our minds all the time (maybe in another year, it will be as forgotten in the background as Aim Assist).
So with a certain amount of comfort and elbow room put into our matches now, there is also room to restore some of the "Progression Difficulty" Dust used to have for new players.
What I mean is, hold new players back longer (MUCH longer) in Battle Academy. Get the WP threshold back up to a level where 15 year old addicts that spend 16 + hours a day at their fav games, can't burn through and unlock their Academy diploma too fast to really understand anything about the game.
 A certain percentage of "new players" will always be the passerby type---they don't sit on a game that lasts longer than 9 hours to beat; they want to have fun mixing it up on a new title every few weeks--and kudos for them. If that type of player is properly quarantined in Battle Academy long enough, she will have her 3 weeks of fun and leave, without stepping into post-Academy and accidentally derailing our FW or Dom gameplay.
 Simultaneously, players looking to stay in Dust longterm would also have the chance to benefit from a much longer, tougher semester in Battle Academy phase, until they've exploited the HECK out of every Militia item around, memorized how they work by heart due to the much longer repetition of use, learned the subtle differences of advanced gear mixed with their Militia suits, and start understanding the value of networking with older players via mail and forum, so they can prepare for the deep end of the pool BEFORE they're under the water.
Battle Academy needs to be deeply lengthened back to where it used to be, OR further. The "new" kids playing starting this game rack WPs at a rate that doesn't give them any honest Academy time. 
Universe of good wishes for the 49, especially CCP Eterne...
No story can have life without writers and publishers.
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CELESTA AUNGM
Kang Lo Directorate
Gallente Federation
676
|
Posted - 2015.10.15 14:20:00 -
[2] - Quote
When I began Dust 514 just before the release date, I didn't even KNOW there was a Battle Academy phase I was going through. I didn't know that there were other game modes that my NeoCom screen just wasn't showing me (or telling me about), and I didn't know that something called WarPoints was being slowly tallied up in my matches, and was the (I think 25,000) threshold that would actually release me into the tougher environment.
And I think that was GOOD .
Good not to really know what's being measured (so you can't try exploiting it), and if we do know what's being measured, make sure it's the singularly HARDEST number to raise in our regular repeated matches.
Though it seems weird to think of it, maybe if a player has achieved the WP threshold, but 90% of it was through simple kills, she should NOT qualify for graduation. Same with players who reach the threshold entirely by "the ole Stim-Medic needle marathon" routine and hacking installations.
If there was a way to create a WP threshold column for each essential team play activity in Dust, X-number in the hacking nulls column that MUST be reached, X-number in a Assist-kills column that MUST be reached, a column for Squad-command bonus earnings, a column for transport points, etc... all adding up to 60% of the grand total (and make it a grand total 40,000 or so WP), we might be onto something effective.
And Shaun's suggestion to re-fit the Daily Missions would boost a player's reward for doing the "right" activities in the match, and help their education even more.
If CCP chooses not to "teach" new players what the game is about with a deep wordy tutorial, then the only other way to get them to become helpful players efficiently (not counting those players who just have a knack for learning this stuff on their own--kudos for them!)... is to "herd" them like cattle or mice into the desired 'good co-op' behavior.
It might not be cruel to herd them, just as long as they don't consciously realize that's being done to them---the game should always feel like FUN and not a class where I know I have to collect 135 Biology credits to get outta here.
Universe of good wishes for the 49, especially CCP Eterne...
No story can have life without writers and publishers.
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