Artemis Entrenei
Elementalists
0
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Posted - 2016.04.23 10:28:00 -
[1] - Quote
Watching the news on NOVA and seeing game-play, I've got a couple things bugging me that I kinda just have to get out there. They're just little things I think most of the community might back, but let me know what you guys think:
META
> You will see a hundred threads positing CCPs options for carrying over our hard spent hours from DUST in whatever form. I'm sure all of you reading this have read a hundred of these threads and have your own opinions. Now obviously SP will be a hard thing to transfer, if SP will even be a thing. Rather, what I think will be the simplest, universally satisfying carryover would be in the form of our Aurum and character names - and our SKINs if possible. I think DUST has had some of the most loyal players I've ever seen, I really think CCP needs to acknowledge them in a way that is truly meaningful, regardless of how they tackle it. I really hope we see something nice to distinguish those of us who've toughed out the last 3 years beyond some tiny obscure plaque in our quarters.
> The thematic elements by which EVE will be present in the game should be obvious, as Rattati has said, but I think that should include things like maintaining shared local system channels like we saw in DUST. This is a small thing, but what I'm trying to emphasize is that it is one thing to say "You're part of a bigger universe." it is an entirely other thing to say "You're part of a bigger, living universe." Yes, EVE-sponsored orbital bombardments were rare in the larger picture, but the idea of them was easily one of the most iconic and beloved features of the game. If for some time, this simply means seeing spaceships up close and personal flying outside the window, then so be it. But I think having mercs interact with that outside world is something that should be introduced at some level before too long.
> I don't know what persistent sandbox elements survived the scrapping of Project Legion, but I hope you guys maintain them in the long run. Things like accruing assets, ISK, and personal loadouts I threw together with equipment that held real value made me feel like a real soldier of fortune, an actual merc - not just someone fighting it out endlessly with "Mercenary" as some irrelevant backdrop narrative. Planetside 2 honestly bores the hell out of me nowadays, not just because no ground I take will survive the night, but because it feels so hollow. DUST actually got me asking, "Why am I fighting?", and I think CCP was really onto something when their answer was "For yourself, your wallet, or the empire you're helping to actually build, or destroy." I think taking a step away from this for too long is fighting NOVA's competitors without that which grants it the most potential.
GAMEPLAY
> Don't butcher customization. This is a perfect example of something I don't want to dive into without an actual rundown of what is different from DUST from someone other than an uninitiated reporter. However, I am worried it is moving towards a distinctly Call of Duty type of modular unlock. This is the kind of game where, balance granted, the more customization, the better.
> Furthermore, weapon customization, even if just in the form of generic attachment swapping would be a great addition.
> 16 v 16 is cool, I'm glad 6 v 6 is only for Fanfest, but even larger fights are something that would be really awesome, at least later on.
> I never personally cared for vehicles too much, I think they got so annoying so often that having some infantry-only maps is a very welcome thing, but I've seen a lot of people making a good case that vehicles were a really big part of DUST and that omitting them from NOVA for too long could be a major letdown.
> Make the HUD more EVE-ish again. The one in DUST was nearly perfect IMHO, with that distinct New Eden flavor that the one you have now simply abandons for a more generic style, particularly in regard to the health and ammo readouts.
> Have some form of destructibility. Particularly in dealing with spaceship interiors, I completely understand blowing holes in walls like Battlefield is impractical both for the engine and the style of game this is, but things like glass or minor environmental features should acknowledge us putting high velocity futuristic ammo into them. Hell, most shooters know that if you're going to put bullet proof glass between two players, it better be on purpose - otherwise it is very obnoxious.
> Obviously the PvP aspect is tantamount, it of course needs to be CCP's focus to get that up to snuff across the board. However, PvE is something I think a lot of people would like to see in some form in the core of the game, rather than something we get in 3 years after it hits a content peak it will hopefully live to see. I think there are ways to connect the games thematically like having us fighting Blood Raiders and Rogue Drones, rather than having them just sponsor our fights every few months like we saw in DUST. With this game's balance of fast paced aggressive style and coordinated teamwork, I think content we could see with anything from Horde mode styled defenses to timed challenge runs would really expand on the game in a way that DUST always desperately needed. I'm not discounting the obvious gorilla in the room, which is getting the core game-play of simply shooting other players in the face to be as fun, balanced and interesting as possible, I'm simply saying I'm worried that CCP has already forgotten what they had forgotten with DUST: This game needs to have depth, and while there is nothing wrong with perfecting the arcade, (the potential of) depth is what made DUST stand apart, and the fact that that living universe out there actually meant something gave DUST something I've yet to find with any other shooter. Please, don't forget what was always your biggest strength, and don't let it go too long before you implement it. |