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Bald Crusader
Chatelain Rapid Response
Gallente Federation
33
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Posted - 2013.02.27 07:59:00 -
[1] - Quote
Not sure if you caught this on the EVE Online forum but I thought is was a well authored piece.
Should have said two posts though. ;)
Original Thread
In it's current state, Dust 514 is on a collision course with mediocrity the likes of which no production of it's scale has ever seen. The idea that CCP paid anyone a decent amount of money to build this game as it stands is laughable. There are too many issues and failing components to summarize, so I'll start with a list:
1. Horrific Resolution, mediocre textures.
2. Incredibly Slow Response-Time (both in menus and in game).
3. Complete Spawn Mechanism Incompetency.
4. No reward for playing well in a single match.
5. Glaring Map Issues.
6. Terrible ideas for integration with EVE Online.
I know, some of you (coughfanboyscough) may already be infuriated by a few of the things I mentioned here, and have probably already started to type up your rant of a reply to this post without reading one step further. The first line of your response is probably "it's still in beta!" or "consoles suck anyway" ... this post is not for you, go away. A game in beta sets out to refine and improve it's basic principals through feedback and tweaks. The problem with Dust Beta is that it's basic principals are the problem, and don't need to be improved, but in most cases changed entirely. Also, if elements of the game are justified by saying "they're just in Beta" and therefor not discussed (and criticized) when they're not up to snuff, they're very likely to make it all the way into the final build because someone in charge of development with their hand on the clock will say "they don't seem to notice that, just leave it as is, we have a timetable." Now for the breakdown.
1. Horrific Resolution, mediocre textures:
Seeing my screen flash "720p" in the corner when this game loads up makes me laugh. There is absolutely nothing current-gen about the resolution of Dust 514. One can only hope that the secret is we're playing the beta on PS3 for a game that is set for launch on the PS4, therefore resolution is not a current priority. One of the glaring flaws in the PS3's design has always been it's lack of anti-aliasing, which is abundantly evident in Dust. This game can not possibly be in a resolution much higher than 540 in it's current state. It's reminiscent of Halo 2 with component cables.
Just as obvious as the resolution issues is the textures. They're simply lacking. We understand that sacrifices have to be made in some areas of a game to provide superiority in others, sometimes. But from what we're given in Dust in terms of performance, everything feels like a sacrifice. We're all praying that this is a beta issue.
2. Incredibly Slow Response-Time:
As soon as I enter the main menu, seeing my character standing in the ever-meaningless captain's quarters that has been ported directly from EVE, I'm plagued with a nearly .5 second delay on everything I do. Aside from pulling the trigger in gameplay, the character movement speed is slushy at best, even with both controller sensitivity settings turned up to 100. Reloading, crouching, jumping and throwing grenades are all exclusively independent actions that simply can't be taken while doing anything else other than standing still or walking. It's in these moments of the game, and of writing this post, that I want to say something cruel and unkind to CCP, like "have any of you even SEEN a first person shooter before?" ... but I abstain. This issue could be another aspect of the game being in Beta, but that doesn't dismiss it's criticism. Last night on "The Family Guy" I saw a clip of a man running a marathon in high heels. As he fumbled behind the pack, he shouted at the camera ... "I'm a different kind of winner!" The argument for any of the elements of Dust related to this responsiveness ingame or mechanics in terms of throwing grenades, using equipement, and the epic slowness in which they happen, would say that Dust is taking a "different approach" to the first person shooter. News flash: the gaming community knows what it wants in a shooter. There's a reason why nobody is playing slushy, "heavy" physics shooters. We crave speed and precision, both of which Dust 514 beta is badly lacking in it's current form.
3. Spawn Mechanism Incompetency:
To say "we're working it out" would be an unacceptable response at this point. Yes, it's true that for years, as long as the multiplayer shooter has been around, developers have had problems dealing with the issues of player spawning. But Dust seems to be starting from scratch. Aside from the objective based gametype, it is plagued with constant spawning directly in front of or behind enemy players. This combined with the fact that players have to pay for their dropsuit fittings is an absolutely fatal flaw in the game's future livelihood. If anyone outright quits this game and uninstalls it post-haste, it's after they spend $150k on a dropsuit and get wasted 2 seconds after they spawn from someone crouching up against the red line behind them. I highly recommend that there be a spawn overhaul. Maybe something revolutionary like (oh, I dunno ...) having teams spawn together at all times! If players are going to be respawning right next to their enemies, then there should at least be a timer set in place so that if someone is spawn-killed within a certain few seconds, they don't lose their dropsuit modules. |
Bald Crusader
Chatelain Rapid Response
Gallente Federation
33
|
Posted - 2013.02.27 07:59:00 -
[2] - Quote
4. No reward for playing well in a single match:
In a world full of first person shooters where players are rewarded constantly for in-match accomplishments, killstreaks, scorestreaks, and even deathstreaks, the concept of rewarding players in Dust falls flat. Yes, we know that EVE Online has always boasted it's ability to take something that should be a given, make you toil for it, then play off the result as it's own reward for the sake of "realism", but that isn't going to fly. I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess that maybe 1 out of 30-40 players (being generous there) is going to be a member of the corp who can provide them with an Orbital strike. Either that, or eventually every merc is going to belong to 5 corps, and the infrastructure of EVE Online will be forever broken by it. That aside, players need more gratification for their individual accomplishments, kills in a row, or objective security. I would propose that vehicles become scorestreaks in addition to something you purchase on the marketplace. Adding drones that could be called in to assist the team or heal players would be an option as well. Hell, take TWO SECONDS to look at a few other shooters to see how they reward their players. Killzone 2 and 3 online are great examples of reward types that could be applied to EVE. Those aren't even rewards, just character abilities. Maybe that's what's missing. Whatever it is, gameplay as it stands is not rewarding enough, and the few tens of thousands of isk that you get for completing each match is not a reward, it's barely enough to cover the dropsuits lost; a persistent struggle that CCP has trained EVE players to enjoy, but will not usher any kind of success for Dust.
5. Glaring Map Issues:
I spawn, I run forward toward a gap between two columns that looks like a great place to get a starting vantage point. Instant derp. The tiny hill is too steep. My character can't climb, jump, or otherwise traverse the terrain that visually appears to be nothing more than a 10 inch rise. I slam myself into a ladder multiple times, realising finally that I have to stop still in front of it and find the sweet spot where "press O to climb" finally appears. I'm playing on a map where my team has no chance of winning because the enemy is on a raised center platform with a vantage point on every spawn sniping away and spawning themselves up there when they die. I'm running 5 miles only to get sniped by a player who hasn't left their spawn. I'm stuck between a wall and a decline in the terrain. All of these things are commonplace in the current maps of Dust. They're mostly too big, and too nondescript. Colors, landmarks that can be described on the fly, and seamless interaction with ledges and ladders are severely lacking. Yes, once again, this is beta, which is why pointing these things out is exactly what is required and even requested so that the problems can be improved. (trolls stay away)
6. Terrible ideas for integration with EVE Online:
As it stands, interaction with Dust mercs in EVE online can generally be described as endgame. This is a bad idea on so many levels. One of the only arguments for releasing Dust on a console in the first place would be to expose EVE to a new generation/demographic of players. But if someone were to take interest in EVE after playing dust, likely for the purpose of interaction with Dust mercs, they would arrive only to find that their goal is months away at the least, not to mention all of the other cruelties, blockades and miserable losses they will face along the way. Amidst the startling revelation to new players that EVE is not fun in a "traditional" sense (which remains a tragic point of failure in my mind), they'll probably add that to the list of reasons that they're losing interest in Dust in the process, moving on to Call of Duty Black Ops Warfare 6.
I believe that to fully take advantage of the potential of Dust, CCP should create a buffer zone between low and high-sec space (possibly even adding outer systems to facilitate the new adjustable region). These systems would function as the staging ground between the "pirates" of low security space and the governments and organisations of high sec, including player-run corporations who are based on either side. The sway in battles located at these planets in the buffer zone would result in system security changes based on which side is persistently winning. Giving eve players the opportunity to vie for influence in this way (changing systems security) would be something that the "trolls" and the "carebears" alike would thrive in. THIS concept would sell PS3's (and maybe PS4's?) for the sole purpose of playing Dust. This would bring the EVE MMO players into shooters, and allow for a much warmer reception overall in my opinion.
I hope that everything I've included in this message has been constructive and well recieved. I'd love to post my praises for Dust 514, but as it stands I genuinely don't have any, other than the fact that the female scout suit is sexy. I hope someone important takes notice of this post and takes action to start improving dust in a way that will make it more accessible and attractive to gamers of every kind.
End. Tia D. |
Bald Crusader
Chatelain Rapid Response
Gallente Federation
35
|
Posted - 2013.02.27 09:19:00 -
[3] - Quote
CCP Eterne wrote:Moving from General Discussions to Feedback/Requests. Ah! There you are thread!
You lack the basic ability to leave "moved" links here?
Rather amateur. |
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