BL4CKST4R
WarRavens
League of Infamy
481
   |
Posted - 2013.07.08 15:33:00 -
[1] - Quote
There have always been complaints in Dust 514 that new players just aren't competitive enough, the later they get into the game the further of a gap they have to compensate for in order to increase their effectiveness. This is because of how skilling in Dust 514 rewards the player. But, there are many FPS out there that have exp systems and new players are not impacted at all, for example Battlefield, which is the closest a PS3 game can get to Dust does not suffer from this phenomenon.
Battlefield has an exp system where as a player levels up classes his overall level his, up to level 100. But why is it that a level 100 character is not better than a level 0 character in Battlefield? The answer is that the level 100 character has no set of skills that make him any better than a level 0 character, the only difference in leveling up between both characters is the diversity of weapons and equipment the player has access to, but the effectiveness is in the hands of the player, not the skill level. So a player using a M416 at level 0 vs a level 100 using a M416 will be equally matched, the only difference being the players own skill at the usage of the weapon, not a set of numbers that increase the weapons effectiveness.
This is the problem with Dust 514, the higher you level up the more effective a weapon, suit, equipment, etc becomes. This is why new players cannot compete, no matter how skilled a new player is the fact is that in this game skill is dictated by how many skills you have, not at how good you are with X weapon, X dropsuit, X equipment.
In order to give new players a proper experience the ENTIRE skill system would have to be reworked, unless CCP applies the bandaid solution and give new players a bucketload of SP.
The skill system would have to work where there are no basic, advanced, proto suits. But one solid suit that a new player, and veteran, can easily fit into and this suit is the same and available for all players at all skill levels. But as a player levels up different variants of this suit are unlocked, but they do not offer a "better" suit but a different gameplay option for said suit or a suit that requires more skill from the player for higher rewards. For example take the suit I mentioned above which is unlocked at level 1, and at level 2 a new variant is unlocked that sacrifices modules for speed.
For weapons it should be exactly the same except the specialization into different weapons needs to be removed or made smaller, the reason people say the AR is OP is because it is the weapon most players are comfortable with, because it is the first weapon we use when we make a new character, and thus the most used weapon. Removing weapon specialization would make it so a new player can pick his favorite weapon freely, and change the weapon whenever he feels that strategy demands, not when he has enough SP. For example merging the rifle skill into 1 skill would make it so a new player can switch between Assault rifle, Sniper rifle, Laser rifle, and Scrambler rifle freely without having to be punished with SP costs or having to wait for a month to get the "good" rifle, and as you level up you unlock new variants like the breach, tactical, etc. This creates a dynamic game where your weapon is effective and useful at level one not level 5, and the weapons you unlock are not necessarily better but require more skill to be better.
This should apply to all fields of gameplay; dropsuits, weapons, modules, vehicles, etc. Where skill does not dictate effectiveness, or how powerful the item is, but how much diversity you have at your disposal, and unlocking items that might offer better rewards than a low level item but require that much more skill.
For this to be implemented there are also somethings that would need to be changed like ISK, and CPU/PG costs for modules, equipment, and suits; and ISK and SP rewards. To be fair all variants of items should have the same CPU/PG and ISK costs, but offer variants that offer lower CPU/PG costs at higher prices, and the inverse, but the item itself is no better than the basic item in stats, module distribution or effectiveness, the only difference would be is how much can be fitted. This should be the same for tanks.
Some might say this kills the point of leveling up, but it doesn't. It adds more diversity to the game and as players level up they increase the diversity of the game by unlocking new weapons and items and seperating themselves from that really good weapon they got at level 1 for a weapon that gives better reward but requires more skill, for example look at the Assault rifle and the Duvolle rifle, as you level up the Duvolle is an upgrade of the Assault that offers better reward and is easier to use this forces leveling up, it doesn't make it a choice and impacts diversity. Look at the dropsuits, it is the same story. Yes this is the EVE universe and the gameplay of Dust 514 is similar to that found in EVE, but this is a shooter and it needs to be treated like a shooter.
TL;DR
Rework the SP system, to make everything similar and just add diversity as you level, makes it easier for new players, and more rewarding for skilled players. Thus fixing the new player experience, and adding diversity to the game. |
BL4CKST4R
WarRavens
League of Infamy
482
|
Posted - 2013.07.08 16:11:00 -
[3] - Quote
Buster Friently wrote:
Wrong game. This game is (or will be) an mmofps. The skills make a difference. They are meant to. Also, all of your comments about ISK are equally flawed. Eventually, Dust's economy will be integrated with Eve's. This means the price of items will be player controlled.
Was making a comparison, I could of used Planetside and stated the same point but I am not a Planetside fan. What I am suggesting does make skills have a difference, but anything you unlock with skills require that you have personal skill to get better rewards, than just instantly skilling and getting a weapon that requires lower skill for a better effect. Also EVE intergration is coming SOON TM, this game will be dead before that is released. New players give a game life, if the new players won't stay then whats the point? |