Jathniel
G I A N T
EoN.
713
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Posted - 2013.07.28 11:45:00 -
[1] - Quote
The current SP system gives us some pros and cons:
Pros
- Game life.
- Versatility in match.
But the cons aren't worth the pros right now (imo):
Cons
- Player SP gap is anti-growth for the game.
- Versatility brings frustration.
It should change.
Time to elaborate.
Think about it.
Many of us wanted to flat out quit, but our time invested in our character keeps us coming back. I think this is a pro. We like the added versatility that raising SP gives. (Game life)
Yet, at the same time, those are the VERY things causing us our frustrations.
You get mad, you want to quit, but then you can't, because it would be wasted effort and time. Meanwhile, the noob that you just pubstomped hasn't invested any time at all, and finds playing against you pointless and frustrating, and HE decides not to waste effort and time. He leaves the game. (Player SP gap is anti-growth for the game.)
Now you're really invested in your character. You go into a match, and start owning face with your tank. In a little under a minute, the ENTIRE enemy team is descending upon you with proto-swarms. You say, "fine", and decide to snipe, you are now getting sniped. You say, "fine", and decide to run assault... when suddenly an enemy tank descends upon you, and you start getting sniped. You say, "fine", and switch to proto swarms... then enemy assaults start pursuing you. (Versatility in match.)
Even though your team still won... you couldn't help but notice how much money you lost, how much cursing you did, and how unhappy and frustrated you still were. (Versatility brings frustration.)
What's the answer?
This is why I propose a new SP system idea.
A Fluid SP system would work like this...
Whatever the total amount of SP is that would allow one to get:
1 Dropsuit to racial Proto
1 Weapon to Proto w/Proficiency
1 Dropsuit Upgrade Branch maxed out.
That's what the maximum acquirable SP would be. However, you would be allowed to reallocate this SP before every match.
So if you want, you could evenly apply that SP across all the Standard level skills, to still get general versatility, but you'd never have the bonuses and power of specialization. Specialization vs. Versatility.
Say you're a specialized sniper. A newbie assault with MLT gear stumbles upon you, and kills you. He no longer has to worry about you raging and going proto assault on him, and abusing him for the rest of a match. Why? Because for THAT MATCH, you specialized for using a sniper rifle.
Say you're a specialized tanker. You go into a match, and start raping face, but happily only two guys on the enemy team allocated some points into swarms. So you got a much easier chance dealing with only 2 AVers, instead of an entire team of them. For THAT MATCH.
Let's say you think you're clever... and you decide to spread your SP wide across everything , so you can be more versatile.
Congratulations your gear advantage is gone, and you are now TECHNICALLY weak enough for a newbie to kill.
Let's say you think you're REALLY clever... and you decide to go ADV Assault, with ADV nades and maybe an LAV. The noob with his limited SP now only needs to allocate enough into an ADV heavy with a standard FG to take you down. Or maybe an ADV sniper.
In turn, you can still organize squads with each person doing a specialization, in order to reward team work.
With this system, frustrations with natural counters won't just continually mount during one battle.
Newbros will have a much higher success chance when they try to exploit our weaknesses, because the more we try to be versatile, the more it brings us closer to their gear level.
Game life will now come from "theory craft" and acquisition of isk, as opposed to grinding and the acquisition of SP (this in no way means that CCP is exempt from needing to provide PvP, PvE, and PvPvE content).
Acquisition of SP is VERY critical to the survival of the game as it currently is. My idea would almost certainly kill it for some people. Which would be fine, because the game is NOT EVE. If a game is only surviving, because the few people that bothered to play it just don't want to lose the effort and time they already put into it... that's a very unhealthy place for a game to be. They should love the game because they are working on a project IN the game, or they're trying something new IN the game... or they like the game's setting when they do PvE, etc.
It should never be, "I've bothered to play this long, I may as well just keep at it." Because the attachment to that SP will only grow.
Guess what, that growing SP is also a part of the problem why noobs are having a hard time, AND why we have a hard time with each other in matches.
Those good, fun matches are always the ones where everyone is doing their best with their preferred role. Win or Lose. I think this system can enhance that.
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