Hardcore mode

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Probably never going to make the vets happy with the balancing issues so heres my proposal. Introduce normal and hardcore modes. Hardcore taking the game back to pre 1.2. Working hydro, flames that instant disable guns, non nerfed artemis and carronade, etc. Can keep the weight changes and such the same but just the core mechanics we miss the most seeing a comeback.

Will also serve as a way to combat against new players feeling beat down on. Make hardcore mode only able to be reached via match list so no quick joiners. Then you can do whatever you want with normal mode and save hardcore mode for tuning after the community has provided input.

[HamsterIV]

Splitting the community is not a good idea for a community this small. In general it is never a good idea for internet communities. While I miss the old mechanics I would rather have a more newbie friendly game with many people than a bunch of different hardcore communities with virtually no one in them. We can always wax nostalgic about the time we kicked butt in an all flame squid or when the pre-arming time lumberjack brought the mighty flack gat/pyra to its knees, but I don't want to relive them.

[Mr. Mask]

How about just making customizable match options?

[Spud Nick]

I think the game is far better now than when I first started playing. More ways to disable a ship thanks to the fire changes, more close range/mid range setups  thanks to the flak/merc changes, and more pilot tools to use now that they changed hydro.

[RaptorSystems]

I think Mr. Mask is onto something, maybe custom 'server rules' which allow for mechanics to be played with but nothing is counted towards achievements.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

More ways to disable? No theres less. The way the old fire worked forced pilots to avoid flames or be unable to attack till engineers got off their butts and put them out. That along with hwachas and carronade gave crews more ways to disable. Now you can burn a ship forever and be killed by it as long as their engineers are godlike with the chemspray.

More pilot tools? Not really. Claw is useless with Kerosene atm pwning it...Moonshine burns up engines too fast. Drogue Chute pointless atm since Carronades have been screwed up. Nah, its still down to chute vent and hydro at the top with tar or kerosene following. Even with Hydro in it's crappy form atm, its still more useful than a buff engineer screwing up your controls by buffing the balloon.

Yeah custom server rules would work for me as long as they accomplish the same goal. The community is already split atm with the lowbie match list. Be more important to do things to retain the community you have.

[Pickle]

Hardcore mode risks splitting the community and making balancing a nightmare if weapons and/or tools differ from the standard game.


My suggestions as hardcore mode options that wouldn't affect wider balance issues but would increase the challenge of the mode..

- Friendly fire set to ON for both weapon damage and collision damage.  No more risk-free shooting through your team mate or danger-close AoE barrages.  It's frustrating when you're toe-to-toe with an opponent and their team mate is firing hwacha barrages into the fray from range without risk to their own team mate.

- Map location indicators for own ship, all other ships and all CPs set to OFF and HUD direction indicators set to OFF.  No hints as to your team mates position so you'll need to know your maps and map reading to meet-up or to find a CP.

- Shake spot sensitivity increased, making it easier to shake spots.  To make crews work harder to hold a target spotted.

- Mid-game join set to OFF.  Predictable crews throughout the game.  Or make the mode only selectable in a password match.

- Suicide set to OFF, ie. any ship death counts for the opposing team.  This would probably be needed anyway with friendly fire set to ON.

- Selectable win-criteria.  Allow first-to-seven for 2v2, allow other criteria such as first-to-three-with-two-points-clear-or-until-two-points-clear.

- CP randomiser for progressive CP matches.  No more, "60 seconds left on B, I'm heading for C".  Make it wait-and-see for hardcore CP matches.


Built-in single ship scrimmage support would be useful, but probably outside the scope of this thread.