Messages

61

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Dynamic Armor

« on: August 26, 2013, 04:21:34 pm »

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't this require a new set of hit boxes and damage calculation?

As far as I understand damage is calculated by the gun being fired, what hit box it hits and then depending on what type of damage the hit box takes a certain amount of damage is applied. So you can fire a harpoon at the hull and do no damage. Resistance to damage is built into hit box and gun compatibility. I don't know if in the current system there is a way to make a "stronger" hit box in the larger scope of the hull. It would still need to be vulnerable to piercing damage, but I don't think they set hit boxes to be susceptible to piercing, but only take %50 damage from explosive, or in this case only take %50 piercing damage. I think it's the other way around where a gun might only do secondary piercing damage and not get the full effect of the damage.

I like the idea and we talked about having a ship with one side as a reinforced shield side as well. I think it would be a really great ship to use for positioning (such as cutting in between an enemy that is destroying an ally).

62

Gameplay / Re: Countering the pyramidion gatling/mortar setup

« on: August 25, 2013, 12:00:17 am »

A specific set-up that I ran into yesterday that was near impossible to beat was actually a Mobula. Here's the set up from left of the captain to right of the captain. Credit goes to Romankar.

Artemis- Gatling- Merc- Flak- Artemis

In the heat of battle engi up top, engies on artemises. Our pyra starts to try to get close but by the time we do we've possibly/probably lost a front gun, and taken a hit to the hull armor. Ways to counter? Use kerosene to try to get close faster at which point mobula backs up and now we have a gun down, hull already low (not out), and engines weakened as well.

When we get up close the engies move to gat, flak and artemis. 3 guns on you. Plus you might have a gun down so it's 3v1 or 3v0 worst case scenario.

The Mobula doesn't even try to repair, it knows it will kill you before you kill it. So on and on 3 guns on you until you die full of shame in your "Meta-pyra".

From far away it kills you, and up close it kills you. Only good strategy is sneaking up on it or trying to get a 2 on 1 with a teammate. One of you will die and the other will finish off the Mobula most likely.

63

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Sound for being hit by the chaingun

« on: August 23, 2013, 02:25:26 pm »

Also if people are worried about the constant pinging you could just play a ricochet noise every couple of shots.

Rather than "tatatatatatatatatatatatata" against the hull

A "ping...pong...toing...ting...ping-pong...pong" etc.

64

Feedback and Suggestions / Unlocking Certain Achievement Classes

« on: August 23, 2013, 12:29:36 pm »

This is copied from another thread but I think it's died. Anyways, is there is a reason that achievements (or at least certain categories) couldn't be unlocked from the beginning? Specifically fixin, combat, experience, and maps for engineers? Probably Flyin, Command, Teamwork, Experience, and Maps for Pilots? I'm not sure about gunning but the equivalent categories are probably suited.

A simple example is one of the engineering achievements for repairing 150 guns with a wrench. I think it's supposed to encourage experimentation with loadout but I think by level 6 you've figured it out. I tried loadouts with the wrench for a long time while I was lower level, especially while gungineering. Right now, however, I feel like trying for this achievement will let my team down. I either enjoy playing and play as a team player for the good of the match, or I play selfishly and bring questionable loadouts.

I agree at some point an engineer should be more of less forced to try a loadout of wrench, buff, ext or to learn the difference between ext and chem spray, etc. I've already done that and want credit for the experience without it costing my teammates.

In the end these achievements demonstrate experiences you've had in the game, if we've experienced them do we really need to re-experience them again in a specific order?

65

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Ship Stats

« on: August 23, 2013, 12:19:58 pm »

I'd also like to add that having the numbers would enable engineers to repair more efficiently. I have to try to guess about the squares on how much health armor is left and whether or not it's efficient to use the mallet, or will I be able to repair it with spanner in less than the mallet cool-down. It seems minor but in the heat of a match you don't want to waste cool-down time if you didn't even get the full repair. 

66

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Vote to Balance Levels in Matches

« on: August 22, 2013, 02:36:55 pm »

So, two things:

1) People like playing with friends. Whether it's a bunch of high level folks or a bunch of low level folks, splitting them up is generally worse than having level mismatch.

2) Levels mean jack squat. Now, yeah, generally people with higher levels are thought to have a better understanding of the game, but we quite often see ships with a crew averaging lvl 5 hold their own vs a ship that averages lvl 9.

Look, we'd all like balanced teams, people doing the stomping get as bored with it as the ones getting stomped, but there's too much going on in crew setup other than just numbers (which are pretty arbitrary to begin with).

Levels mean jack squat above 3 or so. You're right in that level 5 and level 9 are pretty standard, but level 1-3 has a *huge* difference. Everyone says you should just teach the newer the players but frankly some of them don't want to hear it. You find them off doing there own thing as the ship goes down.

However, the numbers still don't tell you how even the match will be. If the captain's on one team have mics and the others don't, if none of your crew has a mic, what ships are taken, etc. all play just as a big a part if not bigger in deciding the winner.

67

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Stop punishing high levels

« on: August 22, 2013, 11:41:57 am »

Hey I'm only level 6 with 110hrs of play time but is there is a reason that achievements (or at least certain categories) couldn't be unlocked from the beginning? Specifically fixin, combat, experience, and maps.

A simple example is one of the engineering achievements for repairing 150 guns with a wrench. I think it's supposed to encourage experimentation with loadout but I think by level 6 you've figured it out. I tried loadouts with the wrench for a long time while I was lower level, especially while gungineering. Right now, however, I feel like trying for this achievement will let my team down. I either enjoy playing and play as a team player for the good of the match, or I play selfishly and bring questionable loadouts.

I agree at some point an engineer should be more of less forced to try a loadout of wrench, buff, ext or to learn the difference between ext and chem spray, etc. I've already done that and want credit for the experience without it costing my teammates.

68

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 22, 2013, 10:35:14 am »

When did the default definition of "strafing" become "moving sideways"?  You can strafe in a straight line using the side mounts on any 'ship, some have more side mounts than others, some are faster and better suited for this tactic from others - it's really only applicable to a very fast ship attacking a slow ship (Squid vs. Galleon).

Drifting/sliding in an airship has inherent problems, the shape of the balloon and the empennage is designed to weathercock the 'ship.  This is essential for moving through a fluid medium (such as air) because if you could slip sideways too easily it would be next-to impossible to steer or make any forward movement except with the prevailing wind direction.  This is why sailing craft use a keel or weatherboard, and why small powered surface ships find it easier to hold the weather in heavy seas with a sail rigged from the mizzen mast.

I would point more towards Muse's response on realism for this. I realize if you built a real airship and then built it to have strafing capabilities it would slide and be impossible to steer, but you can't fix an entire ship with a rubber mallet either.

And in regards to maneuverability only applying to slow vs. fast ship encounters I think that's false in more difficult matches. Positioning your ship is everything in matches, especially 3v3. If you have to take your strong side off the enemy to move your ship because you're suddenly in between 2 of the enemy ships you've lost a lot of ground.

69

Feedback and Suggestions / A strafing ship?

« on: August 20, 2013, 10:47:36 pm »

Hey I posted this in gameplay initially but I guess the discussion is better suited here.

I'm not too attached to any specific layout or any particular balancing but I think a good starting point is two small guns on front and that is it.

You can charge a pyra, galleon, squid, or mobula and strafe as you fly forward to be sure you're passing on the weak side of the enemy. Then turn as you pass to pull a maneuver similar to spinning on a deskchair rolling across a room.

I also would suggest the hull being stronger than a squid, and speed slower than a squid as well. 

Eukari suggested making one of the sides a shield/heavily armored side. You could use your maneuverability to get in between an enemy and an ally perhaps.

It would need usage of the arrow keys and a,s,w,d but I think that would be part of the cost/benefit.

70

Gameplay / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 20, 2013, 10:25:42 pm »

Well I suppose merging those two ideas would be perfect then!

I think the difference between a strafing ship and squid is that the strafing doesn't need to be about fast/low-fire power as much as it could be more like a sister to the mobula (has a strong side) but trades power of mobular for excellent maneuvering (specifically the ability to strafe to keep the guns facing one way or turn to switch to the shield perhaps?

Two benefits/unique abilities this would create:

1. Charging a ship they could still point forward while strafing to be sure to pass on the enemies weak side, possibly turn as they passed and keep their strong side on the enemy all the way through the pass.  Similar to pushing yourself across a room on a deskchair while spinning. (all the gunners throw-up)

2. The shield idea as described above.

Balancing ideas?

1. Only two guns on front, shield on back? Essentially it can keep the guns facing easily but if it's guns aren't facing it has no shot at all. Basically only ship with only 1 facing of guns (even mobula stretches a bit to each side depending on armament).

2. Low hull health? Balance out using the shield to have exceptional hull armor with low health.

71

Gameplay / A strafing ship?

« on: August 20, 2013, 09:32:24 pm »

I've been trying to think of different game elements for ships and the number one thing I think would be interesting would a ship with strafing capabilities.

Obviously it would have max maneuverability (or maybe not?). It could perhaps strafe but turn very slowly (similar to pyra vs. junker). I'm not sure what kind of guns would provide balance.

Any thoughts? Would anyone else like to see this?