Messages

106

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 07:18:37 pm »

@Eukari it just really bothers me that you said the mobula is asymmetrical, it really isn't, unlike the squid and spire.

I suppose that's technically correct.* What I meant more was that it only has guns on one side, while every other ship has at least two directions to fire in. My point was that it worked for the Mobula because the one side it had guns on was the front; it's far more natural and flexible to keep your front pointed at an enemy than to keep just one side (right or left) on them. The original suggestion was basically for a left-facing Mobula build, and I was trying to explain why I think that wouldn't work very well.

I may have misspoke- the truly asymmetrical ships are the Pyramidion and the Squid; the Pyra is blind to starboard and the Squid can't fire to port. (not being able to fire to the rear or front doesn't really count) Both of those ships have advantages that outweigh the weakness of their asymmetry- the Pyra's main power comes from its front guns, with the side guns relegated to support/secondary fire; and the Squid is fast and agile enough that it can easily keep its guns on pretty much anything but another Squid. I don't consider the Spire to be asymmetrical for the same reason I don't consider the Goldfish to be such- their main direction of attack is to the front, with the side guns being secondary.

*The best kind of correct.

107

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Vertical map idea

« on: August 25, 2013, 06:20:30 pm »

An interesting thing about this is that it would totally change how balloon popping affects a battle. Getting a "bounce kill" would be hard (depending on how high up you are), so popping an opponent's balloon would be more like disabling their engines on a standard map- you're messing with their ability to control their ship. I can totally imagine "free fall" battles where you just straight up ignore the balloon for a while as you plummet, only working on it when you fall far enough.

108

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 06:02:56 pm »

Now that I think about it, I wonder if it would be better to take the Galleon/Squid crossover to its logical conclusion. Same basic layout as above, but with some tweaks:

• Catwalk- Balloon repair point located near front of ship, turning engines located at the back.
• Main deck- Helm in the center on slightly raised platform, main engines at the rear of the ship, hull repair point forward, single light gun facing to the left.
• Bottom deck- Two heavy guns, once facing starboard and one port.

Here's my thinking- the ship's design is meant to create a vessel with great speed and acceleration, but that turns very slowly. It's typical attack would be to fly by an enemy, empty its guns, then zoom off before the enemy ship can retaliate. The current setup works quite well for that, but the asymmetry with the heavy gun makes me very uncomfortable. As I said before, limiting most of your firepower to just one side is very restricting, especially when one of the hallmarks of the ship would be its slow turning speed. The other asymmetrical ships- the Pyramidion and the Mobula- focus most of their firepower in a logical manner. The Mobula is 100% forward firing, but that's a natural direction- much of the time you're flying toward the enemy, so it's easy to get a firing arc. For the Pyra, which only has guns on two sides, it also focuses on the frontal guns. I can't remember the last time I flew on a Pyra where the side guns were more than an afterthought.

The two basic layouts currently are focus-forward (Goldfish, Pyramidion, Spire, Mobula) or broadsides (Galleon, Junker). The Squid is the odd man out, with its forward/right/rear configuration. It's also the most agile ship, which makes up for its odd placement. In fact, that's why I think a totally asymmetric build on this ship would struggle- a good Squid would easily be able to dodge its left gun and tear you apart. By balancing its firepower to the left and right, you still keep it in the role of a strafing ship- you can only damage the enemy if you're passing them. But, you limit its blindsides to the front and back- say you get attacked from behind, and you can simply hit the gas and pull out of range quickly. If the attack comes from the front, you can either back up or try and dodge above or below the enemy ship. You're still vulnerable, but less likely to be a sitting duck. (and with the light gun to the left, that's still your "kill side")

109

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 05:24:39 pm »

You've got three decks- the upper catwalk between the balloons, the main deck of the ship and the lower deck. Across those three decks we need to place the helm, the main engine(s), the turning engine(s), the hull repair point, the balloon repair point, one heavy gun and two light guns. That's seven-ish points across the three decks.

What if we broke it down like this:

• Catwalk- Balloon repair point aft, port-side light gun at the front. This is where the secondary Engineer will end up being placed; they man the port light gun and keep the balloon repaired, and can jump down to the main deck quickly if there's an emergency.
• Main deck- Helm amidships, giving the Pilot a good view to the port and starboard sides of ship. Directly forward and back will be blocked by the support structures for the balloons and catwalk. The hull repair point is just in front of the helm, and the main engines (two, as with the Squid) are behind, hanging off the rear of the ship. The starboard/forward light gun is at the front of the ship on this deck. This deck is where the Pilot and primary Engineer will hang out, flying the ship and keeping it alive respectively. In an emergency, you have two people on the hull very quickly, and it gives the main Engineer easy access to the other two decks. The light gun is in reach if needed.
• Bottom deck-The final deck houses the two turning engines aft and the heavy gun amidships on the port side. This is where the Gunner will go, obviously sitting in the heavy gun. They can also do quick repairs on the turning engines if needed.

I know you wanted to put the helm on the bottom deck, but I just think that's too much of a change. Even veteran pilots would struggle to fly a ship they can't see in front or behind at all. I think by placing it on the more open main deck, but by blocking the view fore and aft you still reinforce the "The most important direction is left" while not totally throwing people for a loop. I'd be worried about 90-95% of captains who'd fly it once, go "That's really hard!" and never touch it again.

110

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 04:28:42 pm »

That's exactly what I meant; it looks awesome. Although, I just now noticed that you've got the helm pointing to the left...I think that might make it very hard for people to pilot. I know what you're going for, but I think having the helm point forward like normal, then just leave a good field of view to the left would work best. I mean, can't you just swivel 360 degrees on the helm anyway?

Sorry to be so picky; I really do think it's a good idea for a ship.

111

Guides / Re: Aboard a Pyramidion

« on: August 25, 2013, 04:24:19 pm »

For the Impact Bumpers entry it'd be best to mention how it's useful ... when you're particularly worried about terrain damage.

I have a lot of captains who could probably stand to learn that little tip. "Captain, look out for that clif-*CRUNCH*"

112

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 04:07:05 pm »

Take a look at the second design, the gun is pointing diagonally.

Right, but I think my point still stands- the Mobula already fills the "all the guns point the same way" niche. I like your idea for a fast, slow-turning ship that specializes in gunning on the go, but I think having every weapon face one way will be far too restricting. Every fight would involve you circle-strafing the enemy in a counter-clockwise direction; there would be no other tactic you could take, except with a sniper build that doesn't require much movement. The Mobula works because all the guns face forward, a natural direction to move.

This ship seems to be a blend of the Galleon's broadsides with the Squid's fast movement, which is great! What I mean was, to move the forward-left facing gun to face forward-right. You still have a blindspot behind and to the rear-right, but you're not quite so helpless. If you have to peel off an attack or something, or an enemy pops up in an unexpected area you can still offer some kind of resistance. Again, it also separates itself so that it's not just "The Mobula, but everything faces left!" (I'm not saying that's what you're saying, that's just what my guess for how it would turn out)

Designing new ships is tough- you have to make them unique enough so that they're not treading the same ground as existing ones, but also not so niche that they're only good for one thing. I can see this ship being good at a couple of different things- a fast-moving, hard hitting support ship (with a Hwacha/Light Carronade on the left, you could zoom in, pop their balloon and wreck their guns and then fly off while your teammate makes the kill), a finisher (ally breaks their hull, you zoom in and cap them off) or a long-range support (floating just out of the danger zone, circling around and picking off targets).

113

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: A strafing ship?

« on: August 25, 2013, 03:27:17 pm »

I like it, though I'm a little leery of the "all guns facing one way" thing; it makes it seem too much like a sideways Mobula. What if the third gun faced the opposite way? A single light gun isn't going to do a lot of damage, but it would make the slow turning speed a little more palatable.

114

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Lobby for competitive play

« on: August 25, 2013, 03:16:30 pm »

GOI isn't the sort of game where you start the next match ten seconds after one has just finished, anyway.

More like 10 minutes, if you're lucky.

For the maps, I think it might be useful to have a "None of the above" option, for when none of the maps are the right ones. Selecting it will get you three new maps to choose from, but you can only do it once. I also agree about extending the voting time- I'd lay money that only three or four people ever vote in the lobbies I've been in, because people don't realize how fast it is.

115

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: Vertical map idea

« on: August 24, 2013, 09:27:27 pm »

I never posted it because most content suggestions are not really looked at much, and the Devs just have other plans to work on then to add in instead of what players come up with, and that makes sense.

No harm in getting your ideas out there. At the very least, it might entertain a few people for a short time. I like your idea- flying through a system of underground caverns sounds really cool. If it was dark, you could even make heavy use of flares to temporarily light up areas to give yourself a better look at things.

Echoez, I like your suggestion- having the canyon crisscrossed by train bridges means you'll have to pay attention when you go up and down, and could complicate maneuvering in a fun way.

116

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: ship design thread

« on: August 24, 2013, 08:12:53 pm »

The Paladin

• Hull: Low
• Armor: High
• Top speed: Moderate
• Acceleration: Slow
• Turning speed: Slow

    ____
   /        \
/  \____/
|_______---\
|_____        |
|          \___/
\


Basically, imagine an umbrella tipped on its side, being carried by a balloon. The essential idea is that the front of the ship is a massive shield that blocks most, if not all, enemy fire. The main 'body' of the ship forms a counterweight to the shield, connected to it by a catwalk that houses the balloon repair point. In a twist, the turning engines are located forward, across the catwalk and near the shield. It carries four light guns, two facing starboard and two port. The sideways guns can fire somewhat forward, but directly ahead is blocked, obviously, by the shield. The main engine and hull repair points are located within the main body of the ship.

The idea behind this ship is give us a vessel whose playing style is different from our current group, while still feeling 'natural.' The large forward shield means that a frontal assault on the ship is futile, making it relatively easy to close distance. To balance this, the ship and its components are relatively strung out and exposed on the other three sides- the turning engines and balloon are on the central catwalk, and the main engine is on the back. The ship's main firepower is also concentrated away from the shield- you can either shoot the enemy or be protected from the enemy, not both. The pilot has a good view to the sides of the ship, and can see over the shield somewhat, but will have to be alert. The balloon peaks over the shield a little bit, so good shots on the enemy team can attempt to pop it and gain a height advantage.

The ship shines in dictating the flow of battle. Capable of essentially blocking the enemy's fire towards a part of the sky, the Paladin can cover for teammates, keep itself from getting double-teamed (by keeping its shield toward one foe while firing on the other), deny line-of-sight and give itself time to repair in the middle of a skirmish. It would be somewhat awkward to fly at first- no beginner ship this- but mastery would provide a captain with a unique experience unlike any other ship.

117

Feedback and Suggestions / Vertical map idea

« on: August 24, 2013, 07:20:16 pm »

I have no idea if this is even possible, but what about a map where the most important axis is the vertical one? Instead of ships charging across the battlefield from long distances away, the main thing is moving up and down to reach your opponents.

I'm thinking an immense canyon with debris scattered across the bottom. It would still need to be wide enough across for weapons like the Mercury or Lumberjack to still be useful, but it would be taller than it was wide- a tall, thin space rather than a flattened cube.

Vertical positioning is already an important part of the game- no ship can hit an enemy that's directly above or below them, and attacking from above or below has advantages and disadvantages (whether you're gunning for the balloon or hull, for instance). I think it would be fascinating to see the strategies a mainly up-and-down conflict would create.

If anything, it would certainly get more use out of Hydrogen and the chute.

118

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

« on: August 23, 2013, 07:22:48 pm »

Piloting a Junker makes me deaf >.<
"Captain, enemy to the rear."
"What?"
"Captain, their coming!"
"August the twenty-second, I think"

I have to agree with this- sitting right between those engines makes it very hard to hear my quieter crewmates sometimes. To the point where I start instinctively raising my voice, even though they can probably hear me just fine. ...which speaks to the immersion, I suppose.

On topic, I definitely approve of this. Yes, you should be watching your hull armor at all times- but in battle there can be a lot going on, and auditory cues are often the first sign you get that an enemy is taking potshots at you. A gatling can strip armor very quickly, and I'd rather know from the first few "plinks" than after I've lost half my armor because I was focusing on not slamming into something. (usually my allied ship, who decided to pop Hydrogen right into my flightpath)

119

Gameplay / Re: Ship Tier List

« on: August 23, 2013, 05:47:42 pm »

Anyone else noticed how the arguments about the Pyra and Squid are basically mirrors of each other?

Pyra: Someone says the Pyra is too powerful, many jump in to explain how weak it really is while thinly insinuating the original poster doesn't know how to play the game.
Squid: Someone says the Squid is too weak, many jump in to explain how good it really is while thinly insinuating the original poster doesn't know how to play the game.

Can we maybe reach the point where we admit how good/bad a ship is really comes down to how good/bad the crew it carries is? I mean, I understand that there are real differences between the ships and that those differences can affect matches. But that really mostly applies at the very bottom level of play (when nobody knows what they're doing, so the hard differences between ships matter) and at the very top level of play (where everyone's really good, and the mechanical differences between ships come back into play).

120

The Lounge / Re: What did you name your ship and why?

« on: August 22, 2013, 04:39:10 pm »

I have too much time on my hands.

Junker- Not For Hire
"All aboard the Suicide Express."
Goldfish- Heart of Gold
"Hope you remembered to bring your towel."
Spire- Satellite of Love
"We've got movie sign!"
Galleon- Sovereign
"Look at the size of that thing!"
Squid- Puddlejumper
"We're not going with 'Gateship One?'"
Pyramidion- Forward Unto Dawn
"Prioritization code: Victor Zero Five dash Three dash Sierra Zero One One Seven.”
Mobula- Stavromula Beta
"She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro."