Topics

1

Community Events / Cloud Kings Tournament

« on: June 22, 2013, 12:55:29 am »

I would like to propose something that might give the competitive scene of guns of Icarus a face lift. I have spoken to a few of the big clan leaders about this, some have voiced concerns, some have been all for it. I'm putting this idea out there for people to look at and vote on themselves. I think this new tournament will take competitive Guns of Icarus to a new level and will let us see some great new teams.

With the preface out of the way lets get down to my idea. A double elimination tournament that will run starting at 7:30PM EST on Fridays and Saturdays. Why Fridays and Saturdays and why 7:30 EST? As some of our international players can attest to if a game is played on Sunday it will be going into Monday. The reason I say 7:30 EST is because that is a time when west coast players will be getting off work, Russians will be waking up at ~4 am rather than staying up until 3 am fighting, and aussies and Japanese folks will be crawling out of bed at around 6 am instead of 4-5 am. It is a much more forgiving time for the international player base while still being completely feasible for American players.

FORMAT
16 teams to start will play a single game the winners of this game will move on to round 2 in the winners bracket the losers will be placed in the losers bracket with a chance to fight their way back into the championship match. Round 2 will also be a single game, the losers from the winners bracket are seeded against the winners from the losers bracket for round 3. Round 3 will be the first of the best of 3 games, for the winners and the losers brackets. Losers of the round 3 winners bracket are seeded against winners of the round 3 losers bracket for round 4. I think you are seeing the pattern here. The entire tournament can be done in 5 weeks with up to 20 teams. Once you break 20 we have to go into 6 week tournaments.

What makes this style of tournament more fun? A simple answer is "comeback kids" and "Cinderella stories." Everyone loves seeing the guy who went down in week one claw and fight his way back to the top. This format also doesn't get rid of inexperienced teams instantly. They get two chances to prove themselves and if they get knocked out in week 2 they only have to wait 4 weeks for another chance to prove themselves, and 4 weeks is plenty of time to get better without getting bored.

So maybe you're saying this sounds like a fun single tournament but what about after the first tournament? Well that is actually when the fun truly starts. Seeding will be based off performance in the last tournament, basically you will be given points on kills, also this seeding will not pit 1 v 16. the top 4 teams from the previous tournament will be handed a bye week. This serves two purposes, it rewards the teams that made it the farthest and also keeps them from slaughtering any brand new teams to the tournament system. If we are honest with ourselves throwing a newly formed team against one of the top 5 teams for their first game is just leading them to slaughter. So the bye week actually gives new teams a chance to taste the nerves of competition without throwing them into a meat grinder, while giving the highest placing teams a chance to relax and scout the competition.

RULES
-No weapon bans are being implemented
-No suicide is allowed
-Loadout locks will be implemented on the winning team, but each team will know the map cycle for the upcoming maps as soon as their opponent is known.
-Each team will have it's roster locked, you can’t play for multiple teams throughout the tournament.
-Substitution will be based on a pool system, each clan can have it's substitute pool open to each team but when a substitute is used he is bound to that team for the current round and the following round. E.G. TEAM BOB uses Pikachu round 2 as a substitute gunner. Pikachu is bound to TEAM BOB for round 2 and 3.
-This is a 2v2 tournament. All 2v2 maps will be used.
-There will be some rules added pertaining to the teams carrying legacies into Tournament 2. These will be hammered out later, and will be posted once I have something I believe is fair and sensical.

CASTING
There are multiple people interested in casting for this event. Some just want to commentate others want to be the streamer. I am currently looking for some people who love stats and can keep track of all sorts of them. A teams "point total," the weapons they use the most, their favorite ships, what maps they do best on, etc etc.

I would really like there to be 3 casters for each game. An analyst, a joker, and a stat guy. The stat guy will be more like a producer who shoots in helpful numbers and facts but other than that doesn't do a whole lot of talking.

If you are interested in casting for this let me know. I'll give anyone a fair shake and if you know your GoIo you probably got yourself a job.

MANAGEMENT
Seeing as how I have the dubious distinction of bringing this idea up, I will be managing season 1. That being said, this is not a one man job, anyone interested in helping with stat compilation, graphic aides, new team management, etc. is more than welcome to help. Just let me know and I will incorporate you in a great behind the scenes team.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
CEsports and this tournament will be affiliated. You do not have to be in the CEsports system to participate but if you are the points will be counted(through the CEsports system). This tournaments seeding will not be based off the rankings from CEsports or anything else at this time. I will not force anyone to be part of something they do not want to be part of and I will not seclude the tournament from people who are part of that system.

CEsports teams will have to follow all CEsports rules to be eligible for points. The CEsports rules will be enforced on CEsports teams by the referees in game.


I am working with a few other tournament organizers to plan mid season battles for the teams that are eliminated. So that they can stay busy and get some practice. These side battles will be streamed and commentated if you want them to be. Skrimskraws “Scrimmage League” is a perfect example of a way you can get some competitive fights in during downtime.

SIDE NOTES
Some flexibility will be allowed for smaller clans needing some extra people, real life comes first and special circumstances can be worked with, just let one of the organizers know so we can make a decision on how best to help you out.

Also for the western europeans who are going to be hit the hardest by this time shift I am willing to always start your games first and or maybe a half hour earlier if the enemy team is capable of working with that.

I want a community chat after each match where we get peoples reactions, as well as interviews with each team before the matches. It is much more involving when you know the people who are flying rather than just seeing a logo.

I want stats to play a huge roll in the casting. It is alot more fun hearing about a teams previous matches than just sitting there shooting the shit about nothing in general. Hearing that this team won the first round lost the second by a single kill and is now on the war path. I dunno that just adds a little bit of fun for the viewer.

A note on the "Seeding." Some people have asked why I wouldn't do seeding based off of wins. The simple answer is because then you get a situation like the BCS where it's a complete joke of a seeding mechanic. Using Kills as points keeps the seeding clean and simple, you have to get 5 kills to win so if you win every game you are the top seed. On a CP map scoring will be every 100 points = 1 kill so you do have the potential to squeeze out an extra point on a CP map. (CP map point rounding still under discussion)

Contact information
-Steam name Ofiach
-gunsoficarusroadcrew@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out.

2

The Pit / ONE MORE TIME

« on: June 18, 2013, 02:11:00 am »

Burst is the best for gat it adds AOE. incendiary is best for mortar cuz fire is OP. The heavy clip makes the artemis bullet go faster. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LEARN THE MOST BASIC OF BASICS OF THE GAME YOU CODKIDDIES.

Seriously there should be a MANDATORY 5 hour training for new players so they dont constantly troll your ship with shit like this.

3

Feedback and Suggestions / Seperate Donations rewards?

« on: June 06, 2013, 11:59:25 am »

So this is something Star Citizen is doing and maybe MUSE could also. Just kinda talked about this in game a few minutes ago.

Star Citizen did their kickstarter then opened up a second donations page that had many of the same rewards AND a monthly sub option where each subscription bracket had different rewards for different months. Say 5$ a month after 6 months gets you a second dustrider outfit and a second copy of the game. paying 15 a month for 6 months gets you, I dunno a pet Falcon XD.

I thought I should post here and see what people say.

4

The Signal Tower / Falconeer Stream and youtube

« on: June 05, 2013, 03:39:35 am »

http://www.twitch.tv/ofiach

http://www.youtube.com/user/SteelOfiach

I don't have any tutorial vids up on my youtube yet but I will be putting up a teaching series for newer players within the next week. Going over things as simple as what all the tools do, all the way through more advanced tactics such as proper ramming and taking fire to save a friendly.

Feel free to come on by, I'm playing Deus Ex tonight but will be hopping into GoI in the AM.

5

The Pit / **** you MUSE

« on: June 04, 2013, 01:19:29 am »

It is all your fault. Seriously. Now every game I play that doesn't have a support email address linked to their support page makes me rage for being lazy incompetent assholes. Before I started playing this game I took that as normal fare for games. But NOOOOO you just had to go and raise my expectations and screw up other games for me. Thanks a freakin lot. I hope you're happy.

6

Feedback and Suggestions / Weapon Pre-turning

« on: May 24, 2013, 06:57:56 pm »

The current turning arcs for guns isn't the topic here but I didn't know what else to title it.

I just want to be able to preset my gun rather than it always pointing straight when you get on it.

This is a smaller thing I know but it can be extremely annoying being a side gunner on a Pyri, then you run away to hit the hull and when you come back you have to turn the weapon back toward the enemy ship. I would rather see it left where it was when you hopped off.

This is mainly an Artemis problem with its nice turning arc but slower than molasses turning speed. Instead of getting 2-3 trifecta clips in the guy will maybe get 1 before hes forced into full repair mode.

7

The Pit / Boarding. Aussie style.

« on: May 22, 2013, 10:32:20 pm »

Lovex Lazil and I were playing a couple matches a few days ago and he made the most awesome suggestion ever.

Human Harpoon gun. A guy is on the end of the harpoon rope and gets takenfor a ride then climbs on to the enemy ship, BEST PART, blows up components with a bomber vest. Yes ladies and gentlemen suicide bomber boarding is the answer.

Lovex Lazil is a genius and should be commended for his devotion and dedication to making this game more awesomer!

P.S. all ten of his stream viewers agreed!

8

The Docks / The Falconeers

« on: May 18, 2013, 10:01:49 pm »

Introducing the Falconeers, we will be competing in COGS next season and will be entering in the Sky Tournament to cut our teeth.

We are definitely a little bit more laid back and into having fun, but we will have a competitive team. You can see my piloting in the recent COGS match, just so you know I'm not a complete scrub, and we will accept anyone willing to listen and learn.

I'm not the best at playing things up or making a great sales pitch but we are here and we are here to stay. We will always be competitive and if we lose we will at least give the other team a bloody nose for their trouble!

"Strength hurts, Speed Kills"

9

The Gallery / Anglea: Raid Logs

« on: May 15, 2013, 01:30:10 pm »

Today is the day I launch my first raid. I write in this journal to focus my thoughts,
justify my decisions, and keep a record of my exploits. If I should fail I want my successor
to understand why.

I am writing in a cabin aboard my flagship, it is a cramped affair usually reserved for a
boilerman. I will take the captains cabin only if I succeed, it may not be much bigger but
it is warmer and the view is breathtaking. I could write there without shivering. I have
been training under and learning from the best of my fathers Thanes since I was old enough
to crawl. This ship was a gift from my father after my coming of age trial. I will not fail,
I will claim my cabin and my ship.

He also offered me a crew drawn from some of his finest ship crews, I refused, some things
have to be done yourself if you want true respect. My crew is not green but I recruited them
myself and they were crazy enough to agree to flying with me. I did accept the offer of an
adviser for my first raid, there is no replacement for the knowledge of experience.

The other ships in my flotilla will be crewed and captained by veterans. The Marauders are
also seasoned veterans with multiple raids under their belts. You never take a green fleet
against an enemy stronghold. I will be in command but if I'm honest with myself I would
rather be in a subordinate role to one of the other captains, I'm sure the marauders and
other captains have the same thoughts. However I can never show these doubts to my crew or
the other captains lest they lose faith in me. "You must ooze the confidence of a Clan elder
boy! You are my son you have my name never doubt your abilities!" Inspirational words from
my father last night at the celebration. I just hope I prepared well enough and am humble
enough not to let my familial pride interfere with the relationships between myself and my
other captains.

My scout ships are late in arriving this was supposed to be a dawn launch with 4 planned
raids on Yeshan border towns. Without our scouts we do not leave, so I will continue writing
to avoid agitating my crew. My flotilla will be made up of two long range support vessels,
three longships containing 30 marauders each, two scout ships and my flagship.

My beautiful beatiful flagship, I will attempt to capture the beauty of my Harpy on these
pages. She is open decked with 2 decks below, 4 massive engines and a helm that is a feat of
engineering mastery and beauty. She has a permanent crew of 6 and the ability to transport
10 marauders for raids. She takes the form of a trimaran with all the grace and power of her
sea ship cousin. The lower deck is for cargo and marauder bunking. The middle deck is the
captain and crew quarters with a chartroom and a small lounge it also has access to the helm
through the captains cabin. The weather deck houses all our gun mounts and is avoided when
we are still in the frozen skies of the north, this also has access to the helm. The
Pontoons are actually secondary balloons that provide extra lift, a firing platform, and a
jump off point for marauders. They are even with the lowest deck on the ship and make
loading stores and people much easier. The 4 engines are set 2 in line with the main hull
and 1 on each pontoon to increase maneuverability. The lower inline engine is accessible from
the interior of the ship or from catwalks extending inward from the pontoons. She was built
for speed and lethality, she isn't a normal raiding vessel. The scouts have arrived, time to
get us in the air and on our way.

We have set our course and my first mate has the helm. Our target has changed, this is no
longer a supply raid it is a political kidnapping. The stakes are higher now and I,
unfortunately, am still in command. Failure now would not just mean my death it would bring
shame on my entire family and my father would most likely lose his position in the clan. My
head would be retrieved from the battlefield just to adorn the High Lords battlements to
warn others of failure. We are going deep into Yeshan territory with a small force to
capture the family of one of their politcal leaders. The family is there for a festival that
is happening in two weeks. The problems are simple, avoid patrols, capture fuel, then hit a
big city with minimal troops, capture a noblemans family, and get them back home without
getting caught by an angry army. The casualties will be huge but the Lords think the reward
is worth it. I do not see how I can get my longships or support vessels home, the scouts and
the Harpy can stay ahead of all but the fastest Yeshan scouts and they won't be a match for
our firepower. The longships though, they will be caught and slaughtered as we will all be
if we try to fight the defense forces sure to be around this Yeshan's family. We will be
receiving 2 more scouts and a longship from another raiding party along the way. They are
fresh from a raid of their own and have wounded but have agreed to fight by our side. My
fathers name still carries weight with current Raid captains.

DAY 5

Our flight has been one blunder after another. I lost half a day due to engine failure on a
longship and had to discipline its captain for being negligent, 3 days in a cage on the
weather deck with only water to drink. It was surprisingly hard to discipline this man, he
is more salted than I, it doesn't seem right for a Green officer to pass sentence on a
veteran captain. It is done though and it was the correct decision. He admitted his fault
when asked and said he would harbor no ill will for his punishment, I could not have been so
graceful, he has taught me. Our new ships were given bad orders and arrived with limited
fuel and ammunition. We had to slow to complete transfers of ammunition and fuel. We are now
behind schedule and will have to increase our speed, we will have to capture fuel if we want
to make it home now. Add another task to an already impressive list. The men have
surprisingly high morale and my adviser tells me the captains respect me, all that confident
swagger my father taught me must be paying off.

Day 12

We have arrived at our staging area early, we are 10 kilometers northeast of our target in a
set of canyons. Our movements were masked by a storm most of the trip, we only happened up
one patrol of 2 short range scouts, it boosted our ammunition and fuel capacity somewhat but
short range scouts rarely have an abundance of either. We have completed our assault plan,
it is simple and should prove effective. My ship and the longships will ride the winds
tonight and drift south of the city, the scout ships will begin harassing enemy patrols
tomorrow afternoon to draw them away from the city and stress test their defenses. My long
range support vessels will wait until the fireworks for the festival begin and start a long
range bombardment against defense structures in the city. The confusion of the fireworks
should keep them from tracing the long range fire for a few minutes. Once our scouts have
drawn the defense patrols out to search for them they will go to ground and wait for the
fireworks to start. Once they see the fireworks begin they will run straight for the city
and attempt to track any ships that attempt to rabbit with the noblemans family. Once the
longships see the panic start and the defense forces mobilizing they will approach the city
from the south and drop their marauders inside the walls. The longships will then open fire
on targets of opportunity and cause a general commotion above the city, further confusing
the defense forces. My complement of marauders will be transferred to the longships for this
phase. The marauders will attempt to grab the noblemens family, if they are successful they
will launch a flare at which point I will take my ship into the city and land on their
position.If any of the marauder teams inside the city see the flare they are to go to
specified rooftops and await pickup by the scouts or longships. I will be landing only to
snatch the family then bolting from the action, only fighting if I have to.

The plan is a cowards way out for me, my longships will be hard pressed to survive the early
phase without support from me or the scouts. I know in my heart I should be in the fight but
we are outnumbered and outgunned. Our only chance of success is to trick the enemy, that is
not the way a warrior should fight. My adviser says my angst is showing and effecting
morale, I will correct my bearing, but I can't help feeling that if I'm sending men to die I
should be right next to them willing to die as well.

DAY 13

I have collected letters from all the men for their families and even written one to my
father and brothers, they are in the captains strongbox and the key is around my neck. If an
enemy finds this journal please send the letters home, a last request from a vanquished foe.

We launch the assault in a few hours I have broken out bottles of rum for the crews, only a
few men are abstaining and no one is getting drunk. The officers are keeping a close eye but
the men know being drunk on a raid is a sure death.

The final toast has been made, we leave within the hour. I have donned the armor my brother
crafted for me and loaded my sidearm. Life through victory.

Day 22

I have claimed the captains cabin but hold no illusions of keeping it upon our return home.
We completed the mission but at a price that will not be tolerated. The raid was a disaster
and my pride blinded me. I failed my men, for all my preparation and determination I failed
them. 130 marauders came with us on this raid, 62 are dead and 15 are wounded and likely to
die. I lost 2 longships and a scout, the Harpy is barely limping home. 3 of my crew were
killed the others wounded even I was shot multiple times but my armor saved my life. The
helm frame is shredded and to pilot the ship I must bundle up against the cold.

The raid started off better than we had dared dream, the long range fire hit a fuel depot
next to 3 of the defense forces airships instantly disabling those ships, the fools didn't
even realize enemy fire had caused the explosion, they thought it was stray fireworks and
the defense force attempted to salvage the burning ships. the long range ships got in 2 more
minutes of bombardment before the enemy forces began to mobilize. I signaled the longships
in as the first enemy airships launched northward. The longships met no resistance until
they opened fire on defensive emplacements and docked airships attempting to scramble for
launch. The noblemans family was easy to find, they were ringed by a personal guard and
being loaded onto an airship when my marauders caught up to them. I saw the flare as did the
scouts and we crashed in on the city, the scouts to relieve the longships and me to pick up
the family. In the 2 minutes it took me to reach the flares launch point the marauders had
already taken control of the airship and slaughtered the entire Personal gaurd. The marauders
sent up a second flare to signal in the other ships for pick up so I sent my first mate to
their ship to pilot it home. He was dropped by rifle fire before he got half way to the
commandeered ship, a patrol of Yeshan's had come through an alleyway and blundered into the
middle of about 40 marauders, they got of a few shots before they were cut down. I left the
helm  to tend to my first mate as the marauders started to secure the landing area. That's
when everything went wrong. I looked to the sky just in time to see a longship burning it's
way toward the ground, Captain Melbourne's crew aboard the "Rocinante" was stoic, they shot
their guns until they impacted the ground a few blocks away. I later learned The subsequent
explosion shocked me back to reality. That small delay allowed the enemy to regain some
composure, the fighting around us seemed to double in a second, the gunfire was constant and
I was in the open instead of at my helm. My first mate was alive but in a foul mood he
addressed me as "moronic highborn shit for brains" and told me to get my dumb ass back to my
helm, then smiled flipped a salute and ran for the commandeered vessel.

The firefight continued as I lifted my airship off the ground, our marauders have earned
their reputation. The Yeshan dead were visible in piles while the marauders were in constant
motion resembling black demons in their armor and leaving soulless bodies in their wake. I
ordered the commandeered vessel to run straight north and link up with our long range ships.
I had a ship to avenge and the Harpy wanted blood. I let pride rule my thinking instead of
intellect. I ordered the longships down to the marauders while my scouts and the Harpy
fought the defense force airships. I am proud to say the Harpy tasted blood and downed 3
enemy ships. I was hit multiple times but my brothers armor and the design of the Helm
turned the bullets well enough to let me survive. I lost a scout because I lost track of the
evacuation of the Marauders, the longships were already 2 kilometers north and running hard
before I realized the Harpy and the scouts were the only ships left fighting above the city,
I ordered us out too late. Captain Victoria's "Wild Weasel" was overtaken and destroyed
before it could escape. We also lost Captain Paris' "Defiant" early in the assault,
apparently he got too close to a fuel depot he was targeting and the drafts caused him to
slam into nearby buildings. The marauders say his ships arsenal cooked off also, it was the
only way to explain the massive explosions that followed its crash.

My pride caused delays in the orders, my pride forced men to fight longer than they had to,
my pride caused the deaths on this raid. If I had not been out for revenge, or had stayed at
my helm our marauders would have been picked up sooner and there would have been less death.

The damage inflicted by our raid was so great that the defense force did not follow us at
first, the did not know we had taken the family. When they figured it out they sent scouts
after us and they harassed us for 5 days inflicting minimal damage and doing nothing but
keeping us awake. They have broken off pursuit now that we are finally in Anglean territory.

I expect to be in a tribunal within the week and lose my ship soon after. I guess some men
are not meant to be raid Captains, we are far too prideful to complete missions with the
precision required. I expect I will be spared from execution because I completed my mission
but I expect to lose what is left of my ship and my crew for losing so many lives.

10

Gameplay / If this is on purpose....

« on: May 13, 2013, 06:55:52 am »

Why was CP changed? Why can you cap the points from above now? That is all.

11

Feedback and Suggestions / Real life GoIo items

« on: May 08, 2013, 04:12:54 am »

I did a search and didn't find a topic on this so if there is one, my mistake.

On to the topic at hand, why are the "Swag"(I use the term with much pain in my heart) items so limited for GoI. There are T-Shirts, Posters, iphone cases, USB drives, and a Cloth map. I only know about these because on the kickstarter page I can add $30 bucks for what I want. I don't see a "store" link or anything like that on the main GoIo page.

I understand the selection of stuff isn't terrible but what about more!
-something as simple as a gear with the GoI logo etched into it. I still have my GOW cog sitting on my gaming center
-T-shirt's with sayings from the game on them, or even faction T-shirts.
-Moar posters! different posters with concept art, the different ships, or faction logos on them. I would personally love a "blueprint" poster of a squid to hang on my gaming wall.
-An "I'd rather be driving my airship" bumper sticker!

I want to see if other people can come up with other ideas that are relatively cheap to produce and could also be used as a sort of advertisement. How many times have you seen a game or website on a T-shirt and then gone home and looked it up? This also helps GoI raise money for the game because you're getting a piece of gear to wear around or show off to friends.

Maybe I'm being a little unrealistic but I know a few bars/restaurants around where I live do alot of good business in T-shirts and little collectibles like shot glasses and beer mugs.