Less New-Player-Hostile Changes

[Rehtaelle 18]

I know this will be a controversial topic (AKA everyone will call me a scrub and that I'm wrong in every way, whatever) but this game has a well-earned reputation of being incredibly hard to get into, and it's what's holding back community growth.

 

Could we please address the flat-upgrade mods/ tools? Far too many modifications come with no downside, or the downside is irrelevant to gear which they apply to.

The listed downside for target marking is that the victim can see when they are marked. That's a comedically pointless drawback since it doesn't really help your situation any, just inform you that you are in a bad one.

Car surfing with rocket launchers is such an incredibly effective tactic which new players have not even the faintest hope of achieving for a long time, and furthermore, besides being out in the open, there isn't much of a limitation to car surfing itself. On the topic of cars, there are barely any tradeoff modifications outside of them taking up a mod slot, which I wouldn't really consider a full penalty. Experienced players just have better cars. There is no aspect of side-grading.

 

I'm not going to list every grievance here, but let me also point out upgraded tools. Why is it that the most experienced players who have a substantial advantage in knowing the map (and therefore objective locations, flank routes, vantage points, etc.) ALSO have the ability to complete many objectives faster with no form of penalty? Could unlocked tools at least make you take more damage while completing the objective? Speed is critical in many objectives, so why have the best of the best be able to both reach the objective location faster via upgraded cars, but ALSO rush objectives faster when they get there? It's pointless.

 

Speaking of pointlessness, when new players complain about their weapons sucking compared to unlocks/ purchases, they are often recommended the N-TEC as an effective starting AR. While it's true that the N-TEC is good, it hardly comes close to ones which are running say, Hunter Sight 3.

 

Oh, and another thing about weapon power, let's bring up one thing that should be made very clear. Rocket launchers are broken. Not in that they're better at killing than other weapons, rather they perform two critical actions which are NOT available through normal progression for a long time. The first is vehicular stopping power. Yes, the ALIG is a great weapon for anti-vehicle, but rocket launchers are the single most effective way to lock down car-based objectives. (Besides the dreadfully strong conc grenades (by the way, if you say that their big limitation is that you can only carry one, don't kid yourself. Your resupply options are crazy. In the heat of the moment, you have one less nade, it's true, but that's hardly a good downside considering their killing power and vehicular stopping power) ) Their other advantage is the simple bypass of cover. In a game where working corners and using cover is integral to the core of combat, launchers are a tool which allow you to ignore that factor. If you're pinned down by a sniper, you can at least hold out via cover. Until someone with a launcher forces you to either die to the rocket, or leave cover and get put down by the sniper. Is that really okay? (If you are saying yes, you're a sadist with no consideration for those at an objective disadvantage. Sorry, but it's the truth.)

 

So many times I see someone try to get into the game, only to abandon it because they feel helpless against the equipment of people with more skill in the first place. The game requires IMMENSE patience and persistence to be invested in, which considering there are more newbie-friendly PvP games out there, puts APB at a staggeringly bad position in the market.

 

Okay, time to get dogpiled by everyone.

[NotZombieBiscuit 3146]

I wouldn't mind that equipment change tbh. The taking more damage while on objective for the completion boost.

[yood 345]

9 hours ago, Rehtaelle said:

I know this will be a controversial topic (AKA everyone will call me a scrub and that I'm wrong in every way, whatever) but this game has a well-earned reputation of being incredibly hard to get into, and it's what's holding back community growth.

 

Could we please address the flat-upgrade mods/ tools? Far too many modifications come with no downside, or the downside is irrelevant to gear which they apply to.

The listed downside for target marking is that the victim can see when they are marked. That's a comedically pointless drawback since it doesn't really help your situation any, just inform you that you are in a bad one.

Car surfing with rocket launchers is such an incredibly effective tactic which new players have not even the faintest hope of achieving for a long time, and furthermore, besides being out in the open, there isn't much of a limitation to car surfing itself. On the topic of cars, there are barely any tradeoff modifications outside of them taking up a mod slot, which I wouldn't really consider a full penalty. Experienced players just have better cars. There is no aspect of side-grading.

 

I'm not going to list every grievance here, but let me also point out upgraded tools. Why is it that the most experienced players who have a substantial advantage in knowing the map (and therefore objective locations, flank routes, vantage points, etc.) ALSO have the ability to complete many objectives faster with no form of penalty? Could unlocked tools at least make you take more damage while completing the objective? Speed is critical in many objectives, so why have the best of the best be able to both reach the objective location faster via upgraded cars, but ALSO rush objectives faster when they get there? It's pointless.

 

Speaking of pointlessness, when new players complain about their weapons sucking compared to unlocks/ purchases, they are often recommended the N-TEC as an effective starting AR. While it's true that the N-TEC is good, it hardly comes close to ones which are running say, Hunter Sight 3.

 

Oh, and another thing about weapon power, let's bring up one thing that should be made very clear. Rocket launchers are broken. Not in that they're better at killing than other weapons, rather they perform two critical actions which are NOT available through normal progression for a long time. The first is vehicular stopping power. Yes, the ALIG is a great weapon for anti-vehicle, but rocket launchers are the single most effective way to lock down car-based objectives. (Besides the dreadfully strong conc grenades (by the way, if you say that their big limitation is that you can only carry one, don't kid yourself. Your resupply options are crazy. In the heat of the moment, you have one less nade, it's true, but that's hardly a good downside considering their killing power and vehicular stopping power) ) Their other advantage is the simple bypass of cover. In a game where working corners and using cover is integral to the core of combat, launchers are a tool which allow you to ignore that factor. If you're pinned down by a sniper, you can at least hold out via cover. Until someone with a launcher forces you to either die to the rocket, or leave cover and get put down by the sniper. Is that really okay? (If you are saying yes, you're a sadist with no consideration for those at an objective disadvantage. Sorry, but it's the truth.)

 

So many times I see someone try to get into the game, only to abandon it because they feel helpless against the equipment of people with more skill in the first place. The game requires IMMENSE patience and persistence to be invested in, which considering there are more newbie-friendly PvP games out there, puts APB at a staggeringly bad position in the market.

 

Okay, time to get dogpiled by everyone.

new players should not cross paths with vets .

 

what a Little Orbit  https://g.co/kgs/TB3P99   does is absurd . 

Edited January 14, 2020 by yood

[Rehtaelle 18]

While that isn't untrue, the sharp difference in power doesn't *need* to be there. It's not an MMORPG. It's an MMO-lite PvP shooter. Generally good PvP games are centered around the idea that people put into the same room as each other don't have items which make them superior to players who don't.

Examples:

Team Fortress 2

Overwatch

Call of Duty

Unreal Tournament

Quake

Tribes

 

Planetside 2 comes close, but they do have several elements of straight upgrades over new players last I touched it. Mostly vehicle upgrades.

[NotZombieBiscuit 3146]

15 hours ago, Rehtaelle said:

While that isn't untrue, the sharp difference in power doesn't *need* to be there. It's not an MMORPG. It's an MMO-lite PvP shooter. Generally good PvP games are centered around the idea that people put into the same room as each other don't have items which make them superior to players who don't.

Examples:

Team Fortress 2

Overwatch

Call of Duty

Unreal Tournament

Quake

Tribes

 

Planetside 2 comes close, but they do have several elements of straight upgrades over new players last I touched it. Mostly vehicle upgrades.

I hope you mean the old Tribes 2/TV because Ascend was not in line with your point.

[Rehtaelle 18]

29 minutes ago, NotZombieBiscuit said:

I hope you mean the old Tribes 2/TV because Ascend was not in line with your point.

Oh for sure I meant T2. But I guess, who even remembers that nowadays? Shazbot....

[NotZombieBiscuit 3146]

1 hour ago, Rehtaelle said:

Oh for sure I meant T2. But I guess, who even remembers that nowadays? Shazbot....

VGS bro. vgs

[Rehtaelle 18]

2 minutes ago, NotZombieBiscuit said:

VGS bro. vgs

And that VSDB - VAF life. At least, that's how I lived.