I'd go a different way than trying to "artificially" force some late game balance. I'd try "gamifying" losing scenarios so that people can still find enjoyment in some aspects of the game. So you lost the game, but now you have a chance to score additional points or try to complete some tertiary objective. For example: Many times marines have turtled on one base and just tried to hold out against the alien onslaught. Another idea was also brought up that the losing team has x many seconds to make it to safe zones in order to "escape" at the end of the game. There is even a mod where a conceding team actually has 60 seconds before the game is over, and if the winning team fails to kill the enemy tech point int hat time it counts as a loss.
If you make metrics, and gamify these things I think we'd see a better attitude in the end game aspects of play.
I like that a lot. In NS1, It was sometimes possible to create a hideout, and aliens could (sort of) exist without a hive for a while until bombed out by ARCs or jetpackers. On NS_bast, marines could even relocate to an Onos-safe room "in the vents" and hold that for a while - exept it had no RT, hehe. These things got boring quickly, but what you're suggesting goes farther of course.
Why hasn't anybody actually suggested changing game design/mechanics to make comebacks much more likely?
Because then it wouldn't be an RTS anymore, it would be a class-based shooter, and there would be no need for RTs. Spiraling is something built into all RTS games, because the more economy you get, the more and arguably "better" (while still somewhat having weaknesses/strengths) units you get, which lead to more economy, and then more/better units, and then more economy etc. It's always exponential.
Reducing the "better" or more desirable units closer to the "base" units (which would enable more "comebacks") would make the better units less desirable, and therefore the entire resource game meaningless. I mean, that's actually not too bad of an idea, but we're talking about making ns2 into a different game - something like TF2 where you pick if you want to be a skulk or an onos, an LMG or a dual, at every respawn, and without RTs.
Spiraling is fine. The better team deserves to win. In my opinion, the better team doesn't win fast enough actually. There's nothing more boring than winning the game, and then just waiting 5-10-15 minutes in the adjacent rooms until aliens get X oni, Y biomass, and Z upgrades so they can finally end it.
If that was the case in RTS, you'd loose in every single RTS once the enemies has more resources.
But there are elements in RTS games that can stop that:
- good unit management, micro, can still hold up or even win against masses
- finite resources in many RTS (you can't sit on your gold/res forever like you can in ns2)
- multiple resources in many RTS
- upkeep (WC3 for example)
- map key positions that can turn things around
- abilities that still work without resources, unlike ns2, that can be used to turn the table; such as commader oder hero abilities
(and possibly much more that is not included)
I was expecting such responses from the community here, a lot of people on these forums are very negative at the best of times.
Alas i felt the need to post the suggestion in the very slim hopes a modder sees it and gives the disappearing disconnection button / disable f4 function function a whirl.
I'd be more than happy to put such a mod on my servers.
I often watch games in spectator mode and i've seen half of a team rage quit within 5 minutes of a game starting simply because the commander was new.
Not sure what we can do for those people though, they didn't even think to try to eject him...
I couldn't agree more. These forums are very negative when it comes to general discussion and ideas.
Comments
I'd go a different way than trying to "artificially" force some late game balance. I'd try "gamifying" losing scenarios so that people can still find enjoyment in some aspects of the game. So you lost the game, but now you have a chance to score additional points or try to complete some tertiary objective. For example: Many times marines have turtled on one base and just tried to hold out against the alien onslaught. Another idea was also brought up that the losing team has x many seconds to make it to safe zones in order to "escape" at the end of the game. There is even a mod where a conceding team actually has 60 seconds before the game is over, and if the winning team fails to kill the enemy tech point int hat time it counts as a loss.
If you make metrics, and gamify these things I think we'd see a better attitude in the end game aspects of play.
Just an idea.
If that was the case in RTS, you'd loose in every single RTS once the enemies has more resources.
But there are elements in RTS games that can stop that:
- good unit management, micro, can still hold up or even win against masses
- finite resources in many RTS (you can't sit on your gold/res forever like you can in ns2)
- multiple resources in many RTS
- upkeep (WC3 for example)
- map key positions that can turn things around
- abilities that still work without resources, unlike ns2, that can be used to turn the table; such as commader oder hero abilities
(and possibly much more that is not included)
"RTS" part in NS2 has always been lacking.
I couldn't agree more. These forums are very negative when it comes to general discussion and ideas.