What's Your 'ideal' Game Length?
Savant
Join Date: 2002-11-30 Member: 10289Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Join Date: 2002-11-30 Member: 10289Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<div class="IPBDescription">How long do you like 'em?</div> OK this is NOT a criticizm of the current build or any proposed build. I am just curious, in an ideal situation, how long do you think games should be? (again, keep in mind 'ideal' situations in a balanced game - don't apply current game balance to your opinion please)
How long is too short? How long is too long? What's the 'perfect' length?
Share your thoughts.
Regards,
Savant
How long is too short? How long is too long? What's the 'perfect' length?
Share your thoughts.
Regards,
Savant
Comments
Not a fan of the overly long games.
that came out wrong
It's not a skirmish, it's a battle for the control of an Alien-held *ship*. If the tech tree ever grew robust enough, I wouldn't be averse to seeing a FOUR hour game, so long as each team has a chance to tech and come back, get themselves up to equal footing, instead of the hard downhill slide that occurs whenever a Marine team re-bases into a Hive, and holds onto another one through a PG/TF/mine spam.
Though for that, you might need the concept of Linked Maps introduced. Each map's outcome determines the next map, until an ending point is reached in the mini-storyline. Say, start-out has three maps one way, one the other.
If the Marines lose the first map in the sequence, they get to go to the last map on their side... one of the proposed Escape-style maps (search for further details, discussion, and mini-fiction) where the Marines have to make a run for the escape pods after setting off the ship's self-destruct. Aliens have to stop them from getting there. No commander, caches of weapons along the run, respawn points (like a Distress Beacon) to gain back your men, only leaving the Aliens the chance to wipe them all out in the interim sections. Have to get something like half your team into the e-pods and launch 'em.
But if the Marines win, they push further into the ship. New map, fewer windows, similar architecture, completely different layout. Maybe different departments of the ship.. Landing, Residential, Engineering, Operations. If you win, you go from Landing to Residential. Lose on Res, go back to Landing. Have pitched battles that would REALLY keep my interest at least... maybe have servers keeping single 'campaign' series going for days at a time. Join in to fight for your side when you can, and leave the fighting to others when you have to go. Would see a CRUSH for the Operations and Self-Destruct maps, as everyone wants to put the campaign to bed, or try to get it back and keep it going (excepting in the case of S-D maps.. campaign ends after those regardless of WHICH side wins, as the ship's blown up).
If I have free time, then about an hour of it going back and forth, or even longer depending on just how close it is. One sided games where its dragged out just flat suck though.
ICK ICK ICK. I'd rather play 1 'boring' 2 hour map, than 60 5-minute CS style rush maps.
If marines lock down two hives within first 10 minutes, it better be a 15 minute game AT MOST. I don't mind losing, I just hate waiting around for the new game to start. Since I just play on random public servers with good ping and//or servers that I've met kewl people before, the two hive lockdown generally means game over. I know you can come back from it depending on a good deal of factors... but for pubs, if two hives are secured that ideal game would be 10-15 minutes.
Excluding RL time requirments (i.e. sleep, work, other pointless things), my ideal game would range from 20-45 minutes for a good one, and 45-60 minutes for an epic one. Two hour games are ludicrously long, and unless both sides are just doing so famtamiously well that each team keeps countering the other team's advances, usually get boring or repititve.
I kind of gave a few "ideal" lengths for a few reasons. There is NO cardboard cutout cookie cuttter game. Every one is original and spekial in their own ways. SO! There are going to be slaughters. Those game should last a minimal amount of time, then. No one wants to get spanked for over 20 minutes. It's just simply not fun. If the teams skillz are about even, then the other times I said would be a good IMO.
Of course... the perfectly timed game is all just opinion...
Pretty much my most memorable game was a 1 1/2 gather where I was on a alien team which came back from a 2-hive lockdown. Quality game <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
If the teams are even, 1,5 - 2 hr games would be ideal. Tense action all the time.
There are not many games out there that are more fun than a long, tense round of NS.
Any game that lasts less than 10 minutes isn't much fun at all. 11 isn't all that impressive either.
But games that tend to spill over 1 and a half to 2 hours are majorly enjoyed and people really rave about such games in the Ready Room...
I would have to say, it all depends on if i can stand the people i'm playing with.
a) People are constantly "rushing" (probing defenses for weaknesses, attacking bases, capturing areas, etc.)
b) People are constantly "rushing"
Oh wait, that's only one option <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
The winner is only determined if you have given up (or they have given up). As marines I've lost many times to an unexpected base-rush from skulks, even when we were completely dominating the rest of the map. I've also had comebacks from 3-hive aliens (rare) and many wins against 2-hives.
Clan matches may be different, but be more specific <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I remember the first days after release, most matches would last 3-4 hours.
'twas a wonderful sight.
How long is too short? How long is too long? What's the 'perfect' length?
Share your thoughts.
Regards,
Savant <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ideal... if you mean a good time to win by .. its Marines: 10-20 mins and Aliens: 15-30 mins
The best time i have ever seen is 4 mins.. and the average clan game is ~15-20 mins...
Pubs are to eradic to come to any conclusion
The occasional rush win is OK but I wouldn't like to see it become routine (I had a great game yesterday defending as a skulk against an IP rush at noname, took them at least 20 minutes of almost non-stop fighting to take down the hive.
I don't like slow marine lockdowns of 1 location (processing, red room).