17 replies to this topic

[TexAce]

Since the debate about game modes is in full swing I thought I'll try to come up with something on my own.

I made the following rules:

• - It should be about killing mechs
  
• - It should be dynamic in many ways to prevent stagnancy
  
• - It should prevent deathballing
  
• - It should be doable with current assets
  
• - It should offer something new

Here is how it works:




1st step: Matchmaking

The matchmaker takes the three heaviest mech in each team and puts them each one of them in their own lance. Then fills up each lance with the next heaviest mechs, and so on.

So you get for example:
Alpha lance: 100t, 60t, 30t, 30t
Beta lance: 95t, 75t, 50t, 20t
Charlie lance: 100t, 80t, 60t, 55t,

The heaviest in each lance is the golden duck.

2nd step: The Map



The map has checkpoints all over the map (green and blue points). Think of them as rescue pods for example, which you need to gather.
Its devided in 2 rings of checkpoints.

First ring is the main ring, which is on the very outer edge of the map (green).
Second ring is more in the central area of the map and also incorporates the center of it (blue).

One team is the duck team and the other team is the hunter team.

Each lance of the duck team is placed on the outer ring as far away from each other as possible.
The hunter team is placed together in the center of the map.

All checkpoints have one AMS and one SRM turret.

3rd step: Ready, steady, GO!

The ducks have to move clockwise around the map, through the checkpoints, led by a pathway with green lights (remember the tutorial?).
The other mechs in the lance have to protect the duck. Lets just say only the duck can catch the signal from the rescue pods and knows where they are.

Every time the duck reaches checkpoint the turrets are being activated for the duck team.

The hunter team has to kill all ducks. However, if the ducks reach a certain amount of checkpoints, they win.

Deathballing onto one lance and killing one duck lance after another won't lead to success, since the other ducks will reach too many checkpoints in that time.
The hunters have to split up to have a chance!

Hunters can't activate turrets in the outer ring.


Question: How many checkpoints have the ducks to conquer?
Answer: It depends! On the weight of the ducks. The heavier all 3 ducks are together, the LESS checkpoints they have to conquer.

Example (don't take this numbers for set in stone):
If the ducks weight together 280-300 tons they need 8 checkpoints together.
If the ducks weight together 200-220 tons they need 14 checkpoints together.

4th step: A dead duck is a good duck, or is it?

If the hunters manage to kill one of the 3 ducks, the inner checkpoint ring opens.

The inner ring is an alternative way to cross the map, because it goes through the center of the map. So when a duck lance realizes the duck lance in front of them is dead, they can turn right into the center and try to shorten over to the other duck lance.

However, if a hunter reaches an inner ring checkpoint, the turrets in that checkpoint belong to him.

Question: What if the ducks try to deathball and go through the checkpoints together?
Answer: It won't work, since each checkpoint can only be activated once. So deathballing would take 3 times longer to win for the ducks than to split up.

5th and final step: Resolution

If the hunters manage to kill all ducks, they win.
If the ducks manage to get the needed amount of checkpoints, they win.

Variables:
Number of checkpoints to conquer by the ducks is variable.
Number of total checkpoints in each ring is not set in stone at all.
The hunters can't see which mechs are ducks. So if a lance has two equally heavy mechs, they can't tell which one of them is the duck until they kill both.

Conclusion: I'm just putting this out into the open. You can debate on it, you can tell me what I didn't think of, I'm happy to take it into account. There is no better way to test my idea than to throw it into the shark tank that is this forum.

I think it would make a really dynamic and turbulent gamemode, which can't be foreseen early into the match, since its highly dependent on the mechs in both teams.

It opens up new routes on the maps and decentralizes them early into the match. It forces teams to split up but still work together across the map.

Discuss!

Edited by TexAce, 22 March 2016 - 01:55 AM.

[Alardus]

Yes

[Troutmonkey]

Sounds pretty fun. Would be nice if MWO had "serious" and "fun" mode queues so they sillier ideas like this could be done. Maybe only open it on weekends (Fri-Mon) when the population is highest

Edited by Troutmonkey, 21 March 2016 - 09:28 PM.

[Y E O N N E]

Forces lance vs. lance combat.

Forces lances to actively engage or get "out-capped."

I am intrigued.

[TexAce]

Troutmonkey, on 21 March 2016 - 09:28 PM, said:

Sounds pretty fun. Would be nice if MWO had "serious" and "fun" mode queues so they sillier ideas like this could be done. Maybe only open it on weekends (Fri-Mon) when the population is highest

You know that population doesn't matter when it comes to game modes, since the game mode is chosen in the voting screen after the matchmaking?

You seriously think this mode is "sillier" than say standing in boxes or circles until a timer runs out?

Edited by TexAce, 21 March 2016 - 11:20 PM.

[kesmai]

Can't help, but i like that.

[MechWarrior414712]

Official Nascar game mode yes

[WatDo]

Liked it just so i could un-like it.

It's nascar - the mode.

Beyond the basic idea being... lame, here's the other issues;

If one of the hunter lances dies early on... the ducks just, win? There then wouldn't be enough mechs to stop all the ducks from getting to the checkpoints.

If one of the duck lances dies early on, the hunters just... win? There wouldn't be enough ducks to out point the hunters at that point.

What prevents a deathball from forming at a chokepoint and just mowing down all the ducks, since they eventually ALL have to pass through there?

What prevents 8 of the faster mechs on the hunter team from grouping up to just go roflstomp the slow duck groups one by one?

Finally, it's FAR too complicated for the average pug drop. You have way too much confidence in the general population, just sayin...

You tried anyway, good thinking outside the box... throw this one out and try another idea though.

[Khobai]

this gamemode makes even less sense than PGI's gamemodes... why are mechs walking in circles for no reason?

[Troutmonkey]

TexAce, on 21 March 2016 - 11:19 PM, said:

You know that population doesn't matter when it comes to game modes, since the game mode is chosen in the voting screen after the matchmaking?

You seriously think this mode is "sillier" than say standing in boxes or circles until a timer runs out?

The queues for mode types would be separate. Would be like Halo's Competitive vs Casual queues, where one has TDM, SWAT, and Assault and the other has more obtuse game types Oddball, Headhunter, and KoTH.

The "Casual" queue could include a bunch of fun new game modes that aren't very serious, and would be separate from the current modes which are more "Serious". That way people looking for more balanced traditional game modes would have to worry about playing the MWO equivalent of Griffball

Edited by Troutmonkey, 22 March 2016 - 12:49 AM.

[NextGame]

might need some tweaking for balance, but in principle it seems like a good idea to me

[627]

making up new gamemodes is easy, we have done that for the last... 4 years now? But it seems PGI is too stubborn on this, I don't know.

I mean, what about a head hunt mode? everyone get's a different target and if he kills it, he get a little extra?

Or VIP mode - one of yours is the primary target, you have toget him to the enemy base alive.

Just 10 seconds of thinking and those are already more fun than the new king of the hill mode. And there are tons of good ideas out there, even implemented on other games like ours (which means with no respawns).

[NoiseCrypt]

I worked on an idea like this that i called VIP Escort (you get the point).
I see a huge problem with the amount of hate that your Ducks will receive from their team, both in game and after the match.
I don't think that you should ever put a gamer in that position in a MMO.
I really like the idea, but it should only be executed in a "controlled" environment.

[TexAce]

WatDo, on 21 March 2016 - 11:56 PM, said:

If one of the hunter lances dies early on... the ducks just, win? There then wouldn't be enough mechs to stop all the ducks from getting to the checkpoints.

No if a hunter lance dies, the other 2 lances can go strictly for the ducks (they are still 8 neverthanless). Plus the duck lance that just won, might be damaged up enough to be killed fast.

WatDo, on 21 March 2016 - 11:56 PM, said:

If one of the duck lances dies early on, the hunters just... win? There wouldn't be enough ducks to out point the hunters at that point.

If a duck lance dies, the inner ring gets open with even more turrets and a cross path through the map, giving the duck team more chances to still win

WatDo, on 21 March 2016 - 11:56 PM, said:

What prevents a deathball from forming at a chokepoint and just mowing down all the ducks, since they eventually ALL have to pass through there?

Did you read my thread completely? I know its long, but still,...
If a deathball is being formed, it cant ever catch up to all ducks in time to win. Especially when the other two duck lances open up all turrets and the inner ring.

WatDo, on 21 March 2016 - 11:56 PM, said:

What prevents 8 of the faster mechs on the hunter team from grouping up to just go roflstomp the slow duck groups one by one?

Same as above?

NoiseCrypt, on 22 March 2016 - 01:11 AM, said:

I worked on an idea like this that i called VIP Escort (you get the point).
I see a huge problem with the amount of hate that your Ducks will receive from their team, both in game and after the match.
I don't think that you should ever put a gamer in that position in a MMO.
I really like the idea, but it should only be executed in a "controlled" environment.

Problem with only one VIP is that it would be too easy for the enemy team to form a deathball and go strictly after him, like on Omega in CW.

My proposal doesn't let this happen since all VIPs are in different corners of the map.

627, on 22 March 2016 - 12:55 AM, said:

making up new gamemodes is easy, we have done that for the last... 4 years now? But it seems PGI is too stubborn on this, I don't know.

I mean, what about a head hunt mode? everyone get's a different target and if he kills it, he get a little extra?

Or VIP mode - one of yours is the primary target, you have toget him to the enemy base alive.

Just 10 seconds of thinking and those are already more fun than the new king of the hill mode. And there are tons of good ideas out there, even implemented on other games like ours (which means with no respawns).

See above. One VIP won't work ever.

Khobai, on 22 March 2016 - 12:46 AM, said:

this gamemode makes even less sense than PGI's gamemodes... why are mechs walking in circles for no reason?

Use your imagination.

A big *** spaceship exploded, rescue pods were thrown out of it, all landed on the map totally scattered around. The three duck lances have to get to the rescue pods (a.k.a. checkpoints duh?) and pick the people up. Only the ducks in the lances have the exact locations of the pods.


Was it so hard?

Edited by TexAce, 22 March 2016 - 01:41 AM.

[ArmandTulsen]

I like that you put a lot of thought and effort into the OP, but I wouldn't play this game mode.

And I would hate to be forced to play it, just because >50% of the players voted it.

(PLEASE CHANGE THE MAP/GAME MODE SELECTION, PGI. THANKS.)

[Khobai]

Quote

Use your imagination.

I shouldnt have to use my imagination to come up with a reason for why a gamemode makes sense

it should just make sense on its own.

[SplashDown]

I like everything about this idea except..the forced to move clockwise part..imo would make things to predictable for the hunter team.

Just my 2 pennies

[Ace Selin]

mmmm Ducks