36 replies to this topic

[Mcchuggernaut]

One of the things that has been implemented during the time I was absent from the game is the Domination game mode and, I gotta say, I have some REAL problems with it. Just as an example:

I recently played a game of Domination on Viridian Bog, and the "circle of death", as I have come to call the area you must hold in Domination, was centered directly over one of the two hills in the center of the map. Hills that only have a way up on one side...We were the lucky team spawned on the side of the hill without said way up the hill. Needless to say, it was a massacre. We were forced to stay in the circle, which meant standing in an open area being fired on from an elevated position all match (Which was mercifully short, at least.). All they had to do was hump the edge of that hill for cover and tear us to pieces, and there was not a single thing we could do about it.

^^How is this a fair match? Answer: It isn't. A huge part of MWO is using good positioning and cover, and this game mode often forces you to ignore that fact because of the objective placement. If the terrain advantage for both sides was always even this wouldn't really be an issue, since everyone would have the same problem, but it isn't. You also can't just compensate by moving to a better position without losing the objective. In my opinion this REALLY needs fixed. Apparently, this mode has been around for a while and you would think PGI would have noticed that one side almost always wins when an objective is placed at a certain point and moved it accordingly, but this IS them we're talking about.

So, given all the inherent unfairness and stupid play this mode seems to be creating, why does it get voted for so often? Am I missing something? I'm not one to complain, and I usually compensate for any current imbalances in the game by adjusting my play style or choosing to use different mechs set up to counter these things until they get smoothed out, but I can't counter this with a build or play style. I really don't like just random spawn chance instead of skill, planning and cooperation determining who wins and loses.

Anyway, sorry for the rant but this really bothered me and I want to hear what other people are thinking about it.

Edited by Mcchuggernaut, 23 May 2016 - 10:10 PM.

[YourSaviorLegion]

I've never really had a problem with Viridian, however the that maps really need to be addressed are Crimson and Grim Plexus. Those two maps pretty much force your team into some really terrible positions.

Edited by YourSaviorLegion, 23 May 2016 - 10:11 PM.

[Mcchuggernaut]

YourSaviorLegion, on 23 May 2016 - 10:10 PM, said:

I've never really had a problem with Viridian, however the maps really need to be addressed are Crimson and Polar. Those two maps pretty much force your team into some really terrible positions.

I am glad someone else feels this way and I'm not just imagining it. Has it been brought to the attention of the devs? Do they have anything to say about it or plans to fix it?

[MechWarrior849305]

I just... LOLed.

Easy fix for all of you, coming here crying 'bout domination: Go and kill enemy team first, stand in green circle after. Failing to understand simple things is pathetic

All the saem faces that cry 'bout how conquest mode is broken when noone is capping points *facepalm*

Edited by MechWarrior849305, 24 May 2016 - 12:18 AM.

[Mcchuggernaut]

MechWarrior849305, on 23 May 2016 - 10:15 PM, said:

I just... LOLed.

Easy fix for all of you, coming here cry 'bout domination: Go and kill enemy team first, stand in green circle after. Failing to understand simple things is pathetic

I am well aware of this. The games rarely end through playing the objective. But when one team is given a terrain advantage, they become much harder to just kill, which is lopsided and unfair. One minute is simply not enough time to ignore the objective and kill the enemy. Never seen a game last less than a minute, have you?

Edited by Mcchuggernaut, 23 May 2016 - 10:34 PM.

[AdrenaHawk]

Something to keep in mind about Domination is that you don't actually have to be in the circle to stop the enemy from capping, you just have to shoot one of them who is. As long as you can do that you can drag the match on for as long as it takes for the real fight to begin.

[Chuck Jager]

Some folks are POed they have to fight instead of hiding behind their team for scamming damage and epeen.

No Sympathy

Edited by Chuck Jager, 23 May 2016 - 10:49 PM.

[Mcchuggernaut]

AdrenaHawk, on 23 May 2016 - 10:31 PM, said:

Something to keep in mind about Domination is that you don't actually have to be in the circle to stop the enemy from capping, you just have to shoot one of them who is. As long as you can do that you can drag the match on for as long as it takes for the real fight to begin.

There is no problem with the mode, the problem is with the bad positioning of the objective in some matches. THAT is what needs addressed, not Domination or it's rules. Even if you can keep the match going while you re-position by picking at the enemy you will probably lose a good bit of armor and mechs while doing this. The enemy WILL be shooting back, and if they have a better place to shoot from in the beginning, odds are tipped in their favor. Look, the match I talked about could easily have been fixed simply by placing the objective between the hills instead of directly over one of them so that neither team starts with an access advantage. They put two identical hills in the map for balance purposes and opposing cover in other maps for the same purpose, then un-balance it by putting the objective in a weird place. It makes no sense to me. They obviously realized the importance of balance in map design, why not in game modes?

Edited by Mcchuggernaut, 23 May 2016 - 10:53 PM.

[AdrenaHawk]

I disagree, Domination is flawed in it's current implementation, and the poor objective locations are just one facet of that. Until PGI actually makes some real changes though, the best you can do is play the mode as best you can.

[Van Hoven]

Lol, as it was up to you what your team is doing right? You just go out there and kill all the enemys! Sure, in grp games its something different, but in public queue one side is heavily favoured and especially on grim plexus the one side is heavily in the disadvantage, relying on one or two brave players stepping a foot in the domination circle, often to be foucsed down by the enemy while their team fails to give them at least fire support.

There is really no point in argueing that one side would NOT have the advantage depending on spawn positions. On every other map the fight is mostly centered arout a terrain with cover for both sides.

You can argue that it is ok to have an disadvantage on one map/game type, but thats another point entirely

[Mechwarrior1441491]

I'd like to see smaller, multiple circles for another domination mode. They get smaller and smaller the more time that is sucked out of them. It's an idea. A better idea than most.

[adamts01]

Chuck Jager, on 23 May 2016 - 10:38 PM, said:

Some folks are POed they have to fight instead of hiding behind their team for scamming damage and epeen.

No Sympathy

I'm all about fighting, I'm typically the first one through the door. What sucks is the team yelling at the only light (me) to "hurry up and get in the circle, or we lose" while they fail at providing any sort of cover fire, and refuse to advance, in typical pug fashion. Game-modes and maps that require that amount of teamwork just don't belong in solo que. Not with the run-and-gun CoD atmosphere PGI has promoted.

[Tarogato]

Honestly, Domination has no place in a game where you are rewarded for shooting mechs foremost. If you accidentally win a Domination match before killing enemies, you get shjt rewards. You get less C-Bills, less XP, and it drags down your stats. It's all very disappointing.

[Taffer]

YourSaviorLegion, on 23 May 2016 - 10:10 PM, said:

I've never really had a problem with Viridian, however the that maps really need to be addressed are Crimson and Grim Plexus. Those two maps pretty much force your team into some really terrible positions.

I agree, but I have to admit I like how it kinda forces people to come out and play. I like the game mode.

Edited by Taffer, 24 May 2016 - 01:00 AM.

[Mcchuggernaut]

Taffer, on 24 May 2016 - 12:59 AM, said:

I agree, but I have to admit I like how it kinda forces people to come out and play. I like the game mode.

As I stated it isn't a problem with the mode, just some very bad objective circle placement on some maps.

[Dino Might]

I like the idea, not the implementation. I would prefer to see something like this:

Circle is available for a total of 15 seconds of countdown time for any combination of time from the two sides. Once 15 seconds has counted down in total, the circle then moves to another randomly selected map location. That way you have to stay mobile, and it's not simply a game of who can set up the better firing line and wait as the other team tries to make its way across Burnside's Bridge.

Most battles will still be about destroying the enemy team, but it will afford more of an opportunity for varying tactics.

Edited by Dino Might, 24 May 2016 - 02:20 AM.

[Ryllen Kriel]

Yep, Domination exists to make Conquest look like chess. Pick Skirmish or Assault.

[Mcchuggernaut]

Dino Might, on 24 May 2016 - 02:19 AM, said:

I like the idea, not the implementation. I would prefer to see something like this:

Circle is available for a total of 15 seconds of countdown time for any combination of time from the two sides. Once 15 seconds has counted down in total, the circle then moves to another randomly selected map location. That way you have to stay mobile, and it's not simply a game of who can set up the better firing line and wait as the other team tries to make its way across Burnside's Bridge.

Most battles will still be about destroying the enemy team, but it will afford more of an opportunity for varying tactics.

This would work great with careful placement of objective areas not giving an advantage to one side or another. But still, the problem is placement being fair. That needs solved first.

[El Bandito]

The Viridian Bog Domination circle should be relocated to where Theta is, in Conquest mode of the same map.

[YourSaviorLegion]

Tarogato, on 24 May 2016 - 12:23 AM, said:

Honestly, Domination has no place in a game where you are rewarded for shooting mechs foremost. If you accidentally win a Domination match before killing enemies, you get shjt rewards. You get less C-Bills, less XP, and it drags down your stats. It's all very disappointing.

That's the other thing, there's no real incentive to go for objectives in this game. Especially with the faction play system where you only get points for turrets and mechs. Then people will whine about how the 12 man grinds all 48 mechs into the dust, well what do you expect???