2 replies to this topic

[Pariah Devalis]

Whether by design or accident, right now almost every game mode we have currently feels relatively static, with the possible exception of Conquest. It always seems to boil down to two deathballs smashing into one another, or two teams camping and blasting away at one another. Domination did not need to turn out this way, however. The core idea for the mode was great, but the implementation seemed like it was not quite fully considered. Fortunately, there is a way to make the mode more of a mobile affair, as well as to add value to the secondary objectives.

First off, to address the static, campy, blob on blob nature of the mode, one could make the cap circle much smaller, and make it relocate to one of three locations on the map every three minutes or so. Retain the 1-minute timer by default.

This addresses several issues with the mode:

• More of the map is utilized, instead of the same old same old conflict points in each map
  
• High speed, or lighter, mechs play a more pivotal role in the game mode, as they would need to move from point to point before the enemy team does so
  
• The tight 1 minute limit means failure to move to the next point would result in a loss if the enemy team does respond to it first

This puts a lot of stress on the OBJECTIVE of the game mode, while also promoting mixed weight classes and class roles in the game. It turns it from a strict king of the hill to more of a Crazy King. Due to the lack of respawns in the game mode, it would be one of the only ways I can personally envision to break up the deathballing that currently occurs while still feeling like King of the Hill. Edit: Plus, your map designers made some beautiful work, and it's a shame that there's no reason to fully utilize the maps currently.



Further, as it currently stands, the secondary objectives in Domination are barely used. This is, in large part, because the objectives will not currently push the enemy clock beyond their starting time. Right now, if the enemy has 57 seconds on the clock and you destroy an objective it only pushes it to 1:00 on the clock. To add value to the secondary objectives, one should be able to add additional time to the clock, to a maximum of 1:30 on the clock. Each objective adding 15 seconds is fine, however the value of those extra seconds is currently not worth the risk of trying to take them out if you cannot make a significant impact on the enemy timer. In other words, they are not juicy enough targets to be worth risking yourself for.

Doing the above changes would have the following overall effects:

• Role differentiation between various mech speed brackets would be promoted
  
• Value to secondary objectives would be increased
  
• Pacing of the game mode would be improved due to the increased need for both teams to relocate

Ultimately, this game mode would actually feel like a totally new mode from Skirmish or the current Assault game mode. It would be a game mode that could be won based on smart movement by one team over another, would introduce counterplay with the higher priority secondary objectives, and keep it from being just another deathball on deathball mode.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 14 April 2016 - 12:51 PM.

[White Bear 84]

1. Have more than one designated zone that can be capped in the database, so that each time the map loads there is the likelihood the cap area covers a different part of the map.

[VinJade]

I don't think you can save this mode, to many hate it as it is a light mech game and anything short of completely reworking it and making it less of a light mech mode is the only way to save it.

and wanting to make it more of a light mech game just makes it even less of a desirable and would just make more and more people hate it and even cause resentment among team mates because many would blame light mech pilots and we already have a hard time trying to get everyone to act as a team.

so the last thing we would want to have is heavy resentment against lighter mech players.

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