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New Gameplay Mode Idea (Flagball)


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#1 Terox

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Posted 22 May 2017 - 07:06 AM

FlagBall

(Based on a game mode from a game called Delta Force which I played a very very long time ago)

This game mode was a lot of fun to play and is something I do not recollect seeing in any other game since.

Aim:

To get an object into a location defended by the enemy

Mechanics:

A bit like football. The object is placed in the middle of the battlefield. (In Delta force this was a flag and the player became the flag carrier, hence the name flagball)
At the start, mechs spawn at the edge of the map (as they do now) and move in to take control of the object which is positioned at the centre of the map and then fight their way to the enemy "Goal" area to drop it off and score a "goal"

If the mech carrying the object is killed, the object is dropped making it possible for any nearby mech to retrieve it and continue in their attempt to score a "goal".
If no mech is able to retrieve this dropped object within a certain time frame, the object is reset back to its central starting location.

Once the goal is scored the object resets to the middle starting position and the battle continues

Scoring
  • The side with the most goals win
  • If there is a draw on the number of goals, then the side with the longest "ownership" time of the object wins
To avoid death match type play, the number of mech kills should not be taken into consideration (Like incursion)

Some additional mechanic may need to be implemented because as we know incursion starts with Deatmatch and then towards the end focuses on destroying the base)

Gameplay details

The objects location is constantly shown in the map, making the location of the mech carrying the object easy to find, preventing them from hiding in some obscure place to increment their "ownership" timer unfairly (Even when powered down)
This "carrier" mech would also have a unique identifier when targeted much in the same way as the VIP tag seen in the escort missions

Some questions I don't know the answer to

How long should the match last for ?
How long should the "drop object" timer run before it resets the object to the central starting position?

Issues I can see

The could result in the type of game play that we see in Incusrion.
Incusrion should be about destroying the enemy base, however that isn't how it is played. Basically both sides play a death match until one side has the upper hand and then off they go to stomp the base with little if any defence against it.
Some mechanic would have to be put into place to stop this and any other game mode that isn't intended as a death match from creating that style of game play, causing the focus on the game to be either about scoring a goal or increasing ownership time.

Tactical Play

The light mechs would most likely be the obvious selection as the object carriers, or would they. Whichever mech is the carrier should be running towards a defended goal, if that is the case would that be the best mech to use or would it be better to try and protect a slower moving but much more armoured mech? (See the options section for ideas that may dissuade or prevent this)

Faction Play Implementation

It will most likely work best in this environment, due to the 4 mechs per player drops


PUG Play implementation

Possible option (Dont flame me for this)
Run this on a 20-30 minute timer.
Players can respawn in the same mech when they are killed thus keeping both sides equally matched to stop it turning into a death match

Alternative Options

Some ideas to throw into this.

Should the carrier mech have the option to drop the "object" by choice so another carrier can pick it up?

EG a light rushes in, manages to retrieve the object from the starting position, run back to the friendly mob and drop it so a heavier better armoured mech can become the carrier (Passing the ball to a friendly player)

Should the carrier mech be slowed down when carrying the object?

Idea being to stop lights flying through enemy defences. (The lighter the mech the more the slowdown effect)
Think about the faction play "Scout mode" where you have 4 hunter mechs and 1 remaining enemy scout which can easily bypass the hunter security even when they surround the pickup point

Should you limit the minimum weight of mech that can carry the object?

(to say a medium)
For the same reason as stated above to stop lights storming through defences to score a goal

Should you require the goal scoring mech to stand still for a few seconds to pick up the object or score the goal ?

Much in the same way as the fuel cells are collected in the Incursion game mode for the same reason as stated above, lights storming through and scoring too easily

In typical faction play (Or maybe also PUG) should the mission end when the last mech on a given side is destroyed and the score taken at that point ?

This may go some way to preventing death match style game play. If you didn't do that then the remaining mechs can just do shuttle runs to increment the score. The last remaining mech on a given side wouldnt then run off, try and hide, he would be hell bent on either scoring a goal or getting killed trying to.

Should you change the game play so that the mech carrier automatically became the "VIP" and then you had to protect the VIP player anywhere on the map the carrier wanted to go
Just an idea !

Should the drop weight be restricted so that all players in the match are the same weight class?

So that for example
We have an All assaults versus All assaults flag ball match
All Heavy versus All heavy match
This would go a long way to improving the fun, as every mech would be roughly evenly matched on speed.
(Imagine the frantic chaos on a 12 v 12 140kph light mech flagball match) That would be a fun thing to spectate)



Summary
My memory of this game mode is very positive and was great fun to play. The pace was pretty fast (Doesn't have to be) with players sniping, laying down covering fire or just acting as bodyguards to help the flag carrier score.
The fact that you had to fight your way forward with the flag and not retreat to your own goal is what made it fun and the frantic fighting over the dropped flag etc

So your thoughts and how open to suggestions are PGI ?





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