11 replies to this topic

[SI The Joker]

Hi all,

I read this in the Developer Q&A 2:
Will planetary control come down to one/a few games, or will taking over a planet require much more time...like 20 games? –Cyttorak

[MATT C] At launch planetary control will consist of single matches though over time we intend to add support for sequenced matches.


I didn't see anything else out here in searching... if I missed it, I apologize. I would like to make a suggestion that planetary control take more than 1 match to achieve at launch. Maybe best out of 3? 5?

Otherwise I'm seeing a scenario where planetary ownership and the shape of the star system will change quickly and dramatically.

I have an old BT planet list which has 2,122 planets on it. (I think it may have been corrupted though... there are more, no?)

So if you have a base of 5,000 players at launch (being totally conservative), using a value of 16 players per match (8 per side) and an average of 20 minutes per match along with 1 battle to determine planetary ownership...

312.5 matches every 20 minutes * 3 = (round up)
939 matches per hour - that means 939 planets exchange hands each hour

Divide that number by 5, and you've got 187 planets exchanging hands each hour. It's still alot of planets... but otherwise, won't the starmap shift drastically every hour?

EDIT: I'm including 30% to this calculation to show the times where a planet was taken by one unit and then taken back by the original owner. So take 30% off of 187... we get 130; So there could be 130 planets actually exchanging hands each hour.

Edited by SI The Joker, 24 February 2012 - 01:19 PM.

[Felix Dante]

It's either increase the number of combats to gain a planet, or limit the number of times 2 groups can fight over a planet.

Otherwise you may have a planet change hands 12 times a day for weeks on end as pi$$ed-off players keep playing and replaying for control.

Or is that what they want....?

Edited by Felix Dante, 24 February 2012 - 12:43 PM.

[Felbombling]

"This just in to our Instant News Network... Trellwan has fallen to the Draconis Combine. Citizens are... oh, wait... this just in... the FRR has taken back Trellwan from Combine hands. Am I reading the prompter right? Now it says Trellwan has fallen to House Steiner!"

[Bluey]

May I remind you each team have only one "move* for each day" You can attack once a day or move to another planet once in a day..
Its how F2P s work.

[SI The Joker]

Bluey, on 24 February 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

May I remind you each team have only one "move* for each day" You can attack once a day or move to another planet once in a day..
Its how F2P s work.

I must have missed a piece of information when I read through. Where did you read this?

[Slyck]

I think all matches at launch will have 24 players in them, so that cuts your value by a third. Also, there is going to have to be some delay between a contract being accepted and the actual battle in the Border Worlds as the defending group will have to organize a defense.

[SI The Joker]

Slyck, on 24 February 2012 - 01:10 PM, said:

I think all matches at launch will have 24 players in them, so that cuts your value by a third. Also, there is going to have to be some delay between a contract being accepted and the actual battle in the Border Worlds as the defending group will have to organize a defense.

Hah! Major miscalculation. Fixing the original post now. I'll use the more conservative 8 players PER SIDE which *facepalm* I missed in the first place.

[Havoc2]

Bluey, on 24 February 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

May I remind you each team have only one "move* for each day" You can attack once a day or move to another planet once in a day..
Its how F2P s work.

So you're saying that I can only fight one time per day, then I should log off and watch TV or something for the remaining 23 hours, 59 minutes (because I was killed first)?

DO NOT restrict the number of fights someone can have in any given time period.
Maybe put a lock on planets so that they cannot be attacked more than once per day (or per 2 days, or week or whatever) that way they can't be attacked, re-attacked, and attacked some more.
Planet is attacked, it is either:
1) Taken. Cannot be attacked and re-taken by the original owner until the lock clears.
2) Defended. Cannot be re-attacked by either the original attacker or another unit until the lock clears.


What I think I would prefer though is to require a certain percentage of control in order to "take" the planet. Like MPBT:3025 had.
Say each planet is made up of 100%.
Attacker must win at least 51% of the planet to take control. This means winning 51 matches of 100 (or 26 of 50. . . . 16 of 30. . . . whatever).
This could also cause MASSIVE battles in which House Steiner wants that House Kurita planet, Steiner attacks with 100 House warriors and contracts out 50 Mercenaries. House Kurita only has 50 House warriors on but they contract out 100 Mercenaries to help defend.


Assuming of course that contract for Merc corps will/can be player driven.

[SI The Joker]

}{avoc, on 24 February 2012 - 01:12 PM, said:

So you're saying that I can only fight one time per day, then I should log off and watch TV or something for the remaining 23 hours, 59 minutes (because I was killed first)?

DO NOT restrict the number of fights someone can have in any given time period.
Maybe put a lock on planets so that they cannot be attacked more than once per day (or per 2 days, or week or whatever) that way they can't be attacked, re-attacked, and attacked some more.
Planet is attacked, it is either:
1) Taken. Cannot be attacked and re-taken by the original owner until the lock clears.
2) Defended. Cannot be re-attacked by either the original attacker or another unit until the lock clears.


What I think I would prefer though is to require a certain percentage of control in order to "take" the planet. Like MPBT:3025 had.
Say each planet is made up of 100%.
Attacker must win at least 51% of the planet to take control. This means winning 51 matches of 100 (or 26 of 50. . . . 16 of 30. . . . whatever).
This could also cause MASSIVE battles in which House Steiner wants that House Kurita planet, Steiner attacks with 100 House warriors and contracts out 50 Mercenaries. House Kurita only has 50 House warriors on but they contract out 100 Mercenaries to help defend.
Assuming of course that contract for Merc corps will/can be player driven.

I think Bluey means units making a move, not players. I'd still like to see where that's at.. I didn't see any mention of that at all.

Even in }{avoc's idea... it still winds down to a "best of X # of battles" to see who wins. I don't think there should be a hard and fast lock in place... I think that it should be something that is just "reality" because let's face it... resolving planetary conflict should take some time.

But at the same time... it would be very possible for a unit to declare victory over planet X... only to have reinforcements arrive from the opposing force who then proceeds to re-take the planet from the original winners - all in very short order.

[Bluey]

SI The Joker is right I meant an unit,a company.I had small experiance about a similar game play.An unit can move or attack once day and since attackers have one chance to attack you only defend once a day but GAME board is huge hundreads of planets for many different companies.You can join different fronts but you cannot play in same planet more than once in a day.
Also you can only stick to your own faction but this doesnt mean you wont gonna find less battles in other games you have to wait hours but Battletech just immensely huge we are talking about 2000 planets and mercs figthing between each other even faction borders are safe.No limit on battle.

Most recent similar game mechanic deployed in world of tanks game which I didnt play it cause its very buggy and full of camping. Its also pay to win and FULL OF HAXXORS ,BOTS and auto money makers ....... fail game is fail



Just watch MWO very different but mechanic very close.
I dont know about money and landing costs which MWO might be have longer range *alas space jump*

Edited by Bluey, 24 February 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Mautty the Bobcat]

I think one move per day is referring to the 'clan' battles, as exampled in the WoT video. As a player, you should be able to participate in as many battles per day as you want to, which will probably either be set up rooms, or a matchmaking system. But the actual planet control battles will only occur once per day.

That is, if I'm understanding it correctly.

[Bluey]

Mautty the Bobcat, on 24 February 2012 - 03:07 PM, said:

I think one move per day is referring to the 'clan' battles, as exampled in the WoT video. As a player, you should be able to participate in as many battles per day as you want to, which will probably either be set up rooms, or a matchmaking system. But the actual planet control battles will only occur once per day.

That is, if I'm understanding it correctly.

With this little information about game itself I think you came very close guess about mwo mechanics.
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