Shield Time Pwnt?!?! W!T?F! Is there no end?

  • Two Factor Authentication is now available on BeyondUnreal Forums. To configure it, visit your Profile and look for the "Two Step Verification" option on the left side. We can send codes via email (may be slower) or you can set up any TOTP Authenticator app on your phone (Authy, Google Authenticator, etc) to deliver codes. It is highly recommended that you configure this to keep your account safe.

Power-up timing. Stay or GO.

  • Keep it the same, I hate change!!!11!!

    Votes: 24 40.0%
  • WTF there is no other option.... N00B!!!11!

    Votes: 8 13.3%
  • We need a new system, watching the clock is teh sukc.

    Votes: 28 46.7%

  • Total voters
    60

TraCK

Amateur Sketch
Apr 14, 2005
132
0
0
114
Kansas City
Theres one thing that bothers me about DM games. It's the damn power-up timing. Does it really make a game more fun when you have to watch the clock just to win? I hate when I play someone in a DM and they own my ass because they are better at timing the shields, but then I play them in TAM and they get crushed because they don't have their precious power-ups to time. I'm not saying that it's bad that they do time them, I'm just saying the game might be a hell lot more fun if you didn't have to watch the clock to have any chance of beating a decent player.

I think even you awesome players would agree that the game would be a lot more fun if you didn't have to worry about watching the clock just to do well.

UT 2k7 would be a great time to implament a new power-up system. I don't at all think that they should remove them from the game but I think there should be a new system on how they spawn or how you attain them. I have no idea on how a new system would work but maybe you guys do?
 

ShakeZula

New Member
Nov 9, 2005
1,008
0
0
37
Cheshire, England
Surely the only alternative to scheduled spawning is random spawning... and I don't think it'd work. Part of the game is map control, if you didn't know when things were going to spawn then this would be near impossible. I guess with 1on1 where the only major pup is the 100a it could add some sort of tension (like waiting for the Snitch in Quidditch :p), but overall it'd just be taking a skill factor out of the game... Yeah, clockwatching is a bit mundane but I can't see any other alternative, so I say keep regular spawning.
 

Kantham

Fool.
Sep 17, 2004
18,034
2
38
SOLAR said:
but then I play them in TAM and they get crushed because they don't have their precious power-ups to time.

But then you play them in a POS gametype that feature alot of shield and weapon locker right from the start with a hitscan fest on all the first encounters, bravo.

As for shield timming, i don't even use the clock because i think it's stupid too and i agree. I just do a best guess most of the time.
 

B

Bee
Sep 6, 2000
8,973
0
36
46
Bussum, NL
www.zdclan.nl
SOLAR said:
I hate when I play someone in a DM and they own my ass because they are better at timing the shields, but then I play them in TAM and they get crushed because they don't have their precious power-ups to time. I'm not saying that it's bad that they do time them, I'm just saying the game might be a hell lot more fun if you didn't have to watch the clock to have any chance of beating a decent player.

You can always disable powerups, but yeh I agree with you to a certain level. In FFA DM I don't really like powerups and then it sucks to get beaten by someone who has better shield timing. But in teamgames powerups are a vital part of the game, they can give your team that advantage needed to win the game...

I say keep the shields as they are. :tup:
 

Persefone

Ms God!
Jun 2, 2005
252
0
0
SOLAR said:
Theres one thing that bothers me about DM games. It's the damn power-up timing. Does it really make a game more fun when you have to watch the clock just to win? I hate when I play someone in a DM and they own my ass because they are better at timing the shields, but then I play them in TAM and they get crushed because they don't have their precious power-ups to time. I'm not saying that it's bad that they do time them, I'm just saying the game might be a hell lot more fun if you didn't have to watch the clock to have any chance of beating a decent player

So do I must understand that DM is for "da n00bs" because you aren´t good enought?. Yes, the game is more fun when you have to watch the clock to win, but that is only part of the strategy in DM and no the only factor that determines the winner. Believe it or not we, the retarded DM players, know how to move and aim aswell.

SOLAR said:
I think even you awesome players would agree that the game would be a lot more fun if you didn't have to worry about watching the clock just to do well.

I not agree and I think that any DM player wouldn´t.

SOLAR said:
UT 2k7 would be a great time to implament a new power-up system. I don't at all think that they should remove them from the game but I think there should be a new system on how they spawn or how you attain them. I have no idea on how a new system would work but maybe you guys do?

What new system? They tried something different with adrenaline and the game was unbalanced and boring to death. It can be discussed which power ups and how must work but there isn´t DM without timing. If you don´t like timing you can play simplified variants like LMS or TAM, I don´t see why you want changes in DM when you already have what you want to play.
 

TraCK

Amateur Sketch
Apr 14, 2005
132
0
0
114
Kansas City
Persefone said:
So do I must understand that DM is for "da n00bs" because you aren´t good enought?. Yes, the game is more fun when you have to watch the clock to win, but that is only part of the strategy in DM and no the only factor that determines the winner. Believe it or not we, the retarded DM players, know how to move and aim aswell.

DM is the only gametype that I play besides TAM, I didn't say anywhere that DM was for noobs, wtf. I just think it would be more fun if you didn't have to watch the clock in order to win a match. And I don't think a new system should be based on randomness either. Randomness is even worse. A new powerup system that is balanced and not based on timing could give this game the edge over other DM games that may come out in the future.
 

T2A`

I'm dead.
Jan 10, 2004
8,752
0
36
Richmond, VA
Keep powerups and weapon stay off. Without those things, there is no strategy, and you end up with TAM. :tdown:

If you're "good" at TAM and bad at everything else, you're bad at this game. :p
 

JaFO

bugs are features too ...
Nov 5, 2000
8,408
0
0
What if powerups behaved like relics ?

Each powerup would be unique, so the guy with the "100 shield" is the only one in the level with that powerup (unless the level had more shield-powerups ;)). Defeating him means you get to use the shield instead.

Map-control would still be possible as you would have to prevent other players from picking any counters to your powerup. On top of that you'd get the added strategy of determining what powerup fits your style of play best since you can't keep them all ...
 

hal

Dictator
Staff member
Nov 24, 1998
21,409
19
38
54
------->
www.beyondunreal.com
Here's how I stand on it. Yes, timing powerups is boring. I don't want to watch the clock or subtract seconds or any of that crap - I just want action. That's why I mostly play gametypes other than DM.

I wouldn't want to change that though, because that's what makes DM good. You HAVE to give people a reason to go to certain parts of the map at certain intervals or risk losing an advantage. Otherwise, people would just kills someone once and then run, run, run. If you're down in a match, you're guaranteed that your opponent will show themselves at least during the times powerups come up, giving you a chance to make an ambush. If they don't, you powerup and gain an advantage. That's just how it works.

If it was random, then all that would be out the window. DM is more than just shooting and that's how it is.

Now, I think it would be interesting to do a couple of things in UT2007. Mainly, slightly faster weapon respawn times and shields that drain from peak like Quake 3. But who knows, with a different weapon balance, no shield gun, and other tweaks made to bring the action in up close, you very well MAY need that shield stacking. Just be sure to fix the shield bugs. :)
 

JaFO

bugs are features too ...
Nov 5, 2000
8,408
0
0
but if all you get in the new game is the same ol' gametypes with the same ol' rules, why even buy it ?
Faster switch-times, alternate respawn-times, draining Q3-style shields, etc. are things that can be mutated in the current version ...

I think it's about time that a 'classic' gametype like DM gets a completely new style of play. I certainly won't buy a game that only features pretty graphics and slightly modified gamerules. That's what EA is doing to sports-games and I certainly wouldn't want that to happen to fps-games. Or else the UT-year namingstyle really fits ... (new in UT2k8 : "prettier shockrifle and we're bringing back the 'classic' lightninggun .. ")
 

hal

Dictator
Staff member
Nov 24, 1998
21,409
19
38
54
------->
www.beyondunreal.com
I think drastically changing the core gametypes would be a disaster. They just have to focus on getting them right. New maps, new weapon balance, and new scale/movement are all that need to be improved upon to draw the audience needed.

New gametypes are for people who want something completely new. Warfare is brand new and ONS is still maturing (and has room for all-new stuff) with twice as many weapons and updated objectives. Those should fit the bill.
 

-AEnubis-

fps greater than star
Dec 7, 2000
3,298
0
36
43
The Nicest Parts of Hell
I'm with hal on this one. I hate timing myself, I just don't like the idea of holding that high of an adantage over somone, and pickin' free kills all game. I have more fun just giving away ups, and looking for that one big upset kill, even if I get destoryed in score.

I do think somethings could be modified though... Shorter weapon respawn times, because full gunlocks are pretty gay IMO. Controlling armor is one thing...

Something else I was thinkin' about the other day would be a more comperable respawn time for the 50a to the 100a. So that if one person controlled one (in a 1v1 for instance) then the other could control the other. Currently, it respawns pretty fast, so that the guy with the 100a has a pretty easy shot at grabbing the 50a as well. That way for honor kill junkies like myself, I could "choose a 50a handicap" as opposed to 100+. Would also reward more the control aspect of the armors existance, then simply the armor aspect of the armor.

I've always wanted over health and armor tick from quake, but I just don't see it happening.

I also love the relic system, but there again, it's also about retaining some old school DM properties. DM is DM. If they are going to call it that, it needs to be that.

In the end though, as long as I have my objectiveless noob fragging, I'll be happy :rolleyes:
 

ShakeZula

New Member
Nov 9, 2005
1,008
0
0
37
Cheshire, England
So with the relic system, once a player died with the 100a it would respawn at 100 where he died? And while you have it, it cannot be regenerated... Hmm. I don't like it. Surely these games would be very back-and-forth, with A getting the shield, B taking three deaths before wearing him down and taking a full shield, A taking three deaths then taking the shield back... It's replacing map control with 1-frag rewards, which I think is less pr0-friendly. Which is bad.
 

-AEnubis-

fps greater than star
Dec 7, 2000
3,298
0
36
43
The Nicest Parts of Hell
Yeah, the relic system had some strategy too it, but it was way less "control" despite being fairly balanced.

I just never liked the idea of dropping armor. It doesn't sound right. Obviously, if your dead the armor is depleted. The Defense Relic in UT was cool. You took half damage, until you were dead. Then dropping that made sense.

We played no ups relics a bit at our LANs in the UT days. It was a blast. Usually, the guy with the Damage relic won, but it wasn't impossible to dethrone him, since somone could have Defense, or Redemtion... Definately the random spawning though, would not go over well with the "pro's."

The don't like random.
 

--Under

Underestimated user
Mar 21, 2004
94
0
0
Power up timing suck if your opponent is not able to remember a simple time then whines cuz you time power up.

Honestly, when both player times power up, it becomes incredibly exciting and battles for power ups are really cool. But when someone dosent even try then whines about it, it does kill all the fun. Play TAM but dont whine about something like power up control. KTHX
 

Turret 49

Doomer at heart
Jun 26, 2004
1,278
0
0
How about a shield powerup where the amount of armor it gives you (when you pick it up) is constantly going up by 5 points every five seconds (lets say to a max of 50 points), and when you pick it up; the armor it gives goes back to 0, starting all over again. You can only pick up the shield when the amount it has stored is at least 25 or so.

And if that doesn't work, it would still be fun as a mutator IMO.