Server Exp level grouping will fix balance!

CraftyBadgerCraftyBadger Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186327Members
Hi NS2 forums :)!

This feature would propagate the natural selection process and keep players playing.

I'm an NS1 player ages ago. Have been playing this and loving the game and the Developers just think the community should give massive props to all the stuff they have done and updates!

What gets me down is the total lopsidedness. I don't get the woah that was a close fun game as often as I would want. that only happens on balanced teams.

This is one of the main causes of players leaving the game in the first place. you have a slow introduction after you have tried an explore mode maybe watch a video.
Then *bang* you're in a game vs people that have played +100's of games even with rookie mode.
I can (and have :( in the past it) join a rookie server and take on most of the opposing team swinging the game in my favour. most games don't require it like COD or Quake because they are just simple Point Click Win.

Tribes Ascend did this with their servers and only levels and worked really well. I had much greater level of fun playing games that were on my level.
Servers were broke into groups of levels like so you could only join these servers in your level.
0-10, 10-20, 30-40, 40-50.

For NS2 of course this would be much more varied for a smaller community(that would get bigger if you looked after them) I would suggest
(These low level players would be able to join higher level games with their friends but get a warning that they may struggle)

Exp Level Groups
0-5 - This gives them just 5 levels to get into games where they can try things out more and have fun with other newbies
p<15 - Then they have to try a bit harder playing with players from level 5 to 15
p<35 - Then 15-35 levels
p>35 - Then 35+

Servers would also just be open to any player and just have an option to lock to only experienced players. like many 0-5 servers you want to have the lock on.

Its not difficult to regulate you can give xp based on just games completed which would encourage users to finish a game. if they want to expand then fine but a really simple concept that stops experienced players making newbies if you like leaving / uninstalling.

I'm sure NS2 could give people an estimated xp based on hours played or ask to reset XP. or a simple K/D ratio could help allow them to move down a level to give them a better time or promote them quicker possibly. you got k/d 8:1 gain a level.

other topics are also begging for this I just thought mine needed a topic as i've given a more developed solution rookie, players-xp
It would have been nice if they also explained build 250 rather than just a changelog.

This game deserves a bigger player base I hope they can get better games with leveling.

Comments

  • MontypMontyp Join Date: 2013-04-22 Member: 184930Members
    There's no way this idea could work with 3rd party hosted servers. The only way this could work is with match making.

    Personally I play on tacticalgamer servers they're rookie friendly and I have more than 1000 hours logged on NS2. I love playing on rookie friendly servers because it allows me to teach others how to play the game, how to command or different strategies that have worked for me.

    With the small community that NS2 has splitting it up further would not be a good idea. Plus how are you suppose to learn what to do if you don't play with people who already know what to do.
  • xBlueXFoxxxBlueXFoxx Join Date: 2013-06-07 Member: 185497Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited July 2013
    I would like to just say "No." but I'll give a reason.

    EXP in a competitive game like this is bad, people would be more focused on keeping their KDR intact instead of PTFO, this game is very team based and has very violent/instant swings in which direction the round is going. People would simply get more EXP as jetpack/shotgunner or alien variant - fade than people who are here to help and support such as gorges. Aliens tend to die more as eggs are more rapid response and skulks are disposable. For these reasons I don't even bother to look at things like NS2Stats as the information their really butchers the reputation of those who are more interested in winning the game than those who are interested in running into a rookie friendly server and pushing a 50-3 KDR.

    Also accumulating an accurate estimate EXP amount per player based on the data collected currently would be very complicated, for a system that would hardly work out. You're basically asking for Starcraft but with unlocks, it just doesn't work. It's basically the same reason Halo 4 was a flop and no one cared about their EXP in Halo Reach.

    As for getting information like KDR and other details, http://ns2stats.org/

    On top of all of that it would just give experienced players more of a reason to bitch at rookies or eject a "comm in training."
  • CraftyBadgerCraftyBadger Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186327Members
    Montyp wrote: »
    With the small community that NS2 has splitting it up further would not be a good idea. Plus how are you suppose to learn what to do if you don't play with people who already know what to do.
    It's more of a gradual introduction and allows to get better games from similar skill sets its easier to get the hang of if you're not getting owned by a superfade or a marine with great awareness. its like playing a pickup game if you have played allot then you have really competitive matches so it works for both sides. if you don't want to be restricted I'm sure they would just have open servers with no bracketing.
    xBlueXFoxx wrote: »
    EXP in a competitive game like this is bad, people would be more focused on keeping their KDR intact instead of PTFO, this game is very team based and has very violent/instant swings in which direction the round is going.

    I agree that KD was a bad example of EXP and wouldn't work. What would is just base on time played because thats the most benefiting factor. and it's something built into steam already so could be employed right away. I'm sure the high level would be in the top bracket e.g. lvl 35 after 200 hrs and work down from there.

    Quite simple and purely optional for the server admin to employ. Also could be an option as i said before to just warn players rather than locking them out. but for Lvl 0 - 5 (rookie) maybe keep it locked just to keep out the easy kill players.
  • current1ycurrent1y Join Date: 2003-12-08 Member: 24150Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    edited July 2013
    I would like to see the average skill of the players in a particular server while looking at the server browser over a system that actually limits me from joining servers. I feel the server selection is already minimal I don't need it narrowed any more.
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