ivory summit
I really think now is the time for us to take drastic measures. Sounds crazy you may ask, but the problems we've been facing for years and years are getting solved one by one (of course, we may get new bugs later on, but that is basically the life cycle of how software development works really).
After @slender roost mentioned, the summary is basically this:
- anyone who is connected to the chat server counts towards to the AO system, so if you're not playing the game but active on the screen, you are counted by the AO system
- at the moment, AFK mechanism only counts towards to the balanced capture timers.
- AFK mechanism is being considered for the no-AO system. it has been discussed that once you're AFK for 30+ mins straight being on the screen, you will not be counted by the AO system. not integrated yet, xoom is trying not to over-engineer for the health of WW2OL
- all balancing mechanisms are based on chat server pop balance
That being said, how do we keep moving the game to the right direction?
- **no-AO system should have less than 10 players on either side. **
I know this sounds and looks harsh... But if you think about it, low pops move map a lot, which means either side will turtle knowing that they'll gain towns in low pops, where little to no resistance occurs. This is where we keep hearing the term "turtle" as it essentially means effectively blocking opponents from attacking, as well as avoiding attacks while they can, and basically force opponents to make mistakes knowing that those fatal mistakes will help them to win at the cost of attacking. On paper, this looks wonderful, but in practice, not so much as it actually hurts the game. @dusk terrace can elaborate on this. - **work on spawncamping, this includes MS, depots and AB barracks, so that attacking in high pops will be more satisfying. **
A side that is UP (let's say 10vs30) will also have fun because they do not have to worry about getting spawncamped all the time, when they can just get out and do whatever they need to do to be able to defend/attack. Ideas for this could be: more spawn points, invisible unless you shoot and/or get out of the invisible zone, give protection to players who spawn until they get out of the spawnable zone, create more defensible spawn areas so that it's harder to spawncamp them, etc. - develop new assets or use current assets for CPs, depots and AB barracks.
Aim for at least 5 assets for each, so that it makes things less predictable and will bring more variations to the gameplay, enhancing player experience. This will make spawncamping a bit harder to use. @boreal hamlet can elaborate on this. - AB walls need to be destroyed.
How many CE charges to take them down, how many bombs, etc. is entirely up to CRS, but the purpose of this is to allow attackers have a better chance infiltrating into the AB. Defending is a lot easier in high pops, and as such, destroying AB walls are another good way of making sure that defenders have to properly position themselves, or they'll be vulnerable to getting killed/destroyed. How many times we've seen tanks parking in AB walls? A lot, and that's awful, and does ruin the gameplay especially for attackers trying to make a move but unable due to ETs being almost indestructible.
All of this means you can easily tweak side lock/spawn queue to a degree so that extreme imbalances would not occur. I'm a firm believer in maintaining 2:1 pops, but anything that exceeds 3:1 should be avoided at cost and that's where side lock/spawn queue play a big role in this.
dusk terrace
dusky galleon