Thứ Sáu, 7 tháng 4, 2017

Why ^ball^ mode is in fact broken and how to fix it page 1

Apheirox
01-15-2010, 07:02 PM
Like Ball mode? I do. Or, I liked to think I did. Then it dawned upon me what it is about the gameplay that's 'off'. It's quite simple: The throwing/kicking speed of the ball is *way* too low. By having so low ball speed on passes, any tactics viable in similar games (soccer, basketball to name two) go straight out the window and the game degrades into a kindergarten style 'let's all run straight at the ball' Loopy spamfest, mostly devoid of tactics.

Compare Altitude Ball to soccer. In soccer, you have a goalie, defenders, midfielders and attackers. This is so because the fact you can pass the ball at great speed and reliability to teammates makes this setup far more viable than simply having everyone run straight at the ball: Ball travel speed is far greater than that of the players.

In Altitude, it unfortunately isn't so. Ball travel speed is only slightly greater than afterburn speed with most planes. What does this mean? It means that there's no reason to pass on the ball to other players. In fact, it is often unwise because the slow speed makes it very easy for enemy planes to intercept passes.

Thus, the best strategy for Ball becomes the 'battleball' layout we're all familiar with from the chaotic Ball games: Everybody moving towards the ball, trying to pick it up and carrying it towards the goal. No tactics, no attackers, defenders or midfielders - just a huge horde of mainly missile-spamming Loopies crashing into the enemy's ditto. This is how they play soccer in Kindergarten but not in the professional leagues.

This is an exaggeration, of course, but it's mostly true. And obviously, it couldn't be any other way with the snail pace ball speed. Picture giving the FIFA league players an equally slow-moving ball, like a 100kg wooden one - what happens? They'd be forced to adopt Altitude Ball tactics, as well. The ball speed really is the sole problem!

Ball 'kicking/throwing' speed needs to be made much higher, something like twice as fast as it is now. This tiny, easy-to-implement change would drastically change Ball gameplay for the better and make it far more tactical and challenging.
protest boy
01-15-2010, 07:34 PM
I agree. This should be posted in the suggestion forum though. Can an admin move it?

I'm thinking if ball speed is increased as much as 2x what it is now, there probably needs to be a significant drop in speed after bouncing off of a wall. Otherwise you'd have a pinball effect going on and slower planes would never be able to catch a missed pass.

Also, maps will need to be redesigned to prevent easy long distance goals that no plane can catch up with.

The nice thing about this change, is I think it would eliminate the miranda self-pass problem.
Evan20000
01-15-2010, 07:58 PM
I agree. This should be posted in the suggestion forum though. Can an admin move it?

+1

I'm thinking if ball speed is increased as much as 2x what it is now, there probably needs to be a significant drop in speed after bouncing off of a wall. Otherwise you'd have a pinball effect going on and slower planes would never be able to catch a missed pass.

I agree. Maybe back to regular speed?

Also, maps will need to be redesigned to prevent easy long distance goals that no plane can catch up with.

*coughcavecough*

The nice thing about this change, is I think it would eliminate the miranda self-pass problem.
I don't think it would, just make it slightly harder.

Thoughts in bold.
lamster
01-15-2010, 08:13 PM
I largely agree, but let's save this discussion for the next patch when we'll all have a much better idea whether a faster ball is more fun in practice.
[Y]
01-15-2010, 08:16 PM
Does this mean a patch is gonne be here soon???
:O
Deathblade
01-15-2010, 08:18 PM
Only games between idiots are Loopy spamfests, just saying.

I personally love when the entire opponent is using a Loopy.
Sarah Palin
01-15-2010, 09:29 PM
I largely agree, but let's save this discussion for the next patch when we'll all have a much better idea whether a faster ball is more fun in practice.

I'm really glad to hear this.
tgleaf
01-15-2010, 10:30 PM
Speed up the ball and cherry-picking will become an art form. Hey, look at me, I'm open... go for the long fast pass!

Just saying...
nobodyhome
01-15-2010, 11:19 PM
the fact that cherrypicking will be more viable will mean that the defender will need to keep people more spread out as to make for a better defense.

so players will be spread all amongst the map vying for control of important areas, rather than just in a giant cluster of loopies around the ball.

i.e. ball will become more like a game of grown up soccer rather than first grade soccer.
tgleaf
01-15-2010, 11:41 PM
the fact that cherrypicking will be more viable will mean that the defender will need to keep people more spread out as to make for a better defense.

so players will be spread all amongst the map vying for control of important areas, rather than just in a giant cluster of loopies around the ball.

i.e. ball will become more like a game of grown up soccer rather than first grade soccer.

Obviously, I don't know because I've never seen the ball move faster, but I suspect it won't fix that problem. And BALL matches differ greatly in style depending on several factors: match size (4v4, 10v10, etc.), map (football, cave, etc.), and players' experience level. A bunch of ball vets playing 5v5 on cave is a serious endeavor without the scrambling and hoarding you see in a 10v10 maze game or even a smaller match with people who don't understand map positions, choke-point control, and passing.

I guess we're looking at it from two different viewpoints: you seem to be addressing (for lack of a better term) nooballers and/or large capacity servers (10v10). A faster ball might actually help that situation, I agree; I'm thinking about how a 6v6 game of {ball} would be with a fast ball. I think the crisp, stunning passes we make from time to time would be commonplace and much longer, so the strategies that have been developed would get thrown out the window. If it were 10v10, sure cherry-picking wouldn't really work, but no BALL vets really want to play at that match size anyway.
nesnl
01-15-2010, 11:46 PM
I just want to throw something into this discussion before much more is said. First, we don't know exactly what is happening to ball and we won't know until the patch is implemented. That being said, why bother debating something that you haven't even seen yet? Save your keystrokes for when you can speak for certain on the subject. Second, I can't say for certain, but I think that the implementation of different ball throwing speeds based on each plane is something that might be included in this patch. Lamster, feel free to confirm/deny/ignore this, but I think that it might be the case that explodets will pass at a very fast speed and then going down the line that loopys will pass at the slowest speed (possibly even slower than it is now, but again, I have no idea). So let's all see what the patch has in store and then we can hash it all out on the forums about what we think.

I know that the ball tournament is coming up soon, so if something is totally out of whack lamster will still have time to make tweaks if this patch makes anything imbalanced.

Who else is excited??!?!?
ryebone
01-15-2010, 11:53 PM
Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that in real sports, you can see the ENTIRE playing field, where the ball is at all times, and where everyone else is at all times. That allows anticipatory team strategies to become viable, rather than just blindly chasing after the ball icon. Obviously that is not the case right now. I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned, but we should try playing ball in a maximum zoom-out mode so that the entire map can be seen, and see what strategies are developed.
protest boy
01-16-2010, 12:07 AM
I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned, but we should try playing ball in a maximum zoom-out mode so that the entire map can be seen, and see what strategies are developed.

That, or revert to the old biplanes method of giving off-screen pointers to your enemies/allies.
Sarah Palin
01-16-2010, 01:36 AM
Speed up the ball and cherry-picking will become an art form. Hey, look at me, I'm open... go for the long fast pass!

Just saying...

That's a good thing. It will encourage spreading the planes throughout the map, and man-to-man defence (or plane-to-plane).


I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned, but we should try playing ball in a maximum zoom-out mode so that the entire map can be seen, and see what strategies are developed.

I can't say how much I agree with this statement as well!!!

The one time a server admin did this, even the football map was fun to play.
r87
01-16-2010, 02:14 AM
the fact that cherrypicking will be more viable will mean that the defender will need to keep people more spread out as to make for a better defense.

so players will be spread all amongst the map vying for control of important areas, rather than just in a giant cluster of loopies around the ball.

i.e. ball will become more like a game of grown up soccer rather than first grade soccer.

This will effectively kill public ball servers. Asking 10 strangers to play a cohesive defense requiring positions and strategy is laughable.

The game moves way too fast for nonsense like "positions." Every player needs to be competent on both offense and defense.

An increase in ball speed will make it pathetically easy to (a) score on an untended goal (thus forcing teams to use a lame-ass "goalie" either camping the goal or reverse thrusting inside the goal for 10 minutes) and (b) shoot long shots past defenders that are currently (and rightfully) impossible.
r87
01-16-2010, 02:15 AM
Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that in real sports, you can see the ENTIRE playing field, where the ball is at all times, and where everyone else is at all times. That allows anticipatory team strategies to become viable, rather than just blindly chasing after the ball icon. Obviously that is not the case right now. I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned, but we should try playing ball in a maximum zoom-out mode so that the entire map can be seen, and see what strategies are developed.

Lame. Half the strategy of ball is predicting where the opponent will go, and cutting off their point of attack.
r87
01-16-2010, 02:16 AM
That's a good thing. It will encourage spreading the planes throughout the map, and man-to-man defence (or plane-to-plane).


Once again, this will fail miserably on public servers, and players who are exceedingly talented at ball will dominate even more than they already do.
Deathblade
01-16-2010, 02:24 AM
Yeah, the suggested changes are pretty dumb imo

This is a video game, an arcade-action type video game at that. Requiring players to just sit in position simply to stop a pass would be crazy dumb.

I do love how people bitch about how BALL is so broken though...especially considering it's my favorite gametype. It can't be that broken if me, and dozens of other people enjoy it over TDM. Hell, I'd even venture far enough to say that TDM is extremely dull and should just completely be removed. There's no action or goal, just fly around and shoot people.
r87
01-16-2010, 02:44 AM
I am now in support of having a lightning fast ball since as soon as my plane touches the ball I slow to a crawl.
DMCM
01-16-2010, 03:02 AM
So you guys like 20 double fire loopies afterburning and holding F back and forth until one team out-spams the other and manages to score?

Or do you want to make Ball a more strategy-based game and allow it to be played competitively? I know I do so I'm not shooting down any suggestions until I see them tested
r87
01-16-2010, 03:33 AM
So you guys like 20 double fire loopies afterburning and holding F back and forth until one team out-spams the other and manages to score?

Or do you want to make Ball a more strategy-based game and allow it to be played competitively? I know I do so I'm not shooting down any suggestions until I see them tested

This tells me you do not play with good ball players.

No offense, but overgeneralized fallacies are not a good way to get your point across.

Note: my statement was not a fallacy. Good players do not do wat you described.
Sarah Palin
01-16-2010, 04:01 AM
This will effectively kill public ball servers.

I can't be the only Official #3 player who read that and thought, for a second, "good." :rolleyes:

Asking 10 strangers to play a cohesive defense requiring positions and strategy is laughable.

And yet this somehow works out on public TBD servers.

lame-ass "goalie" either camping the goal or reverse thrusting inside the goal for 10 minutes

You're describing how ball was played BEFORE the patch. Whale was an incredibly unrewarding position to play as you were basically stuck as "the defender" or even just "the goalie," circling the goal until the ball came your way. Under the new patch whale has real potential as a plane that switches back and forth between defense and midfield, which is a lot more fun.
Deathblade
01-16-2010, 04:07 AM
So you guys like 20 double fire loopies afterburning and holding F back and forth until one team out-spams the other and manages to score?

Or do you want to make Ball a more strategy-based game and allow it to be played competitively? I know I do so I'm not shooting down any suggestions until I see them tested

Yeah, I enjoy raping Loopys
r87
01-16-2010, 04:17 AM
You're describing how ball was played BEFORE the patch. Whale was an incredibly unrewarding position to play as you were basically stuck as "the defender" or even just "the goalie," circling the goal until the ball came your way. Under the new patch whale has real potential as a plane that switches back and forth between defense and midfield, which is a lot more fun.

Have you ever played with harmonica, don't follow, or bot 2?

They are all extremely good offensive whales.

As I said to someone else, play with better ball players.
Herodadotus
01-16-2010, 04:21 AM
I can't be the only Official #3 player who read that and thought, for a second, "good." :rolleyes:.

Sorry, but I don't think that this is a good thing. I play Official #3 all the time, and I love it. However, I don't think the death of public ball servers is a good thing. The Ball mode is a mode that, like TBD, will need its own servers, and while I don't particularly enjoy them, I know there are people that do.
GGQ
01-16-2010, 04:49 AM
Sorry, but I don't think that this is a good thing. I play Official #3 all the time, and I love it. However, I don't think the death of public ball servers is a good thing. The Ball mode is a mode that, like TBD, will need its own servers, and while I don't particularly enjoy them, I know there are people that do.

It's good to keep dedicated public ball servers, but 10v10 bouncy ones should go.
Deathblade
01-16-2010, 04:53 AM
Have you ever played with harmonica, don't follow, or bot 2?

They are all extremely good offensive whales.

As I said to someone else, play with better ball players.

I'm guessing he hasn't.

But hey, at least the game is going the direction the scrubs want it to go!
Sarah Palin
01-16-2010, 05:39 AM
I'm guessing he hasn't.

But hey, at least the game is going the direction the scrubs want it to go!

So, so far you* have called both me** and eth*** nubs! I'm waiting for when you advise Beagle**** to "play biplane some moar."


*Dec 2009
**Aug 2009
***Jun 2009
****Jun 2009
Deathblade
01-16-2010, 06:13 AM
so, so far you* have called both me** and eth*** nubs! I'm waiting for when you advise beagle**** to "play biplane some moar."


*dec 2009
**aug 2009
***jun 2009
****jun 2009

because forum sign up date is completely relevant when talking about arpun flyin ability
Herodadotus
01-16-2010, 06:19 AM
Wow. Go play against these guys. They'll rub defeat all over your smug face. Infractions be damned, you are really bugging me with your cocky attitude.
TRUEPAiN
01-16-2010, 09:49 AM
Well, maybe if we have a general default setting.. and have the option of changing variables such as ball physics.

Every server, every league has settings and rules which change the speed of the game. Why not be able to change that variable?

or can we already -I just need to own a server?

but then I just feel you'd need an entire different map pack for when you alter things like that.. too many factors now.
tgleaf
01-16-2010, 02:27 PM
Every server, every league has settings and rules which change the speed of the game.

Besides bouncy vs. normal walls, what are you referring to?
TRUEPAiN
01-16-2010, 06:27 PM
Besides bouncy vs. normal walls, what are you referring to?

Oh, haha.. I was actually referring to other games, and how Altitude really doesn't have anything like that.

Enemy-Territory, for example, they had two popular settings. ETPro (league players), and ETPub(just having fun). The difference between both settings were simply the speed of the game.
Apheirox
01-19-2010, 03:09 AM
Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that in real sports, you can see the ENTIRE playing field, where the ball is at all times, and where everyone else is at all times. That allows anticipatory team strategies to become viable, rather than just blindly chasing after the ball icon. Obviously that is not the case right now. I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned, but we should try playing ball in a maximum zoom-out mode so that the entire map can be seen, and see what strategies are developed.

-->

Lame. Half the strategy of ball is predicting where the opponent will go, and cutting off their point of attack.

Yes, this I forgot to mention. I thought to suggest adding a 'minimap' to the game as well. This goes for all gamemodes, not just ball.

I would have the minimap show all allied planes always as well as enemy planes that are currently visible to any allied plane. I believe this moots the point of r87's complaint quoted above.
Oopah
01-21-2010, 01:02 PM
-->
Yes, this I forgot to mention. I thought to suggest adding a 'minimap' to the game as well. This goes for all gamemodes, not just ball.

I would have the minimap show all allied planes always as well as enemy planes that are currently visible to any allied plane. I believe this moots the point of r87's complaint quoted above.

It may be hard to look at the minimap and at the battlefield in the heat of battle. Maybe it would be better to add "arrows" poiting to nearest allies ? (like the one used to give the direction and distance of the ball).
SuperDad
01-22-2010, 12:51 PM
My 2 cents: 10v10 bouncy is an extremely stupid spamfest, especially on the smaller maps.
DDJesus
01-22-2010, 07:18 PM
You guys are all so busy comparing it to soccer... When it's a lot like Rugby!
tgleaf
01-22-2010, 07:46 PM
You guys are all so busy comparing it to soccer... When it's a lot like Rugby!

Yes, although I wish it was more like hockey (hits included, but with more passing than rugby).
skyjestr
02-16-2010, 05:05 AM
Back to the original theme of the post about increasing ball speed.

What about having the amount of unused energy affect the speed of the ball as well? i.e. If you have full energy the ball will be passed at a faster rate than if you have no energy. (the energy would then be used in the pass)

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