Sorry to say but Arena matches with current main game PvP ships as they are now would require 30--60 minute timer per match, lol?. Main game PvP is broken because the game is made to be safe - Elite Safe: Horizons (TM)
Honestly 20-30 minutes of jousting isn't iteresting to watch. I saw one of the matches in the last PvP League not that long ago (I believe it was in the finals I randomly found it on Twitch) and it wasn't interesting to watch at all (from the perspective of someone who didn't take part) - I think about 60-70 people were watching the finals (can't tell for sure). I don't even remember who played or who won.. Judging from the Twitch comments some people (probably directly involved) were discussing it. Now imagine matches between even less experienced players.. hell.. I would rather watch an episode of some Argentinian telenovela for 60 minutes than a PvP match between some randoms.
I think to make main game PvP fun the ships would have to have like 80% less shields/hull than they have now. Shields are just too strong compared to weapon damage. Yes.. it makes the carebears happy, but ruins the PvP.
Just my 2p
The topic of "hitpoint inflation" has been discussed at length by Cmdr Truesilver whom I respect very much but he is sadly not playing the game anymore.
I agree that PvP balancing in game needs a lot of work. I have heard rumours that FD will be focusing on this in the near future.
I always refer back to pre engineer days (around version 1.2) as the golden age of PvP in ED. Things were finely balanced.
As for matches taking 30-60 min this may not necessarily be the case. Some feedback cascade, reverb mines, focused plasmas, team focus etc. Currently CQC feels like a neat arcade which has little to do with in game PvP. It is almost a separate game in itself. I would like an arena which is related and can be used as a direct comparator for in game PvP. It would also facilitate fast matchmaking between players, wing fights, squadrons etc... I dont expect people to watch 30 min fights if they don't want to, as long as the participants are happy its all that matters. I have had some amazing 15-30 min fights lately vs top Cmdr's like Pipko, Yamato, etc... For me a quick 15-30 second fight in CQC is equally unattractive. So perhaps CQC can have 3 modes: Arcade, Open PvP or Pre engineers. Small, Medium ships whatever...
As for the PvP league ( or "FDL league" as I have called it since season 2 when my team last took part) there has been the odd interesting match. I think the first round of this year final with the fight ending in a 1v1 showdown and Cmdr Touride exploding due to running out of oxygen with a broken canopy was a good watch. It is not the players fault that there is The One Meta ship called FDL, hitpoint inflation, dwindling PvP playerbase and lack of official support. Did you know that frontier devs used to come to watch season 2? Just before they came up with the failed idea of "Icarus Cup" which never took place.
So, we now know it's at least not for another year, maybe two... I mean it took us three years to get a solid answer, so maybe in another three they'll announce it again, and three years later it might happen!
forums.frontier.co.uk
Then again some complained that the silent meta was boring. So emissive was brough in with engineers. If that wasn't enough night vision was the final nail in the coffin for hybrids, hull tanks and black friday skin owners. I could go on forever...
Anyway, each to their own. Just as you are proud of your achievement in CQC so are the people who took part in the PvP league. Currently there is no comparison between the two and sadly no official recognition for the people in the second group.
Just my 2p
Damn good, congrats.
