Can we have a honest chat about on foot conflict zones whats your opinion on difficulty?

[Muzz UK]

This is a subject and part of the game I feel really strongly about. The difficulty and AI in on foot ground zones isn't what I would consider much of a challenge and something that I just cannot play too much of. I do understand Odyssey is undergoing a lot of fixes and this is relativity new content in the grand scheme of things. Space combat and AI under went a lot of updates so hoping the same happens with this gamemode. I have played a good 20-30 hours of these on foot battles but the enjoyment is minimal. I have tried different star systems hoping security level made a difference it does not.

These at present have no challenge for myself or any of my friends. I come from the days of CS 1.6 and early Battlefield games so would say I'm a pretty experienced fps player. Some of my friends and fellow squadron commanders are much lower in skillcap and they find these easy too. All of us can win a HIGH intensity on foot conflict zone solo or in a team by large margins. The only thing I can do to make them more difficult is use non engineered suits and run around with a pistol but I can still win be 300-400 tickets. Generally in a group with my friends will win by 500 or so.

Something I've discussed in other threads but wanted to get peoples opinions on this. Ship conflict zones for me still provide a challenge and engaging game play! I would really like to see some sort of holo based mechanic to allow other players to interface with and join remote battles to increase difficulty but I know this could unbalance the background sim.

 

[Factabulous]

So - to be clear - you're sayng High CZ in G1 gear is too easy? Ok ...

 

[O'Roarke]

Yeah the ground CZs, even at High Intensity, are quite easy.
Though with the ship that I typically use for space CZs, even High Intensity, it isn't exactly a photo finish - but it's a tad more challenging then their ground counterpart.

I'm of the Wolfenstein3D, Doom, Quake, Counter Strike alpha/beta generation of gamers.

With Update 12 the "Protect" missions were updated (and an illegal variant introduced), and that was a pleasant surprise.
They're much tougher now, whereas at first they were just free loot -- now you actually have to play the game and focus. Highly recommended - they're fun and intense!

 

[Frop]

I can win with a 1000 tickets left if the friendly AI doesn't run head first into a few rockets at the start. Git gud.

 

[DYSEQTA]

In my opinion a "death" in on-foot CZ's should mean back to the station with you. No respawing crap.

 

[CMDR Serra]

I want a dishonest conversation. Your turn.

No you don't.

 

[Muzz UK]

In my opinion a "death" in on-foot CZ's should mean back to the station with you. No respawing crap.

As annoy as it would be there would certainly be more of a challenge there

 

[Chaparral]

I've spent a little time playing - close to "Soldier" Ranking in Odyssey fooling around with store bought G3 gear after a few runs.

I wanted to show my 17 year old son the game play and get his opinion, so I had him on one of my alts in completely G1 gear. Did 1 Low, 1 Medium and 1 High CZ with him. He grew up with CODs Fortnight and Warzone, Black Ops, etc. etc.

We were using plasma snipers, plasma shotguns, plasma pistols.

He was chuckling the whole time on comms "bunny hopping" "triple jumping" "bullet spongey targets" "multiple AIs won't target one guy" "if you jump they stop shooting at you" "Is jump to the side all they do?" "Why aren't they getting behind cover?" "This is really floaty"

His main issues were related to keybindings and suit recharging in the first zone, but figured that out quickly. He did like that the troop carriers were being fired on as you dropped in, but missed the random vehicles, drops, etc. in modern multiplayer FPS games. He mentioned things like airstrikes, drones, mines as addons that were missing in EDO FPS but have been around a very long time in other games.

I think EDO FPS is what it is, and asking for more sophisticated AI is not going to happen. In fact, I'd be reluctant to ask for it, you'd probably get some Thargoid scout type interactions with regenerators, inciters, and guided caustic missiles.

I'm guessing new upgraded horde wave events and Thargoid FPS will be the EDO version of hard mode in future updates.

 

[Morbad]

So - to be clear - you're sayng High CZ in G1 gear is too easy? Ok ...

It's too easy, for all the wrong reasons, and tedious on top.

If you don't get hit more than once between shield recharges, the durability of the suit is irrelevant. You can also still win with relatively few/no kills by delaying enemies and capturing points. Not that it's difficult to contribute with kills, just tedious.

There is also no real reason to have G1 gear for more than one CZ anyway as winning a high with a modest number of kills provides enough credits for a G3 loadout, which doesn't really make things easier, just a lot faster.

I think EDO FPS is what it is, and asking for more sophisticated AI is not going to happen.

I really hope this is not the case as EDO NPCs are a solid twenty-five years behind the curve.

 

[dm06]

Let's leave some area where new players can easily get in.
As opposite take your first sidewinder and get into conflict zone, good luck not to die from frustration.

 

[quackinthebush]

This thread seems to pop up every few months. I'm gathering that the consensus is that anyone with a little experience with FPS games finds the combat too easy, predictable, and dated. And I agree with everything Morbad (always) says.

 

[Darrett]

There are definitely things I’d like changed; greater emphasis on use of cover, leaning/prone positions, and AI improvements to have them utilize cover as well would be good.

I’d detest the addition of “power-ups” like Call of Duty, or the snappy twitch-based movement style of most modern FPS games, though.

 

[Star Wanderer]

I am glad it's very soft core FPS, as it will not create for much more demand for on foot content besides EVA and Thargoids ( which could have same AI, so not much different from now).
Because i would like for them to focus more on Space next year, new ships, New Planets to land on, Ship Interriors.

I mean there are a lot of really good FPS games out there, there is no point in trying to compete with them, we'll never win. But Space Sims - very few and Elite Dangerous is at the top of all of them.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

This thread seems to pop up every few months. I'm gathering that the consensus is that anyone with a little experience with FPS games finds the combat too easy, predictable, and dated. And I agree with everything Morbad (always) says.

I think the issue is that a CZ is 12 vs 12, with you replacing one AI on one side. So you only need to be marginally more effective than the AI is to win the zone ... which isn't true in a space CZ, because being only marginally more effective than an AI will mean you get killed before the end of the battle, and in a space CZ that actually matters.

Making the AI smarter doesn't really help with that either, because it makes the 11 on your side smarter too.


Maybe the answer is not to think of it in Horizons terms? In Horizons High CZs are the toughest non-Thargoid PvE content ... but most missions are pretty straightforward. In Odyssey the CZs are all pretty easy, but there are a bunch of fail-on-error missions for more of a challenge. (And obviously neither challenges an experienced fully-equipped player but there are relatively few of those)

 

[He$$eeTant]

When people say they win by “tickets” this is not a term I am used to, is it new or is it just something the forum has settles on? I assume “tickets” is the scale that shows your teams effectiveness and which is influenced (reflected by reducing) by the other team winning a base.

 

[Bigmaec]

I would be happy if NPCs could at least jump like CMDRs can.

That alone would make already a big difference.

Or did they add that in the last 3-4 updates I skipped?

 

[aRJay]

My opinion is they are too hard for those with poor skills and little experience in such activity and almost certainly too easy for those with years of experience in such games.

With Elite being a game that doesn’t have difficulty modes I don’t see how FDev can fix things for everyone to be happy.

As a stopgap I suppose the OP could raise their own difficulty level by not using any ranged weapons and just using the cutter.

 

[metatheurgist]

My opinion is they are too hard for those with poor skills and little experience in such activity and almost certainly too easy for those with years of experience in such games.

With Elite being a game that doesn’t have difficulty modes I don’t see how FDev can fix things for everyone to be happy.

As a stopgap I suppose the OP could raise their own difficulty level by not using any ranged weapons and just using the cutter.

I'm not an FPS guy. Never even played Doom, never liked them. I use a controller for Ody. I can win CZs pretty easily now that I've had some practice, but, I don't need them to be rock hard competitive with dedicated FPS games. The FPS in ED is meant to extend the illusion and the activities I can do as a pilot in the Elite galaxy, not be the best FPS around.

 

[Arioch]

When people say they win by “tickets” this is not a term I am used to, is it new or is it just something the forum has settles on? I assume “tickets” is the scale that shows your teams effectiveness and which is influenced (reflected by reducing) by the other team winning a base.

It’s a term that’s been going on since the early Battlefield games, if I recall correctly. You are right in that it’s the extremely gamey method of showing influence on the battlefield.

Instead of copying Battlefield, I wish FDev had gone for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars instead - a sequence of objectives (that make sense for the level) with one team attacking and one team defending.

 

[SteveWW57]

The ground CZs in Odyssey are part of the larger background simulation. The goal of winning at them is to win the war and/or take settlements off the opposition. It is not meant as a stand alone game, but part of a much larger whole, and therefore caters for a variety of skill levels. You do not want when playing the BGS to have to spend hours on a single, complicated activity, like a hard core FPS (which I have never played and can only take others at their word).

Steve 07.