Something I can't help thinking is 90% there, but missing the vital 10% still. CQC.
I really believe that CQC is so close to being exactly the kind of 'mini-game' that FD / E
can really benefit from. It makes no sense to ignore it beyond time and money - I know. Particularly after the reasonable investment that was made in it.
Cause and effect
Fewer people play than desired, because the mechanism is limited and players can't use their own ships in CQC. The lack of interest, because of the limitations of getting a match and not being able to use enough of the in-game ships mean that few people play, so it isn't worth development time. People would also like to be able to transfer to CQC from the main game mode as telepresence from their ship, or by visiting a CQC system.
Not being reliably being able to dip in and out of E, or feeling willing to take part in PvP / Open because of the perceived overwhelming odds and learning curve - in certain locations - is problem for those that want an ever more vibrant Open mode. Is a common complaint. "I just want to blow other people up! But, because of the way the open game is, nobody wants to let me do it to them." or "I want to play against other CMDRs but the cost is too high..." Others reply that CQC/ARENA is the answer but are quickly shot down because of the limitations.
Aims
Make more immediate matches possible with bots
Increase range of playable Arena ships and allow players to use their own ships
Make Locations more varied and dangerous with their own intrinsic, interractive risks and rewards
Kill off complaints about no good instant fighting game. Smash the problem of not finding a match in CQC. Add to and recoup value of Arena by making some changes and relaunching it.
1) Add bots. Make it so that there is always a match, by using bots. Have a setting, on by default, to make it so that if there are no matches within 5 or 10 seconds a bot match will begin.
In a bot only situation, the game will be a skirmish where it is accepted that the match might end and the winner be chosen early, in the event of a suitable human match becoming available. At that point, the match will enter a preparation state with the player (post simplified match end screen).
Sure, bots don't fix player to player engagement, but they allow practice in the arena and dip in and out, quick-matching.
2) A skill level bid of easy / normal / hard / suicidal can be applied to the session before agreeing to sync with a match ad-hoc. This determines the skill level and ship types of the NPC, any engineering or powerups and favours new matches with a similar skill or to within 1-4 steps of that skill.
If that skill level or range is not available with human players, the matches will all be against bots until it is.
3) On beating the first few levels of progression, players earn the ability to add small & medium in-game ships rather than the current limited small craft. The option to choose a suitable ship from the player shipyard exists.
On reaching a higher level, players get to choose from mixed Arenas of small-medium-large ships, including using any of their own ships.
On reaching an even higher level, perhaps Elite in Arena, l players can engineer their ships, for FREE (for use within Arena ONLY) with full access to all the Engineers they have unlocked in-game without having to travel. They are there for the event because the CMDR has impressed them and reached level 5 or whatever.
Combat matches or NPCs to be similarly upgraded at normal with weightings and variations for easy thru suicidal modes.
More Arenas would be required with tunnels and obstacles suitable for a range of vehicle sizes. Power-ups added for daring flying around particularly tight or dangerous obstacles. Structure mounted turrets and shields to breach to navigate through certain areas could also add to the variety.
Players that showed a constant domination at certain levels of play would have to either: lose the lowest skill level or two... or reset their Arena profile, retaining their Elite status, but losing all the benefits of progression. No engineering, in game ships, advanced basic ships etc.
4) Allowing players to join CQC at primary CQC arena locations or by telepresence remotely, from inside the main game would add some sense of occasion / atmosphere and convenience respectively.
I think adopting some of these ideas might help to relaunch a potentially very exciting aspect of the game that is left somewhat adrift currently.
Apologies if this seems old hat or off the table, but I'd love to see this.
Jim
I really believe that CQC is so close to being exactly the kind of 'mini-game' that FD / E
can really benefit from. It makes no sense to ignore it beyond time and money - I know. Particularly after the reasonable investment that was made in it.Cause and effect
Fewer people play than desired, because the mechanism is limited and players can't use their own ships in CQC. The lack of interest, because of the limitations of getting a match and not being able to use enough of the in-game ships mean that few people play, so it isn't worth development time. People would also like to be able to transfer to CQC from the main game mode as telepresence from their ship, or by visiting a CQC system.
Not being reliably being able to dip in and out of E
, or feeling willing to take part in PvP / Open because of the perceived overwhelming odds and learning curve - in certain locations - is problem for those that want an ever more vibrant Open mode. Is a common complaint. "I just want to blow other people up! But, because of the way the open game is, nobody wants to let me do it to them." or "I want to play against other CMDRs but the cost is too high..." Others reply that CQC/ARENA is the answer but are quickly shot down because of the limitations.Aims
Make more immediate matches possible with bots
Increase range of playable Arena ships and allow players to use their own ships
Make Locations more varied and dangerous with their own intrinsic, interractive risks and rewards
Kill off complaints about no good instant fighting game. Smash the problem of not finding a match in CQC. Add to and recoup value of Arena by making some changes and relaunching it.
1) Add bots. Make it so that there is always a match, by using bots. Have a setting, on by default, to make it so that if there are no matches within 5 or 10 seconds a bot match will begin.
In a bot only situation, the game will be a skirmish where it is accepted that the match might end and the winner be chosen early, in the event of a suitable human match becoming available. At that point, the match will enter a preparation state with the player (post simplified match end screen).
Sure, bots don't fix player to player engagement, but they allow practice in the arena and dip in and out, quick-matching.
2) A skill level bid of easy / normal / hard / suicidal can be applied to the session before agreeing to sync with a match ad-hoc. This determines the skill level and ship types of the NPC, any engineering or powerups and favours new matches with a similar skill or to within 1-4 steps of that skill.
If that skill level or range is not available with human players, the matches will all be against bots until it is.
3) On beating the first few levels of progression, players earn the ability to add small & medium in-game ships rather than the current limited small craft. The option to choose a suitable ship from the player shipyard exists.
On reaching a higher level, players get to choose from mixed Arenas of small-medium-large ships, including using any of their own ships.
On reaching an even higher level, perhaps Elite in Arena, l players can engineer their ships, for FREE (for use within Arena ONLY) with full access to all the Engineers they have unlocked in-game without having to travel. They are there for the event because the CMDR has impressed them and reached level 5 or whatever.
Combat matches or NPCs to be similarly upgraded at normal with weightings and variations for easy thru suicidal modes.
More Arenas would be required with tunnels and obstacles suitable for a range of vehicle sizes. Power-ups added for daring flying around particularly tight or dangerous obstacles. Structure mounted turrets and shields to breach to navigate through certain areas could also add to the variety.
Players that showed a constant domination at certain levels of play would have to either: lose the lowest skill level or two... or reset their Arena profile, retaining their Elite status, but losing all the benefits of progression. No engineering, in game ships, advanced basic ships etc.
4) Allowing players to join CQC at primary CQC arena locations or by telepresence remotely, from inside the main game would add some sense of occasion / atmosphere and convenience respectively.
I think adopting some of these ideas might help to relaunch a potentially very exciting aspect of the game that is left somewhat adrift currently.
Apologies if this seems old hat or off the table, but I'd love to see this.
Jim
Last edited: