In game CQC arena?

[syloom]

Probably been suggested before but can we get in game cqc arena that when we land we get an invite to the next game and if there's not enough cmdr's fill the spaces with npc's.

The station menu could have all the cqc options to get set up while you wait for your game, you could even go as far as adding planet side racing for srv's and slf's, i'm sure it'd improve the whole experience and make cqc see more activity.

There could be Galnet announcements of coming championships and leader boards posted on station billboards across the galaxy' It'd give another way to make your mark in the galaxy with the added bonus of no grind to get involved.

 

[space voyager]

It HAS been proposed many times and I still think it's a great idea!

 

[dm06]

I'm pretty sure there's a reason why we do not have npcs in the arena mode: with current implementation they fly too awkward and can not compete with human players in the arena environment.

 

[syloom]

I'm pretty sure there's a reason why we do not have npcs in the arena mode: with current implementation they fly too awkward and can not compete with human players in the arena environment.

I agree that npc's aren't a match for a player but making the rank obtainable in game using them would mean more people playing leading to fuller lobby's.
could always make npc's give less points to the cqc rank then players to balance it out a bit.

Edit to avoid double post, Another thing i want to see is the guardian fighters added to cqc.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I agree that npc's aren't a match for a player.

It's not so much that they aren't a match for a player - they could quite easily give at least the bottom half of current CQC players a good fight - as that they're only decent in open space. In the dense terrain of a CQC map they're going to perform particularly badly.

I suspect the issue with adding NPCs to the game is:
- it'll be a lot of work to get basic AI done for terrain close flying, powerup pickup, believable adaptation to CQC's line-of-sight targeting, basic AI for Capture the Flag mode, etc. which won't necessarily have much payoff or reusability elsewhere.
- if they work to attract more players to CQC, then actually they won't get much use because it'll be acceptably full of real players not to need them, and it'll feel like a waste of effort.
- if they don't work to attract more players to CQC, then it was still a waste of time to add them.

Since they reduced minimums to 2 for DM and 4 for TDM/CTF it's been much more straightforward to get matches on PC - the big thing that would benefit consoles is being allowed to access that player pool with crossplay. (CQC might actually be a pretty good place for Frontier to trial crossplay technology)

Another thing i want to see is the guardian fighters added to cqc.

Or even the Taipan.

 

[syloom]

That's a good point about nps's and power pickups hadn't thought of that or how ai would function in the different game modes.
Maybe adding some form of cqc scenario that uses the current ai in some way disable the mega-ship/fleet-carrier turrets while defending your own or one team attacks the other defends.

 

[CMDR Yates]

- it'll be a lot of work to get basic AI done for terrain close flying, powerup pickup, believable adaptation to CQC's line-of-sight targeting, basic AI for Capture the Flag mode, etc. which won't necessarily have much payoff or reusability elsewhere.

I dunno: I can definitely think of a lot of wider-game benefits for some of those.

Ever tried picking a fight at an installation? Or battling an NPC pretty much anywhere down on a planet? The way the AI handles these environments is really awkward. They won't follow you into gaps in the superstructure or chase you through canyons or around mountains; the type of exciting (and heavily implied by Frontier in advertising) activities these features were practically made for! They just hover nearby or follow at a safe distance. I'm pretty sure it's one of the reasons there's not much to do planetside.

Fixing those would be a many-birds-one-stone scenario.

Anyway, pipe dreams aside, I don't know why they haven't added CQC to the right hand menu along with the training simulations, etc. That, at least, is a no brainer.

 

[dxm55]

The Empire should have a system with a POI that is basically a PVP arena where players can bring their own ships to duke it out.
After all, their patronage/feudalistic society might see bloodsport as a legit form of entertainment.

This will bring PVP into the limelight in the general game at large, and maybe even convert some PVE players into the sport.

Not sure about the Feds and Alliance though. Those PC turds would probably scoff at bloodsport the same way they scoff at slavery.


In any case, the system where the arena is located in should be high sec and protected by high level NPCs. But honestly, I wouldn't be too bothered, as the presence of high level true PVP players will probably discourage the seal-clubbing ganker crowds from hanging around too long.

 

[VR Golgot]

I suspect the reason they don't do this is primarily technical:

• Performance savings in Arena: The arenas have their own baked in lighting, not dynamic lighting. They also don't have to handle the background orbital changes. And they have a much smaller player cap. All doubtless keep the twitch action as responsive as possible.
• Performance demands of Arena: The scanner function tracking occlusion for all parties probably requires more headroom for the calculation. This would be exacerbated by the above savings not being available. (I believe top speeds are also higher IE during the boost perk. Not sure if that would mess with the current norms of the main sim)

I think it'd be cool if they integrate it into the game world in various other ways though:

• CGs with participants representing major factions, or minor factions settling a disagreement peacefully.
• Rare materials as rewards for doing well in rounds
• Livery unlocks as rewards for hitting rank tiers etc.
• Galnet announcements of the above & general leaderboards / big events.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

(I believe top speeds are also higher IE during the boost perk. Not sure if that would mess with the current norms of the main sim)

Top speeds in CQC are pretty low by main game standards (and it's better for it) - even with a super boost diverter you're not going to go much above 350m/s, which is cruise speed for many engineered main-game ships.

 

[syloom]

Rare materials as rewards would defiantly increase the player numbers and would probably make people engineer multiple ships as the grind for mats becomes a fun game improving both areas of the game, fantastic idea +1

 

[VR Golgot]

Rare materials as rewards would defiantly increase the player numbers and would probably make people engineer multiple ships as the grind for mats becomes a fun game improving both areas of the game, fantastic idea +1

It's been doing the rounds for a while. Hopefully it'll get some traction if we keep mentioning it

 

[Flimley]

This is a repeat popular request. I myself thought one championship arena in Alliance, Federation, and Imperial space respectively would be most excellent. And bring players to these areas.
FD, Make it so. Let’s get more players IN the main game !
Flimley