Distension Beta Suggestions/Bugfix thread

[Viruk]

I may consider changing the OP system to giving Ops a much larger number of OP points, but then making the abilities cost more, allowing a finer gradation of OP costs and possible slight increases for the more annoying abilities such as doors.

Unfortunately the doors are more than just annoying if they can be used in quick succession or totally block off an area. Unless there are limits/delays then making the abilities a little more expensive just pushes the problem back a little until there are Ops high level enough to be able to hoard the points to do this.
I do not believe that any single player regardless of level ought to be able to keep an entire frequency out of the flag room or stop the flow of the game for any significant period without a lot of skill or luck.
I suggest having separate doors for the two FR entrances and delays between allowing door use.
Alternatively you could make even more sets of base doors (with their activating codes written in the nearby wall graphics) and then lower the duration and OP cost. Replace the big doors with many smaller doors and allow multiple door use. You might then see ops using them regularly to warp enemies, slow the enemy attack, shield their base terrier and plug gaps in the defence rather than completely locking out the opposing side for significant periods.

[Birthday Party]

Two more possible bugs dealing with escape pods in warbird:


1. Three times when I got escape pod but then died right away anyway, while still rearming, I would be sent to HQ (I believe that's what the little round safe is called, if I remember correctly) and then reattach or warp or whatever, I would still be rearming and then the rearming message would go away, but I hadn't rearmed, and I saw quite clearly that everyone else had. I waited for a good minute once but never rearmed even though everyone else had and the rearming message went away, until I just changed ships and then back to wb, and after I did that, right away I was rearmed.

2. (not really important I guess) When I died right before round was to start, when everyone is warped to the HQ, when I was spawned with my escape pod and wasn't sent to the HQ at all and just got to chill out in base for a bit, though I was warped to spawn area when the round actually started. I know usually if you warp from the HQ you might get to stay out for a sec, but then you get warped back in (if I remember correctly), but not this time with the escape pod.

[Mjollnir]

Three things:

• For all of you who have been asking when the Jav gets yellow bombs: it's at lvl 40.

• It seemed like I didn't get streaks from high level kills. It just said high rank cap blabla.. and nothing about a streak. Not entirely sure about this since I didn't exactly have time to track the kills that well.

• I liked the tie game. In my opinion it could happen even earlier at like 40 minutes or so. Another possibility would be prizing RP to the team that held the flag the most during the period of 10-20 (whatever would work the best) minutes. It would be like a mini-victory every x minutes but the whole round wouldn't end until the real victory condition was met. The game could also end if a team gets a mini-victory y amount of times. In this mode there wouldn't necessarily have to be a tie at all, although it would probably still be a good thing to have.

I don't know how I managed to babble so much again and it is almost 5AM so I am off to bed.

[jngy slate]

I'm Not Sure How The Truce System Works. Today's Last Game In The Second Test Got Ended While A Lot Of Players From My Team Didn't Want This. Does It Ask How Many Want To End The Battle As A Tie? It If Does, I Never Saw A Message Asking. If There Is A Message, Make It Play A Sound So More Players Notice.

[roxxkatt]

READ THIS POST

anyone think the large decoy array idea had any merit?

i think its a good idea, especially with cloaking...

NERF THE JAV
Javs will probably have increased L2 bomb energy required

that messes up levis as well =/
a better idea is to have javs get bombs later, like level 40-50
JAV YELLOW = LEVI BLUE
levi is 58. whats jav?
and to compensate the levi for all the radius nerfs, the lv2-3 need to cost less, or for emp bombs to do more then 35%...

f1 text

dug, pm me the text you want in f1, and i can set it up extremely quickly.

NERF THE FIREBLOOM

something needs to be done, perhaps:
#1: reduce burst time. (affects terr)
#2: decrease bullet count for lanc. <--best
#3: slow bullets even more.
#4: "have the firebloom prized randomly(%)" <--more best'r

FIX OPS AFK CHECK

it doesnt work.
at all.
in case you missed it:

what if you killed the current ops afk thing, and made the only test so the bot pms you a random number 1-100, and you simply pm that number back? that would defeat ?away completely, the only reason for all this extra crap...

which plays into:

FIX LAGOUT

today i played in an electrical storm.
i got to test the lagout and queue quite extensively.
it returns you automatically, which works, then adds you to the queue, which also works. While i tested it in levi, it returned me to ship 4, but didnt restore my participation. While i tested it in ops, it did nothing, even while noone was in ops, and didnt restore my participation.


also:

will have an 18% chance ((7 - 1) x 3) of being awarded super, and an 18% chance of being awarded shields

good thing they get super + shields after their 35th kill 100% of the time, right? that sounds excellent.

i predicted the future :fear:


spot the important typo!

Distension>Snaps view to a location based on the number.
Distension> 1: HomeFR 11: HomeMid 12: HomeTube 13:HomeRearm
Distension> 2: NME FR 21: NME Mid 12: NME Tube 3: Center

^also, im a fucking genious for thinking of this, anyone that ever plays ops had better thank me. i sure do...


also, opsmine doesnt work at all

Distension> | !opsmine <#> 2 .mi| False minefield @ home base.

nothing works, no messages for !opsmine, !mi, or .mi

also, ops !a has no #10.

and i dislike the idea of terr summoner.
also not a big fan of the stalemates, i like the nice long battles =(

also, ops can close nme doors, as well as their own.
ops should also be able to open a door that nme ops has closed.
i tried this, and it used my OP, but didnt open the door.

also, the cost of orb should either be reduced, or enlarged to cover thrust and custom shipsets, or made to last longer.

ADD A WEEKEND TEST

i added colors to help the lazy/retarded kids =)
TL/DR: fuck you.

[gdugwyler]

Sorry not to be around the last week. Good bit of stuff going on.

I'll work on the Javs and Lanc. Javs will probably have increased L2 bomb energy required (fortunately you can modify the increase rate on bombs, rather than it just doubling required energy). This should keep the normal Jav viable, but keep the monsters of the present at bay. Lanc will have slower-moving bursts, and perhaps with less total burst shrapnel. I don't think you can adjust the alive time, as it bases it on bullet time. I might be recalling incorrectly, though. I'll also cap the percentage chance for the new WB ability. Shouldn't be able to get it to fire every single time you get a streak, even if you're on a good bit of a roll.

I may consider changing the OP system to giving Ops a much larger number of OP points, but then making the abilities cost more, allowing a finer gradation of OP costs and possible slight increases for the more annoying abilities such as doors. This would also make bonuses from team efforts possible, as it'd be a much smaller percentage. The OP increase rate upgrade could also be more reliable: per-tick, a certain number, rather than a percentage chance of 1 OP showing up.

Still plan on adding that Terr summoning ability. Can't remember if there was another. Oh, right, the Weasel -- anyone think the large decoy array idea had any merit? I think it could work, even if it sounds not so effective from a hypothetical stance.

Anyway, I'll be starting development again a bit at the start of next week. (Not the first test, though; have to get a goddamn root canal.) Also, to Left and ali, thanks for rescheduling earlier so I can see how it's going from time to time.

[Mjollnir]

javs are annoying, but even more annoying is the constant spam of bursts in the flagrooms.

Before people were complaining that terrs had too many bursts, but the real problem for me isn't the 3 terr bursts that usualy move too fast for me to notice in a crowded fr anyway, it's the dozens of lancaster bursts that are starting to ruin the game. Terrs get bursts b/c they have (had) weak bullets and needed a way to get kills w/o suiciding or risking death. cool. Why do lancs need bursts? to counter their rapid-firing, high energy multi spam? not so cool, but i'll live with it.

The thing that bothers me is that I thought the firebloom was sort of the 'special' of the lanc. The bomb isn't really used by any of the lancs i've observed, so i won't consider that the 'special' weapon. Most of the other ships' specials are prized or take a minute to use (super, MASTER w/streaks, jumpspace) idk about the terr's EMP, i don't have it yet. The lancasters i see drop these things constantly. I don't think 10s go by in a heated fr battle without someone dropping 20 (not sure of the real #) bursts, each a one hit kill. I don't think a 'special' should be used so often.

The problem compounds itself when the game gets crowded, b/c there will always be sharks rep'ing around the flag and cram, and the repelled bursts are TOO powerful. You can't simply 'not repel' them, because they last long enough and stay in the same place long enough that if you didn't repel a single one, one lanc burst would single handly nullify all the sharks within rep radius for like 5-10 secs, long enough for plenty of people to get by (or lancs with rapid shooting lvl 3 multi )


The solution i would offer would be to either have the firebloom prized randomly(%) every minute or other time period. This would keep people from burst-suicide-burst as much. Currently with 1 set of energy, a lanc can kill how many people? 2 - 3 shots of 1 hit kill bullet (going pretty fast) that's on avg. 2 ppl. + however many bursts they have since they act independently and are 1 hit kills. I wouldn't want to make bursts less than 1 hit kills, but it seems that the lanc has the ability, very early on, to kill a dozen ppl who have full energy. Even lvl 2 jav bombs aren't that overpowered.

I agree that something needs to be done about the firebloom. The easiest way is probably making it a random % chance of getting it every now and then, like you suggested. Getting it every time you spawn is way too often for one of the most powerful abilities in the game.

The angry mob wants to nerf the Javelin so lets do it. I wouldn't call it very overpowered but it is a bit overpowered (and so is the Lanc atm). I don't know where Meddi gets the idea that I can shoot a second yellow quickly after shooting one because I simply can't. Most of the time, I die to any random red bullet after shooting the bomb, and I don't think reducing charge rate is going to be the correct solution here. If the problem is the constant suiciding by the Javs then make the rockets weaker or more expensive. If the biggest problem is something else, do tell me, so I can suggest a solution.

[Zeebu]

a couple of other ways to maybe tone down the firebloom:

make it so that you can upgrade the # of bursts, start it out small than increase it.

make it so that the longer you go before using the firebloom, the more bursts you would accumulate (start with maybe 5, then add 1 every couple of secs)

make it have a negative effect on the lanc, like jumpspace does the javs (no energy, engines stalled)

shorten the time they last

require a streak for use

anything, please

a la 'the last starfighter' motherfukin death blossom style YES

edit: that movie is awesome.

[DankNuggets]

a couple of other ways to maybe tone down the firebloom:

make it so that you can upgrade the # of bursts, start it out small than increase it.

make it so that the longer you go before using the firebloom, the more bursts you would accumulate (start with maybe 5, then add 1 every couple of secs)

make it have a negative effect on the lanc, like jumpspace does the javs (no energy, engines stalled)

shorten the time they last

require a streak for use

anything, please

[DankNuggets]

Nerf Firebloom

javs are annoying, but even more annoying is the constant spam of bursts in the flagrooms.

Before people were complaining that terrs had too many bursts, but the real problem for me isn't the 3 terr bursts that usualy move too fast for me to notice in a crowded fr anyway, it's the dozens of lancaster bursts that are starting to ruin the game. Terrs get bursts b/c they have (had) weak bullets and needed a way to get kills w/o suiciding or risking death. cool. Why do lancs need bursts? to counter their rapid-firing, high energy multi spam? not so cool, but i'll live with it.

The thing that bothers me is that I thought the firebloom was sort of the 'special' of the lanc. The bomb isn't really used by any of the lancs i've observed, so i won't consider that the 'special' weapon. Most of the other ships' specials are prized or take a minute to use (super, MASTER w/streaks, jumpspace) idk about the terr's EMP, i don't have it yet. The lancasters i see drop these things constantly. I don't think 10s go by in a heated fr battle without someone dropping 20 (not sure of the real #) bursts, each a one hit kill. I don't think a 'special' should be used so often.

The problem compounds itself when the game gets crowded, b/c there will always be sharks rep'ing around the flag and cram, and the repelled bursts are TOO powerful. You can't simply 'not repel' them, because they last long enough and stay in the same place long enough that if you didn't repel a single one, one lanc burst would single handly nullify all the sharks within rep radius for like 5-10 secs, long enough for plenty of people to get by (or lancs with rapid shooting lvl 3 multi )


The solution i would offer would be to either have the firebloom prized randomly(%) every minute or other time period. This would keep people from burst-suicide-burst as much. Currently with 1 set of energy, a lanc can kill how many people? 2 - 3 shots of 1 hit kill bullet (going pretty fast) that's on avg. 2 ppl. + however many bursts they have since they act independently and are 1 hit kills. I wouldn't want to make bursts less than 1 hit kills, but it seems that the lanc has the ability, very early on, to kill a dozen ppl who have full energy. Even lvl 2 jav bombs aren't that overpowered.

[meddi]

WTF who plays with all the text like that ?! And about javs they do seem overpwoered and many think this. But their bomb range isn't bigger than levi's l3 bombs in pub. I have an idea to make them less overpowered and less dependant on luck. Take away the sharpnel. Killing someone with shrapnel depends more on luck than skill. Make it so it's available in the later levels rather than earlier and make it so l2 sharpnel isn't available until about level 55. Another idea but I'm not too sure about it. Make it slower, a lot slower. Then have upgrades available for it so the players can make it faster later on. Also, their l2 bullets. Many times I don't even shoot to a jav after it has missed me with the bomb from up close because many times before I would get killed by their l2 bullets after shooting them.

Maybe kill their recharge? I mean, getting blasted repeatedly by Mjolls ridiculous rocket-launched bombs is annoying, but what is even more annoying is his ability to fire a SECOND BOMB soon after or yellow ass-bullets immediately after.

MBananas brings up the point that a lot of players are using javs. To me this kinda kills basing. When attacking, half the team (javs + maybe a lev) would rather sit back and lob bombs while waiting for someone else to actually man up and go in. Anyone who DOES man up will likely be TKed. When defending, the few players that actually try to push out and fight in the mid end up getting TKed by the javelin artillery corps.

In short "blah blah blah typical pub issue blah blah blah"

[jngy slate]

WTF who plays with all the text like that ?! And about javs they do seem overpwoered and many think this. But their bomb range isn't bigger than levi's l3 bombs in pub. I have an idea to make them less overpowered and less dependant on luck. Take away the sharpnel. Killing someone with shrapnel depends more on luck than skill. Make it so it's available in the later levels rather than earlier and make it so l2 sharpnel isn't available until about level 55. Another idea but I'm not too sure about it. Make it slower, a lot slower. Then have upgrades available for it so the players can make it faster later on. Also, their l2 bullets. Many times I don't even shoot to a jav after it has missed me with the bomb from up close because many times before I would get killed by their l2 bullets after shooting them.

[Birthday Party]

I have a possible bug.

Twice on the second session today, after a round I was specced: Yadda yadda "You have the most usage and someone else is waiting to get in" yadda yadda. But right after the bot specced me to supposedly let this other person in, I would just press Esc+1 and I was in again without a peep from anyone or anything, both times it occured. Why would the bot spec me at all? Seems like either it wasn't truly enforcing the highest-usage-player-out-to-make-room thing, or no one actually needed a space at the time I was specced.

[Aquatiq]

bug report?

[Birthday Party]

It's the combination of radius and shrap that makes those javs so very powerful. And that shrap can fly in any direction faster than anything else can move. It's just like random death when you're not at all expecting it. It's most frustrating when you see the jav lining up a shot and you do move out of the way of blast death, only just to be stabbed in the back with some shrap.