2 replies to this topic

[SystemX]

So this is a huge issue in Hawken right now. One team gets obliterated and either rage quits or quits during or after the match. Our problem is how do we handle players quitting? I have experienced this feeling myself and have quit on a few occasions. Most the time it is frustration others its player taunting. So how do we get players to stay in the game? How do they stay invested even though they might be on a loosing streak or just going up against some difficult players?

 

First we need to take out the taunt mechanics. Once a game has completed we know we lost. The Defeated screen is enough to demoralize someone. There is no need to continue the degradation of the player base after. I refuse to hit the taunt/holo taunt button after a match. It just is not fair to the other team especially if they just took a beating. So we also need to give some intensives to keep playing and have that iron jaw. Just some options off the top of my head.

 

A) After each mach give each player a "buff" per game played on the same game server.

 

B) Give the player a stacking buff when they loose. So when they win that buf will turn into bonus Hawken credits as long as they stayed on the server.

 

C) If the player looses by a certain increment in the game. So the game is a blowout then they get a boost to HC or possibly unlocking an item in their mech inventory.  [Hell we should have a chance to unlock items regardless of a win or a loss]

 

Some solutions to fixing people leaving during the game could be 

 

A) Give a buff to players that have the lower numbers

 

B) Reduce  objective score for teams with fewer numbers, TDM kills, MA faster capture times, Siege lower EU needed/ faster EU collection or AA capture. 

 

Yes the players lost, but if you want to keep players happy.  Nobody likes to feel shitty and right now Hawken breads a shitty atmosphere. Just my game design thoughts while playing the game. 

Edited by SystemX, 03 April 2015 - 02:27 PM.

[Amidatelion]

1st A-B. No. Giving buffs based on wins/losses is just going to further unbalance things.

 

C: Sure, give a stacking boost to HC. Sounds good. But a chance to unlock? This isn't TF2. There isn't that much content. As much as people claim the grind takes forever, I had everything I wanted in 4 months and then it was just collecting new mechs and playing dress-up. A chance to unlock in a game with this little content makes no sense.

Edited by Amidatelion, 03 April 2015 - 03:23 PM.

[Beemann]

The issue is the result of a hybridized system. Hawken has always flip-flopped between dedicated matchmaking (any ranked gamemode, many console MP games, League/DotA/SMITE. Typcally one and done matches picked for the player) and a server browser system (any source game, any oldschool shooter etc. Typically promotes microcommunities within the game and management done on a server by server basis)

The results of this are that the game attempts to match you up, potentially screws up, but then leaves you in anyway. There are no server specific ways of getting rid of problem players (hackers, exploiters, etc.) but simultaneously the game expects you to stay in with whoever you've been MM'd with

 

The solution is to fix the system. Either the expectation is for players to find a server they like and stick around (and float around til they do) but also have in-server means of policing, or the expectation is for everyone to stick around til the end of the match and then hop back onto the matchmaker for a new set of players

Edited by Beemann, 03 April 2015 - 04:14 PM.