Forums » Suggestions
Advanced Recreational Combat Accelerator
As we move closer to more RP-driven player interaction brought about by a dynamic economy and a more robust faction system, it might be advantageous to consider ways to separate RP gameplay from activities which are fun but don't really make sense in terms of VO's storyline. Nation Wars comes to mind - certainly an event which should be continued but one rather difficult to explain RP-wise.
In a nutshell, I am proposing a completely separate System which can only be accessed via a special interface from within a Capital station. Accessing this System via the station interface puts you into a central station within this System. (Leaving this System simply puts you back in the Capital station from which you started.) Think of it as an independently-operated fully-immersive holographic simulator networked across the entire VO 'verse (Advanced Recreational Combat Accelerator).
The hub of ARCA would be the station you first start out in within this System. The full selection of ships and equipment throughout the VO 'verse would be available but each player would still be limited to whatever they would normally be able to buy due to license/faction/badge limitations. Event organizers can override this to restrict (or allow access to) certain types of ships or weapons as needed by a particular event.
The various sectors of this System can contain such things like tubetracks (which seem to be forgotten), special asteroid configurations, pre-designated ion storm sectors, or anything else desired. (For instance, I'd like to see open free-form tracks without the tubes and using rings as gates.) Nation Wars could be held in different sectors with different physical challenges each week. Developers could more easily try out new ideas for sector layouts or anything else they may have in mind without impacting the actual VO 'verse.
Another advantage to ARCA is that it will help obviate the need for lengthy travel by participants in such things as Nation Wars and thereby, hopefully, increase and encourage participation. It will also keep players where they need to be to fulfill their chosen role in VO - for instance, Serco and Itani can stay near their native space while traders and miners are only a few wormholes away from being able to participate in events that would otherwise require lengthy travel from where they are working.
Duels could be more easily facilitated as opponent should be easier to find and engage since national restrictions and distance wouldn't be an issue. In addition, duelists will have a more easily accessible selection of ships and weapons as well a a greater variety of venues in which to fight.
I don't think PvP should count within this space but perhaps that could be something which could be activated for certain events.
While the majority of VO gameplay should remain in the current 'verse, it's always nice to be able to take a step back and do something different. This proposal would equalize access to the various activities which don't quite fit into the VO storyline with minimal impact to the overall tenor of VO's RP.
In a nutshell, I am proposing a completely separate System which can only be accessed via a special interface from within a Capital station. Accessing this System via the station interface puts you into a central station within this System. (Leaving this System simply puts you back in the Capital station from which you started.) Think of it as an independently-operated fully-immersive holographic simulator networked across the entire VO 'verse (Advanced Recreational Combat Accelerator).
The hub of ARCA would be the station you first start out in within this System. The full selection of ships and equipment throughout the VO 'verse would be available but each player would still be limited to whatever they would normally be able to buy due to license/faction/badge limitations. Event organizers can override this to restrict (or allow access to) certain types of ships or weapons as needed by a particular event.
The various sectors of this System can contain such things like tubetracks (which seem to be forgotten), special asteroid configurations, pre-designated ion storm sectors, or anything else desired. (For instance, I'd like to see open free-form tracks without the tubes and using rings as gates.) Nation Wars could be held in different sectors with different physical challenges each week. Developers could more easily try out new ideas for sector layouts or anything else they may have in mind without impacting the actual VO 'verse.
Another advantage to ARCA is that it will help obviate the need for lengthy travel by participants in such things as Nation Wars and thereby, hopefully, increase and encourage participation. It will also keep players where they need to be to fulfill their chosen role in VO - for instance, Serco and Itani can stay near their native space while traders and miners are only a few wormholes away from being able to participate in events that would otherwise require lengthy travel from where they are working.
Duels could be more easily facilitated as opponent should be easier to find and engage since national restrictions and distance wouldn't be an issue. In addition, duelists will have a more easily accessible selection of ships and weapons as well a a greater variety of venues in which to fight.
I don't think PvP should count within this space but perhaps that could be something which could be activated for certain events.
While the majority of VO gameplay should remain in the current 'verse, it's always nice to be able to take a step back and do something different. This proposal would equalize access to the various activities which don't quite fit into the VO storyline with minimal impact to the overall tenor of VO's RP.
Instanced PvP arenas, in other words.
The reason that PVP activities dominate in VO is that there is no strategic combat for players to engage. I do like the ARCA fast access to VO events.
If by instanced you mean created-on-demand than no. At least that's not what I am proposing - 256 sectors should be enough to provide plenty of variety without the devs having to come up with an instancing mechanism. (The System can be slowly populated as individual sectors are developed and tested.)
I am concerned about the concept of putting a game in a game. VO has it pros, and unfortunately, a few cons. If we build a mini-game that drops all the cons, what is the incentive for players to leave station? Especially if the don't die, or spend as much money in station...
I am not saying it's a bad idea by any stretch, I like it. But it needs some balance mechanisms that will keep people in 'real' space.
It may in fact be a very good teaching mechanism for new players to learn combat with few penalties. It could be a mission available to combat 1 and below: "Combat Simulation for Advancing Skills"
Keep that brain ticking, Daare!
I am not saying it's a bad idea by any stretch, I like it. But it needs some balance mechanisms that will keep people in 'real' space.
It may in fact be a very good teaching mechanism for new players to learn combat with few penalties. It could be a mission available to combat 1 and below: "Combat Simulation for Advancing Skills"
Keep that brain ticking, Daare!
I agree with the previous post
some of the main content from vendetta is provided through player created content, and thus, move that to a special sector, and whats the incentive for flying around space for any other reason than making credits or mining.
I think the best way to solve the problem is fixing the links between the universe so that travel time isnt so lengthy, even if the longest trip take <20 min at most
ie quicker access to content
some of the main content from vendetta is provided through player created content, and thus, move that to a special sector, and whats the incentive for flying around space for any other reason than making credits or mining.
I think the best way to solve the problem is fixing the links between the universe so that travel time isnt so lengthy, even if the longest trip take <20 min at most
ie quicker access to content