Alternate game modes?

[KenuR]

Yeah, map control definitely needs to take a larger role in this game if we want to create an aggressive and active game. No one likes playing against a team of players camping behind defenses the entire game.

people camp because most of the players playing are pros and any noob brave enough to leave the base gets raped. The reason tremulous wasn't very popular with new players is because it's basically impossible for a player to kill a pro with a high class/ good weapon with a low class/ bad weapon and you can't be a rambo and go on a rampage on your own, team play is crucial. While that is the reason many people love this game, it would be nice if there was a mode where a person can be successful even if he/she is a total noob.

[UniqPhoeniX]

Even many "pros" camp, and that's not caused by players dying 1vs1.
The problem is not simply camping, its the fact that camping stalls the game and makes it boring. It's not possible to effectively attack a base with most of the enemy team camping, which is why rewarding map control needs to be added: it splits up the players, which means an aggressive team can focus its forces on a small part of the camping team, and there is nothing the campers can do about it. If 1 team bunches together they can't control a significant portion of the map and they should have a significant enough disadvantage to allow the more aggressive team to beat them, regardless of camping.

Map control needs to increase stage and provide funds to stop campers from simply starving the other team. Providing funds means that kills should provide somewhat less funds, so that everyone doesn't end up with goons/rants/chainsuits. This also evens the playing field between newbs and "pros" somewhat.

IMO maps should have 8+ resource nodes (even atcs can fit 8), and preferably 3+ paths through the map. If 1 team can control almost half the resource nodes by camping only 2 locations, then the rewards for map control are not significant enough, unless the more aggressive team has very good teamwork.

[danmal]

Kenur: You make a good point. Gameplay is currently too punishing for new players. This really needs to be fixed.

IMO maps should have 8+ resource nodes (even atcs can fit 8), and preferably 3+ paths through the map. If 1 team can control almost half the resource nodes by camping only 2 locations, then the rewards for map control are not significant enough, unless the more aggressive team has very good teamwork.

How does this work for smaller matches (₅ players)? My guess is that you'd have to rebalance aliens/humans so that they're more of an even match in 1v1 or 2v2 situations if you have a lot of resource nodes. I don't think it's a good idea to rebalance per game mode (other then global stuff like credit flow, etc). Having fewer resource nodes means there's more grouping like in vanilla. If we keep the credit flow fairly high then there's little reason for a winning team to camp map points. Even if they go 1 for 1 they still come out ahead as they can replenish their credits much more quickly then the other team. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of large number of resource points I just believe that a smaller number is more likely to give good gameplay.

I think the main thing is that we agree on a basic concept. How many resource nodes and other settings are probably best found out through testing.

[UniqPhoeniX]

It would work with low player count similarly to how it works with large player counts: a team can attack together (or in 1vs1 attack alone) and they will have an advantage against an enemy that is camping multiple locations (or only camping 1). I don't see how a lot of resource nodes would be a problem. If aliens can 'capture' the points too fast, just make it slower for them or add some cost to it so they don't spam undefended outposts (capturing/holding a point should require a structure to be built there) everywhere. The goal of domination points is simply to stop camping from stalling the game and make the gameplay more dynamic.

If we keep the credit flow fairly high then there's little reason for a winning team to camp map points.

I think you may be missing the point here. Players don't camp because there is a reason to camp. They camp because there is no reason NOT TO. A team that has captured most domination points should still have to spread the team over multiple locations to allow the other team to be effective if the "winning" team camps.

Also I don't think the credit flow should be too high, continuously using goons/rants/chainsuits still needs to drain funds faster than is gained from both kills and domination points. Perhaps controlling 3 of 8 points should (with funds from kills having been reduced) give a total income only a bit higher than current.

(Balance at low player counts could be improved with bots, even if they can only build where the player tells them to. Also slow devolving (taking 2 sec per evo on creep, 3-5 elsewhere) would help so an alien doesn't get stuck with goon/rant when base needs building. Very good balance for only ₅ players total would be difficult however.)

EDIT: note that on smaller maps there are usually only 2-3 paths so a team doesn't have to camp all the points they control. And not all points will be controlled if both teams play agressively.

[Aurealis]

I made a post like this on the TremZ forum, and afaik they can be used just as well in Unnvanquished. Let me know and I can post the thread here too.

[kharnov]

Go for it.

[Aurealis]

You want to post it in here or in a separate thread?

[kharnov]

Here.

[Aurealis]

Well, I am doing this on request from @HermXIV.

Here is a list of all the current ideas for styles in gameplay along with a quoted description from the person who had the idea.

Domination, or Battlefield Style, Gameplay
Link to the thread: http://tremz.com/community/showthread.php?tid=248

In the Hud and Scoreboard is a Counter with per example 500 Units for every Team
Both teams can see the counter of the enemy too.
Every time a Player dies the Counter of his Team go one Down.

On the Map are 5 or more Domination Points (like in Trem Domination Mod).
(Players can Capture them for there team and build a little base around it.)
The Teams got indestructible Bases with one of these Domination points in it.
With every Point a Team is holding the Counter of the Enemy's go a little bit Down every X minutes.

The first team whose count is zero loses.

good:
-No time limit or Sudden Death needed.
-No Camping
-More Action

not so good:
-It is too Easy for Aliens
Against this every player could maybe get a minimum Credits/Evos to keep the balance. And maybe every Team starts with S3 or something that there are no fights naked Rifle vs Tyrant or Dretch vs Luci Bsuit

S&D, or Gears of War Execution Style, Gameplay
Quoted from: http://tremz.com/community/showthread.php?tid=248
Actual Thread: http://tremz.com/community/showthread.php?tid=253

This would be totally awesome. I don't know if the dev's are looking to implement a lot of game modes at release though. This would be totally sick for a future release. I love the idea of different and varied game modes. Search and Destroy would be sweet:

• Each player spawns with 3 evos (cred equivalent?) and they have to either destroy the rc/om or kill all players on the enemy team. There would be NO builders in this game mode and there is a set, default base. The health of the rc would be lowered, and so would the om. The exact amount, however, I am not sure. Just a quick idea. Let me know what you think!

EDIT: On second thought, I think the RC/OM idea would be pointless because of camping. We could make it more like execution GoW3 style. Just kill the enemy team, no builders, default bases.

Neutral Bases and Buildables, or RTS Style Gameplay:
Link to the Thread: http://tremz.com/community/showthread.php?tid=231

The Idea is to add neutral Buildings (like Domination Points in arcade mod) which can only be build with cheats enabled. To make layouts with different Gameplay, Missions, rebalance Maps or prevent Camping.

simple buildings:

• Walls

• Doors

adv buildings:

• Jumppads / Cannons

• Lifts

• hidden Traps

• Amorys

• Healing Stations

• Teleporters

• Forcefields (that only 1 Team can pass)

• not so strong Turrets/Hives/Tubes which attack both Teams **

• Animals/other Aliens * **

• Like in Warcraft 3. Bots camping on a position. Wen a Player attack them they try to kill him.

** could be destroyed by Players (which get Credits/evos) and respawn after a cool down.

With similar buildings could Missions made like:

Humans must destroy Aliens shield generator, repair there Ship and bring energy Cells to it. Aliens must prevent this by defending the structures.

Or

Aliens must destroy the Door to a Humans lab, deactivate the security system and get a Granger alive to the baby Grangers to win.

Now, I wasn't sure what to do with this post, because its kinda like the gameplay that games like Age of Empires use to attain new bases, because towns/bases could only be built on neutral settlements.

Infection, or Zombie Style Gameplay:
From this Thread.

I have a great idea for a game mode.

Humans start in a preset base.

• no building
• the human base consists of a reactor, a few turrets, an armoury and a medi
• human buildings are indestructable
• when a human dies he goes to the alien team.
• the goal for humans is to last as long as they can.

Aliens start with a couple of eggs located in different corners of the map

• no building
• the goal for aliens is to kill the human team as fast as possible

Siege, or Horde Style Gameplay:
From this Thread.

(this is not really in order at all)
It would be interesting where a gameplay is like this:
-Humans have limited lives, maybe 5
-Aliens have unlimited lives.
However, Humans should be in a place which is to their advantage
e.g a stronghold, building kind of thing with moutable turrets or cannons which do major damage, Aliens should also have something to counter it, but aliens should need to use strategy to kill the humans, as the humans only have 5 lives, maybe something like alien pod things.
Aliens start off with a base 3x the normal size with 4x more build points, and humans have the normal amount of buildpoints, thus the humans have to destroy the alien base, there should be a main structure that each team has to destroy, maybe like an advanced overmind or reactor. The overmind would have maybe a few alien "bots" guarding them and RC would maybe have a few tesla generators or special kind of turret.

[size=large]If you find anymore ideas, I would appreciate if you post on HERE with a QUOTE of the idea, or we can pose ideas HERE and I will keep the list updated and redact any ideas that are scrapped.[/size]

Thanks,
_Sev

Update Log:

• 3/5/12

Update Log Key:
Additional Idea
Refinement of Idea

[TANK]

MassDretch game mode - likes instagib in Q3 game.
Dretch has a small massdriver gun attached to him.
One bullet takes 50% or 100% of health from an enemy dretch :D .