PS2 is very balanced !

[SpottyGekko]

Over the last few weeks, each of the 3 factions have dominated a particular continent for a period of time. No single faction has done it consistently. On different servers, different factions dominate at the same time.

The only odd thing I've noticed is that Vanu almost always have more territory than their population should justify (on the EU server anyway).

So what makes a faction dominate the map ?

Is it simply the players from the "4th Empire" ?

Whenever a particular faction gets into a good position, their population usually increases, and the pop of their opponents starts dropping. Where do these "extra players" come from ? It pretty much looks like a sizeable chunk of people switch to whichever side is winning.

How significant are large organised outfits ? Perhaps it's the initial success of these outfits on any given day that causes a whole bunch of people to switch to their faction, because that faction appears to be "winning" ?

So is it possible that the "faction hoppers" are actually the deciding factor for a factions success ?

[Mox]

From where you get this bullshit? Do you play 24/7 on each server?
The maps (location of the bases) arent balanced.
The factions (weapons & vecs) arent balanced.
The continent pops arent balanced.
The global pops arent balanced.

Weapons and vecs are better balanced now but everything else was worse after each character wipe.

[Mox]

Other than global pops not being balanced, this game is extremely well balanced. The map design has nothing to do with "balance" fool, we're all on the same ground.. they don't get to magically stand on a mountain everyone else doesn't have.

Weapons are extremely balanced. If you are TR and you run up face to face with a vanu, you're going to smash him. Let him see you ten yards away and you're toast. People just can't fucking figure out how to adapt and blame SOE for their inabilities to do so.

You are a fool if you think the position of the bases in relation of the position of.the foodholds have nothing to do with balance.

[Crator]

Is the "4th Empire" thing still true now that they added pop locks though?

[SpottyGekko]

From where you get this bullshit? Do you play 24/7 on each server?
The maps (location of the bases) arent balanced.
The factions (weapons & vecs) arent balanced.
The continent pops arent balanced.
The global pops arent balanced.

Weapons and vecs are better balanced now but everything else was worse after each character wipe.

Did you even read a single word that I wrote in the post, or did you just respond to the thread title ?

Stop obsessing about the individual trees, and appreciate the beauty of the forest :D

[SpottyGekko]

Is the "4th Empire" thing still true now that they added pop locks though?

I believe the "4th Empire" is still a factor. Populations are not "hard-capped" at 33%, there's a dynamic cap.

As an example, on the euro server last night, the pop spread was pretty much 33/33/33 when I started playing. As the evening progressed, TR were making steady gains on both Indar AND Esamir. When I logged-off 5 hours later, the spread was 27/34/39 (VS/NC/TR).

So the more territory TR gained, the more their pop increased.

But if it was NC or VS starting to dominate, the pop spread would most likely have changed similarly to favour the "winning" side.

Is there a mobile phone app that alerts players to login when their faction starts winning ? ;)

Do PS2 players just rage-quit if their faction starts losing ground ? That would open up server slots for supporters of the "winning" faction of course. Or do many of them just switch faction ?

[Raka Maru]

I believe the "4th Empire" is still a factor. Populations are not "hard-capped" at 33%, there's a dynamic cap.

As an example, on the euro server last night, the pop spread was pretty much 33/33/33 when I started playing. As the evening progressed, TR were making steady gains on both Indar AND Esamir. When I logged-off 5 hours later, the spread was 27/34/39 (VS/NC/TR).

So the more territory TR gained, the more their pop increased.

But if it was NC or VS starting to dominate, the pop spread would most likely have changed similarly to favour the "winning" side.

Is there a mobile phone app that alerts players to login when their faction starts winning ? ;)

Do PS2 players just rage-quit if their faction starts losing ground ? That would open up server slots for supporters of the "winning" faction of course. Or do many of them just switch faction ?

Are you looking at empire pops or continent pops? I know for me, that if the TR are on Esamir and kicking butt, I go there and help them kick more butt sometimes. That is, unless I'm trying to do caps on a somewhat empty continent.

[ringring]

It's pretty balanced.

But if you look at the leadboards ther has been a change since before the last wipe. Previously they were pretty even with perhaps a shade more TR/NC than VS; now it's dominated by VS. What does that mean? Maybe nothing, maybe there are more killwhores on Vanu, IDK, but it may be idicative of imbalance.

You've also got to consider the balance between Air, Armour and infantry in relation to the predominance of one over the others and I'd say Armour to too predominant at present.

How to fix. Air is easiest, buff aircraft armour. Infantry should get more CE tools and base changes to prevent tanks locking down spawns and camping capture points.

Maybe think of a cloak on the AMS.

[Ruffdog]

Are there still plans to limit one empire per account per server after beta? If so then 4th empire = not a problem after Nov 20

[Sledgecrushr]

You should be able to have all three empires on one account. What I would do is make it so you can only play one empire per server. That way you cant have two or three characters of differing empires on the same server.

[MonsterBone]

This means we should nerf the TR and VS. BIGTIME

[SpottyGekko]

What I'm saying is that the OVERALL game is balanced, because no single faction dominates. So the overall weapon and map balance has to be good, otherwise a clear bias will emerge in favour of 1 faction.


Are you looking at empire pops or continent pops? I know for me, that if the TR are on Esamir and kicking butt, I go there and help them kick more butt sometimes. That is, unless I'm trying to do caps on a somewhat empty continent.

I thought the faction split stats on the map display were for the server, not the continent. If it's per continent, then it could be due to people switching continents, indeed.

It's pretty balanced.

But if you look at the leadboards ther has been a change since before the last wipe. Previously they were pretty even with perhaps a shade more TR/NC than VS; now it's dominated by VS. What does that mean? Maybe nothing, maybe there are more killwhores on Vanu, IDK, but it may be idicative of imbalance.

You've also got to consider the balance between Air, Armour and infantry in relation to the predominance of one over the others and I'd say Armour to too predominant at present.

How to fix. Air is easiest, buff aircraft armour. Infantry should get more CE tools and base changes to prevent tanks locking down spawns and camping capture points.

Maybe think of a cloak on the AMS.

Your observation that VS are more common lately at the top of the leaderboard is interesting. Combine that with the fact that VS very often own a bigger % of the territory than their share of the population % (they are usually the lowest % on my EU server), and it's got to make you wonder...

I believe the tank spam is temporary. It just happens to be the most effective weapon platform for the cost of building it. ESF rockets are relatively expensive, so they will always lag behind tanks, but this picture may change over time.

AA may need some toning down, but I'll bet it's effectiveness has a lot to do with the fact that the majority of pilots are lone wolves. I've very rarely seen
Are there still plans to limit one empire per account per server after beta? If so then 4th empire = not a problem after Nov 20

One empire per server per account is not really going to change anything. It's a F2P game, you can make as many accounts as you need. Unless you are paying for Membership, having multiple accounts will make no appreciable difference to your game play.

Changing accounts is quick, the slow part is the server queue, which you'll hit equally if you change accounts or characters.

This means we should nerf the TR and VS. BIGTIME

Absolutely ! :D

It's not fair if it's fair...

[PClownPosse]

I've only played one faction so far, I'm curious does the lasher and giant purple balls of lag exist? I haven't seen or been killed by one yet.

Even though ps1 was never fully balanced, I actually liked the benefit/drawback model they used with the different factions back then and the slight balance shifts it created. It actually made for interesting encounters depending on what faction you are and who you are fighting at that very moment.

I also haven't seen the MCG or heard the mechanical crunching sound of a jackhammer yet. I hope I see and here both soon.

[Captain1nsaneo]

The map design has nothing to do with "balance" fool, we're all on the same ground.. they don't get to magically stand on a mountain everyone else doesn't have.

Actually...

On Indar if you want to attack the SE you do have to go up a mountain. Same story attacking from NW to SW. This gives whoever is in control of Alatum a much better attacking position on the crown which does matter.

So if you want an answer as to why the VS always have more territory than their pop says they should, it's because we have the SE which is a prostitute to assault.

I haven't been able to play around with enough guns and vehicles to comment on that angle but keep in mind that a balanced seesaw is a dull seesaw.