Feedback on Hotspots for Higby

[Hamma]

[EVILPIG]

I would say so, but frustrating to be at the WG and not able to reach the biggest fight because it is the furthest. Can they show the top fights?

[Pen]

I still use the Enemy Activity option more, due to it being easier to read. It would be neat if switching between Territory Control and Enemy Activity was tied to a key in the map screen. So, like, I could hit space to see the activity and hit it again to go back to the control view.

[Rahabib]

I wish I could IA into them easier. frustrating to not be able to IA because its restricted only to a continent you are not in.

[CoreRoot]

Also, maybe a little bit off topic, but in hope you read it Mr Higby:

I would love to be able to rightclick and set waypoints on the deploy map as well, just like on the big map. Esp. when leading a squad or platoon, this would save precious seconds to set new waypoints for your folks.

[DirtyBird]

Can be too slow to update and often the bubbles are still flashing well after the fight is over, imo.

[phungus]

I'm still of the opinion spawn proximity should just be scrapped, the player should be able to spawn where he chooses (without needing to tediously spawn hop across the map). We still desperately need a friendly forces overlay, similar to enemy activity, this is something that would help when lone wolfing but is simply necessary for leading platoons.

I also think AMSes should be rebalanced so that an AMS can only spawn a capped number of units over time. Right now you can drive an AMS offensively into a tech base and spawn hundreds of players instantly. The sunderer should remain the most important and powerful vehicle in the game, just giving it the ability to spawn 100s of infantry instantaneously is a bit much. Another improvement would be to allow AMS to filter their spawns to squad, platoon, and outfit members only.

The defensive spawns have been the best feature added to this game since release. However that is determined seems good, and it would help even more if players could auto deploy (without using redeploy) to defensive spawn points, without needing to use instant action or redeploy. Yes I know players can redeploy then view the defensive spawn locations, but if you take into account real life player behavior having those defensive points instantly useable will give more lone wolfing and casual players easier access to good fun fights.

[Mordelicius]

The hotspots are good for quickly glancing through the continental map.

But the Enemy Activity chart is my favorite tool in finding a good fight and assessing areas of interest. It's a good visual tool due to the colors. One can see if there is activity around the red area of it's merely isolated.

Sometimes one area is an isolated incident, while another red zone will be surrounded by peripheral contested areas. What's the difference? An isolated red means you got no fight to fall back to when you lose that area.

[phungus]

Originally Posted by Mordelicius

The hotspots are good for quickly glancing through the continental map.

But the Enemy Activity chart is my favorite tool in finding a good fight and assessing areas of interest. It's a good visual tool due to the colors. One can see if there is activity around the red area of it's merely isolated.

Sometimes one area is an isolated incident, while another red zone will be surrounded by peripheral contested areas. What's the difference? An isolated red means you got no fight to fall back to when you lose that area.

Yeah, I agree. But I always felt instant action and hotspots were for casual players who don't want to analyze the enemy activity filter on the map, they just want to go shoot some people in the face, and really I don't find anything wrong with that mentality. I don't think a game should be designed around this common and causal playstyle, but an FPS will be much more successful if it gives people with this mindset fun stuff to do. Also because there is no way to gage friendly forces in an area the enemy activity overlay is only half of the information platoon leaders really need.

[Tatwi]

I find that it's failing to do the most important thing: Show you and put you where your teammates are actively capable of winning a battle.

The hotspots system still seems to drop me into hopeless losses, insta-gibs, or fights that are already over. As a result, I would prefer:

1. A better indication as to the location of friendly forces. The map says "Enemy Platoons Detected", but makes no indication of the strength of friendly forces in the region.

2. To be placed at a nearby spawn point, rather than drop podded, and given a waypoint to where I should be headed. Heck, use the EQ2/SWG/FreeRealms "path in the 3D world" waypoint indicator system if you must - it's effective.

Originally Posted by CoreRoot

Also, maybe a little bit off topic, but in hope you read it Mr Higby:

I would love to be able to rightclick and set waypoints on the deploy map as well, just like on the big map. Esp. when leading a squad or platoon, this would save precious seconds to set new waypoints for your folks.

Merging the deployment screen into the map itself, as collapsible UI element, would be far more efficient and meaningful to the end user.

[Higby]

I'm seeing a lot of feedback about Instant Action. While it's appreciated, I'm asking for feedback on the new Hotspots filter.

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by Higby

I'm seeing a lot of feedback about Instant Action. While it's appreciated, I'm asking for feedback on the new Hotspots filter.

Ignorance is bliss... What's the difference between these two things?

[Zulthus]

Originally Posted by Higby

I'm seeing a lot of feedback about Instant Action. While it's appreciated, I'm asking for feedback on the new Hotspots filter.

I personally think that the older version of hotspots worked better. It's harder to see the flashing circles when it's on your empire's hexes. I'd say keep the slow flashing indicator, with it becoming larger as a fight grows.


edit: didn't see you meant feedback on the current changes, nevermind

[phungus]

Originally Posted by Higby

I'm seeing a lot of feedback about Instant Action. While it's appreciated, I'm asking for feedback on the new Hotspots filter.

Well to be fair they are inter related, since instant actions are how you use hotspots. I never really had much of a problem with instant actions, because you could use enemy activity information to pick your fight, I never really went wrong with going to a yellow "squads detected" spot anyway. I'll see if dropping on hotter areas are less likely to put you in frustrating situations, but again based on how I play this wasn't really a problem.

Ultimately I think hotspots and instant action is more about getting joe casual into a place where he can have fun. On that line my friend's main problem with instant action is that you can do it once, then it's done. If he drops into an area that wasn't a good drop, or a battle that was good but then is won or lost quickly, he's stuck. It wouldn't be an issue at all if he dropped into a bad battle, died and then could pick himself up and go somewhere else, but right now with how things work he often finds himself unable to figure out where to go or what to do because the instant action timer is up and there isn't really any other means to find a fun fight for him.

[Rahabib]

Originally Posted by Higby

I'm seeing a lot of feedback about Instant Action. While it's appreciated, I'm asking for feedback on the new Hotspots filter.

Since hotspots and IA are intertwined so much, its hard to separate.

However, and this may answer your question... what filter? The UI isn't really explained anywhere. I just look where the most bubbles are and IA there.