Why do we get certs and not resources when logged out?

phungus · 2013-03-19, 01:55 AM

I didn't play for a week and logged back in to fly my mossy or reaver. Nope, still no air resources, which is fine, that's how the game is played, I'm not complaining. But it seemed weird that I got a message telling me I got a bunch of certs to use (also I'm not sure how practical it is to scold a player with the message "About time you showed up!", but it doesn't bother me at all, just something to consider) when really all I wanted was air resources to fly with. So I just logged back out.

What are the pros and cons of passive cert and resource acquisition? Would it really harm the game to give players 500 resources of all types after being logged out for a week? Was anyone out there motivated to play because of the certs they earned when logging back in?

Brusi · 2013-03-19, 02:51 AM

does it matter?

I spose that is a bit rude... but imo that would only serve to make resources even more meaningless.

phungus · 2013-03-19, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Brusi

I spose that is a bit rude... but imo that would only serve to make resources even more meaningless.

Lack of resources is the primary reason I stop playing. It used to be you could fly forever, but the skys no longer are full of noobs, every pilot is at least competent, and enemy ground is straight up deadly.

When I feel like playing even without an ESF (hasn't happened in a while) armor resources were always a nagging issue. It's not hard keeping your sundee alive within it's respawn time if you cert into it (and I'm about as heavily certed into my sundee as I am my ESF), but having 400 armor resources to constantly spare isn't a garuntee by any means.

When I go infantry (usually trying to refill my air resources) I find myself rapidly depleting my infantry resources. Don't take the cost of C4, mines, flashbangs, MAX suits, and good old frags lightly. I've actually found myself throwing my hands up in disgust realizing I'm out of infantry points, but then realize I can finally spawn my ESF and all is fine. But if I was a primarily infantry focused player this would undoubtedly frustrate me and cause me to quit as well.

I suppose you and I may have a very different definition of "meaningful". Ever since the first couple weeks of the game's release resources have been the secondary focus of my enjoyment and the primary reason I logout.

Edit:

I suppose by meaningless you may mean that I as a player have no way to effect my resources. If I log in and we are stomped back to the warpgate, poor me, I'm powerless to effect this. If we are close to a continent cap situation it's all gravy I have my resources.

It does suck being powerless over resource acquisition, especially since it is such a huge part of my ability to enjoy the game. Would be great if I could effect my resource aquisition. If I got resources for kills along with XP (based on type of weapon used and target killed, for instance getting 50 air resources for shooting down an ESF with a rotary, and 50 armor resources when shooting down that same ESF as a skygaurd, etc), that would be awesome and put me as the player in control of resources. But alas this is not how things are. The focus of resources rests solely on Team Population, Warpgate position, and Time to death.

The primary reason for resources seems to be to limit vehicles and available infantry tactics, and as such they are very meaningful, and often simply frustrating.

Falcon_br · 2013-03-19, 03:01 AM

I think it is a good idea to receive some resources when you are out, because it is bad to have to leave because you got disconnect and doesn't have the patient to come back, and a day later you come back and doesn't have resource even to get a flash, so you must trave to another continent where your faction got more resources and play there until you got refilled.
Maybe a small gain up to 400 resources while you are offline is a good balance.

VaderShake · 2013-03-19, 02:19 PM

Call me whatever you will but managing your resources is part of the game is it not? Or should they just be endless and meaningless?

phungus · 2013-03-19, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by VaderShake

Call me whatever you will but managing your resources is part of the game is it not? Or should they just be endless and meaningless?

I have never once advocated or even implied resources should be an endless stream and be meaningless. Never. That's just a loaded question that I shouldn't even need to respond to as it's unrelated to the discussion, but sadly humans are emotionally driven, and not rational creatures like they choose to think of themselves...

If I designed things I wouldn't give certs or resources to players who are logged out. It doesn't make any sense to me. I do think it's weird though that you get certs and not resources. The message you get when you don't play for a while says something about giving you this to go use in the battle. It's odd XP is freely granted in the first place, and what's the point in that anyway? If it's to give me as the player something to go use and get me to play, as I suspect and the message implies, then resources would often be more effective; if this is not the case, then what is it for in the first place?

In my above post though I took things a little off topic and discussed resources as they are applied to the game in general. And in that sense the player is powerless over their resource acquisition. The resources they have are primarily limited by their team population and warpgate position. Management of resources comes down to vehicle time to death, and time between utilizing certain infantry tools; ie resources solely serve to limit tactical options. Using resources to limit tactical options isn't a bad thing - it may very well be crucial to game balance and overall game enjoyment. But now that I think about it, I do believe resource acquisition as it is currently implemented is simply a shit system.

Chaff · 2013-03-19, 02:27 PM

.
If players would just manage the arful craft of manipulating a Basic Banana Launcher, people would never have to worry 'bout running low on resources.
.

VaderShake · 2013-03-19, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Chaff

.
If players would just manage the arful craft of manipulating a Basic Banana Launcher, people would never have to worry 'bout running low on resources.
.

And no one would ever go hungry either..