Population Fix

Mudflap · 2003-12-29, 09:28 AM

I love the game, I really do. I love the fixes they've put in place, and I think the game has become alot more fun except for one thing. I continue to find myself in hopeless fights on locked continents. I don't see the point in fighting for a continent that we're going to lose because the enemy has twice as many people as we do and the continent is locked.

The populations are so disproportionate sometimes that I want Konried back. Emerald is swarming with NC, and as a Vanu there, we rarely hold more than one continent. Anyone who plays there knows the NC rule.

So here's what I think should be done. Firstly, make the continents lock by allegience. For instance, 100 of each per continent. That way, if a continent is locked for the VS and NC, then the armies are of equal size. I can't see the point of the current system. Zerg friendly is all it is.

Secondly, and more debatably, limit the populations by login. What I mean is, make it so that if you're logging into Emerald as NC, and the NC population is over 10% higher than any other, you can't login. I know this seems harsh, but there are enough fighting fronts that you tend to lose ground on a global scale because of population differences as well as a continental scale.

So what do ya think?

Rayder · 2003-12-29, 09:40 AM

Don't know what you mean by "anyone who plays there knows the NC rule" I play on Emerald, NC don't rule. What times do you play? 99.99% of the time it's the time you play that determines everything. So don't go whining about how the populations are all screwed up.

Secondly, and more debatably, limit the populations by login. What I mean is, make it so that if you're logging into Emerald as NC, and the NC population is over 10% higher than any other, you can't login. I know this seems harsh, but there are enough fighting fronts that you tend to lose ground on a global scale because of population differences as well as a continental scale.

That is harsh. And it's a really bad idea. How bad of an idea? Well let's just say that superly-fuckedup-pieceofstupid-mudbrained-annoying-shitassed-bullshit, is as nice as I can put it

Mudflap · 2003-12-29, 09:51 AM

I play at various times. Check it now, check it whenever. NC almost always have 5 locked continents.

Yesterday's winner on Emerald: NC 35.4%. What a shock!

There are population differences all the time, and I'm not crying 'nerf'. You're not being objective, you're being defensive. I am looking for constructive criticism, not trolling.

If you don't like my ideas, at least acknowledge the validity of my gripe. have you never been in a fight on a locked continent where you were outnumbered to all heck and back? Where's the fun?

DeadTeddy · 2003-12-29, 10:03 AM

yeah, no point in locking if it doesn't make the fight fair. or should I say, makes the fight unfair.

on the other hand, the devs are working on making base defenses something to actually fear. when they're done, I bet 3-5 squads would be able to hold back the same number of platoons. in that case it would be pretty hard to take a cont even with full power zerg.

Madcow · 2003-12-29, 10:41 AM

I've always thought that pop locks should be handled differently. I don't know what the maximum population per continent is, but I think each empire should lock when they reach 1/3 of that maximum number. If the maximum is 750 (hypothetically) then once your empire has 250 people on the continent the continent should be locked for your empire only. The other empires then have the ability to bring an equal number of soldiers to the party before they are locked out.
I don't understand the logic behind locking a continent and forcing 1 of the 3 empires to either stay off of the continent or show up with a handful of troops doomed to failure.

Veteran · 2003-12-29, 11:32 AM

NC has the advantage in numbers. It's just fact. I play at different times around the clock and when NC doesn't have a 10%+ advantage, they usually have at least a few percent advantage, and when they do, each of those percentage points is dozens of players.

With the strongest (by far) main battle tank and (by far) the best Heavy Assault weapon in the game, it's little wonder. Add the second best MAX units, arguably the best empire heavy buggy, arguably the best empire AV weapon and it starts to fall into place why NC crushes its opponents on a fairly regular basis.

I'm not trying to threadjack this into an empire balance debate. I'm just saying what I feel is pretty obvious.

flypengy · 2003-12-29, 12:59 PM

If each empire gets exactly 1/3 of the server space, then you end up in a never ending merry go round. You boot one empire off and they just backhack right back in because they always have the space available. As it stands there is always one empire with the fewest people, if you think you're 2nd on that list, target the weaker enemy or force the empire with the greater population into fighting the weaker empire. That way once they are booted it becomes more of a fare fight.

I would rather loose every day and never hack a base than never be able to boot the enemy off.

TheN00b · 2003-12-29, 01:02 PM

Ya, it's really a good idea to focus on one enemy empire at a time. Concentrating your forces is a key to success.

Mudflap · 2003-12-29, 01:38 PM

But that's all kinda pointless when you're facing one enemy that outnumbers you 2-1 or more.

TheN00b · 2003-12-29, 01:53 PM

Tuche'

Rayder · 2003-12-29, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Mudflap

But that's all kinda pointless when you're facing one enemy that outnumbers you 2-1 or more.

BUt when their forces are split between two opposing forces, what half do you get?

Mudflap · 2003-12-29, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Rayder

BUt when their forces are split between two opposing forces, what half do you get?

Obviously when you're in a threeway, the rules are completely different. If your force is equal to one of the enemies, and the other enemy has twice your force, guess who's going to win. It's become clearer to me that population determines alot, and once a continent is locked, you're not getting reinforcements.

Example:
The TR have as many people as the NC and VS combined on a continent. The NC and VS forces are roughly equal. The TR don't need strategy. They can afford to focus on one enemy, knock them off the continent, then go wipe the other out. It will be easy for them, even with bad CR5s.
Once they knock the NC off the continent you might say "Hey, the VS could fill up that second half and have a force equal to theirs!" But we all know that that is not what happens. What happens is the VS and the TR receive roughly equal reinforcements, which means that the TR still have a huge advantage.

This is the problem with the way continent locks are handled. This is why the zerg persists.

Hamma · 2003-12-29, 02:42 PM

Supposedly there are equal spots for empires on continents, but sometimes it sure as hell doesent seem that way.

Madcow · 2003-12-29, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Hamma

Supposedly there are equal spots for empires on continents, but sometimes it sure as hell doesent seem that way.

I can absolutely guarantee it isn't that way. I thought I remembered them fixing it to be equal for each empire, but couldn't remember for sure. I went to Forseral with my VS char the other night and we had a single tower while all 3 empires fought over a nearby base. I pretty much saw every VS on the cont, we had no other spawn points and nothing else was being taken, and it couldn't have been more than 75 or so and we were pop locked. Once the NC took the base, they moved part of their force out to squash our tower and it was roughly equal to the defending force (although they had vehicles and thus the definite upper hand) while at the same time they had a Huge Enemy Force attacking the next TR base. Ain't no way numbers were equal.

Hamma · 2003-12-29, 03:11 PM

Time to add some questions for the next interview