PlanetSide 2 should not track how many times you die

AThreatToYou · 2013-04-05, 12:33 PM

What it says on the tin!

I believe PlanetSide 2 just flat out shouldn't track how many times you've died. It encourages K/D or (K+A)/D play, which just isn't good. It's a metric of player skill that isn't actually relevant in PlanetSide, and yes, I say this with a 4+ K/D. I play this game drastically differently because of it tracking stats. If it didn't track how many times I die, I would probably be playing better.

As it stands, my only metagame in PS2 is K/D and score/hour. I imagine it's the same way for a lot of players.

Removing death-tracking is a problem, though. I think we could provide an alternative stat called "Points Given". This stat would track how many points you have given to the enemy faction, and could be given in a sleu of things like "Points given per hour", and "points given per point earned". These would be a much more accurate measure of player skill by determining how much resources a player is feeding to the enemy by dieing to them, or much resources they are losing by having their vehicles be destroyed by them. I'm tempted even to add failure to defend a facility under "points given". I think this would be a much better stat for encouraging positive player behavior and would allow stronger statistical control over incentives with a single, unified stat: points.

/e: Track boosted XP and unboosted XP/points. Calculate for unboosted XP/points so it's not pay2win.

RSphil · 2013-04-05, 12:43 PM

i dont like the K/D tracking in a game like this to start with. it makes people play far too safely instead of getting in to the fire fight and taking the base ect. i play another large game with no K/D and we fight and die a lot but no one cares as long as we take the base/airfield. it makes the game far more fun and less frustrating if you do not care about K/D.

i dont follow it so i do what is needed to get the job done. if i have to be canon fodder to take attention away from some one doing something important to the fight then so be it. too many people hide and end up loosing the fight because they dont want to die. this game is far too big to care about K/D

to cut it short i agree lol.

LeilaniRock · 2013-04-05, 01:04 PM

I play objective orientated only so i do not give a damn how often i die (ofc i will not run blindly into an enemy platoon over and over again on my own -) ).

Sometimes it drives me nuts when i am trying to defend a small outpost with a enemy squad around and i am the only one leaving the spawn,the rest is just waiting inside to get an easy kill.

Would be cool if they would track and show stats better how many times you defended,took a point,hacked a terminal etc.

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CraazyCanuck · 2013-04-05, 01:24 PM

They do track base defense, but nothing specific or broken down to see other stats like hacked terminals, stabilized/repaired generators etc. Since they give defensive bonus xp for a kill, it would be nice to see base defense kills, capture kils, and then misc for open battledfield. Those numbers would give you an idea on a person's playstyle. Could be handy for outfits when recruiting for specific spec ops groups etc.

Aurmanite · 2013-04-05, 01:27 PM

Everything should be tracked. Everything.

People who truly believe that the stats page significantly impacts player choices are foolish.

Assist · 2013-04-05, 01:31 PM

Most people that are of a .. higher skill.. caliber who play Planetside 2 understand that K/D in this game is not a measure of player skill. I don't see death tracking as a problem, except for those who don't understand the game fully.

Score/Hour is a much larger driving force to player behaviour. It actually effects your character progression and the most effective ways to increase your score/hour are not related at all to the intended goals of PS2.

Originally Posted by Aurmanite

Everything should be tracked. Everything.

People who truly believe that the stats page significantly impacts player choices are foolish.

I completely agree. Statistics are just that and if someone makes them out to be more than that so be it.

maradine · 2013-04-05, 01:35 PM

Track everything. Derive your own meaning. Play how you want.

CraazyCanuck · 2013-04-05, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Assist

Most people that are of a .. higher skill.. caliber who play Planetside 2 understand that K/D in this game is not a measure of player skill. I don't see death tracking as a problem, except for those who don't understand the game fully.

Score/Hour is a much larger driving force to player behaviour. It actually effects your character progression and the most effective ways to increase your score/hour are not related at all to the intended goals of PS2.

I completely agree. Statistics are just that and if someone makes them out to be more than that so be it.

Agreed, but it doesn't take one of higher skill to realize k/d doesn't mean jack. I came to that realization within the first few hours of playing, and I suck

Aurmanite · 2013-04-05, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by maradine

Track everything. Derive your own meaning. Play how you want.

This is it.

No one should be telling me how to play.

Chewy · 2013-04-05, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Assist

Score/Hour is a much larger driving force to player behaviour. It actually effects your character progression and the most effective ways to increase your score/hour are not related at all to the intended goals of PS2.

Id agree if score/hour wasn't so easy to inflate between classes. It is still a good way to tell what you're doing is helping or not but I run into a LOT of times where I don't get XP for support roles. Like as a medic I don't get anything from top off heals or revives most times. Or just running from tank to tank and repairing chip damage. Even ammo XP can stop after a time when kill XP never does.

In my last play I manned my HA and boosted my score/hour by getting lucky as hell with kill stealing on vehicles. Didn't even have to try, I just got last hit after last hit with the phoenix and that new XP numbers gave me near 300-400 certs that day. An artillery phoenix can put out MASSIVE hurt and net crap tons of XP/certs, add in ribbons and my cert rate jumped like mad.

Score/hour may not be the best, it's just the only good thing we got so far. I can't think of anything that can replace it as a general skill teller.

mrmrmrj · 2013-04-05, 03:43 PM

Track damage inflicted per hour. That would be a decent proxy of player skill.

Aurmanite · 2013-04-05, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by mrmrmrj

Track damage inflicted per hour. That would be a decent proxy of player skill.

Great for medics and engineers.

Rbstr · 2013-04-05, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by maradine

Track everything. Derive your own meaning. Play how you want.

Seriously.
So much worry about a number that apparently shouldn't matter. Get over it already.

For all the worry about tracking K/D or deaths, it just makes me wonder if they're just ashamed of the number and even though they think their play style isn't conducive to a good number or that it doesn't apply they can't help but use it to judge their own worth.

Shooting people and dieing are both important, perhaps even the primary, activities to the game. If you can't deal with it being important to someone, perhaps a different game if for you.

VaderShake · 2013-04-05, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by maradine

Track everything. Derive your own meaning. Play how you want.

Just play folks....just play...who cares...just a friendly reminder it's pretend and fun time for those of you who thik your all growed up and know better.

Gonefshn · 2013-04-05, 04:13 PM

If you don't want to care about K/D then change our play style. Honestly if K/D changes the way you play and you complain about it then its your fault.

There is nothing out there stopping you from ignoring the K/D. Just ignore it. Play for fun.

No one is making fun of you or judging you fir your K/D it is a self imposed issue.

If you are so sure that K/D is not a valid way to track player skill and contribution then just ignore it.