• Please make sure you are familiar with the forum rules. You can find them here: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/forum-rules.2334636/

[Game] Tribes Ascend

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
#121
i have no issue, maybe i didnt explain myself properly - i play every day and am perfectly happy - it's great not to feel like i really need certain items and can't get the XP quick enough - i'm just questioning how much money making potential there is for Hirez if I'm typical.

Sure if you really must play every class and try all weapons then your gonna have to wait ages or put your hand in your pocket, but i'm lev 24 and i've only invested and really played 4 classes (more than i would have phaps cos i got the starter pack on offer) - most ppl i get matched with seem to only play 1 or 2 - and phaps that's required to be effective at higher levels of play anyway.

So I have to disagree with ppl i've heard label the buisiness model as greedy, unfair or 'pay2win'

Anyway - the brute's plasma cannon was on 60% off gold so i got that with some of my starter pack gold, the dev spin and ext fractal with some of my spare XP, it's awesome fun and you really feel like attacking with him.
So i've now got 5 characters on the go (as it happens all those with a spinfuser option), so i guess i've got a few purchases to look forward to now - mostly packs - and ive got about 36k left

I like the new maps so far - permafrost is a nice idea to make gens more important (glad i've upgraded brute now) and dangerous crossing for that old tribes feeling.
The tech upgrades look very interesting but not enough to play him - i fix a bit when im on defense anyway, but prefer fighting.

Must say i prefer the old temple ruins to the remake, i didnt mind that map tbh maybe they should have made more subtle changes.

Gonna try this new ctf mode tonight.
 
Upvote 0
#123
I have to admit that when you finally get past the stage where you're grinding towards some specific defined goal (i.e. The Gun), it become considerably more fun. Now that I've unlocked all the things that satisfy my basic needs for the classes I play and I no longer have this perception of "gun x will be available in time y, provided I get z amount of points", it's finally something that can be enjoyed regardless of whether I win or lose.

So, it was p2w for me, albeit a light version of it.
 
Upvote 0
#124
I've never having to unlock stuff in FPS games. I really feel progression systems don't have a place in FPS gaming, but apparently almost everyone disagrees with this, since we're seeing it in pretty much every FPS games nowadays.

Everybody knows why they are there. They're the carrot on a stick designed to keep the casual players coming back again and again, giving them the feeling of progression and rewarding them even if they are really bad at the game. They also often (tho not always) serve the purpose of covering up an otherwise boring and hallow core of the game.

I'd rather not have to unlock things and instead feel the progression of my own skills as a player the more I play. This of course requires the game to have a high skill ceiling (an area where T:A thoroughly delivers) and where many other games fall very short (most recent modern military shooters).


In terms of T:A, I feel that in most cases, the better player will win with the default weapons against someone who has everything unlocked, but just isn't as skilled.

That said, if you are fighting someone around your skill level, some gear does give quite an advantage. For example, when I exchanged my grenades with the Spinfusor Disk on my JUG, the encounters I won against players around my skill level easily doubled. Chasing and dueling with the PTH becomes infinitely easier once you've unlocked the LAR (presuming you can chain decently well).

It's worth mentioning tho that when playing CTF, half the time (if not most of the time, depending on the role you play, of course) killing the opponents is not the most important thing.
 
Upvote 0
#125
LightsabeR said:
That said, if you are fighting someone around your skill level, some gear does give quite an advantage. For example, when I exchanged my grenades with the Spinfusor Disk on my JUG, the encounters I won against players around my skill level easily doubled. Chasing and dueling with the PTH becomes infinitely easier once you've unlocked the LAR (presuming you can chain decently well).
Click to expand...

This has been my biggest issue with the game. I came back to it and it's still about the same as it was.

The unlocks usually aren't direct upgrades but some clearly are. They can give a decent player a massive advantage over others of the same skill level without that equipment. LMG/Disc Juggernauts are definitely among the offenders. I really wish they would make a "pure" gamemode where everyone uses their standard equipment, but on the flip side they removed basic stuff like the SF from Soldier and turned even that into an unlock.

T:A is still fun to burn some time on and go fast for a while, but I just can't take it seriously anymore. Too many new things keep cramping up the game and disturbing balance.
 
Upvote 0
#126
I think a problem with unlocks can be that if they take over as the main motivator to continued play then once you have all you want the game could feel empty.
I agree in theory the game should become more satisfying once you are playing for enjoyment's sake alone, but providing you haven't forgotton this reason during a prolonged and continuous toil of unlock and progression.
 
Upvote 0
#129
Rak said:
As a non-player, spectating Tribes isn't really fun for me, because it's really hard to make out what's going on. Spectator mode needs a good minimap.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the spectator mode is really bad. Some community casts have actually had PiP (picture in picture) cameras from player PoV. Basically they had a few players stream to the observer and he was spectating the game and adding PiP player PoV when needed.

It was really good. Too bad Hi-Rez can't even pull of what community members do.
 
Upvote 0
#132
smokeythebear said:
Hi-Rez pretty much confirmed there would never be a public map editor which is also really lame. Most of the maps that are not remakes are terrible.
Click to expand...
Here's a recent quote from HiRezTodd about custom maps:

I agree that custom mapmaking would increase T:A longevity and strengthen community. I'm skeptical that it would bring in a lot of new players; but for players who enjoy TA it means new content, fresh ideas, plus the fun of creating/sharing maps for those into that.
And there is no real issue with F2P model since we decided not to charge for maps anyway.
One of the reasons we chose UE3 was the strength of the editor & mod scene. In fact many of our Tribes dev team members have modding/mapping background.
Supporting community/custom maps would involve: - distributing version of UE editor that also includes T:A specific functionality (for example after you make your map you'd want to be able to test skiing/physics) - distributing version of UE editor that doesn't overly expose us to hackers/cheats - deployment system for creators to upload maps and then players to download as needed; plus some review process for hi-rez to prevent/minimize dildo maps.
To do #3 (the deployment part) right, without confusing users, is actually a significant dev effort. It is something we have scoped out & discussed options around, but not yet scheduled.
So, the answer is not 'never'. But it isn't 'coming soon' either.
Click to expand...
dogbadger said:
shame cos by their simplistic nature tribes maps should be far easier to contruct than most ( although getting flag routes right would take a lot of playtesting i guess) , and i imagine youd see some really good community maps.
Click to expand...
I don't think saying that making a good Tribes map is simple. I would argue it's easier to make a map for a more generic FPS game. Terrain flow is really important for a good Tribes map and the mapper has to have a really good understanding of the game mechanics and also have a good vision for how he wants routes to work on his map, how and where he positions the flag stand, etc.

Not saying that making a good map for a more generic FPS game is easy. I know it's not just about putting down a bunch of houses and walls. You need to consider choke points, line of sight, timings, etc etc.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
#133
Not easier for someone coming into the game blind, but i imagine simpler for a tribes community member ( who, with their knowledge of the mechanics is who you want making tribes maps anyway) in so far as there would be less time spent on scenary and asthetics, as well as triggers/code i imagine.
Relatively simple construction, then lots of time playtesting and tweeking the terrain.
FOr example. I wouldn't really feel up to the challange and time investment of making a RO2 map, but i'd have a go at a tribes map where i imagine you'd have something at least workable much quicker.
 
Upvote 0
#134
So I randomly tried this a week ago and I'm hooked. I couldn't get the hang of skiing and spinfusor when it first released and put it aside for good. But somehow last week It just clicked and this is just immensely fun. I love how much skill is involved in each shot and you really have to work as a team to capture/defend flags.

It's a refreshing experience after playing mainly Battlefield 3 for my main online FPS. Now I can actually feel how BF tries to limit skill involved in combat by faster kill times and map chokepoints. They have to compensate for the skill gap by making you die quicker, so that it's enjoyable for the masses(In BC2 damages were lower, so skill gap could still be pretty high).

Whereas in Tribes you have to account for velocity, momentum, height, weapon time, weapon inheritence, weapon drop off, ammunition explode delay and random player behaviour to pull off great shots. When your brain learns to compensate for all, you absolutely destroy others who did not yet. It's a jump from 2D to 3D. It's immensely satisfying. This has to be the Eve online of online shooters.

Also the teamplay is actually more of a "adaptation" thing, if there are good players they just work together spontaniously without much communication, the game doesn't force anything or give bonuses to force teamwork. It occurs naturally, this also has to do with clearly defined roles for each class.

It's a huge climb from being a beginner and being a good player, that also must be the reason why the player numbers aren't stellar for a F2P game, it's just too hard for pick up and play. Excellent for e-sports though, I hope Hi-Rez works on this aspect more. This could be THE FPS e-sport.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
#136
I finally reached level 11 so I can play with higher levelled players and I have to say the game got much less fun. On beginner servers I was much better than average and everybody had absolutely terrible aim so I always came out on top. Now, though I'm getting my *** kicked really hard by level 30's 40's.

The problem is the automatic weapons. As a Juggernaut I only have spinfusor and mortar, but almost every high level player uses an auto weapon. Spinfusor is only good when your opponent touches ground so when we're fighting they just stay in the air and chip away my health. You literally can't do anything while you slowly die, very frustrating. I'm gonna have to unlock Jug's auto to compete.
 
Upvote 0
#139
Rak said:
I finally reached level 11 so I can play with higher levelled players and I have to say the game got much less fun. On beginner servers I was much better than average and everybody had absolutely terrible aim so I always came out on top. Now, though I'm getting my *** kicked really hard by level 30's 40's.
Click to expand...
The best way to get better is to play against people who are better than you and learn from them. You basically just stepped out of the kiddie pool. :p
Rak said:
The problem is the automatic weapons. As a Juggernaut I only have spinfusor and mortar, but almost every high level player uses an auto weapon. Spinfusor is only good when your opponent touches ground so when we're fighting they just stay in the air and chip away my health. You literally can't do anything while you slowly die, very frustrating. I'm gonna have to unlock Jug's auto to compete.
Click to expand...
The problem isn't the automatic weapons, the "problem" is that you are playing against people who can aim decently with autos. A competent player, especially when fighting a slow moving heavy that has a large hit box, will hit most of the bullets when chaining. That's a lot of DPS.

The trick to doing well with the JUG is having the right setup. It's actually the second best outdoor dueling class in the game (right after the Raider).

First and foremost, if you don't already have it, buy the Spinfusor Disc grenades. They are invaluable for dueling and can also be used for disc jumping when you're using the X1. Talking about the X1, yes, it's the optimal weapon to use outdoors (which is where you should be). That said, the Spinfusor is decent as well, if you are good with it. Some JUGs swear by it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCXxwtEkl0g .

To compliment this you need the right perks. Primary perk should be Safety Third, because it gives you extra disc nades and adds to their radius. Secondary should be either Survivalist or Quick Draw.

Survivalist gives you more staying power, but it relies on you being able to kill your targets. So basically it only gives you an advantage if you are able to consistently kill your enemy.

Quick Draw on the other hand gives you an immediate advantage. Namely the ability to swap between your primary and secondary weapon much faster and also throw disc grenades faster. Personally I would recommend using this.

The general tactic goes like this:

* quickly ski to a good spot from where you can mortar the enemy flag stand;
* bombard the stand and the area around it, try to time your mortars so that you clear the stand before your capper comes in;
* if an enemy defender comes out to kill you, you have a few options:
a) duel him;
b) keep mortaring, die, come back;
c) be mobile, constantly ski around and switch your location, while at the same time mortaring the enemy stand. This takes more skill, since you need to be able to consistently hit the stand while skiing around as fast as you can;


As for how to duel, well, when you see an enemy coming at you, roll a mortar at them. This will either cause them to switch direction or jet up. Both give you time to quickly switch to your X1 and start chaining them. If they are on the ground and you have a good angle on them, throw a disc. If they jet up to avoid it, chain them with the X1. It's much easier to chain someone who is in the air, compared to someone going ADADAD on the ground.

I don't play JUG a lot, so I'm no expert, but that's the best advice I can give. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
Reise said:
The autos are a big reason I don't bother with it anymore. It destroys the game's most fundamental mechanic - skiing and jetting. There's no calculated movements or outsmarting your enemy, just spray at anything and everything.
Click to expand...
It doesn't destroy anything. Being able to chain your target better than they can chain you takes a lot of skill. It couldn't be further from "just spray at anything and everything".

Using explosive weapons actually takes less skill than chaining. What it basically comes down to is floating around, hoping your opponent runs out of energy before you do and then shooting at them when they touch the ground.

Going for mid air shots is not optimal, especially against anyone who is at least somewhat competent and doesn't just hover in one place. You can change direction while in the air, so getting hit with a mid air shot is more about luck than skill. Even competitive players go for ground shots and very rarely attempt mid airs when dueling.

In most cases the people who complain about automatic weapons are just not very good at using them. :p
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
#140
I've heard it all lol.

A semi-decent Sentinel with the Falcon can shut down a game and no one can touch him at any range if he's aware of you. Raiders who can aim even slightly can stop just about anybody. There's no cover, moving is pointless, and if the guy's fire rate is high enough you're toast in a couple seconds even as a heavy. Two skilled players who know how to play "floor is lava" is much more entertaining than seeing whose auto shoots faster.

JUGs with the X1 and disc nades are so good for the simple fact that their damage output is insane, and even shames DMB's chaingun in some cases. It's as easy as pointing and holding on a target, and if they get cheeky and come closer, just toss some discs that can be thrown faster than an SF fires. I'm actually not surprised this is still one of the stronger setups.

Leading a fast moving target with an explosive weapon or hitting in mid air has a much better payoff and IMO is a lot more satisfying than just pecking somebody down with an auto while they float about. T:A basically devolved into CoD with jetpacks as they kept adding weapons that strayed away from using slow-moving high-damage projectiles.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Community News
Forums
Merch
Menu