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Arkadian Oil Rig Improvements

Discussion in 'PvP' started by Raven Lunchbox, Jan 22, 2014.

  1. Raven Lunchbox

    Raven Lunchbox Adviser Arkadia Adviser

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    the discussion is about improvements to the pvp oil rig on ark, it has nothing to do with if you do or don't like it.. IF you don't agree with pvp you shouldn't be spamming my thread. If you have contributions that will make it worthwhile and exciting, please put them.

    Almost the entire last 8 posts are people crying about how pvp shouldn't be here. DONT HIGHJACK my thread!

    make your own thread of why u think pvp shouldn't be here and why is shouldn't stay, or post in YOUR REALLY COOL IDEAS OF WHAT WILL MAKE THIS PVP SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE OFFERED ON ANY OTHER PLANETS IN THE EU. now is the chanse.

    So stop crying and start imagining and putting to paper.
     
  2. Snape

    Snape Master of the BanHammer Staff Member PAF Administrator

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    EXCEPT, in the case of Space...

    Sorry, just had to point that bit out.

    Anyway, Raven is right, this thread is about what we can do to improve PvP, not whether you like it or not.

    I'm guilty of being off topic about it too, so lets all take a breath and get back on topic please.

    If you want to praise the merits or denounce the whole idea of PvP, then make another thread and keep it civil please.

    Now, I think some good additions to PvP would be the ability to hide behind structures and objects (hence bringing in buildings or some sort of thing to accentuate just bare landscape and give it not just function, but character).

    Give the buildings ambience too, like different sounds when you walk on different surfaces so you can give away your position by making unintentional sounds if you aren't careful.

    Maybe make it so that parts of the environment can be used against other people? Many games I've played with PvP over the years had thing like barrels you could shoot that would explode and hurt/kill the other person.

    Also the ability to go PRONE or kneel would change the dynamic a fair bit too. Hard to feel the part of a sniper if all you can do it stand up

    These are all basic staples of PvP in any decent game for the last 10 years or more. As it stands atm, PvP in EU is a bit of a joke.
     
  3. Ridan

    Ridan Active Member

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    My 2 pecs here. First off U dont "NEED" to go to space, back OT :p

    My main issue with the rigg atm is the fact that U have to "search for the oil" it should be a more fokused spawn. as it is now if U want the oil U have to fokus on looking for it rather then guarding it :p

    and I do agree kneeling, Laying down sitting. Its just lazy programing not bringing that back into the game.
     
  4. May

    May Active Member

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    Really, it's specifically aimed towards newbies? I thought it was just a 'small' rig. For what it's worth, here's my newbie experience with it.

    I went to the rig exactly for the reason mentioned above. It took a long time to walk there (being without oil and all), since I was being killed repeatedly along the way. When I did arrive, it was empty besides the Oratans. Who proceeded to (serial) kill me too.
    In the end it probably would have been cheaper to buy the oil (didn't managed to get any).
    But more importantly: it wasn't really a fun way to spend the day, so I haven't returned there since (enjoying Ark fine without it).
    And there weren't even any pk-ers around trying to shoot me (not a PvP fan).

    Maybe I went there too soon, and I was still too much newbie?
    To be honest; I'm not advertising it to other starters. If/when specifically asked about it, I can only tell them my experience.
    Of course there should be some hurdles to overcome to receive free oil, but the mobs around and on the rig were quite impossible to kill for a newbie. There's a difference between difficult and impossible; the latter is no fun.
    Or perhaps that's the 'way-of-the-rig'? I don't know how it's 'supposed' to work successfully.

    The only other rigs I experienced, were for missions on my one-time trip to RT.
    The beergarden was empty, though fine to just finish the mission.
    But surprisingly the oil rig there was really fun. The exploding barrels were unexpected, and very amusing.
    And on top of that, I actually managed to get some oil, even with other people shooting around.

    So I don't know if the rig here is still in development, or if it's main function is to accommodate PvP specific ores.
    But if it's the former, maybe some additional features might make it more interesting for people to visit (something that adds to the experience, along the lines of the exploding barrels).

    And perhaps create a starter mission that sends you to the rig to find oil? So that new players at least know it exists, and where it is?
    Since the starter missions are very complete in showing you around the points of interest on Arkadia, but this place was introduced later, so it could be nice to add it?

    But mainly make the mobs more newbie appropriate (if this is supposed to be a newbie rig at least).
    By now I would probably have a fighting chance against (some of) the mobs, but I'm also able to mine enough oil to fuel my vehicles now.
    So maybe the levels of 'need' and 'difficulty' are not quite in sync.
    Because at the start it would have been really rewarding/satisfying to obtain a few barrels from the rig.

    Since I'm no lover of PvP, I have no suggestions to make to improve that part.
    Though hopefully there is still something useful to be found in this (lengthy) post.
     
  5. Neil

    Neil Adviser Pro Users Arkadia Adviser

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    Just FYI, for those who like PVP check out the IFN Commando Training grounds. Some of the stuff you want might be there.
     
  6. mastermesh

    mastermesh Active Member

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    You've hit on one of the main reasons I'm STILL ON RT INSTEAD OF ARKADIA! Both Caly and RT have a 'big rig' and 'little rig'. At RT the little rig is THE THING one and the big one is the Beer Garden. One of the starter missions at the bar that the forum trolls live in do make you go to the rig, but honestly, that was a mistake imho because before the RT server re-do the beer garden was nearly impossible to get to unless you fly there. Many n00bs don't have vtols or choppers yet, so making them get some tp way on the far side of a planet where there are dragons and other mobs nearby that they won't stand a chance surviving against was pretty silly for a starter mission.

    What I like about RT's rigs and what I think Ark can copy somewhat if they want...
    1. the little rig in the thing DOES NOT REQUIRE A RADIATION SHOT because it is a part of the starter place, etc. Ark needs to put something similar to Thule/The Thing in and put missions in it that are somewhat exciting, etc. like the thing is.

    2. the little rig at RT is easy to get to. TP to camp finale, hit t to revive and you are there. You don't get the camp finale tp UNTIL AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE FINAL THING MISSION and go in to the cave and make it to the other side. Some similar type of instance that's challenging ought to be how all planets allow the easy access via a tp/revive type of setup, etc.

    3. the 'big rig' DOES require a shot and does have big mobs around it. All planets should have similar in their 'big rigs' so if Ark is going to redo it they ought to follow suit.

    4. The explosives make it quite fun at the little rig on RT since they kill you in one shot doing tons of damage. This is quite random somewhat since the barrels that explode are all over and can actually be made to explode when other avatars shoot them, etc. 'traps' like that make pvp challenging and fun...

    5. Not really 'rig' related but is somewhat... RT has forum trolls and rocktropians... mobs that have 2-5 hp max in some cases on lower maturity, etc. OTHER PLANETS DON'T HAVE THIS YET. For folks like me carrying around a viper whip that does 1.5 - 5 points of damage this is a game changer, especially since the UL weapons now can be repaired at 3% instead of 50%. Getting little mobs like this on Ark will help bring more n00bs in, ESPECIALLY if they can do like I do sometimes and use the little rig to feed the tt so that the free oil is doing nothing except repairing weapon to lowest level so that I can get a few more 'kills' in with it. Minimum repair on the viper whip is 65 pecs I think. Thing rig gives me about 20-30 pecs of oil every half hour or hour (depending on how many others are there - sometimes at the right time of day it's no one but me, other times theres 3+ others, making it much more difficult or worth the time of being there, etc.)... so after about 3 full times of taking it all when I'm there alone, I can repair the whip and get about 2 new harlem blocks of kills in. Ark needs weapons and mobs at this low level that will allow some non-depositors or n00bs to survive without deposits a month here or there like I have at RT for a few months to really get more folks involved and wanting to go to the rigs, etc. I don't 'have to' survive this way since I can deposit if I want and still have tons of stuff in storage I can TT from time to time, but it's actually kinda fun/challenging to try now and then. If Ark can present that level of challenge, I think it'll cause some to try to be there more often.

    6. Forgot my favorite reason for liking the RT rigs... THERE IS DYNAMIC VISUALS GOING ON... The snow at the thing helps set the mood as does the music and the explosions. The Beer Garden's huge keg is always overflowing, creating a waterfall type of effect. The color schemes in both areas also is nice. The reflections on the ice in the road in the thing make for a real 'winter' feel, especially when the moon is full or the sun is blazing at noon. The architecture around the big keg is kinda interesting to look at and fits in with the 'stadium' theme to the place. Some nice eye candy helps keep things from getting boring.

    7. little rig at RT IS NOT LOOTABLE PVP. It is a pvp zone, but not lootable.
     
  7. May

    May Active Member

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    Ah, just to be clear: I wasn't comparing comparing planets...
    It merely served to show the only experience I had with rigs: and it happened to be on a flar flung planet where my mentor took me for a visit.
    If not for the help and transport of soc members, I never would have been able to finish 'The Thing'; let alone make it to either rig. Not only because of the (mentioned) distance but also because of the difficulty.

    So in my case it's not a fair comparison to make, as this is my home planet, and therefore I make ventures into the wild by my(newbie)self.

    I like Arkadia: and am not looking for copies of other planets.
    Just wanted to clear that detail up. ;)
     
  8. milarepa

    milarepa Member

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    I have started this game in December so I can tell you my fresh noob experience at the Ark rig, also my idea on how to make it more fun. For me the oil rig was fantastic, since I found an oil barrel after 1 minute of staying there. I was hooked. So I started to go there more often. I can say the rig is empty very rarely. Usually there are 2-6 players running around the area at all times, except the interval 21:00-00:00 MA time when the rig doesn't spawn oil at all.

    I have had lots of fun at the rig, now I don't go there like I used to, only to bring other noobs or to say hi to friends still running there. I can tell you that the Ark rig is by far the most noob friendly rig in Entropia. The drop is between 40-60 oil, just like the noob rig in Caly and it's much more fun to get. I have been to all the rigs on all planets. I've been even to the Big rig in Caly where PvP-ers let me pick 2 times on 2 separate occasions (around 3 ped per barrel) but that was just my fortune because that place is usually a noob's nightmare. The noob rig in Caly is more "organized" because ppl stay in line but PvP-ers use it to get HoFs by killing all the noobs in the line (between 5-15 people or even more sometimes). Very uncool for noobs. On RT you get 1 or 2 oil per barrel which is absolutely no fun, even if it spawns much faster. If you picked a 60 oil barrel one time at Ark rig you won't find it fun to pick 1 oil barrels at Hunt the Thing on RT. Also I find it's much easier and fun to avoid oratans than dodging explosions.

    It's hard to get more people at Ark rig since 5-7 people is already above max capacity for the oil spawn. Some noobs don't even believe that there is oil there, they don't even know how it looks like. I brought a few noobs there and they got bored very fast if they didn't find oil in a few minutes, so my idea to make it more fun is by adding a MegaSpawn. Let's say once per hour a mega barrel will spawn randomly carrying a bigger drop than usual. So each hour there will be a real chase for the biggie. Of course this attracts PvP-ers too, but the Ark rig is harder to control since the spawn area is so large and the rig is unlikely to get closed just for 1 big drop per hour, hence it will successfully remain a noob rig, and more fun at the same time.