Making SotA more fun for all

[sebun]

I was just having generally bad time, doing my best impression of sitting duck while playing SotA and started thinking if there could be any ways of making this battleground more melee friendly and less of wet dream for ranged. Note that I haven't actually played SotA as a offensive caster, just a healer and melee, so that last bit might be bit biased. :P

First viable (at least in my opinion) idea I came up with was adding a knockback effect to the Battleground Demolisher's Hurl Boulder spell. This then could be used on slapping off melee from your friendly demos and also to harass the evil ranged classes/healers while they are casting. As I myself am just a weekend warrior playing random BGs for fun, I'd like to ask if you guys can see any glaring issues with this suggestion, or do you perhaps have better ideas on how to make the bg more balanced for all?

[CHRONICGODX]

ugh. remove 2/3s of the map and either make it a deathmatch on the beach or in the courtyard. no vehicles. that map blows so hard.

[Starsinn]

Demos die way to fast for one. I would suggest the boulders that demos launch leave a huge patch of burning oil that ticks for like, 33% of your health or somethings so casters have to move if you drop one on them. I dunno. Its really just kind of a crappy bg imo

[sebun]

ugh. remove 2/3s of the map and either make it a deathmatch on the beach or in the courtyard. no vehicles. that map blows so hard.

I think we all agree that it isn't anyone's favorite, but I was just pondering of relatively simple ways of modifying the experience to make it more enjoyable for all. Dropping half a map and changing the whole objective of the battleground might be too much to ask

Demos die way to fast for one. I would suggest the boulders that demos launch leave a huge patch of burning oil that ticks for like, 33% of your health or somethings so casters have to move if you drop one on them. I dunno. Its really just kind of a crappy bg imo

Demos do die indeed fast, think this is partly because it is hard to peel off the attackers from them once they are in range. I do like the aoe ground effect (not sure about that big ticks), would you make that just player damage or also siege damage?

[Valedus]

I love SOTA the way it is. That weekend is so much honor cuz most games are like 7 minutes, win or loss. If the game goes any longer than that its a turtle at the yellow gate which I won't complain about either. Honestly, I think if anything the ram the demo has should aoe knockback off of itself because when 3-4 people pile on you and nobody peels off of you, you go down like a clown. But that's mostly because people in random BG's are more interested in DA KB's! PAD KB'S MOOOOOOOAR, which is odd if they are in there to honor farm in the first place.

[Deleted]

I think we all agree that it isn't anyone's favorite, but I was just pondering of relatively simple ways of modifying the experience to make it more enjoyable for all. Dropping half a map and changing the whole objective of the battleground might be too much to ask



Demos do die indeed fast, think this is partly because it is hard to peel off the attackers from them once they are in range. I do like the aoe ground effect (not sure about that big ticks), would you make that just player damage or also siege damage?

Some of us love the bg, I used to only play SotA on my druid in 4.3 to get honor fast.

[Sevyvia]

I'm neutral about SotA. The one bonus to it is that since it's really about defending the demos, even people gearing can still help with CC, since that's equally effective whether you're in 2/2 Malev or questing gear.

[Deleted]

Problem about SotA isn't the battleground but people being idiots and refusing to properly play it.

[Mystile]

Problem about SotA isn't the battleground but people being idiots and refusing to properly play it.

So the problem is Strand is a battleground!

[discoepfeand]

So the problem is Strand is a battleground!

I like the way you think!

[asb]

Honestly what would fix this battleground for me is a third blacklist. It's barely pvp and it's not fun.

If they were to apply some fixes to actually make it a little more interesting, I think they should slow those demos down significantly by default and make them a lot harder to kill. Currently, the winning team usually just sneaks a few demos past enemy lines and they move so fast nobody can even catch up to them. If the game were slightly less sprinty and more tanky I think it would be more pvp-oriented and enjoyable.

[Alicice]

The only way to fix it is to remove it entirely.

[kosechi]

i'm possibly the only person in the universe who likes strand.

its a really fast, easy way to rack up a lot of honorable kills.

[Tinsoul]

i'm possibly the only person in the universe who likes strand.

Heehee. I think there are quite a few who like it. Those who don't like it tend to be vocal about it. My sense is many of those are anti-vehicle, which I can appreciate.

I like the concept, and I like the map. The main problem (as mentioned) is getting the vehicle health right. This tends to get more out of kilter as an expansion proceeds.

It's barely pvp and it's not fun.

Unless a side derps and doesn't fall back, the defense of the yellow gate / courtyard is fairly intense.

[discoepfeand]

Unless a side derps and doesn't fall back, the defense of the yellow gate / courtyard is fairly intense.

Yep, and that's the part of SotA I don't mind at all. Death match in the courtyard with the occasional vehicle isn't bad at all.

[Xalzel]

I think if they made the demos take 25% less damage from ranged it would help a lot.

[Vongimi]

I kinda like SotA...

[Vathius]

Demos die way to fast for one. I would suggest the boulders that demos launch leave a huge patch of burning oil that ticks for like, 33% of your health or somethings so casters have to move if you drop one on them. I dunno. Its really just kind of a crappy bg imo

A legitimately good idea.

[Deus_77]

Problem about SotA isn't the battleground but people being idiots and refusing to properly play it.

I agree with this .. and not just with SOTA

Even after I told them to go yellow ( after the second gate are down ) ... some people still fighting at the beach.

Honestly what would fix this battleground for me is a third blacklist. It's barely pvp and it's not fun.
If they were to apply some fixes to actually make it a little more interesting, I think they should slow those demos down significantly by default and make them a lot harder to kill. Currently, the winning team usually just sneaks a few demos past enemy lines and they move so fast nobody can even catch up to them. If the game were slightly less sprinty and more tanky I think it would be more pvp-oriented and enjoyable.

You do know that you can use the portal to the unbroken gate and intercept right ?

Even after yellow gate has been down less then 2 minutes, There are several times our team manages to hold more then 4 minutes at the last field.

[Deleted]

The map is a nightmare for any melee which has to change somewhat to make the map more enjoyable.

I would, personally, scrap the vehicles part and just have bombs do the job. Make them throwable X yards (like 10 or so?).