Battle Simulator: Format, Objectives, Release and Feedback

It is just you. They literally said you access it from EU. Most likely using an action from the action library like the Galactic mission.

After rereading it does say that. I hope the prototype in development doesn't break the game...
 
The Battle Simulator will be a platform-wide solo instance in the form of a ‘time trial assault course’. You must destroy all enemies in each level as fast as you can. Prizes are given for completing the course. Additionally, there are extra prizes for climbing to top positions on the weekly leaderboard.

Well, I thought this in chapter 2.
[If there is a combination of timing but also shooting, then at the very least we may have to knock out laser beams or so, like in some of the low level robot instances.

I am now wondering what getting a super-fast time will depend on. Thinking about running back to the exit on the return timer in the jennifer island instance, I could probably run back making all the right turns even now after several years of not having done it. I can also do the maze run on Cyrene in my sleep.

Maybe a new route will be activated by MA for each competition round so we don't get completely bored???

I feel like a 3-yr-old where my building blocks have been knocked over and I'm trying to rebuild my hopes

Ok, waiting for #3 of the teaser..... ]

So, only solo instance, thus I presume each level will be totally repetetive. I predict that people will be able to get the running itself to 1 or 2 sec accuracy, so times will depend on number of shots needed to fire, including how many lucky crit hits. This is unless the 'prizes' are faster weaps or so, in which case 'play more often to win more useful prizes'.
c'mon #4 of the teaser.....
 
I feel like a 3-yr-old where my building blocks have been knocked over and I'm trying to rebuild my hopes

Yeah. I think this is the business model. Can't have us figuring anything out. Can't make common sense work. Why would they even name this "Battle Simulator"? It's not even close to the definition of simulator with this description. It's more like "gauntlet" but, hay that name is taken for and instance that's not really a gauntlet. Maybe it's the same guys who named the dropship and they are not really from Sweden so the concepts are "lost in translation"? Hmm let me see? Who else has this type of business model of disinformation, misinformation and outright lies. O, I remember, IT'S THE DEVIL!
 
looking forward to this ! :)
 
If, for a cost, it allows one to gain skills at a faster rate than they would outside, it's effectively a thinly veiled skill shop.

Hope not...

After trying to sell us avatar statues... MA has a chance to redeem themselves and give us some interesting new content for once. Fingers crossed.
 
We still don't have a clue how BS is going to work.
Refresher on what MA has told us in updates #1,#2,#3: (mostly for me)
* it's a solo instance
* some type of assault course
* has multiple levels per course
* it'll be timed (must destroy all mobs)
* prizes only for finishing the course
* extra prizes for those on leaderboards ("weekly leaderboard"/"Tournaments?")
* all players have same skills/equipment/ammo
* Old school gaming where finishing the fastest wins.
* EU wide, immediate/instant access via UI (like mission galactic)
* Feb 28 release is prototype (read: Alpha stage game development)
MA REMOVED>* EU avatar will gain skills by playing BS (regardless if course finished?)<REMOVED


Hey Bertha wants contributions so I'll write this all down in a big blurb before I get caught up in
whatever BS the BS gives us and I forget what BS I was actually hoping to see.
(The forgetting happens about when we look around in dismay with a collective "Really" give up playing BS.)


I'd be happy if BS is a upfront pay to enter, with no decay or other EU-type b.s. inside.
Hopefully BS is similar in play style/type to old games Doom and Descent.
No cheating-P2W BS and no pay to continue if killed (unless score is Not counted on leaderboards).
No power up prizes in the instance to artificially keep the first few players who reached the top at the top.
Don't have mobs in same spots, random spawn and randomize the mobs.
Also randomize the levels if possible to actually increase the re-playability.

MindArk Devs should note old games had hidden stuff/secrets and for increased replay.
Also most kills was often tracked since monsters usually re-spawned after awhile.

Today other games with leaderboards track several things.
They all show top score/time, player name, date achieved
ie. top 10 - 1000 lvls players with fastest times
ie. top 10 - 1000 lvls players with most/or/least (mobs) kills
ie. top 10 - 1000 lvls players with least ammo/healing used
ie. last few-to-all players who reached #1 tournaments sorted by date
ie. Or (less popular) top 3 - 10 lvls players with first to reach lvl
ie. top 3 - 10 lvls players who stayed at that level the longest (with #days)
+ show player's current standing(ranks/lvls/tier) for each leaderboard

If players entering BS appear inside some great-hall/temple type building before joining the actual instance, then just put all the leaderboards there. That gives the option to expand rooms with long term stats like all the players who reached #1 in a real Hall of Heroes...

-------------------------------------------

I'll bet ahead of time that the BS will only appear popular with a small minority.
- #1 reason will be entry cost or additional costs inside instance
- and #2 will be prizes
- with #3 the amount of skills gained
So once BS has been worked out consider adding 2 or more additional Tiers
And this is where my previously mentioned an upfront pay to enter fee comes in.
- Note: Tier(entry fee) determines prizes + amount of skill gains.
Tier 1 = requires 1 ped OR 500 vibrant sweat to enter (alt 1,000 sweat)
Tier 5 = 5 ped OR 2,500 sweat (alt 5,000 sweat)
Tier 10 = 10 ped OR 7,500 sweat (alt 10,000 sweat)

After 1 year or more perhaps consider letting Only the players who won 1st place on weekly leaderboard/tournaments access to a new tier.
Tier 25 = 25 ped OR 22,500 sweat (alt 25,000 / 50,000 sweat)


:twocents:
 
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- Note: Tier(entry fee) determines prizes + amount of skill gains.
Tier 1 = requires 1 ped OR 500 vibrant sweat to enter (alt 1,000 sweat)
Tier 5 = 5 ped OR 2,500 sweat (alt 5,000 sweat)
Tier 10 = 10 ped OR 7,500 sweat (alt 10,000 sweat)

After 1 year or more perhaps consider letting Only the players who won 1st place on weekly leaderboard/tournaments access to a new tier.
Tier 25 = 25 ped OR 22,500 sweat (alt 25,000 / 50,000 sweat)


:twocents:

This is the company that sells invisible armor and space ships with crazy small weight limits for $5000 US.

These are prices are thinking way to small for MA.

Everything else I agreed with)
 
This is the company that sells invisible armor and space ships with crazy small weight limits for $5000 US.

These are prices are thinking way to small for MA.

Everything else I agreed with)

Yeah that was in the back of my mind when I'd prefaced with:
I'll bet ahead of time that the BS will only appear popular with a small minority.
- #1 reason will be entry cost or additional costs inside instance

Also why I started with 1 ped, maybe MA might decide on 5 or 10 ped instead of 1000 ped lol.
MA's statement indicates they want to attract more and new players (I assume long term).
MA devs need to understand; get the players hooked on grinding for top prize on lowest tier first, and sooner or later the player will try next tier, and the next, and so on. If it costs a lot then new players will move on since there's a lot of games out there and pretty much every game today offers trial periods or are F2P so new players can test and see if they want to bother spending anything or just walk away.

Guess I'll go ahead and predict a BS ghost town if each entry fee costs 100 ped (or more).
 
And what happens if it crashes you lose the entry fee?

Hopefully it doesn't end up as a stand in the middle and just press next target, if it's supposed to be a challenge then make a challenge.

The other problem is mob AI, at the moment anything attacking you runs straight to the player it needs ranged attack mobs that keep their distance otherwise it's just a glorified whack a mole.

Possibly limit entries per day otherwise players will never leave it. If it doesn't add anything to EU to encourage players to engage outside of it then you might as well make it a separate game entirely.
 
Possibly limit entries per day otherwise players will never leave it. If it doesn't add anything to EU to encourage players to engage outside of it then you might as well make it a separate game entirely.
Exactly!

That's why I suggested a symbiotic relationship between BS minigame(s) and the main game. One way to achieve that is to design different levels for BS where you need to improve your avatar skills in the main to qualify for the next level in BS, something like that.
Another way to do that is to scale things down to decrease differences between players but at the same time not to erase them either. Your weapon does 50% damage (while using 25% ammo), lvl 50 avatar performs like lvl 25, lvl 40 like lvl 20.
You can combine both and invent even more ways to do it. Have some creativity instead of redoing the same old thing over and over like robot...

It seems so easy to solve the skill inequality problem by simply bypassing it, but in the big picture it's just another dead end. EU is based on skills, ignore this and it will bite your ass sooner or later.

If done right BS would work like (additional) motivator/engine for EU. Lack of motivation kills games, there can never be too much.

Any of this wouldn't really work without a multiplayer element thou. Multiplayer as in: player vs player (not in the classic straight PvP sense) or team vs team.
If the project never gets to that level it never gets anywhere. Why would just another PvE instance in the long list of boring classic PvE type instances we've had over the years end up any different than all the rest? Short life cycle + no synergy = wasted investment.


TL;DR: If it's possible to hit 2 birds with one stone, it would be stupid to miss the opportunity.
 
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**EDIT**
An earlier version of this article stated:

Although skill-levels are standardized within the Battle Simulator, your Avatar still gains skills via Battle Simulator activities. These skill increases are applied to your Avatar after exiting the simulator instance.​

This was a miscommunication. The initial prototype release of the Battle Simulator will not reward participants with skills; however skill rewards may be considered in the future.

Originally Posted Here


No more exp at least.
 
-wot Bertha corrected.

Thanks for that catch - I hadn't seen the revised statement.

The biggest problem I see is merging actual playing skill (not skill gains) and luck to make for a good experience. Maybe this is true of any game where individuals play against only a computer; how soon will it become clear that my run is not going to be a good one purely because of bad luck I've had?
I'm also thinking about whether limiting the number of entries per player per day will be counter-productive. Then again, should grinders be the ones to win based on their higher chances of getting lucky runs?

Well, I'm certainly interested in this addition to EU, even if I'd rather have had space improved first! ;)
 
-wot Bertha corrected.

Thanks for that catch - I hadn't seen the revised statement.

The biggest problem I see is merging actual playing skill (not skill gains) and luck to make for a good experience. Maybe this is true of any game where individuals play against only a computer; how soon will it become clear that my run is not going to be a good one purely because of bad luck I've had?
I'm also thinking about whether limiting the number of entries per player per day will be counter-productive. Then again, should grinders be the ones to win based on their higher chances of getting lucky runs?

Well, I'm certainly interested in this addition to EU, even if I'd rather have had space improved first! ;)

I think they were worried it would break skill prices and raise ESI prices. I chipped out some in fear of the coming drop, don't regret it though going full focus on my plot.
 
No more exp at least.

My guess is this: 10, 100, or 1000 ped entry fee. Shots in simulator require ammo. No loot from mobs. Crates after clearing that disappear if you don't get back to them within 5 minutes. No skills earned.
 
No skills then, I think that is a good call. Skill rewards on the other hand sounds pretty cool, like doing missions.
 
My guess is this: 10, 100, or 1000 ped entry fee. Shots in simulator require ammo. No loot from mobs. Crates after clearing that disappear if you don't get back to them within 5 minutes. No skills earned.

We already have this.
 
Following the tremendous success of the Battle Simulator, MA will definitely decide to implement the Crafting Simulator.

There you could click on such wonderful BPs such as Explosive Projectiles V, and even simulate the overall return of your 1000 clicks run with 1 click! - Was it an ATH hidden in that or is it yet another person on suicide watch? talk about fast paced.
 
Following the tremendous success of the Battle Simulator, MA will definitely decide to implement the Crafting Simulator.

There you could click on such wonderful BPs such as Explosive Projectiles V, and even simulate the overall return of your 1000 clicks run with 1 click! - Was it an ATH hidden in that or is it yet another person on suicide watch? talk about fast paced.

As funny as that is, you know that would be kind of cool. lol It would run at 10x speed and cost 1/10th the cost with ATHs showing as:

[Globals] [] Kent OZtwo OpaloMan simulated a manufacturing of an item (Explosive Projectiles) which could have been worth 98082 PED! A record could have been added to the Hall of Fame ALL TIME HIGH. Congratulations!
 
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