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Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

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Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#261

Post by estearum »

paulmist wrote: post #257
estearum wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Normal evolution yet somehow wasn't really a visible force on video games until streaming and is now the predominant force on pretty much every single online competitive game. (Unless you play with cloistered private communities)

I think you're confounding streaming with the rise of solo-queue but cooperative (CS:GO, LoL...) games around 2010. Both were enabled by cheaper computing and alllowed competitive ladders to scale to millions of players. Games where you have to queue with a pre-made team (or pro teams for that matter) are considerably less toxic. Toxic streamers are more of a consequence of an already toxic community.

No, you are confounding what I'm talking about (fast discovery and dissemination of meta-optimal strategies) with toxicity. You could have 0 toxicity at all and still have a game totally ruined by the behavior I'm pointing out.

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#262

Post by Sabinus »

izacus wrote: post #177
ghosty141 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My OS floated around 10-15 and I virtually always ended up having to go front in every lobby, which is the position I hate the most because I don’t like playing my strategy game like an RPG So the truth is, "Front" is the absolute standard. There are only two other "types" of positions which are tech and air. And a good tech player usually also plays that role more like a front player just with more time in the ear…

I'm not sure what are you trying to prove and refute in your post really. The OP - which you're replying to - is saying that they're not having fun playing RTSes like that (which I understand - sounds awfully limited). You're just trying to prove them they're wrong for not having fun or something. What was your goal with this post, really?

aetherspawn is playing in a complex 8v8 team game. They don't want to play and don't enjoy 6 out of the 8 roles/positions on each team.

Unless you're the highest score player in the lobby you don't get to reserve a role. And the back line roles are pretty crucial and can lose the game for the team. They're not going to have a good time in anything that isn't a very noob or a vs AI lobby with the way they currently understand and approach the game. Salty veterans and meta players notwithstanding.

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#263

Post by Sabinus »

InsomniacL wrote: post #198

BAR is amazing but there's a hurdle for new players. If you download it, don't join the first lobby you see. My advice is to watch some videos on youtube, play some games solo, then look for new player lobbies or create your own and set restrictions on it. It only takes one player on the enemy team who regularly plays the game and you'll get stream rolled. Or you'll join a game of regular players, can't hold your lan…

This is very important advice if you want to have a good time playing the game. Picking the right lobby is changes your experience drastically.

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#264

Post by fc417fc802 »

estearum wrote: post #248
fc417fc802 wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If matchmaking is working correctly you should win some fraction of your matches, probably ~half. Losses against someone with better logistical choices is normal and expected. You should quickly pick up on what they were doing and learn to counter it. If you can't then how can you claim to be better than they are? I recognize the adjacent commenter's point about the small population though. It might be difficult to b…

Correct, and if 100% of the people who beat you are using all the same "meta" then that suggests it's not a skill variation that explains it. That makes the game extremely boring. > You should quickly pick up on what they were doing and learn to counter it. If you can't then how can you claim to be better than they are? You must not be familiar with what "meta" means. Modern video games seem to all have an across-the…

I'm familiar with the term, thanks. I'm suggesting that if you're consistently losing to it that's a skill issue. Sure, you might find the gameplay boring but then that's a complaint about a perceived failure in the game design (notably only from your perspective, not necessarily other's). I appreciate that you're more interested in casually playing off the wall builds for fun rather than competitively playing to win but casting that as others being less skilled or the community being in the wrong is just petulant.

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#265

Post by estearum »

fc417fc802 wrote: post #264
estearum wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct, and if 100% of the people who beat you are using all the same "meta" then that suggests it's not a skill variation that explains it. That makes the game extremely boring. > You should quickly pick up on what they were doing and learn to counter it. If you can't then how can you claim to be better than they are? You must not be familiar with what "meta" means. Modern video games seem to all have an across-the…

I'm familiar with the term, thanks. I'm suggesting that if you're consistently losing to it that's a skill issue. Sure, you might find the gameplay boring but then that's a complaint about a perceived failure in the game design (notably only from your perspective, not necessarily other's). I appreciate that you're more interested in casually playing off the wall builds for fun rather than competitively playing to win…

Yes, it is a game design failure (obviously) insofar as it seems not possible to make a perfectly balanced game. But games weren't previously perfectly balanced either, presumably. But they didn't have this same "herding" dynamic because there wasn't an entire industry (literally!) of people trying to discover and disseminate knowledge about the imbalances.

And no, the issue isn't "I like to casually play with off-the-wall builds." The issue is "video games were a lot more fun when you encountered different types of opponents."

This is, of course, why game designers put so much work into supporting variations in builds, so obviously they agree too.

I didn't criticize anyone for being less skilled or anyone for being "in the wrong." I'm observing a game dynamic that makes games less variable than their designers clearly intend.

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#266

Post by s1artibartfast »

One thing people might find interesting about bar is how popular spectating matches is. It's not uncommon for the top 16 player lobbies to have twice that many players in game spectating and commenting on plays. It's currently a small community so it has a recurring cast of characters and people know each other across months or years of playing together.

You have the Divas and the workhorses, the air or sea specialists, and the goofballs and communists

Re: Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)

#268

Post by coryrc »

Apocryphon wrote: post #219
s1artibartfast wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

kinda funny sentiment to express in a thread about a completely community built free game without adds. You should play it!

I’m talking about AAA games in general, it’s not commentary about this title, which my computer likely can’t run.

It probably can. The game is pretty lightweight.
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