Balancing for Newer Players

[CurrentBus3 0]

As a free-to-play, Vigor’s survival depends on attracting newer players to the table. While a skill gap inevitably exists between players new and old regarding map knowledge and weapon mechanics, new players still find themselves on a fairly even playing field - bring a competent weapon (you may have found before getting a blueprint) and you stand a fighting chance at defeating a veteran, as long as you think with a tactical mindset. At least, it used to be that way.

 

Starting with the introduction of mortar strikes ( I believe anyone could earn the portable signal detector blueprint), every season has added new tools that significantly enhance an outlanders performance, regardless of weapon. The mortar strike is a reliable way of clearing an enemy from cover (excepting buildings, another issue entirely) and the armor plate helps keep an outlander alive a little bit longer in a firefight. Both were and are fantastic additions to the game, both adding to the distinctly exciting risk-reward factor - how much am I going to bring into this encounter to ensure victory? Both features have spiced up gameplay significantly.

 

However,

Players who enter the game after the season these items were introduced are no longer able to obtain a blueprint for them. These items can only be obtained by luck while looting (generally trucks or cars) or by killing another player who brought them in. An inability to produce these items in a workshop will always put the newer players at a disadvantage, for each item they own becomes more valuable to them than say a player with the blueprint, who can always make more. The same remains true for all new weapons as well. While it has been nerfed considerably, imagine never being able to make more Gewehr 3 SG1s back in their prime. As a new player, would you not be troubled that the veterans around you always had superior weaponry you couldn’t hope to compete with, even after earning all the blueprints? Not having access to cosmetics makes sense, if they were available after the season there would be no incentive to play during that time - and they’d become less valuable since everyone could get them. Items that actually affect gameplay (Particularly game changing ones) make more sense to be available, in some earnable fashion, for all players new and old to ensure game longevity.

[ShinigamiEater 10]

Agreed 👍

 

[ArachnidOverlord 22]

18 hours ago, CurrentBus3 said:

As a free-to-play, Vigor’s survival depends on attracting newer players to the table. While a skill gap inevitably exists between players new and old regarding map knowledge and weapon mechanics, new players still find themselves on a fairly even playing field - bring a competent weapon (you may have found before getting a blueprint) and you stand a fighting chance at defeating a veteran, as long as you think with a tactical mindset. At least, it used to be that way.

 

Starting with the introduction of mortar strikes ( I believe anyone could earn the portable signal detector blueprint), every season has added new tools that significantly enhance an outlanders performance, regardless of weapon. The mortar strike is a reliable way of clearing an enemy from cover (excepting buildings, another issue entirely) and the armor plate helps keep an outlander alive a little bit longer in a firefight. Both were and are fantastic additions to the game, both adding to the distinctly exciting risk-reward factor - how much am I going to bring into this encounter to ensure victory? Both features have spiced up gameplay significantly.

 

However,

Players who enter the game after the season these items were introduced are no longer able to obtain a blueprint for them. These items can only be obtained by luck while looting (generally trucks or cars) or by killing another player who brought them in. An inability to produce these items in a workshop will always put the newer players at a disadvantage, for each item they own becomes more valuable to them than say a player with the blueprint, who can always make more. The same remains true for all new weapons as well. While it has been nerfed considerably, imagine never being able to make more Gewehr 3 SG1s back in their prime. As a new player, would you not be troubled that the veterans around you always had superior weaponry you couldn’t hope to compete with, even after earning all the blueprints? Not having access to cosmetics makes sense, if they were available after the season there would be no incentive to play during that time - and they’d become less valuable since everyone could get them. Items that actually affect gameplay (Particularly game changing ones) make more sense to be available, in some earnable fashion, for all players new and old to ensure game longevity.

It really depends for the new player now, really. With armored plates introduced it makes the gap even larger between new players and "veterans".

You obviously can get that lucky headshot but most common/plentiful weapons besides the AKM and M16 have huge bloom/recoil and often low damage on top of that. The Vz58p for example actually loses its one-shot headshot potential at a far enough range. Falloff is notably massive on a lot of these weapons. It's also ridiculous how some guns can't headshot in one shot.

So now that the chance of getting plans has been nerfed into the ground it removes all value from crates. You either have to buy every battlepass or you get punished for daring to take a break from the game. Buying blueprints from the store is basically out of the question because it's random and most of the time the plans are heavily overpriced.

So to sum it up, the people who keep playing and spending money are the ones being catered to. And Bohemia is setting a standard for all players to spend lots of money to get plans now due to the drop chance being reduced by at least 10 times. The other option which also involves spending lots of money is to buy insurance every game to bring the gun you want every game without losing it.

So yeah, moving ever closer to the pay-to-win model Bohemia wants

[Slicksnelson 1]

On 2/10/2021 at 3:41 PM, CurrentBus3 said:

As a free-to-play, Vigor’s survival depends on attracting newer players to the table. While a skill gap inevitably exists between players new and old regarding map knowledge and weapon mechanics, new players still find themselves on a fairly even playing field - bring a competent weapon (you may have found before getting a blueprint) and you stand a fighting chance at defeating a veteran, as long as you think with a tactical mindset. At least, it used to be that way.

 

Starting with the introduction of mortar strikes ( I believe anyone could earn the portable signal detector blueprint), every season has added new tools that significantly enhance an outlanders performance, regardless of weapon. The mortar strike is a reliable way of clearing an enemy from cover (excepting buildings, another issue entirely) and the armor plate helps keep an outlander alive a little bit longer in a firefight. Both were and are fantastic additions to the game, both adding to the distinctly exciting risk-reward factor - how much am I going to bring into this encounter to ensure victory? Both features have spiced up gameplay significantly.

 

However,

Players who enter the game after the season these items were introduced are no longer able to obtain a blueprint for them. These items can only be obtained by luck while looting (generally trucks or cars) or by killing another player who brought them in. An inability to produce these items in a workshop will always put the newer players at a disadvantage, for each item they own becomes more valuable to them than say a player with the blueprint, who can always make more. The same remains true for all new weapons as well. While it has been nerfed considerably, imagine never being able to make more Gewehr 3 SG1s back in their prime. As a new player, would you not be troubled that the veterans around you always had superior weaponry you couldn’t hope to compete with, even after earning all the blueprints? Not having access to cosmetics makes sense, if they were available after the season there would be no incentive to play during that time - and they’d become less valuable since everyone could get them. Items that actually affect gameplay (Particularly game changing ones) make more sense to be available, in some earnable fashion, for all players new and old to ensure game longevity.

I 100% agree with you and just made a similar post in the same regard before I read this but being new to the game myself wasn’t aware of some of the facts you stated here.. I didn’t know some older blueprints were off the table and all that for new players. I’ve always enjoyed free games and instantly fell in love with vigor..but the shift to pay to play is very much BS. It’s my understanding it’s not the most popular game anyway and at this rate they will never grow. They’ve almost lost me bc I just lose load out after load out to unfair matchmaking on certain days.. and it’s the vets you speak of who go threat and kill the entire lobby of raincoats. If only the devs of this game would listen or care for that matter.. until it’s fair I’ll never spend a dime on Vigor. As a matter of fact if it becomes too much more towards pay-to win I known my friends and I will uninstall off principle .

[Agile 6 0]

Agreed; newer player here. It’s frustrating to get dumped into lobbys with four or more 1000 kill plus players all armed with HBARs or Scoped G3’s. I’ve watched guys after they kill me, they dont go for the safe, they dont go for the air drop, they dont loot dead bodies, because they dont need to:they already have everything in the game. I know the response is “get good”; but I am at a huge disadvantage trying to level up & “get good” while playing against guys who have no interest in leveling up and are just going in for the kills. Honestly players like that should probably be playing a pure pvp game like COD; but instead they come here. I’d like to see some type of lobby leveling so I get matched with similar players & so we can all get better & level up together. I love this game but its tough for me to recommend it because “btw while you’re busy trying to find some chemicals and some wire for a shelter project your gonna get dumped in a lobby full of uber experienced hard core pvpers armed with weapons you literally can’t get who are hunting you down for sport & who don't care about wire or chemicals”. Fun Is!