Please don´t Dominate the Arrowhead...

[RogueBlade 0]

What difference is there in running a domination game in SP? Nothing.

[Murklor 10]

What difference is there in running a domination game in SP? Nothing.

Except that it doesnt work.

I've had some great Domination runs and I've had some braindead ones. The trick is to find a decent server with say 8-10 peeps and revive. This often means that while half of them will be zombies, the other half usually sticks well together because of the overwhelming amount of enemies and revival option. Up to 20 players can work, but the amount of people doing little good increase exponentially. Servers with 40 players have a tendancy to be chaos with like 30 of them doing random paradrops and the rest messing around with transport helos that carry 1-2 people. Good if you're looking to play 30 minutes or something, bad if you're after engrossing teamwork. Of course you COULD end up on a server just filled to brim with awesome players but that is rare to say the least.

[nkenny 1051]

At the time of writing there are:

One private Deathmatch server (with 1player and a password)

Zero Capture the flag servers.

-k

[andromedagalaxe 10]

OA Domi seems to be lagging more on the public servers I play on. It's intolerable, but there aren't any other game types out there, other than CTI right now. At least for the low ping servers I have access to.

kind of a bummer.

[Hud Dorph 22]

OA Domi def. is harder for servers after OA release - its pretty normal that scripts stop working(AI-recruit stops, jetservice,repairpad,chopperservice stops working, even finishing maintargets cease to funktion). I can clearly see the workload on 1 of my servers cores goes to 100% while 3 other cores are below 50%. Before OA my server never had any cores go to 100% on Doomi.

Think bis should work on dedi-server be better to spread workload on the cores.

[MengJiao 10]

Yeah, I am one of those guys who hates domi as well. It used to be awesome, no doubt about it, but I am so fed up of it now, I wish other modes would become more popular.

The Domination thing gets me down too. I came back to multiplayer when OA came out and most of the time the majority of games out there are Domination with no more people in them than any other game mode.

I tried to enjoy domination, but it seems to lack focus.

---------- Post added at 06:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 PM ----------

*Sigh*

See my post here (more specifically the second paragraph) for a list of reasons, the main one being that it is a "plug-and-play" mission, and server admins are lazy.

Oh, and Xeno, every thread or post that discusses Domination is not automatically a "hate-Domination" thread/post.

Well, I don't get the attraction of Domination. First off all you land (after an annoying cinematic intro) in the dullest imaginable base. then you're supposed to go many kilometers to harass somebody. Evidently the coop players are some gang and the AI is the police. Very dull. Why go far from a big base to play cops and robbers? Why not just do it all in a small town? What's the point of the whole base thing? Why pretend to be in an army of some kind when you're just doing some crimes?

[-ASA-ODEN 0]

I think domination is the by far best mission ever put into long term running servers.

The majority of servers idling out there is serving the community with this fantastic creation where two/three friends can hook up and have a blast for a few hours and disconnect whenever letting other players continue the effort.

Before spitting on Domi, try to create a mission with such diversity that can take JIP slaps for hours and keep on serving new tasks to a fraction of what Xeno have done here.

All in all, it is all about how you play the mission - not the mission itself (goes for any mission to be honest).

[Zipper5 74]

ODEN;1710253']All in all' date=' it is all about how you play the mission - not the mission itself (goes for any mission to be honest).[/quote']

I agree, but Domination is played by the public pretty piss-poorly...

[Inkompetent 0]

I agree, but Domination is played by the public pretty piss-poorly...

Correction: EVERYTHING is played piss-poorly by the public.

[Evil_Echo 11]

Absolutely - you see very little teamwork on a lot of public servers. It's not just a problem with Domination or even Armed Assault - all combat games suffer from it.

The point is - Domination is not to blame for bad game sessions. It's the players themselves and lazy admins that allow it to happen. Instead of blaming Xeno, server managers need to knuckle down and get their machines configured properly along with having some people monitor full-time. Use the ban-hammer more and quality improves a lot.

Also players need to learn to work around bad play. I stick to gaming with my own team. We talk on a private channel, sharing intel and coordinating our efforts. Because we know each other and have bothered to learn good tactics, we can operate independantly with a good success rate. So the idiot who Rambo's into the AO in the MHQ and promptly gets fragged does not bother us very much. The BF2/CoD players can keep dying while attempting a brute-force frontal assault - we've already slipped past a couple guards and are about to take down the radio tower that is calling in all the re-enforcements.

We're having a good time because we adapt to the game rather than make the game adapt to us.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

To me the game mode suffers three big problems that appears to be the main cause of the bad gameplay:

1) No penalty for dieing at all. You're back in the fight within seconds. There is no point in trying to stay alive. Set a 120 second respawn (if all the other magics is used), and dieing now hurts.

2) HALO inserts, especially from target. When someone jumps (today, that would be everyone), it triggers the reinforcements and if you actually try to fly in or drive in the MHQs (nobody does this anymore), it will get killed by plane or attack chopper in the area.

3) No limits on specialist weapons (by default). If i.e. heavy AT stuff was limited to the AT class (M136 as backup for all though), you're pretty much forced to rely on others to handle the armor, weather it be AT guys or the flyboys/tankers. If nobody is in play, consider a class change. Loose the medic? Well, that's making it more of a challenge.

Another option which I wouldn't know how to make, is to let everyone join as rifleman. Joining the server, you don't know how the roles are assigned. Then in the game you pick a class available in limited numbers. Classes could be ranked even, making it harder to gain ranks depending on how many players are involved. Classes gain access to the hardware. Becomes more PR Mod like, but that one seemed to work pretty good for creating teamplayers.

I'm sorry, as much as I like Domination for its dynamics, I just can't find any joy in it anymore on public servers. Without a mic (broken mainboard), my teamplaying abilities on a public server is limited to staying close to my leader (and typing), covering a sector. But it does seem like I'm the only one trying to play like this.

[Pain0815 10]

Mobile spawns, teleport & magic halo insertion are teamwork killers, like unrestricted classes and weapons.

But thats not the fault of the domination mission, thats all optional.

Players or admins fault then, because they keep those things enabled at start of the mission.

So domination becomes rambo friendly with this settings and noone needs to play as a team because you can handle all threads alone this way without any problems. 1 man army settings...

Try domination with those things disabled or coop20 takistan force for teamwork

Edited August 7, 2010 by Pain0815

[BigMorgan 11]

If you want domination to be less popular, it's up to you all.

Don't join the Domi server with 15 players in it because you don't know what else to do, join a server with 4-5 people playing a mission you've never heard of be it coop, TvT, CTI or PvP.

Talk with those players on ventrilo/TS/mumble and get to know them (chances are some of them are running the server).

By making new friends and finding new ways to play, you'll be getting a lot more out of Arma2 than a nightly hour or two of domination and a weekly post on BIS forum whining about how popular it is. ;)

[xeno 230]

If you want domination to be less popular, it's up to you all.

Don't worry, there won't be a Dom update anymore so it will die sooner or later.

Now you only have to convince Benny to make no new Warfare release anymore so that the last "com" member with some advanced MP mission making knowledge also leaves.

This so called "com" is full of whiners, they rather play the blame game than looking at the real problem this game is facing (realy low online player numbers) or trying to find solutions.

Ever wondered why missions like Warfare/Domina/Evolution are played so much ?

Because the guys behind it have invested thousands of hours into it.

Xeno

[mr burns 131]

Ever wondered why missions like Warfare/Domina/Evolution are played so much ?

Because the guys behind it have invested thousands of hours into it.

More so some/most aren´t bringing the sophisticated know-how that a 'matured' ArmA MP Mission environment demands nowadays.

It´s a pitty rly, but one alone can´t bring down the huge windmill that BI tends to be at times. Only viable option is to adapt and overcome (im feeling everyones pain, blv me) *eek*

[BigMorgan 11]

Don't worry, there won't be a Dom update anymore so it will die sooner or later.

Now you only have to convince Benny to make no new Warfare release anymore so that the last "com" member with some advanced MP mission making knowledge also leaves.

This so called "com" is full of whiners, they rather play the blame game than looking at the real problem this game is facing (realy low online player numbers) or trying to find solutions.

Ever wondered why missions like Warfare/Domina/Evolution are played so much ?

Because the guys behind it have invested thousands of hours into it.

Xeno

Xeno,

What I wrote was nothing personal towards you. I admire your work and your commitment to this community. In fact, I was trying to express the same frustration with the whining you just shared. Forgive me for that statement that could be easily misinterpreted as some sort of call-to-action to abandon your game mode.

I enjoy playing Domination, and other game modes too. It just seems like some people are unwilling to branch out from one game mode, and take a chance on something new, but then complain that there's nothing else available to play.

I hope you continue to give your free time to this community as you have over the years. Thanks for making such an awesome mission.

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

So, Xeno....when is your next creation coming out? :butbut:

[Zipper5 74]

Xeno, the idea behind creating content for this should always be for your own enjoyment or accomplishment. Whether or not people like it, or if they bitch about it, should not evoke the reaction you are constantly giving when your work is criticized. You created something that has become extremly popular, and you would think by now you'd deal with criticism better.

Why does it bother you so much? You're not happy with your own creation? Surely that must be why you're angry if people are criticizing it. Do you think they're right? It doesn't seem that way, but it is how you have always acted.

I agree the problem is not in Domination, Evolution, Warfare or anything. The problem lies solely on the shoulders of server admins.

[Hud Dorph 22]

I dont see any problem - some dont like it - thats ok - but for sure A LOT do like it - and it that seems to be the biggest issue for those that dont like it.

[b00tsy 28]

To me the game mode suffers three big problems that appears to be the main cause of the bad gameplay:

1) No penalty for dieing at all. You're back in the fight within seconds. There is no point in trying to stay alive. Set a 120 second respawn (if all the other magics is used), and dieing now hurts.

2) HALO inserts, especially from target. When someone jumps (today, that would be everyone), it triggers the reinforcements and if you actually try to fly in or drive in the MHQs (nobody does this anymore), it will get killed by plane or attack chopper in the area.

3) No limits on specialist weapons (by default). If i.e. heavy AT stuff was limited to the AT class (M136 as backup for all though), you're pretty much forced to rely on others to handle the armor, weather it be AT guys or the flyboys/tankers. If nobody is in play, consider a class change. Loose the medic? Well, that's making it more of a challenge.

Another option which I wouldn't know how to make, is to let everyone join as rifleman. Joining the server, you don't know how the roles are assigned. Then in the game you pick a class available in limited numbers. Classes could be ranked even, making it harder to gain ranks depending on how many players are involved. Classes gain access to the hardware. Becomes more PR Mod like, but that one seemed to work pretty good for creating teamplayers.

I'm sorry, as much as I like Domination for its dynamics, I just can't find any joy in it anymore on public servers. Without a mic (broken mainboard), my teamplaying abilities on a public server is limited to staying close to my leader (and typing), covering a sector. But it does seem like I'm the only one trying to play like this.

I agree with you on some points, but the reason I basically always play Domination is because I do not have to wait like 20 minutes on the base before finally a chopper picks me up to bring me to the action. It is also a huge bummer when you have to wait a long time to get into the action and then to see most hostiles killed already by other players. So you finally arrived at the ao, but the ao has been cleared almost... so all the waiting was for nothing. Or waiting 20 minutes on the base, finally get a picked up and then the pilot goes kamikaze against a building with me in it. So you waited 20 minutes only to get killed by a unskilled pilot (as an example).

So yay for parajumps and teleports on short timers (10 minutes is a good parajump timer I think).

I do agree that there needs to be some restrictions on AT weapons. Now almost all players that enters the game grabs a SMAAW right away (so do I :P) wich makes the mission a bit unbalanced. I personally like to play as an AT unit with sniper rifle is because long range actions suits my fps better, I do not have the frame rate for fast close quarter combat (in towns).

My only personal annoyance with some domi servers is the restriction for non clan members to use Arti support. Yesterday too I was on a server with only 2 clan members on that server and approx 15 normal players and only the 2 clan guys could use the arti support. In other words, doing all the major killing without any effort and climbing on top of the statistics while everyone else had to get their kills manually. I would like to see friendly arti support gone completely actually (the module) and only Artillery where there are players that are actually artillery units.

I think I will check out some other MP mission types too :)

[Tankbuster 1733]

The 'tards who complain about lack of teamwork are moaning about the wrong things. It's the people they play with, not the mission they play that's at fault.

If you want to ENFORCE teamplay in Domination, there's a number of things you can do,most of them require no editing knowledge and can be done in the parameters.

Set weapons limited on, this'll stop everyone grabbing a SMAW. Set Ranked on, this will mean joiners don't get the good weps until they've stuck around and played for a while. Play TT, so you have two enemies, the AI and the other team. Put the parajump timer at 10 minutes and turn off teleport (leave respawn at MHQ on).

[M.Andersson(SWE) 4]

I havent had a laggy Domi mission so far, but ill let you know when that occurs..

My rig is a Low budget one aswell..

AMD Phenom 9500 2.2

3Gb Ram

GF 8800GT

Win Vista 32

[CarlGustaffa 4]

@Tankbuster: Our server is naturally setup like that (and pretty soon a quite different kind of Domination). But it's also closed during hacker season. So to find others, you go public. But there are almost only no-limits games. Result is I just quit playing because by the time I get to the target area, it has already been cleared.

A couple of quick suggestions I think might help a lot:

* Delay the parajumping flag at cleared target with 5 minutes. That way at least vehicles have a chance of reaching the target before it is cleared. People might want to chopper in instead of "HALO"'ing. Or better yet, remove the silly HALO'ing as a default option as long as we have teleportation. Option, yes, default to on, no. Cleared flags should create vehicles by default. It doesn't take many minutes to drive across the area. I feel the HALO flag was for letting the left behind guys have an option, but what I see is everyone jumping to see who can set off the alarm first.

* Or let the next target (general area, not centered on the actual target) be known. When you're a sniper, you leave early - no need to stay there for the mop up. When the target is cleared, the sniper can already be close and start marking the area. If he is a good one. A bad one will be instantly blasted by artillery anyway. But, there are some "issues" with this one...

So yes, I agree. It is about options. I'm just not a fan of the default values for them.

[Tankbuster 1733]

Or better yet, remove the silly HALO'ing as a default option as long as we have teleportation. Option, yes, default to on, no. Cleared flags should create vehicles by default. .

Ah yes, I forgot that one. I use it too, though it's an edit, not a parameter.

[Zipper5 74]

The 'tards who complain about lack of teamwork are moaning about the wrong things. It's the people they play with, not the mission they play that's at fault.

How can the average Joe player do that with any of the popular servers playing missions like Domination when without access to server admin controls?

Responsibility for this still rests on the shoulders of server admins.