[UI] This game needs love.

This game has always held a special place in my library of games, but lately it seems that the game has lost its "love" and variety. I really hope the developers have seen into the future of browser/flash gaming and know that they have to start working on a client based downloadable version. I would hate to see this game disperse into the abyss. there are even some special marketing avenues to take when moving to client based version. game providing services like steam and such are one option that comes to mind. Could possibly increase the player base by thousands or even millions, unfortunately the little small bugs and everything that we have come to terms with over the years would become even more detrimental to the game, and possibly end it even sooner with that large of an influx of players.

I personally like the smaller player base. its starting to worry me though, with the what seems like lack of love or care for the game other than a cash cow mentality. (keep it running as long as we can milk it) which is what playing the game feels like for pretty much all of us ask just about anyone that really plays and wants to keep playing the game they will agree.

The days of the Vengie and Goli were the best days of the game if you ask me. Vengie was not completely outmatched by the Goli, it was able to use both skill and knowledge to overcome a equally geared goli if piloted correctly. now days there is a large gap between the two which is more than OK. but there are now ammo and rockets that impact this gap even greater. especially the infection ammo/mines pretty much wrecked speed pilots. yet no change to the ships or anything to bring them back to a level playing field. We all know that DO cant just go and nerf the top ship in the game that everyone has worked so hard for but I really feel some ships should be revitalized to become a little more competitive. Im just here hoping that someone reads this and realizes the game needs maybe just a little love from the balancing department. Tiny improvements go a long way!

Every other game out there undergoes multiple balancing passes quite regularly. especially when newer content is released, But then again there is no game quite like dark orbit. With the era of the Cyborg upon us now and it really is depressing. there is a large portion of the player base that only care about raw damage. but there are a lot of players that don't we really like our ships, some of us don't even really care much for pvp, and would rather spend their time helping new players. we should get at least a little love too, such as keep our ships mildly competitive to help defend the ones we are helping some of us would even spend more money to increase our ability to help others.


Cyborg - King in every equally matched engagement, and for that reason cannot be changed from a business standpoint. therefore the other ships should be brought not quite to, but a little closer to its strength.

Hammerclaw - Has its place, a good place. not perfect but the perks of flying it are enough to keep us flying it. could use a few more lasers. It is just as difficult to get as a cyborg but does not feel as satisfying to fly. its missing something. probably that extra launcher that was taken away. That launcher does more for the way the ship feels to fly than its actual combat prowess. adds a little burst to the beginning of the fight but that's pretty much it.

Memesis - Have never fought one. it was apparently nerfed so hard that no one even wants to even give it a chance anymore so I have no suggestions here. (give it some love)

Tartarus - Probably the most balanced ship in the game if you ask me. a 2nd rocket launcher would completly turn this ship around and make it only a little stronger but feel much better. giving it a good burst when using its ability. right now it really cant compete with a Goli but is able to engage on its terms and survive most ambushes with its decent hp if it so chooses. which is the only perk now days to flying a speed ship besides killing noobs and zombies.

Pusat - was a great ship back in the day. it is pretty balanced honestly. if you give it anymore firepower it might become way too strong, because for a honest player this ship can be very difficult to lock at times. i think giving it a little hp or a skill might be the way to go here, or giving it a passive shield shield absorption boost or maybe a skill that for __ amount of time it is as though you are using crab formation. this has always been a ship that gets exponentially more powerful the better skilled player you are and the crab skill would fit right in with that without making is too insane an able pilot with good locking skills even a pusat in crab formation is not much of a threat if they are paying attention.

Citadel - Has its place in the game no doubt. but as for being a outfit ship its protection ability is practically useless with damage amounts. you cant just increase the duration of the draw fire ability or the citadel would pop anytime it used it in a group fight. but if you increase the amount that protection protects other players and made it a toggle instead of duration this ship would be seen all over the game, and really make the "tanking" role satisfying and fun to play.

Aegis - this ship has its place too. but really it cant even heal well enough for killing ubers or anything of that nature. the hp ability is fine that feels good. but the shield ability is weak. and you would easily provide more to your outfit flying a solace and providing that extra goliath damage and heal.

Spearhead - its fine needs a little hp and maybe a few lasers. But honestly its got its purpose and does it well otherwise.

Skill Golis - Sentinel is great dont change a thing, venom, stepping stone to the cyborg leave it be, spectrum the skill duration was lowered a tad to much maybe a few extra seconds would do this ship some great justice. solace i honestly think this ship should be damage instead of shield bonus instead but fine as it is.

All the other ships really aren't elite ships and serve their purposes pretty well. surgeon is fine if you look at it as a stepping stone and not a endgame kinda of ship.

As things sit right now in the game the cyborg is the end all ship. I feel this is bad for the game, But understand it from BPs perspective. they made a great amount on people trying to get the ship and are making a killing off people trying to get designs for them. Why bother making new ships when they can keep skinning one ship its easy and pays the light bill. All that said the one thing that killed every ship other than the cyborg is that ability. It cannot be cleared by anything besides an emp or JAMX making all other ships fighting a cyborg unable to emp or they loose. you cant just take that away from someone once they have used it for so long or they will for lack of better words revolt which is not good from a business stand point which we all know BP, is they show us every update that they are a business and need that revenue more than anything. Completely understandable BP make that $ keep the game alive. Just trying to make suggestions that would breath some fresh air into the game. Tiny tweaks to ships can make a large difference in the game play for many players completely turning the game around for them.

 

Balance patch part1
http://www.bigpoint.com/darkorbit/board/threads/balance-patch.121942/

Balance patch part 2
http://www.bigpoint.com/darkorbit/board/threads/balance-patch-pt-2.122189/

Just to reference what has been changed recently.

 

There you go. Nerf is not love. I say bring the ships back to the way they were announced. Buff is also not not love, as before.

I don't fly a Cyborg. But my ship has been nerfed enough thank you so please stop asking for nerfs. Fly hard and get the ship you want, then raise cain in the maps. That is all. Balance equals BS to me, I really don't understand you guys thinking you are balancing the game by nerfing ship abilities when there are so many larger problems in this game! Good Grief.

Foe

 

which ship was nerfed?

 

Did you not bother reading the posts you linked?
And it is "ships" - plural - were nerfed. Not just one but several received the " meh don't know what to do here so lets just guess and hope for the best" treatment from Devs (or at least "the Dev") at DO - A year ago with no follow up and player concerns as usual, ignored...

 

I do really think the game has needed the formations "balanced" for lack of better words. but only a small handful of ships were touched.

Back In the day a vengie actually had a pretty good chance fighting a goli when taking full advantage of its speed. this is not the case anymore, and thats an aspect of the game I really feel is a big loss for the versatility of the game. I will try my best to explain what I feel is the cause of this. Im not blaming it on Ammo because any ammo used by one can be used by the other basically making that argument null and void.

Over the years damage has increased and lets say for example (NOT ACTUAL NUMBERS) it took a goli 30 seconds to kill a Vengie with the weapons we had when the ships use to feel balanced. Now days that that 30 seconds would drop down closer to 15-20 seconds. The amount of time needed to get out of range of the goli chasing a vengie has pretty much stayed the same. I know that there are tons of ways to avoid being hit by the goli but that's not the point I'm trying to make here RIGHT now. The point Im trying to make is that ships are killed almost twice as fast as they use to be. Indirectly making the speed advantage less effective.

Agile ships no longer have the same competitive nature that they use to and It doesn't feel the way it use to using an agile ship.

 

The player base won't ever grow because of how they balance the game around veteran and strong ships instead of new ones.

The Cyborg isn't that OP if you're a stronger player. None of the ships are "OP", but it's used because it basically removes the EMP option from your opponent; While ships like Diminisher force it so they're complete opposites in that respect (except, Diminisher has more damage output potential, way more).

Tartarus had it's spot light and it was played in a way that wasn't intended by the developers so they had to do something about it. It's speed meant it could constantly re-engage and disengage whenever it wanted so a nerf was needed.

Pusat was balanced because it had a hit and run style, but other strong players could easily two shot it if it ever got to the HP bar, but then again this is just another ship designed for newbie hunting, so I despise it.

The issue with Citadel is that it has a movement ability and an ability that stops it moving. So in some situations it's entirely useless in a fight because if it's still you just move away from it and the ability stops affecting you. It's still quite good at CBS defence, depending on the circumcstances.

Surgeon is the best ship in the game for rank points. Like galaxy gates and finishing missions, it's undeniably the best because it gives a huge bonus. The other ships are underwhelming compared to the Diminisher, they just get shreded in terms of damage.

I agree with some things you say, but the things I mentioned I don't. I agree though, this game definitely needs some love.

 

Sending love across the server <3