[UI] Bring back portal defense [ADV jump cpu rework]

Discussion in 'General Archive' started by GreenandGrey, Dec 6, 2019.

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  1. Hi,

    Ever since the introduction of the advanced jump cpu defending maps against other players has been virtually impossible. Players can drop into any map in an instant and overwhelm anyone who's there. Even if the defending players on the map are able to fend off the attackers, the attackers can just pick another map to harass with the click of AJP-01. Valuable resources like cubes and the CBS mitigate this effect somewhat, giving us something specific about that map to fight over, as well as locking maps like pirates and the blacklight maps, but the fact remains that the advanced jump cpu broke a vital aspect of dark orbit: portal defense.

    Before the advanced jump cpu was introduced it was possible to keep enemies out of a specific map by defending the portals they had to come through. Because defenders had protection in the DMZ of your own map's portals and enemies did not it gave defenders an advantage. In order to raid lowers you had to wait for the enemy company's defenses to weaken or sneak in under cloak. Raids deep into an enemy's x-1 map were daring missions of stealth, strength and skill. You could go the long way around through the battle maps, but you'd risk an encounter or have to slip past a stack, and those portals might be defended as well. Defenders could post a scout on the entrances of maps and even if those scouts weren't strong enough to fight they could still alert their clan, outfit or company to the presence of an enemy before the enemy can attack. Portals went from being a vital strategic element of a map to a non-feature. With the advanced jump cpu they might as well not exist. The CPU smooths out any geometric elements of the star system and ruins countless other aspects of the game.

    To fix this I propose a way for players to lock down maps themselves. With an additional button below each portal players will be able to sacrifice all DMZ protection in order to lock down the map from enemy CPU jumps:

    • Locks only block CPU jumps. Entering the map normally by jumping from an adjacent map through a portal, even a locked one, is still possible. It's always possible to use jmp cpu to go to your own company's maps.
    • A lock is indicated by a red/green/blue border around the portal and a red/green/blue lock on the star system display.
    • Locks take 15 seconds to initiate for each portal.
    • It's always possible to adv jump out of a locked map.
    • Locks can only be initiated on one's own company map, x-1 through x-8, as well as any unclaimed battle map.
    • The minimum number of players needed for a map to be locked is equal to the map's number, so 4 players for x-4, 7 players for x-7, etc.
    • Repairing on the spot and at portal while attacking is not possible in a defender's locked map. (except battle maps)
    • 10 players are needed to lock down a battle map, which comes with the added penalty of having a beacon placed on your ship, showing your location on the minimap to everyone.
    • 10 seconds after leaving the map or logging out DMZ protection is restored and that player's lock is removed.
    • "Portal locks" are counted separately from the number of players needed to lock the map itself. So for example 2 players could lock down x-2 even though it has 3 portals, IF one of those players locks two ports.
    • For an enemy to remove a lock it takes 30 seconds and is done in the same manner as locking a portal. After the 30s the lock counter on that portal is decreased by 1.
    • It's not possible to lock down 4-5 (or alternatively 5-1 is permanently unlocked. This is just to ensure everyone has access to pirates)
    • Maps are locked if an enemy would have to fly through a locked map or a battle map in order to get there.
    This last important point means a coordinated group of 5 or more players can defend their entire uppers map by staying in x-5 and camping the portal to 4-4. High level players could ambush them from behind if they can get through x-BL. x-1 will remain locked so long as x-2 is locked, even if x-3 and x-4 aren't. The star system has structure again, instead of being a jumbled mess where every map is connected to every other map. AJP cpu still works to save people time when getting from place to place, and doesn't break other features. The wormhole is now way more useful since it can dump you in places the CPU can't if everything is locked down. Attacking and raiding (and defending!) is now actually strategic instead of a fist pounding competition.

    Please consider.
     
    -uberpaul- and cs70 like this.
  2. A bit complicated but it might work, but requires a lot of team effort to begin with so this might not click the instant it is implemented, same thing as to beacons, space ball works well but only strong bullies could play it, no other newbies or noobs can even get near the damn ball without being killed before the rewards are dropped, not to mention sneaky looters are cloaked in the area to steal the rewards so its pretty much a snowball for those who has the edge.

    Map lock could work instead rather than Jump lock on players trying to use the Advance Jump CPU:
    • Players who uses the Advance Jump CPU on an enemy Map (x-2,x-3,x-4,x-5,x-6,x-7,x-8) will be locked on that map and cannot use any portals to jump out.
    • Jump CPUs to jump the player on their home map cannot be used while Advance Jump CPU is still on cooldown
    • Players cannot get out of the map while their AJP is still on cooldown
    • Enemy players who jumps on your Home maps will be revealed on your minimap
    • Destroying enemy invaders will give you bonus rewards for your achievement (Any available keys currently on event, Obsidian, Red or blue booty keys, apocalypse keys etc.) NOTE: This only works once a week and only works against level 20 enemies.
    • Enemies who kills Home company players will receive double the honor rewarded to them, capped at 10 kills (20 times the normal honor rewarded) Only works once on the same player, so killing the same player over and over again will not increase your honor threshold reward.
     
  3. No. I've already been the first on English forums to propose a comprehensive advanced jump CPU rework.

    Its a very simple solution: 1) Only allow players to use the Jump CPU to jump to their own maps--disable the access to jump to all enemy and neutral maps. 2) Disable the option for players to log-out/warp ship on enemy and neutral maps.

    Therefore, enemies can no longer jump directly to enemy maps, nor can they park/logout/warp their main ship to enemy maps. This is a very easy fix, no need to complicate it.
     
    ._.Sparrow._. and -uberpaul- like this.
  4. this would probably work better tbh, thanks
     
  5. Same thing to what i was trying to explain, too bad good ideas like this are just a pipe dream people would imagine having it in the game.

    Nice fix too, that will majorly change how PVP works at certain parts of the game.
     
    -uberpaul- likes this.
  6. It wasn't really the CPU that killed portal defence, it was the ban waves that killed off the majority of the player base so defending portals became less potent because of less people passing through them. I don't actually know what this suggestion is, remove advanced CPU? Then people gotta manually travel everywhere and that's just annoying. I could understand a restriction to not jump literally the entire galaxy from X-1 map to X-8, but to just remove it completely would negatively influence the game quality.
     
  7. Yep, bring back the good ol' days!!

    -FT

    The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination
     
  8. Or another theory, maybe the introduction of Clan Battle Stations converted all the old portal defenders into CBS defenders.
    Read my simple 2 step solution to this issue in the comment above.
     
  9. That's a good point, that might of been the case but I think portal defending also just got dull with the huge damage increases.
     
  10. I was one of the players that advocated the use of a jump chip to circumvent the lazy buggers that camped on portals waiting for the smaller players to show up and gorge on the ship kills. It might have a little impact on the appearance of ships, but seems to be much better than what it was.
     
  11. Bakjam

    Bakjam User

    I think there are too many maps to remove the advanced jump CPU. Furthermore there is always the option of 'parking' a ship in a map and then logging out, switching to that ship and then switch ship once you are on that map (although this could be fixed). Nevertheless I am for, for as long as maps like 5-1 are instantly removed and some shortcuts are made. Last but not least I am not a fan of the suggested mechanic to reveal players on the minimap; I think it would make it way too hard to remain somewhat undetected.
     
  12. I remember when portals in lowers always had players guarding them. The game definitely changed with the jump chip. Your suggestion seems like a lot of new code to deploy and debug and newbs would suffer the most without the portal protections. How about preventing enemy from jumping into enemy maps or logging into MCC battle stations on enemy maps, but allowing for a jump back to friendly territory. You would revive the portal defense with players being forced to fly into enemy territory, but you would still allow players to jump back to friendly territory. I still would like newb groups to feel like they could try a raid. If they cannot jump out, but have to run, it would be suicide and would eliminate another small area of the game.