It's actually optional how spawn points are shown, current Deathmatch has spawn point viewing and selecting off.

I do think it misses some aspect with big maps currently as the chance to meet anyone is very low (except with very high player counts) as nothing draws you to go to a specific place.

Not sure what to do about it. In some early talk one idea was that there would be something in the center of the map, luring players towards it, and spawnpoints would only be located more near the edge areas. Teddy Hunt like random drops + markers would be another way. Generally having respawning loot at interesting sites in the map could be another one.

That would probably be better, to have spawn points not shown.

If you can't choose the spawn point, it would also mean that there'd be a random element to how long it would take for the player you've just killed to get back to the place you shot him to try and get his stuff back/get revenge.


I think that some sort of distance marker between players - let's call it the "radar" marker - becomes pretty much required then. Maybe the red target marker could be used for this purpose.

I'm not a programmer, but I would imagine that wouldn't be too hard to implement, since the game already uses the concept of radiuses, e.g. spawn-blocking.

I'm not sure of the distance for the radar - maybe the target symbol appears on-screen when you are within somewhere between 100-200 metres of another player. Small enough that players can find each other on the map, but big enough that there's plenty of space for sneaking up behind another player, even if he knows your somewhere in the vicinity.


I think the early idea of having something in the middle of the map to draw players there, with the intention that players could find each other more easily, would be better accomplished with the radar. Why focus the action on a small part of the map when you can use the whole thing equally and still have players find each other?

Having respawning loot points, though, would be a good way of keeping some players circulating round the map. I think they'd be better distributed evenly around the playing area area. They should spawn randomly at quite a large number of places, so as to avoid having a player setting up a defensive position by a loot-spawning point and "farming" it. The loot spawns should reward the roaming hunter-gatherer rather than the sedentary farmer.

When I say that loot should spawn at a "large number of places" I mean potentially more than a hundred locations on the map.

Most of the loot you get in the regular game comes from dead enemy, which can happen anywhere in the playing area.

So there shouldn't be a dozen loot spawn locations that everybody comes to memorise the locations of - there should be so many that the best way to find them is just to wander around all over the place rather than go on a routine run between a few fixed locations.

The loot crates in the regular game contain several items of loot, but there tend to be only one or two of them on the map. In this PvP format, I think they should just have one random item of loot in them. Instead, there'd probably be more of them on the map to find.

There's also the added advantage that the crates need to be exploded to open, which could alert other players to one's presence.

A similar system could be used for rare weapon boxes.

I'm really digging the gameplay I can imagine a combination of spawning loot and a radar would provide.

Having loot dispersed around the map means that you're not running around aimlessly trying to find the enemy, you're playing the game of searching for and picking up loot. So in itself a sort of mini-game.

Not only do I currently see the radar as being the best way of having players find each other when there are low player numbers, I feel it would also be a great dramatic device in its own right.

Imagine: you're running around looking for the loot crates, picking up some nice bits and pieces - all nice, safe fun. It's a happy life! But then a red target appears on the screen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MK6ya_ud0c

Or instead you could be Jaws - the hunter - and roam the map looking for that sweet red target to appear on the screen!

If you like, it'll be a bit like going back to our primal roots, back to the hunter-gatherer lives we humans as a species have lived for most of our existence. Players will wander the landscape, like their ancient forebears, gathering loot. Then there will be the hunting - both as the hunter and hunted! And survival of the fittest, of course - there can be only one Ultimate Warrior!

Use of radar, has another benefit: it offers breaks in intensity. We all know PvP play is more intense than co-op. Having the radar function would mean there would be points in the game (probably less the more players there were) where one knew one was safe from getting killed, and hence little breaks from the intensity.

I wrote previously that the red target could appear when near enemy. Alternatively, it could be that the blue shield is also used, so it would switch between the blue shield and red target depending on whether one was a "safe" distance from another player.

Another advantage of using the radar/enemy player warning feature is it would speed up the time it takes until the action starts. As long as the target symbol isn't showing, you'd be able to run across the map at full speed without worry of the enemy. Without the radar, movement across the map would be a lot slower, because an enemy could be encountered at any point. This would make a big difference for smaller numbers of players and would make 1v1 eminently playable.

It'd be a bit like the tactical move bonus you get in some war games - a bonus move if a unit is beyond a certain distance from the enemy.

Are the grid squares the same size on all the maps? If so, I'm thinking a radius of around 5 or 6 grid squares in length around a player for the enemy warning symbol would be about right. It would be good to tie it to the grid squares as an easy frame of reference for the players.

Deatmatch 19:00 GMT anyone?

Deathmatch 209.126.101.5 1234 USA, St. Louis pvp1

... is this a some phone number & address? ........

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Sad that the server didnt work correct.

Have the developers formed any further thoughts about how the new team PvP format will work?

I'm still unsure of the benefits of persistent RP and inventory for this. Since they add an additional layer of complexity to the game, maybe it would be best to leave them out of the intitial play-testing of the new format? Test the game mechanics of the new format first, see how it plays and whether it needs any adjustments. Then decide how to develop it further for a persistent profile plan.

A first test iteration is already largely set up. There are no loot items, RP max value is at 1000 RP, you get XP and RP roughly from all the same things and a similar amount, with amounts reconfigured throughout. No minibosses, hence no rare weapons, for now. Comms trucks and towers are disabled. Border base proximity capture logic is in. The headquarters concept is not there.

Stuff should go live today or tomorrow at least on some test servers. We'll adjust things as we go.