As Republic I generally abstain from Hutt Ball

[Atralis]

I acknowledge that Empire play it about 5 times as much as Republic and that as with everything, practice makes perfect, so if Empire seem to be steamrolling us I leave.

 

As long as they play the thing a hundred times more than any other warzone combined then we aren't going to do well in it.

[Shivus]

You need maybe 10 games (if that) in huttball to master the concept, it's about as complex as throwing a magnet into a larger magnet of opposite polarity.

[Cegenaus]

i wish could abstain huttball too but it comes up 4/5 matches unfortunately

[Ikagawa]

The only random element of Huttball is the stupid air cannons

[origional]

Huttball is friggin brilliant. Absoloutely love it. Nice small environment with some cool obstacles and traps to get people in to , plus the tactical side of it.

 

All it needs is Cheerleaders.

[Verain]

Huttball is the worst battleground in any MMO that I've ever seen. Absolutely ludicrous.

 

 

Part of the problem here is that Huttball isn't a warzone- it's actually a sport. And just like if the X-Men went to play soccer, some classes are way good and others are friggin awful. And also like a sport, if you get your teammates by random draw, the odds are pretty good you don't have a team. Picture a football team with no quarterback, or way too much D and not very much O.

 

 

I stay in a huttball if I know the names of the friendlies from other BGs. Otherwise, I've been leaving since about level 20 (been 50 for a couple weeks now). Huttball sucks. I'm hoping that as BW releases more WZs, I'll see it less and less. Certainly Voidstard and Alderaan are fun!

 

The speeders to east and west need to take a bit longer in Alderaan. One guy with a dot can defend that node by spawn rushing, and that is unfortunate.

[Pulpp]

I drop Huttball immediately unless I fall into one where we are already ahead. I just don't enjoy it and that's probably why I will never bother with WZ on an empire alt.

[Roak]

people dropping and leaving us undermanned is part of the problem, yes, you are part of the problem.

[Verain]

Well, they could put a deserter debuff in, like in WoW.

 

My main is a scoundrel. I'm not normally specced healing. The only utility I offer is to approach someone who is on the ground and either solo them or peel off some people who SHOULD be helping the ball to come kill me. If I get on the scaffolding, I get immediately knocked back. In huttball, I'm the ball. Many times I've been deathgripped up to someone, and then his buddy knocks me into fire.

 

It's stupid because it isn't pvp. The obstacles are a huge problem, and I have little control over them. Being stealthed is a joke on a map where such a huge part of it is narrow catwalks, and having no charge, deathgrip, or knockback puts me clearly into the category of gimped idiot.

 

These are problems I have. But, on my alts, I play it sometimes where I have some of these tools- but I still see issues such as unstoppable Guardian/Juggy, or way too good tank + heal + peel combinations. A few people who know there role just flat out win the BG, and of course, those guys are almost always on the other team as my main is Republic.

 

 

So yea, I leave. If everyone leaves, the game will end, and then we can get a real map. Yayyyyy other maps!

[BoDiE]

Huttball sucks. That is all.

[McVade]

Huttball is a phenomenal concept, but it fails as a game that's Pug friendly.

 

Let's be honest... when "attack the flag carrier" or "fight at the node" is to complicated of an objective for the average pugger too handle, dealing with passing, dodging fire/acid, dealing with knockbacks all the while "attacking the enemy flag carrier"... it's too much to ask. Games come down to whoever has the fewest "randoms" on their team - Random being the typical pugger who ignores objectives in favor of the closest red name.

 

I would love to see two amazing, premade teams go at it in Huttball. You could probably sell tickets to that, literally.

Edited January 20, 2012 by McVade

[Zaodon]

As Republic I generally abstain from Hutt Ball.

 

Abstinence isn't the answer.

 

Use protection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a tank shield you.

What did you think I meant?

[Darth_Philar]

I think that Huttball should be removed from the regular WZ queue and placed in its own queue, and I say this as a guy who loves it.

 

I think that people dedicated to playing the sport should have the option to play the game with other people who are dedicated and people who don't want to play it shouldn't be a burden on those who do.

[Hethroin]

As a republic re-roll, I cannot agree with this. Last night I had what I would call the most enjoyable WZ in this game sense its release. It was a Hutt ball (lvl 50 bracket) where both teams had a nice mix classes, a few srocs/sages, a few shadows/sins, and a few juggernaut/guardians. It went back and forth all game finally ending with 30 kills per side, and a score of 4 to 4. We won by killing their carrier with the last 15 seconds of the match.

 

The biggest issue I see pug republics having is not clearing their side's walkways of sorcs and intercede targets. This is a big part of playing defense on this map.

[Archendrus]

Not a fan of huttball either. I'm not a fan of quick match style pvp in general, but huttball...it's a sport, and I don't really care for sports. It's not that I suck at it, it's just not fun. I don't like the concept.

[Mystry]

My main is a scoundrel. I'm not normally specced healing.

 

One of the many reasons Republic gets steamrolled. If your class has a healing spec, *********** be a healer in PvP. The moment I see a sage or scoundrel not healing and throwing rocks/shooting shotguns, I take guard off them, put it on someone else, and stop taunting/ccing the guys attacking them.

[Grometsc]

I never thought something could be worse then strainds...then I found hutball

 

 

Seriously all these warzone designers need a lesson on what would be considered "fun" for pvp.

[GRINnBARRETT]

Hell I love Huttball but as a repub I only get it 10% of the time. I had to roll an Empire character just so I could enjoy Huttball.

[Fonitrus]

Well, they could put a deserter debuff in, like in WoW.

 

My main is a scoundrel. I'm not normally specced healing. The only utility I offer is to approach someone who is on the ground and either solo them or peel off some people who SHOULD be helping the ball to come kill me. If I get on the scaffolding, I get immediately knocked back. In huttball, I'm the ball. Many times I've been deathgripped up to someone, and then his buddy knocks me into fire.

 

It's stupid because it isn't pvp. The obstacles are a huge problem, and I have little control over them. Being stealthed is a joke on a map where such a huge part of it is narrow catwalks, and having no charge, deathgrip, or knockback puts me clearly into the category of gimped idiot.

 

These are problems I have. But, on my alts, I play it sometimes where I have some of these tools- but I still see issues such as unstoppable Guardian/Juggy, or way too good tank + heal + peel combinations. A few people who know there role just flat out win the BG, and of course, those guys are almost always on the other team as my main is Republic.

 

 

So yea, I leave. If everyone leaves, the game will end, and then we can get a real map. Yayyyyy other maps!

 

you have stealth and no other benefits?? really? stealth means you can hang in the endzone near the corner fences and avoid the catwalks. have a secondary teammate on the side area of the fence ready to pass to you. you can have 2 stealthers covering this corner. and then have your team push the side area. from centre to side platform = 1 pass. from side platform to corner down of fence area = 2nd pass. from side of fence to endszone side of fence = 1 pass and the short walk = WIN..

so 3 passes and you have a win.

 

the initial gameplan would be for your team to grab the ball and hol until the side stealthers are in position. YES YOU. dont kill people. this is not a deathmatch. use your abilities. if noobs dotn wanna pass TELL THEM. its about winning the match not farming medals. a loss with 8 medals still overall is less than a win without any medals.

 

huttball is one of the greatest things an MMO has ever come up as and I feel strongly this becoming a good e-sport or at least feature in the next Cyber Games so we get mroe support and work arround making more maps in a Arena style and have proper teams 8 premades not just noobs crying they cant deathmatch on the platforms

Edited January 24, 2012 by Fonitrus

[Puzzlybox]

Offense:

Control mid.

Run ahead of ball carrier.

Control "elbows" (the upper and lower part of the catwalks that are L-shape)

Peel offense back as cap is more and more assured to...control mid.

 

Defense:

Try and control mid.

Run ahead of ball carrier.

Kill ballcarrier's "options" (people who are ahead of him that are viable pass targets in viable pass lanes).

Control mid in case they throw it away or it's a botched pass.

 

It's not incredibly complex. There is a complexity in execution, but not a complexity in strategy and proper play.

 

Alot of the mistakes I see in pug play is the lack of emphasis in holding mid. They see it as a point of contention only when the ball is going to be spawned. Mid is crucial to winning the game. You see them try to zerg the premade tank with the ball, the entire team overextends, and the premade has a plethora of open passing lanes and a ball grabber holding mid that can just chain score 4 times in one minute.

 

EDIT: Oh. And if you can facetank damage, build a white resolve bar before crossing catwalks/fire if passing options aren't available.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Puzzlybox

[Fonitrus]

Offense:

Control mid.

Run ahead of ball carrier.

Control "elbows" (the upper and lower part of the catwalks that are L-shape)

Peel offense back as cap is more and more assured to...control mid.

 

Defense:

Try and control mid.

Run ahead of ball carrier.

Kill ballcarrier's "options" (people who are ahead of him that are viable pass targets in viable pass lanes).

Control mid in case they throw it away or it's a botched pass.

 

It's not incredibly complex. There is a complexity in execution, but not a complexity in strategy and proper play.

 

Alot of the mistakes I see in pug play is the lack of emphasis in holding mid. They see it as a point of contention only when the ball is going to be spawned. Mid is crucial to winning the game. You see them try to zerg the premade tank with the ball, the entire team overextends, and the premade has a plethora of open passing lanes and a ball grabber holding mid that can just chain score 4 times in one minute.

 

EDIT: Oh. And if you can facetank damage, build a white resolve bar before crossing catwalks/fire if passing options aren't available.

 

exactly. once more people get on board how awesome both the game and the metagame in this is we are going to see some awesome matches.

 

I will no longer be a zerg to middle and see how we go. you gonna see specific openers and almost chesslike strategy that you would need to counter to stop the ball moving all over the place. so far everyone thats not premade and has no idea what the game is about tries to walk the ball themselves alone from mid to endzone. they never pass even if its the best possible open person available.

 

cant wait for 8 man premade.

[Darth_Gao_Gao]

i think huttball rules. yup.

[Ashanor]

Hate Huttball. Worst instanced PvP I have ever experience in all my years of online gaming.

[TrashMinky]

Well, they could put a deserter debuff in, like in WoW.

 

Eventually, yes.

 

Now, no.

• Right now there are still glaring bugs that would make deserter a rage-inducer.
  
• People still get stuck in the rooms, unable to leave before the timer counts down. Yes, longer than 60 seconds.
  
• I've died and been unable to release, frantically hitting release trying to beat the timer. No matter how hard you click the mouse over release, it just ends up with you having a broken mouse.
  
• Lag-release. I've released, the box went away, I ended up in the res room, and sat lying down for 20 seconds. This has caused me to miss the door for another cycle, ending in a deserter.
  

There are more bugs, but typing them out again is more frustrating than helpful after reporting them several times.

[AesirUesugi]

I love huttball. It can get annoying playing it 3/4 of the time, but thats purely because sometimes group composition is far off ideal and that as soon as someone scores droves will leave.

 

Just the tactical aspect is brilliant. Ive played a tonne of HB matches on my main and I know pretty confidently what my roll is as a DPS Merc. Clear the path of ballcarriers using knockbacks, off heals, dominate the catwalks, knockback and stun in acid/fire, destroy people who clump together. Now Ive rolled an alt warrior and suddenly everything has changed and Im relishing and really enjoying the challenge of learning it.

 

With the other warzones this is much less the case.