A never-ending "onslaught" like mode

[anonnn]

My only question is....do we make the barrel types random, or are they all explosive? My only thought in regards to explosive barrels is that upon explosion they should be able to 1 hit K.O. weak units. Maybe you could buy Trip Mines to put around your base (that act just like the various barrels)?

...

 

Both barrels and mines would be a fun addition too.

 

Mines you could literally plan ahead if you know a certain round by heart, and know when an Elite is going to be spawning to drop all your mines for that level in the same location where a tough Elite will step on them shortly after spawning. Mines would be proximity-detonated, while barrels would have to be shot by someone in the group at the right moment to explode and do damage to anything near them.

 

Barrels would be interesting if they weren't detonated by Force Wave, Force Push, Vanguard's grappling hook, or Commando's AOE push, yet would be movable by all those methods, sort of like arranging the Isotope-5 Canisters in Toborro's Courtyard.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Ok so maybe I jumped the gun on that last post you guys are in fact worth researching for my old thread http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=764106 my bad

@Darth__Reaver: I hope you don't mind, but I've linked your thread over to this thread to try to get more input on both/either of them. Edited November 18, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Lecto]

Barrels would be interesting if they weren't detonated by Force Wave, Force Push, Vanguard's grappling hook, or Commando's AOE push, yet would be movable by all those methods, sort of like arranging the Isotope-5 Canisters in Toborro's Courtyard.

 

I really like this idea!! Again, it's something that already exists in game.....you could move the barrels around the map in-between rounds that way. The real question is, would you have the "bonus mission" pop before the round starts or after....part of me wants to say before so you could plan for it....but part of me says that makes things too easy.

[anonnn]

I really like this idea!! Again, it's something that already exists in game.....you could move the barrels around the map in-between rounds that way. The real question is, would you have the "bonus mission" pop before the round starts or after....part of me wants to say before so you could plan for it....but part of me says that makes things too easy.

 

Yes, a short period of time in-between rounds would be a natural way to provide time for barrel arrangement, which would reward highly experienced players with a potential to better guarantee their survival during each round. Maybe it's possible to have only barrels that explode when shot (also detonating any barrels that are nearby)... and also provide proximity-detonation packs that players can slap on barrels to make them auto-detonate when an enemy gets close to the barrel.

 

With those 2 elements it would provide for a fairly wide range of player-created strategies, and the question ends up: . what's the right balance of how many barrels (and how many proximity-detonation packs) to put on the map.

[Darth__Reaver]

@Darth__Reaver: I hope you don't mind, but I've linked your thread over to this thread to try to get more input on both/either of them.

 

I'm all for it. Love this idea

[G_Hosa_Phat]

In an attempt to consolidate all of the ideas that we've accumulated thus far on this topic, I've written everything up into a bit more formal (looking) proposal outline. As a software developer, writing it up in this format really helps me to solidify things in my own mind. This outline includes a more detailed description of a number of the ideas and concepts we've proposed so far, as well as a few new implementation ideas that I came up with while writing everything out.

 

Before we get to it, though, let me warn you by saying this whole thing kinda took on a life of its own. As I was writing, thoughts would pop into my head that I felt needed some sort of answer or explanation in the documentation. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten around to trying to nail down the specific "Special Abilities" (I've referred to them below as "Onslaught Abilities") we were discussing, but I've got a section reserved for them when I (or someone else with a much better mind towards game mechanics and balancing) can come up with some solid ideas. The ideas that I have defined in that section definitely still need work, but I've tried to come up with good ways to implement them. Admittedly, I haven't translated the suggestions I DO have from the Republic section down to their counterparts in the Empire section yet, mainly due to laziness, but as we start to get feedback, we can populate this out a little more.

 

Among other things, in this outline, I've introduced the concept of "objective points" that players need to defend as a part of the game. This came up as a solution to a couple of potential issues, as well as a way to help encourage people to play as a group rather than solo (I still want to be able to play solo, but I found a really decent way to incentivize playing in groups, over and above greater rewards).

 

There are also a few places where I've proposed some alternative methods of implementation. Probably most notably to those of us following this thread in the area of how to purchase items (Support Units and Tools) used by players during the game. I was thinking about this, and I think I would prefer to institute my alternate idea of "requisition points", rather than using any in-game currency like credits or commendations. That way, rewards can be rewards, without having to worry about how much/many you spent during the game.

 

Anyway, I've been working on this thing for over a week now, so I'm going to go ahead and post it in all its "wall of text" glory! I've used spoiler tags to try to keep it from being too daunting. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

C.Y.A. bit: All property names, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, etc. are the property of their respective owners and are used in this document solely for reference purposes.

 

SWTOR PvE Arenas – Onslaught

Onslaught Overview

 

PvE Arenas (also known as "Onslaught") is a proposed new game mode for Star Wars: The Old Republic to add to such existing game modes as Warzones and Galactic Starfighter. This game mode, based on similar survival game modes designed for FPS games (a la Gears of War, Call of Duty, HALO, et al), is designed as a sort of "mini-game", for which the objective is simply to survive and defend a specific objective as long as possible against waves of AI enemies of ever-increasing difficulty.

 

Onslaught is an "instanced" game, similar to a Flashpoint or Operation that can be played by 1 to 16 (or more, depending on game engine limitations) characters of level 10 or greater. Players can queue for an Onslaught game in one of four ways: 1) As a solo player playing by themselves, 2) As a solo player looking for a group, 3) As a pre-made group playing by themselves or 4) As a pre-made group looking for more players. In the "LFG" queues, the player or team (hereafter referred to simply as a "team") can specify the size of the team they want.

 

Teams participating in Onslaught will receive rewards of in-game currencies (credits and Basic, Elite and Ultimate Commendations), as well as possible additional rewards (see "Onslaught Rewards" below) based on the number of waves completed.

 

 

Onslaught Gameplay

 

The basic premise for the Onslaught game mode is simple. The team must survive as long as possible against a never-ending "onslaught" of enemies while defending your main base, or "Bastion" (see "The Bastion" below). Onslaught games are divided into "rounds" and "waves" for scoring purposes (see "Waves, Rounds and Preparation Phases" below). The longer the team can survive (i.e., the more waves the team successfully complete), the greater the team's reward.

 

The base AI enemy difficulty and spawn count/rate of each Onslaught game instance is scaled depending on the number of players, as well as the character level(s) on the team. Additionally, the rewards for survival also scale according to the character composition of the team. The rewards scale is primarily based on character level, since the distribution of the rewards amongst all of the players on the team effectively provides the "scaling" for the number of players.

 

When a player enters the queue for a game of Onslaught, they will be required to select the primary role that they will be fulfilling for the team with their character (tank, DPS, healing). In addition to the role selection, there will be an "Immediate Start" selection if the team would prefer to just jump into the action without waiting for more players. In the case of a pre-made team, this option would be available to the Group Leader. The role selection will help in finding a team with a balanced mix of characters, as well as determining which Onslaught Ability to assign to each character (see "Onslaught Abilities" below). However, some Advanced Classes will be limited in their selection options (e.g., a Jedi Sage/Sith Sorcerer cannot select the "Tank" role).

 

Once a team enters the Onslaught queue, they are placed on a random Onslaught map (or Arena), and given a specific objective point to defend, which becomes identified as the team's Bastion. The Bastion may be one of multiple possible objective points in any given Arena to increase the randomness of the game, but only one objective point can be the team's Bastion for that particular instance of the Onslaught game. Teams that are large enough (or very bold small teams and solo players) may even be able to spread their forces across multiple objective points in order to help keep from being overwhelmed at any single objective point. Additionally, the size of the Arena would be chosen based on the size of the team, and would determine exactly how many objective points are available.

 

Also selectable when entering the Onslaught queue will be a difficulty modifier (see "Difficulty Modifiers" below), which, again similar to the Flashpoint and Operation system, will give the team the option to play in Normal Mode, Hard Mode or Nightmare Mode. The default selection will be for Normal Mode, but teams who want a greater challenge (and, thus, greater rewards) can select one of these options prior to starting the instance.

 

Difficulty Modifiers

Similar to Flashpoints and Operations, teams that want to really challenge themselves will have the ability to select from playing Onslaught in Normal, Hard and Nightmare modes. Selecting either the Hard or Nightmare mode modifier will cause the game instance to start out at a higher difficulty level than it would on Normal mode, and also increase the difficulty from one wave to the next more quickly. In addition to the increased challenge, teams will also earn increased rewards from playing Onslaught with one of these difficulty modifiers in effect. Some rewards may even be limited to playing at a certain difficulty level.

 

Since the Onslaught game is already designed to scale to the team composition, playing with difficulty modifiers enabled will be limited to teams of more than one player. Specifically, to start Onslaught in Hard mode, the team must have at least four players, while a Nightmare mode game requires at least eight players. If a solo player or a smaller team entering the Onslaught queue chooses one of these difficulty modifiers, they will automatically be placed in the LFG queue to wait for the minimum number of other players required for that level.

 

Rounds, Waves and Preparation Phases

As described above, an Onslaught game is divided into an infinite number of rounds defined by a group of five consecutive waves. Waves are identified by the spawning of a specific group of enemies that a team must defeat, either through the total annihilation of all enemies in the wave, or some alternate win condition which may come into play as the game progresses (see "Alternate Win Conditions" below). As the Onslaught game and each individual round progresses, the waves become increasingly difficult, with some variation of either a larger number of enemies, more powerful enemies being spawned, or some combination of the two. The fifth wave in each round will generally be reserved as either a "boss" round, during which at least one very powerful (relative to the character composition of the team) enemy is spawned, or a "bonus" round where the team is given the opportunity to acquire additional rewards and/or special Support Units and Tools to use in later rounds.

 

At the end of each wave, players are given a brief period to recuperate and prepare for the next wave, referred to here as the "preparation phase". At the beginning of a new Onslaught game, the team is given up to three minutes to prepare their initial defenses. Then, between each wave in a round, teams are only given one minute to heal up, make any emergency repairs/upgrades/purchases, and to get ready for the next wave. Upon successful completion of all waves in a round, the team will again have up to three minutes of preparation time before the first wave of the next round begins. If the team does not need the full time allotted for the preparation phase, they can identify themselves as ready by having each team member click on the console at the Bastion or any other objective point(s) the team currently controls and select the option to indicate that they are ready to start the next wave. When all members of the team have indicated that they are ready, or at the end of the preparation phase, a ten-second timer will alert the team that the next wave is getting ready to start (e.g., "Next Wave Begins In 10... 9...", etc.) to give all team members time to get back into position from a controlled objective point.

 

Alternate Win Conditions

As the Onslaught game progresses, some waves may require teams to accomplish some specific sort of task in place of annihilating all of the enemies that spawn. In these waves, teams may encounter an "unbeatable" boss, or a continuous spawn of enemies that does not stop until either the task has been completed, a possible timer expires (depending on the wave), or the team fails (see "Failure" below). Examples of alternate win conditions could be attacking and destroying an enemy objective point, planting or disabling a bomb somewhere in the Arena, escorting an NPC across the Arena to a specific location, completing some sort of puzzle, etc. At the beginning of these waves (after the preparation phase), a message will be displayed on screen (e.g., "Activate the Mass Shadow Generator") to alert all players that they must achieve a different goal, similar to the Voidstar PvP Arena where players are alerted when one team has made it through each barrier.

 

A wave associated with an alternate win condition could be considered a sort of "bonus" wave, where the game can continue even if the required task is not completed for some reason (the NPC dies while being escorted, etc.). These could be either normal or boss waves, where the bonus reward (given only if the task is successfully completed) is commensurate with the difficulty of the wave.

 

In general, waves do not have any fixed time limit. There may, however, be exceptions to this for waves with alternate win conditions where teams must complete a specific task before a timer expires or some other event occurs. Any such timer or event that will end a wave will be displayed prominently on all team members' screens to let them know that they have a finite amount of time to complete the wave (e.g., "Detonation In 5:00").

 

Failure

A game of Onslaught is over when all of the player characters on the team have been defeated. If at least one player survives a wave, any players on that team who were defeated during the wave will be automatically revived and respawn in either the team's Bastion or any of the team's other controlled objective points at the start of the preparation phase. Of course, this means that a solo game would instantly end upon the defeat of the player.

 

One thing to always keep in mind, however, is that, in order for your teammates to be revived, your Bastion must be intact. If your Bastion has been destroyed, defeated teammates will not be able to respawn, and you will fight all subsequent waves without their assistance. This means that you may need to spend time and resources repairing your Bastion during the preparation phase if it has taken damage.

 

Players that have been defeated during a wave may continue to watch their team in the Onslaught game in "Spectator Mode", which provides a high-level view of the Arena, including overlays that display teammate and enemy positions, and they may continue to chat in the instance's chat channel.

 

Arenas

Each instance of an Onslaught game will be set in one of several possible Onslaught Arenas, randomly chosen when the team is taken from the Onslaught queue and the new instance is initiated. Onslaught Arenas will vary in size, and complexity, and may be indoors or outdoors. Some Arenas may be more "action"-style (open, bright and fast-paced), while others may be "horror"-style (enemies creeping out from dark shadows, creepy ambient noises and music, etc.). The Arena size will be determined by the size of the team participating in the specific Onslaught instance, while the specific Arena map will be randomly selected from the available maps of that size.

 

Onslaught Arenas may be on any of a number of different planets, with enemies that are appropriate to that planet's inhabitants. For example, an Arena on Tatooine might start with waves of Womprats, progress to Jawas and/or Sandpeople, and could even have Krayt Dragons spawn for bonus or boss waves. The planets will include at least some subset of the planets currently existing in SWTOR. However, due to the "enclosed" nature of these Arenas, it may be possible to add Arenas located on planets that do not yet exist in-game (e.g., Kashyyyk, Dantooine, Naboo, etc.). When queuing for an Onslaught game, teams will be able to select on which planet they want to play. If they prefer, however, they can select an option that, before selecting a random Arena, the queue will select a random planet. As long as the team is in queue, they will have the opportunity to change their selection (either a specific planet, or a random one).

 

As an alternative to the teams specifically choosing which planet on which they want to play, an interface could be provided to allow the players to vote for one of three planets randomly selected by the game. Whichever planet gets the most votes is the one for which an Arena will be selected. If the team does not like any of the planets provided, they can also vote for a "None of the Above" option, which will initiate the random selection of a planet/Arena from ALL of the available planets/Arenas (including the three planets that were originally provided for a vote).

 

Objective Points

Objective points are locations within an Arena that the team can use to set up their defenses. When an Onslaught Arena is selected, one of the objective points in that Arena will be selected as the team's Bastion (see below) – the most important objective point in the Arena, and the one that should be defended at all costs. Depending on the size of the Arena, there may or may not be multiple objective points.

 

Similar to the Alderaan and Novare Coast PvP Warzones, control of objective points can be gained by having one or more players activate/use a control panel at that objective point. They will need to remain stationary while the objective point is being "captured" until notified that it is under your team's control. Once an objective point is under the team's control, you can begin setting up additional defenses to protect it. Be aware, however, that some enemies will actively seek out these additional objective points to destroy them.

 

Once under the team's control, an objective point can be fortified with turrets, special fences/walls/shields, bacta tanks, etc., all purchasable as additional Support Units and Tools. Additional controlled objective points can provide a way to stop or slow down the advancement of the enemies to the Arena's Bastion. Another benefit to controlling multiple objective points is that, while the Bastion cannot be moved from one objective point to another, defeated teammates who are revived between waves can choose any of the objective points that the team controls at which to respawn.

 

The Bastion

The Bastion is the team's primary defensive objective point. It is also the primary target of the waves of enemies against which the team is trying to survive. Defending this position is extremely important, as this is the primary and default location where defeated teammates can be revived between waves, and where Support Units and Tools can be purchased. A possibility exists for certain "special events" to occur at the Bastion as well, such as the spawning of "boost" items (similar to those that spawn in Warzones), the appearance of an extra NPC, or other similar beneficial or bonus events.

 

Support Units and Tools

During each preparation phase, teams are given the opportunity to purchase Support Units and Tools to use in defense of their Bastion and controlled objective points. These Support Units and Tools may be offensive or defensive types of units, and may include turrets (both automatic and manned), NPC Infantry Squads, NPC Heroes, NPC Medics, etc. Additionally, teams can purchase additional defensive/offensive Tools to help them in other ways, such as shields, fences, kolto barrels, bacta tanks, proximity mines, destructible barrels of varying type (explosive, concussive, poison, etc.), as well as any other potential Tools that may be implemented. A list of specific examples of suggested Support Units and Tools and possible implementation methods will follow this outline (Appendix A).

 

Support Units and Tools can be purchased through the use of a special currency - Onslaught Requisition Points. A set amount of these requisition points will be granted to the team at the start of each preparation phase. These may be divided amongst the individual players on a team, granted only to the team leader or put into a "requisition pool" from which all team members may draw. However, any requisition points granted are only available to be used during the specific game instance during which they are issued. Upon failure, any leftover requisition points are converted into additional rewards commensurate with the team's progress in the game. The conversion rate, however, is heavily weighted so that the greater reward is gained by actually completing the wave/round. For example, requisition points left over from the first round might be totally forfeit, while later rounds would convert these to a small amount of credits or a lower-tier base reward than that of the current round.

 

As the game starts, only some basic Support Units and Tools are available for purchase. However, as the game progresses, more options become available, and Support Units and Tools that are still intact may be upgraded and/or repaired, while those that have been destroyed may be replaced by better versions.

 

Support Units and Tools can be purchased through the use of a "drop-ship" from which items can be purchased through a UI similar to the Galactic Stronghold decoration interface.

 

An alternative to the drop-ship UI concept would be to place a vendor at any controlled objective point. The vendor would have some basic self-defense AI and simple weapons/armor (blaster, shield generator, etc.), but the team defending that objective point would need to also protect this vendor. If the vendor dies due to the inability of the player/team to defend them, they would not be able to purchase/upgrade any of their Support Units or tools until said vendor was able to respawn (one wave).

 

 

Onslaught Rewards

 

A game of Onslaught will reward teams in the form of in-game currencies of credits and Commendations. Other types of rewards, such as a potential new "Survival Commendations" which could be used to purchase items from an Onslaught Vendor on the player's faction fleet station, or some form of trophies/Stronghold decorations, or possibly even Cartel Coins may also be awarded. The reward amount and specific currency type depends on the number of waves the team is able to complete. Teams surviving through only the first few waves (not completing a full round) may only be awarded a sum of credits, while teams surviving into subsequent rounds may begin receiving Commendations of increasing value as they progress through more and more difficult enemies.

 

At the start of each preparation phase, teams are awarded a set amount of "Onslaught Requisition Points" to use for the purchase of any Support Units and Tools they want to use for that wave. These up-front grants can be spent or saved for future waves where more powerful Support Units and Tools are available. For example, an extremely powerful Support Unit (such as a Basilisk War Droid) might be available later in the game for a very high cost. The team can choose to be thrifty in the first few rounds in order to save up for this useful Support Unit, or they can forego the high-priced, but powerful Support Unit in favor of simply adding more of the "standard" Support Units and Tools.

 

Additionally, each individual player will be competing in a ladder ranking system similar to the PvP tournament seasons. At the end of each Onslaught "season", the top players for that season based on their individual score (see "Scoring" below) would receive some sort of special reward commensurate with their achievement in the Onslaught Arena.

 

Unlike PvP where players do not suffer durability damage by competing, to bring Onslaught more in line with other types of PvE combat (Flashpoints, Operations, etc.), the player(s)' gear will need to be repaired upon death. The rewards granted by completing waves would be used to offset any repair bills. This death penalty is implemented as an abuse deterrent to prevent players from acquiring an inordinate amount of rewards by just jumping into an Onslaught game and intentionally dying.

 

As an alternative to this method, rewards might only be granted for successful completion of a wave. If a wave is not completed through either annihilation or an alternate win condition (i.e., the team is defeated before the win condition is met), no reward is granted. However, it seems that the former solution would be preferable so that anyone that participates gets some sort of reward, even if they are unable to complete a single wave.

 

Scoring

Similar to PvP Warzones, scoring of a game of Onslaught is based on a number of factors. Each player on a team in an Onslaught game will score points based on their performance. Players earn points for such things as the number of enemies they defeat, the successful capturing and continued control of any secondary objective points, defense of an objective point (based on proximity to the objective point), healing done, etc. Teams also earn increasing point values for the number of waves they are able to survive, and these points are evenly distributed amongst the individual players at the end of the Onslaught game.

 

Similar to the system currently implemented for Galactic Starfighter, Onslaught games will keep track of the amount of time a player has been actively participating in the game instance. If a player has not been contributing to the team's progress in any way (i.e., they are just standing around without attacking enemies, healing allies or otherwise actively defending the team's Bastion), they're score (and ultimately their rewards for the game) will be dramatically reduced.

 

Additionally, if a player is disconnected or dropped early from a game, they will only be able to earn rewards based on the amount of the game to which they've actually contributed. There is also a possibility that some players may join a game already in progress, either by invitation (if this is a feasible option for the Development team to implement) or by random placement from the Onslaught queue. This participation tracking will also be used to fairly distribute rewards to these players based on their contribution.

 

 

Onslaught Abilities

 

A specific set of new special abilities would be created for Onslaught games with the intention of helping teams turn the tide of battle when the team itself (along with any purchased Support Units and Tools) fails to provide enough defense/offense to keep from being overrun. These "Onslaught Abilities" provide either a substantial buff to the team and/or their support units, or a substantial debuff to attacking enemy units for up to 90 seconds.

 

Onslaught Abilities would be unique to the specific Advanced Class (AC) of the individual player's character, and further defined by the role selected by the player when entering the Onslaught queue. These Onslaught Abilities provide a buff/debuff appropriate to the AC (as defined by the AC descriptions outlined on the SWTOR Web site). For example, a Jedi Guardian/Sith Juggernaut that selected the "Tank" role when queuing up for an Onslaught game might have an Onslaught Ability that helps them to withstand substantially more damage while providing a more powerful "taunt" to draw enemy units away from a control objective or other player(s), while the same player that instead selects the "DPS" role at the queue prompt would instead get an Onslaught Ability that increases the movement speed and Alacrity of the character substantially while lowering the threat generation so that the character can go on a sort of "rampage" of inflicting a lot of damage very quickly. Specific Onslaught Ability suggestions will follow this outline (Appendix B).

 

Players' Onslaught Abilities have a cool down time defined in terms of number of waves rather than a specific number of seconds/minutes, and additionally would not be initially available until after the first few waves (e.g., 5 waves) have been successfully completed. However, Onslaught Abilities may be used in concert with one another to provide greater effects. For example, the suggested Jedi Guardian's "Round 'em Up" ability could be used in conjunction with the suggested Commando's "Knock 'em Down" ability to specifically deal with a large swarm of enemies that is threatening the team's Bastion.

 

Edited December 24, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Appendix A – Support Unit and Tool Suggestions

The following is a brief list of possible Support Units and Tools and implementation ideas for items teams may be able to purchase in an Onslaught game. This list is by no means exhaustive, and is not intended to provide an explicit and fully-realized definition for even those items that are presented here. Nor have I included any sort of pricing for these units, as this will be a "balance" issue that will need to be explored based on the game's rewards. This appendix is intended as "springboard" for coming up with ideas for items that would be useful and appropriate for this game mode.

 

All Support Units' and Tools' power and cost will scale according the composition of the team within the Onslaught game instance. Some of these items will be available for purchase immediately, while some require a team reach a certain round before it becomes available (see the "Available Round" note after each item's description). One possibility for this would also be that the reward for some of the "bonus" waves (see the "Alternate Win Conditions" section under "Onslaught Gameplay" above) might unlock some special types of Support Units and Tools.

 

Support Units:

 

Turrets

Turrets are AI units that can be placed around a controlled objective point to provide defensive fire to protect the objective point. Turrets are available in either "Unmanned" or "Manned" versions, the former being less expensive than the latter. Turrets must be placed on "hooks" (similar to the Galactic Stronghold decoration placement mechanics) that are within 15m of a controlled objective point.

 

Unmanned Turrets

Unmanned turrets are defensive auto-turrets that can be placed in a single location that will fire on enemy units as they enter the turret's firing radius. The accuracy and overall damage of an unmanned turret is less than that of a player-controlled manned turret of the same level.

 

Unmanned Model A: Level 1 (UA1) – The UA1 turret's AI is simple, in that it will not attempt to do any sort of threat assessment other than enemy proximity. It will not be aware if other units are taking damage, nor will it be aware of enemy strength so it will not seek out specific enemies on which to focus. Once placed, the UA1 turret cannot be moved. The UA1 turret does a moderate amount of damage.

Available Round 1+

 

Unmanned Model A: Level 2 (UA2) – The UA2 turret's AI is enhanced to be able to determine if a player ally within its firing radius is being attacked, and will turn to start firing on any enemies threatening those players. Once placed, the turret cannot be moved. The UA2 turret does a moderate amount of damage.

Available Round 2+

 

Unmanned Model A: Level 3 (UA3) – The UA3 turret's AI capability is further increased from the UA2 turret to be able to determine the strength of enemies so that it can focus fire on the strongest enemy in a group. Once placed, the turret cannot be moved. The UA3 turret does a moderate amount of damage.

Available Round 3+

 

Unmanned Model B: Level 1 (UB1) – The UB1 turret is similar to the UA1 turret in every respect, except that the UB1 turret does a large amount of damage and has increased accuracy.

Available Round 3+

 

Unmanned Model B: Level 2 (UB2) – The UB2 turret is similar to the UA2 turret in every respect, except that the UB2 turret does a large amount of damage and has increased accuracy.

Available Round 4+

 

Unmanned Model B: Level 3 (UB3) – The UB3 turret is similar to the UA3 turret in every respect, except that the UB3 turret does a large amount of damage and has increased accuracy.

Available Round 5+

 

Manned Turrets

Manned turrets are defensive turrets that can be placed in a single location and can either be used in "unmanned" mode (in which it will act exactly like an unmanned turret of the same model/level), or "manned" mode if a player wants to manually control the targeting and firing systems. Controlling a manned turret disables the AI conferred on that turret and confers a bonus to the turret's accuracy, rate of fire and damage.

 

Manned Model A: Level 1 (MA1)

Available Round 2+

 

Manned Model A: Level 2 (MA2)

Available Round 3+

 

Manned Model A: Level 3 (MA3)

Available Round 4+

 

Manned Model B: Level 1 (MB1)

Available Round 4+

 

Manned Model B: Level 2 (MB2)

Available Round 5+

 

Manned Model B: Level 3 (MB3)

Available Round 6+

 

Infantry Squad

Infantry Squads are small groups of NPC's that will actively seek out enemies to eliminate within a certain radius in defense of players and objective points. They will continue to increase in strength and effectiveness as long as they survive (similar to RTS/TBS game "veteran" units). Additionally, using the "swarming" mechanics already in place for enemies such as Rakghouls, as long as the members of the squad remain close to one another, they will get additional attack/defense bonuses.

 

As the Onslaught game progresses, the cost of a new Infantry Squad will increase to reflect the stronger base level NPC used to make up the members of the squad. New variants of Infantry Squads will also become available in later rounds that are more specialized in their tactics. These specialized squads may be used to fill certain combat roles needed. For example, a Medic Squad will provide additional healing.

 

Infantry Squads can be placed anywhere in an Arena using a "Rally Point" that the player drops on the Arena floor. This Rally Point is the point to which all surviving members of the squad will automatically return at the end of a wave. Additionally, it is very possible during the course of a wave for the squad members to become separated as they are attacking and being attacked by different individual enemies, thus losing their "swarming" bonus. For this situation, the Rally Point will always remain visible to the player and can be used to manually call the squad back if they have gotten too spread out during the wave. Infantry Squads will continue to fight while moving if there are enemies present, so calling them back to a Rally Point will not stop them from firing on enemies as they return.

 

Individual members of an Infantry Squad can be healed during a wave by either players, NPC's or strategically placed healing Tools (kolto barrels, bacta tanks, etc.). Infantry Squads can also be "reinforced" (for a cost) in between waves to replace fallen squad members. However, reinforcing a squad will only replace squad members with units that are of the same base level of the original squad with no veteran bonuses. Therefore, as the game progresses, it may not be worth reinforcing a lower-level squad, unless that squad has a majority of its members surviving with veteran bonuses.

Available Round 2+

 

Heroes

Hero units are "special" NPC's with enhanced abilities that can be "hired" (purchased) to fill a specific combat role during an Onslaught game. Different Heroes will be provided depending on whether the player/team is Republic or Imperial, but with similar abilities. These Heroes may be iconic characters from the SWTOR game (or the Star Wars Universe, in general), or they may simply be more powerful versions of other NPC allies (such as a "generic" Infantry General). Additionally, more powerful Heroes will become available as the Onslaught game progresses. Some of the more powerful Heroes may also provide a buff to allies/debuff to enemies.

 

When a team is hiring a Hero, they will see the combat role that the Hero will fill (tank, DPS, healing). The Hero will be considerably more effective in that combat role than a player would be. Once hired, the Hero is not placed in the same way as other Support Units and Tools. Instead, the Hero will spawn in the team's Bastion at the start of the following wave and follow the AI of their specific combat role. Heroes can be healed during and in between waves by either players, NPC's or strategically placed healing Tools (kolto barrels, bacta tanks, etc.).

Available Round 3+

 

 

Tools:

 

Trip Mines

Trip Mines are proximity mines that trigger when one or more enemies get within a certain range (5m) of the mine itself. Additionally, Trip Mines may include some measure of cloaking to conceal them from advancing enemies. The various types of Trip Mines have unique effects that can be used for defensive purposes. The different levels of Trip Mines indicate their overall power/effectiveness.

 

Teams can place Trip Mines anywhere within the Arena, but as the game progresses, enemies will become better able to detect their placement and possibly avoid them altogether. Level 1 Trip Mines do not provide any cloaking, so teams may want to place these in locations where they cannot be easily seen by enemies (behind obstacles/walls, etc.).

 

Explosive Trip Mine (Level 1) – When triggered, does a moderate amount of physical damage to all enemies within a 15m radius.

Available Round 1+

 

Poison Trip Mine (Level 1) – When triggered, produces a 15m radius cloud of poison gas that lasts for 10 seconds, dealing a moderate amount of periodic damage to all enemies while they are in the cloud.

Available Round 1+

 

Cryo Trip Mine (Level 1) – When triggered, does a small amount of physical damage to and freezes all enemies within a 15m radius for 10 seconds.

Available Round 2+

 

Frag Trip Mine (Level 1) – When triggered, does a moderate amount of physical damage to all enemies within a 15m radius, and also inflicts periodic bleed to all affected enemies damage for 10 seconds.

Available Round 2+

 

Explosive Trip Mine (Level 2) – The Level 2 version of this mine provides basic cloaking, and a small increase in damage in relation to the Level 1 version.

Available Round 3+

 

Poison Trip Mine (Level 2) – The Level 2 version of this mine provides basic cloaking, and a small increase in the periodic damage effect, as well as the duration of the poison cloud in relation to the Level 1 version.

Available Round 3+

 

Cryo Trip Mine (Level 2) – The Level 2 version of this mine provides basic cloaking, and a small increase in damage, as well as the duration of the freeze effect in relation to the Level 1 version.

Available Round 4+

 

Frag Trip Mine (Level 2) – The Level 2 version of this mine provides basic cloaking, and a small increase in the initial damage, as well as the duration of the bleed effect in relation to the Level 1 version.

Available Round 4+

 

Barrels

Barrels are objects that can be destroyed by players to provide varying effects. Barrels are very similar to Trip Mines, except that they are designed to be actively triggered by a player rather than passively triggered by an enemy's proximity. As the Onslaught game progresses, the cost of these Barrels will go up to indicate their increased effectiveness. However, once a Barrel is purchased and/or placed, it will not automatically increase in effectiveness. To obtain a better Barrel, teams must purchase a new one.

 

Teams can place Barrels anywhere within the Arena, but as the game progresses, enemies may start to seek out and disable/destroy them as a part of their AI. Additionally, some abilities (e.g., Force Push, the Vanguard's grappling hook, etc.) can potentially be used to move a Barrel from its original placement for tactical purposes.

 

Barrels within the "blast radius" of another Barrel will be triggered when the other is used. This tactic may be used to detonate several Barrels in a chain reaction to generate a much larger effect. When placing a Barrel in the Arena, the Barrel's blast radius of all currently placed Barrels will be overlayed on the Arena floor to aid in determining the best placement for the desired effect.

 

Kolto Barrel – When used, produces a cloud of kolto in a 15m radius that lasts for 10 seconds providing a periodic healing effect to all friendly units while they are in the cloud.

Available Round 1+

 

Explosive Barrel – When used, does a moderate amount of physical damage to all enemies within a 15m radius.

Available Round 1+

 

Poison Barrel – When used, produces a 15m radius cloud of poison gas that lasts for 10 seconds, dealing a moderate amount of periodic damage to all enemies while they are in the cloud.

Available Round 1+

 

Cryo Barrel – When used, does a small amount of physical damage to and freezes all enemies within a 15m radius for 10 seconds.

Available Round 2+

 

Frag Barrel – When used, does a moderate amount of physical damage to all enemies within a 15m radius, and also inflicts periodic bleed damage to all affected enemies for 10 seconds.

Available Round 2+

 

Miscellaneous Tools

Miscellaneous Tools are other types of objects that may be used in defense of the team's Bastion.

 

Barriers – Barriers are objects specifically designed to prevent enemies from entering a specific area of an Arena. These may be used to help "funnel" enemies to a more easily defensible area of the Arena, or to simply slow down the enemies' advancement. At the start of an Onslaught game, the only Barriers available will be simple fences, but stronger and more resilient Barriers such as walls and shields become available as the game progresses. Additionally, as the stronger Barriers become available for purchase, existing Barriers can be upgraded.

 

Barriers can be damaged and destroyed by enemy units. In many waves, some enemies will actively seek out Barriers to destroy. However, teams can use the preparation time between waves to repair and/or upgrade any damaged Barriers (for a cost) to bring them back to full durability before the beginning of the next wave.

Available Round 1+

 

Bacta Tanks – Bacta Tanks are sturdy, reusable objects designed to provide emergency healing to friendly units (player and NPC) during combat. Units that get within 2m of a Bacta Tank can channel the healing effects for up to 15 seconds. Taking damage does not interrupt the channeling, but some enemies may use interrupts, knock-backs, etc. to keep a unit from healing themselves. As the Onslaught game progresses, more efficient Bacta Tanks will become available for purchase, and existing Bacta Tanks can be upgraded.

 

Bacta Tanks can be damaged and destroyed by enemy units. However, teams can use the preparation time between waves to repair and/or upgrade any damaged Bacta Tanks (for a cost) to bring them back to full durability before the beginning of the next wave. Also, in some waves (e.g., boss waves, bonus waves), enemies may possibly be able to use a player-placed Bacta Tank if it is within range. The AI of those enemies may even mean that they will actively seek out undefended Bacta Tanks when they start to take damage.

Available Round 3+

 

Edited November 25, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Appendix B – Onslaught Ability Suggestions

The class descriptions listed here have been taken directly from the Advanced Classes pages of the SWTOR Web site (http://www.swtor.com/holonet/classes) to provide a point of reference for identifying possible Onslaught Abilities for each individual AC. For the suggestions that have been listed, these are extremely "rough draft" types of suggestions that will require much more definition. For those classes that have yet to have had an Onslaught Ability suggested have simply been listed as "TBD" (To Be Determined).

 

Republic:

 

Trooper

Vanguard

Fighting Style: Assault Rifle, Heavy Armor

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Tank; Close-Quarters Damage

Unstoppable and utterly fearless, Vanguards wade into battle wearing advanced heavy armor. They are the first and best line of defense in the Republic military. These steadfast soldiers ignore personal risk, deliberately stepping into the line of fire to divert danger from allies and innocents. Though their tactical role is inherently dangerous, Vanguards have an uncanny survivability due to their expert defensive tactics and the advanced technology at their disposal.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): Thin the Herd – Slows all enemies in a certain area by 50% for 90 seconds while immediately drawing them towards the Vanguard, giving the player the ability to take out more powerful enemies from a distance while keeping them from attacking other players, Support Units or objective points.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Commando

Fighting Style: Massive Assault Cannon

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage, Medicine/Healing

Trained in advanced assault tactics and weaponry, Commandos charge battlefields with massive blaster cannons, overwhelming their enemies with brute firepower. Whether taking out an enemy bunker with focused fire or driving back an Imperial charge with a hail of concussive bolts, the Commando’s high-powered hardware dominates the scene, laying waste to all unfortunates who fall within its range. Many of the Republic’s greatest military victories can be credited to the decisive actions of a Commando in the field.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): Knock 'em Down – Automatically begins targeting and focus-firing on individual enemies in a specific area for 90 seconds to eliminate as many as possible. This ability attempts to seek out the least powerful enemies of a swarm so as to reduce the overall number of enemies, rather than focusing on more powerful enemies.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Smuggler

Gunslinger

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage

Master of the trick shot, the first to dive for cover and willing to take advantage of every opportunity, the Gunslinger and his dual blasters are the perfect team. The Gunslinger can shoot out a man's legs to keep him from charging, blind him so he can't get to his weapons or inflict serious injuries for maximum distraction. There's a right target for ending every disagreement and the Gunslinger knows them like the inside of his ship.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Scoundrel

Fighting Style: Stealth, Single Blaster, Scattergun

Tactical Role(s): Close-Quarters Damage, Medicine/Healing

The Scoundrel doesn't have time for politeness or a fair fight. In addition to his trusty blaster the Scoundrel packs a stealth belt, a scattergun and a med pack--everything he needs to get in, knock the enemy for a loop and get out alive. Being invisible works best, but even when Sith fly through the air waving Lightsabers all they get to do is look surprised as the Scoundrel's scattergun sends them back the way they came. The Scoundrel always shoots first.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Jedi Knight

Guardian

Fighting Style: Single Lightsaber, Heavy Armor

Tactical Role(s): Melee Tank, Melee Damage

A wall between the good people of the Republic and their enemies, the Guardian stands firm in the face of overwhelming odds and dares opponents to attack. Perfect concentration and use of the Force allows smooth movement even in heavy armor--making the Guardian a hard target to take down. Leaders on and off the battlefield, Guardians are known for inspiring allies to amazing feats, making them invaluable for conflicts of any size.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): Round 'em Up – Increases all defensive abilities (dodge, deflect, absorb, etc.) by 50% for 90 seconds and immediately draws all enemies in a specific area towards the Guardian.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Sentinel

Fighting Style: Dual Lightsabers

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage

Control and focus are the hallmarks of the Sentinel. Through years of training the Sentinel learns the art of using two Lightsabers simultaneously to create an intricate web of damage that is almost impossible to evade. Manipulating the Force, the Sentinel can see holes in the enemy defense, potential flaws in their own technique and how best to plan for both.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): Tip of the Spear – The Sentinel identifies a target location within 15m of their current position, and will travel back and forth along a direct line path between that position and their starting position, dealing damage to all enemies along that path for 90 seconds. During this time, the Sentinel's Alacrity and damage dealt are increased by 50%, while threat generation is decreased by 50%. This is a channelled ability intended to provide either a defensive wall of damage against advancing enemies, or an offensive "battering ram" against a specific cluster of enemies or an enemy defensive point. The Sentinel cannot perform any other action while the effect is being channelled.

 

Jedi Consular

Sage

Fighting Style: Single Lightsaber, Telekinetics

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage, Medicine/Healing

The mysteries of the Force are endless. A Jedi Sage, deeply attuned to the Force and devoted to uncovering its esoteric secrets, knows this better than any in the galaxy. These masters of the Force are famed for their wisdom and empathy as much as they are for their powerful healing and defensive skills. In troubled times, a Sage brings together the wisdom of the past with cutting insight and the power of the Force to change the flow of galactic events.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): Battle Meditation – All teammates and friendly NPC units receive a 100% increase in Alacrity and all defensive abilities (dodge, deflect, absorb, etc.) for 90 seconds. The Sage must channel this ability, and cannot attack or defend themselves for the duration. Teammates will need to defend the Sage from enemies while it is being channeled.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): Healing Trance – Generates a channeled wave of healing to all teammates friendly NPC units for 90 seconds that increases health and resource regeneration by 100%. The Sage must channel this ability, and cannot attack or defend themselves for the duration. Teammates will need to defend the Sage from enemies while it is being channeled.

 

Shadow

Fighting Style: Stealth, Double-Bladed Saber

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage, Melee Tank

A Shadow serves the Jedi Order by being a silent observer and, when action is necessary, a subtle hand. To avoid rash decisions on the part of the Council, Shadows go unseen, gathering information and quietly thwarting those who seek to threaten the Jedi order. Employing Force techniques that cloud enemy minds, Shadows slip into hostile territory, and when necessary, they strike enemies down with deadly efficiency.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): Force Cloak – Hides the Shadow from view of all enemies of Elite difficulty or below (Champion- and Boss-level enemies are not affected) for 90 seconds. This stealth effect does not break when the Shadow attacks an enemy. AoE damage effects, however, will break the stealth effect. The stealth effect can be reactivated if they are able to get out of combat prior to the end of the effect's duration.

 

 

Empire:

 

Bounty Hunter

Mercenary

Fighting Style: Dual Pistols, Improved Rockets

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage, Medicine/Healing

If the best defense is a good offense, the Mercenary’s got the most intimidating defense in the galaxy. Heavily-modded blasters and deadly heatseeking missiles make the Mercenary a mobile heavy weapons platform. There’s no problem extra firepower can’t solve, and no one who knows what he’s doing gets between a Mercenary and his target.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Power Tech

Fighting Style: Improved Flamethrower, Heavy Armor

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Tank, Ranged Damage, Close-Quarters Damage

A Powertech wears heavy plating like a second skin and never balks at taking on the newest prototype technology if it means greater protection and upgraded safeguards. The best in armor shielding, smart defensive tactics and high-powered flamethrowers combine to make the Powertech an impenetrable one-man blockade, from which few enemies escape unscathed.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Imperial Agent

Operative

Fighting Style: Stealth, Improved Vibroknife, Improved Darts

Tactical Role(s): Medicine/Healing, Close-Quarters Damage

Combining the expertise of multiple disciplines, Operatives adapt to any environment and any circumstance to ensure the Empire’s agenda is achieved. Whether emerging from stealth to ambush and eliminate enemies in close-range combat or using advanced medical technologies to keep colleagues in the fight, the Operative is able to identify the needs of any situation and react accordingly.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Sniper

Fighting Style: Long-range Blaster Rifles, Improved Probes

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage

Focused on covert tactics and eliminating sensitive targets, Imperial Snipers are the most elite and professional sharpshooters in the galaxy. After extensive training, the Sniper’s long range blaster rifle becomes a weapon of exacting precision, allowing him to target enemies’ vulnerabilities and strike at the perfect moment to turn the tide of battle.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Sith Warrior

Juggernaut

Fighting Style: Single Lightsaber, Heavy Armor

Tactical Role(s): Melee Tank, Melee Damage

Sith who train in the stalwart arts of the Juggernaut boast unrivaled stamina in battle. Through diligence and clarity, the Juggernaut shapes the Force to his will to become nearly invulnerable. Damage that would destroy others is shrugged off, and futility fills the Juggernaut's foes with doubt and despair. Protecting their allies and punishing their adversaries, they charge into the thick of any fray, and take the brunt of the assault and are even able to drain the energy of their enemies to further strengthen their resolve.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Marauder

Fighting Style: Dual Lightsabers

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage

Wielding two sabers and unmatched aggression, Sith trained as Marauders slice through enemy ranks, dealing death with merciless efficiency. Able to intuit precisely how to attack in order to maximize every strike, their adversaries become victims in the blink of an eye. Whether annihilating a squad of Republic troops or cutting down a single Jedi, the Marauder sees and exploits every weakness to exact the greatest toll. Never hesitating, never faltering, there is no swifter bringer of pain and damage in the galaxy.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Sith Inquisitor

Assassin

Fighting Style: Stealth, Double-Bladed Saber

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage, Melee Tank

Speed and deception are the tools in the Assassin’s arsenal. Whether using stealth to infiltrate a Republic base and remove a high-profile target or tactically entering a large-scale battle, the Assassin’s dual-bladed Lightsaber flashes with deadly precision to provide a relentless offense and when necessary, a formidable defense. The Assassin can channel the Force just as easily, mentally assaulting an enemy and manipulating a confrontation to ensure his side maintains the upper hand.

Onslaught Ability (Tank): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Sorcerer

Fighting Style: Single Lightsaber, Force Lightning

Tactical Role(s): Ranged Damage, Medicine/Healing

The Dark Side holds dangerous secrets – and immense power for those who dare to uncover them. The Sorcerer reaches into the darkest corners of the Force to harness volatile energies that can wreak devastation on his enemies and bolster or even heal his allies. The air around a Sorcerer crackles with dark energy, and those foolish enough to get in a Sorcerer’s way soon learn a new definition of suffering.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Onslaught Ability (Healing): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Edited November 30, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Muljo_Stpho]

I was skeptical clicking on this topic and reading just the first page. I generally hate when games try to pull this endurance trial BS.

 

Although to be fair, the examples I've seen have usually been lazy design efforts like the Cave of Ordeals in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess where the designers had this insane delusion that reloading the same room 50 times in a row with different batches of enemies could ever be considered interesting by anybody. (Personally, I'm already growing weary of that by the 3rd wave.) I prefer single player games (my interest in SWTOR is obviously a huge exception to that) and rarely have any interest in FPS games, so I haven't seen how they did this in Halo or Gears of War or whatever else.

 

I skipped ahead to the end of the topic though, and I read G_Hosa_Phat's organized posts. After that summary, I think there actually is a lot of potential for something interesting here.

 

I'm actually reminded a bit of a Steam series that I've played called Orcs Must Die (an exception to my lack of interest in FPS type games, although I did still stick to playing solo only instead of trying the online co-op). You have an indefinite amount of free time at the start and after every 3rd wave to set up traps to help you defend (and maybe 10 seconds of peace in between waves otherwise). And then it's all about trying to keep the waves of enemies from reaching the objective(s) that you're trying to defend.

 

By the way 10 waves per round with a full 3 minute rest period between every wave sounds awfully excessive. Perhaps it could do something more like... 3 minute rest at start of each round, 30 second rest between waves within the same round, 3 waves per round, but follow up every 3rd round with a bonus round that could be some sort of boss or special challenge as a single wave (so every 10th wave is still something special).

Edited November 24, 2014 by Muljo_Stpho

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I was skeptical clicking on this topic and reading just the first page. I generally hate when games try to pull this endurance trial BS.

 

Although to be fair, the examples I've seen have usually been lazy design efforts like the Cave of Ordeals in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess where the designers had this insane delusion that reloading the same room 50 times in a row with different batches of enemies could ever be considered interesting by anybody. (Personally, I'm already growing weary of that by the 3rd wave.) I prefer single player games (my interest in SWTOR is obviously a huge exception to that) and rarely have any interest in FPS games, so I haven't seen how they did this in Halo or Gears of War or whatever else.

 

I skipped ahead to the end of the topic though, and I read G_Hosa_Phat's organized posts. After that summary, I think there actually is a lot of potential for something interesting here.

 

I'm actually reminded a bit of a Steam series that I've played called Orcs Must Die (an exception to my lack of interest in FPS type games, although I did still stick to playing solo only instead of trying the online co-op). You have an indefinite amount of free time at the start and after every 3rd wave to set up traps to help you defend (and maybe 10 seconds of peace in between waves otherwise). And then it's all about trying to keep the waves of enemies from reaching the objective(s) that you're trying to defend.

 

By the way 10 waves per round with a full 3 minute rest period between every wave sounds awfully excessive. Perhaps it could do something more like... 3 minute rest at start of each round, 30 second rest between waves within the same round, 3 waves per round, but follow up every 3rd round with a bonus round that could be some sort of boss or special challenge as a single wave (so every 10th wave is still something special).

Thanks for your support and suggestion! As I was writing this, I was kinda thinking that the amount of time between waves might be excessive myself, but I never got back around to editing that particular part of it before I posted it. I may have to revisit that bit and see what would work best to make it a little more reasonable.

[Muljo_Stpho]

Sentinel

Quote: Originally Posted by SWTOR Web Site

Fighting Style: Dual Lightsabers

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage

Control and focus are the hallmarks of the Sentinel. Through years of training the Sentinel learns the art of using two Lightsabers simultaneously to create an intricate web of damage that is almost impossible to evade. Manipulating the Force, the Sentinel can see holes in the enemy defense, potential flaws in their own technique and how best to plan for both.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

Marauder

Quote: Originally Posted by SWTOR Web Site

Fighting Style: Dual Lightsabers

Tactical Role(s): Melee Damage

Wielding two sabers and unmatched aggression, Sith trained as Marauders slice through enemy ranks, dealing death with merciless efficiency. Able to intuit precisely how to attack in order to maximize every strike, their adversaries become victims in the blink of an eye. Whether annihilating a squad of Republic troops or cutting down a single Jedi, the Marauder sees and exploits every weakness to exact the greatest toll. Never hesitating, never faltering, there is no swifter bringer of pain and damage in the galaxy.

Onslaught Ability (DPS): TBD – This Onslaught Ability has not yet been defined.

 

An idea for these: The first thought that comes to my mind for a name would be Blade Barricade, but that might already be something else in the game so it would be something similar to that. The effect would be a straight line area effect centered along a line between where the character is standing when you activate the ability and where you targeted the ability. While it is being channeled (very long cast like the other suggestions) the character will be doing a quick dance of death back and forth along the targeted area.

 

Its function can be situationally offensive or defensive. You can use it to create a virtual wall to seal up a gap in your defensive lines (enemies that try to charge through get damaged) or you can use it to pierce a hole in an enemy defensive line (damaging and breaking down any turrets and walls in your way). The character will have very high defense against enemy attacks while this is running, with the trade-off being that the effect will end as soon as they move or do anything else.

 

I wonder if it would be possible for something like that to create line of sight issues so that ranged attackers can't just park outside the effect and shoot into your base through the virtual wall.

 

edit: Oops, that's probably not the direction you were trying to go with the Onslaught ability ideas, is it? I hadn't read it as closely at that section and didn't see the part about them being exclusvely buffs / debuffs. I noticed my mistake when I thought to double check what sort of limits had been described. (On a 10 min cooldown? Or only one use per wave? Or only one use per round? etc.)

 

How's that sound though? Let the sentinel / marauder put their skills to use as a temporary repair to a breach in the team's defensive line or as a battering ram to pierce an enemy defensive line.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Muljo_Stpho

[Cruallassar]

I would love to be able to mow down endless waves of low level enemies...

[G_Hosa_Phat]

An idea for these: The first thought that comes to my mind for a name would be Blade Barricade, but that might already be something else in the game so it would be something similar to that. The effect would be a straight line area effect centered along a line between where the character is standing when you activate the ability and where you targeted the ability. While it is being channeled (very long cast like the other suggestions) the character will be doing a quick dance of death back and forth along the targeted area.

 

Its function can be situationally offensive or defensive. You can use it to create a virtual wall to seal up a gap in your defensive lines (enemies that try to charge through get damaged) or you can use it to pierce a hole in an enemy defensive line (damaging and breaking down any turrets and walls in your way). The character will have very high defense against enemy attacks while this is running, with the trade-off being that the effect will end as soon as they move or do anything else.

 

I wonder if it would be possible for something like that to create line of sight issues so that ranged attackers can't just park outside the effect and shoot into your base through the virtual wall.

 

edit: Oops, that's probably not the direction you were trying to go with the Onslaught ability ideas, is it? I hadn't read it as closely at that section and didn't see the part about them being exclusvely buffs / debuffs. I noticed my mistake when I thought to double check what sort of limits had been described. (On a 10 min cooldown? Or only one use per wave? Or only one use per round? etc.)

 

How's that sound though? Let the sentinel / marauder put their skills to use as a temporary repair to a breach in the team's defensive line or as a battering ram to pierce an enemy defensive line.

I rather like this idea for the Sentinel/Marauder. With your permission, I'll see about working it into my "Onslaught Abilities Suggestions" section to help fill it out a little more. Thanks for the input!

 

As for the abilities being exclusively buffs and debuffs, as I've been going through the classes and thinking about appropriate abilities, I'm really starting to think that this description of what Onslaught Abilities are might be a bit too restrictive. Actually, the "Knock 'em Down" ability I posted for the Commando isn't really a buff, and some of the other ability ideas I've been pondering over aren't buffs either.

 

With regards to the limitations on these abilities, I've suggested that the cooldowns be identified by a set number of waves (probably the same for all AC's). If I adjust the overall game timing structure (rounds/waves) in a manner similar to what you suggested in your first post (I've got some ideas that I haven't edited in yet), it may very well be appropriate to give them a "one use per round" limit. I'm going to try to get some of the editing done over the four day weekend I have coming up.

 

Also, Muljo, I wanted to reference back to your first post real quick to comment on what you said about being skeptical when reading the title and first page. Of course, I'd love to see more support for this idea, and I hope there aren't a bunch of people that are just ignoring the thread due to the same skepticism. I admit, I considered starting a new thread with my "Onslaught Outline" posts for just that reason, but I was hesitant to lose what little momentum we've been able to achieve in this thread. Plus, I didn't want it to look like I was trying to take credit for an idea that wasn't mine (although I'm beginning to feel like I've already hijacked this thread to some extent).

I would love to be able to mow down endless waves of low level enemies...

Thanks for the feedback, Cruallassar! If we have our way, you'll get to do just that (at least for a couple of waves ).

 

While I'd personally love to see some Dev feedback on this idea (or just a post from someone from BW saying something like "neat idea... I'll pass it on to the Dev team"), I'm realistic about it. That could set a dangerous precedent for past and future suggestions made by other players ("Why doesn't anyone respond to MY suggestion?!?!? What makes THAT suggestion better than mine?!?!?", etc.). I know we probably won't see Eric or Tait or anyone jumping in here just to stroke our egos - especially this close to the SoR release - but I can keep dreaming, can't I?

Edited November 26, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Okay, based on the specific suggestions from Muljo_Stpho, I've edited the outline posts above. I've modified the general game timing (see "Rounds, Waves and Preparation Phases" under the Onslaught Gameplay section), and added a description for a new Onslaught Ability to the Jedi Sentinel. I've renamed this new ability to provide a name that encompasses more than just a defensive stance, and called it "Tip of the Spear". Again, it's only under the Republic group for now, until we get that list more solidified, at which time I'll see about translating it to the Empire group (I'm really not trying to play favorites here... ).

 

Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Thanks!

[Sarfux]

I support this fully to! Great idea and it would be an awesome game mode.

[fdbgjfdhjgkjdhsg]

If this idea is implemented, can it be called the Kobayashi Maru challenge:p?

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I support this fully to! Great idea and it would be an awesome game mode.

Thanks for the support, Sarfux! Glad to have you on board! Feel free to throw out any suggestions for how to improve on this idea. At least in my mind, the more completely we can define the concept, the easier we make the job for the Dev and Design teams if and when they decide to implement it. (nudge, nudge; hint, hint)

If this idea is implemented, can it be called the Kobayashi Maru challenge:p?

HERETIC! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD! (j/k )

 

I'm certainly not married to the name "Onslaught", which is why my "proposal" outline actually starts out by identifying it with the generic name of "PvE Arenas". Even so, perhaps a name that similarly refers to a no-win scenario can be found within the Star Wars universe. Thanks for the suggestion, fdbgjfdhjgkjdhsg.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

@fdbgjfdhjgkjdhsg - Just a little aside, the only reference to a no-win scenario similar to the Kobayashi Maru from Star Trek I was able to track down in the Star Wars universe comes from much later in the timeline. It's the Redemption (or Requiem) scenario mentioned in the book "X-Wing: Rogue Squadron", which was actually taken from a level in the "Star Wars: X-Wing" game (here's a link to the Wookieepedia article). It may be a stretch to use this name, but it could possibly be made to fit with a little retconning...

[Lecto]

In an attempt to consolidate all of the ideas that we've accumulated thus far on this topic, I've written everything up into a bit more formal (looking) proposal outline. As a software developer, writing it up in this format really helps me to solidify things in my own mind. This outline includes a more detailed description of a number of the ideas and concepts we've proposed so far, as well as a few new implementation ideas that I came up with while writing everything out.

 

I take two weeks off & look what happens -- BIG KUDOS. With this kinda effort.....the mods have to look at this!! I no complaints about any of this, with the exception of two.

 

1). The "Special unit abilities" all (well most) seem kinda ho-hum as listed -- plain. I think they should be a bit more over the top & OP...as they would be hard to acquire. I think that's part of the fun ya know? A lot of the listed moves sound more like standard moves you already have rather than heroic moments.

 

2). Map Selection: I don't like the idea of players being able to only Q for certain maps....that might leave some maps underplayed if they are deemed less popular....or more difficult in regards to progressing on the leader-board. This could result in maps never being played, or players sitting in Q waiting forever for a map they like. Instead, I would offer a "voting method" in lobbies prior to a match, where 3 random maps are selected to be voted on. If none of the 3 maps are appealing to a player, they could vote for a 4th random map (unknown) option from the entire pool of arenas.

 

Appendix B – Onslaught Ability Suggestions

 

Just a side note....if we're going to offer different abilities for imp side & pub side....I think this mode should be cross faction playable. If not, I would just offer mirror abilities. I like the idea of cross faction though, moreover, it would mean less wait times over all for matches.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I take two weeks off & look what happens -- BIG KUDOS. With this kinda effort.....the mods have to look at this!! I no complaints about any of this, with the exception of two.

Thanks for the kind words and the feedback, Lecto! Since you and I appear to be the most vocal proponents of this game mode, I've actually been eagerly anticipating your response.

 

Let me address your two concerns real quick:

1). The "Special unit abilities" all (well most) seem kinda ho-hum as listed -- plain. I think they should be a bit more over the top & OP...as they would be hard to acquire. I think that's part of the fun ya know? A lot of the listed moves sound more like standard moves you already have rather than heroic moments.

I assume that here you're talking about the suggestions I made for what I've called "Onslaught Abilities" in the outline (Appendix B). With that, I know they're kinda lame. I really just kinda threw a few things together more to get the ball rolling than to consider them as actual, legit suggestions. I put in the couple of ideas I had, along with the other ideas from the thread, mostly so we could really "see" everything in one place. I figured that, as we got some good suggestions for these abilities, I can continue to update that section and fill it up with really cool abilities.

 

This, unfortunately, is probably where I'm going to be the least helpful in this discussion, because I don't really understand most of the actual game mechanics and such. Sure, I could dive into all the math and such like the theorycrafters do, but I prefer to spend my time actually playing the game. One thing you mentioned, though, gives me an idea of something more appropriate to look at when thinking about these abilities. Perhaps if we take a look at the "Heroic Moment" ability each class currently has, that might help to get the creative juices flowing.

2). Map Selection: I don't like the idea of players being able to only Q for certain maps....that might leave some maps underplayed if they are deemed less popular....or more difficult in regards to progressing on the leader-board. This could result in maps never being played, or players sitting in Q waiting forever for a map they like. Instead, I would offer a "voting method" in lobbies prior to a match, where 3 random maps are selected to be voted on. If none of the 3 maps are appealing to a player, they could vote for a 4th random map (unknown) option from the entire pool of arenas.

I'm not sure I understand here. I've not suggested that players/teams have the ability to select a specific map. According to my suggestions, they have the option to select a specific planet, but the map is still randomly chosen. Your suggestion to give teams the ability to vote on a set of randomly selected maps could work (that's what they do in HALO, and such), but I don't know if it's necessary. Even so, since this thread is nothing more than a proposal at this point, I'll see about editing that bit into the map selection section. We'll let the Devs decide.

 

EDIT: Unless you're talking about the team's ability to select a specific planet. Perhaps the team could change their mind as to whether they want a specific or random planet for as long as they are waiting in queue. Of course, changing their selection would put them at the "back of the line" again, but it might be worth it if they aren't finding any groups to join up with on their chosen planet...

 

Just a side note....if we're going to offer different abilities for imp side & pub side....I think this mode should be cross faction playable. If not, I would just offer mirror abilities. I like the idea of cross faction though, moreover, it would mean less wait times over all for matches.

I was really kinda thinking of them being mirror abilities for Empire/Republic, mainly to keep things as balanced as possible. However, I don't think that means that the idea of cross-faction teams is completely out of the question. I mean, the concept of "an Imp and a Pub get caught in the middle of a swarm while they are trying to kill each other" isn't so far-fetched that it couldn't be implemented.

 

Anyway, thanks again for the encouragement. I really wanna see this game mode eventually implemented. So much so that I keep re-reading the outline I posted trying to think of ways to improve the proposal and monitoring this thread for any new suggestions. Keep an eye on the wall of text for periodic updates/changes.

 

P.S. - One thing I wanted your take on: What do you think about the alternative idea I suggested about implementing "requisition points" of some sort in place of using the in-game currencies (credits and commendations) for purchasing the Support Units and Tools. Like I said in the preface to my outline, I think this would be a better way to go so that players can just get their rewards. Besides, what if I spend all of my "reward" on a wave, only to die due to server lag or DC or something? Just a thought...

Edited December 5, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Gizzle]

This...this is good...

[G_Hosa_Phat]

This...this is good...

Thanks for your support, Gizzle! Feel free to add your thoughts and suggestions into the mix. We're doing our best here to ensure a thoughtful and well-planned concept that the Devs can use when and if they ever decide to add this game mode to SWTOR.

[Darth__Reaver]

Hey they brought in a new combat droid for solo flashpoints that could be somethig to buy as well

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Hey they brought in a new combat droid for solo flashpoints that could be somethig to buy as well

Certainly! I mean, GSI would probably be providing a fair amount of the tech used for this game mode anyway, right?

[G_Hosa_Phat]

All right. I believe I've added the latest suggestions into the gameplay outline. I haven't touched the Onslaught Abilities section because I haven't had time to go through the Heroic Moment stuff (and possibly the new 10 sec raid buffs that were introduced with SoR) to get some inspiration. I'll try to look over that next time I have a little time to spare and see if I can at least get something posted for each of the AC's (no promises, though).

 

I also didn't add a specific reference to the GSI Combat Support Droid at this point. If we ever get this past the proposal stage, I'll start adding more specifics about Support Units and such. As it stands now, I've tried to leave it kinda generic in a lot of places so we have room to brainstorm.

 

As always, any other thoughts, concerns, suggestions or whatever are definitely welcome. I've noticed that we've passed the 2000 views mark, and we're up to about 100 posts. I'd say that's pretty respectable, but I wouldn't mind seeing a lot more posts to get that ratio up a little bit. Just sayin'