GSF Needs An Overhaul

[stoopicus]

Harby pops rarely, like I said, 1-2 per hour in APAC hours, maybe double that US if you're lucky?

 

You can also rule out upgrading Strike Fighters

 

In fact you only really need to upgrade one scout (Sting/FF), one GS (Mangler/I Forget), and one bomber, at least at a time. Though I am doing two bombers now because I like them both. But the Mangler and the Sting are pretty much the go to choices, right?

Edited May 9, 2017 by stoopicus

[stoopicus]

guess what just got datamined.

 

Ooh I WANT that.

Edited May 9, 2017 by stoopicus

[Sportiva]

For the most part, I really like GSF. The combat is fun and challenging. My only complaint is that it needs more variety in match styles ... Death Matches & Node Camping getting boring after awhile. I would love to see them add a match similar to ground PvP's Voidstar. Basically, you would have two phases 1) where your squad is defending capital ships and 2) where your squad is attacking capital ships.

[DownloadStarter]

I came back here from EvE Online primarily to re-engage in GSF. I prefer it to EvE combat, which I find nonsensical and deeply sluggish by comparison.

 

I have played far, far too many space fighters over the years - Descent, Freelancer, Elite Dangerous, every entry in the X and Evochron series - and overall, this is the most fun I've had with a space shooter. No, it's not realistic like Evochron. No, I don't have infinite space to run; no, I don't have a crazy assortment of lots of weapons; no, there's no real storyline or purpose or point beyond doing what the fleet admiral tells you to do, and having one hell of a time doing it.

 

And maybe that's the appeal. For me, anyway. I don't have to constantly tinker with stuff, there's no steady stream of new ships (each more powerful than the last, of course - gotta buy 'em all!)... it's like a simple loaf of really, really well-baked homemade bread.

 

Sure, it looks simple. But damn, is it TASTY. And filling!

 

But I wouldn't argue with a few new maps. Or even just chopping Denon in half and giving us that for a 3rd TDM. That'd be my only complaint - just a little change of scenery. Mechanics are fine, in my view (I've been playing off and on since pre-release waaaaaaaaaaaay back in Dec. 2013, if that matters - about 4k or so missions, mostly strike fighters, etc. etc.).

 

A bit of regular eye candy, some more paint jobs (especially for Cartel ships - you already know I'm willing to shell out for it; put the screws to me and make me want a sick paint job or five for it!)... cosmetic stuff. Gimme that and I am GTG.

 

Not a bad bit of work, GSF team. Be proud.

[HuaRya]

 

Not a bad bit of work, GSF team. Be proud.

 

Agreed. While PVP hybrid classes were borked and leveling planets were made into easy trash mode fighting it would be nice to have at least one part of this game require some kind of accumulated skill to attain. Tampering with the mechanics in hopes some millenial type player can have their instant gratification of 1 v 1'ing a veteran pilot in rage respawn revenge would certainly ruin this niche game mode that has eeked away an almost invisible existence since inception.

 

GSF needs a few more maps (KOTH mode) and maybe a rep vendor if it were to get some Dev love. An Odessen fighter bay stronghold to display our ships perhaps?

[NeoBlakkrstal]

The games are slanted against the new players or new characters

 

Every flight sim game I have ever played has been slanted against newbies. That is just the way it is. There is a strict learning curve to flight games like Starfighter. You have to go in expecting to take your lumps, and learn by the experience. Not saying that there aren't jerks playing, who love to farm the newbies, because there are. But there are jerks in any game, who refuse to allow newbies to learn, and just blow them out of the sky. I stopped playing War Thunder for that very reason. But Starfighter isn't like that. I have taken my lumps, improved my ships, and now I am starting to contribute during matches. If by no other way than being an annoyance to the opposition. What started out as a way to gain upgrades for my starship in game, has become a fun, and integral portion of my daily game play. As it will for others who are willing to take their lumps, and learn the game. I say, leave it well enough alone, for as you know, the IT department motto is, "If it ain't broke, we'll break it."

[NeoBlakkrstal]

I like GSF exactly like it is. It is very challenging but very fun. I'm still quite bad at it but improving and each kill is an accomplishment. This is how PvP should be. Calls to dumb it down are misguided at best.

 

What it needs instead is a MUCH better tutorial and the equivalent of lowbies where new players in bad ships can fight.

 

I agree dumbing it down would be a very bad ides, and a seperate queue for lowbies sounds like a good idea on paper, but have you ever tried to get a sub 70 toon into PvP, on a weekday? I was in queue for over 4 hours one day, just waiting for lowbie PvP to pop. Starfighter already takes forever to pop, can you imagine if there was a separate queue for lowbies? No, in reality it just wouldn't work.

[leehambly]

On the farming newbs front... it is just a feature of the path you have to go through. I am sure there will be plenty of people saying you don't need upgrades, or they survive perfectly well... but the simple fact is you will die a lot.

 

And not without good reason... The first aim of most people is just surviving long enough to do something, once that has progressed to getting involved in the fight and then playing a specific role within it, most people will start to think about the reward systems... ship req, fleet req, cxp and achieves.

 

The cxp and achieve hunters will jump on the weakness of an opposition to maximise their return in that opportunity. I'm grinding out the last few achieves... things like wingman (12 kill assists?) and well, given the opportunity to knock yet another one of those off the list, sure, I'll farm newbs, ill put a hit on every damned thing going frankly.

 

If anyone is reading, we need a GSF PVE map of some sort... taking down a Corvette/ISD? Maybe defending a satellite from an invasion force? Something that new and older players can group up and actually work together on... to maybe bridge that gap somewhat?

[MedleyMelody]

On the farming newbs front... it is just a feature of the path you have to go through. I am sure there will be plenty of people saying you don't need upgrades, or they survive perfectly well... but the simple fact is you will die a lot.

 

This x100. As someone who only started playing GSF a couple of months ago, I have to agree - getting repeatedly space-murdered made me a *way* better pilot. Trial by fire, and all that

[leehambly]

This x100. As someone who only started playing GSF a couple of months ago, I have to agree - getting repeatedly space-murdered made me a *way* better pilot. Trial by fire, and all that

 

Is all part of learning to play... "how do I stop?" is one of the most frequently asked questions, after they've worked out how to chat at all!

[Toraak]

For the part of people farming new players. Yes it happens, but GSF is Player Vs Player. Can anyone actually say this doesn't happen in Ground PvP? or in any other game for PvP? Farming new players is something that happens no matter what style of PvP your doing. People will learn from the beatings (I know I did), and get better or they disappear because they really were not looking for a PvP atmosphere.

 

With that being said I try to be slightly nicer by giving pity nodes if my team is crushing them in Domination. In TDM the only way to take it easy is to not fly a meta ship, but the fact a new pilot will still get slaughtered by a veteran regardless if the vet is on a stock ship or a mastered ship. The experience the Vet has will outweigh any upgrades.

[BobaWest]

I think GSF is fine, just need some new game modes and maps. I personally would rather see a group PVE GSF where you attack an opposite faction fleet. It would be nice to see your current ships shared between these modes.

[Sportiva]

IMO, one thing that is desperately needed is to de-link the GSF queue from the GSF queue. You should be able to enter a WZ and not lose your spot in the GSF queue when you are done with the WZ.

[Anzel]

What's funny is that when SWG decided to scrap everything with the NGE the ONE thing they left 99% in tact was Jump to Lightspeed. Why? Because JTL was amazing. I miss it every time it load into my ship.

 

- Craftable Ships

- Ships with interiors that you could decorate

- Multi-player ships with working turrets and co-pilot abilities

- Awesome PvE Campaings

 

PS: They did this in 2003-2004 over THIRTEEN YEARS AGO.

[Pietrastor]

Every flight sim game I have ever played has been slanted against newbies. That is just the way it is. There is a strict learning curve to flight games like Starfighter. You have to go in expecting to take your lumps, and learn by the experience. Not saying that there aren't jerks playing, who love to farm the newbies, because there are. But there are jerks in any game, who refuse to allow newbies to learn, and just blow them out of the sky. I stopped playing War Thunder for that very reason. But Starfighter isn't like that. I have taken my lumps, improved my ships, and now I am starting to contribute during matches. If by no other way than being an annoyance to the opposition. What started out as a way to gain upgrades for my starship in game, has become a fun, and integral portion of my daily game play. As it will for others who are willing to take their lumps, and learn the game. I say, leave it well enough alone, for as you know, the IT department motto is, "If it ain't broke, we'll break it."

This is not a flight sim. This is an avatar-based themepark MMORPG where the flight sim is just a side mini game. Balancing it like actual hardcore flight sims is basically asking to have it not utilized by a large section of the playerbase.

[stoopicus]

What's funny is that when SWG decided to scrap everything with the NGE the ONE thing they left 99% in tact was Jump to Lightspeed. Why? Because JTL was amazing. I miss it every time it load into my ship.

 

- Craftable Ships

- Ships with interiors that you could decorate

- Multi-player ships with working turrets and co-pilot abilities

- Awesome PvE Campaings

 

PS: They did this in 2003-2004 over THIRTEEN YEARS AGO.

 

GSF does space combat maybe an order of magnitude better than JTL. It was clunky and slow. GSF is much more fun as a dogfighting sim.

 

JTL, on the other hand, is way, way better than the current player ships. Like, OMG.

 

And don't get me started on the rails space missions.

[Janglor]

So you went into a PvP environment in which you had no experience, and got owned 1on1? Well no **** kiddo, welcome to PvP.

 

I had never played GSF until mid-February of this year when I picked it up for the command xp/tokens. My first 10 matches I was literally cannon fodder, but i slowly figured out a strategy I enjoyed (flying interference against enemy bombers as a scout). Now i regularly get top 3 in kills/medals/objs (total damage is for the gunships it appears).

 

Thats how PvP works, when you're the noob you get feasted on and then once you get your bearings you in turn get to maul the next generation of noobs.

[stoopicus]

So you went into a PvP environment in which you had no experience, and got owned 1on1? Well no **** kiddo, welcome to PvP.

 

I had never played GSF until mid-February of this year when I picked it up for the command xp/tokens. My first 10 matches I was literally cannon fodder, but i slowly figured out a strategy I enjoyed (flying interference against enemy bombers as a scout). Now i regularly get top 3 in kills/medals/objs (total damage is for the gunships it appears).

 

Thats how PvP works, when you're the noob you get feasted on and then once you get your bearings you in turn get to maul the next generation of noobs.

 

^^

 

This was exactly my experience - that's about when I started GSF too. Though I'm still not that good yet

 

It's super challenging. If that's not what someone looking for in satisfying PvP, then maybe PvP isn't for them?

[EliteRevenant]

So you went into a PvP environment in which you had no experience, and got owned 1on1? Well no **** kiddo, welcome to PvP.

...

 

"Oh yeah, it completely sucks to play GSF with newbie ships."

It's arguably worse for players like me who took the time leveling out GSF on other toons (in my case just my main), because you know what those upgrades feel like.

And generally all the other times in the original post I specifically refer to new players in the third person rather than including myself among them.

 

I get the distinct impression you didn't even read the first post of this entire thread before leaping in looking to **** talk someone.

 

Just for perspective "kiddo", you got into it last February? I've gotten into GSF when it first came out years ago.

 

[merovejec]

She sort of has a point, but I think is overly harsh on GSF. I loved XvT, but really if you're honest the only two things XvT had over GSF are depth of missions (both story and variety) and much better control options. Gameplay-wise, for the combat, GSF is actually more fluid than XvT was, and faster paced.

 

But the deeper mission objectives and the link between the missions was cool. Cap ships too.

 

GSF is actually quite good.

 

Well its great overall, just saying that the games are similar. I played all of the SW space simulators and loved those games. I have my ships maxed and customized and its great!!

[Icykill_]

She sort of has a point, but I think is overly harsh on GSF. I loved XvT, but really if you're honest the only two things XvT had over GSF are depth of missions (both story and variety) and much better control options. Gameplay-wise, for the combat, GSF is actually more fluid than XvT was, and faster paced.

 

But the deeper mission objectives and the link between the missions was cool. Cap ships too.

 

GSF is actually quite good.

 

But imagine if they had combination of the 2 which would have given us what most people expected when they announced GSF.

Edited May 10, 2017 by Icykill_

[AscendingSky]

I agree dumbing it down would be a very bad ides, and a seperate queue for lowbies sounds like a good idea on paper, but have you ever tried to get a sub 70 toon into PvP, on a weekday? I was in queue for over 4 hours one day, just waiting for lowbie PvP to pop. Starfighter already takes forever to pop, can you imagine if there was a separate queue for lowbies? No, in reality it just wouldn't work.

 

It would be nice if they could come up with some other way to divide the GSF queue rather than by character level. A way where people with mastered ships would face people with mastered ships as opposed to people with brand new stock ships. After all, your GSF performance is not at all related to your character level, only your ship upgrades and your flying skills. I don't know if that's feasible though.

[DownloadStarter]

It would be nice if they could come up with some other way to divide the GSF queue rather than by character level. A way where people with mastered ships would face people with mastered ships as opposed to people with brand new stock ships. After all, your GSF performance is not at all related to your character level, only your ship upgrades and your flying skills. I don't know if that's feasible though.

 

I guess it's time for me to be "that person".

 

There is nothing Bioware can reasonably do at this point along these lines because, simply put, the GSF community isn't large enough to sustain multiple queue types like groundpounding does (let alone justify the additional maintenance). But there IS a way to help the queue's sorting algorithm do its job properly:

 

We can split up, gang.

 

I know this is an MMO. I know the point of an MMO is to play with friends, git gud, stack winz, dominate leaderboards, etc. etc. But it's completely irresponsible sportsmanship to hunt an area to death.

 

What I mean by that is sustainable sportsmanship. Good hunters out here in Meatspace know that, if you go in guns blazin' with a whole pack of great hunters all the time to the same places, eventually you ain't shootin' **** anymore because there won't be anything to shoot except each other. And trust me, that'll get boring fairly quick (and possibly cause bad blood).

 

But if veterans were to solo queue even just the majority of the time, that would definitely help the queue create better matchups instead of eight from one crew of goods on one side and a bunch of two-shippers on the other side who are just going to give up after the match (if not during).

 

For those vets who are patient with newcomers, maybe even group with them and show 'em how it's done! Hunting programs partner newbie hunters with vets all the time. Those vets know they ain't baggin' a trophy buck huntin' with a teenager. But they're willing to do it, and that makes 'em true champs, no denying.

 

We can tromp down the hunting grounds with our big guns and big groups until there's nothing left but us if we like. Or we can practice sustainable sportsmanship and start actively cultivating new prey. Maybe even new hunters.

 

This isn't an attack on anyone, though I'm sure it will be seen by some as such. It just happens; I've grown to accept it. But it is what it is. Above anyone else, we have the most control over the situation as regular players. We can do this sustainably.

 

Then maybe we'll see more new content. Like new maps or - dare to dream! - new ships. It can happen if there's demand to justify it. But we're not enough. We need to bring more people.

 

We can do this. If we want. o7

Edited May 10, 2017 by DownloadStarter

[mmmbuddah]

There are plenty of threads in the GSF forum, giving tons of advice to new and starting players.

-There are also a lot of links to streams and YouTube videos to watch.

 

But basically, spending your initial requisition wisely is a 1/4 of the battle. The other 1/4 is not to go rushing headlong into the fray, hoping you can soak up lots of damage and focus fire and mines and drones and Gunship shots.

 

The next 1/4 is checking out GSF chat on your server and asking questions and getting advice.

 

and the last 1/4 :There's nothing wrong with shadowing another pilot, shooting at their enemies, or drawing enemy fire so they can swoop in and get the kill.

 

With a few matches played, you should have Req enough to do the basic upgrades. - Everyone has to go through this. - Why should someone who decides to start a game mode that's been around since 2013 be s special snowflake.

 

I don't want to discourage anyone, but stopping your spurs from jingling and jangling, and RTFM is highly recommended.

 

You can fully upgrade a ship in a couple of weeks if you play frequently. - Compare that to getting full BiS in ground PvP, and you'll see it's a piece of cake in comparison.

 

The problem with GSF is the Cartel Market ships. They are fully upgraded, and pure p2w. You cannot get them in game, and they are much better than the starting ships. Yes you should have to work to get your ships upgraded, but GSF has been due for some heavy balancing for a while now, upgraded ships SHOULD be more powerful, but not so powerful that they can kill new players in under a second. There needs to be a middle ground.

[mmmbuddah]

Guess what just got datamined.

 

About damned time.