Project Reality v0.874D Open Gameplay Beta : Part 3

[Jaymz]

The Project Reality Team has been conducting, during this month of November, a public beta test on a select number of community servers to test gameplay changes to the spawning mechanics of the mod. You can read more about it in the previous news posts.

Although the month is almost over, we still want to test some new changes, so we appreciate any feedback you can continue to give on those as well.

The grouped changes since 0.874 are:

1. Lowered maximum spawn penalty from 60 seconds to 45 seconds.
2. Raised the maximum number of Forward Outposts available from 4 to 6.
3. Forward Outposts can be built 200m apart (decrease from 300m).
4. Forward Outposts can be built with one supply crate instead of two.
5. Deployable assets (HMGs, AAs, Foxholes, etc) require two supply crates do build.
6. Deployable assets can be placed up to 200m from the Forward Outpost (increase from 150m).
7. Limited infantry kits require a squad of 3 to be requested or spawned with (Automatic Rifleman, Medic, Grenadier, Rifleman AT and Marksman).
8. Rally Points expire after 60 seconds from being placed.
9. Rally Points cannot be placed with a single enemy close (100m radius).
10. Rally Points are limited to only one placement before needing to be "rearmed".
11. Rally Points are "rearmed" by the Squad Leader when spawning (except on the RP) or getting close to a Forward Outpost, Command Post or Supply Depot.

You may have noticed that although there are changes to older tweaks (maximum of 6 Forward Outposts, 60s RPs to avoid spammy "are you ready?" talk, 100m check for enemy presence when placing RPs), the biggest addition here is the limited Rally Point. We think these changes will diminish the following behavior brought by the temporary RP modification:

• Squad Leader and one more staying back sending the 4 other squad members to attack.
• Squad Leader trying to deploy it all the time using it as a radar for enemy presence.
• Squads depending on the rally point too much.

But still have the RP available for those cases where it's worth it (new player in squad, squad separated for stupid reason, or maybe just a safe regroup) and get squads into a lower dependence on RPs, staying together, not giving up too fast, trying to revive fallen troops, being more careful, etc. A "bleep" sound with no message will let the Squad Leader know that he got his RP "rearmed" when getting close to the locations listed above.

As mentioned in the previous announcement, the primary goal is to see the average player's focus shift from Rally Point placement to Forward Outpost placement, something that the entire team will benefit from.

We really encourage everyone to give it a thoughtful try, and think about the overall team benefits. Also think of ways your gameplay will need to change for this to work, and how you can help others, especially with land transport. Always have a medic in your squad, and keep him alive, as he can keep your squad alive.

Like before, the changes are server side, meaning you don't need anything installed to try them out, just join one of the following participating servers:

• Tactical Gamer - North America
• Tactics & Teamwork - UK
• GamingAU - BigD - Australia
• 10th Community - Germany
• =CC= Comunidade Brasileira de PR - Brazil

These servers will have the version "0.874D" in their server name during the test.

We would like to encourage all our players to join these servers and report their feedback in the appropriate forum areas.

- The Project Reality Team

[ankyle62]

loved the last version, makes people slow down and not be so expendable.

sounds like some good changes, thanks

[maarit]

hey,this sounds nice.
i think that limiting rally placements bring much to the game.
theres few exiting options to the squadleader now.
examble if our squad getting casualties,squadleader have to fall back "100m" to get reinforcements.

[galeknight1]

This sounds like the perfect balance, can't wait to try it out.

[503]

Beautiful. They look like the perfect changes.

[Nebsif]

wee thumbs up! one question tho, teh SL need another guy near him to place a rallyzor?

[Heskey]

My only question is:

How will the SL know when his rally has been rearmed?

[maarit]

A "bleep" sound with no message will let the Squad Leader know that he got his RP "rearmed" when getting close to the locations listed above.

[Tartantyco]

-The only thing that happens is that people start whining about having to walk over 9000 km after they've used the rally point.

[Elektro]

-The only thing that happens is that people start whining about having to walk over 9000 km after they've used the rally point.

use-teamtransport.com

[Arnoldio]

Nice... rearming the rally, as i suggested ^^

I will test tonight...

[Threedroogs]

this sounds like a major improvement over part 2 of the beta. i'll have to try it out this weekend.

[MentalEdge]

(I haven't played the previous C-Version but just had an evening with the current D.)

First of all, it needs some real personal adjustment to the changes but I find it rather imbalanced on insurgents-maps, that the Taliban have so many spawn-points while the US has real trouble to set some up:
Today I played one map as US and due to the 3 known weapon caches the US were torn apart and did not know what they should worry about first: Defending the firebases or attacking the caches! So they had approx. 6 parallel objectives (in AAS-mode you have 2-3 max.) and did not achieve a thing. I know that it can only work with teamplay but who can expect to find a server where you have 4-5 full squads who know what they do? In previous versions, you could still have lots of fun but today was devastating! sry...

I am not sure, if I observed it right but sometimes it was not even possible to spawn from a intact firebase. Does it require a radius free of enemies, too?

One reason you stated why there were changes to the RP-policy was, that you want to encourage to revive fallen squad-mates. Good idea we tried today, too (as always), but as soon as the medic-kit gets lost (because he is wounded for too long, you do not have any chance to get your squad back up.

Maybe I can adjust to the changes but I am not sure because endless walking is not, what I intend to do when launching PR

cu

[Nick_Gunar]

Firstly, I think that they came up with good stuffs really.
The unique use of rally point makes it more valuable. Now, it has to worth it when you put a RP ! It pushes the entire squad to regroup to elaborate a solid plan (exit the "one at a time spawn" which results in a scattered squad).

For insurgents maps, I must say that a lot of BLUFOR squads are reckless. The job of the insurgents is to set deadly ambushes and sometimes BLUFOR got overwhelmed because of that. You have to progress slowly but surely, clear the zone and move to the next one. Again, it depends on, a) is your team organized? is it good?, b) the players in front of you (good team as well?).

To sum up, it is just the beginning. These changes, as I understood, try to change the way average players play (less muscle, more brain, less rambo, more sun tzu). It will take some time though, but I am sure it is the right thing.

[risyboy]

Sounds like a very good balance!
although i think that when you are going to build hmg`s and aa`s you need two crates

[risyboy]

although i think that when you are going to build hmg`s and aa`s you need two crates [/QUOTE]

Hehe

didnt see that you had to

[ViperHummel]

I for one look forward to any development in PR that increases the chances of team work being used. I know that the eventual path away from RPs will take some getting use to. But I have faith that just like people did when changing from BF2 over to PR, they will adapt.
I feel the big reason ppl do go Rambo on games like this is because of the score board. Its our vice. We want to be at the top more so than the team winning. If the score board has to stay, then the next logical path is to make it hard on yourself and everyone if you do not rely on one another to get around. Sorry I was rambling.
Anyway, I look forward to this continuing development b/c I suck at the game and need more team mates to help me out ops:

[Polka]

Sounds neat, will give it a try.

[Greg Hale]

I really like the rearming..... and i think you guys are doing an amazing job!!! with this mod. I was away for a few months to come back and find the mod game play being better than ever and all the awesome new content. Stand up job to all the DEVS!!!

[Le_Chuck]

Personally i dont like that new RP-system. I know, it was annoying, that some squads did their own useless thing and travel at places, where they shouldnt be. You tried to get rid of that by limiting the rally survival time, but people exploited it again for already mentioned reasons. By forcing the SL to reload its rally to set a new one, you make the rally almost useless, because you cant simply set one if needed. In my opinion, you should be consequent and take the rally away in general or stick with the normal system (non beta) or at least the C beta version without reload.

The temporary RP-system shurely has its advantages, because if you get the SL and the medic + 3 grunts, you can be almost shure, that you have eleminated the nme squad. Squad cohesion was sometimes much better. But that can be handled by a good SL too.
The disatvantage is, that on public servers, people already started not to join squads, because they think, that there is no rally anyway. Squadless amount of players will increase.

Dont try to influence peoples behavior that much by game changes. People who dont care about teamplay anyway, will not change their minds just because game mecanism forces them. Imo it will not pay out.

THX for your efforts by keeping this game running for that long though.