Where Is Every one??

[pras]

- Don't listen to "pro-gamers" not wanting any changes, fearing casualization. Make it more casual friendly already!
- Those "Pros" can keep playing with themselves at custom games feeling special with only 4 open games online and 123 players online total.

I would say that there are no pros around this game any more, in fact what you stated I would say that it is exactly the other way around. Your so called "pros" provided feedback from RUSE forward and were ignored because casuals were screaming "gib Ontos plox" and other such stuff. It is pros saying that game modes have to be tweaked while casuals scream "mine fields" and "paratrooping into the battlefield" every incarnation since EE forward.
Everything you listed "pros" made clear that it is missing from European Escalation forward. You should stop being sour about someone stealing your sweet-roll and face it. The game is not "pro" friendly. It is simply not well rounded and in some cases the design in not well though out. And casuals, not having the "pro" insight think that game flaws are in fact something "pro", because clearly, they can't easily click around it.

 

[Karlburg]

- Proper matchmaking is needed.
- For instance, in conquest mode, the counter should begin to tick at maybe 60% - not 51%? Give some room to maneuver/battle.
It is ridiculous, lackluster and unsatisfying often losing a match the way it is: 2500:0.
- Get rid of e.g. 2500 to 0 results. Nothing is more unsatisfying than winning/losing this way. Who wants even spectate a "to-0-match"?
It doesn't sound like an exciting match from the beginning. Just like someone was steamrolled by another one.

- Warn people with big windows/signs that their time is running out in conquest mode. You can take inspiration from those windows from single player campaign.
Make them annoying like there.
- Make infantry more survivable. Still keep suppression (maybe a tweak or two) but at least give the player time to look after them and say goodbye and not just reading unit kill messages..

So, the conquest counter needs to tick at a close game or you'll get nothing but draws in anything other than stomps. 60% is not even close. I could see going to the 52% to tick ala closer combat, but anything more than that is just rewarding failure and passive play.

I wouldn't mind seeing the ticker made in such a way as to keep the games closer to remove situations where you have no feasible means of victory with 10 minutes left in the match.

Giving better feedback on the scoring would be nice, though, so that people will know they need to push when they're down.

Infantry survivability is eh- the main thing is, infantry dies really fast on the movie, it's a lot more survivable when stationary, other than certain huge bombs or incendiary devices.

 

[Claremont Waltz]

Infantry shouldn't take bonus damage on the move like it currently does. I'd rather the game encouraged aggression and the infantry attack than tried for realism in a game without dead ground. Right now we're encouraged to do nothing for the defense bonus which makes the game even more static.

 

[Gilmund]

Infantry shouldn't take bonus damage on the move like it currently does. I'd rather the game encouraged aggression and the infantry attack than tried for realism in a game without dead ground. Right now we're encouraged to do nothing for the defense bonus which makes the game even more static.

There is something called smoke. And noone is using it... It is very rare i see good use of smoke against me. Defensively, yeah sometimes, to keep some unit alive. To attack? Almost never. The bonus damage when in the move is good, when they're not in the move, they suppose to dig in.

What i just seen being proposed just above you is to make the game way more simple. It's a shame cause everything about the difficulty is good and makes this game unique.

 

[Dianno5741]

I concur with gilmund. When moving across the open you need a base of fire. Either smoke shells or some heavy Mg or support units such as tanks to pin down the enemy. Infantry fire on the move which helps keep up pressure. Units getting shredded in the open is what should happen.

 

[Karlburg]

Keep in mind that if you make infantry more survivable on the move, close combat squads will have a much easier time dominating. You come a lot closer to the AB engineers vs FS-pioneer meta.

 

[Hidden Gunman]

I concur with gilmund. When moving across the open you need a base of fire. Either smoke shells or some heavy Mg or support units such as tanks to pin down the enemy. Infantry fire on the move which helps keep up pressure. Units getting shredded in the open is what should happen.

Utterly agree...it's rare for open ground, broad daylight assaults in the face of determined resistance to be effective or to achieve the goal...when it does it's generally because of clearly defined reasons.

 

[EmeraldCougar]

Game need servers with some global mode, with mode 'join anytime in global battle and play'.
Not like now 'find game - wait 10-20 minutes - play - look how others escape session'.

Where now all yours AirLand Battles, Escalations, Rising Dragons and so on ? In the land with zero online.
I bought ALB did not played 4-5 months going to play and discover that now I forced to buy new version to play with people. Do you you really think I bought it ?

I told - game like this need global mode with endless war with at least 20 vs 20 with possibility to join and play in any time.
World is changed in last few years. Customes buying PC not to wait 20 minutes.

 

[morpher]

In the land with zero online.

It is called "The land with double the playerbase of steel division".

 

[clabinsky1]

Does anyone know where there's comprehensive information on how to effectively give orders? The guide has a short list, which is slightly ambiguous and there's no mention of the shift key for example. In order for people to learn and stay with this game, I'd think Eugen could have done a much better job of explaining every single keyboard shortcut. Clicking multiple times on a unit during setup selects multiple units, yes. But where is this documented. Using shift to move and put multiple attack orders for arty and air in particular is useful, but where is this documented.

Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive guide?

 

[Hidden Gunman]

Does anyone know where there's comprehensive information on how to effectively give orders? The guide has a short list, which is slightly ambiguous and there's no mention of the shift key for example. In order for people to learn and stay with this game, I'd think Eugen could have done a much better job of explaining every single keyboard shortcut. Clicking multiple times on a unit during setup selects multiple units, yes. But where is this documented. Using shift to move and put multiple attack orders for arty and air in particular is useful, but where is this documented.

Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive guide?

camera move WSAD
change focus Tab

Main

stop E
Spread X
Return Fire Z
Auto Cover N
Fire at position T
Move Fast F
Attack Q
Unload at position Y

For comunication between players

Flare Attack F1
Flare Defend F2
Flare Help F3
Flare Custom mesage F4

Pause 'Esc'
Deployment menu `

Unit information I
Turn weapons on/off H
Line Of Sight C

W or Z - Riposte, will not attack, only defend if fired upon
R - Retreat a panicked unit
J - Reverse your tank
B + left click - Smoke position (for artillery)
U - Unload (for transport vehicles)

Left-click - Select a unit (holding the button will allow you to select several units at the same time)
Double left-click - Select the same kind of units in the area
Right-click - Move a unit to the destination
Q or A + left-click - Hunt

 

[EmeraldCougar]

You guys made brainstorming session, invent and make main and essential mode where players can join current battle in ANY moment.
Your network lobby not overcrowded.

Game perfect, I like it, but nobody gonna wait 10-20 minutes for game in 2018.

 

[RoyalColor]

Good to see a nice and civil thread

Looking now back, it seems SD has been designed as a history lecture with plenty "wink, winks" towards history fans, first and everything else second.

The most important missing MP aspects of the game like Matchmaking have not been addressed, instead we get more of historical content. Which is not fun, coz it's essentially time gated AI horde mode over and over.

I'd say if they haven't done it so far, then there is no chance to get new, revamped multiplayer tools that are in line with the rest of the world and that doesn't bode well for the game.

 

[Hidden Gunman]

I don't necessarily agree with that Royal. I think it is possible to fix that aspect, but I think the game is trying to be too much for too many. It has a core of players now, and certainly showed it had a broader appeal, we need to bring many of those people back so that a more workable matchmaking system can actually work. No MM system can cope with a really low player base, it's just a fact.

I think the game needs to actually find its' own path...rather than trying to be a multiplayer RTS, why not simply focus on being a decent 'multiplayer thematic sim'...then we don't have to worry about the nitty gritty X vs Y unit balance and 'hard counters', because in this game, those concepts simply screw with the fun. Allied players who roll on only M4's with 75mm guns should rightly fear tigers and panthers, but should be able to kill the beasts with numbers and good play, similarly, I think a tweak to the air game by having prioritised (i.e. attacking high value) self-targeting aircraft instead of the miracle accurate on call system we have now (and very unrealistic for Normandy) would make german players fear allied airpower, which should be available for most if not all allied divs.

The 'all things' build we have at the moment doesn't work, I'd say that the changes to the crit/damage system has shown that with the level of angst out there, so, branch off again, and let the game have a niche spot of it's own. Players want to feel like they are playing a (thematically) historical game, rather than a competitive grind...and it's the competitive grind aspect that is the most common complaint from new or inexperienced players on the forums. To back that up, the 10v10 game is still popular, and that's about as far from the grind game as you can get....people want to have the sense of accomplishment of playing in a team and co-operating or pulling their weight, but they want a war game...not a 'who punches the keyboard and clicks the mouse fastest' level game.

The uber competitive players have mostly dwindled on the forums, and I suspect probably in the player base as well...time for those of us who are left to start asking for what we want the game to be. Whether that is the same as what I want or not is immaterial to me, because at the moment, judging from what is being said on the forums or around the chats, we're pretty much all of the same view that some things need to change.

 

[RoyalColor]

[...] judging from what is being said on the forums or around the chats, we're pretty much all of the same view that some things need to change.

And I do agree.

But my point is those "things", that need to change are the same things that needed change a year ago. And since Eugen chose not to do anything about those things in that time, that must have been for a reason.

IMO Either they don't have the resources, or made a choice between doing more of the same instead of fixing MP.

Because what we got and are still getting is more units, divisions, maps, content etc which is nice, but this is not what we wanted in the first place. And I understand, but it just shows the path they took and I have no hopes for matchmaking overhaul, reconnect feature and other underlying problems that may help with numbers, to be fixed.

 

[Protosszocker]

And I do agree.

But my point is those "things", that need to change are the same things that needed change a year ago. And since Eugen chose not to do anything about those things in that time, that must have been for a reason.

IMO Either they don't have the resources, or made a choice between doing more of the same instead of fixing MP.

Because what we got and are still getting is more units, divisions, maps, content etc which is nice, but this is not what we wanted in the first place. And I understand, but it just shows the path they took and I have no hopes for matchmaking overhaul, reconnect feature and other underlying problems that may help with numbers, to be fixed.

There is a match makeing system and it works quite okay, I saw worse out there, but there is no playerbase to use it, if you dont have like 1000k player all the time onlie its jsut not enough to feed a match makeing system esp not for more than 1v1 so makeing lobbies is just more effecitve. Also on launch most of the players decided to use customelobbies so this looks to be the better way for many of them.

 

[RoyalColor]

There is a match makeing system and it works quite okay, I saw worse out there, but there is no playerbase to use it, if you dont have like 1000k player all the time onlie its jsut not enough to feed a match makeing system esp not for more than 1v1 so makeing lobbies is just more effecitve. Also on launch most of the players decided to use customelobbies so this looks to be the better way for many of them.

Yeah, I know that. But what we got doesn't work and the game is in a dire need of some up to date tool, that would randomly distribute new players evenly between teams. As I said, personally I have no hopes any of this is happening.

IMO at this point matchmaker should be just thrown away, as new folks go there, sit forever and then complain on steam forums the game is dead.

 

[Protosszocker]

Yeah, I know that. But what we got doesn't work and the game is in a dire need of some up to date tool, that would randomly distribute new players evenly between teams. As I said, personally I have no hopes any of this is happening.

IMO at this point matchmaker should be just thrown away, as new folks go there, sit forever and then complain on steam forums the game is dead.

sounds quite true.... really hard to pull new players in with waiting times like this and user unfriendly UI.

 

[paulkingtiger]

A frequent problem I have when looking for a game is avoiding the team vs PUG match. Lots of the available games will be a 4v4 or 2v2, half full with everyone on the same side. You join and get annihilated by a team on voice coms with great co-operation because you're with 3 players you've never met before and have only in game communication. For a new player, how many of those are they going to join before they give up and stick either to 10v10 or comp stomp.
The problem goes away if your group is pre-made as well and then you get a really fun match, but that's another barrier to entry for a new player.

 

[Drrty-D]

IMO at this point matchmaker should be just thrown away, as new folks go there, sit forever and then complain on steam forums the game is dead.

IMO the lobbies should go away/private only like i suggested long time ago -

Removing MM would just be admiting a horrible fail,why not copy pasting the lobby and make it Matchmaker is my question.

A frequent problem I have when looking for a game is avoiding the team vs PUG match. Lots of the available games will be a 4v4 or 2v2, half full with everyone on the same side. You join and get annihilated by a team on voice coms with great co-operation because you're with 3 players you've never met before and have only in game communication. For a new player, how many of those are they going to join before they give up and stick either to 10v10 or comp stomp.
The problem goes away if your group is pre-made as well and then you get a really fun match, but that's another barrier to entry for a new player.

Thats the problem with all U*Gen games i played since 2010 starting with Ruse and WArgame until SD44 now,they raised their community on lobbys and imo the best shinyest pro produced MatchMaker wouldnt go well as long as there are lobbys.

There need to be drastical change to change that,apart from that the game needs to be advertised to either play alone 1vs1 or get friends,find friends to play with,some automatically add friend function after a game with yes or no or dont ask again settings.
In Wargame i see people with 1000,2000 games and 10,20 % win ratio and get depressed only by imagining that he probobably plays it every time alone without teamplay,TS and shit,this game and all Eugen games are ment to be played either alone 1vs1 ranked or in teamplay with friends,there is no other way.