Being competitive in upcoming CQC

[StaticRadion]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am excited about the upcoming launch of the Close Quarters Combat. As such I wanted to point out a somewhat overlooked aspect of the current game. As it stands the current weapon rewards for Power Play seem a little skewed, but the truth is they are probably done so with CQC in mind.

From what we have seen all of the ships used in CQC are limited to small hardpoints and have restrictive power profiles. The small hardpoints offered by powers are usually advanced versions of a standard weapon offering perks and more firepower at close range. In specific the cytoscrambler has gotten a bad rap because it is less effective than a small beam laser unless you are within 100 meters.

It is almost guaranteed that CQC will keep players within 100 meters for combat so before you start critiquing your power for offering a "lame" weapon think ahead to the future and the advantage you will have in CQC.

[foo]

CQC will surely be completely separate. Your standing in Power Play - or any other ranking - will have no effect on what ships or equipment you can use there.

[StaticRadion]

CQC will surely be completely separate. Your standing in Power Play - or any other ranking - will have no effect on what ships or equipment you can use there.

So completely separate but not? It has already been said that CQC will be another avenue to earning money or at least starting money in the game and that it can possibly unlock weapons. Is it more like a one way street where the main game can benefit from CQC but not the other way around? The reason I am asking is because it was said by devs that "we have a ranking system. We track your progress and award XP, and you’ll unlock new weapons and modules as you play"

I believe it was also said by I believe David Braben in one of the AMA's that CQC may even become a possible type of profession joining combat, trade, and exploration. So is it separate or connected or both?

I guess we will have to wait and see unless you possibly have an article or blog post that you could link that is new and has some more definative statements than I have seen.

[Roger Wilco Jr]

Just my 2-cents, but I'd hope CQC would have equivalent ships and weapons, so it's just skill that makes the difference. Maybe you can rent the ships or something, so it's not like losing everything when you lose. Maybe something like laser tag so that you are forced to retire after the computers say you are too damaged. Then maybe have different classes. So you start out in the lowest class, but when you start wining you are transferred, automatically, into more difficult classes, both with better equipment and stiffer competition. I don't want to see some studly fighter jock picking off all the noobs. I don't really want to see something like the colosseum with gladiators fighting to the death or noobs getting fed to the lions. That's a little too "Beyond Thunderdome" for me.

Then maybe have an open class where anything goes. You can fly your own ships and kill each other if you want. But it should be real - if you die, the winner gets all your shit and you have to start over.

[StaticRadion]

Then maybe have different classes. So you start out in the lowest class, but when you start wining you are transferred, automatically, into more difficult classes, both with better equipment and stiffer competition. I don't want to see some studly fighter jock picking off all the noobs.

I can say from previous games I have played that having tiers is always a good thing. I think the problem with it is that often they don't have enough tiers and there is no system to kick someone back down a tier if they are just getting owned all of the time. It would be nice if it was an unbiased system that put players together based on k/d ratio within the tiers and if your k/d slipped from frequent deaths dropped you back down a tier.

No one likes spending hours grinding to get to a higher tier only to find when you get there that everyone is way better equipped an skilled. In that situation they don't want you on the team and you get sick of playing because of constant deaths. I hope they find a nice middle ground for those that like to be competitive and casual weekend warriors.

[Roger Wilco Jr]

I can say from previous games I have played that having tiers is always a good thing.

I should have guessed that this is already how things are done. I've never played any online game before and have always been up against AI opponents, and it's been years even for that. It's just that Frontier always seems to find a way to disappoint and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't think it would be more fun (like piracy) to have a bloodbath for the casual gamers until they gain experience.

[foo]

None of the ships available in CQC are capable of containing any special weapons gained from PP. This interview pretty much tells me it's a totally separate mode, https://community.elitedangerous.com/node/204

I'm just watching this at the moment, http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous/v/7695514

[Roger Wilco Jr]

Thanks, foo, that was an interesting read. Made it sound a little like Mario Kart, which is probably the last PVP game I played.

I don't plan to by an Xbox One to play it, and hopefully they'll have the bugs worked out before PC release.

Nice to read that they are working on balancing. I'm a little worried about the unlocking new weapons and the ranking system w/o mentioning experience group tiers (unless I missed something). I hope is not like you gain more experience and they'll make it even easier for you to crush the noobs who will have less experience and weaker weapons.

[StaticRadion]

I'm just watching this at the moment, http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous/v/7695514

Thanks for this probably going to watch it in a bit. I was actually quoting the other article you linked among other things. Maybe I am just getting confused between old and new info.