Spawn camping has been an annoyance since day one and can happen in any game where two sides collide and skill, numbers and class balance factor in.
Spawn camped scenerios are unenjoyable for both sides. People being pinned in feel frustrated because they have no room to move out in a lot of cases. Your forced to go forward into a gauntlet of positioned opposition.
People doing the spawn camping have generally boring time too. Some groups try to hang back more but unless you have communication and influence over the second group, your risk them getting run over if you pull back. If you stay up with them, you risk them pulling guards and wiping a bunch of your force.
I have in the past posted up discussion threads on ways spawn camping could be reduced by minor or major changes to scenerio layout, mechanics etc..
At this point in time, I think most development is being spent (properly) on the new rvr pack and major patch changes. Existing scenerios will probably not be changed to accomodate complicated ideas and scenerio redesigns such as auras around the warcamp that up damage/healing or alternate exists/portals.
A simple way to aid in reducing spawn camping in existing scenerios that would -hopefully- involve little to no coding would be to increase the damage on the camp seige weaponry by large amount. Maybe even have this player controlled seige weaponry kill people in a single shot if they are silly enough to go into range of a warcamp/spawn location and get hit by the weapon.
People would quickly learn and adapt to the new range and more breathing room outside of your spawn area would be allowed. You would also be more in control of clearing the campers out, instead of pinning your hopes on unreliable guards which seem at times to do nothing at all.
Obviously this does not solve the root causes of spawn camping, nor is it meant to. This is simply an idea for a quick fix to give more breathing room outside of a spawn location in a scenerio and move the fight more to the middle of the scenerio. In the same swipe, it should help remove NPCs from being a factor in scenerios.
Wasdstomp
September 8, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Yeah spawn camping sux. Maybe implement a fps shooter type of spawn where it can be in like 4-5 different spots, but than everyone is separated which causes you to die too.
The guards, or weapons definitely need to be more powerful. I just laugh as a healer when I can outheal with a group heal the damage they do. Another idea is to make the reloading be more instacast or close to it.
Krugge
September 9, 2010 at 10:00 am
I do not support camping but I had it explained as such in an SC by a supposedly uber guild run pre-made that…
It is more profitable regarding emblems and medallions to camp. From my stand point “Tactically” holding the enemy in a controlled space ensures a win…yes it is boring as hell for those camping and frustrating for the camped. That aside I just do think it’s any fun at all either way
» Blog Archive » News from the Front: I like to move it
September 10, 2010 at 5:45 am
[...] backseatdev has some ideas on how to reduce spawn camping. This is a tough one, but should be looked into. Altough, on my Engineer I actually [...]
Krugge
September 10, 2010 at 9:48 am
Arrggg..I really need to re-re-read my stuff before posting:
“That aside I just do think it’s any fun at all either way”
is supposed to say:
That aside I just do NOT think it’s any fun at all either way.
Sorry about that.
Seris
October 25, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I really feel if they made the objective (winning the scenario) worthwhile, spawn camping would be less of an issue. Right now, it is pointles to try and cap the flags or run the part. The loss of renown is so bad … even if you win, you lose !
Ubarad
October 28, 2010 at 8:21 am
I couldn’t agree more Krugge. At least give an extra conq-sov emblem for a 500 win instead of just officers. It would also seem more competitive if you change the flag mechanic to require someone to actually maintain it or it becomes uncapped. Thus in multiple flag scenarios or a new scenario, you would have to spread your team out where they can be attacked by the respawning team, instead of being able to dogpile your whole team on one flag and beat the opposition senseless with your premade.