Combining Tiers

Suggestions Levelling and Economy
1

This is not the same as Mixed Tiers. This is a complete redesign of the Tier system.

At present, we are having problems with the matchmaker taking a long time to find matches in the upper tiers. Part of this is a coding issue within the matchmaker. Part is that our playerbase is stretched too thin over 5 different Tiers and 3 different Game Modes. So here is what I suggest…

SUGGESTION:

Re-organize the ship tree so we only have 3 (you heard right THREE) Tiers. Ships of Rank 1 thru 5 would be the new Tier 1, Rank 6 thru 10 would be the new Tier 2, and Rank 11 thru 15 would be the new Tier 3.

So how would this work with implants and ship stats?

  1. First, re-balance the raw stats for each ship for their new tier, so there isn’t a massive power curve leftover from the old tier system.

  2. Second, allow ships of lower rank in their Tier to level up in Rank (thus unlocking the use of more Implants as their synergy level increases) until they reach the cap for their Tier. So at full synergy, all ‘Tier 1’ ships can use Implants 1 thru 5. All ‘Tier 2’ ships that are at full synergy would be able to use Implants 1 thru 10. And all ‘Tier 3’ ships would be able to use ALL of the Implants, provided they have reached full synergy.

  3. Players who have less than 30 games are put in a special queue where they only face other new players. Once they hit 30 games, they are locked out of this special ‘beginner queue’ and thrown in with the rest of the community in Tier 1 (Ranks 1 thru 5).

  4. All Unique premium ships (Pirate Ships, Unique DLC Ships) should be located in Tier 2, but start at Rank 6 and have to earn synergy to rank up. Furthermore, unique ships should be able to level up all the way to Rank 15, so veterans don’t have to leave them behind as they advance. This is to encourage players to use their Unique ships in the highest skill-bracket without them being pay-to-win.

WHY?

Because it would result in bigger games, shorter wait times, and closer games. Ship abilities would be closer to eachother at full synergy because they would all be able to use the same Implants for their Tier.

We never used to have problems with finding matches before Tier 5 was released, and Tier 4 was practically uninhabited. Once Tier 5 was unleashed, players have been spread too thin to properly populate high-level matches, leading to mixed tier experimentations, matchmaking bugs, etc. So I am suggesting that the developers simplify the game down to Three Tiers.

2

Additionally, it would help if the methods for upgrading to Mk3 and Mk4 were switched. But that’s a side note.

3

If that would give us bigger player base most ppl wouldn’t mind… but it won’t

 

This game need advertisements and decreased invasion gameplay coz SC has great potential as pvp with 8vs8 or more

4

If that would give us bigger player base most ppl wouldn’t mind… but it won’t

 

I agree that player retention and promotion are also part of the equation.

 

But right now a large part of the problem is that this game was never able to successfully sustain 4 Tiers, let alone 5. The playerbase is spread out too far, which leads to underpopulated matches and a matchmaker that doesn’t have enough players to even things out. This wouldn’t solve all of the game’s problems, but it sure would help populate matches and make things less complicated for the poor MM.

 

What we really need right now is:

 

Tier 1: The introduction tier where pilots get their feet wet.

Tier 2: The casual gamer tier, for pilots that don’t have tons of time to spend grinding.

Tier 3: Endgame. Competitive players, corporations, and completionists with time and money to burn.

 

Who knows? It might actually be possible to queue with a full squad again.

5

Great idea in the short run. I don’t think all the unique ships should be bumped up, some should be bumped up, some should stay where they are. Also, as they are premium, they should keep that status and not require synergizing. Premium ships aren’t pay to win, as they offer little to no advantage over their standard counterparts (aside from no repairs).

 

Tillo has it right though. The long run solution is that this game needs to be better advertised and the focus centered more on PvP/SC and less on invasion. Drawing more players to the game will solve all matchmaking issues.

6

Don’t hate me. I just want to give this one one more shot.

7

I don’t think this is such a great idea. The tiers work fine as they are. All that needs to be changed is the T4/5 matchmaker, so that games will be more enjoyable (larger). That combined with increasing the player base so that eventually T5 will be repopulated with experienced players (not tier-rushers).

It would be nice if the DLC ships were spread over T3-T5 though. That way those that have them and still want to use them can still do so in higher tiers as well.

8

Here added this the wish list…  make the highest ranked implants available to the lowest rank ship of your combined tier. 

 

“Re-organize the ship tree so we only have 3 (you heard right THREE) Tiers. Ships of Rank 1 thru 5 would be the new Tier 1, Rank 6 thru 10 would be the new Tier 2, and Rank 11 thru 15 would be the new Tier 3.”

 

So rank 1 ship would have availability of rank 5 implants

rank 6 ships would have availability of rank 10 implants

rank 11 ships would have availability of rank 15 implants

 

other wise  poor lowest ranked ship still will get hammered just from the advantages of the higher implants

9

Perhaps 3 tiers are better.  However, this maybe dictated by higher level players (which I feel is the case for tier 3).

But I think it is good if it is the opposite of PvE (tier 1 with level 1 - 6), so you allow players in tier 1 to dominate in PvE, and players in tier 2 to dominate in PvP.

 

I also suggested a Tier 6 for scaling (probably just raw stats, since you can’t add more modules) across all your ships once you are level 15.

10

Indeed,I have no idea what you are talking about. Troll much?

Dirk,think about it. Merging ships into 3 tiers guarantees instantly bigger matches with more ship variety. And in the case of this particular suggestion, also ensures that all ships in a given tier have access to the exact same implants once they are at full synergy.

Evrrdylost, ships of lower rank should still have to unlock access to implants. I is a disadvantage at first, but because they would be able to level up, they would become much stronger, much faster.

11

Indeed,I have no idea what you are talking about. Troll much?

 

 

See below

 

Perhaps 3 tiers are better.  However, this maybe dictated by higher level players (which I feel is the case for tier 3).

 

I just had a game against DJ, wouldn’t their Crew implants, their resources for getting better items/missiles, and etc would be too much for new players?

I don’t even think my Rank 7 ship survive in Tier 3 (eg. Trackler without heavy drone), let alone a Rank 5 ship.  Or if you are to group Tier 3 and Tier 4, a Rank 7 ship will survive against Rank 12 ships?

 

 

But I think it is good if it is the opposite of PvE (tier 1 with level 1 - 6), so you allow players in tier 1 to dominate in PvE, and players in tier 2 to dominate in PvP.

 

PvE with Rank 1 - 3, so Rank 3 ships would dominate.  Rank 4 - 9, so Rank 9 would dominate.  Rank 10 - 15.

PvP should start with 1 - 6, so Rank 6 ships would dominate.  Rank 7 - 12, so Rank 12 would dominate.  Rank 13 - 15.

 

How players can level easier:  Player wants to level rank 5 ship, go PvP, winning chance would be higher.  Player wants to level a rank 8 ship, go PvE, winning chance would be higher.

 

 

I also suggested a Tier 6 for scaling (probably just raw stats, since you can’t add more modules) across all your ships once you are level 15.

 

Tier 6 (which is suggested on another thread), or if you split into 3 tier, simply add this as tier 4.  What it does is to scale all the ships at one level (including those who players bought).  Crews implant benefits should be removed.  This allows players from different rank to show their skills, instead of based on their equipments.

12

Rank 13 implant.

13

I dont think mixing new player (rank 1) with player up to rank 5 is a good idea. It could scare new player away or it would require a complete rebalance of the game. 30 game’s played arent that much and new player would still end up facing much more skilled one with better ship…

14

When they combined t4 and t5 last time it was horrible so I am going with no

15

Was it horrible because of the mix itself, because of the SR split and the exceptions/workarounds, or because of the broken matchmaking?

 

My feeling was that it was borderline OK for Low-SR players (would have really been OK without the exception rules), and that it got much worse for many of those after the split/mix was removed. 

 

Was probably different for High-SR players (due to high queue times).

 

 

But generally I agree that, if we don’t get more players, the Tiers may have to be rearranged somehow. Was trying some T4 lately, but could only get 3v3, with one 4v4 all day, on EU/RU servers. Felt much less populated than maybe 2-3 months ago. Sad. I’d love to play more T4. I don’t need T5 (as it is now).

16

The difference between the tiers in terms of ship / implants is quite large (hence having 5 tiers). t4 and t5 probably has the smallest gap bar the r13 implants and that did not go down well. Try pitting a r6 vs a r10 ship and see how much fun you have

17

 

  1. First, re-balance the raw stats for each ship for their new tier, so there isn’t a massive power curve leftover from the old tier system.

  2. Second, allow ships of lower rank in their Tier to level up in Rank (thus unlocking the use of more Implants as their synergy level increases) until they reach the cap for their Tier. So at full synergy, all ‘Tier 1’ ships can use Implants 1 thru 5. All ‘Tier 2’ ships that are at full synergy would be able to use Implants 1 thru 10. And all ‘Tier 3’ ships would be able to use ALL of the Implants, provided they have reached full synergy.

  3. Players who have less than 30 games are put in a special queue where they only face other new players. Once they hit 30 games, they are locked out of this special ‘beginner queue’ and thrown in with the rest of the community in Tier 1 (Ranks 1 thru 5).

  4. All Unique premium ships (Pirate Ships, Unique DLC Ships) should be located in Tier 2, but start at Rank 6 and have to earn synergy to rank up. Furthermore, unique ships should be able to level up all the way to Rank 15, so veterans don’t have to leave them behind as they advance. This is to encourage players to use their Unique ships in the highest skill-bracket without them being pay-to-win.

  1. Balancing is always on topic and constantly being monitored, but such changes are too big.

 

  1. MM already tries this, but however this also depends on the pilots stats.

 

3)There is a special queue for beginners so they will fight with other beginners or bots. This prevents them from getting farmed.

 

4)Players have already paid for their premium ships and therefore we do not want to make any bigger changes to them.

18

As stated above by Error, and not much to be added just that all economy in game related fields are not to be changed anytime soon.