#me and core tried it but I want to do a 2v2 as well

[windfighter]

I also added another game to our gaming district :3 Those of you who watched the hermzitslympics know what this is!

The redstone underneath it is my own though and I'm very proud of it!

[aion-rsa]

Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha Struggles to Sell Champion Hill Mode

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s recent PlayStation Alpha gave PS4 and PS5 players the chance to try out the game’s new Champion Hill mode, but there’s already a heated debate among the Alpha’s participants regarding whether or not this was the best way for Vanguard to make a good first impression.

To be clear, we are talking about an Alpha, and the purpose of this Alpha was clearly to acquire feedback/data that will help developer Sledgehammer Games tweak Vanguard ahead of its November 5 release date. Indeed, the Vanguard team has already been busy responding to player feedback in order to both acknowledge it and suggest some of the ways that they intend to address early complaints and suggestions. This is in no way a full review of Vanguard or even Champion Hill mode, 

However, in the interest of providing feedback, I have to say that I did walk away from the Vanguard Alpha with a few initial impressions regarding the game’s new Champion Hill mode and the ways that it showcases both Vanguard’s potential and how far the game still has to go. 

Champion Hill Is a Questionable Way to Showcase Call of Duty: Vanguard

Vanguard’s Champion Hill mode is essentially a miniature tournament featuring eight teams of two players. Each team is given 12 lives to share, and the goal is to survive a series of 2v2 matchups and be the last team with lives remaining. You use money at the start of each round to buy weapons and resources (think Counter-Strike or Valorant), and you’re also able to pick up new items (including extra lives) from the Champion Hill maps themselves.

It’s…a lot. Champion Hill is similar to Call of Duty’s Gunfight mode (which featured two teams of two using random loadouts to face off in a “no respawns” competition), but the additions of a buy system and the shared lives tournament format occasionally muddles the core appeal of that relatively simple alternative. It feels like Champion Hill wants to combine the best of a battle royale, Gunfight, and the Arenas mode from Apex Legends, but it currently struggles under the weight of those various concepts. It feels weirdly “esports” in a way that is sometimes detrimental to the potential of the experience (we’ll get into that more in a bit). 

The bigger problem at the moment, though, is that Champion Hill feels like a bad way to showcase Vanguard‘s best elements. I get that it’s the new kid on the block, but one of Call of Duty’s more traditional deathmatch modes may have given fans that “quick fix” they’re looking for as well as a more familiar format to work with when trying to examine the state of the game. Actually, in some ways, Champion Hill exposed some potentially interesting early Vanguard problems…

Champion Hill Matchmaking Reignites the Call of Duty: Vanguard SBMM Debate

We’ve spoken about Call of Duty’s SBMM controversy in the past, but the long story short is that Activision utilizes a “skill-based” matchmaking system designed to group you with teammates and opponents based on a series of largely mysterious stats that apparently determine your relative skill level. The idea is that you’re always playing with people of equal skill level, though the mysterious nature of the matchmaking algorithm (and the results of the system itself) has always raised eyebrows. 

Well, the big problem with Champion Hill mode at the moment is that it’s often dependent on the matchmaking system working properly. It’s not impossible for a lone player to carry a team, but most people are going to be dependent on their teammates to offer basic combat assistance as well as properly manage the mode’s resource system. It’s not impossible to stage a comeback if you fall behind early, but it can be incredibly difficult to do so. 

There are occasionally obvious matchmaking issues with Champion Hill’s SBMM system (especially in this Alpha stage with smaller numbers of players and a smaller data sample size), but I’d argue that the bigger issue at the moment is that this mode is trying to appeal to a more competitive demographic but currently offers no real ranking system. Overall, Champion Hill matchmaking can often leave you feeling frustrated and helpless. Again, there is potential in this mode, but it’s such an odd way to show the game off at this time. 

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Visibility is Its Biggest Problem At the Moment

I’ll start this off by mentioning that Vanguard developer Sledgehammer Games has already acknowledged this issue and claim that they are working to address it. That said, Vanguard currently suffers from some of the worst “visibility” that I’ve seen in a competitive multiplayer shooter in quite some time. 

From brown and grey environments that are inherently more difficult to navigate to the ways that being damaged affects your visibility and how it’s possible to see players through walls, Vanguard s visibility issues often make many encounters feel like an elaborate eye test. Given that it’s possible to kill enemies rather quickly in this game (and that Champion Hill is so dependent on trying to stay alive), it can be incredibly frustrating to see so many encounters come down to who spots the enemy player’s tag the quickest.  

Most of the current visibility issues feel like they can be addressed through some visual tweaks, but when you start to look at some of the bigger visibility problems (like the lack of a more traditional and useful minimap), it is easy to wonder if Vanguard may end up being too frustrating for many. 

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Destructible Environments Are a Great Idea That Need to Be Balanced

In case you haven’t heard, Call of Duty: Vanguard features destructible multiplayer environments. This mechanic isn’t nearly as elaborate as similar ones seen in games like Red Faction, but the idea is that it will help players better deal with campers and others who “betray” the run and gun style of CoD‘s intense multiplayer. 

It’s a great idea, but it’s easy to see how this feature is ultimately going to be a bit of a give and take. It’s nice to be able to deal with campers without walking into their line of sight, but when you combine that feature with the game’s visibility issues (see above), you suffer through a lot of scenarios where you’re just not sure what you died to or what you were supposed to do about it. This feature also greatly reduces the benefits of cover, which seems to be the point but is a bit odd given that the current maps are still clearly designed with cover in mind.

Again, the biggest at the moment may be how all these issues specifically affect Champion Hill. That mode’s emphasis on survival and resources sometimes feels at odds with the chaotic nature of having bullets fly at you from every angle (as well as some of the game’s other current issues). I think destructible environments may eventually be the way to go, but the idea isn’t quite there yet. 

For Better or Worse, Call of Duty: Vanguard is Surprisingly Similar to Modern Warfare 2019

Many fans have already pointed out that Vanguard feels mechanically similar to Modern Warfare 2019 in a lot of ways. It features a similar movement system, its weapon types feel similarly balanced, and the game’s “time-to-kill” is generally tuned to be faster. 

Is that a good thing? That really depends on your personal preferences. There’s a bit of a divide in the Call of Duty community at the moment in regards to the style of “older” CoD games vs. the Modern Warfare 2019 style, and it doesn’t seem like Vanguard is going to be the game that bridges that gap. It certainly leans more towards the Modern Warfare style, which is a bit surprising given that Sledgehammer previously tried to dial that style back with Black Ops: Cold War (with mixed results). 

What does concern me most at the moment is how the faster “TTK” style conflicts with the destructible environments and visibility issues as well as the theoretically more methodical nature of the Champion Hill mode. In Modern Warfare 2019, some players tried to get around faster kills by “hiding” and “camping” more, but Vanguard discourages that tactic through destructible environments. The game really seems to be encouraging (perhaps forcing) you to just get into the fray and really consider your movements, but Champion Hill isn’t necessarily the best showcase for that style, and there’s currently no way to tell how Vanguard‘s choice of mechanics will impact CoD‘s other modes.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Overall, I think Champion Hill is an interesting concept with a lot of potential to at least be a fun distraction, but that potential is currently being limited by visibility issues, questionable matchmaking, the absence of a ranked mode, and a more fast-paced style that sometimes feels at odds with the core components of the mode’s design. Warzone may be CoD’s bread and butter these days, but I’m curious to see how some of Vanguard’s multiplayer issues are addressed ahead of the game’s November 5th release date.

The post Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha Struggles to Sell Champion Hill Mode appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3gLN2nM

[tech-news-today-worldwide]

Quantaar Interview – How A Taiwanese Melee Game Is Bringing Third Person PvP Combat to VR

Pumpkin VR has made the rounds since 2017, but you’d be forgiven for not having come across them until now. Based within Taiwan, this studio developed a few arcade-exclusive titles, ones that were only been distributed within VR Centres across Asia such as Taboo, Forbidden Z and Iron Gate. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic making these locations less accessible than ever, that approach is about to change. Forbidden Z arrived on Steam for free last month, and in the meantime, Pumpkin is preparing their newest game, Quantaar. Described as a “fast-paced VR Melee”, Quantaar first appeared back in 2019 for an Esports tournament in Taipei Syntrend. Offering 90 second matches that bases wins on kills and damage dealt, they advised the game is “fitted for hardcore and casual players”, offering a clear competitive focus with additional single-player options. Unusually for VR, that action takes place within third-person gameplay, making it somewhat unique. With a Kickstarter campaign now running, we reached out to Pumpkin VR to learn more about it. Speaking to the studio founder Peter Liao – with thanks to Huei-Ting Chan for arranging this – he kindly shared some new details (this interview has been edited for clarity). UploadVR: First off, thank you for joining me today! Could you please introduce yourself? Peter: Hi I’m Peter Liao, founder of Pumpkin Studio and Pumpkin VR. We are a Taiwan-based indie team focusing on VR content production since 2016 (3 VR arcade titles have been released under the name of Pumpkin Studio.) Pumpkin VR is the new facade we started in 2020 dedicating to our upcoming online multiplayer VR title – Quantaar, which we’ve been developing for over 2 years and it’s still ongoing! UploadVR: Pumpkin Studio has previously released VR arcade titles such as Forbidden Z, Iron Gate and Taboo, without any home releases. Is there a particular reason your studio focused on the arcade market? Peter: Our VR game journey started by developing a VR shooter for a local arcade center back in early 2017, when the arcade market was way more active than the VR home user. We then kept developing and licensing original VR arcade titles for global arcade centers. In other words, we’ve been waiting for a good time to enter the home user market. UploadVR: Given that many of us are homebound due to Covid-19, arcades are mostly off-limits, depending on what part of the world you are in. Has the pandemic affected Quantaar’s development at all? Peter: Yes and no. The initial timeline of the game was releasing its arcade version first as a warmup for its online. However, the pandemic has forced us to drop off this plan due to the shutdown of most brick and mortars across the world. We started immediately replanning the development schedule of Quantaar last March. Which means, new planning, game design, art style, server building…etc. We literally are developing a new game preserving the core gameplay and the title. Luckily, we are based in Taiwan, our developers can stay focused on game development itself. UploadVR: With this in mind, can we expect to see Quantaar launch on Steam VR, other PC platforms or Oculus Quest? Peter: As Quantaar is a VR melee, maximizing player pool is one of the key elements to make each experience thrilling. Steam VR and Oculus Quest are for sure the destinies where to launch the game. However, we might need to prioritize the launch time on each platform instead of releasing on the two platforms at the same time based on the workload and financial. We have tried adapting Quantaar into the PC version for testing, but the result is not satisfactory. Due to the limit of vision on PC, we have to abandon some VR features and the game looks a bit flat compared to its VR version. VR is still our first priority at present. But we do expect the day we can do PC-VR cross platform play. UploadVR: Moving towards Quantaar itself: it first launched as an arcade title back in 2019. Could you tell us a bit about the basic gameplay premise, and whether it’s changed much since that initial release? Peter: The core gameplay is very simple: kick opponents out of the arena and cause as much damage as possible! The initial version of Quantaar was designed to provide a fierce VR gaming experience to the general public (those who have no VR equipment at home.) So, once players put in a coin, they will be led to a spaceship, starting choosing heroes and maps then get ready for a 5-minute-long fast-paced battle in third-person view in VR. We keep the core gameplay and expand the world of Quantaar in the online version adding more functions in either combat systems or the worldview. UploadVR: Considering VR’s immersive nature lends itself towards first-person gameplay, it’s unusual to see a third-person combat game arrive for it. Why did the team choose this approach to gameplay? Peter: First-person gameplay is without doubt a great way to deliver immersive experiences but sometimes it comes with physical discomfort as well. Our previous experience in LBE VR drove us to think in unconventional ways creating something innovative, fun and reducing the happening of motion sickness as much as possible. That’s where we began to develop third-person gameplay and secure VR features in the meantime. UploadVR: How does Quantaar utilize VR in-game, were there certain benefits to this as opposed to traditional console/PC experiences? Peter: Quantaar is now developing into a complex virtual world instead of a combat-only game from its original. During the match, players control their heroes from above but apply props (appearing on the stage randomly) and release certain skills (according to the heroes) in first-person view. To enhance VR in game, we add a great amount of VFX creating stunning in-battle environments that can be experienced in VR only. For example, there’s an octopus item that will stick on players’ vision when attacked. The ultimate skill of Quasar (a hero from nova star) is a strong light beam that can swipe all opponents out of the stage by tilting the head right and left. Aside from the matches, Quantaar also marries other elements to build its metaverse from player avatars, side games to character levels. More details will be revealing soon! UploadVR: It seems clear that Quantaar holds competitive elements and you recently released an Esports trailer, showing some footage from Syntrend Taipei. Will Esports be a major focus for the game? Peter: Esports is a potential outcome for the game as the core gameplay is PvP fast-paced time-limited fighting like the other classics (Street Fighters, King of Fighters…). What makes the game hard to master is the complexity of the combat system (combining heroes class and rune system). It requires not only intense practices but also a deep understanding of each characters’ class and skills when it comes to team play (2V2). During the Esports event at Syntrend Taipei, we’ve witnessed many novel tactical strategies from each esports team including heroes combination and prop-use strategy. The game has its balance design and the flexibility for players to develop their play style. I think that’s the key reason why it has the potential for Esports. UploadVR: The Kickstarter campaign is now live, but why wait until now to launch it, as opposed to 2019? Peter: Developing an online VR multiplayer at the scale of Quantaar is difficult. I have to admit that we never thought about one day we would extend the game at today’s level as it was an arcade title while we started designing it (back to 2018). We’ve spent a whole year redesigning and testing features step by step as a team of 18. Also, with the fast growth of VR in terms of player number and hardware sales since 2020, we think this year is the time to share the game and its current stage publicly. UploadVR: Lastly, is there any message you’d like to share at all? Peter: We want to create something classic in VR like how League of Legends kicked off 10 years ago. To reach the goal, we’ve been endeavoring to craft a game with longevity and scalability that we’d love to stick around and grow with as a gamer. Quantaar is the game we want to bring to VR and non-VR players. Read the full article