Campaign suggest to SE

[Aymee]

Given the options we've been given over time to get info on certain things, this seriously shouldn't be that difficult. We've got chat filters for certain types of messages, we get regular updates on conquest and besieged, we can get ballista info almost by mistake depending on where we're walking around.

Campaign battles are far far more frequent in comparison to any of this other stuff... SE might well be figuring we don't want to be spammed with that much info. Let's assume it's gonna take SE awhile (if not forever) to figure out a system as to how to update /cmap at all regularly and send out the right notification to the correct people.

Here's an insanely easy thing to do in the interim--make that second national "initialed" NPC in each city that only has the menu option "info on the allied campaign" have another option of "coming operations" or something. The people I'm talking about are like... that second I.M. in the north part of MarketsS next to the Sigil guy. Basically, a time where an attack from an NPC group is going to start somewhere would be displayed on a menu option for that nation. If just your own nation attacks would not be enough to entertain you, you're free to travel to the other cities. Don't tell me this stuff doesn't have times assigned to it... I mean we can even ask when our Sigil wears now so clearly there's some little thing on the server that writes out some extra times. If not the EXACT time, then it has windows stored in it (the times do overlap sometimes and all). If it's presently windows, it'd be easy to change to a 1-time-only thing.

If there is, on average, an attack-oriented campaign battle every 30 minutes (rough estimate) instead of a defending vs beastmen... Idunno, if you wrote down a few times and visited the other cities you could easily write out when planned attacks for the next 6-12 hours would be. You could know what group was leading the attack, etc. You know, actually have players be PART of the army, instead of this semi-fluidic entity that operates on rules in an alternate dimension. Getting together with friends or LS mates for a bunch of pre-designated time attacks for your nation and still get to random defenses in between, to me at least that could make for fun evenings. Sure, argue that it would make it too crowded, but once more zones are added (northlands, beastmen strongholds namely) would split up people. ...Or scale the difficulty on number of people.

'Defending' attacks (beastmen attacking allied strongholds) would remain random and would be seen on /cmap. I mean, if it's unexpected, people should have to scramble there, right? Since the nation attacks are presumably on some sort of timer, why not let us know? Maybe tie this into intel campaign ops or something to get a more precise guesstimate on when there might be an attack?

...Oh, and what's with the red bar above each zone? Time 'til next increase in fortification?

[Toksyuryel]

I've been scratching my head about that bar for a long time =/ I thought it might be a "health" or "damage" bar but zones don't seem to change hands depending on if it is empty/maxed and it seems to be totally unrelated to the info displayed on the right pane. Could it possibly be "time to next attack"?

[Nalyr]

I had been pondering over a key item Campaign Linkpearl myself. Just something that would inform you in advance of battles occurring soon. A simple line or two in chat log saying a battle is about to begin if you are holding the key item. Maybe like others mentioned it could only notify you to battles in zones you have visited.

Examples:
Our latest intel says that the Orcish Hosts are planning to attack Vulner Inlet. All able bodies please head there as soon as possible!

San d'Oria is planning a surprise assault on the Yagudo Theomilitary in Sauromugue Champaign. Report to NPCname at <pos> for details.


An icon on the status bar would be helpful too for those in zone when Campaign begins. I know a lot of people who don't have the game music on, so when it changes they have no clue that Campaign is taking place.

[Max™]

No need for a Beastman key item.

If you had a linkpearl to a Windurstian army chatter channel, you'd certainly hear "Sir, our scouts have spotted Yagudo moving in on Karugo" or "The Aquarian Casters report that they are ready to begin their assault on the Meri stronghold."

So three national key items would work.

As for why your own nation?

If Windy was getting beaten back and lost all but one place, I wouldn't want to be in Jugner when there was an attack on Saruta.

First thing I did when campaign started was camp Karugo campaigns to beat them down with a few others, we got it the next tally and theres lots of fascinating NPC's around, which made it quiet worth it to me.

[Thistle]

would be nice to have something to do with the 33K AN I'm sitting on...

Shoes. 8)

I need more feet!

I know a lot of people who don't have the game music on, so when it changes they have no clue that Campaign is taking place.

After years of having it off, now I have to play with it on. It's driving me insane!

[Kyreth]

I guess the real question is why we don't receive system-wide notifications like in Conquest and Besieged?

A very, very good question. With the speed battles begin and sometimes end...I'd like to see system warnings on battles beginning or ending. The time needed to arrive isn't like Besieged- heck, in the time it takes a Besieged force to arrive after hitting full power, you can easily see half a dozen Campaign battles start, finish, or be in progress. Even a Campaign earring like the Ballista ones would be useful so adventurers can actually make battles in timely manners.

As it stands, the system is functional but rough, and definitely needs TLC.

[Kyreth]

First thing I did when campaign started was camp Karugo campaigns to beat them down with a few others, we got it the next tally and theres lots of fascinating NPC's around, which made it quiet worth it to me.

If the areas near Jeuno have NPC's like the Fort did, the information to be had is definitely relevant to my interests. Might clear up a few things, the Fort certainly did for me.

[BRP]

They just need to make an easy toggle-switch command so we get notified with campaign assaults as they occur. Basically, rip-off FFXI's ballista earring.

Or their announcement of Conquest standings every hour since the beginning of the game... :-"

Fixed even further.

[Alleya]

Four words: Campaign earring, yes please.

[Yutuyu]

The campaign complaining fiasco is amusing. People are whining because they can't find battles quick enough. If everyone got what they wanted we'd have an NPC telling us which zones are under attack at our home nation, system announcements when the battles begin, attackers and defenders displayed on the map once you're in zone, etc.

Since when did BG become the "zomg nerf this its too hard" forum?

Aren't people always bragging about how they want a challenge?

[Kyreth]

It's not so much "challenge" as "frustration".

We want to help. CMap being shitty, this can lead to popping into an already-over battle or missing another one entirely.

Sadness ensues. We want to kick ass, not warp in and go "Where's the fight gone?"

[Yutuyu]

It's irritating, I know, but once you get the hang of it, that doesn't happen very often. You just need to learn what zones have really short campaign battles with easy mobs, thus which locations aren't worth teleporting to (Sauromugue, Sarutabaruta). Take a look at the cmap every now and then and even keeping track of what just started becomes easy. It's true that you have trouble getitng into things, but once the ball starts rolling and you get your first campaign down, you know where to go and you rarely warp into a place that's battle ends while you're running in/is already over. It'll still happen, just not that often.

[Max™]

lol, yeah, it's too hard because I can't get info about where a battle is til 2 minutes after it's started and 60 ravenous players zerged the mobs to hell.

Really, I'd just like the earring so I can go "oh, cool shit XXXXXXX just started, let's bounce over there and see if Bakgodek is stomping around with his silly hat."

It's not just going to zones that sometimes get over fast and missing em, the map is really laggy, especially with 40 people per city running around, and NOTHING short of Qulun's lasts long.

I like to defend Saruta, it's kinda my home turf. I enjoy Sauro and Meri battles, again, windurst pride, but I wanna see the whole map yellow/green dammit.

[Builttolast]

It's not asking for anything we don't have already in Besieged. In AU areas you get a message that XXX is attacking Al Zahbi (which you know takes 20 mins to arrive). All I personally want is the same systemwide message in [S] areas. I don't think that's either difficult to implement or gamebreaking.

[Yutuyu]

It's not asking for anything we don't have already in Besieged. In AU areas you get a message that XXX is attacking Al Zahbi (which you know takes 20 mins to arrive). All I personally want is the same systemwide message in [S] areas. I don't think that's either difficult to implement or gamebreaking.

That's exactly my point... do you really want to turn Campaign into besieged?

If they make the battles harder and last longer that's good enough. We don't need notifications for every little thing ontop of it.

[Lucavi]

I understand your "wartime logic", but you're suggesting that SE belabor us with needlessly inefficient concepts and procedures simply to make the act of "war" seem more... realistic. I'm all for that, so long as they give us a way to have a say in it. Here me out:

Perhaps if SE made the Reconnaissance level tie into how fast (or if at all) updates would be relayed to us. Perhaps a level 2 reconnaissance grants us the ability to have a military linkpearl issued to us that announces when an attack force is either moving towards an enemy base, or is being attacked by the enemy.

You may feel that this is "just like besieged, but it is in fact, not the same. While going for the Fort K. map, the journalist taru gives you a pearl that allows him to communicate with you instantly, yet we're in the same "wartime" environment. That proves that it is possible to have simple communication relayed to and from soldiers. Also, as I have yet to see a level 2 reconnaissance on Hades (even by overpowered Sandy), it would be a reward that we would have to earn, instead of simply having it provided to us free of charge, and with 0 effort required to obtain it.

There has to be some way that we can be made aware that can still fit in with the storyline -- its either that or bitch at SE to update the servers controlling the cmap to 1-minute refreshes, instead of 5-minute.

[Bakthi]

Bad usability isn't a challenge...well, it is sort of a challenge, just not a good one. Penny Arcade once said something about how games with unwieldy controls should not be classified as "challenging". Given what's available in the rest of the game, there's no reason we should have to put up with this. It's just something that needs to be fixed. We shouldn't have to resort to ignoring certain zones completely because the notification system needs adjustment; that's terrible.

I find it interesting to overcome legitimate challenges. This is just a lack of testing. I don't find it interesting to have to constantly spam /cmap, possibly for hours, if I want to do a Campaign (oh, but if one comes up in an "unworthy" area I have to ignore that one and hope a better one comes along). That doesn't sound like a game I want to play. If that sounds awesome to you...grats I guess, but please don't pretend there's any skill involved other than the ability to work around something flawed.

[arshesney]

Aside from the laggy map and all, please let BLU able to heal NPCs (this would be nice in Besieged also), some battles are too much npc-dependant (like the retarded orc nm spamming battle dance), and it's not uncommon having just a handful of players in a battle (especially in Eldieme or CN).

[Deftscythe]

Aside from the laggy map and all, please let BLU able to heal NPCs (this would be nice in Besieged also), some battles are too much npc-dependant (like the retarded orc nm spamming battle dance), and it's not uncommon having just a handful of players in a battle (especially in Eldieme or CN).

Just removing the retarded party-only restriction on Blu cures would solve this and remove a source of irritation from my game. Also remove wait times from tags, and if need be for balance just limit it to only one set of tags per battle.

[Max™]

Was thinking about that too, with a twist.

Keep the wait timer, but only apply it when Campaign is going on.

You don't want us to get 6 tags and fill them/turn them in? Fine, do that, but when the fight is over, let us collect our reward and warp to the next battle instead of sitting there for 20-25 minutes.

I do this shit as War/Drg, I take a lot, I dole out a lot, using lots of JA's, voking shit. It's pretty easy for me to get enough Exp that I'd have to sit around for 15-20 minutes every time to get the full tag...

Here's hoping this maint contains a campaign fix.