BIG concerns over possible PvP reputation
 

Hello all.

I'm a big fan of the game, and whilst some decisions I've not agreed with (tricobalt nerf springs to mind), I generally like the direction that the game is travelling in. One aspect that I've grown to appreciate is the reputation system. I like that it gives you something to work to and that it's a system that can be built upon. (Long have I advocated systems like fleets, bases, embassies and reputations as systems can be built upon.)

I have to admit that I'm NOT looking forward to the possibility of a PvP reputation system. PvP is an OPTIONAL aspect of the game. A lot of people, like myself, don't want to have to PvP in order to get stuff.

Playing PvE is pretty much a required part of the game. I defy anyone to tell me that they have a toon that has not done any PvE. You don't take a level 1 toon in to PvP. You level the toon up and then take it to PvP if you choose to.

I believe that PvP is broken. I know I'm not alone as I read threads stating that PvP is broken. Also, if it wasn't broken why would there be talk on Cryptic's part about fixing it?

Just to make sure I wasn't being completely one sided in my opinion I went in to PvP with various ships of mine. One ship of each type, to be specific. They were chosen as per the following criteria.

Escort - Best DPS. Something that pumps out death. It's rare that it's not the highest damage dealer in an eSTF. VERY rare.
Science - Something that mixes shield survivability with high end sci damage abilities. It has a very respectable DPS. It's rare that it's not either the 1st or second highest DPS in an eSTF.
Cruiser - An equal mix of DPS and tanking. This ship quite happily sits under a cube in elite Cure and takes out the probes without worrying about dying.

I played two games with each ship. For the sci and cruiser I died at LEAST 4 times per kill. In almost every game I was the very first target of the match; the first on my team fired upon. Makes you think that the enemy thought I would be the easiest target.

The escort? I got a 7 and 0 and a 9 and 0. I also found myself targeting the cruisers and science ships as they were the easiest to kill.

I'm sorry, but to me this seems broken. For players to target non-escorts right from the start shows that it's recognised that they're weak. For me to gravitate to killing non-escorts in the span of a few kills means that I recognised that they were weak.

From my limited experience, combined with the vast number of threads I've read about PvP being (primarily) the domain of the escort shows that it's broken.

If you make a PvP reputation players with escorts will max it out very speedily whereas people who don't fly escorts will take forever. This is unfair and should not eventuate.

Make PvP rep work only in PvP, while PvE rep only works in PvE.

Problem solved.

Partaking the PvP Reputation system will also be completely optional.

This goes true for the other reputations that are currently in game as well.


Just because you want it, doesn't mean it's mandatory nor does it mean you should get it just because you want it.

So you're saying that people who don't want to partake should just miss out on new equipment?

If you're not willing to partake of the content, why should you be given the reward? It's analogous to asking for gear from the Romulan/Omega reps without doing anything.

Actually, why not? When you think about it, playing a specific section of the game is just as optional as getting a specific piece of gear. You don't absolutely have to get every new piece of equipment, just like you don't have to get every set, nor do you have to get every ship.

If you're a collector, well then, that's the price you have to pay to collect.

Let me put it this way. If someone doesn't want to do an STF/Romulan content, he/she will miss out on the gear from that rep track. In the same way, if he/she does not want to PvP, he/she will not get the gear from that track. It's just common sense.

In the basic, lowest level of PvP, yes, escorts will prevail. It is once teamwork comes in that the Sci debuffer and the Cruiser healer will truly shine. In such games of higher-level PvP, each career has its role.

Furthermore, PvP reputation progression speed does not necessarily change based on ship. In STFs and such, I am sure that you notice that you get the same amount of marks, and hence progress at the same speed no matter what ship you are using! Therefore, based on previous experience, I would say that your point is not really valid.

The stuff you need for other reputations is obtained by playing PvE. Multiple ways of PvE, mind you. For example, if you don't want to the Romulan missions for Romulan marks you can go Epohh hunting and trade them in. It's quite obvious that there will be only one way to get PvP marks.

*sigh* I don't know why I'm bothering. The high lords of PvP will start crying and PvP reputation will happen, just like their whining resulted in tricobalt nerfs.

While true, Epohh hunting is just one exception. Omega marks, on the other hand, require you to play STF/Defera content, where the only major variation is between ground and space. Your 'one way' to get PvP marks is actually divided into Cap & Hold along with Arena, with both space and ground variations i.e. 2 mission types, in the same way STFs have 4 mission types, space and ground.

Then don't! Not having access to any PvP gear will certainly not affect your playstyle. In fact, you won't even be affected by the lack of such gear, assuming you do fine now. Therefore, whether PvP reputation happens or not is simply irrelevant to you.

I also have little interest in PvP (I really dislike MMO PvP) but I can't see an issue here: what's available in the Omega and Romulan stores is more than man enough for any part of the game, even the Fleet gear is, so missing out on new equipment that you don't need is hardly a big loss. If you really want it then you'll have to PvP to get it, just as those that don't like PvE had to PvE to get the STF gear so they could have the best equipment available to them for PvP.

TBH I'd be more concerned if I did like PvP: there's going to be a massive number of leachers in every match trying to get the gear with no effort on their part.

Tric Torpedoes didn't need that last fix but mines definitely did. When I can out damage good Tac Escorts in a Sci ship with Tric Mines, Chroniton Spread and Grav Well there's a problem. I'm not actually seeing this huge nerf anyway, they're just as nasty now but lack the huge overkill spikes they once had but in return can be dropped twice as often. My Sci Vesta is still running a [CrtD]x3 out back with a DPB2, it may not be what it once was but it's still the most potent weapon I can put in the aft slot.

So you don't care about balance and want any game rewards restricted to how you want to play the game.

It's funny there is this game I'm playing and I don't particularly like the pve content (its too easy and repetitive) but I like the pvp in the game. Still I have to pve to obtain gear the keeps me competitive pvp.

Can you guess what that game is called?