Favorite mode?

[Jigoku]

Hello guys,

since I read here and there some concerning feedbacks about the game modes (DM, VIP, KOTH), I'd like to hear from you which are the modes you like the most, and the ones that you dislike the most.
And the most important question of all: why?

Don't hesitate to say everything you have to tell about the subject. We won't be here to argue about anything, just to read the feedback.

Thanks in advance!

PS: We're aware of the "small map issue" (or the deployment issue), and you can speak about it, but we're already working on it on our side, so please don't dwell on it too much. Though you can of course offer suggestions as to how make things better on that side too

DM on medium map size

Favorite
Death Match - I feel like why I enjoy playing this game is using my units to kill other units. All other objectives just don't seem to matter as much. This doesn't mean I don't want any other modes, just ones where killing is the priority even though other things are going on (i.e. Capture the Flag, the old King of the Hill where everyone had to meet in the middle).

Others
King of the Hill - I used to like it better before the new multiple areas. Now it's just a draw fest where killing doesn't matter at all IMO.

VIP - Wolfen have way too much of an advantage, making it no fun to face them IMO.

At the current moment, DM is the more balanced mode (considering however all the other observations made in the other discussions) and the one I like more to play.

The new VIP mode (in which you can kill the enemy VIP to get a draw in the turn your VIP has been killed) is much more balanced than before. Obviously, if you go to a VIP map without any scout unit (i.e., Lion, Gargoyle or Hunter) or ranged unit (Lion & Ram Archers, Wolfen Crossbow) then it is not a surprise if you don't manage to kill the enemy VIP, but you can set your composition for 60 seconds after knowing it will be a VIP match, so I think it is nice as it is.
At the present moment, the main problem are the Tiny Maps and deployment zones which allow to snipe out a VIP at the first turn with 2 Alahan archers with Offensive Stance or (Acheron Tiny map case) make it more or less impossible to shield your VIP from all the possible enemy attacks directions if you're not using a Zerg army composition. Wolfen seemed in general stronger in this mode since you have to kill only one enemy unit while keeping yours very far away, so that, in the largest maps, it becomes a DM in which the Wolfen army has to kill just one of your units while you have to kill them all. In general, VIP mode is very easy to play if you're using Wolfen (not so easy to win however if the enemy play wisely = turtle mode + scout), while if you're using Ram or Lion then you have to deploy special units like Lion or Gargoyle or it would be very difficult to kill the enemy VIP (however this is not true anymore in the very Tiny maps where a couple of Alahan archers with a Valk or Order auto-kill it more or less immediately).

KOTH new ideas of having many scoring areas, the points gained based on the unit's AP and the fact that you don't score the first turn are very nice, however certain times the scoring areas are too many so that the game becomes a "stay in your zone and send puppets/scouts to engage the enemy". This is another advantage for the Zerg armies (especially Acheron), that can move last and so engage your units without the possibility to do anything to counteract (reducing the points you get). If you play defensively turtling all your troops in a single zone, in general you can easily get a Draw if you don't make big mistakes, while if you attack (not simply sending suicide scouts to engage the enemy, another advantage for the Acheron player that has the most resilient scout + usually more units than the enemy), then it is more easy to lose than to win if the enemy deployed his units correctly (i.e.: all together). A way to improve this mode would be to get more points if you control different zones, so that if you simply turtle and stay in a single zone you'll get less points than moving out and controlling more zones. Finally, there is a bug in the info panel on the top right that says that 2000 points are necessary to win, while only 500 are sufficient.

DM for now but i'm waiting some serious 2vs2 or 3vs3 modes with objectives.

I like dominion map because i believe it could possibly be very balanced, maybe more than deathmatch. The problem is that right now it is not

What would make it more balanced :

- Dominion map should be revisited a little : i dont like that is possible to gain points CLOSE to the deployement zone as sometimes the game revoles around -> i try to snipe some of your units (ie: casters) then i retreat to my area. This also kind of favor more "turtling" strategies than other comps. Solution -> make the multiple control area in the middle of the map to favor clashing and discourage this kind of gameplay.
- Dominion map starting tooltip is also WRONG. It is not 2000 AP but 500! 500 at least makes for some fast games, sometimes that finish at turn 3...where certain companies do not have the necessary power to kill some units but just to engage, hopefully within the dominion area.
- Necromancers could be quite OP as they can engage TWO units with the morbid puppets (thus making the other player gain less points). Solution -> make morbid puppets provide no engage AP penalty.
- Dominion map is becoming a draw festival. Had today this situation -> remaining units 1 priest (127 AP) + 1 pala (107 AP) full life vs 1 Worg (217 AP) at 10 HP. Yeah i even had more AP than him + his worg was heavily wounded -> draw. Reasonable right? AP should be calculated with the remaining health. So..a draw is gained every time both players reach 500 simultaneously? this has to go at least...maybe give a 10-15 AP range but when i obtained 70+AP than the enemy i shouldn't get a draw (and i dont even mention the HP difference!).


regarding the other modes:

- i had about 30 games in this patch and yet...i did VIP once. Coincidence? i doubt so I guess flesh golem players do not love that mode ( ). Wolven there have a slight advantage but if you have a right setup you can manage to win. The issue is that often the players do not have the right setup

-Deathmatch : it is fun and all but certain maps favor a lot turtle strategies (i love when two turtle armies just stare at each other). There is the "long" behemot map that has the funniest deployment zone for archers or caster. You can basically hide behind a bush and do a little cute train of archers/casters while blocking that path with walls of units (2 are enough...but can be piled up creating effectively a wall of 2 units + other 2 that can be engaged by a maximum of 2 other enemy units!). The other player has therefore 2 choices: try to rush these two units...kill them and then kill another 2, doing all this while being very exposed to archers and mages as there is no way to engage them as the map has the invisible walls. The other option is staring and them and going for the draw.

Just a thought for KOTH. Maybe if both teams reach 500 on the same turn, it's the team with the higher score that wins. OR. If both teams reach 500 on the same turn, it's the team with the highest average health that wins. There just needs to be something that doesn't make a draw the most common outcome. Maybe a higher score to win. If I bring 400 AP into the game and on turn one put them all in a zone - I know I will at least draw if on turn 3, but if I leave to try to kill some of his troops, I will most likely lose - and possibly win, but chances are small.

Edit: Chances are small because after turn two, all he needs it 100 AP left in a zone to reach a win. So in one turn, I have to kill over 300 AP worth of troops to make the strategy work.

DM because it is neutral and allows different strategies to be played effectively. I would like other game modes but I am scratching my head as to how to have them balance when the 3 factions play so differently (a good thing IMO).
Maybe if you had access to more idle troops like a max AP based on renown that I have stated in another thread, you could then have 3 'saved' comps that suited different modes. That would at least give all factions much greater potential in other modes.
On another note I think it would be wise if you could only see faction rather than player/company name at pre-match. This means players could not leave at this stage to avoid a player. If they chose to leave when the game has started then they forfeit.