Detron Farming Is Hurting Faction Balance On The Map (Or Starting To)

[Vanadium]

To start: I'm not talking about the Detron itself and it's stats. I'm also not talking about Grineer vs. Corpus enemy type balance. I'm also NOT asking players at any point in this post to stop Detron farming (this is all on DE and their decisions around releasing the Detron and the method required to obtain it). I'm also not asking the for Detron to be easier to get (though that might be the result of any fix). I'm also not a Corpus fanboy (supported Grineer during Gravidus), but I don't love the Grineer either; they're my enemies, so I fight them because Lotus says and for swag.

 

I'm talking about the faction balance across the mission nodes on the solar map and how they have been skewed by the introduction of invasions with the inclusion of the Detron as a (eventual) reward for siding with the Grineer.

 

As of now, across 239 mission nodes, the Grineer hold 63.7% of the solar map. This is a kind of big majority over Corpus. Right now, Eris (which contains the most Corpus nodes) is leaning towards Grineer victory across the current contested nodes. The Phobos invasion by the Corpus started off well (two blue potatoes can do that), but is being shut down. By the weekend, Grineer dominance will probably grow. I don't think this has much of anything to do with "Grineer pride" but the fact that siding with the Grineer is necessary in order to obtain the Detron.

 

Everyone wants the Detron. Players who didn't get the Brakk want the Detron. Players who wanted Corpus to win and now have a Brakk BP as a consolation prize want the Detron. Players who have the Brakk want the Detron (for swag, for rank, because it's a fun/sort-of-different gun, etc.). So, everyone is after the Detron (some less casually than others).

 

Lore-wise (what's that?), the Tenno are apparently supposed to uphold the balance in the system. If the Corpus and the Grineer are constantly duking it out, we (the Tenno) can do whatever we want and ruin whoever's day we want, whenever we want. A system overrun by clones or robo-ostriches is bad for us and our job (at least that's what Lotus says).

 

Practically, a solar map dominated by one side or the other is not only boring, but also restricts player access to mods that may only drop from one enemy type, which may only spawn on certain planets (I don't see Powerfists outside of Sedna, Ceres, and some Grineer alerts. Similarly, Anti-Moas only spawn on Jupiter).

 

Whenever there's a 50k credit reward for both sides, most times the Grineer win. Why? Because people want their harvester-mark so the harvester will whisk down their chimney at night and gift them Detron parts (maybe). The few times the Corpus resist Grineer incursion (or overrun the Grineer) are when the reward is either a potato, a forma, a Vauban part, or 3 cells/neurodes. Watching the invasions, players seem to rarely go after Mutagen Masses/Fieldrons, since they grow on (map) trees now during Infestations (because it's easier to get them from Infested [because Infested are easy]. and because there haven't been any new additions to Clantech since the Scoliac; there's little demand and ample supply).

 

This will lead to Grineer dominance.

 

Some of you might want that, but when the only Corpus left to fight are the bosses and nodes where a potato was offered, you might get a little bored fighting the Grineer everywhere else (and plus you'd be fighting against the guys you like most of the time).

 

I'm not going to propose solutions since plenty of good and easy ones have already been suggested (Detron parts as Corpus invasion rewards; makes sense, since it's their gun). Personally, I don't mind the Detron being hard to get, since that just makes it more swag. I just think the current method of obtaining the Detron is going to be bad for the game down the road.

 

Of course it could be that this is just a "Detron boom" that encourages Grineer supremacy. But new players (or players that aren't really after the Detron, but will farm it later) will still want the Detron (since it's a decent non-primed secondary), which means the Grineer will still get more support.

 

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm saying "Grineer WILL control 99% of the map!" I don't think that will happen, but I don't think it's good for the game when the main reason the Grineer are "winning the game" is to farm one secondary. There should be something to balance that out coming from the Corpus side so that there isn't such a huge lean towards the Grineer.

 

TL;DR: Detron farming for marks during invasions makes players feel forced to side with the Grineer. More Grineer victories means less Corpus nodes, which means certain mods available only from Corpus will be more difficult to obtain. This also means having to fight the Grineer in more places, which will get boring. Some solution should come from DE that still makes the Detron the rare prize it is, but also entices players to fight for the Corpus (or at least not fight for the Grineer just because it will get you the Detron). 

Edited February 5, 2014 by Go4tfi5h

[theasl]

only the millionth thread on this topic...

yeah yeah we know

[BrotherIcarus]

Yes exactly this is the case. But look at it this way this will/is forcing DE to but out better rewards for siding with the corpus, we have already seen the corpus offer up orokin catalyst multiple times . Now I am not saying that this is the solution. Personally believe the best way to fix this is to make it so the Harvester can attack you on any mission against any faction. This way it will not matter which faction you side with after you get the mark, it also makes sense lore wise as Alad is not apart of the corpus any longer.

[Vanadium]

only the millionth thread on this topic...

yeah yeah we know

 

I know it's another pain in the butt "Detron Thread". Sorry, dawg.

[Scheifen]

Hopefully Vay Hek's harvester-style appearances and the Brakk dropping from him will fix the balance. 

 

That or the Corpus just start offering more O. cells

[alchemistjkt]

i have the detron, and i almost have enough parts to build 4 more (cause i obviously side with grineer more).

i and many others are not hunting for detron, we are hunting for whatever the better rewards are.

the grineer just so happen to have whats "better" more often than not.

 

point is, detron is not the key factor here.

the prize is.

Edited January 30, 2014 by alchemistjkt

[7grims]

This is not a problem, if the start chart really get too much unbalanced, they'll probably re-set it.

 

But, you have a point on the 1 side win, theres no motivation (except rewards) to fight for the corpus. So for now grineer gonna keep conquering more and more maps.

[alchemistjkt]

This is not a problem, if the start chart really get too much unbalanced, they'll probably re-set it.

maybe... but i doubt DE will take such a blatantfool approach to it.

 

i guarantee you that the grineer will continue to take over more and more territory, and then, just as it looks like grineer will rule everything... DE will have an event that will flip everything on its head.

 

im calling it now, its going to happen.

[Natesky9]

You would have figured by now that the Tenno are turncoat mercenaries- They side with the faction that gives the best loot.
Simple as that, there IS no balance to uphold.
The Gravidus Dillemma was the closest that players had to come to making a Moral Decision.

*Edit*
Actually now that I read your entire post, you make a Valid point to the story of the game, and I partially Agree with you.
Yes, Grineer give better stuff, and the more they control, the more they can pay out for entire domination. Now, I don't like the Grineer one bit, and I would never side with them normally, except for the fact that they offer what I want. All the other Invasions aren't worth my time, and there's nothing to gain besides credits from helping the Corpus, aside from the Rare materials, (Which, by the way will soon become so abundantly useless and lose all value if they keep being spammed)

I really hope that some DE Admin actually reads this, as you have put alot of thought into this. It definitely would improve the game overall.

But I almost doubt that they will read it.

If they do, They sure showed me!

Edited January 30, 2014 by Natesky9

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I agree with the point you're trying to make.

Personally, I do invasion missions for the reward being offered, usually something spiffy like a potato or a forma or something else i need like cells or money.

While yes, I do want the Detron, I'm not bothering to just grind for it :P

if the prize is equal I'm more likely to join the Grineer mainly because of the crap Alad pulled during Gradivus.

Balance is nice, but I'm not about to give the Corpus any kind of break.

This is not a war, this is an extermination.

[theasl]

maybe... but i doubt DE will take such a blatantfool approach to it.

ICWUDT!!!

[Taranis49]

You would have figured by now that the Tenno are turncoat mercenaries- They side with the faction that gives the best loot.

Simple as that, there IS no balance to uphold.

The Gravidus Dillemma was the closest that players had to come to making a Moral Decision.

*Edit*

Actually now that I read your entire post, you make a Valid point to the story of the game, and I partially Agree with you.

Yes, Grineer give better stuff, and the more they control, the more they can pay out for entire domination. Now, I don't like the Grineer one bit, and I would never side with them normally, except for the fact that they offer what I want. All the other Invasions aren't worth my time, and there's nothing to gain besides credits from helping the Corpus, aside from the Rare materials, (Which, by the way will soon become so abundantly useless and lose all value if they keep being spammed)

I really hope that some DE Admin actually reads this, as you have put alot of thought into this. It definitely would improve the game overall.

But I almost doubt that they will read it.

If they do, They sure showed me!

 

Well, I'd actually expect the Grineer/Corpus to start offering less the more they conquered, since "realistically" (yes, I know, it's a game and all that) they'd have to rebuild/repair what they took to make it worthwhile.

 

Regardless, actually having ramifications for when/if the system gets unbalanced would be helpful too. We're told we need to "keep the balance" and all that good rot, but we're not shown why; this was a failure of Gradivus for example, "help the poor innocent civilians that are never seen anywhere!" :-P

[Vanadium]

So with Eris completely taken over, the map comes out to 74.9% Grineer controlled. Neptune's next (also Corpus) and I didn't see any tasty potatoes to entice me to defend Corpus holdings (because invasions are boring). Not many Corpus holdings left (Venus, parts of Jupiter, Pluto, and some loose nodes).

 

Just saying, no big deal or anything.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Go4tfi5h

[Natesky9]

Just saying, no big deal or anything.

If it were a constant Tug-of-war, this game wouldn't be exciting at all. It needs a little bit of action. And this gives the [DE] A perfect chance to introduce a new operation for something exciting.

Maybe even a new set of mods, huge payouts, or maybe.....

Even a new Frame....

[KoshLovesYou]

 the Brakk dropping from him will fix the balance. 

...Oh god, what dumb plan did I miss getting mentioned in the Livestream cliff notes now.