Playable Stalker?

[LightstealKnight]

So excited to share this idea with you guys.

 

You know how when you die to zanuka you have a special mission?

 

Well, when you die to the stalker, your special mission becomes to engage a party of 4 players and assassinate your target as the stalker himself.

 

Mechanics:

 

1.  About 3-8% of the player base should have this mission at all times.

2.  If you die to the stalker, the stalker can resume playing and you continue his mission.

3.  If you do not succeed within 24 hours (to assassinate a target) you are relieved of stalker status.

4.  To keep the value at around 3-8% periodically in a PVP match (whenever a player waits 24 hours), a special message will occur = "Next kill joins the ranks of the stalker elite"

 

As the Stalker

You will have access to the 3 stalker weapons (even if you don't own them), enemy warframes cannot use abilities near you,

You get 300 energy at the start of the fight, and can use it on your 4 abilities.

1. Excal - Slash Dash,

2. Ash - Smoke Screen

3. Volt - electric shield

4. Nyx - Absorb

[Vyrn]

I don't see this working effectively any time soon. It's impossible to balance PvP within a PvE scenario, and a great many players would not like the two to ever converge.

[Archistopheles]

Should there be a PvP mode that is 3v1 and people rotate as "The Stalker"? Hell yeah.

 

Should there be a PvE mode where a player is "The Stalker"? Hell no, but you can always color yourself black and edgy and pretend.

[Magnulast]

I've always wanted to die to zanuka...but in the end it's almost impossible due to other players.

[Dragonknight525]

Should there be a PvP mode that is 3v1 and people rotate as "The Stalker"? Hell yeah.

Should there be a PvE mode where a player is "The Stalker"? Hell no, but you can always color yourself black and edgy and pretend.

Aside from being easier to balance as a MP mode, it would be less rage inducing for all involved. As either the stalker is something to fear, or just another loot drop.

[LightstealKnight]

I don't see this working effectively any time soon. It's impossible to balance PvP within a PvE scenario, ....

 

This is called asymmetric gameplay because you effectively have a 1v4 scenario.

 

 

... and a great many players would not like the two to ever converge.

 

It is not really a convergence because it is very short lived, a rare occurrence, and if you die to the stalker, you just revive and continue your mission until the end (where you become the stalker).

 

I got the idea while watching this video:

Edited October 24, 2015 by Enemy1

[Vyrn]

This is called asymmetric gameplay because you effectively have a 1v4 scenario.

 

It is not really a convergence because it is very short lived, a rare occurrence, and if you die to the stalker, you just revive and continue your mission until the end (where you become the stalker).

Calling it asymmetrical gameplay doesn't change anything. When players have weapons capable of pushing out hundreds of thousands of damage per second, there is no effective way to balance anything.

 

Both the Stalking player's damage output and survivability would have to be modified by a multitude of factors, including squad size, experience level (only measures currently are time played, Conclave stats, and MR), frame choice, weapon choice, modding, gear items, and mission choice. There are far too many variables.

 

Even ignoring all that, the current PvP system is still relatively new and is in the process of being finished and balanced. Let's focus on that before adding in an entirely new system. At best, this could be a new gamemode for Conclave, as has been proposed by people for a while now. I would definitely support that idea, and I have in the past.

 

It's still a convergence since the two can directly interact. One second you are playing a PvE match with some friends, and the next an active player joins your match trying to kill you. That's a forced PvP confrontation in a situation where many (if not most) players are not looking for or desiring it.

 

Also, this idea pops up quite a bit. There was a post recently about a similar idea (invading players, not necessarily as Stalker), and that was shot down pretty quickly. PvP in a PvE scenario just isn't going to go well.

[LightstealKnight]

Calling it asymmetrical gameplay doesn't change anything. When players have weapons capable of pushing out hundreds of thousands of damage per second, there is no effective way to balance anything.

Both the Stalking player's damage output and survivability would have to be modified by a multitude of factors, including squad size, experience level (only measures currently are time played, Conclave stats, and MR), frame choice, weapon choice, modding, gear items, and mission choice. There are far too many variables.

Even ignoring all that, the current PvP system is still relatively new and is in the process of being finished and balanced. Let's focus on that before adding in an entirely new system. At best, this could be a new gamemode for Conclave, as has been proposed by people for a while now. I would definitely support that idea, and I have in the past.

It's still a convergence since the two can directly interact. One second you are playing a PvE match with some friends, and the next an active player joins your match trying to kill you. That's a forced PvP confrontation in a situation where many (if not most) players are not looking for or desiring it.

Also, this idea pops up quite a bit. There was a post recently about a similar idea (invading players, not necessarily as Stalker), and that was shot down pretty quickly. PvP in a PvE scenario just isn't going to go well.

Your point is moot.

Everything you just said is a very basic understanding of PvP vs PvE in any game. The math in warframe does not support PvP, this is true. Like most PvE games:

Player Health is low, player damage is high.

Enemy health is high, enemy damage is low. (relatively of course).

This does not matter for the discussion at hand. Asymmetric gameplay is when one side is stronger than the other mathematically, but is weaker strategically.

We don't need this aspect to be balanced.

You don't need to change any player stats, you just need to balance the stalker stats.

For example: an overpowered stalker (which is what we want), with 10k health, and a dread that does 800 damage per shot. Against 1 player, he will dominate, but against 4 players, they will have the chance to outmaneuver him.

Just because you are able to regurgitate information, does not mean that this information is applicable to this instance. Because it is not. This is not transforming the PvE segment to PvP in any way shape or form, this is simply making stalker encounters more challenging, engaging and fun.

 

 

Beyond this, the stalker only appears in the middle of a match.  This is long enough for an algorithm to analyze the "marked" player's damage output, and mitigation statistics. (similar to what is done with rhino and frost during the invincible period of their respective defensive abilities).  The stalker stats can be balanced to provide an appropriate challenge level to any party in the same exact way that is currently done with these 2 abilities.

Edited October 25, 2015 by Enemy1