[Early Feedback] The Incoming Dark Sectors...

[Kaotyke]

Disclaimer: I know, Rebecca repeated 4 times that it was all subject to change, but it wont stop me to give feedback on what I saw and make my own suggestions the Devs may or may not take into consideration.

I... dont know what to feel about them, a small part of me is going "Great, finnaly something!", the big part is "That... that was it?"

A single titleset per Portal filled with enemies and a time limit and we just have to power and move on?

As I write this ,I keep pickling my mind on what I saw, honestly? It leaves me with a bit of exasperation, so I will make my own suggestions and maybe inspire you guys on what to do.

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One of the biggest problems I saw with the Sector is its single SMALL titleset shown there, I personally didnt like it, the enemies cluttered you and will make the use of sniper rifles and launchers dangerous.

The suggestion I can make for this is to use the more ample titles that we have, a balance between both so we can use whatever type of weapon we want. Take the Corpus Defence Outpost and Ship for exemple, they are are big areas with cover and space for movement and places where you can keep your distance if you wish.

So, please, if you go with the current interation, use the bigger maps.

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The second part is the looks of the maps. They are just re-used titles. Nothing different! Its not an unique title Set, I can understand wanting to re-use what you have, it costs less time and resources. But you could make something different there. The place is called a "Dark Sector" for a reason, give it a reason to be called that: have your artist grab the titles you use and distort them, make them cracked, missing pieces, or just plain twisted like someone took wall put it in a blender and took it out and put it back in place. Like if you played Amenesia The Dark Descent and everything distorted the more fearfull you became!

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The Portal to leave, I will get flak for saying this, but take inspiration from Destiny 2's Endless Forest, in how they were able to leave for the next area. Instead of making a flat wormhole, make it more of a doorway whose wormhole is blocked, like in Jordas Veridict: after you finish the first part, you fly to a closed door and wait for the team, when they get there, cutscene and to the next area.

The portal becomes avalible or powered up, you stand in front of it and when everyone gets there, automatic transition, no need to jump throught it (looks awkward to jump inside, turn the camera and see you literally on the other side of it before the transaction happens).

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Enemies, we are re-suing assets again, but like I said above: distort those enemies, make them look like shadows of their former selves, maybe use the Old Corrupted Voice on them, one for each faction changed to match but sounding like the old Corrupted, nothing eligible is being said.

For looks, distort them, make them look like Nekros' SotD, make them seem damaged, parts missing and are made of shadow.

 

And that is all I have to say, for now.

[tarfeef101]

Adding to the many good ideas here:

• just standing by an energy/shield (forget which it was) draining object for a few seconds is boring and not very creative/engaging. I'd prefer either rotating objectives on each level, or a more interesting one. Certain amount of kills and then an assassinate, defense, excavation (maybe breaking down a door to access the portal?), stuff like that which is more engaging than standing still letting something drain your energy/shields.

[Kaotyke]

18 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

Adding to the many good ideas here:

• just standing by an energy/shield (forget which it was) draining object for a few seconds is boring and not very creative/engaging. I'd prefer either rotating objectives on each level, or a more interesting one. Certain amount of kills and then an assassinate, defense, excavation (maybe breaking down a door to access the portal?), stuff like that which is more engaging than standing still letting something drain your energy/shields.

Random objectives per area, seems great. Keep things fresh. I particulary like breaking the door.

Maybe a few walls.

[peterc3]

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

One of the biggest problems I saw with the Sector is its single SMALL titleset shown there, I personally didnt like it, the enemies cluttered you and will make the use of sniper rifles and launchers dangerous.

The suggestion I can make for this is to use the more ample titles that we have, a balance between both so we can use whatever type of weapon we want. Take the Corpus Defence Outpost and Ship for exemple, they are are big areas with cover and space for movement and places where you can keep your distance if you wish.

So, please, if you go with the current interation, use the bigger maps.

We saw 2 or 3 tiles. They are existing tiles, so why wouldn't the bigger tiles get used? Remember, there is an overall time limit, the bigger tiles would be a hindrance if you have to go looking for things.

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

The second part is the looks of the maps. They are just re-used titles. Nothing different! Its not an unique title Set, I can understand wanting to re-use what you have, it costs less time and resources. But you could make something different there. The place is called a "Dark Sector" for a reason, give it a reason to be called that: have your artist grab the titles you use and distort them, make them cracked, missing pieces, or just plain twisted like someone took wall put it in a blender and took it out and put it back in place. Like if you played Amenesia The Dark Descent and everything distorted the more fearfull you became!

You ignored the very beginning of the clip. Also, the Dark Sector name is a placeholder. The whole point is exploiting your knowledge of the game to go as far as possible in the 20 (or whatever it ends up being) minutes.

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

The Portal to leave, I will get flak for saying this, but take inspiration from Destiny 2's Endless Forest, in how they were able to leave for the next area. Instead of making a flat wormhole, make it more of a doorway whose wormhole is blocked, like in Jordas Veridict: after you finish the first part, you fly to a closed door and wait for the team, when they get there, cutscene and to the next area.

The portal becomes avalible or powered up, you stand in front of it and when everyone gets there, automatic transition, no need to jump throught it (looks awkward to jump inside, turn the camera and see you literally on the other side of it before the transaction happens).

Cutscenes take away from the flow. It's like the tiles are loosely stitched together, you're going from room to room. If you take any of the animations or transitions out of context, they would look weird.

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

Enemies, we are re-suing assets again, but like I said above: distort those enemies, make them look like shadows of their former selves, maybe use the Old Corrupted Voice on them, one for each faction changed to match but sounding like the old Corrupted, nothing eligible is being said.

For looks, distort them, make them look like Nekros' SotD, make them seem damaged, parts missing and are made of shadow.

Again, you're overlooking what the idea is. Take your 8 Forma Tigris P and mow through as much as possible in the time allotted. Why theme the enemies differently if they aren't going to be looked at outside the mode?

1 hour ago, tarfeef101 said:

Adding to the many good ideas here:

• just standing by an energy/shield (forget which it was) draining object for a few seconds is boring and not very creative/engaging. I'd prefer either rotating objectives on each level, or a more interesting one. Certain amount of kills and then an assassinate, defense, excavation (maybe breaking down a door to access the portal?), stuff like that which is more engaging than standing still letting something drain your energy/shields.

It was outright said in the Devstream that there were requirements on each level. Headshots, melee, etc. This is already the plan.

[Kaotyke]

@peterc3, that is why I said above:

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

Disclaimer: I know, Rebecca repeated 4 times that it was all subject to change, but it wont stop me to give feedback on what I saw and make my own suggestions the Devs may or may not take into consideration.

This is a feedback based sorely on what I saw. We have no idea how the final product will be, its subject to change. Maybe they thought on everything I said beforehand and thus I wasted my time on an idea that is already in the works, but I dont have any way of knowing that.

5 minutes ago, peterc3 said:

You ignored the very beginning of the clip. Also, the Dark Sector name is a placeholder. The whole point is exploiting your knowledge of the game to go as far as possible in the 20 (or whatever it ends up being) minutes.

Name is a placeholder, sure thing, but with what is currently called, could still be called Dark Secotr or could not.

6 minutes ago, peterc3 said:

Cutscenes take away from the flow. It's like the tiles are loosely stitched together, you're going from room to room. If you take any of the animations or transitions out of context, they would look weird.

That was an exemple.

And I said this at the end:

1 hour ago, Kaotyke said:

The portal becomes avalible or powered up, you stand in front of it and when everyone gets there, automatic transition, no need to jump throught it (looks awkward to jump inside, turn the camera and see you literally on the other side of it before the transaction happens).

 

8 minutes ago, peterc3 said:

Again, you're overlooking what the idea is. Take your 8 Forma Tigris P and mow through as much as possible in the time allotted. Why theme the enemies differently if they aren't going to be looked at outside the mode?

Am I? I want it to be an unique thing, is it wrong? The Corrupted were part of only the Void for years. Then the Relics came.

And what theme would be changed? The models become different? Make it seem unique? By that logic all enemies should be Grineer Lancers because why would I waste my time looking at the Corpus crewman? Why would DE make the changes they are making to Corpus helmet? Why would they waste their time doing that?

Its simple: It would make it interessting. And players like interessting.

11 minutes ago, peterc3 said:

It was outright said in the Devstream that there were requirements on each level. Headshots, melee, etc. This is already the plan.

But nothing on different Objectives per map. Just a change of the current mission challenges.

Can only kill enemies with headshots? Ok, power this orb while doing that.

Can only kill enemies with melee? Ok, power this orb while doing that.

[tarfeef101]

22 minutes ago, Kaotyke said:

@peterc3

But nothing on different Objectives per map. Just a change of the current mission challenges.

exactly. having a modifier is different from having a new/different objective.

[Yuki-Chakara]

What they showed in the devstream of their dark sector replacement idea after all these years did in all honesty come off as a huge letdown. It just was not terribly interesting, it did not look fun to basically just have some speed run challenge, and it really does not do justice to the idea of a game play mode originally called dark sectors. Maybe if they did not say this was what they had been working on for a dark sector replacement it would have gone over better, but they did, and its really leaving much to be desired. When people read the name, Dark Sector, it inspires the idea of a place that is exceptionally dangerous, maybe on the edge of the origin system that is seething with infested, sentients, or void manifestations. A place the grineer and corpus avoid, where dangers beyond them inhabit. The original idea was that you needed solar rails to get there, so obviously they were not right next door. Having it as some void speed run challenge across the normal maps really comes off as lazy, using already existing assets in a rather non creative or interesting way to avoid having to think outside of the box.

[DiabolusUrsus]

The proposed revamp to Dark Sectors strikes me as something that would be infinitely more appropriate as a replacement for Nightmare Mode.