Stealth Play

[ColdLogical]

I've looked around at other stealth threads trying to find something that had the same level of concerns as I do, but haven't found anything.

 

In my opinion, stealth gameplay needs a few minor changes to make it truly great.

 

First of all, I am the typical gamer that strives for perfect runs. Not to mention that this is supposedly a "ninja" game. Some people like the mechanic that is "omg i entered the level, time to see if i can beat it in 3 seconds", and that is fine. I personally enjoy the idea that you can run through and destroy everything in your wake. However, stealth is a incredibly fun mechanic for players like me. So here are a few points I need to make clear.

 

1. Current stealth play difficulty is perfectly fine - Stealth in its current form is EXTREMELY hard. I really like it for that trait. I personally love having a few friends, going through a level trying to maintain a completely undetected state, and rushing into a room with each player stealth killing something before they even get a shot off. Its extremely rewarding when it all works as planned.

 

2. Stealth is impossible at medium levels - you cannot do a stealth attack and expect to kill anything past about level 10. They will simply take about half damage and be like "WTF Guy?" and sound the alarm. Yea, you can bring your kunai and paris or something and try to pick everything off before anything happens, but its that even close to as cool as the custom animations for jumping on a guys back, pulling his head up, and slitting his throat with the glaive.

 

3. Stealth isn't rewarding enough to make it a preferred method of play. Currently, it is only personally rewarding. You get a stealth kill, you say "hey that was cool" and move on. Burning through a level, blowing ammo, and causing as much noise as you can pretty much makes you beat a level quickly and efficiently. Going fast and hard rewards MORE than being strategic and stealthy. In fact, it is actually counter productive to play stealth because less enemies spawn and thus your chance of rewards is farrrrrr lower.

 

What I would really like to see are some tweaks that will make this system great.

 

1. All stealth attacks (melee attacks queued by stealth) must be instant kills. Kunai, Glaive, Paris and any stealth weapons should be a way to catch eniemies as a last resort that allow you to maintain your stealth. Those are fine as is. But if it takes me 3 minutes to walk in the shadows to get close to an enemy and then get behind him without him noticing, and then I slit his throat with a melee weapon, he should be dead.

 

2. Increase rewards for stealth kills - Maybe more experience (a lot more, 10x more or so), or more affinity, or higher chance to drop mods. Maybe you get more mods as a reward if you remained undeteted throughout the mission. There needs to be an in game reward to encourage stealth play and make it worth while.

 

Propably none of these will happen, because the chances of anyone hearing my thought are basically 0. But hey, it never hurts to try.

[NaniteCircuit]

As a fellow stealth player, I share your concerns. The problem with getting rewards for stealth, however, is that if we get too many, it would make it seem like stealth is the correct way to go through a level. I'm not saying the current stealth system is perfect. It's far from it, in fact, but what we need is a way to balance the stealth playstyle with the "Run n' Gun" playstyle. Your ideas COULD work, however they need a bit of tweaking before they are correctly balanced.

Other than that, great ideas.

[Preabo]

It really depends on mission type. For example, defense or mobile defense are not possible to be stealthed.

And maybe not even the mission with the hostage, if you break inside some cells and run away with it (you know how stupid hostages are) your chances of being spotted are 100%.

 

Maybe it's more like STEALTH mission modes and not complete gameplay changing segments...

 

But I do agree, more stealth focus devs please :)

[SoanoS]

I agree with the OP, would love to see some more love put into the current stealth play.

 

I have managed to completely stealth a few missions, and that was very fun and exciting. Sadly the rewards (mod drops, credits, mastery exp) are very, very poor for a perfect stealth run. So I usually just go in guns blazing and just plow trough the mission like a force of nature because I get rewarded for it more. I'd love to play stealthy, but sadly it is not viable if you want some mods and experience. And as mentioned, a stealth attack is not a stealth kill on anything over rank 10-15.

 

P.S. Have never tried how Banshee's Silence works yet, has it been fixed? I heard it was "broken" at one point.

Edited August 19, 2013 by SoanoS

[legionprobatio]

I would love to use stealth in this game, but the rewards you stated are high (10X affinity, what?!)

[SoanoS]

(10X affinity, what?!)

 

I can understand his reward suggestion, considering it takes a lot of skill and patience to do it. And if you don't set off the alarm, there will be about 5-10% of the enemy numbers you'd normally expect from "going in loud" play style.

Edited August 19, 2013 by SoanoS

[Rumhann]

I started running private/solo missions because of my ISP's lagg, since everyone complained heavily or bailed when I was hosting - or I have to wait for loot to eventually fall to the ground before I can pick it up.  Because I am alone so much of the time, I tend to run exterminate missions where I will not be overwhelmed by freely spawning mobs.

 

Even then full stealth runs are very difficult for a game who calls itself "Space Ninjas".  I've basically given up on them after Shade's Ghost precept got nerfed to break after any 'attack' - even a successful stealth kill in the middle of 10~12 enemies.  I tend to run a Loki most, but have also maxed; Ash, Banshee, & Trinity.

 

Though I have to point out that with proper damage mods; Paris, Dread, Kunai, Despair, Glaive, & even the first shot of a Snipertron can drop a mid-20's or up to mid-30's if its infested.  Haven't gotten to the Kestral yet, but I would presume the same capability is there.

 

Until there is a change of mindset in most of the rest of the players to perhaps plan a run instead of *KILL - KILL - KILL* . . . I don't see a reason to do squad runs unless I need/want the alert reward, at which point I will suffer the lagg as the other three run off without me & sometimes leave me stuck behind a door that won't open for me but they've all run through.

[RaiZ0]

STEALTH.

 

Iam stealth player. Now only way to be stealhty in this game is:

 

Take Ash,( maxed smokescreen, enemy sense andy energy siphon) ghost sentinel,kunai and hate ( or another melle weapon able to kill everyhing in 1 or 2 charge hits )

 

Run in room invsible. Kill everyone with kunai or hate fast &#! you can. If you see, you dont have time, run next to enemy and stay there until you have energy to another smokescreen. If you will be visible even a split second, steatl could fail.

 

Iam able to do stealty as far i didnt break this rules. If i try to risk and dont be patience, usually it fails.

 

It is bit bad, that in ninja game you are able to be stealthy with maybe 3 characters ( i was able to be stealth with nyx, i just spell magic to control one enemy and after he died i spell another one, never shot ) and few stealthy weapons.

 

I dont know why DE didnt give use any Silenced pistol or riffle.

Or give a player skin to add silencer. ( only to weapons able to have silencer. braton, dera, gorgon or any shotgun can t have silencer simply

becose this guns are loud and heavy )

Maybe latron, snipetron, lex.

 

Ghost sentinels are good.

Stealth kill animation should kill anything. I dont use it. I never know if i kill enemy or not. It takes more time to kill someone.

 

Reward:

 

Give player 4000 credits for every goal made without alarm. ( 4 datamass -  4 x 4000 )

Give player reward for every unalrted kill.

Give player some rare mod to make mission without alarm. ( like it is in nigthmare missions )

 

 

And please. Give us some time to hack terminal after someone push alert button.

I dont know- 5 sec.

Edited August 20, 2013 by RaiZ0