I really like this new shorter-style time-pressured 10 minute rush-mode type map design. I hope that in time, we’ll even get a special mission board for them. Since I imagine diffusing bombs might get old eventually, here’s a 3 other ideas for time-pressured maps.
“Defense Styled”. This one’s be requested a lot before, but now I feel we’ve a proper method for employing it. The rejects are dropped in to secure a site or provide additional assistance in defense of an asset until reinforcements arrive, with the pressure starting at 10 and mounting from there as new enemy spawns/areas open up. For example, a variant of Enclavum Baross that starts at the aegis station might be nice. You start by defending the bridge of many martyrs, then maybe a mid event that draws you back into the station (Perhaps the timer is paused until you perform some objective) or the area behind it, then one last defense of the main courtyard as enemies attempt one final all-out assault.
“Escort Styled”. Similar to the defense style, except you’re defending something with limited HP. For example, you could be deployed to rescue a Leman Russ Battle Tank that’s become stuck somewhere. The mid event could involve repairing the vehicle or removing some obstruction, and the finale could be escorting the now-free’d tank to extract (And perhaps we get to see it blow some stuff up!)
“Psuedo-Timer”. In this style of map, the timer doesn’t result in an instant game-over, but instead some other nasty punishment is doled for lollygaggin’. For example, having a ritual binding that if you don’t stop in time, you’ll have to fight a buffed boss (2 bosses instead of one, or a reaally strong boss, or if you like a lazier punishment, a daemonhost). Another might be reaching some civilians and if you don’t, they all become groaners and you’ll have to deal with infinite hordes until extraction arrives.
Unfortunately Rolling Steel has made me not want any more missions like Rolling Steel. The train would have been better served as the final part of a full mission.
I would like an Horde/Firefight mode. While usually I dislike escort missions I think the Leman Russ idea is fantastic. The journey to the stuck tank, running off to get materials to repair, etc. could all help pace out the mission so you’re not constantly stuck hovering around the tank. It would also be a good opportunity to add a character representing the armored division folk in the Imperium, maybe someone under the new commissar.
Perhaps ye are right, I would have enjoyed a longer train myself, but as I said to the other chap, I don’t think the faults in Rolling Steel are intrinsic to shorter maps.
I don’t believe any of the ideas I’ve suggested would feel as punishing as Rolling Steel, while still maintaining both a sense of urgency and shorter run time.
The problems I have so far with Rolling Steel is twofold:
First: its possible to get far too behind to complete the mission while still wayyyyyy far from the end, it can be clear there’s no salvaging a run far before the timer finishes and there’s nothing to be done about it by then. That isnt a fun experience.
Second: The minigame is particularly awful. It feels really tuned to a gamepad controller, and at least with a mouse and keyboard it feels extremely awkward. This makes it hard to do well and takes far too much time to accomplish. It’s also something most players dont want to do (because its awkward and not fun), meaning many matches theres time wasted just waiting for someone to pick it up.
Other than that I like it, I like short jaunts, I like the intensity. There just needs to be a way to bail on a run or salvage some time, and the minigame badly needs to be reworked.
Youre right, it is similar to Defense, so lets just call it Defense because escort missions suck ass (we wouldnt wanna give Fatshark the wrong idea). Pretty good concept. Hold your ground kings of the hill type mode. Very good idea for sure.
But this is useless.
Unfortunately theres a subclass of players that hate Rolling Steel because “iT DoeSnT PRoMote tEAm PlaY” & “pEoplE rUnNing tOO qUickLy aHead MakeS tHe ruN FaiL”
(even though i’ve tested doing the opposite, one guy staying back as a meat shield and cannister grabber, for whatever reason, gets the 3 people at the front killed)
Well Watch. Defend three wells in sequence, while hordes of enemies try to poison it. Very frustrating at times but also fun. 15-20min run? I cant remember properly.
Waterfront. Small map with two objectives in opposite corners. “Non-linear” in the sense that you can choose which objective to start with (or even split your team so one group does one part and another does the other).
Wheat and chaff. Gather resources from three areas on the map and drop them off at a central location while surviving hordes. No timer, just constant spawn of enemies.
Black powder. Also similar to the above in the sense that players gather resources (exploding barrels) from areas around the map and transport them to a central location. This map is somewhat unusual because it has a lot of “verticality” which can create interesting dynamics with ranged enemies.
Ram the manparts & Smugglers run. Not really that different from normal adventure maps other than just being smaller in length. Was quite popular by resource farmers.
tl;dr: fatshark already have plenty of experience with varied types of shorter maps, all they need to do is visit what they have already made and do it again (of course including adjusting to the 40k setting).
With the consistency issues of rolling steel due to the AI Director on a whim stone walling you and wasting your time and the loadout of your teammates dictating pace.
These missions would need to be isolated like special assignments if you want more of them.
I don’t want to do Rolling Steel anymore, I’ve had my fill of it after the first day. It’s so anomalous from the other missions,. it makes Quickmatch risky to use if you don’t want to do it. I see that as problematic.
I see changes in the future to making the timer more forgiving to allow more build diversity to be viable on the mission and not have it be a “groan, this mission, leaves” when you get it in quickmatch.
Shorter missions aren’t a big deal, the problem is forcing the player to do tedious objectives instead of fighting, I like to fight, I don’t like any mini-games or carrying batterys, if it’s just a button press, I’m okay with it, the rest, it’s just a waste of time.
This kind of mission puts too much emphasis on coordination, which is exactly what you can’t ask for a random team.
I’m okay when I’m teaming up with friends, but random teams to complete this kind of time-limited mission, no, never.
For ordinary missions that don’t have a time limit, I can at least guarantee that I will survive, get my teammates back, and keep trying, instead of just watching time run out and automatically fail.
maybe instead of a number based timer, make a map-spanning demon infestation “grow” behind you to give even the slowest of pokes a visual incentive to move their butts.
kinda like the resident evil 2 train finale, but with ever proliferating goo.
The mission is great. But the difficulty is scaled for skilled players or premade teams. Not for randoms.
And this is the problem cause nobody likes to fail 100% of the times (never completed it as I always play with randoms).
“Defense” would be good.
“Escort”, I hate in any game.
“Psuedo-Timer”, I would propose a corruption timer. Something working like grimoire, but here as a timer.
I don’t think “defence” missions should be like Rolling Steel, being shorter missions and all, but rather kept for a new mode that actually is supposed to go for much longer (with being able to bail out or something at some point), with repetitive side objectives that serve as ammo replenishment and such (could even go much further and introduce mechanics à la Gears of War Horde 2.0
Example
Maps:
Set in the current sectors, in those area that are central with certain objectives being farther on different mission paths
Side objectives:
Clear corruptions in different places (can and will grow back over the course of a few horde/rounds)
Fix certain terminals (Regular Auspex)
Disarm a bomb (RS’s Auspex)
Find hidden loot (Servo Skull search)
etc…
Currency use:
Weapon store: Let you buy or upgrade/modify your weapon
→ Weapon are not kept after the round (though the weapon you finish with could, would be a new way to introduce a crafting mechanic, like a tailor made weapon
→ Buy able weapon are presented in a list
Ammo Store: Replenish ammo, Blitz, but also Med pack, Ammo Pack, Stimms
Placeable auto-weapons, traps, and possibly reinforcement (AI Guards)
→ Trazior pattern sentry gun (Smaller than Tarrantula, so easier to make work): twinned grenade launchers or pair of heavy stubbers (Could also be declined in the following: Multilaser, Lascannon…)
This new mission is a really good meat grinder for sorting out players that have absolutely no business on a given difficulty (but especially Auric Damnation).
I’ll have to disagree, I’m afraid. At least on the point that we should have Long (or endless) horde/defense maps. But I think that’s just a matter of taste. I get bored easily and defense objectives oft boil down to “Stay in this one (usually meta) area of the map and kill” and I like moving about, and I’m skeptical the occasional side objective would shift folks inertia (But hey, I’m a pessimist).
But I do think those are great ideas for other Operation maps. The giant poxbuster idea reminds me of MvM from TF2 but not a slog. Having to whittle down a massive enemy that’s mostly ignoring you as you deal with other threats would make an excellent operation.
Also, is it just me or is the term “Operations” is a terrible name for maps like Rolling Steel. It should either be a special assignment or something new like Rush maps or Flash Maps (But clearly they have other plans for the latter). But that’s tangential.
We’ve never had a proper defence map in Darktide, the objective has always been “defend yourselves” rather than defend a place (by preventing enemies from getting in in the first place) or defending an object/person.
The term ‘Operations’ I think is their attempt to have a location agnostic label for maps that aren’t set anywhere in particular since all their maps have a ‘mission location name-hive sector’ naming convention, but using the term operations again after already having ‘Special Operations’ really clangs.
Nice looking mission. That’s the only positive thing I can say about it. I definitely hope this shortcut in mission design is abandoned, by FS and players alike. Do you guys actually want the trend to be 10 minute or 5 minute missions going forward? Its lazy coding. Your Big Mac meal is shrinking. And timed missions, no thanks! It did look nice though.
