Give us a reason to fight patrols! Patrols can be just as challenging as monster and just as fun to fight. So why do they not give rewards? Most often than not groups will avoid fighting a patrol as to not risk a team wipe which is a shame because they add to an exciting gaming experience. I’d highly recommend that FS look into ways to promote these exciting fights.
I’d suggest a small rework to patrols. I don’t know much on game programing but as a layperson I’d think that these small reworks won’t take too much production time and can potentially add massive enjoyment to the player base.
THE IDEA
Add one standard bearer to each patrol. Instead of him giving a boost to his group like the beastmen he calls a horde. Once standard bearer is killed he drops either loot dice OR drops similar to a bag Skaven. HP potions, one or two dice depending on RNG, ETC… The standard bearer is guaranteed to trigger at least 1 wave even if sniped.
I only play with pubs, almost everyone avoids patrols. Tag and slink by them. Every once in a while someone will leeroy Jenkins them but a lot of people rage quit or get super mad if you pull a patrol because it risks a wipe.
If any changes happen to pats I hope they make them more of a proper game element than something we just avoid unless we have to fight it. Incentive is cool, but I don’t think being able to essentially easily ignore a trigger with often no consequence (depends on horde timers and pat path) is good. It’s like if we could sneak by bosses.
We have different experiences. Im not saying it never happens but usually its with a strong team or someone asks, it isn’t my exp that is the default action.
I also don’t think it should receive a reward. Maybe the reward is there is not a patrol walking around lol
I like the idea of the standard bearers. Some time ago I had also made a few suggestions for changes to patrols, but at that time on reddit:
It’s the missing variety that makes patrols a little boring imho. If you look at beastmen patrols it’s a step in the right direction with standard bearers mixed in, even though they are by far the easiest and most boring patrol, but i guess it’s because of the poor beastigor design. I think what makes the stormvermin patrol more interesting are the mixed in shieldvermins, chaos patrol on the other hand are pretty fearsome for the pure mass of chaos warriors. I’m really looking forward to see some more variation in partol design like:
Beastmen: more variation with shielded beastigors, dual axe beastigors or smth. like that, tbh the halberd is the worst weapon decision for a unit that charges into enemy lines imho.
Stormvermin: Maybe add a “patrol leader”, like an albino stormvermin that adds higher resistance to bombs and range damage and act like a miniboss in a patrol fight. (right now the patrols are just killed by 1-2 bombs and end up beeing pretty boring because of that)
Plaguepatrols: I would really like to see patrols of plague monks with some more weapon variety led by a plague priest with a pestilens banner that adds smth. like a nurgles rot debuff in it’s range (to catch up on that beastmen design with standard bearers) and/or censer-bearers
Chaos: maybe reduce the amount of chaos warriors and add a chaos chosen, chaos ogre or (my fav) a shielded chaos warrior with some chaos hounds (i would really like to see chaos hounds some day)
→ would be more of a miniboss fight with some chaos warrior support ^^
Norsca: berserkers and marauders are units that appear in chaos patrols, i would change that into an extra patrol, with a marauder champion or a shaman on top (shaman could resurrect or use “Tzeentch Twins”-like ability), maybe add marauder hunters (since ranged enemies are such fun )
After watching the Darktide trailer, even the Hounds might not be so far-fetched anymore.
In the meantime, however, I have to say that ‘patrol’ for Beastmen, Monks and Norsca may not be the right term. Roaming groups/packs, in a disorderly formation would be more appropriate.
The idea of adding small rewards is also a nice addition.
I’ve been thinking about a weird risk/reward system with patrols after reading this thread.
I wasn’t entirely sure whether to post this or not so do tell me whether this idea sounds bad or not.
The idea is a ‘what if’ patrols had to have a risk/reward system.
Instead of a patrol rewarding loot die or nothing, patrols could instead work as a sort of ‘alarm’.
When you pull a patrol, a timer ticks down and if you fail to kill the entire patrol within that time limit the game will temporarily spawn more roaming elites & specials than usual as the penalty for failing the patrol encounter. If you succeed in killing the patrol before the timer ends, then the reverse would happens and fewer specials & elites would be spawning for a certain period of time.
(Of course, avoiding a patrol entirely also works and spawn rates would remain unaffected)
I usually don’t have ideas but I do want to know what people think of this.
I agree with your first statement. From my experience, which is majority random team on QP legendary, the default reaction most groups have to patrols is to avoid. I only argue for a reward because they can be just as challenging as monsters and to remove some of the RNG of loot chests. You can still find loot dice in chest in maps but that is also RNG based.
Monsters aren’t difficult. Having a BH or GK or Engi deletes them in seconds… I’d argue patrols and monster are similar in difficulty with monsters maybe being a bit tougher but that is why I say patrols would have less loot dice rather than 2 or more that monsters give.
You said that you never have this experience but then one line later say that you always pull them. Maybe that is why you don’t have the experience. Because even if your team doesn’t want to pull you still pull. Just my interpretation but that is how your reply reads to me and the general vibe that your posts have expressed.
I really like the idea of having a time trial mechanic to them for the reward. I don’t really like the idea of less special and elites spawns as the reward though because I feel like elites and specials add enjoyment to the runs.
The point of the patrols - let us not go into the bad spawns - is to decide whether to fight or evade. There is no reason for a reward. The game is generous as is.
But yes before I was comfortable pulling them, everyone else in my solo QP has pulled them whether by accident or on purpose. I’ve only started this recently as I’ve been doing my 100 mission challenges on all heroes since I’ve been playing only Footknight since 2018 so now I’m practicing my strengths/weaknesses on other careers.
What I’ve found out: I can kill half the patrol regardless of what hero/career I’m playing with the right gear, traits, talents. I wasn’t comfortable with them before but I am now.
The only reason why I pull them now is because there’s always this one guy who thinks he can handle the patrol and gets rekd in 2 seconds. This is why I pull them first so they aggro on me so no one has to die because of 1 person who was way too overconfident.
Long story short, I’ve been purposing pulling all patrols since the start of my 100 mission challenges a few months back. Before, it was everyone else in my solo QP that pulled them.
That’s fair. I don’t have a problem pulling them. In fact I prefer to fight them. I was just trying to incentivize fighting them. I appreciate your last sentences. I wasn’t trying to be combat. GG bro.
I agree that the game is generous but I’ve always disliked RNG in video games. There is a dedicated section for RNG in the loot section and also finding loot dice in chests are RNG heavy as well. I would rather they emphasize skill for rewards and that is why I made my suggestion. It would be killing two birds with one stone. But it’s a preference thing at the end of the day.
While I agree with your thoughts here, to my knowledge the Bestigors have always in the miniature game, at least, been armed with pole-arms in some fashion, so I don’t know if Fatshark will get the green light to chance that.
What I think could be done is to make the Bestigor’s attack a degree or two faster. After all they are supposed, to my knowledge, to be rather agile but their attacks takes a long way. So maybe give them a few of the Chaos Warriors’ tricks with pushes, kicks (I can imagine getting kicked by those hooves would be painful) and punches along with faster attacks could make them more fearsome.
While at the same time not make them as tanky as the Chaos Warriors or as numerous as the Stormvermins.
I would also like to add another idea on top of yours : what if one of the units from the patrol run away when 90% of it is gone and if you fail to kill him, he comes back with a bigger patrol?
another million dollars idea : plague patrol
There’s already a good enough reason for many players though. It’s a video game. Fighting based also. Patrols are a GIFT because they’re a random challenge. Your reward is experience and pride. And honestly there’s no good reason to ignore them if you really want to improve.
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