Battlezone 2 in retrospect

[Psychedelic Rhino]

Likewise - when did this happen? What's changed?

I don't think it happened overnight. It's more likely due to the fact there just aren't as many people playing anymore so there aren't as many people who use or even know complex strategies. Because of that newer players are exposed to fewer and fewer strategies and over time it all boils down to a basic strategy that works just fine, most of the time. And since there isn't much incentive to use a different strategy, that one simple and effective strategy becomes the only strategy.

Until someone happens to come along and shake things up a bit, then all hell breaks loose. But then, after a while, everything goes back to normal.

And as for the strategy Sly used as an example, as far as I know that's been pretty much the standard ISDF strategy forever. (With minor variations due to base damage and whatnot, of course.)

You make a great point.

I don't play BZ2, but I have a similar issue in BZE. I find myself trying to make the old returning player or new guy 'look competitive' to keep them entertained, and interested in coming back. One thing I occasionally see with dismay, is an old time player pound someone new or returning to the game, into the dirt. With a community so small and dwindling, I just don't get what is going through their mind.

[Zero Angel]

Back to the original topic, I do believe that BZ2 has many good and bad points. More specifically in Strat:

Good:
- Relatively balanced meta-game
- Almost entirely skill based, with no RNG or simple 'spam' strategies being effective. Requires adaptability to excel.
- High level tactical thinking is rewarded
- Can be fun for all skill levels, in spite of its very high skill ceiling.

Bad:
- Lag/Ping issues can cause problems. Netcode can spontaneously combust.
- Warp is still present (reduced in 1.3, but it's still possible. Ie: players like 'Tom' warp and rely on warp more, and may intentionally cause it for advantage)
- The structure of the game does not encourage players to take command (due to the extreme pressure that commanders can be under), which can mean that players can sit in a full lobby for several minutes at a time until one player reluctantly takes command of the other team.
- Douchebags still exist. One variant that I particularly dislike is the player who constantly whines and berates his commander and teammates when he is losing (some of them do it on ALL chat), yet often refuses to command himself.
- There is no inherent player balancing system built in. Hosts/players are left to balance teams, and sometimes this can result in imbalanced gameplay where the losing team gets completely owned in a sort of zero-sum game. The picking system, combined with reputation ('known nicks') system that players these days use negate this somewhat, still it can be a frustrating experience.

When the bad points are taken into account, BZ2 can be one of the most infuriating games there is. However, I also think that it is one of the most rewarding games there is. Some of my best gaming experiences have been had in BZ2 -- pulling yourself out of a losing state and beating a superior team (sum-of-all-parts) through smart play and teamwork, being part of a cohesive 'unit', pulling off fantastic escapes, flanks, base hits, snipes, ship steals, ace kills etc. and just having the feeling of being unstoppable -- all the while sharing that experience with your friends over Teamspeak or Ventrilo. I have went to bed many times in a state of euphoria at how incredibly *fun* BZ2 can be. The problem is that is a lot of 'BS' and you need to have the tolerance to endure it all in order to come out with the rewards that the 'good' games give you.

[MrTwosheds]

- The structure of the game does not encourage players to take command

Yes, I think we need a mod that allows all the people in the lobby to elect commanders, or ban specific players from commanding. Once "elected" a player could only give up command by leaving the game or by being un-elected.
This would allow the players to organise matches between commanders of comparable skill. And prevent play being blocked by the presence of an "Elite" commander on one team.

[Zero Angel]

It's a host rule that's reasonable. If a certain amount of time passes, the host picks commanders, and if they refuse they can leave the game.

[appel]

Well, with a big enough player base getting commanders isn't a problem. It wasn't a problem in the past, 2002-2006, but as the player base shrunk it's become more of an issue. So, it's not really a problem with the game design, it's just more of a problem with the number of players playing

BZ2 today is just an faint afterglow of what it was. Handful of players active during the most active time of the day.

[AcneVulgaris]

I remember when we used to fight over who got to command.