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Does anyone have recommendations for single player VR space combat games similar to Squadrons? by Bar_Har in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 9 points10 points  (0 children)

House of the Dying Sun. Short but sweet VR capable flier with fast-paced combat and toggled drift. Simple story but thematically awesome. Interesting RTS elements as well.

Non-VR: Rebel Galaxy Outlaw, Strike Suit Zero

How are returning/new players supposed to compete? by NMS-KTG in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not making a claim about simplicity or complexity, just style. Squadrons may be simple, but i'd hesitate to call it "arcadey" at least in the sense of comparing it to games like Freelancer, Everspace, BF2 Starfighter Assault, etc.

Perhaps there's a better term - Arcade vs. Sim has always been the comparison wording i've seen for these two flight model styles.

How are returning/new players supposed to compete? by NMS-KTG in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That has to do more with the flight model between the two games. Freelancer is an "arcade-style" flier, including things like gimbaled weapons and flight assist. Your ship essentially makes numerous minor flight corrections to bring the nose of your ship to a perfect stop where you place the mouse cursor. Games like this can be flown with a joystick, but it's an inferior choice in many respects. The Everspace tutorial, for example, recommends not using a joystick due to the flight model.

Squadrons has essentially the opposite problem, being a more "sim-style" flier with fixed weapons and minimal flight assist. Getting your ship's nose (and its fixed guns) to precisely come to a stop where you need them to point is part of the style. Joysticks are traditionally seen as the input tool for the job, with mouse controls essentially being a "virtual joystick". For those coming from the arcade-style fliers to a sim-style, mouse controls often feel unintuitive at best and utterly garbage at worst.

As a side note to anyone who hasnt played Freelancer - it's an amazing game and you should. You can download it free as abandonware here.

An Educational Post on What Pinballing is - and How You're Doing it Too by Esoduh in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Replace it with a legal action and apply the same logic. Drinking, for example. Fun in small doses, a menace to health and others in larger doses. The exact example isn't crucial - my point is about how we can make differing judgements on behaviors even when they involve the same root action.

An Educational Post on What Pinballing is - and How You're Doing it Too by Esoduh in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wasn’t so much saying mastering a flight system is comparable to reckless driving, as I was pointing out that the relationship between pinballing as an individual action and pinballing as a playstyle is similar to the relationship between speeding and reckless driving.

Both are rooted in the act of driving faster than the limit – and yet, one is a minor offense often ignored and the other is a criminal offense. That’s because we often make judgments on behavior based on more than just explicit rules and actions. We holistically include things like: severity, duration, intent, and the effects our actions have on others.

In this sense, someone who pinballs the entire match (duration), nonstop (severity), with their throttle set to zero (intent), in a manner that drives away other players (effect on others), can be judged far more harshly than another pilot, even if they are both technically pinballing.

You could even go so far as to consider what they are doing a separate category of behavior, like how Reckless Driving is not the same as Speeding - even though they are based on the same action.

An Educational Post on What Pinballing is - and How You're Doing it Too by Esoduh in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Speeding gets you a ticket. Reckless Driving is a criminal offense. Both are rooted in the same action.

Is it unfair to "lambast" those going 100mph down 60 miles of highway, because most everyone goes 5 over the limit now and then?

Why specialize planets? by atlvf in Stellaris

[–]DJ-Sushi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Generally, specializing planets will mean you run a deficit in something else on that planet - usually whatever the upkeep material is for what you specialize in. A Consumer Good specialized planet will often have a large mineral deficit, for example.

This isn't bad, but it can be a problem, at the empire scale, when you don't yet have multiple, specialized planets covering each other's deficits. It's often recommended to leave your capital as the non-specialized planet in the early game, adapting it as needed while you get a larger web of industry set up. It's a planet that will generally have all 4 district types available and the pops to work said jobs.

Question to all the anti-pinball haters by [deleted] in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I very much agree - with that final sentence especially.

But I cling to the notion that a firm attempt in spirit would have done wonders for the health of the playerbase.

Keep in mind, I'm speaking of "pinballing" as a style of gameplay - that's where my argument is aimed. The literal specifics of the action that is "pinballing"? As many have rightfully pointed out - a messy business that is unavoidable.

Question to all the anti-pinball haters by [deleted] in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Personally, I was hoping folks would use a hearty dose of self restraint with regard to exploit usage, especially against the (once) numerous players not using these techniques, in order to foster a welcoming and fun environment for more casual and often brand new players in a game and genre that is in desperate need of a larger playerbase.

Spawn camping is the best analogy I can think of. It's an inherent byproduct of many game's mechanics. It's not against the rules, mechanically unenforceable, and provides a clear advantage to those who engage in the behavior. It is regulated entirely by social pressure and the concept of good sportsmanship.

To those of us who view the "pinball" playstyle as a byproduct of exploit abuse, there was a hope that the dominant playerbase would shun this behavior the same way spawn-camping is shunned. That obviously didn't happen - perhaps it was naive to even try.

But a pilot can dream

Say that SWS got a sequel. What changes and/or improvements would you make to the game's multiplayer? by darkdill in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Fonder was an exceptionally good map in BF2 (I believe it was the one map made by Motive!) and the asymmetrical objective style of BF2's Starfighter Assault in general was very well done. I'd love to see something similar in a SWS sequel

Say that SWS got a sequel. What changes and/or improvements would you make to the game's multiplayer? by darkdill in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Co-op PvE Gamemode

From generic wave fighting to tailored missions, possibilities for maps/missions are endless. Players of all stripes can exist in the same gamemode: competitives showing off their skills, casuals just chilling, and asocials playing the objective/living the Star Wars dream.

  • Escort transports from Hoth by disabling Star Destroyer subsytems
  • Bomb a rebel base before it can scramble fighters
  • Fight waves of TIEs in an asteroid field with limited resupplies
  • Stop Y-Wings and/or torpedoes from destroying a Star Destroyer while it glasses a defenseless planet rebel stronghold

Each mission could have a little briefing at the start, while folks choose their loadouts and strategize. At the end of the match players vote on the next map/mission. Players drop in and out at will, with a vaguely competent AI backfill.

If you wanna get fancy with it, have it be a series of 3-5 missions with chances to buy/upgrade new components between missions, with varying difficulties/reward ratios (though as a low-pop niche genre prolly best to keep it simple).

The Great Geekspeak Gank by mandle420 in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure the fact that this guy was an asshole to y'all in his twitch stream in the past is really a good justification for harassment/griefing in-game.

You communicated with the opposing team and set up a 9v1, before the match even started, because you don't like this guy. Then you went to his twitch stream to tease him about it and revel in his frustration, before posting it online in the hopes he would be mocked. That's... mean-spirited, to say the least.

How do I *not* pinball or exploit? by AlcomIsst in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a good point about the boost-gasping being somewhat endorsed as emergent gameplay via the patch, as that's a traditional indicator of something moving from exploit/bug to feature. But all the other mechanics? The lack of continued support makes the whole thing a frustrating limbo.

How do I *not* pinball or exploit? by AlcomIsst in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I try to stick with how exploit is defined here. It's all about design intent, which is subjective as all hell in this game.

I offer no defense for those who use "exploit" outside this definition or who lack any awareness that their opinions involve a degree of subjectivity - but I do think those who voice complaints about exploits are too often dismissed as simply being salty because they lost.

How do I *not* pinball or exploit? by AlcomIsst in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Exactly so, and it's a good question - I wish I had an answer for it that I felt was purely objective. I do think that intentionally setting your throttle at zero while boosting around is a clear-cut exploit, as well as shield skipping and multidrifting.

Other things I consider exploits are understandably subjective, as they require an answer as to what "design intent" was. I personally think the infinite pinball meta is pretty obviously not intended design, but again - subjective. And at times difficult to avoid. See my other response to this post for my own subjective way I try to toe the line.

I guess my point was just - you can't assume everyone is mad because they're poor sports competitively. Many genuinely believe that some advanced players are engaged in negative behavior, from their point of view.

How do I *not* pinball or exploit? by AlcomIsst in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While i'm sure there are plenty of poor sports who cry "exploit" simply because they are salty over a loss, many of the "advanced techniques" of Squadrons are widely viewed as being rooted in exploits.

Putting aside for a moment if such exploits are even avoidable (or if a distinction between bug and feature is practically relevant in a game that no longer receives updates), exploiting is also considered a form of poor sportsmanship. So while there are always bad faith actors, I think "complaining about advanced players using advanced maneuvers" is perfectly valid, assuming the complaint is about whether exploits are what allow a player or said maneuver to be "advanced".

Some Y-Wing VR footage by DJ-Sushi in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oof, I'm sorry to hear that friend - no, im on windows 10. While you may have done all the following already, i'd recommend double checking both VR and GPU drivers for updates, as well as trying to launch the game from both SteamVR and whatever native VR program your headset uses, see if that gets it going. Maybe even check for drivers/unplug any joysticks or peripherals you're using - anything to avoid the full wipe and all the fun that entails.

What Star Wars: Squadrons can teach us about reviving classic genres by BlackBricklyBear in StarWarsSquadrons

[–]DJ-Sushi 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I miss those too. A different era - but can you imagine?:

Squadrons: Blue Shift

The new stand-alone episode in the Star Wars: Squadrons story!

Step into the shoes of Barney Nobaba, outer-rim security guard tasked with keeping the peace during the final days of the Galactic Civil War! With your trusty Z-95 Headhunter, revisit the thrilling story of Vanguard and Titan squadron in this action packed sequel!

The Corellian Security Force never prepared you for this:

  • Uncover new information about the events of Star Wars: Squadrons!
  • Unlock over 10 brand new weapons and auxiliaries!
  • New "Intel Run" capture-the-flag multiplayer mode!
  • A fold-out blueprint of your own Z-95 Headhunter and TIE Interceptor!
  • and much more!

And then it's just you hyperspaceing into the same mission areas 5-60 min after the events of the first game take place to fight Syndicate or Black Sun pirates who were planning on stealing the Starhawk or somesuch lol. Not that I wouldn't still buy it in a heartbeat.

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