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Warhawk - The Official Thread
- Thread starter dralla
- Start date
Not sure if this was worthy of it's own topic, so I'll post it here (originally posted on the IGN boards by yours truly). Also on my IGN Blog (so non-insiders can view).
Dear Dylan Jobe & Incognito
As my clan tag/name in online games suggest, I am SBS, Spoiled By SOCOM. Though Warhawk is a great game, and very different from SOCOM, there are areas of it's interface that are in dire need of being fixed thanks in part because I've experienced better in other online games, namely the SOCOM franchise. Whether these kinds of changes are possible with an already-released game...it has been done before (CoD2 on 360) I'm sure it COULD be done. If not, then take it as something to think about for a future online game.
1. Region-based briefing rooms
Do me a favour. Get that copy of SOCOM 2 or 3 somewhere out of the SCE closet, and pop it in. Go online and take a look at how the interface is done. When you get online there are a list of "Briefing Rooms" - US East, US East 1, US East 2, Canada East 1, Canada West 1, Clan Games 1, etc, each holding a max of 256 players at a time (a number which should be upped btw), and each of these briefing rooms having their own set of dedicated Sony servers at the top of the list.
While any player can play in any briefing room, regardless of what region they are in, the purpose of setting up Briefing rooms is three-fold. First, it makes it a lot easier for people to find other players from their region (people in Portugal would be glad to know they can go to Portugal 1 and find people who speak Portuguese). Second, and un-intentionally, it builds strong communites around each Breifing room. People get used to playing in US East 5, and begin to get to know the people and clans that hang out there. I can't put into words how much this helped solidify the SOCOM community for the long haul that it enjoyed. And thirdly, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to find rooms, like a clan match, a game someone set up but isn't on your friends list, or ranked Sony servers because they are at the top of every Briefing room lobby.
2. Post/Pre-game lobby
So you don't want to base every room around a lobby that you return to at the end of a long match? Thats ok, Warhawk's pre-game method does work for this game, but I take issue with one thing. It's a pre-game lobby, at least allow us to voice chat with other team until the game starts.
I'm also not convinced that Warhawk's automatic start method would work for a clan match. Lets say you set up a 12v12. Problem is, the one-armed man thought he was going to get to play so he joined the room but he isn't very good...but too late, the game starts automatically because all 24 people are in the room. Give us a 'ready up' option for custom games to alleviate this issue, where 80% of the people need to press "Ready" for the match to begin instead of it starting automatically.
3. Voice chat squads
See: SOCOM 1, Resistance. But tackle this the Resistance way. If I am in a voice chat squad, it should be open voice chat within that squad. So if me and my buddy decide to go to voice chat squad X-Ray, we don't need to hold the button to talk. But if we hold it down to talk then everyone will still hear us so we can still communicate with the entire team. We would also still hear anyone else who is holding down the button to talk including the people who aren't in a squad (because they need to hold down the button to talk). So don't worry about losing that teamwork component, and at the same time it can keep the mic free of mindless chatter (like how some girl named Katelyn has a really cute face) that other people who don't know you, don't care to hear about.
4. Tell me who is talking on screen
I understand why you didn't, "What if all 16 people are talking at once? Are we going to have every name on screen?", but simply limit it to the last 5 people who started talking. An easy compromise.
5. Place the name of the room you are in, somewhere on screen
This falls under the category of "durrr...". It's a no-brainer for many reasons. Maybe your friend appears offline on your friend's list (even though he is on), but he is in a game and can't tell you what game he is in cause he can't find the name of it anywhere on the screen or in the menu (happened to me today). Maybe you want people from a message board to come play with you but you can't remember the name of the room you joined or created, and you don't want to hop out to accept all their friends requests because you are doing well and/or you've filled your 50 friend limit. Whatever the reason, I should be able to press select and see the name of the room I'm playing in.
6. Colour of team-mates names on-screen should be different from the rest of the team
I not only like to play on the same team as my friends, I like to play with them. Trying to find their name in a sea of moving red or blue names on screen is next to impossible. I should be able to easily pick out my friends on screen (as long as they are on my team), and this can be done simply by changing the text colour of my friends, making it distinguishable from everyone else on your team.
7. Allow me to easily compare my stats with my friends
Self-explanatory. I want to compare my stats with a buddy of mine. Let me view them side by side.
In the grand scheme of things this may seem like minor nit-picking, but I stand by my belief that a well-done online interface can have a major impact on the life span of an online game. Just ask SOCOM 2 and Halo 2. I'm writing this because I see a game with a lot of potential for a nice life span, but it won't last as long as it possibly can without some interface improvements to cut down on the annoyances outside of the core game.
Dear Dylan Jobe & Incognito
As my clan tag/name in online games suggest, I am SBS, Spoiled By SOCOM. Though Warhawk is a great game, and very different from SOCOM, there are areas of it's interface that are in dire need of being fixed thanks in part because I've experienced better in other online games, namely the SOCOM franchise. Whether these kinds of changes are possible with an already-released game...it has been done before (CoD2 on 360) I'm sure it COULD be done. If not, then take it as something to think about for a future online game.
1. Region-based briefing rooms
Do me a favour. Get that copy of SOCOM 2 or 3 somewhere out of the SCE closet, and pop it in. Go online and take a look at how the interface is done. When you get online there are a list of "Briefing Rooms" - US East, US East 1, US East 2, Canada East 1, Canada West 1, Clan Games 1, etc, each holding a max of 256 players at a time (a number which should be upped btw), and each of these briefing rooms having their own set of dedicated Sony servers at the top of the list.
While any player can play in any briefing room, regardless of what region they are in, the purpose of setting up Briefing rooms is three-fold. First, it makes it a lot easier for people to find other players from their region (people in Portugal would be glad to know they can go to Portugal 1 and find people who speak Portuguese). Second, and un-intentionally, it builds strong communites around each Breifing room. People get used to playing in US East 5, and begin to get to know the people and clans that hang out there. I can't put into words how much this helped solidify the SOCOM community for the long haul that it enjoyed. And thirdly, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to find rooms, like a clan match, a game someone set up but isn't on your friends list, or ranked Sony servers because they are at the top of every Briefing room lobby.
2. Post/Pre-game lobby
So you don't want to base every room around a lobby that you return to at the end of a long match? Thats ok, Warhawk's pre-game method does work for this game, but I take issue with one thing. It's a pre-game lobby, at least allow us to voice chat with other team until the game starts.
I'm also not convinced that Warhawk's automatic start method would work for a clan match. Lets say you set up a 12v12. Problem is, the one-armed man thought he was going to get to play so he joined the room but he isn't very good...but too late, the game starts automatically because all 24 people are in the room. Give us a 'ready up' option for custom games to alleviate this issue, where 80% of the people need to press "Ready" for the match to begin instead of it starting automatically.
3. Voice chat squads
See: SOCOM 1, Resistance. But tackle this the Resistance way. If I am in a voice chat squad, it should be open voice chat within that squad. So if me and my buddy decide to go to voice chat squad X-Ray, we don't need to hold the button to talk. But if we hold it down to talk then everyone will still hear us so we can still communicate with the entire team. We would also still hear anyone else who is holding down the button to talk including the people who aren't in a squad (because they need to hold down the button to talk). So don't worry about losing that teamwork component, and at the same time it can keep the mic free of mindless chatter (like how some girl named Katelyn has a really cute face) that other people who don't know you, don't care to hear about.
4. Tell me who is talking on screen
I understand why you didn't, "What if all 16 people are talking at once? Are we going to have every name on screen?", but simply limit it to the last 5 people who started talking. An easy compromise.
5. Place the name of the room you are in, somewhere on screen
This falls under the category of "durrr...". It's a no-brainer for many reasons. Maybe your friend appears offline on your friend's list (even though he is on), but he is in a game and can't tell you what game he is in cause he can't find the name of it anywhere on the screen or in the menu (happened to me today). Maybe you want people from a message board to come play with you but you can't remember the name of the room you joined or created, and you don't want to hop out to accept all their friends requests because you are doing well and/or you've filled your 50 friend limit. Whatever the reason, I should be able to press select and see the name of the room I'm playing in.
6. Colour of team-mates names on-screen should be different from the rest of the team
I not only like to play on the same team as my friends, I like to play with them. Trying to find their name in a sea of moving red or blue names on screen is next to impossible. I should be able to easily pick out my friends on screen (as long as they are on my team), and this can be done simply by changing the text colour of my friends, making it distinguishable from everyone else on your team.
7. Allow me to easily compare my stats with my friends
Self-explanatory. I want to compare my stats with a buddy of mine. Let me view them side by side.
In the grand scheme of things this may seem like minor nit-picking, but I stand by my belief that a well-done online interface can have a major impact on the life span of an online game. Just ask SOCOM 2 and Halo 2. I'm writing this because I see a game with a lot of potential for a nice life span, but it won't last as long as it possibly can without some interface improvements to cut down on the annoyances outside of the core game.
WasabiKing
Member
be EXTRA careful when playing CTF with people you don't know. I was playing a game and some guy recovers the enemy's flag, and PROCEEDS to run toward the base. After a few HEY MAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING! from 3 guys on the team, the ENTIRE squad jumps in vehicles to hunt this guy down. He was tracked down and someone with a tank blasted him into smithereens.
Easily the best team moment in online gameplay in my illustrious career as a gamer.
Easily the best team moment in online gameplay in my illustrious career as a gamer.
MickeyKnox
Member
So what's the status of the GAF3 invites?
WasabiKing said:
I had a nice moment as well:
Was playing plain old everyone for themselves deathmatch and I jump in a jeep. Start driving around to get out of the chaos and some guy jumps onto the gunner spot on the jeep like he doesn't realize it's not a team game mode. So for a second I feel a little bad, but then I say screw it and drive the car out of the active area and the guy stays on, so I go right off a drop/ditch (not open sky level), jump out before it goes over and then toss a grenade down on it where it's upsidedown with the guy still in the gunner seat at the bottom. BOOM...1 evil kill for me ^^;
Raist said:
Hehe heh when you use the turbo boost (press R2 twice and hold it afterwards) you'll outrun a targetted missile, then while you're speeding either do a loop de loop move try and twist and turn during the loop de loop using the right analogue stick because the missiles don't like taking sharp turns or take a turn while hugging rocks/mountains/bridges.
That's when you don't have Chaffs btw you have to remember that right on the D-pad is to select chaff, and L1 is to activate it, I still get hurt by missiles from time to time because I always press R1 instead of L1 damn all those flight games, I can't handle tense moments.
The Take Out Bandit
Member
Doel said:
I like the Warhawk method. I'm here to play a game. Not dick around.
There's nothing more in the world I enjoy more than wasting 5-10 minutes in a SOCOM lobby while morons talk shit, or generally waste time. Typically in those periods I just take my headset off and walk away to do chores. Although in Zipper's infinite wiz-dumb they removed the countdown timer from SOCOM 3 that was in SOCOM 2, which gave me a pre-game audio cue that things were loading whilst I was away doing things.
As for chat - I dig Warhawk's chat. Allow me to butt in whenever I damn well please. Stupid SOCOM mic hogs bitching about their math homework or some rubbish.
I'm enjoying Warhawk quite a bit. Chances are this will supplant SOCOM in my PS3 library. It's not hobbled by horrific controls, and it's fast paced.
narcosis219
Member
Once you get used to controls it feels GREAT. I mean like when you don't even have to think about manuvering, you just do it. I was able to kick some serious ass after hours of noobage. There were pros on the other team, but I was able to go toe to toe with them instead of getting my ass handed to me like before. Too many awesome moments to count.
I HATE KILL STEALERS. GOD. I spend 15 swarms on one guy and my MG over heats and he's dead in 1 more MG shot. Then someone else comes in and shoots him and I get nothing. D:
I HATE KILL STEALERS. GOD. I spend 15 swarms on one guy and my MG over heats and he's dead in 1 more MG shot. Then someone else comes in and shoots him and I get nothing. D:
My gripes so far, other than it's taking long to adjust to it, I really really really wish there was a party system... Also, "quick match" based on your filters.... I think these should be standard in any online game like this...
You guys using Pro Controls for the Warhawks? Should i invest in the time of that?
You guys using Pro Controls for the Warhawks? Should i invest in the time of that?
Man I love this game......
Does anybody think the auto aim should be reduced slightly, but the power of the the pistol and assault rifle increased a touch.....
I swear I spent a good 2-3 mins dancing round with a guy last night and seemed to empty a couple of clips into him and neither of us died....
Saying that I had a sweet moment when some guy entered one of our bases and I was hovering round the building in a warhawk hammering the machine guns through the windows while he tried to avoid me.
He made a run for it and I eventually nailed his ass.....
Sweet...
Does anybody think the auto aim should be reduced slightly, but the power of the the pistol and assault rifle increased a touch.....
I swear I spent a good 2-3 mins dancing round with a guy last night and seemed to empty a couple of clips into him and neither of us died....
Saying that I had a sweet moment when some guy entered one of our bases and I was hovering round the building in a warhawk hammering the machine guns through the windows while he tried to avoid me.
He made a run for it and I eventually nailed his ass.....
Sweet...
J-Rzez said:
quick match is really lame though - it is basically console newbie thing that they have tried to avoid and they setup PC-like system... you can filter games though and it works really well.
and pro controls will make you laugh at others when they try silly moves to shake you off.
Since the review code is not tied to any account I created a Dedicated server on the Test Unit so I can leave it on all the time while I'll be using my retail system to play. Genius uh? 
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
Marko_Baomoro
Member
TTP said:Since the review code is not tied to any account I created a Dedicated server on the Test Unit so I can leave it on all the time while I'll be using my retail system to play. Genius uh?
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
(this is in a random game I stumbled across, btw, not the GAFx games)
Maybe I'm just too tired to figure it out, but some jackasses were on the blue team with names that showed up as nothing
Kinda like
mmolinajr (3) [pistol] (1)
Where it would normally be...
mmolinajr (3) [pistol] douchebag (1)
Made picking out warhawks out of the sky a bit more difficult, and when trying to pick someone off trying to run at your flag while you're at a distance trying to figure out if you should shoot or if it's your teammate that the system isn't showing their name for some reason.
Fun game. I finally captured my first flag, with some awesome cover from my squad. Being hunted by a Warhawk in a jeep is made much easier when you have tanks/rocket launchers/missile turrets lined up in your path back to your own base just waiting to take down whoever's following you. :lol
Maybe I'm just too tired to figure it out, but some jackasses were on the blue team with names that showed up as nothing
Kinda like
mmolinajr (3) [pistol] (1)
Where it would normally be...
mmolinajr (3) [pistol] douchebag (1)
Made picking out warhawks out of the sky a bit more difficult, and when trying to pick someone off trying to run at your flag while you're at a distance trying to figure out if you should shoot or if it's your teammate that the system isn't showing their name for some reason.
Fun game. I finally captured my first flag, with some awesome cover from my squad. Being hunted by a Warhawk in a jeep is made much easier when you have tanks/rocket launchers/missile turrets lined up in your path back to your own base just waiting to take down whoever's following you. :lol
TTP said:Since the review code is not tied to any account I created a Dedicated server on the Test Unit so I can leave it on all the time while I'll be using my retail system to play. Genius uh?
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
wow, excellent idea ^^
I'll join later... hint on the password ? xD
GoncaloCCastro
Member
TTP said:Since the review code is not tied to any account I created a Dedicated server on the Test Unit so I can leave it on all the time while I'll be using my retail system to play. Genius uh?
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
Very clever, I'll be on in the afternoon.
TTP said:Since the review code is not tied to any account I created a Dedicated server on the Test Unit so I can leave it on all the time while I'll be using my retail system to play. Genius uh?
Server name: GAFu
Password: You know the drill[not the actual password]
Team balance: ON
Team switching: ON
FF: ON
Map rotation information:
10 Games (5 Zones in 5 different maps + 5 CTF in 5 different maps)
That's all.
Enjoy
TTP you are awesome! Tghis idea is endorsed by the clan leader. :lol
I will be on later today too.
Got my copy and played for about 4 hours, still awesome. It hurts that pistols and grenades are weaker now as I was best with those. Not sure if it was mentioned but the disc version has fast loading too because it installs so no worries. All I have played is CTF Large and all the games were pretty good.
AgentOtaku
Member
well I'm really dissapointed with what they ACTUALLY put on the Blu-ray version of Warhawk....
I mean, they went on in a few interviews about how they were going to "stuff" the bluray version full of stuff...namely "making-of" type supplements
...but in the end what do we get?...some old ass trailers (okay for the average cosumer I suppose) and an incredibly weak "behind the scenes"
...I really wish they would have had some balls and threw up a real documentary about this project's troubled past. Talked about how the main character they once had as the lead and who is yet still in the actual menus of the final release (dunno, for some reason this bothers me)...
a further look at the art direction and some inspirations for it
interviews with the devs about the technology that is behind this game and why they think Cell is great, yada yada
Talked about why exactly the singleplayer portion didn't work...
I'm not trying to hate or anything but it just seems like such a missed opportunity on their part and really with alotta devs in general
some titles get the "supplemental material" just right, examples being: God of War, Oblivion, Heavenly Sword, The Two Towers, etc.
...most don't, like: Rainbow Six Vegas, Double Agent, Wowhawk...
...i'm still glad I bought the $59.99 sku for the headset, because the thing really works well, but the other big reason I was really looking foward to the BD release is pretty much nonexistant....
hell, just throw all of the shit you've released on the web already and slap it on the disc...at least it would be something substantial....
what a waste of all that space =p
I mean, they went on in a few interviews about how they were going to "stuff" the bluray version full of stuff...namely "making-of" type supplements
...but in the end what do we get?...some old ass trailers (okay for the average cosumer I suppose) and an incredibly weak "behind the scenes"
...I really wish they would have had some balls and threw up a real documentary about this project's troubled past. Talked about how the main character they once had as the lead and who is yet still in the actual menus of the final release (dunno, for some reason this bothers me)...
a further look at the art direction and some inspirations for it
interviews with the devs about the technology that is behind this game and why they think Cell is great, yada yada
Talked about why exactly the singleplayer portion didn't work...
I'm not trying to hate or anything but it just seems like such a missed opportunity on their part and really with alotta devs in general
some titles get the "supplemental material" just right, examples being: God of War, Oblivion, Heavenly Sword, The Two Towers, etc.
...most don't, like: Rainbow Six Vegas, Double Agent, Wowhawk...
...i'm still glad I bought the $59.99 sku for the headset, because the thing really works well, but the other big reason I was really looking foward to the BD release is pretty much nonexistant....
hell, just throw all of the shit you've released on the web already and slap it on the disc...at least it would be something substantial....
what a waste of all that space =p