Guest Blog: PvP Boot Camp
By PWE_BranFlakes @ December 11, 2012 at 12:00pm
PvP Boot Camp: We Want YOU!
By Sargon
You queue up for the arena. A few minutes pass. Pop! The game is on: Fed vs. KDF at Cracked Planetoid. Your stomach flutters just a bit. It’s your first PvP match ever. You’ve heard people say it’s different than PvE, but how different can it really be, right? Two teams try to kill one another—just like PvE—no problem. Map transfer complete.
As you fly to the center, a target comes into firing range—an escort. “He’s mine,” you think to yourself smiling, as your fingers begin to dance across the keyboard. “Wait, I’m tractored and what is that red symbol activating over his ship?” you say out loud. “It looks familiar. Isn’t that the Greek letter alp . . . hey, where did my shields go?” Hull at 15, 10, 5, percent, boom! 30 seconds into the match and you’re a charred hulk in space. With wounded pride, you click “Respawn” and head back into the match.
All you want now is to get that guy who just blasted you. So you survey the mess of ships, pets, and warp plasma, find the escort that killed you and head straight for him. You engage and start to wear down his shields a bit and even start to eat into his hull when suddenly, his shields regenerate, his hull is fully restored, and your weapons seem useless! “What the ….!” you shout, “these are Mark XII purple consoles and fleet cannons. This guy must be cheating. And what is that blue beam coming from his teammate’s ship anyway?” A few seconds later, your enemies’ guns turn on you, smacking you down rather quickly with a one, two subnuc punch. You are dead . . . again. The same scenario repeats itself over and over for the next five minutes until the other team wins 15-0. “I hate PvP!,” you say through gritted teeth. With great exasperation, you run through the match in your mind and say to yourself, “I have the best ship Zen can buy, the best STF sets, the best consoles and weapons, the best carrier pets. I should be unstoppable.”
Sound familiar? In point of fact, this dramatic monologue is not science fiction. Based on my conversations with new PvP players and my own personal experience, this sort of frustration is quite common among STO players. I remember feeling it myself. In my early PvP days, I used to lose like this all the time. But I wasn’t losing because my opponents were cheating. I lost because my opponents were simply better players and had skills and knowledge I was lacking. It took me a while, but I slowly realized that there was a massive gap between me—the rookie—and these more experienced players. I had a lot to learn.
The time to bridge that gap is here. Have you ever wanted to experience the thrill of live team-vs.-team combat? Do you long to go head to head with other players and win—or at the very least, “go down fighting”? Have you ever wanted to push your skills and your ship to its very limits and see what crazy feats you and your teammates might accomplish? PvP Boot Camp is here to help. Boot Camp is a grassroots initiative that will help you develop your PvP skills in a friendly, safe, and fun environment. We have assembled some of the best PvP players in the game to help you bring your skills up to the next level. Coaching in small groups, helpful reading guides, sparring, skills-based education, in-depth knowledge about ship and character builds—all of these things you will find at PvP Boot Camp. Regardless of your experience, your gear, or your ship (just don’t show up in a Captain’s Yacht!), you are welcome in our ranks.
Here are some details. Boot Camp is a monthly event that will be held on Saturdays and will last for 1.5 hours. Each session will be geared around a four-step curriculum that is meant to provide you, the student, with foundational PvP skills and knowledge. You will be placed into small groups of roughly 8 students. Each group will be overseen by a head coach and sometimes even an assistant coach. The coach’s job is to help you become a better PvP player. Each session will include both instruction and sparring, so that students have the opportunity to test out their skills and knowledge. Sparring will also provide the instructor with the opportunity to fight alongside the students and provide direct feedback. Initially, space PvP will be the focus, but if we discover that enough ground PvP students sign up, then we will hold ground PvP sessions as well.
The first Boot Camp event will take place on Saturday, December 29th, 2012. In order to accommodate our global player base, two sessions will be held, one at 8pm/2000 Eastern Standard Time (click here to view in your tiemzone) and the other at 8pm/2000 Central European Time (click here to view in your tiemzone). All in all, these sessions are meant to be educational spaces where you can ask questions, obtain constructive feedback, and improve where you are weak. No “noob” is too noobish to participate in Boot Camp. Come with the gear and the ship you have. Regardless of your equipment, you are certain to learn something and grow as a player.
But perhaps you aren’t interested in becoming queen or king of the PvP arena. That’s okay too! The skills you develop in PvP are applicable across the STO universe: teamwork, cross-healing, maximizing damage, devastating builds, timing, etc. It’s no exaggeration to say that a great PvP player will make a great PvE, including STFs, teammate. So even if you don’t want to dominate the PvP arena, Boot Camp will help you in all combat situations.
If the personal rewards of Boot Camp weren’t enough, PWE/Cryptic is also providing a number of in-game incentives to players who participate in Boot Camp. Here is the rundown. First off, every student who signs up for the first Boot Camp in December will have his/her name entered into a drawing for the opportunity to go head to head with the don of DPS himself, STO’s very own Community Manager, BranFlakes (hold your applause, please). You never know what other devs might show up with him! Students who complete the four-stage curriculum will receive a Boot Camp Pack as a graduation gift. The pack includes a unique title (“PvP Boot Camp Graduate”) and a free respec token. This graduation pack will allow you not only to show off to the universe that you are a Boot Camp grad, but also to apply the knowledge you have learned in a brand new spec of your character.
If you are ready to take your game to the next level, sign up for the first Boot Camp event (Dec 29th, 2012) using the following forum post. If you are interested in gaining access to even more resources, consider registering on the PvP Boot Camp website (completely optional), created by @drkfrontiers. As Boot Camp grows, you will begin to see PvP resources like ship builds, tactical guides, etc. There is also an affiliated tournament, run by @pascalb1, which you and your team can participate in. Please take advantage of these resources. If you are a fleet leader and are interested in helping us promote PvP Boot Camp, please contact me (Sargon) directly at sargon.priorityone@gmail.com.
In the weeks leading up to the launch of Boot Camp on December 29th, you might see players with “PvP Boot Camp” in their ship names. If you do, feel free to PM them and ask them questions. These people are skilled players who are eager to help you become the best PvP player you can be.
Remember one thing, great PvP players do not fall from the sky. Greatness in the PvP arena comes with time, patience, and a willingness to learn. Let us help you achieve your PvP goals at Boot Camp.
Sargon, PvP Boot Camp Project Leader
Ships: I.K.S. PvP Boot Camp 1 (Fleet Negh’Var) and U.S.S. PvP Boot Camp 1 (Vesta)
Author, Warrior’s Way at Priority One Podcast
Fleet Affiliations: The 300 (KDF), -x-treme (KDF), and 110th (Fed)
sargon.priorityone@gmail.com
phaggamemnon @ Jan 2nd, 2013 3:18PM
MASSIVE BALANCE ISSUES... Warp plasma that STOPS YOU IMMOBILE for WAY WAY to long who the hell thought that was a good idea? Tons of ways to disable your weapons and power no matter how many *fixes* you have ie repair teams, emergency power whatever... they also need a way to separate 5 man teams vs 5 man solos .. ala League of Legends.... at any rate PVP is massively messed up it always had been.. they really need to just take it down or something for a month or two and retool it.
wsmithbo @ Dec 30th, 2012 10:39AM
I signed up for the PVP Boot Camp but got nothing in my game mail from anyone. I know I was one of the first to sign up. I did it as soon as it was posted. Can anyone tell me what happened? T'bo@whsmith Or my login on this site is whsmith3bo
wsmithbo
Well it seems that it shows my handle here as wsmithbo... that is messed up it shows it three different ways in three different places.
sethpower121 @ Dec 17th, 2012 9:54PM
Is this only in space or will it help e on ground pvp?
zhazy @ Dec 17th, 2012 8:13PM
just say no to this one folks...this is just a couple of ppl here to jerk off with their big bag omega everything gear so they can feel better about themselves..they cheat and leave it at that..so just say no to this lil session of theirs and enjoy the game without these jerkoffs needing a session like this for a reason to get out of their mothers basement
supremecmdr @ Dec 17th, 2012 12:19PM
PvP, I have done a fair share of this and I do fairly well. I can tell you one thing that all free to play persons should know! If you are up against a lifetime (pay to win) member you probably are going to lose no matter what. I have good character specs from what I have been told and decent duty officers in place, but to no avail. It's this balance issue and the non-game mods that allow those who can't stand a fair fight to claim victory. Ground PvP I have also done many times and can honestly tell you this is the most balanced of the two.
hasukurobi @ Dec 17th, 2012 6:47AM
PvP in this game can be fun to an extent and I like the idea here but there is not that many options for it and quite frankly there are some ENORMOUS balance issues. I have a setup for a B'Rel that basically cannot be defeated, as an example, in a one on one encounter. These issues are made worse on a regular basis. I know MOST players cannot fully utilize their ships and thus these problems are not made obvious but those of us who can know they are there. Also, in group combat Premades > PUG in every case and many of these folks will end up stuck with PUGs most of their time playing. However, training them in general can be of HUGE help to their gameplay be it PvP or not. STO has a LOT of Tribal Knowledge and a Steep Curve for most folks.
army25w @ Dec 14th, 2012 9:49AM
Sounds good for starters. But to say your opponents are not cheating is wrong. A simple check online will show many sites for undetectable mods and bots to boost your abilities from no cool downs to abilities to bigger coursors and as the ads say "completely undetectable". I just witnessed a player with several Hazard Emitters at once in play on her ship. How about addressing the problems and getting a mature and responsible UELA and GM response system that works.
brokenmirror2012
/sigh hazard emmiters is throwable This is why ppl who pve, don't really know. I can havre up to 5 hazard emmiters on myself at one time. All 5 members of me team can HE me. This might also explain why ppl don't cross heal, MOST heals in STO are throable
z69evermoon @ Dec 13th, 2012 9:31PM
Wolf pack tactic and what I like to call garbage barges that spew out tons of PVE screens so you cant target them The Klink cloak and battle cloak still give the Klinks a edge of first strike sweeps. You can try the PVP but after a few matches were you get sweepped you lose interest. There is a challange system set up for one on one skrimish though no one ever does it and no say yes. I say clean out the Kerat system and make it into a objective based PVP were you have to captue all 5 zones. This allows for huge armada game play with a huge challange for the last flag as its closest to the respawn point and defended by a whole team it might be that Bird of Prey with battle cloak that sweeps in for a win.
hasukurobi
I use the Challenge system CONSTANTLY to check DPS and other build factors in a controlled environment. I honestly cannot understand why more folks do not do this.
johncampbell07 @ Dec 13th, 2012 7:43PM
I use to do PVP a couple years ago and continuously got my posterior handed to me. After months of study and setting up a ship I could make good with I finally had a build that could withstand anything. Three man teams couldn't bring me down. Then the nerfing began and within weeks of finally having the perfect ship and crew for PVP all was lost to the nerfing. I started over, going through every detail, to once again make a build that would frustrate any opponents. Then the nerfing happened again. At that point I left PVP never to return. All my effort was for nothing and I have no desire to go through that again. Tell me again how this is such a great deal. Convince me.
elkysium @ Dec 13th, 2012 7:10PM
Not a bad idea, but what happens when more start playing (like at the start of the game) and begin enjoying it. They will lose interest because the PvP is well...what PvP? If you call 8 queues, of which half are inner faction, a PvP system then you don't know PvP. Yanking me from a sector to put me in a place, who knows where, is more like a Q encounter than a PvP experience. I had my hopes up that is was something addressing the lack of PvP in general. Should of know better. 3 years and we have a DOFF system, ship interiors, a fleet system, and now the reputation system, not mentioning building Qo'nos, ESD, and 'space' TWICE and STFs what 3 times now? Don't get me wrong, everything you did HAS made the game much better, but to not address PvP is insane. So many possiblities that could take this game straight to the top. PvP zone where Fed meets Kling, zone for Fed vs Rom, zone for Kling vs Rom, and a zone for Fed vs Kling vs Rom...true neutral zone. Queues....Federation ambushed distress calls, Klingon planet raids, the ideas are endless...
elkysium
P.S. inside these zones we could fight for control of planets, stations, or territory in general...for you old time BBSers...does Trade Wars ring a bell? If not look it up... Could bring a feeling of the old days into modern times. After all it was influenced by Star Trek and Star Wars :D
lancerviolator @ Dec 13th, 2012 5:26PM
No one should be to full of themselves, then you are your own worst enemy. Do not pay attention to what others have as the true competition is to improve yourself. Every situation is a learning experience.
amphil28 @ Dec 13th, 2012 11:53AM
If we can't make the first one, can we attend one of the next ones?
gradstudent1
Yes, absolutely. They will occur every month. Since there are 4 stages to the curriculum, we will always have groups running to help you "catch up" on missed sessions. Thanks. Feel free to email me with furthr questions: sargon.priorityone@gmail.com
commandematthew @ Dec 13th, 2012 11:29AM
I am going there just to see what it's like. maybe i will learn something. I doubt it though i have an aquarius destroyer. not enough hull or shield.
ghqcommand @ Dec 13th, 2012 4:42AM
I doubt this is going to work. The players who turn up will probably be the ones seeking the "best weapons" or "best ship" in the first place. They cannot be taught. I've been saying this for 2 years now. We need PvP in this game like no other where multiple instances of ground and space battles effect the overall results of a single PvP battle. It could be open PvP on an hourly cycle. The effects of players in space would effect those on the ground maps and vice versa. With NPC being involved i.e. Klingon player beams down NPC crew to the Federation Starbase or one of many installations. Federation players see NPC Klingon warriors beam in and need to fight them. So in effect there is a PvP but not direct. I could talk all day on this idea but no doubt someone at Cryptic is planning to launch a new PvP which once again leaves thousands of players out because the constant re-spawning gets really boring. Hats off for trying something but THIS is not the attention to PvP I want. I'm waiting patiently for something like the above and this thing right here indicates it is going to be a lot time before I see any major change in PvP.
gimmesomecheese
Fill me more on this idea, I love it.
maicake716 @ Dec 12th, 2012 7:30PM
lets hope the latest discovered bug gets fixed before the first boot camp day, otherwise it'll be pointless
angryandroid @ Dec 12th, 2012 2:05PM
This is great, I really hope I am around to participate.
jake477 @ Dec 12th, 2012 1:01PM
well i can help as well if you need another coach, i hang in out in Otha and kerrat all the time and try to PVP if i can. I can also tell you what to expect from the otherside as well such as the Klingons. If you need more coaches i can ablidge thanks for the post and ill see you out there
ducklesworth @ Dec 12th, 2012 12:57PM
I'll just leave this here. http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/cryptic-developer-star-trek-online-pvp-is-fail/
tallok66 @ Dec 12th, 2012 12:39PM
I can help teach... if you need someone I am a fleet overseer for the Flight, Rise and Warriors of the Phoenix.
acg3269 @ Dec 12th, 2012 10:58AM
I definitely need some help on PvP. I used to almost always (No Exaggeration) win BEFORE F2P came out. Now i find My old tactics don't work, because, often times, i'm put with F2P noobs who have no PvP experience in this game whatsoever. I still do good on ground, but space...
unclefester166 @ Dec 12th, 2012 10:03AM
Once cryptic goes down this road I think they will need to continulally follow up, as things tend to change a lot...i.e. broken powers, exploits, new ships, new consoles, new seasons etc. etc. Part of the problem with PvP has always been imbalance - and those who know how to take advantage of that, whether through premades or simply by keeping up to date with the latest angle or strategy that works best. There is always stuff to learn, or relearn. Still a good idea if they follow through.
marylenedrake @ Dec 12th, 2012 9:27AM
Awesome stuff Sargon! I am proud to have you with us - keep it going and do not hesitate to ask for any support you might need! - I TAN I EPI TAS! Regards, M. L. Drake Fleet Marshal of THE 300
bortjinx @ Dec 12th, 2012 8:13AM
I've already signed up to take part in Boot Camp, but it's unlikely I'll be able to take part in the first session. Does that mean I get to miss out on my chance to be blown up by Branflakes? If so, I'm not happy :(
gradstudent1
At this point the "blast-the-devs" drawing is for the first event only. But if people think it is a cool event, then we can consider doing it again. I can't speak for Brandon, but I bet he would consider it.
ahilles7 @ Dec 12th, 2012 3:34AM
I to support this idea. It will help a lot to players who are/not in the fleet and don't have pvp experience but are willling to learn and participate in PVP. While PVP in STO is in "bad shape",it is this kind of events and promotions that will try encourage Cryptic Devs to revamp/fix pvp system. If the Devs see that there are people in PVP that are willing to promote and help with creating better PVP communty and system,they might fix it and create better system. If nobody is doing nothing,not promoting or helping with the ideas,then Devs could just say "We don't need to fix this,since nobody cares for helping". PVP in STO is fun to play and it isn't "work" as STFs are/were. When i loose,i loose,when i win,i win. But from those looses i learn what i need to fix and replace it with. I don't need to participate since my fleet has 6 experience pvpers(myself included in those six)who are helping newer members in our fleet willing to learn and become better. Overall,good job guys for promotion video. You are showing how good people are you. Jupiter Force fleet is supporting this.
scotttetrius @ Dec 11th, 2012 9:42PM
I believe this is a very great idea for players who are new and interested in getting better :) unlike "Mr. I go in without shields just to GET IT OVER WITH" these people aren't trolls and they proably want to actually train :) I support this idea since my fleet, - The Omega Armada - has two of the most experianced PvPers there is, Metus and PC. Both in space and ground. So im glad someone is here to help those who dont have people like Metus and PC to help them learn :)
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