PvP Boot Camp Updates
By PWE_BranFlakes @ February 20, 2013 at 12:00pm
Greetings Captains!
I am delighted to provide you with another update on PvP Boot Camp. As I reflect on the months behind and begin to dream about those ahead, I feel nothing but excitement over Boot Camp. Week after week, I hear positive reports about how players experience of PvP in STO has improved by the teaching provided by our impressive roster of coaches. It is hard to believe that in October 2012 PvP Boot Camp was nothing more than an idea proposed on the PvP Subforum. And now, because of the hard work done by coaches, the interest of players, and the support of the developers, Boot Camp has grown into a full-blown, player-driven initiative, with hundreds of participants and dozens of coaches on the roster. Coaches and students, you are to be congratulated for a job well-done.
But before I continue, let me briefly describe Boot Camp for those who are unfamiliar with it. PvP Boot Camp provides a safe and enjoyable training environment in which players can come to learn the basics of STO PvP. Intimidation and frustration are among the key issues keeping people from jumping into PvP matches. At Boot Camp, we believe that the key to breaking through intimidation is education along with a taste of success, both of which are more easily accomplished in a controlled pedagogical setting than in an open PUG match. So if you want to sharpen your combat skills–either on the ground or in space–check out PvP Boot Camp.
There are a number of places where you can get official information about Boot Camp: (1) Coaches. All of our coaches have been given access to an in-game title ("PvP Boot Camp Coach"). If you happen to see someone with this title walking around, PM that person and ask for more info. (2) Check out the PvP Boot Camp website, which was created by one of our Vice Admirals, @drkfrontiers. (3) Information and announcements are also posted on the PvP Boot Camp subforum, where you will also find our registration threads.
Now, on to a few updates.
Update 1: Ground PvP Boot Camp is Here!
Thanks to Pug01, Guriphu, and all our ground coaches, Ground PvP Boot Camp is off to a great start. In Ground PvP Boot Camp, you will learn the techniques that will propel you to victory in PvP or make you one of the best ground PvE players in your fleet. Master basic techniques to increase dramatically your tanking and damage, or improve your existing skills by learning battle tested strategies for solo and team success. Learn how a team can work together and share buffs to achieve seemingly impossible feats; how you can survive – or deliver! – a super-buffed one-hit-kill attack; and how each class has the ability to multiply the effectiveness of the other two.
Like Boot Camp Space, Ground PvP Boot Camp follows a 4-tier curriculum that will teach students the basics of ground combat. In order to graduate from Ground PvP Boot Camp, students must complete all 4 stages of the curriculum. Each monthly session covers one of the stages in the curriculum. Only one graduation award is given per player, whether he or she graduates from space or ground.
To sign up for next month’s Ground PvP Boot Camp (March 2nd, 2013), check out the following link in the Boot Camp subforum.
Or, if you can’t wait to add a little more power to your pulsewave and can’t wait until March 2nd, check out Pug01’s recent interview, hosted by Priority One Podcast.
Update 2: PvP Boot Camp Open PvP Sessions: Every Saturday, 5pm/1700 CET and 5pm/1700 EST
Boot Camp now sponsors a weekly, open PvP session. The goal of this session is to let newer players interact with more experienced players and to help everyone experience the joys of team play. In short, this is all about fun! There is nothing quite like entering into the "synergistic zone" with a team: Cross-heals, precisely timed alphas and subnucs, massive explosions, etc. The thrill that comes with teamwork is what keeps many of us coming back to the arena for more, and it is what we want all of our students to taste.
Anyone is welcome to join in these events, which take place every Saturday, except the Saturdays on which our monthly sessions are held. Just log in at any of the above-mentioned times to the Boot Camp TeamSpeak server using the information below. No noob is too noobish! Bring your questions, excitement, and willingness to learn.
TeamSpeak Info:
pvpbootcamp.com:1406
No password
Update 3: Space PvP Boot Camp, Session 3: February 23, 2013, 8pm/2000 CET and 8pm/2000 EST
The third session of PvP Boot Camp Space is just around the corner! This very exciting session is all about PvP teamplay dynamics. if you want to know how you can make a contribution to a PvP team, you need to attend this session.
If you happened to miss session two in January, a few coaches will be on hand to take you through that material.
For registration details, check out the following link.
Update 4: Graduates, Is There a Future for You as a Boot Camp Coach?
At PvP Boot Camp, we are always looking for high quality coaches. If you are interested in becoming a Boot Camp coach, take the following steps:
1) Look at your schedule and see if you can commit to coaching 1-2 hours per month, beginning at 8pm/2000 CET and/or 8pm/2000 EST. Then, make sure you can attend at least one coaches meeting per month. These are typically held the Saturday before Boot Camp at at 8pm/2000 CET and/or 8pm/2000 EST and last for 1-2 hours.
2) Get a recommendation from one of the Boot Camp coaches. This is a prerequisite for all graduates who wish to also become coaches.
3) Have your recommender contact our Vice Admiral of Public Relations and Recruitment: @jedinikon.
Update 5: Advanced Seminars
Once our first class graduates, we will begin to offer advanced classes, taught by seasoned PvP veterans. While nothing is on the schedule yet, such classes could include the following for both ground and space:
1) Premade Seminar: This would allow entire teams to sign up for in-depth sessions on how to create pre-made teams. You will gain access to some of the game’s best players and team leaders.
2) Healing Seminar: A special seminar on how to become a great team healer.
3) Damage Seminar: A seminar on–well–how to make things go boom!
4) Skill Tree Seminar: This would be an even deeper look into the theory, math, and dynamics of the skill tree. This seminar would take you far beyond what you received in the regular session on the skill tree.
These are just a few of the ideas we are playing with, and we are open to others. If you have ideas, send them to sargon.priorityone@gmail.com or send me an ingame note: @gradstudent1
Update 6: The PvP Boot Camp Subforum
Cryptic/Perfect World has been kind enough to provide Boot Camp with a subforum. The subforum allows you, the student, coach, or player, to voice your opinion and shape the future of PvP Boot Camp. Join the conversation. Make your voice heard!
Update 7: Player vs. Developer Match
You may remember that, all players who participated in the first PvP Boot Camp in December were placed into a drawing to participate in a player vs. developer match. This match took place during the last PvP Boot Camp Space in January. Branflakes, Thomas TheCrypticCat, and JHeinig came in guns blazing! It was a match to behold as coaches, players, and developers alike collided in a mass of phaser fire, plasma projectiles, and massive explosions. If you want to see the video, created by @drkfrontiers, our Vice Admiral of Digital Media, click here.
Boot Camp is at an exciting phase of its development, and there are so many ways for you to be involved. Join the conversation in the subforum. Attend one of the upcoming sessions. Or join us in the ques on Saturday. Take your game to the next level.
If you have questions about Boot Camp, don’t hesitate to contact me: sargon.priorityone@gmail.com or ingame at @gradstudent1.
See you in the queues!
Sargon, PvP Boot Camp Project Leader
sargon.priorityone@gmail.com
@ gradstudent1
wolfpacknz @ Feb 23rd, 2013 7:31PM
Love it, hold boot camps for something thats been dead for 2 years and has never been bothered with to be fixed...
beamscort1 @ Feb 22nd, 2013 2:36PM
Foundry PVP sounds like a great idea.
solidshatner @ Feb 21st, 2013 9:45PM
Not enough peeps on PvP? Easy. Make a Rep system with goodies. I'm sure that ALL will be amazed at how everyone quickly learns to get past being 'intimidated'.
blagorm @ Feb 21st, 2013 1:28PM
may I remind you een if KDf has claok so does the FEDs. Also, cloak means nothing if you die easy so saying KDf has an advantage is mutual. To my point of iew FEds hae more of an advantage with all these dfferent ship options whhich can be different used in order to have a an advantage If you know who you goin against which in most cases are known. Anyways... I am hoping for the best out of this for I only get to do make-ups but it is a great experience!!!
malnificent @ Feb 21st, 2013 1:24PM
Something doesnt smell right at all when 2 of the 3 Devs are flying JHAS. Im not claiming they came about them through "insider trading," but it makes me wonder. Further adds fuel to the fire I see as the "imbalance" discussion about the JHAS posted throughout the forums. Might as well just admit it ... the JHAS has it's reasons for being as badass as it is and the Devs clearly know it too. Otherwise, an entertaining video and an outstanding collaboration between players, coaches and company personel. Above all, that is most commendable.
z69evermoon @ Feb 21st, 2013 12:46PM
I must once agian tell everyone that the PVP system on Star Trek online blows chunks there are only 2 maps most of the teams that PVP are premades. No dilith is handed out only energy credits. Klingons still have the advantage because most of there ships have cloak. Once you get to vice admeral so much PVE stuff is spawned you can get rewards items There is still no simple way to target ship making the garbage screen still the most viable tactic once again dont get sucked into it untill the revamp the system. There trying to take the easy way out by increasing the number of player in the old system so they dont have to revamp it.
cers001 @ Feb 21st, 2013 11:26AM
if they want more pvpers now about this new pvp maps were sick at looking at all the pre launch maps
livinrtb @ Feb 21st, 2013 9:25AM
I am very impressed with both Cryptic and the pvp community on this subject. I am proud to carry the coach title and even prouder of those who have attended the camp, you have all done a great job. How do I know this? In the last several weeks I have been randomly queuing in both arena's and C
beamscort1 @ Feb 21st, 2013 7:54AM
Sounds great for noobs, but I don't want to sit through basics waiting for a kernel of useful information.
darkfader1988 @ Feb 21st, 2013 7:16AM
This is a step forward in the development in STO's PvP, but its really not just players who do not want to play PvP because they are roflstomped. Its also all the broken stuff (and i dont even necessarily mean totally imbalanced factors in this game in terms of abilities) but also stuff like AFK'ers, Dilithium farmers, Always the same boring maps, etcetera. I bet every PvPer around would like to see a new PvP map at least every month, as seeing how fast a foundry map is made how would this be so hard to implement a foundry for PvP? Make the Arena Queues roll one of the top 10 score PvP foundry maps and there you have it :)
fudgeoflife @ Feb 21st, 2013 4:59AM
:O that tactical escort is using beams! That would never happen.
theacefirechild
dude its game, you play how you want to and let the fools who use beams on escorts play how they want lol
azyurion @ Feb 20th, 2013 10:56PM
STO pvp has and continues to be "broken, imho. Until the system is reworked, it will remain the province on min/maxers willing to sink big money and time into gear and builds. Of course, those kind of players are the core of any F2P offering and are cultivated by gaming companies. From that perspective, I imagine the current pvp model is considered to be working as intended. :)
cameronsisco @ Feb 20th, 2013 10:41PM
I signed up for this once only to find out afterwards that using a voice implementation such as Vent was a requirement. It would have been nice if this was made explicit from the get go or that it was offered to the non disabled to choose to use or not. I am in 2 fleets where there is no voice. This was an explicit choice based on negative experiences in previous fleets. No voice was a requirement in me choosing a new fleet. I was the victum of a cyber bully via vent to the point where I filed a legal action with the state of Washington where it is a crime. Sounds like a great idea with the above caveat Cameron
kvet
Agree -- I don't use voice either. Not for any reactive reason (as valid as yours is), but simply because I don't like it. I don't like talking on the phone, don't care much for idle chitchat with strangers (which you all are, even if I've chatted with you 100 times in game) so I have no intention ever of using voice. I *know* how to PvP, and I still dont' like it. There's not point to PvP in STO -- none at all. Other than some cash, you get nothing out of it. If there was a broader goal -- like 10 warzones that all needed to be held, then ALL FEDS got some bonuses or whatever while they were held, then there would be a point. Now? My friends play punching bag with each other for PvP rewards and let the Diablo players in ships posture and crap-talk to each other in PvP matches since that's all it's really good for anyway. Chat's bad enough, why would I ever subject myself to that garbage in verbal form?
buccaneerdtb
My fleet does not use voice for the same reasons, and as such were not allowed to be coaches. You are welcome to join us in game and we can train you in ground PvP. Fleet: Tip of the Spear @buccaneerdtb or @cabrandt. We do not run premades in the ques, but sometimes will get a pugmade team together. We are more about fun and do not use or teach the 'cheese' that many people use.
vividh @ Feb 20th, 2013 9:22PM
Make videos... not all of us can attend at the specified time!
classic25 @ Feb 20th, 2013 6:56PM
PVP bootcamp lesson #1 be a tactical captain in an escort. Class dismissed.
solidshatner
lmfao - perfect.
mrdragon97 @ Feb 20th, 2013 2:34PM
Nice idea but what if players can earn pvp-points which marke the pvp-experience of each player, so that only players with similar pvp-points can fight against each other.
spaceninja7u @ Feb 20th, 2013 2:20PM
What about just making some video tutorials on the material you cover in bootcamp?
bghost
this^
phaggamemnon @ Feb 20th, 2013 2:17PM
This game needs to drop a bomb on PVP and rework the whole thing. I'd be hard pressed to think of a more imbalanced game when it comes to PVP. And it's not pug friendly in the slightest. They really need to study how League of Legends does things and take some notes and learn.
saxfire
You wish to bring elo hell to STO? no thank you...
krizonar
League of legends is an economy and subterfuge game, the champions classes themselves are actually horribly imbalanced against each other in fights where both opponents have equal items. If STO balanced the classes of the game like LoL balances their game classes; Escorts would have half their current hull, no weapons to aft, have one Lieutenant Tactical station and be unable to shoot while moving. They would have 3 Tactical consoles. Cruisers would have double their current hp and all gain an additional Commander Science and Lieutenant Tactical Station. They would have 6 consoles of every type. Science ships would have one Ensign Engineering and one Commander Science as their only bridge officer stations. They would have 5 Science consoles They also would only have one fore weapon and one aft weapon. -League of Legends player for 2 years, 1870 elo at the end of Season 2.
elcapitannx01 @ Feb 20th, 2013 2:08PM
I left WOW because PvP wasn`t playable on a fun level as most players got proffesional and you had no fun as someone just spending some time in pvp. So I`m a little concerned about the development here. I`m sure the intention is good but it would be much more better for me if Cryptic is making pvp solid and fun for most of us instead a small part is taught how to make fun of us.
bugspatteredjack
Not sure I follow you here?! In the process of doing PVP camp myself and am a casual PVP player. I find that not only the coaches but actual players as well have been nothing if not helpful and supportive, especially if you make it clear your interested in learning. Those players who are not helpful and or are rude are a minority. Finally, everybody who wanted to could have joined PVP boot camp. I think everyone should in future, you get to meet a lot of really like minded folks and the coaches are not only professional and friendly but go above and beyond for us. :-)
theindefatigable @ Feb 20th, 2013 1:38PM
Great things happening here.
madblooddoll @ Feb 20th, 2013 1:32PM
hopefully they aren't forcing use to pvp, because i could care less about even playing with others in borg elite missions much less pvp.
bugspatteredjack
???? :-( No Comment!!!!
leoll2 @ Feb 20th, 2013 12:36PM
Can't wait for next session :D
drudgy @ Feb 20th, 2013 12:23PM
Thanks for the Update! I'm looking forward to session #3!
aquitaine985 @ Feb 20th, 2013 12:07PM
Join PVP Bootcamp!
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