Hammer needs an overhaul or needs to be removed

pauld1_ESO · August 2020

These campaigns are very one sides much of the time, when this thing spawns the chances the side who owns the map is going to get it are pretty dang good. And even if one of the other factions gets it they can't do anything with it because the rolling faction just zergs them and steals it. This mechanic in its current form is nonsensical. The fact the zerging faction gets bonuses to make them better is already backwards, this is the icing on the cake.

Why ZOS? Zero logic.

redspecter23 · August 2020

Well if their intention was to create a "win more" mechanic then they accomplished that.

I suspect the actual intention was a catch up mechanic which just doesn't work that way most times for the reasons you mentioned. You'll often find when the hammer spawns behind low pop gates, nobody wants to pick it up as they know it will just go to the high pop side anyway. ZOS is basically gift wrapping this for the biggest zerg.

When populations are close, it can be a fun distraction while it's out, but that doesn't happen on all servers, especially in off hours.

geonsocal · August 2020

ban the hammer...

pauld1_ESO · August 2020

redspecter23 wrote: »

Well if their intention was to create a "win more" mechanic then they accomplished that.

I suspect the actual intention was a catch up mechanic which just doesn't work that way most times for the reasons you mentioned. You'll often find when the hammer spawns behind low pop gates, nobody wants to pick it up as they know it will just go to the high pop side anyway. ZOS is basically gift wrapping this for the biggest zerg.

When populations are close, it can be a fun distraction while it's out, but that doesn't happen on all servers, especially in off hours.

Yea I would much rather they rework it than remove it because what you stated was true, it can be fun when competitive...but when the zerging side gets it and already owns most of the map it is just stupid.

I really wish they would put some thought into some mechanics that would make it more competitive out there. Silly when the side who has 6 scrolls and most the map is getting boosted for it. The only boost they should get is AP or even Telvar or something, because you deserve something for winning, sure. But to make the most powerful side more powerful is just illogical.

finehair · August 2020

I quite like it on prime time nocp campaign. It really adds that chaos element for a while. The faction has it rallies on it most of the time, since it is visible on the map people on the opposing faction rushes to defend where it is coming. And third faction tryharders come for their piece and rekt most of the time. Also few bombers trying to get their share from stacking event. And people on the wall trying to oil the guy or waiting for perfect opportunity to drop their negate etc.
It just adds a different taste and excitement, other than usual sieges, to the game when it is around, just like uncle sheo intended I assume.

RIP dead campaigns though, it mostly ends up with the zerging faction and steamrolling of the others.

pauld1_ESO · August 2020

finehair wrote: »

I quite like it on prime time nocp campaign. It really adds that chaos element for a while. The faction has it rallies on it most of the time, since it is visible on the map people on the opposing faction rushes to defend where it is coming. And third faction tryharders come for their piece and rekt most of the time. Also few bombers trying to get their share from stacking event. And people on the wall trying to oil the guy or waiting for perfect opportunity to drop their negate etc.
It just adds a different taste and excitement, other than usual sieges, to the game when it is around, just like uncle sheo intended I assume.

RIP dead campaigns though, it mostly ends up with the zerging faction and steamrolling of the others.

Agree.....when it works like that. I think the spawns should be more deliberate that way. How hard would it be to program in the hammer won't spawn when one faction's population is a certain percentage high than the others? Could factor in current score as well. I know this is ZOS so it may be beyond their capability or more likely....their give a crap.

White wabbit · August 2020

Remove the damn thing

vamp_emily · August 2020

In a one sided campaign I don't think it really matters who gets the hammer. If the alliance that has the population gets it then there is pretty much nothing you can do. If the under populated alliance gets it there is a good chance it will be taken.

Hammer is not the issue, population gaps are.

pauld1_ESO · August 2020

vamp_emily wrote: »

In a one sided campaign I don't think it really matters who gets the hammer. If the alliance that has the population gets it then there is pretty much nothing you can do. If the under populated alliance gets it there is a good chance it will be taken.

Hammer is not the issue, population gaps are.

Hammer is the issue when population gaps are an issue. The hammer would not be an issue at all if not for the gaps. The population gap will never be fixed because they allow you to change alliances to the more populated instead of restricting it to lower ones only. Hammer however can be fixed or removed, so I disagree 100% in this case.

You can a) prevent the hammer from being able to be taken by the higher population. Then b) If you have the hammer the enemy can kill you and once it drops if not picked up in so many minutes it vanishes.....but they cannot pick it up. This would prevent the higher population from stealing it and taking the few keeps you have with it, if any.

Shaloknir · August 2020

In my opinion hammer should be usable only by the second and third faction. Winning faction should be unable to pick it up and if faction gains first place hammer should instantly drop and despawn.

Zer0_CooL · August 2020

No hammer is fine. We actually need more of that random power ups. Like a 12 player accesible siegemountram, that spills fire like lancers and has a permanent AoE of 50m changing element each 10 econds.

Or an army of undead like in LOTR.

redspecter23 · August 2020

Shaloknir wrote: »

In my opinion hammer should be usable only by the second and third faction. Winning faction should be unable to pick it up and if faction gains first place hammer should instantly drop and despawn.

How do you define "winning faction"?

The most points?

The highest current population?

The greatest current control of the map?

I personally would say the winning faction is the one with the current highest population, but this is just my opinion. Having said that, I do agree that the winning faction should not be able to pick up the hammer once it falls. Perhaps they can pick it up to force to to return to oblivion, but not actually wield it at that moment. That way there is no major risk if the losing side picks it up for a while. The last thing you want to do it pick it up, then 30 seconds later run head first into the zerg and lose it until it leaves on its own.

finehair · September 2020

Zer0_CooL wrote: »

No hammer is fine. We actually need more of that random power ups. Like a 12 player accesible siegemountram, that spills fire like lancers and has a permanent AoE of 50m changing element each 10 econds.

Or an army of undead like in LOTR.

1 time Summonable engine guardian-like giant dwemer spider bot that wrecks the castle walls and throws fire balls to defenders. If the keep is captured it stays there and patrols around the keep until its battery dies aka despawns due to timer.

If the attackers are dead, defenders need to kill the robot as well. Or maybe destroy/rebuild it to have a faction change mechanic on it.

JoeFrazierJr · September 2020

I think hammer should go to who ever has the least points on the scoreboard.

Example of a BS hammer moment on PC EU. AD had like 12k lead in nocp campaign, 6 scrolls and majority of the map. Hammer spawned at fare and I just logged off. There has to be more than a RNG system with relation to hammer.

EmEm_Oh · September 2020

Just add a SheoStaff or SheoBow.

Vevvev · September 2020

What if they added 2 new daedric artifacts that spawned for the other 2 factions when the hammer spawned? They'd be randomly distributed of course or maybe even do a round table thing where you know which weapon your faction will get next. Then make it so only the faction it spawned for able to pick it up, and If the weapon is not picked up after a certain period of time it teleports back to the location it was originally spawned in for another person to acquire.

Khatou · September 2020

Already a weapon as such without its equal opposite is not logical!

hacker725x · September 2020

take hammer then lose hammer

Starshadw · September 2020

Gods, yes please, get rid of the stupid hammer - Cyro didn't and doesn't need it.

While we're at it, lose the "low pop bonus" garbage as well. So tired of alliances using that to basically abandon a server and rake in points for doing what amounts to nothing.