ASL

[Mentosis 63]

When ASL was a holiday event, players were all excited about it. You could hardly get into a battle. After the holiday was over, the forum was busy with players talking about the battle mode and many wanted it permanently. The Devs went to all the trouble to grant us our wish. Where are all those players now?

 

I rarely see any more than 4 ASL battles. Because of that, I'm constantly battling Major to LT. General (I play using my Captain account). Seldom do I see a battle Brigadier and below. Players complain that the Devs never listen to us. Now they did and how do we say thanks? By not playing it. 

 

Personally, I like ASL and I wish there were more players were playing it so I can battle more players closer to my rank and play it more often. There was one evening when all the ASL battles were Marshal and above. Nope, I don't join those battles. 

 

I'm surprised by how many players have no idea how to effectively play or the lack of lack of strategy. I was recently in a battle of 4 v 4. We were defence on Highways. Sitting on top of our flag base was an Isida/Wasp and Firebird/Hornet, neither left the flag base. How did the Firebird and Isida think they were defending?  The Red team (drugging to capacity, of course) simply came up on the level of the flag base, killed the Isida and then the Firebird. Below that level was Railgun/Wasp (not drugging and doing very little damage) and I was on the bottom watching and waiting for Red to grab a flag. I went after them with drugs. Some I killed most I didn't. Oh well, we lost big time. I took that position because I knew the Railgun wasn't going to kill them and the Firebird and Isida were sitting ducks. 

 

in another battle, half the team was sitting on the flag base defending. Good strategy until Red Magnum arrived and one shotted all of them. But did they learn? Nope. They all gathered back into the same group just to be Magnum one shotted over and over. 

 

Then there was the Defending team on York map that didn't defend. Instead, they were at Red base playing TDM. Good strategy? Not this time. There always seemed to be one that got away and successfully attacked our base. We lost. 

 

Another Highways ASL map. We were defense. I think half the team were mults or AFKers. They didn't do a whole lot of defending. Red went by them and did nothing. Others were camping, took one shot at Red but didn't do a whole lot to stop them. The score was embarrassing. 

 

It just seems as though players don't know how to defend. Not all games were bad and were close scores. I see a lot of really substandard playing on this mode. 

 

What have you experienced?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Boeing_787 1,455]

first

I like ASL too.

Edited January 14, 2018 by Boeing_787

[Maf 32,307]

It seems a bit unbalanced at the moment. I don't know whether it's because different maps give a different level of advantage to either team, or because the teams themselves happen to be unbalanced, but the point is that at the moment very few games end with a close score. But then again, the same can be said for CTF.

 

I think it's unpopular because it's pretty similar to CTF, but it doesn't have the benefit of being an old and famous game mode, so instead players try it, see that it's unbalanced and never play it again.

 

I honestly don't find it too interesting. Looking forward to Rugby a lot more.

[GuidoFawkes 2,361]

Probably cause they don't know what they're supposed to do in that mode.. It's not as straightforward to figure out as compared to the other modes... Also gets confusing when you think you understand and then you chamge teams and have no idea what happened.

[oOo.Aryan.oOo 968]

I want to clear that when we had ASL as a holiday event we had players like 120 000 and Now it hardly goes 50 000 in a day .

[Mentosis 63]

The holiday maps were designed with ASL in mind, which made them generally balanced and fun to play. Now we have ASL mode forced into existing maps which were not designed for that mode.

York is patterned after the ASL holiday map. There are a few changes.

 

 

I want to clear that when we had ASL as a holiday event we had players like 120 000 and Now it hardly goes 50 000 in a day .

If your numbers are correct, then a lot of those 70 000 that left may have been a big group that requested ASL mode. Was the holiday event before the merger?

 

 

It seems a bit unbalanced at the moment. I don't know whether it's because different maps give a different level of advantage to either team, or because the teams themselves happen to be unbalanced, but the point is that at the moment very few games end with a close score. But then again, the same can be said for CTF.

 

The teams are unbalanced because there's not enough players to balance them out. There's more Major to Lt. General playing than there is 3rd Lt. to Captain. So, some lower ranks are forced to play with the higher ranks and end up being cannon fodder unless they drug like mad. Some maps give unfair advantage to one team or the other, in which case, players will play the team with the advantage and then leave. 

 

I think it's unpopular because it's pretty similar to CTF, but it doesn't have the benefit of being an old and famous game mode, so instead players try it, see that it's unbalanced and never play it again. 

 

You may be right about that. Do you know if there will be any changes to the game mode in the near future or are the Devs waiting to see if it's popular enough to even bother? If popularity doesn't increase significantly enough will they discontinue it?

 

I honestly don't find it too interesting. Looking forward to Rugby a lot more.

 

I know what Rugby is, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. Guess I'll have to do some reading. I'd probably be like some of the players on ASL...not a clue about what's going on. Then someone can come to the forum and complain about my performance. 

[Maf 32,307]

I know what Rugby is, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. Guess I'll have to do some reading. I'd probably be like some of the players on ASL...not a clue about what's going on. Then someone can come to the forum and complain about my performance. 

Just watch the latest 2 V-logs - it's all explained there.

[austen_pierce 1,948]

Assault Mode last year and the year before was great. I was one of the ones pleading to bring it back. I am glad they did, thrilled in fact.

 

It was fun because Red team had an advantage doing something new. That helped adoption.

 

Now balance changes have swung most maps in favor of Blue defenders. But - blue can defend in any team mode - CTF, CP, TDM. Thus Assault Mode is largely abandoned. Highland is about the only map left where Red can still win.

 

These balance changes need to be scaled back a bit if not undone completely. Red teams need a reason to play this mode - right now that’s missing.

[Mentosis 63]

I've played a few games where red won, but that was because no one was defending the blue base. Blue was on our side playing TDM and ignoring the ones with the flag. Complete blow-out. 

 

There were some that ended with a close score. Both teams were well organized with teamwork, not individuals on a team. On one such battle, nearly everyone on both teams played blue twice and red twice. After that, most of the good players left and the game fell apart. The map was Brest. 

[Mentosis 63]

Yorkshire is just one map. Given how few ASL battles there are, how many are on Yorkshire?

 

Anyway, I've played ASL on three maps so far: Highland, Silence, on Polygon.

 

I've played ASL on Highland, Silence, Polygon, Yorkshire, Brest, Forest, Highways, Desert and Massacre. 

 

On Forest, there's 3 flags and blue is in the center on the hill (where the pit used to be). I'd load up with DD on my Twins and clean out the nest. Those that didn't die had enough damage my teammates easily took them out. 

[CabbageRoll 3,018]

no one plays asl because you dont have missions for it

 

same like tdm, 90% play for mission because cp and ctf are simply combination of tdm and bases

[Guest TSY_the_crazy]

Lets just hope rugby works

[Tani_S 736]

I think it's also rather unpopular, because of the update that made the battle list show battles of only one game mode. I expect that a lot of people focus on CTF more than before, as it is the mode with the most battles.

By the way, I have seen missions in the test server for both ASL and Rugby.

[Tani_S 736]

Now balance changes have swung most maps in favor of Blue defenders. But - blue can defend in any team mode - CTF, CP, TDM. Thus Assault Mode is largely abandoned. Highland is about the only map left where Red can still win.

 

These balance changes need to be scaled back a bit if not undone completely. Red teams need a reason to play this mode - right now that’s missing.

I would wait for the Magnum change and then evaluate the capabilities of defenders again. 

[OICU812 32]

I would wait for the Magnum change and then evaluate the capabilities of defenders again. 

It's possible to defend the base without the entire team being right on top of the base flag and becoming cannon fodder for Magnum. But each player has to have map awareness, pay attention to the signal that a flag has been picked up and keep an eye out for it. This does not mean the team has to be in the enemy base playing TDM. Yes, I have seen this tactic played out successfully, but you still have to have map awareness and pay attention to the flag bearers. 

 

The ideal situation is to use mines to protect the base, two teammates near the base and the rest of the team surrounding the base, but not close to it. Certainly it helps to keep the enemy numbers down, but the main focus should be on the flag bearers, which seems to evade a lot of players. 

 

Another mistake players make, is thinking they can destroy the flag bearer when he's only a few feet from the flag. This can still work providing a large tank can block the path of the flag bearer and other teammates destroy him. If the flag bearer has OD activated, this tactic can be difficult. 

 

The two biggest mistakes are 1) being at the enemy base playing TDM and ignoring the flag bearers. 2) remaining in a big bunch directly on the base flag and becoming cannon fodder for Magnum. Players who become cannon fodder for Magnum don't seem to learn from that mistake. They will gather around the flag again just to be destroyed by Magnum again or receive enough damage, they are unable to defend. 

Edited January 25, 2018 by OICU812

[lukey0 27,543]

ASL is pretty unbalanced and isn't the funnest to play IMO.  

[Amagi 1,728]

The hype died down.

[r_tank955 88]

I like CTF

[Rocket_Raccoon_XXX 1,507]

yup CTF is better ASL battle list is just literally DEAD, I guess...

[r_tank955 88]

yup CTF is better ASL battle list is just literally DEAD, I guess...

I think ASL is equally fun as CTF but earning xp (and crystals which I don't really care about) is much slower in ASL

[Heles 9,220]

Its not popular at low ranks. From what i see in my alt acc
There's few maps generated and also few players in the battle. Some maps arent well designed or unbalanced to play in ASL 

[OICU812 32]

Once in a Blue Moon I see ASL in the lower ranks. If I find one with Major or Lt. Colonel (depending on how many there are) as the highest rank, I'll participate. But Colonel and above, I won't. At my rank, I wouldn't be doing my team any justice. 

[Tanker-Arthur 2,971]

When the blue team still scored points automatically (1 pt every 10 seconds), I was on this Red Alert ASL.

 

I was on the blue team, and it probably was the best blue team ASL battle I’ve ever been in.

THE RED TEAM SCORED 0 POINTS DURING THE ENTIRE BATTLE!!!

 

How?

Well, I had isida, and another teammate also had Isida, and another had Firebird. The three of us was defending the blue base, while the rest of the team went to kill the red team.

 

Our extremely successful defense composed of 2 Isidas, a Firebird (we were all drugging), and laying out multitudes of mines all over the base. The three of us also overdrives together.

 

Whenever an enemy snuck past our blue team assassinators, they would run over 2 or 3 of our mines and died.

 

Eventually, the battle ended, and we won 90-0.

 

It was the only ASL battle I have ever been to where the red team scored no points. :D

[kaisdf 3,320]

Assault needs some work, as you've probably gathered, but here's my two pence anyways.

 

 

Two types of AS maps, ones where the control point is in a corner, and ones where it is in the middle. Corner maps are very easy to defend. Osa is a great example, where there are only three entrances to the point (two ramps and an open bridge). This can effectively be defended by one heavy hull. Also, the entire team has a single point to be in, so every overdrive gets about 5 other people, meaning you get 30 or so mines placed in about 2 minutes - very very hard for attackers to get in.

 

On the other hand, centre maps are impossible to defend. When you have 360 degrees of onslaught, it is a struggle to survive long enough for an overdrive to even work. Let's take Iran, for example. The point in the centre has at least 6 open lines to the very edges of the map, meaning turrets like thunder can easily destroy the defender's close range turret choices. Thats the case even before you take rooftops into account. The layout of the map means that an attacker can go from rooftop to flag with about 10 metres (2 Viking lengths). Without physically getting in the way, it is almost impossible to stop them, and if they can jump on top of a defender, you can't even block them.

 

Corner maps can be fixed by adding a 2nd point, for example where the blue flag normally is in Osa. Centre maps? I don't really know if there is a fix.

 

 

 

Apologies for the text wall, I reckoned it was even long enough to justify a spoiler :p

Maybe just add more than one capture point to maps that are easily defendable...?

[OICU812 32]

@ @kaisdf

 

That's like Industrial Zone. Red can just drop down from above right on to the capture point (blue base). They come up through the other building and across the bridge. 

 

In one ASL battle, the Red team was using this method almost exclusively. I was the only one to go up to try to defend from up there. I asked if anyone spoke English and someone said something in Russian, so I couldn't ask for help. I laid mines across the bridge and tried to ambush anyone who survived the mines. They soon got wise to that and a few went ahead of the flag bearers and set off the mines. I couldn't set them fast enough to do much good.

 

The rest of the blue team was gathered inside the building around the capture point. Flag bearers couldn't get in. That's when they started using the bridge. Why no one else got the idea to defend the upstairs, I have no idea, it was the logical thing to do. I was beginning to think the entire blue team were saboteurs.