The Fields of Glory (Shatter)

[Februs]

128 comments later and no pop. One day I would like to try PvP in this game.

How long do you stay queued for on your first queue of the night?

I ask, because the first queue of the night tends to be the longest. The reason is because you're a new addition to the queue train, so the game has to wait for the current matches to end before it can even attempt to slot you onto a team. If you queued up after a match just started, you could have to wait the full 15-ish minutes before the DF can fit you into a party, and even then it depends on the availability of space. If you're in an active GC (like Mael or Flames, depending on server), then spaces will be limited. If you're in a less popular GC then you could get in right away. If all currently queuing teams are full, then you have to wait for someone to drop their queue or be late enough to the queue that you took their spot. Once you're in, however, it's possible for you to ride the queue train.

To give you an idea, in the past I've gone 40+ minutes (roughly two full matches) waiting for my first que of the night, only to have less than 10 minute queues on my following five queues for the same night. It's why you see regular PvP'ers clear out of their matches so quickly after the match ends, instead of looking at the score or wasting time trying to commend people. They're basically trying to reserve their spot for the next match as quickly as they can. Even in a less populated GC, the best you can do is stick with it until your first queue, no matter how painful, and then try to catch that queue train ... at least until SE smartens up and removes the stupid GC restrictions.

[kuma_aus]

Anyone have any quick tips for Shatter? Want to get back into Frontlines for that sweet, white ADS mount, but I don't want to hold my team back.

I'm like average with PvP so my tips might not be that great. But the best thing you can do with Frontlines is ALWAYS have the map open and lock it so that your map doesn't close when you press ESC. Also if you're new to the map and are getting used to it, just stick with your party and the healers. If you're in a massive group with your alliance and have your healers with you, you're less likely to die and you should be able to get used to the game mode better. For Shatter, you want to DPS the Ice Tomeliths as best you can. But as a tank I find it's better if I spend my time trying to disrupt the enemies if we're fighting against the same Tomelith.

[Februs]

Anyone have any quick tips for Shatter? Want to get back into Frontlines for that sweet, white ADS mount, but I don't want to hold my team back.

If you've played Frontlines before, then you won't find Shatter to be much different from what you're used to. Here's a few things to keep in mind, though:

• Check your map often, especially during down time, and react quickly.
  
  Crystal spawns are grey until they are active, then they're blue. Points scored from crystals are divided based on dps, so the team with the fastest reaction time and strongest/quickest dps wins. It is also important to note that Shatter Points are completely random. I don't just mean the order in which they spawn. The number of Shatter Points available at any given time is also random. There could be only one. There could be two or three. It could be that ALL of them are active at the same time. So, be ready for anything.
  
  
• Keep your PvE rotation on the back burner, just in case.
  
  Shatter is still PvP, so your burst is where the majority of your utility is in most cases; however, Shatter's main gameplay mechanic is basically just one big Dps race. On individual targets, your highest possible burst in a short time is still best; however, on crystals you can work your full PvE rotation. This is especially true on the bigger crystals, as they have more Hp. Crystal points are scored based on total dps, so if you have the time to apply your full rotation you can actually benefit your team more than just working your burst. This varies on the circumstances, obviously, but it's something to keep in mind.
  
  
• Be mindful of your surroundings.
  
  High ledges and debris have made a comeback in Shatter. So there are plenty of opportunities to send people to their deaths by knocking them off of cliffs. There are also a lot of places in which enemy cast bars can be interrupted by line of sight. Keep your eyes open and use these spots to your advantage, rather than having them used against you.
  
  
• Remember your CC, if you have it.
  
  This is slightly more viable tactic in Shatter than it was in Seize, because the focus is mostly in crystal spawns. For certain jobs, like Pld, Blm, or Whm, it is sometimes better to focus on CC than it is to focus on dps. Your best possible utility isn't always in how strongly you attack the crystals, but how effectively you stop other people from attacking crystals. The effectiveness of each CC depends on the circumstances and the number of targets (ie: a Blm can potentially sleep more targets in one shot than a Pld can stun), but keep your eyes open for opportunities to shut down an enemy burst. It could give the rest of your team a dps advantage during the race.
  
  Killing enemy players is also a viable tactic, but only if you can kill them fast enough. If your team has a tremendous advantage over another in actual PvP (such as, the enemy team has no healers, for example), you can simply kill them and score the remaining points on the crystal as a bonus. That's an extremely rare scenario, though.
  
  
• Remember that there are capture points.
  
  This is one of the bigger differences between Shatter and Seize. A lot of people seem to forget, but you can steal the enemy base in this game mode. If you are in an unfavorable spot for crystal spawns, the best option might be to steal a flag instead. This typically applies to lone scouts (ninjas excel here), but it depends on the circumstances and point distribution. Either way, it's an option that can change the flow of the game.
  
  
• PvE vs PvP
  
  This, in my opinion, is the BIGGEST difference between Shatter and Seize (or even the original Secure, for that matter). In Seize, node spawns were constantly being contested. You had to fight in order to claim or hold one from an enemy. Because Shatter points do not require a majority presence (like Capture points), nor do they require an interaction bar (like nodes), the actual PvP in Shatter is dramatically lower than it was in any of the previous Frontline game modes. The priority in Shatter is almost always on Dps'ing the crystals. You'll still find yourself getting into skirmishes over them or capture points, if someone is ballsy enough to actually stick around after taking one, but you might find that the fighting is not nearly as intense as previously seen in other game modes.
  
  Another important thing to note, however, is that RNG can have a dramatic effect on how intense combat can be. Depending on how many shatter points become available at once and their proximity to one another, you can still find yourself in the middle of a brawl. In most cases, people will still prioritize the shatter point over enemies, but especially aggressive teams or anyone late to the party might decide to try and bleed their points out of the enemy rather than engage in a dps check they can't win.
  
  
• Leadership and teamwork
  
  This game mode is basically a giant Dps race, so not a lot of leadership is actually required here. However, the same concept of leadership applies here as it does in any other PvP mode. Having 24 teammates who are at least on the same page is a lot better than 24 individuals who are running around the map randomly; so, if someone is trying to step up and take charge, at least consider cooperating. If no one is leading and the team seems disorganized, consider taking the lead for yourself. Whatever you do, though, avoid dissension whenever possible. Dissension leads to pointless bickering, and the team tends to self-destruct when too many negative voices start to butt heads in the chat box.

That's about all I got for you. Like I said before, if you've played any of the other FL game modes, then most of this is just recap. They didn't really add anything too new with the way things function here. They only changed the focus. PvP interactions have been downplayed considerably over PvE dps races; so, you could spend more time running to crystal spawns than you do actually fighting other players, unless one team happens to be extra aggressive. The best you can do is keep your eyes open and respond to changing circumstances accordingly.

[Lisieta]

Been loving the map. Queues have been good for me, especially during peak hours but that might just be because of my data center / grand company.

Here are some of the best matches I've had in the last 2 days.

Also killing is worth 10 points in this map, deaths are a 5 point loss I think. So a party wipe is -40 for you, +80 for the enemy.

I miss my time on Mandragora!!! ;_;

[Syhrwyb]

If you've played Frontlines before, then you won't find Shatter to be much different from what you're used to. Here's a few things to keep in mind, though:

Thank you for this! Think i'll get back into PvP starting today.

[Februs]

Thank you for this! Think i'll get back into PvP starting today.

Good luck. Be patient with that queue timer. It's still the worst enemy in PvP.

[Syhrwyb]

I am now an entire hour into the queue, white ADS, here I come!

[Tracewood]

Mael and Flames seem to have the highest queues, though when people start flocking to Adders it'll be the same as well. I make sure I click join in progress, sometimes I get lucky and get in after 15 mins.

[Eul]

I notice how random this map doing on the ice. Sometimes you only have normal ice and sometimes only big ice appeared.

[Syhrwyb]

I now have 10 wins! Woo! Just hand me the keys SE, that mount is mine!