Frontlines sucks Ultra megathread

[VictorSpoils]

Quickly? That issue went on for months before it got fixed... I remember people on the forums saying it was working as intended and that there's no issue with it. That was funny...

The threads got moved to "working as intended" even though it still got changed eventually. I guess in terms of semantics it wasn't considered a bug.

[Mawlzy]

The threads got moved to "working as intended" even though it still got changed eventually. I guess in terms of semantics it wasn't considered a bug.

I think in SE's position I woulda called it a bug instead of: "we meant to do that, but yeah it's stupid."

[Ancalagon_Blacktalon]

personally as a solo player I do prefer direction in frontlines because there is just so much going on that it's hard for me to pick an optimal decision other than "stay with the pack or die". it is pretty exhilarating playing with a good shot-caller.

but yeah, I can absolutely tell when one of the opposing teams has a premade. they hit like a truck consistently over and over in ways that can't really happen unless they know each other already, or are using a (3rd party!) voice chat, and it's not great as someone who queues in solo. I prefer close games, I'll try my best but it's frustrating to just get absolutely bodied over and over because I had the "misfortune" of ending up on a team with a bunch of strangers who don't know each other.

Like, I play DRG and only DRG in pvp, all of my attack options are selfish, I basically exist to be a sniper rifle picking off people who stray from the pack. I'm not sure what else I can be doing in that situation if a coordinated group just bowls all of us over and kills us seemingly instantly?

[Mawlzy]

personally as a solo player I do prefer direction in frontlines because there is just so much going on that it's hard for me to pick an optimal decision other than "stay with the pack or die". it is pretty exhilarating playing with a good shot-caller.

but yeah, I can absolutely tell when one of the opposing teams has a premade. they hit like a truck consistently over and over in ways that can't really happen unless they know each other already, or are using a (3rd party!) voice chat, and it's not great as someone who queues in solo. I prefer close games, I'll try my best but it's frustrating to just get absolutely bodied over and over because I had the "misfortune" of ending up on a team with a bunch of strangers who don't know each other.

Like, I play DRG and only DRG in pvp, all of my attack options are selfish, I basically exist to be a sniper rifle picking off people who stray from the pack. I'm not sure what else I can be doing in that situation if a coordinated group just bowls all of us over and kills us seemingly instantly?

The standard advice I've received is "get friends, form your own premade," which is as condescending as it is arrogant. I guess the good news is that, as a DRG, you are useful to a DRK+ premade when you land on their team. Unfortunately, assuming a single premade in a match, that only happens 29% of the time.

[Astralrisk]

The standard advice I've received is "get friends, form your own premade," which is as condescending as it is arrogant.

To be fair, if you are playing to farm wins then I don't see why you wouldn't try and find/make a premade to do them with. Not saying it's an absolute requirement to do so, but getting friends or just randoms who also care about getting wins shouldn't be incredibly hard to find.

[Mawlzy]

To be fair, if you are playing to farm wins then I don't see why you wouldn't try and find/make a premade to do them with. Not saying it's an absolute requirement to do so, but getting friends or just randoms who also care about getting wins shouldn't be incredibly hard to find.

I don't play to farm wins. I play to enjoy competitive matches. Or did. I've currently joined the ranks of the daily one-and done.

[Scintilla]

snip

I know how demoralising it can be and how it tends to remove any semblance of 'competition' within a game - removed by the very people who claim to be playing this way because they want to see more competition? That logic doesn't quite work for me, but for now this is an issue that we are unfortunately stuck with. We can only work with it.

Firstly avoid giving up and becoming defeatist. Premade teams can be beaten. It does need a bit of luck and teamwork, but isn't entirely impossible. Unfortunately, in general, such games will require the two random alliances to work together to focus the premade's alliance down. This is where a bit of luck is needed. Sadly, we have no control over what the second random alliance chooses to do and can only hope that they also choose the path of determined cooperation.
However, we can influence our own alliance and there are small things which we could do to help increase our chances of competing a tiny bit:

1. When you see a particularly troublesome DRK, mark them at the earliest opportunity you get. It will make them far easier to spot at a distance and give you and the rest of your alliance a tiny bit more warning of them incoming.

2. Once you see them and mark them, call a warning. Something in chat about watching out for a DRK/premade on xxx team. Assuming the premade aren't using a RPR/DNC to remove Guard, you can also give a quick reminder to your team to use Guard if they get caught by the DRK. This would be common knowledge amongst regular players, but if it helps to remind new or beginner players of the tools available to them, then all the better.

3. Try to keep a focus on the premade alliance at every opportunity available. While it might seem counterproductive at the beginning when they'll likely be 2nd/3rd place in points (as they're largely ignoring early objectives and going straight into farming BH), if you take your attention off them for even a moment, they'll quickly take the advantage to the point where it's much, much harder to take it back again.
The second random alliance is your friend. If you are lucky enough that they choose to take a defiant stand and focus down the premade, help them. Pinch the premade while they're beginning their attack on the other alliance. Farm BH

4. General good play also helps, obviously. Keep a watch on your own DRK (if you have one), try to coordinate your own attacks/LB with their vokes, say something when your LB is ready (it will let the DRK know you're ready for a burst and let the other DPS know that you can get some good damage if they are able to coordinate their attacks/LB with yours). Map bottlenecks are a nightmare vs premades, try to spread out as much as possible.

Other tips are generally more class-specific. Depending on how confident you are and how interested you are in expanding your knowledge of various classes in PvP, you could always give MNK, RPR, DRK etc. a try to take a more targeted role in trying to hinder the premade

[AlliciaCapulet]

personally as a solo player I do prefer direction in frontlines because there is just so much going on that it's hard for me to pick an optimal decision other than "stay with the pack or die". it is pretty exhilarating playing with a good shot-caller.

Best tip I can tell is, if there is no caller, stick with the group, and try to not get a tunel vision, meaning don't chase too far for the kills and forget about the objectives or worst don't notice that you charge alone in a bunch of ennemies.

I sometime take the lead and make some call, when there is noone to do it. A premade helps, but honnestly, there is good solo player queueing that can face them. Also, don't stack too close to your team, if everyone is stacked you just give a good opportunity to an AOE LB that will wipe everyone...

I have a winrate of 40% on first place on over 800 game, and 35% second place, and I never play with a premade. Yeah sometime you get bad team, but a premade is not needed to win. Take the lead if nobody takes it.

[Mawlzy]

I do think there's some hope this situation will be at least mitigated by SE. It's clear there's a persistent sub-community of PvPers who chase down any angle to farm wins, or who just enjoy the thrill of obliterating opponents through an unfair edge. Was it 5.1 when by switching off freelancer you'd get entire 24-person teams that Q-synched in?

The shame of it is that there are people who simply like to play with a friend or two, plus the best way to introduce others to the mode is to party up. As Scintilla noted in another one of her posts, people are selfish. I just wish some wouldn't try to paint that selfishness as altruism.

[IDontPetLalas]

You know, I don't even understand the concept of farming wins. It isn't difficult to complete achievements, even queuing casually- by that I mean once or twice a day.

I have played PvP games in which we held rank, in those games it meant sense to form and remain in premades since rank affected so many aspects of the game, but what does it count for here? There are no gear requirements in PvP, there is nothing to gain from holding a rank or specific achievement while in FL, and there are no special rewards, especially no timed rewards.

So it's honestly a concept I find rather difficult to understand, I find this a mode where it's really one where it should be possible to focus on enjoying PvP itself.