The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:14 pm

I'll all for helping to have tournaments take place, as I have in the past. I have organized and worked for the scoreboard for scalp hunts and other tournaments, started way back with the 'boot camp' and 'AWC vs RDD' contests, working my way up to at least semi-official tournaments on Seibs. Since then others stepped up to organize and run with tournament ideas, and I had some other family issues to attend to, such as raising little Zander, so I have not been so involved.

I'd like to recommend one of the original tournament ideas: The Scalp Hunt. Was always fun, and if we can get an automatic tracker implemented, it would improve the efficiency of the tournament as some, if not most players, have the time to track their own missions for results for the whole time of the tournament.

I'm eager to get involved with this process to get tournaments going.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:37 pm

Hoistimus wrote:I'll all for helping to have tournaments take place, as I have in the past. I have organized and worked for the scoreboard for scalp hunts and other tournaments, started way back with the 'boot camp' and 'AWC vs RDD' contests, working my way up to at least semi-official tournaments on Seibs. Since then others stepped up to organize and run with tournament ideas, and I had some other family issues to attend to, such as raising little Zander, so I have not been so involved.

I'd like to recommend one of the original tournament ideas: The Scalp Hunt. Was always fun, and if we can get an automatic tracker implemented, it would improve the efficiency of the tournament as some, if not most players, have the time to track their own missions for results for the whole time of the tournament.

I'm eager to get involved with this process to get tournaments going.

for those that don't know Scalphunting;

basic rules;
players from different factions join,
any playing team is a target
you score "scalps" by stasis locking a target TF
whoever ever scores the most wins

optional rules(they are lots more but i can't remember)
you can only scalp a given TF once
a prieviously scalped TF cannot scalp

Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:11 pm

on a slightly different note i aslo ran the "hunt the Clan" games earlier this years, basic premise was to kill as many of the TFs belonging to teams bearing Certain Tags (RDD, AWC, MDF, PAC, etc)

News Credits: 42 · Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:21 pm

IIRC Scalp hunts were to collect a whole team, bounty hunting is to collect a specific bot, both worked nicely and could be combined?

A set of rules for Bounty hunting in the past was (as suggested by spawndragon13):
1} Missions only
2} IF you kill the target bounty and survive the mission the energon will be paid in full
3} IF you kill the target bounty and you died in the same mission you fail in succeeding the hunt for the head and award wont be given.

Nice and simple, payment was done by trust.
Add the rules otgether and we could have some fun with that.

There is also the Alt hunts I guess. They were finding your target by their altmode, so we have planty of things to hunt, what we need is a huntmaster...

Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:00 pm

i've done that before.

originally it was to collect teams (bing as it was a fued between myself and Rockbadger) but as an actual tournie i don't recall it being team based before before,

Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:04 pm

This is right up my alley. I was actually thinking of opening my own bounty hunting agency for anyone wanting to put hits out on the other factions. But then money can't be transferred from enemy factions to me. I had the idea that I'd offer to take hits on any faction (except my own obviously) and that I'd offer special rates in private for hits on members of your own faction. But there's not a banking system or wire transfer system within the game so I quickly scrapped it. But if I can get paid for doing what I do best then I'll be participating as much as possible. Because now I'm better at whatever it is that Wolverine does even if it isn't very nice.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:50 pm

Well, let's see if I can remember the rules for the scalp hunt:

Missions only.
All those who want to enter post their wish to do so. We used to need a list of team members but the mission results show who the commander is so it's not important now.
A 'scalp' is where you get the finishing blow to stasis lock the opponent.
Two different ways the contest can be scored: one is like a checklist, to scalp each TF on the list and get a point for each. The other is the unlimited count where you can score points for each time you get anyone on the list.
The time for the contest can either be one week in duration, or elimination style where once each bot is scalped, it can no longer claim any scalps. Fight to the last TF, although some coordination is required to get the final few into the same matches to get a final points. Winner is declared by a total of points scored.
Some measures were introduced to make scoring more equal among the levels, such as the bot scalped was worth the level of the bot +1, so a level 2 bot would be worth 3 points while a level 0 bot is worth 1.

I think there were a few other rules, but they elude me right now.

News Credits: 226 · Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:35 pm

I'm liking the idea of an "elimination" style scalp hunt.

One concern with it though, and i'll use myself as an example. If a player isn't playing that regularly, and at quiet times of the day, does he then have an unfair advantage?

Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:35 am

my immediate reaction is to say yes, but if it's done on scalps rather than last man standing; not neccassarily.

News Credits: 1 · Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:29 am

Well, if you're not playing at the same time as some others, you won't see them but they won't see you, so it'll hard to score points on each other. You may last longer, but as Tamm referred to, you may not get the points needed to win.

News Credits: 42 · Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:36 am

Hoist, A while back (pre reset) I ran an Evil Scheme in Darkmount where I paid for enemy clan members heads by offering a set amount and adding/subtracting 500 energon for every level above/below the target was (so an L1 killing an L2 stood to gain an extra 500 on the base bounty.) It worked well and people were proud of their higher level kills so Id definitely like to see that added.

Merc, still not having access to my mod panel I cant be certain id have it, but I know Waylander was able to transfer money cross-faction in the past. If I do get that ability, the payment part of it could be sorted for you if you are willing to rely on staff members to act as bankers.
If you would still be interested we could talk, a new guy like you would be good for a game like this, but ideally we should have a few huntmasters across the factions, kinda like an actual agency*...?

*An interesting idea may be to 'graduate' scalpers into a bounty hunting (or assassin) agency/club/society etc. Once they have completed a scalp hunt for prestige, then they will be listed as a pro bounty hunters, given an 'agency sig badge' or something and can enter the real hunting game such as Merc is talking about?

Maybe I'm getting a little too far ahead of the topic; do we want to be doing these hunts for energon or 'prestige'? Above Im assuming its all about the energon.

Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:40 am

why not both? you might aswell run it and see...

Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:45 pm

Psychout I was thinking less of having say one Agency for all the factions and more like each faction having their own crew of Assassins and Cutthroats. However your idea would work pretty well in the long run.

I'm thinking of it being less of a tournament and more like a service. It's my theory that if HMW were an actual Transformers series and it was realistic to real war there would be War Mongers looking to cash in on it, or to suit their own ends. And in game terms say you want to put a hit out on someone from another faction that's either out of your means to kill or you never see them, but you want their characters dead that's where I come in. Or inversely say someone in your own faction pisses you off but good. Well you obviously can't take matters into your own hands and rough their team up, but for the right price (same as a normal bounty plus maybe a little more marked up to simulate "hush money) I'll gladly snuff out your faction mate.

If there's more then one "Assassin's Guild" then you open yourself up for rivalries and such and that would only increase the buzz about it. For example if the Bounty is placed in the open then the rival Agencies can attempt to collect it and come into conflict with each other.

News Credits: 42 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:53 am

So, how about we set up a training hunt?
We pick a well known commander from each faction to be the targets (Hoist, Myself, Merc and ...Ratty?) and wannabe hunters have 2 weeks to capture an entire team, it don't matter which one.

Commanders that make the 2-week cut graduate and become 'licenced' HMW bounty hunters and so are 'allowed' to tout for business however they wish in GD (within the usual forum limits.) The graduates will then re-run the training tourney every few months as a school for those who are interested but didn't pay attention at the start and as more interest raises, more people will become hunted/hunters themselves.
(Some will want to call themselves bounty hunters, some will be law enforcement, some will be assassins, but all will have the same theoretical 'licence'.)

Also, this way, any agency/co-operation within of the game is created by you guys and runs for as long as you guys keep it going, the staff would only need to interfere in the case of a dispute.

Thoughts?
Hoistimus, is this what you had in mind?

Before we do that though, Id like to see standard (but simple) hunting guidelines suggested, especially as the staff will have to handle cross faction-payments. I'm tempted to go with Spawnies simplistic ones above, but if you guys want to come up with your own, feel free...

News Credits: 226 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:56 am

Merc - Yours is the sort of idea that was floated many many moons ago as part of implementing a game wide "economy". We were talking banks and in particular a bounty hunting scheme.

Essentially a person would post a bounty. The energon came from them with the bank taking a little extra for "admin fees". Then whoever made the kill got the energon.

While I don't mind the idea of some people becoming "registered bounty hunters", my one concern is the energon they'd earn. I realise others will get a chance down the track but would it not be more easier to simply have people put their hand up and say "Yeah, I want in on the bounty business" then when people post bounties it's up to them then to track down and claim. Plus people can opt in whenever they choose. Maybe make a clause that says if they're going to hunt they MUST actively pursue.

At least this way I feel everyone has a chance at having a go and don't have to wait to pass a few tests and be allowed into what would essentially be a exclusive club.

News Credits: 42 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:56 am

You raise a good point Burn, there will be nothing to stop people from having a go at collecting any bounty regardless - you wouldn't expect every bounty hunter to be registered in any universe.

The licence idea is just for a bit of fun and so the hunters can feel like they have earned their right to collect bounties for money, to give it a bit of structure and to identify the organisers as I like the idea of bringing hunting further into HMW. (Especially as the staff would be doing the money exchanges cross-factions so the better organised it is, the easier it is for us.)

Ultimately though, it will be up to the person setting the bounty as to whether they will pay 'independents' or not, and what price they wish to set.

News Credits: 6 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:45 pm

Psychout wrote:Especially as the staff would be doing the money exchanges cross-factions

Ummm... as far as I know OS would be the only one capable of doing that.

For any given bot, we can edit:

User
Character Name
Transform Type
Transform Image
Transform Image Color
Health
Experience
Spent Xp
Num Upgrades (I don't think this works at all - all bots are currently displaying 0 upgrades)
Level
Character Status

And I doubt all of those edit functions actually work as well as you'd expect. I remember last year trying to Assign the "battlestation" "transform type" and the Tidalwave "transform image" to the the same bot and after an hour or so the alt class reverted to "space shuttle". I suspect editing "Spent Xp" would work about the same.

As far as I can tell there is no way for us mods to reallocate money or weapons.

So unless people want to pay their bounties in Xp... :lol:

Edit: At great personal risk, I experimented on my own bots and determined that, yes, we can still change people's alts. :grin:

News Credits: 226 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:03 pm

Psychout wrote:The licence idea is just for a bit of fun and so the hunters can feel like they have earned their right to collect bounties for money, to give it a bit of structure and to identify the organisers as I like the idea of bringing hunting further into HMW. (Especially as the staff would be doing the money exchanges cross-factions so the better organised it is, the easier it is for us.)

Oh I like the idea too. But you know me, I try to keep things open to as many as possible.

Perhaps rather than running an entrance intake every couple of months, people can just "sit their exams" whenever they like?

Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:50 pm

maybe to get in to angency you have to outscalp a current merc of that agency?

News Credits: 6 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:36 pm

If you fail a specific contract the guild should automatically put a general hit out on you.

News Credits: 42 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:07 pm

Caelus wrote:
Psychout wrote:Especially as the staff would be doing the money exchanges cross-factions

Ummm... as far as I know OS would be the only one capable of doing that.

Damn, that would have been really handy. Wasn't Waylander able to transfer money cross-factions or am I confusing that with Mkall's uberpowers?

The rest of the ideas are sound. An extrance exam to collect existing hunters team to qualify, and if you fail a hit the entire guild comes after you.

Its very Assassin Guild/Darkside at the monent though. Would the bot and max factions want to do this seperately, or stay together as a 100% strafe-style epic thread?

Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:08 pm

Caelus wrote:If you fail a specific contract the guild should automatically put a general hit out on you.

Via underground channels to the other guilds of course. You have to keep up appearances and well you can't go out putting hits on your own employees all willy nilly. In a real Mercenary group they'd only put hits out on their own members if they go rogue or leave the company.

News Credits: 6 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:02 pm

Psychout wrote:
Caelus wrote:
Psychout wrote:Especially as the staff would be doing the money exchanges cross-factions

Ummm... as far as I know OS would be the only one capable of doing that.
Damn, that would have been really handy. Wasn't Waylander able to transfer money cross-factions or am I confusing that with Mkall's uberpowers?

I think you must be thinking of Mkall's merging with the Underbase.

Merc With A Mouth wrote:In a real Mercenary group they'd only put hits out on their own members if they go rogue or leave the company.

I was thinking of Curari's fate from Batman Beyond. Or the Dark Brotherhood in Elder Scrolls IV. Some organizations just don't tolerate failure.

Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:15 pm

I'm glad you made two references as examples. Because I only got one of them. I'm sure I don't need to tell you which of the two I got. I think it makes sense but it should be up to the head of the "Company". However like any organization of that type I'm certain there would be certain ceremonies and rights so as you could challenge to be the leader. Man this is shaping up to be a fun idea and it's not even started yet.

News Credits: 6 · Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:26 pm

Merc With A Mouth wrote:However like any organization of that type I'm certain there would be certain ceremonies and rights so as you could challenge to be the leader.

Man, it's too bad Arena matches can't be fought with members of your own faction. That would be perfect for just such a scenario.