Ideas to make GBG XX even better next year.

[Senator]

With Darrin's setup of two Big Games a year, next year's June game will be the 20th.

This thread is set up to allow players to suggest ideas on how we can make it the best Giant Big Game ever while this year's experience is fresh in your mind. So, if you can think of a way that we can positively affect the game experience, please post your suggestion here. Thanks.

I'll start us off. This year we had players from various Canadian provinces and players from Germany join us for the game. To attract new players and players from farther away, I think it would be great if Splat Tag could offer one-time "GBG First-Timer" discounts (especially on rentals) and some sort of incentive if players travel more than a certain distance to come play (like a discount and a free tee-shirt).

I realize that the above could be unwieldy to offer to walk-ons, so the "first-timer" offer could be limited to pre-registration only but players showing a non-MN/WI ID could still get a discount for making the drive to come play (and maybe offer a free case of paint to the player who traveled the farthest distance?).

I am sure that we all have friends who would love to be part of this experience and these incentives would make it even easier to encourage them to come out play.

The only logistical challenge I can see is with the first timer system. While I would love to believe that the honor system would suffice ("yes, this is my first Big Game at Splat Tag") the prior lists of registrants would need to entered into an Excel worksheet to be searchable (if it is not already) to verify that a player is not simply trying to scam the system.

My second suggestion would depend on the above list being place. Once it is, I think it would be great to offer "loyalty patches". Upon attending your third, fifth, and tenth games, you would receive a complimentary patch commemorating your attendance.

I look forward to seeing the creative ideas you all come up with to make next year’s GBG XX the best ever.

[Saint]

Well, since I had such an amazing time on Saturday its really hard for me to come up with anything that could really improve my experience. All i can really suggest is to keep developing the urban/airfield course in the future, because its such a blast already -- more features would make the course absolutely insane.

[MayhemDev]

NO RAIN!

But more cover on urban/valley all in all it was a great day idk if you can add anything to make it better, besides people playing honest!

[Thalion]

NO RAIN!

But more cover on urban/valley all in all it was a great day idk if you can add anything to make it better, besides people playing honest!

Honestly, I didn't see as much wiping/playing on this year as I have in past years.

[Drachen]

Honestly, I didn't see as much wiping/playing on this year as I have in past years.

LOL I think a lot of people were happy to get shot out so they can go get out of the rain. Though I do agree with you Thalion, there has seemed to be less wiping this year... Atleast in the GBG that is.

[Komodo]

Move Blue teams secondary reinsertion further back from urban or move red teams closer to the towers because blue team has an almost unlimited flow of troops coming into urban and red team has that huge valley to get up before they can reinforce. And once blue teams takes the towers its murder getting back up there for red team. The only time Red recovered from that was because we blitzed up there with the quad after taking out little reb and then we left after running out of ammo and I don't think red team ever recovered when blue took it back again

[MayhemDev]

Honestly, I didn't see as much wiping/playing on this year as I have in past years.

yeah, this year was definatley not as bad...but there is always some people doing it lol... i can't wait for the resident evil game now!

[Oldest Sage]

Tough to improve (except for rain)...can you make the helo fly?

[Krutsie]

Tunnels and underground buncars. I think one man walking tanks would be cool. optional shields to use. put the huey on a swivvel base and give it front guns. and a 50 cal in the door way.

[MayhemBrando]

besides people playing honest!

LOL I know what you're talking about ;) Kids thinking getting shot in the shoe repetitively doesnt count cuz you make it disappear. tsk tsk

I would like to see refs actually in the open field making calls instead of on the side lines. I only saw John C. out there doing that. Need some braver kids LOL

And about the reinsertion positions.... Wasn't this the first year the GLC won in a long time? LOL I think they are fine there was barely cover for our side to get to the left tower. Idk I think its fine if it becomes a growing trend maybe then some adjustments are needed. I think it has to do with the caliber of players that effectively use the "unlimited" respawn. WB know how to make use of that. Im sure that was a presence felt all day. ;)

[C4 Explosives]

NO RAIN!

But more cover on urban/valley all in all it was a great day idk if you can add anything to make it better, besides people playing honest!

Since the GBG usually falls on the weekend of the 6th of June, I think the rain is totally appropriate and par for the course. It wouldn't be a GBG if it didn't rain.

More cover on Urban/Valley would just result in less heroics...

For the GBG in 2008 I remember the Blue insertion was up behind the HQ with a netted area and compressor, which was nice. I realize that it was probably put closer to Urban this year because of how the MWA pushed them off the field. This year it seemed like the whole game was about what was going on in the Urban D-Day field and some of the wooded areas were empty, it would be good to see this balanced for next year so that Generals would have to make a tougher choice. If the base/point setup is the same next year there is one tactic a General could use off the break to upset the entire game.

[Edgar]

Move Blue teams secondary reinsertion further back from urban or move red teams closer to the towers because blue team has an almost unlimited flow of troops coming into urban and red team has that huge valley to get up before they can reinforce. And once blue teams takes the towers its murder getting back up there for red team. The only time Red recovered from that was because we blitzed up there with the quad after taking out little reb and then we left after running out of ammo and I don't think red team ever recovered when blue took it back again

But the past two years we had an easier time taking the towers from the D-day valley side,so i guess it's just who pushing that side,but i'm not sure if the road insert spots were in the same spot last year?

[WreckingCrew]

Actually the insertion points have been the same for the last 3 years its all a matter of a fast turn around after you get shot. Its all about fast turnaround and motivating people to move forward me and 1 mayhem guy pushed the whole right side up to assault the shorter tower just by leading from the front

[Drachen]

Yeah, motivation goes a long way when you're trying to take back land...no matter which side you're coming from.

[MayhemDev]

Even Teams would be the best improvement, but that is never easy to do..

[cutstep]

Ive been thinking a lot about what makes games even and comedown to the wire, I think this is important because its not fun to play a lopsided game whether you are winning or losing. here is something that I think would helpful in making sure that games are fair in terms of personnel, a draft.

A 'draft' where the two generals would pick different teams just like in kickball in the fourth grade.... it seems like it might be a good idea, teams could sign up and indicate how many players are playing (must have paid entry by such and such a date to be in it) and then a week or so before the game the generals could pick the teams they want (you could make it an online hing or something) then the teams would be even assuming that both generals knew what was going on. other teams that just showed up on game day would be put into a 'gameday draft' and wouldnt know what side they were playing for until two hours before the game or something like that. groups of friends and other players unaffiliated would be assigned according to number on each side or whatever works to keep things even in terms of numbers.

this would require some different planning skills for the generals, they would have to game plan the types of teams they want and mock draft things to make sure they get what they want (do I take the team of seven speedballers who are very aggresive and have good shooting fundumentals and heavy shooting gear or do i take the team of twelve woodsballers who have some pumps and mech guns but know the field very well and have experience in this type of game).

any thoughts?

[Rogue]

I like it, Cutstep! But remember, D can only dictate where the sponsored teams play. It really came down to the walk ons for the GBG.

[Cpt. Patches]

I dunno...it seemed like we had plenty of walkons but not enough players leading those walk ons for the gbgthis year...my opinion.

[Drachen]

I dunno...it seemed like we had plenty of walkons but not enough players leading those walk ons for the gbgthis year...my opinion.

That doesn't neccesarily mean that a team should be bumped over. It means someone has to step up and lead. Maybe swapping two teams would be better. Though it encourages others to go out and lead, rather than hang back and wait for others to go ahead of them.

[AKA]

In all the past GBG's that I had attended up until I commanded a side, I did'nt even care who was on what side or how many. I just went out and shot up a bunch of the other side and sometimes my own.:eek:.
But in last years Game I had discovered that it does kinda matter who is where and how many. As you know a Great deal of the GLC were all Wisc. Players, and very Good and well armed players at that. But their not being as well knowleged to the field made it difficult to move quickly to the points they needed to get to quickly. With nearly all Mn. Teams who were knowlegable to Splat Tags field trails and bases on the MWA side, made for an easy take over of the territories. The few Mn. Teams that were GLC had no numbers therefore did'nt split up to lead the Wisc. players to the quicker trails and to the Bases they were sent to attack or defend.:(
That is why I had asked for a couple of MN. Teams help our efforts to lead our Wisc. Walk-Ons and Teams to the destinations we were sent and with some speed to help them get there. I myself had tried to, but found that I am not as young as the years past and could'nt get there that quickly myself.old:)
So my point is I guess is to just watch the numbers as to how many knowlagable of the field players and Teams side up evenly. But remember that a Team name does not constitute big numbers, 3 or 4 Teams could only mean 6 or 8 players. No matter what, the GBG has always been a side choice for walk-ons and Teams not sponsored by Splat-Tag, and I hope they don't have to lose their choice./AKA

[Tigerman]

I was thinking a POW camp on both sides would be great. This would be another mission to be completed, maybe a downed aircrew to be rescued.

[Krutsie]

I was thinking a POW camp on both sides would be great. This would be another mission to be completed, maybe a downed aircrew to be rescued.

Or maybe every player shot behind enemy line during a certain time gets put in a POW camp. then have a mission to rescue them. good idea Tigerman

[Saint]

Thatd be a great idea, but there would have to be a time limit on the mission, because I doubt people will just want to sit around all day waiting for their rescue. Maybe once theres a sufficient amount of POW's, the refs can enstate a 15-30 minute time limit to save the POW's (they would have to contact the General so he can appoint a team/squad to complete this mission).
After the time has passed the POW's get "executed" (meaning they are now dead and get sent back to their respective base to resume play). In this case the people guarding the POW's would accrue points, but if the POW's were rescued, then the team liberating the POW's would accrue points. Sounds like a pretty cool scenario/mission to me!

[ajustin]

This was my first GBG and all in all it was a great time, besides the rain of course. The only issue I had with it was the hour break in the middle of the game. Of course it's nice to get everyone back together for a break but it was getting everyone back out there that was chaos. I got to our main base right at the game start after the break and I think there were all of five of us there and no general to tell us what to do. I don't know if they reset the base flags to what they are at the start of the game or what, but if not your team loses all of their possessions that they worked so hard to earn in the first half. Just my opinion but I think the game could do without the break.

[Senator]

This was my first GBG and all in all it was a great time, besides the rain of course. The only issue I had with it was the hour break in the middle of the game. Of course it's nice to get everyone back together for a break but it was getting everyone back out there that was chaos. I got to our main base right at the game start after the break and I think there were all of five of us there and no general to tell us what to do. I don't know if they reset the base flags to what they are at the start of the game or what, but if not your team loses all of their possessions that they worked so hard to earn in the first half. Just my opinion but I think the game could do without the break.

At Oklahoma D-Day, they play right through the day (and some of the units deploy at 7 am) but they tasked the noon missions around defensive stands, so generals could rotate troops in and out and give them lunch breaks. That only works though because we have actually units. So, to compliment ajustin's idea, it would be great to see actual units at the game start (it would make mission tasking and leader assignment easier). Then certain units could break from the game for 30 minutes and eat/water up, the rotate back in to give another unit a break. I think that the break, however it is done, is important, as the chance to refuel and rehydrate is a key step in helping prevent injuries.

[wicker77]

The POW thing is a great idea. And maybe have it on a volunteer basis or something and have the mission be worth a certain amount of points, but have a bonus that depends on how many POWs are rescued.

[Thalion]

I've been to both D-Day and GBG multiple times.

Honestly, GBG isn't Oklahoma D-Day. Don't try to make it one.

What a general chooses to do for his side's organization is up to him. The units really shine at Oklahoma D-Day not just for historical celebrations, but because the game is just that huge that no single guy can micromanage every last section of the field. Units also are useful for earlier game plans, as people typically do pre-register for this event to get in on what they want to do. GBG doesn't have as many pre-registrations (percentage of all participants wise, obviously the numbers are lower), so less need for it.

Also, GBG is far more manageable, where a general sees 300-400 people to deal with, not 1000+ like at D-Day.

Lunch break was a good experiment; I'm not sure how well it actually worked out. Some events have them, others do not. This was the first GBG that a lunch break was taken. Last year when I was the Midwest Alliance general, I got to my base right after the briefing and never left it until the Final Battle when I gave the go to commit 100% of all forces to the final battle objectives (and 60,000 points, compared to the 28,000 other possible points for the same time frame - and Mondo took advantage of that and got 10,000 of the 28,000 possible left personally, without a gun! :eek: )

I think GBG will be fine either way with or without the break next year / this fall.

[Tigerman]

Or maybe every player shot behind enemy line during a certain time gets put in a POW camp. then have a mission to rescue them. good idea Tigerman

I was thinking players who surrender or are barrel tap out would become POW's.

[Cpt. Patches]

I personally am not a fan of the break, the full 8 hour day to me is what makes the gbg the gbg.

[Drachen]

What happens when the general/XO gets shot? I kinda like the idea of POW's. Maybe if you can shoot the general/XO (no head shot), or surrender/barrel tag them, you take them back to your base and they must give up their next mission or two as well as the normal points the team that eliminates them get.

I can't really see too many people willingly being taken as a POW, especially with the walk on players. They come to shoot people, not stand around and wait for someone to maybe rescue them. Normally the general/XO's are regulars it seems. Give them team to capture them extra points (example 200 to shoot, 300 to capture) to capture the general/XO.

[Krutsie]

Maybe make the POW's "WARFARE" If we get them back to our base safe we can use them for an hour. LOL

[carxman]

After having played a couple GBG's. I think doing a "paratrooper drop" would be a interesting add-on to the game.

People can respawn behind enemy lines. Have a small re-entry point in enemy territory limited to only a few people every once in a while OK'd by the General. That way a "team" of people chosen by the General can respawn there. And only the few people chosen by the General. That way the Mass of players cannot use it as a re-entry.

I also like the POW idea. That would be fun.

[MondoMor]

It's been years since I've been there, but the large parachute drop idea was done at Special Forces Paintball during their D-day big games, and it was kind of cool. They used a deuce-and-a-half truck for the "airdrops".

When the Allied general was smart enough to schedule a parachute drop behind the lines just before the Allies landed at the beaches, it was a bad time for the Germans.

At Splat Tag, the airborne troops would have to walk to their LZ, and that would spoil a lot of the surprise.


Solution: jetpacks! dribble:):character00118:

[Cpt. Patches]

i saw krutsie and some guys do a seals team drop at the hunt. it was perdy nasty LOL. I think this is a good idea but i thought u cuold already get some sort of special forces team

[Badger]

I kind of miss the "C-130" transports. It was a referee that held the end of a line of rope. Up to twelve players could hold onto the rope and walk the trails. They could let go of the rope at any time and "parachute" down to the ground.

However, if the target at the end of a pole the referee was carrying was hit, all twelve people on the plane were out at once.

Just a thought... beret:)

[Krutsie]

I remember that concept at Battle of Serenity Valley. great concept for a trail. sucks when your told to go up a steep ravine with enemy shooting at the top of your heads and downed trees and debree to walk over. NOT FUN... But in a weird way we loved getting destroyed with paint...

[AKA]

i saw krutsie and some guys do a seals team drop at the hunt. it was perdy nasty LOL. I think this is a good idea but i thought u cuold already get some sort of special forces team

Yes I remember this well.:eek: I still have bad dreams about sending this Team out, but I did'nt realize the ref did'nt quite understand the concept of flying in Un-Detected, which meant he was suppose to walk them way out around outside field boundry and back in to where they were to be dropped Un-Detected. Instead he lead them right through the middle of War and dropped them to their Death.:eek::D

But Seal drops would and could be good times if executed properly, so something for sure to think about.;)/AKA

[C4 Explosives]

I for one would like to see spies implemented into the GBG. This has proved to be quite a game changer at the HTFC and given the GBG is such a huge event it kind of makes sense.

To be different, maybe the spies are not chosen by the Generals, but by Darrin himself which would pretty much make anyone suspect.

I think the paratrooper idea is cool, but what about the possibility of "tunnel" digging, where a General could assign engineers to dig tunnels behind enemy lines and the opening becomes a secondary respawn. It would totally depend upon an engineer's ability to get behind enemy lines and pick the spawn point.

[Drachen]

Yeah...I was a part of that seal drop. Not that much fun when you have 20 people following you from the other team, and more coming. At least the way it was done, there was no chance.

[C4 Explosives]

Yeah...I was a part of that seal drop. Not that much fun when you have 20 people following you from the other team, and more coming. At least the way it was done, there was no chance.

Yeah, but it can make for a great human wall shield for your buds to adavance haha.

[Krutsie]

I for one would like to see spies implemented into the GBG. This has proved to be quite a game changer at the HTFC and given the GBG is such a huge event it kind of makes sense.

To be different, maybe the spies are not chosen by the Generals, but by Darrin himself which would pretty much make anyone suspect.

I think the paratrooper idea is cool, but what about the possibility of "tunnel" digging, where a General could assign engineers to dig tunnels behind enemy lines and the opening becomes a secondary respawn. It would totally depend upon an engineer's ability to get behind enemy lines and pick the spawn point.

I know who my engineer would be... HEHEHE

It would be cool to see GBG become a Minnesota vrs Wisconsin Battle once more. It seems like alot of us Minnesota teams have switched sides to make the battle more even. Thats the big question going on right now. why is a Minnesota team commander General for the wisconsin side? Everyone wondered that at the HFTC. and now at the fall GBG. maybe for GBG XX we should promote a Wisconsin General to start pumping attendance earlier and get more wisconsin players to come. I'd fight for the Alliance again.

[Brutis]

why is a Minnesota team commander General for the wisconsin side? Everyone wondered that at the HFTC.

Hunt for the cure was NEVER a MN. vs. WI. game. Badger Brigades seemed to think so, but that simply wasn't the case.

[Thalion]

I know who my engineer would be... HEHEHE

It would be cool to see GBG become a Minnesota vrs Wisconsin Battle once more. It seems like alot of us Minnesota teams have switched sides to make the battle more even.

The problem with that plan is that, simply put, Darrin gets more players from Minnesota than he does Wisconsin. The Twin Cities metro area is a lot closer to Splat Tag than most any larger Wisconsin city/metro.

One alternative to avoid the confusion you're talking about, despite how much of a heretic I'm about to sound like, is to do away with the MN vs WI thing entirely.

Invent a new storyline (or re-invent the current one), keep MN vs WI out of it entirely, and watch as both sides start to develop players.

But that's just me.

[Krutsie]

I agree totally with Thalion.

[Ish]

I remember that concept at Battle of Serenity Valley. great concept for a trail. sucks when your told to go up a steep ravine with enemy shooting at the top of your heads and downed trees and debree to walk over. NOT FUN... But in a weird way we loved getting destroyed with paint...

lol, As I recall you used a short fat man as a shield for 90% of that charge...

nothing like being used as a shield and having players markers proped on your shoulders. my ears still ring when I think about it :p

[Rhyno]

Way to help make GBG XX better would be player experience...what I mean is if we are going to park in the fields, please mow them and maybe lay some gravel down that one road (cause if it rains, it sucks to get back up that road even in a truck sometimes).

Oh...and no rain :) Two years in a row so far with it raining :(

[Krutsie]

Its a big expense doing anything back there because Darrin only rents the land back there for one weekend a year. even having it mowed cost time and labor. I think that weekend is cursed. I'm not sure I'll like a GBG without the rain,It become custom or part of the fun. LOL. great points tho Rhyno

[Panther]

A POW mission could be done even without players portraying POWs.

Have a specific base in the opposition's territory that is the POW camp, guarded by a set number of guards. The number could be pre-set, or maybe a starting number of 3-5, but the general can spend gold to be able to assign more.

Or instead of POWs they could be captured scientists, or even just some sort of captured resources. Maybe plans for a new power source or something that would tip the balance of power in the favor of the side with the tech.

When we were at Windy City a few years back, their points base moved around from time to time. Maybe something like that... I think it's been done at past GBGs. If all the fire bases are worth 10,000 points at the 30min intervals, maybe during a 1 hour period (two check-ins) Green is worth triple the points, the next hours it's Purple, the next hour Yellow... but... which base is worth triple is not told till the general until the switch is made.

So say from 10-11 (10:30 and 11:00 check ins) it's purple, then from 11-12 (11:20 and noon check ins) it's Yellow, the generals aren't told it's purple until 10:00, and aren't told it's yellow until 11:00

Also, regarding MN vs WI, to kind of get over that, isn't that why it became Great Lakes vs Midwest? And the I thought the back story talked about "mercenary units" being key... so yea... it was nice for the Militia to be on their "home turf" this time, I think the storyline does cover why it wouldn't always be the case. As a mercenary unit, we go fight for who's gonna pay us best.

General stuff, including comments based on a couple things Darrin and I chatted about. He's already looking at tweeking things like the copters not going in to buildings... but I was thinking if that's the case, anyone say on the top floor of towers, and maybe castle would be fair game.

Weren't there spies in the GBG a while back...?

And I'm not sure how it's decided where things like gold are dropped, but I heard tell that someone found about 15 bars in one base after the lunch break. I know we don't want them too hard to find, but 15 in one base in one shot seems extreme to the other side.

That all said, the addition of the spy plane or whatever it was that allowed the general to wander the field was a good one.