[Akalabeth Angel]

Without drawing attention to specific mods/campaigns and harping on their inadequacies, what one thing bugs you the most in either canon or non-canon campaigns?

Personally, I really dislike how some innocent Vasudans end up on the wrong side of the gun. Like the Silent Threat mission where you have to kill 3 or so Atens for no real reason . . . I mean if they're hammer of light, cool, smoke 'em! If they're PVN before the truce, sure smoke but. They're bad guys. But the whole "let's fight good guys because we can" always bugs the heck out of me, and more often than not, the unfortunate good guys turn out to be Vasudan. Well, actually doesn't so much bug me, as it's just a big turn off. My interest in the story plummets.


Anyway, other people have some peeves? I'm betting that Pirates might be a common one. 

[nvsblmnc]

I hate cruiser escort missions that last 25 mins+ while sending an endless stream of hercs and lokis.  You can't stop 60+ hornets from wrecking a cruiser, no matter how hard you try.

[ShadowGorrath]

I hate how pirates are used in campaigns. Overall. They're boring and thus make the campaign less interesting. And you have to beat lots of waves of their fighters and bombers, as if they had unlimited strike craft, pilots and weapons like the Shivans.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

The Colossus sitting still while the Sathanas beam-spams it.

If it has to die, it should die with a fight.

[colecampbell666]

Deus Ex Machinas in general. Like the Ravana/Eva sitting still and getting pwned.

[Droid803]

They should have at least told you to disable it. (or have them start out disabled)

[Retsof]

I hate how pirates are used in campaigns. Overall. They're boring and thus make the campaign less interesting. And you have to beat lots of waves of their fighters and bombers, as if they had unlimited strike craft, pilots and weapons like the Shivans.

I agree about the pirates having seemingly endless fighters, but Campaign-wise, who else are you going to fight while the plot is set up?

[Droid803]

Random cults?
(hol)

[Snail]

I hate how pirates are used in campaigns. Overall. They're boring and thus make the campaign less interesting. And you have to beat lots of waves of their fighters and bombers, as if they had unlimited strike craft, pilots and weapons like the Shivans.

I agree, pirates are horrendously badly done in FS2 user-made campaigns. You can still use them, but you have to use them in a more convincing way. The way they are now, they fly like Shivans in crappy fighters (ie. kill everything for no reason, for we are unfathomable thugs!). Pirates shouldn't go for full-blown strike operations, IMO they should go for lightning strikes, as in get in, steal the cargo, get out.

Personally, I really dislike how some innocent Vasudans end up on the wrong side of the gun. Like the Silent Threat mission where you have to kill 3 or so Atens for no real reason . . . I mean if they're hammer of light, cool, smoke 'em! If they're PVN before the truce, sure smoke but. They're bad guys. But the whole "let's fight good guys because we can" always bugs the heck out of me, and more often than not, the unfortunate good guys turn out to be Vasudan. Well, actually doesn't so much bug me, as it's just a big turn off. My interest in the story plummets.

It's because Vasudans are fun to blow up, and you don't get to blow up enough during the FS2 main campaign. So people think that it'll be (slightly) more original to have Vasudans as the bad guys. Similarly, in FS1, you get to kill only a few Terrans in the FS1 main campaign, so it's fun to blow them up in FS1 user-made campaigns.

Random cults?
(hol)

Yeah, those are always fun...


But what I really hate are missions that are completely unnecessary and add nothing to the plot. I mean, it feels like the makers of the campaign just held a little contest for the best mission, then tried to push it in wherever it fits. It's kind of random and incoherent IMO. Like it's just there to take up space.

[Solatar]

Sometimes filler missions can be fun, but not smack dab in the middle of an interesting story arc for example.

[Snail]

Sometimes filler missions can be fun, but not smack dab in the middle of an interesting story arc for example.

I meant stuff like, you know, OMG the evil enemy supercap just blew up half the fleet! We're sending you do go destroy a cargo depot ASAP!!

[Solatar]

Yeah, those blow...

[Akalabeth Angel]

It's because Vasudans are fun to blow up, and you don't get to blow up enough during the FS2 main campaign. So people think that it'll be (slightly) more original to have Vasudans as the bad guys. Similarly, in FS1, you get to kill only a few Terrans in the FS1 main campaign, so it's fun to blow them up in FS1 user-made campaigns.

      Oh I don't mind fighting Vasudans, just give the Vasudans some reason to be killed in the first place. I just don't like stories were good Vasudans are fought for whatever reason, make 'em evil/misguided Vasudans instead and I'll be happy.

[Snail]

      Oh I don't mind fighting Vasudans, just give the Vasudans some reason to be killed in the first place. I just don't like stories were good Vasudans are fought for whatever reason, make 'em evil/misguided Vasudans instead and I'll be happy.

Perhaps it's because the Alpha 1 of that campaign isn't good in the first place?

[Sarafan]

Fighting Shivans.






Now before everyone starts staring at me like I just said the dummest thing in the world, let me explain. Most of us probably played FS2 many, many times and we known the shivans have pratically no background so its one thing if you fight the shivans for the 1000th time on a campaign that actually explains what is the reason they're doing there and why you're fighting them again (even better on a campaign that gives them a good twist like Into the Depths of Hell and Derelict), however, most of the time people just put the shivans (or the NTF or Vasudans or pirates, heck, take your pick!) there and OMG! THe SHIVANZ!!!!!!! again.

[Akalabeth Angel]

Now before everyone starts staring at me like I just said the dummest thing in the world, let me explain. Most of us probably played FS2 many, many times and we known the shivans have pratically no background so its one thing if you fight the shivans for the 1000th time on a campaign that actually explains what is the reason they're doing there and why you're fighting them again (even better on a campaign that gives them a good twist like Into the Depths of Hell and Derelict), however, most of the time people just put the shivans (or the NTF or Vasudans or pirates, heck, take your pick!) there and OMG! THe SHIVANZ!!!!!!! again.

        Sounds like what you really dislike is bad guys without motivations.

[NGTM-1R]

I hate to break it to you, but neither ITDoH or Derelict really tell you a damn thing about Shivan motives, they're just a bunch of implacable destroyers in both.

[Snail]

Now before everyone starts staring at me like I just said the dummest thing in the world, let me explain. Most of us probably played FS2 many, many times and we known the shivans have pratically no background so its one thing if you fight the shivans for the 1000th time on a campaign that actually explains what is the reason they're doing there and why you're fighting them again (even better on a campaign that gives them a good twist like Into the Depths of Hell and Derelict), however, most of the time people just put the shivans (or the NTF or Vasudans or pirates, heck, take your pick!) there and OMG! THe SHIVANZ!!!!!!! again.

Finally, someone with two times half a brain in their skull.

I agree with that, because the way Shivans are portrayed in most user-made campaigns, they're just glorified filler enemies. They just attack and attack and attack for no reason whatsoever, only for the player to seal off a node or destroy their flagship somewhere down the line. Now, in FS1 and (arguably) FS2, this was absolutely fine, but when people do this in user-made campaigns it gets a little repetitive. I mean, how many times have you blown up an Astaroth or Taurvi? Over 9000!? In my opinion, Shivans have the potential to be the coolest enemies evar, if you use them correctly. Like how they are used in Blue Planet. Darius even go away with sending in more Astaroths. But he made them cool, he didn't make them just random attackers. IMO you have to give the Shivans some kind of new dimension if you use them, or else you're just ship spamming for no reason whatsoever.

[Sarafan]

        Sounds like what you really dislike is bad guys without motivations.

Well, that's certainly a nice resume of it.

I hate to break it to you, but neither ITDoH or Derelict really tell you a damn thing about Shivan motives, they're just a bunch of implacable destroyers in both.

Oh, I known they dont add anything but they do tell you a good reason of why you're fighting them, in Derelict, IIRC to stop the Nyarla from opening up that shivan portal and on ITDoH, you're fighting them for your fleet's survival and try to get back to the GTVA, these are certainly far better reasons than just, like Snail said, using them as glorified filler enemies.

[NGTM-1R]

Usually, adding a ship of greater than destroyer class.

Destroyer off all alone with no cruisers  or corvettes to help it, like it's not going to yell for backup or have escorts.

Lack of a framework for large-scope campaigns. (I'm looking at you ! I could also accuse PI of this, and some parts of ITDoH, otherwise excellent campaigns.)