[BRINK] Minds on the Playground!

[Neftren]

Brink is an immersive first-person shooter that blends single-player, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay into one seamless experience, allowing you to develop your character whether playing alone, with your friends, or against others online. You decide the combat role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fight to save yourself and mankind’s last refuge. Brink offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more.

You can find the store page here (http://store.steampowered.com/app/22350/). So who else is getting this? I have it preordered, and you can preload it on Steam as of yesterday, and the game releases on Tuesday (Monday Night actually, if Steam is to be believed). Looks like it'll be really fun in terms of teamwork and casual-ish shooter with RPG elements. Yeah, all inclusive, right? Maybe we can get a server up if we have enough people. Thoughts?

http://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/206.217.128.130:27017/b_560_95_1.png (http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/206.217.128.130:27017/)

[Pie Guy]

It has a thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197275)

That said, I've preordered, and I hope its as fun as it looks.

[Neftren]

It has a thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197275)

That said, I've preordered, and I hope its as fun as it looks.

Funny. That was down a page. I wonder how the search function missed it. :smallannoyed:

[Treayn]

We'll use this thread, it has a snappier title.
[hr]

I'm torn on getting a server for it (GitP welcome on it of course), but I'm not sure how the pricing structure works for game service providers.

I'm looking at EOReality (http://www.eoreality.net/) and Branzone (http://www.branzone.com/).

If they say 50% off, would that be first month or recurring? Questions, questions.

[Neftren]

We'll use this thread, it has a snappier title.
<hr>

I'm torn on getting a server for it (GitP welcome on it of course), but I'm not sure how the pricing structure works for game service providers.

I'm looking at EOReality (http://www.eoreality.net/) and Branzone (http://www.branzone.com/).

If they say 50% off, would that be first month or recurring? Questions, questions.

It's a bit like subscription based games. You either pay a fee monthly, bi-monthly, bi-annually, or annually. The rate gets cheaper the more months you pay upfront.

50% off is probably for the first month, but I haven't checked those links yet.

The best solution is probably through Gameservers, even if it's slightly more expensive, because they'll package in a free Ventrilo/Mumble/Teamspeak server as well (or at greatly reduced cost) which we can also split with the TF2 folks or the League folks.

[warty goblin]

Just got an e-mail from Amazon saying my pre-order has shipped, and should show up tomorrow. Which it will probably do ten minutes before I have to leave for work...oh well I've still got a chunk of the day Wednesday to play the hell out of it with zero interruptions.

[Treayn]

I tend to stray away from Gameservers, simply because they offer shoddy service. I used to rent a TF2 server(way back in 08-09) from them, and experienced lots of server instability. Their customer service was just horrible and unpleasant. The tech they use for their servers is starting to get outdated, and they oversell their servers.
[hr]

Nevertheless, I have ordered a server from EOReality, and it is $15.84 monthly/recurring if you preorder, so no worries here!

As for splitting the cost, I don't think the TF2 guys use mumble, as TF2 already has integrated voice chat. LoL, maybe.

If we do get a good amount of people, I may set up a clanpay link so that people can donate straight to the server, without the money going through extra hands.

[Spartacus]

As for splitting the cost, I don't think the TF2 guys use mumble, as TF2 already has integrated voice chat. LoL, maybe.

The LoL folks certainly do.

Well, I don't, but that's because I already had Vent and who cares about them anyway :P

[Dogmantra]

I'm in two minds about this. I'd like to get it, but I'm not sure if I want to spend this much on it.

[mightymonarch]

I tend to stray away from Gameservers, simply because they offer shoddy service. I used to rent a TF2 server(way back in 08-09) from them, and experienced lots of server instability. Their customer service was just horrible and unpleasant. The tech they use for their servers is starting to get outdated, and they oversell their servers.
<hr>

Nevertheless, I have ordered a server from EOReality, and it is $15.84 monthly/recurring if you preorder, so no worries here!

As for splitting the cost, I don't think the TF2 guys use mumble, as TF2 already has integrated voice chat. LoL, maybe.

If we do get a good amount of people, I may set up a clanpay link so that people can donate straight to the server, without the money going through extra hands.

Delurking to say that Gameservers is pretty crap. EOReality is good, as is NFO. I think both offer free or super cheap Mumble with a server subscription. Apoplexy's tend to be laggy as all get out. EOR gave the owner of my team's server 6 additional slots for free when we needed to hold Highlander stuff on it, so A+ on the customer service from them.

[Treayn]

The LoL folks certainly do.

Well, I don't, but that's because I already had Vent and who cares about them anyway :P

Well I meant that I don't know if anyone from LoL is potentially interested in Brink. But maybe we could work out a brink/mumble combo deal. Just need to see how popular the server gets.
[hr]

Also, I've now got the server up!

206.217.128.130
port 27017

Neftren, if you could, can you please post this in the OP?

[SuperMuldoon]

Decrypting my game from steam now, though don't think I'll really get to play much tonight. I'd definitely love to play with some GitPers (as long as my computer can run it! Hopefully I don't have to go out and upgrade my computer :smallredface:)

[Neftren]

I'm in two minds about this. I'd like to get it, but I'm not sure if I want to spend this much on it.

During the Pre-Order phase, it went on sale regularly (on D2D) for about 30£ depending on the promo code at the time. A similar thing should happen every so often.


Well I meant that I don't know if anyone from LoL is potentially interested in Brink. But maybe we could work out a brink/mumble combo deal. Just need to see how popular the server gets.
<hr>

Also, I've now got the server up!

206.217.128.130
port 27017

Neftren, if you could, can you please post this in the OP?

I'll get to it right now. Does it have a domain name? Also, server name and stuffs? Is it a 'Giant in the Playground' server, or just a personal server that you're sharing with all of us?

[Dogmantra]

During the Pre-Order phase, it went on sale regularly (on D2D) for about 30£ depending on the promo code at the time. A similar thing should happen every so often.
It releases on the 13th in the UK apparently, so it seems like I can still get it for £5 cheaper than the retail price provided I purchase it before then. Which is why I'm still in two minds.

[Treayn]

I'll get to it right now. Does it have a domain name? Also, server name and stuffs? Is it a 'Giant in the Playground' server, or just a personal server that you're sharing with all of us?

Hostname should be ny.eoreality.net:27017

And yes, it is a personal server, as noone's else from GitP seems to have set up a server for the game.

[Neftren]

It releases on the 13th in the UK apparently, so it seems like I can still get it for £5 cheaper than the retail price provided I purchase it before then. Which is why I'm still in two minds.

You can find more about the pre-order DLC here (http://www.giantbomb.com/news/brink-pre-order-dlc-to-include-doom-and-fallout-wear/2435/). Supposedly all the packs will go on sale at a future date, but that'd be another £5-10 more I would presume. I guess it depends on whether you want more (two) guns, clothes, tattoos, hats and so on.


Hostname should be ny.eoreality.net:27017

And yes, it is a personal server, as noone's else from GitP seems to have set up a server for the game.

Right. I was actually asking if you were putting up the server with 'Giant in the Playground' in the name. Obviously you're paying for it, so it's technically your server, but if it's a server for GitP people, it should probably have GitP in the name somewhere.

[warty goblin]

Played an hour or so now, damn this is good. The SMART function makes moving around feel so easy and powerful it's really pretty staggering once you start using it a bit - and as promised every function can be triggered using the regular keys if you want to. It actually can be useful if you need to hurdle something and don't want to move the camera. Easily the most fun I've had moving in a game since, oh, Crysis/Crysis 2, except it doesn't require vast amounts of concentration to pull off.

Also I love the guns, exceedingly satisfying to shoot dudes with.

[Pie Guy]

I tried playing, but the game wouldn't get past starting. The screen would flash and put me back at desk. I tried checking the file integrity, but it wasn't that so I reinstalled. :smallfrown:

[Neftren]

We're all Steam friends here right?

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Waiting on some GitP reviews before I sink $50 into a game. (Most I've ever spent on one... I never get games when they come out.)

[SuperMuldoon]

I tried playing, but the game wouldn't get past starting. The screen would flash and put me back at desk. I tried checking the file integrity, but it wasn't that so I reinstalled. :smallfrown:

This happened to me, I just updated my video card drivers and it fixed it.

I don't know if I'm steam friends with anyone, but my username is the same as my forum handle.

[Smight]

Waiting on some GitP reviews before I sink $50 into a game. (Most I've ever spent on one... I never get games when they come out.)

this
http://www.denofgeek.com/games/881215/brink_xbox_360_review.html
and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiRSH6qhoyM

leads me to believe game is nothing special,
also gonna wait to see how pricey DLC will be
if it's gonna be 15€ for 4 maps , I will have to pass completely

[Pie Guy]

It works! However, the AI is terrible, and the server is full. :smallfrown:

[Neftren]

It works! However, the AI is terrible, and the server is full. :smallfrown:

I think it's pretty decent for AI. It does some stupid things, but it's not a bad shot, and mostly sticks with the team.


It wasn't too fun at first, but then I figured out how everything worked and it's actually really fun. I've only done campaign mode so far. Not really sure what's going on, so I'll probably replay the game. Trying to figure out how to rank up though...


Treayn, any sort of reserved slots/admin functionality available on the server?

[Dogmantra]

Welp, I bought it in the end. Look forward to playing when it unlocks on Friday. Of course by then there will be a hugely established metagame and everyone will be ridiculously good.

[Neftren]

Welp, I bought it in the end. Look forward to playing when it unlocks on Friday. Of course by then there will be a hugely established metagame and everyone will be ridiculously good.

Nah, there's not much metagame to be found. People are all at your level because of rank-based matchmaking. Plus the Campaign is against bots anyway. Real skill isn't about practicing. Well, it is, but if you have natural talent, it's all in your favor. Just do the challenges to unlock guns.


Has anyone managed to play co-op challenges? I can't seem to get any games going on it.

[Dogmantra]

I was mostly joking with that one ;)

[Neftren]

Yay! I have all the Challenge unlocks now.

[littlebottom]

ive had my eye on this for ages, but with limited funds, (and having to buy portal 2 and other games stretching my budget) im unsure whether i should pay out for this one or not, and if so, for what console(In my case, that means PS3, or PC) yeah, my PC is awesome and would proberbly be the better choice overall, but i cant play split screen very easily on PC (i assume there is split screen on the PS3) and that is a selling point too...

opinions?

[Neftren]

ive had my eye on this for ages, but with limited funds, (and having to buy portal 2 and other games stretching my budget) im unsure whether i should pay out for this one or not, and if so, for what console(In my case, that means PS3, or PC) yeah, my PC is awesome and would proberbly be the better choice overall, but i cant play split screen very easily on PC (i assume there is split screen on the PS3) and that is a selling point too...

opinions?

I'm pretty sure everybody here bought it for the PC.

[Treayn]

Treayn, any sort of reserved slots/admin functionality available on the server?

I have admin RCON access to the server. Game's been out for only a day, so no idea currently as to how to implement reserved slots. Hoping to get that changed quickly, however.




Has anyone managed to play co-op challenges? I can't seem to get any games going on it.

You need to forward ports 27015, 27016, and 8766 on your router, if I remember correctly.
[hr]

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this game. A lot. Including the heavy graphic lag that seems to affect a lot of people.

To put it simply: I wouldn't say it's boring, characterless game, but it has very good, polished parts, and really bad parts as well. More on that later.

[warty goblin]

Waiting on some GitP reviews before I sink $50 into a game. (Most I've ever spent on one... I never get games when they come out.)

(In the interest of full disclosure, Splash Damage's previous title, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is easily one of my favorite games of all time. I won't say this destroys my ability to be objective, since game opinions are subjective to begin with, but it certainly does inform my perspective.)

So there's some things you need to understand about Brink. First of all it's extremely multiplayer focused; the single player is really just a series of bot matches and some challenge rooms. If you're looking for a great narrative story with you playing Mr. Hero Person, this is absolutely not the game for you.

Second of all, because it's a Splash Damage game, it's a peculiar sort of multiplayer. This is about as far from a deathmatch, or even team deathmatch, as you're gonna get. Killing the opposing team is important, but only in order to clear them out so you can accomplish the objectives. SD's games are objective driven to a degree I think unsurpassed in the shooter genre. Each map sees one side attacking, and one side defending. The attacking team must complete a linear series of objectives within a time limit in order to win, the defending team has to prevent them until the clock runs out. Weirdly it's pretty close to a singleplayer shooter in this regard, except that instead of you doing everything yourself, there's a team of seven others helping you, and you and the enemy are on completely even footing.

Thirdly, it's very class based. Objectives can only be completed (and in some cases stymied) by players of the appropriate class. Without a soldier you're never gonna blow up that door, without an operative that terminal's never gonna be hacked, and so on. In addition, each class can assist their team in unique ways, and it's important for a team to have access to all of these different benefits. Weapon choice in Brink is independent of class, so you can have a grenade launcher wielding operative if you want, but you're still limited to only completing operative objectives. Body size is in some ways more of a class selection than class selection, since it dramatically influences how you move, how much damage you can soak, and what weapons you have access to.

So unless you're looking for the bastard offspring of a multiplayer map and a singleplayer level, crossed with a two layered class system all inside an FPS, Brink probably isn't your cup of tea.

If you are however, I've found Brink to be extremely good. The maps are great, and ripe with ambient storytelling*, even if the actual story is pretty much an afterthought. The gunplay is absolutely superb, weapons are smooth to handle, sound great, and have lots of personality. The SMART system adds quite a lot to the game as well, it's going to be strange when I play a shooter that doesn't make circumnavigating obstacles quite so easy and fun. Because everything and its uncle can be climbed, slid under, or jumped off of, combat has a lot of verticallity, and there's nearly always some alternate routes available as well.

There are definitely some flaws. The unlockables feel like they were mostly put in because shooters are supposed to have those now, and then were added as a bribe to make people play the tutorials, the bots are good but not stellar, and I remain unconvinced of the importance of visual customization in a first person game. Once you clear these foibles however, and dig into the meat of it, it's an absolute blast. Honestly I'd be playing right now, but six hours in a hundred plus degree kitchen has absolutely murdered my concentration and reaction time.

Overall I'd say go for it if you like your shooters a bit cerebral, and don't mind something of a learning cliff.


*It's certainly not up to Quake Wars here, which really felt like a game about alien invasion to which some really interesting mechanics had been applied. Brink feels a lot more like a bunch of really interesting mechanics to which a setting has been pasted. On the other hand, after a few times through a map, I'm not sure how much this really matters.

[Neftren]

I have admin RCON access to the server. Game's been out for only a day, so no idea currently as to how to implement reserved slots. Hoping to get that changed quickly, however.

I'll do some digging around today.


You need to forward ports 27015, 27016, and 8766 on your router, if I remember correctly.

Hmmm, I don't have router access. I wonder if opening it on my Firewall is enough.


I have a lot of mixed feelings about this game. A lot. Including the heavy graphic lag that seems to affect a lot of people.

To put it simply: I wouldn't say it's boring, characterless game, but it has very good, polished parts, and really bad parts as well. More on that later.

The graphics lag I think is related to people hosting the missions on their computers, which aren't up to snuff. If I could figure out how to host off the dedicated boxes, it should be much better.

[Deth Muncher]

ive had my eye on this for ages, but with limited funds, (and having to buy portal 2 and other games stretching my budget) im unsure whether i should pay out for this one or not, and if so, for what console(In my case, that means PS3, or PC) yeah, my PC is awesome and would proberbly be the better choice overall, but i cant play split screen very easily on PC (i assume there is split screen on the PS3) and that is a selling point too...

opinions?

It is not splitscreen on PS3, which means you're not going to get multiplayer for a while.

Also, did ANYONE here get it for 360?

[Neftren]

Okay, so for those of you on AMD/ATI GPUs, updating to Catalyst 11.5a (Hotfix) may or may not fix the stuttering issues. No luck on the lag though.

I've now finished both campaigns. The server browser is a mess. No filters. I clicked it and my laptop chugged to a halt. :smallyuk:

Still, despite the steep learning curve, I've gotten the hang of things. Plus, having more unlocks is really really really cool.

[Treayn]

I'll do some digging around today.
Thanks.



The graphics lag I think is related to people hosting the missions on their computers, which aren't up to snuff. If I could figure out how to host off the dedicated boxes, it should be much better.

Well even playing online on a dedicated I still lag. I think it's something to do with the game.

And I'm on Nvidia.

[Neftren]

Thanks.



Well even playing online on a dedicated I still lag. I think it's something to do with the game.

And I'm on Nvidia.

Well, updating to Catalyst 11.5a fixed all my graphics framerate problems (except for one little bug on a texture). Perhaps updating to the newest NV drivers will help with the graphics stuff?




I found a list of console commands here (http://pastebin.com/KAz7VyyY) and some more info here (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22323268). What kind of access is there on your end in terms of server control? Also, have you added me on Steam yet?

[Pie Guy]

I can't even do thethree star Objective challenge. :smallfrown:

[littlebottom]

It is not splitscreen on PS3, which means you're not going to get multiplayer for a while.

Also, did ANYONE here get it for 360?

that supprises me a lot. therefore it has become definately a PC game if i ever get round to buying it.

[Treayn]

Well, updating to Catalyst 11.5a fixed all my graphics framerate problems (except for one little bug on a texture). Perhaps updating to the newest NV drivers will help with the graphics stuff?


Did update to the latest drivers, less lag but only by a bit.




I found a list of console commands here (http://pastebin.com/KAz7VyyY) and some more info here (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22323268). What kind of access is there on your end in terms of server control? Also, have you added me on Steam yet?

Thanks much.

I've made the following mods, hope they work:

- Team balancing should be on
- You can move around during the pre-game
- You should be able to vote for maps
- Voice comms should also be working now

Everybody's welcome to give it a try and post feedback.

[Neftren]

Did update to the latest drivers, less lag but only by a bit.




Thanks much.

I've made the following mods, hope they work:

- Team balancing should be on
- You can move around during the pre-game
- You should be able to vote for maps
- Voice comms should also be working now

Everybody's welcome to give it a try and post feedback.

I'd join, but I can't actually get on the server. :smalltongue:

[Neftren]

Okay I've added the server to GameTrackers, and updated the main post with a banner.

There's also a community config tool (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1882626), but I can't verify it's authenticity yet.

[warty goblin]

So I'm trying to decide whether the light body type is worth the health loss and the limited weapons selection. I'm really leaning towards not.

Don't get me wrong, being able to run around is great, and on occasion seems to be extremely powerful. The problem is that sometimes evasion isn't possible, and one enemy heavy - whose backup gun is likely better than your primary - is gonna ruin your day damn fast. Hell, even an aggressively armed medium is a serious problem, although the weapons discrepancy isn't so bad there.

So I think I'm back to rolling heavy again. The loss of mobility is sad, but the increase in killing power is simply phenomenal. Maybe when I wrap up the campaigns and jump online I'll sing a different tune, we'll see.

[Neftren]

So I'm trying to decide whether the light body type is worth the health loss and the limited weapons selection. I'm really leaning towards not.

Don't get me wrong, being able to run around is great, and on occasion seems to be extremely powerful. The problem is that sometimes evasion isn't possible, and one enemy heavy - whose backup gun is likely better than your primary - is gonna ruin your day damn fast. Hell, even an aggressively armed medium is a serious problem, although the weapons discrepancy isn't so bad there.

So I think I'm back to rolling heavy again. The loss of mobility is sad, but the increase in killing power is simply phenomenal. Maybe when I wrap up the campaigns and jump online I'll sing a different tune, we'll see.

Yeah I've been torn between medium and light. Gun choices are the limiting factor.


So what can light do that medium cannot? Well, apparently light can walljump (at least, for short distances). I've found a few new routes, but I'm pretty sure they're reachable as medium. The only difference I see is mostly in a way increased movement speed, and a longer jumping distance.

Now, is it worth the weapon tradeoff? Well, light is restricted to light weapons for primary. So for me, my primary weapon so far has either been the Galactic SMG or the Euston AR. The former has a massive clip once you add in extended magazines. It has a very high rate of fire, and is pretty accurate at range as well. The Euston has decent accuracy, rate of fire, and so on, but the clip isn't great, and there's not much extra ammunition. I'm constantly running dry with this gun (and all the other ARs too). So all in all, if I'm regularly playing soldier, then I'd go with medium and the Euston. If light, then I'm SMG bound and the choice is clear.

Now, what about secondary guns though? I'm really stuck on this one. If I'm medium, I like to grab one of the light rifles as a secondary (the semi one based on the Dragunov) since it has good stopping power at long range. Problem is, there are few maps where you can actually take advantage of the range while still accruing good XP. The escort (Nechayev) mission comes to mind here. If I'm light, I'm basically stuck with pistols. Now, there are three varieties of pistols. Clip, machine, and revolver. The clip pistols are dinky pieces of crap in my opinion. No stopping power whatsoever. So it's basically down to the machine pistols and the revolver. If you have the spec ops pack, the Hockler is phenomenal. At close range, it can take down several people at once just holding down the trigger. Unfortunately, it has very little ammunition. On the other hand, there's the Ritchie Revolver. Takes all of three hits to down a heavy body type, but is hard to aim (massive recoil and recovery time). Ammunition isn't really a problem, as revolvers have low rates of fire as it is. The revolver tends to cater towards a last resort style, while the Hockler seems to be more geared as a "primary" weapon for people who carry a rifle as their primary and are light body type. Another bonus to pistols is that you get a knife. Knife = massive melee damage.

Thoughts?

[Storm Bringer]

I'd love to play this, but i;m having some diffculty.

every time i start the game, it flashes the "brink" image with that shot of the ARK, then the screen goes black for about 30 seconds......then it kicks me back out to the desktop. my friends tell me a show as playing Brink on steam during this time.

I've tried basic troubleshooting (RTFM, and then a complete reinstall), but that hasn't helped.

any thoughts? prob not the best place to start asking, but i have to start somewhere....

[Neftren]

I'd love to play this, but i;m having some diffculty.

every time i start the game, it flashes the "brink" image with that shot of the ARK, then the screen goes black for about 30 seconds......then it kicks me back out to the desktop. my friends tell me a show as playing Brink on steam during this time.

I've tried basic troubleshooting (RTFM, and then a complete reinstall), but that hasn't helped.

any thoughts? prob not the best place to start asking, but i have to start somewhere....

Try deleting your Brink Configuration file.

~/Steam/userdata/#*/#*/local/base/brinkconfig.cfg

#* is different based on SteamID and machine. There'll be a bunch of folders in the userdata folder. Just dig around until you find the right one.

[Storm Bringer]

...

it's not finding a file with that name.

anywhere

I've just run a shearch of the whole C drive, no hits for "brinkconfig.cfg"

[Pie Guy]

...

it's not finding a file with that name.

anywhere

I've just run a shearch of the whole C drive, no hits for "brinkconfig.cfg"

I had a problem similar to this. Update your graphics drivers.

[Neftren]

...

it's not finding a file with that name.

anywhere

I've just run a shearch of the whole C drive, no hits for "brinkconfig.cfg"


I had a problem similar to this. Update your graphics drivers.



Did you manually click through to look for it? Windows Search is notoriously bad.

If you did, then try Qwazes' solution.

[warty goblin]

Yeah I've been torn between medium and light. Gun choices are the limiting factor.


So what can light do that medium cannot? Well, apparently light can walljump (at least, for short distances). I've found a few new routes, but I'm pretty sure they're reachable as medium. The only difference I see is mostly in a way increased movement speed, and a longer jumping distance.

Yeah, the increased speed is really the biggest advantage of the light I've been able to find. I suspect in the hands of somebody very good with SMART who knows the maps very well it could prove decisive, since it means getting to the objective before the enemy can manage it. I'm not that person, which means I'm forced to assault or defend the objectives under heavy enemy attack, where maneuverability just doesn't cut it.


Now, is it worth the weapon tradeoff? Well, light is restricted to light weapons for primary. So for me, my primary weapon so far has either been the Galactic SMG or the Euston AR. The former has a massive clip once you add in extended magazines. It has a very high rate of fire, and is pretty accurate at range as well. The Euston has decent accuracy, rate of fire, and so on, but the clip isn't great, and there's not much extra ammunition. I'm constantly running dry with this gun (and all the other ARs too). So all in all, if I'm regularly playing soldier, then I'd go with medium and the Euston. If light, then I'm SMG bound and the choice is clear.
I've found that clip capacity isn't usually a huge issue; generally I'll take damage and accuracy over it. After all it's not how many bullets I shoot, it's how many make contact with my enemy's fragile cranium that count, and how fast those put them in the dirt. Thus I've started to drift away from taking SMGs as my primary weapon as a medium, which I used to do a lot.

That said the Galactic is definitely one of my preferred SMGS, the other being that weird bullpup one with the thumb-loop grip. The others really don't hit hard enough to be worthwhile.


Now, what about secondary guns though? I'm really stuck on this one. If I'm medium, I like to grab one of the light rifles as a secondary (the semi one based on the Dragunov) since it has good stopping power at long range. Problem is, there are few maps where you can actually take advantage of the range while still accruing good XP. The escort (Nechayev) mission comes to mind here.
I've found the need for long range killing power to be situational enough that I'll only run a light rifle (or the semi-auto AR, which I may prefer in that role) should I run across the need of it. Generally I'll take something faster shooting instead, since most combat occurs pretty up close and personal.


If I'm light, I'm basically stuck with pistols. Now, there are three varieties of pistols. Clip, machine, and revolver. The clip pistols are dinky pieces of crap in my opinion. No stopping power whatsoever. So it's basically down to the machine pistols and the revolver. If you have the spec ops pack, the Hockler is phenomenal. At close range, it can take down several people at once just holding down the trigger. Unfortunately, it has very little ammunition.
I don't have the Hockler (pre-ordered from Amazon, so I got a clone of the Ritchie), but the machine pistol I do have is a blast. I've found it nearly as effective as most of the SMGs, although it is the only gun for which I routinely run out of ammo.

On the other hand, there's the Ritchie Revolver. Takes all of three hits to down a heavy body type, but is hard to aim (massive recoil and recovery time). Ammunition isn't really a problem, as revolvers have low rates of fire as it is. The revolver tends to cater towards a last resort style, while the Hockler seems to be more geared as a "primary" weapon for people who carry a rifle as their primary and are light body type.
I've been experimenting using the Ritchie as a sort of poor man's sniper rifle, and it almost works. It hits hard enough, the problem is the recoil makes it nearly impossible to drop a target before they have a chance to respond. Since the only reason to be doing this is if I'm playing a light, the response is fairly likely to end up with me dead.


Another bonus to pistols is that you get a knife. Knife = massive melee damage.
Problem being that if I'm a light, melee is the last place I want to be, since odds are somebody can kill me before I get there.


Thoughts?
Generally I'm leaning towards medium if I anticipate needing to move quickly, and heavy otherwise. The heavy exclusive guns are really quite something else, I've found the sightable MG in particular to be an absolute beast, since it hits harder than an AR, is at about as accurate, and has at least twice the magazine capacity, although it does take forever to reload. This is easy to overcome however, since I still get access to all normal weapons for a backup; if I feel the need to hit at range I take the FAMAS clone, otherwise the Eugene.

Really, at this point the only significant complaint I have with the game is the inability to change body type mid-match. Particularly in single-player it means that if I play as a light and don't get some objectives done more or less instantly I've basically lost the map.

[nooblade]

This looks really fun, I think I'd like it a lot better than something like CoD, but I don't meet the requirements for it. Still interested in hearing if the playgrounders who bought it are enjoying it, though.

[Treayn]

Good News! I've finally fixed my dammed lag problem!

Essentially, the game was running on one core of my CPU. Change that setting in the console to multicore rendering, and voila!
[hr]



I'd love to play this, but i;m having some diffculty.

every time i start the game, it flashes the "brink" image with that shot of the ARK, then the screen goes black for about 30 seconds......then it kicks me back out to the desktop. my friends tell me a show as playing Brink on steam during this time.

I've tried basic troubleshooting (RTFM, and then a complete reinstall), but that hasn't helped.

any thoughts? prob not the best place to start asking, but i have to start somewhere....

Try this site, it's how I fixed my problem. (http://www.bwana.tv/forums/index.php?threads/pc-fixes-for-those-with-issues-playing-brink.26279/)
[hr]



Yeah I've been torn between medium and light. Gun choices are the limiting factor.


So what can light do that medium cannot? Well, apparently light can walljump (at least, for short distances). I've found a few new routes, but I'm pretty sure they're reachable as medium. The only difference I see is mostly in a way increased movement speed, and a longer jumping distance.

I think the secret is that you really have to abuse verticality as a light.

I'm very used to scout in TF2, and being tricky with FaNJumps, so it's a bit easier for me.

This is the breakdown between the classes:

Heavy: Insanely tough, strong, and limited in mobility.
Medium: Can go mostly anywhere, beefy enough.
Light: Fragile but flies over obstacles and does crazy melee damage.

Yes, a medium can go everywhere a light can, but a light can get there at 1/4 of the time it takes a medium.

Also, I find light works best with the soldier class. Use molotovs, abuse the insta-knockdown mechanic, and you'll be able to pump enough lead into a heavy.



Now, is it worth the weapon tradeoff? Well, light is restricted to light weapons for primary.

Now, what about secondary guns though? If I'm light, I'm basically stuck with pistols. Now, there are three varieties of pistols. Clip, machine, and revolver. The clip pistols are dinky pieces of crap in my opinion.

The clip pistols need to be spammed quickly, ala CoD.

Don't underestimate the knife, the fact that you have massive mobility lets you get up behind people. Also, it kind of is like TF2, where the spy is very fragile but still very potent.
[hr]


Hey warty, what's your STEAM name?

[Dogmantra]

I am rage at this game for showing me how fun Light body type is in the Parkour challenge then MAKING ME GET MORE LEVELS BEFORE I CAN USE IT :(((((

It's really fun though, will be playing more in the future.

[Neftren]

Yeah, the increased speed is really the biggest advantage of the light I've been able to find. I suspect in the hands of somebody very good with SMART who knows the maps very well it could prove decisive, since it means getting to the objective before the enemy can manage it. I'm not that person, which means I'm forced to assault or defend the objectives under heavy enemy attack, where maneuverability just doesn't cut it.

Yeah I've managed to liberally abuse the crazy speed of Light. I've found a few secret spots only available to lights. For example, on the missile map, there's a place where you have to wall jump up to get to, and you can only get there by walljumping. :smallbiggrin:

I don't really use it for capping objectives. It's more of an "I can move around way more than you, and you can't hit me" affair.


I've found that clip capacity isn't usually a huge issue; generally I'll take damage and accuracy over it. After all it's not how many bullets I shoot, it's how many make contact with my enemy's fragile cranium that count, and how fast those put them in the dirt. Thus I've started to drift away from taking SMGs as my primary weapon as a medium, which I used to do a lot.

Okay maybe not clip capacity. I'm more annoyed with how little ammunition the assault rifles start out with. There simply aren't enough people playing soldier (or for that matter, nobody ever switches class to adapt except me for some reason), and when there are soldiers around, nobody ever gives me ammunition except the stupid bots.


That said the Galactic is definitely one of my preferred SMGS, the other being that weird bullpup one with the thumb-loop grip. The others really don't hit hard enough to be worthwhile.

The Bulpdaun is pretty cool. The Galactic has a slightly larger clip and ammunition supply, which is why I went with it. It also has a tighter spread too (I think). I spent a good half an hour or so just shooting guns at walls at medium and long range.

The problem with prioritizing damage is that the hardest hitting AR (Euston) is wildly inaccurate. The most accurate AR I've found is the Gerund, despite what the game statistics say. It doesn't fire as fast as the SMGs or the Euston, so... anyway, I think I'm going to stick with Light and my Galactic/Pistol combination. Works wonders.

Also, good point on the situation bit. I keep forgetting I can change weapons at a command post.


I've been experimenting using the Ritchie as a sort of poor man's sniper rifle, and it almost works. It hits hard enough, the problem is the recoil makes it nearly impossible to drop a target before they have a chance to respond. Since the only reason to be doing this is if I'm playing a light, the response is fairly likely to end up with me dead.

Hmmm, interesting, I'll have to try this. I put the YeoTek sight on it, and have been using it as a last resort weapon. So, I'll basically slide tackle someone and/or knife them, and then put one or two bullets in their skulls while sliding.


Problem being that if I'm a light, melee is the last place I want to be, since odds are somebody can kill me before I get there.

Melee is exactly where you want to be. Up close and personal, people are terrible at aiming, especially if you run around them exploiting the terrain. At medium ranges, you'll get wasted by their machine guns, but if you can get the drop on people and just use SMART or the parkour moves well, you can take down four or five people by yourself. It's mostly down to how much supply you have (I play Medic, so I can heal in combat).


Generally I'm leaning towards medium if I anticipate needing to move quickly, and heavy otherwise. The heavy exclusive guns are really quite something else, I've found the sightable MG in particular to be an absolute beast, since it hits harder than an AR, is at about as accurate, and has at least twice the magazine capacity, although it does take forever to reload. This is easy to overcome however, since I still get access to all normal weapons for a backup; if I feel the need to hit at range I take the FAMAS clone, otherwise the Eugene.

I tried the FAMAS clone and didn't like it. Fired too slowly, had an awful reload time, doesn't hit hard, eh. I haven't even tried Heavy. I like my freerunning too much.


Really, at this point the only significant complaint I have with the game is the inability to change body type mid-match. Particularly in single-player it means that if I play as a light and don't get some objectives done more or less instantly I've basically lost the map.

Yeah that's annoying sometimes. Also, it should let you change appearance in-between matches without disconnecting from server. Oh well.


Good News! I've finally fixed my dammed lag problem!

Essentially, the game was running on one core of my CPU. Change that setting in the console to multicore rendering, and voila!

The r_threadedRenderer command causes my game to crash to desktop on launch. I had to delete my Brink config file before it would start working again.


Yes, a medium can go everywhere a light can, but a light can get there at 1/4 of the time it takes a medium.

Actually, no. :smallbiggrin: There are a few secret spots (especially on Container City).


The clip pistols need to be spammed quickly, ala CoD.

I tried that. It's just hard to sink a lot of bullets into someone when you're sliding and you just want them to die as fast as possible.


I am rage at this game for showing me how fun Light body type is in the Parkour challenge then MAKING ME GET MORE LEVELS BEFORE I CAN USE IT :(((((

It's really fun though, will be playing more in the future.

Light Body type I think unlocks at level 7. Which is maybe like, two or three hours of play.

[Neftren]

Derp. Brink just erased my profile. WTF.

[Dogmantra]

Light Body type I think unlocks at level 7. Which is maybe like, two or three hours of play.

Yeah, I was just messing about for an hour or so before going to bed. I should be able to unlock it pretty soon. I am, of course, also RAEG at this game for Security being the OBVIOUSLY better cause but Resistance having a couple of outfits that I like.

[Storm Bringer]

got it working now. turns out to have been a driver fault. its all good now.

so far enjoying it.

[Neftren]

Yeah, I was just messing about for an hour or so before going to bed. I should be able to unlock it pretty soon. I am, of course, also RAEG at this game for Security being the OBVIOUSLY better cause but Resistance having a couple of outfits that I like.

You can have one profile that switches back and forth. The 'Save the Ark'/'Escape the Ark' thing only changes which outfit displays on default, and what faction it prioritizes you for in freeplay matches.

[warty goblin]

Yeah I've managed to liberally abuse the crazy speed of Light. I've found a few secret spots only available to lights. For example, on the missile map, there's a place where you have to wall jump up to get to, and you can only get there by walljumping. :smallbiggrin:

I don't really use it for capping objectives. It's more of an "I can move around way more than you, and you can't hit me" affair.

I suck at that sort of movement, but tend to be fairly adept at wasting guys up close - comes from playing a lot of shooters without reticules, so I can aim just by looking that the larger and more visually distinctive gun instead.




Okay maybe not clip capacity. I'm more annoyed with how little ammunition the assault rifles start out with. There simply aren't enough people playing soldier (or for that matter, nobody ever switches class to adapt except me for some reason), and when there are soldiers around, nobody ever gives me ammunition except the stupid bots.

Like I said, I've only played the singleplayer so far, where bots hand out ammo like Halloween candy. Even if I get isolated though I usually don't have that bad of ammo problems.



The Bulpdaun is pretty cool. The Galactic has a slightly larger clip and ammunition supply, which is why I went with it. It also has a tighter spread too (I think). I spent a good half an hour or so just shooting guns at walls at medium and long range.
That's a much more scientific approach than I took, I simply go by what I like the feel of.


The problem with prioritizing damage is that the hardest hitting AR (Euston) is wildly inaccurate. The most accurate AR I've found is the Gerund, despite what the game statistics say. It doesn't fire as fast as the SMGs or the Euston, so... anyway, I think I'm going to stick with Light and my Galactic/Pistol combination. Works wonders.
That's what I love about SD's games, you can usually find a combo that you like, and make it work. I played probably 70% of my time in Quake Wars as a machine gun soldier, had an absolute blast with it too.

Also, good point on the situation bit. I keep forgetting I can change weapons at a command post.




Hmmm, interesting, I'll have to try this. I put the YeoTek sight on it, and have been using it as a last resort weapon. So, I'll basically slide tackle someone and/or knife them, and then put one or two bullets in their skulls while sliding.
As I said, it almost works. The problem is that unlike the light rifles, after your first shot you're basically looking the ceiling.




Melee is exactly where you want to be. Up close and personal, people are terrible at aiming, especially if you run around them exploiting the terrain. At medium ranges, you'll get wasted by their machine guns, but if you can get the drop on people and just use SMART or the parkour moves well, you can take down four or five people by yourself. It's mostly down to how much supply you have (I play Medic, so I can heal in combat).
I've found so much of the combat to take place in fairly narrow corridors or small rooms that out-maneuvering is gonna be hard, and going in for a slide tackle is asking for a quick machine-gunning. For the open areas I like to load up with a grenade launcher and raise some serious hell that way.




I tried the FAMAS clone and didn't like it. Fired too slowly, had an awful reload time, doesn't hit hard, eh. I haven't even tried Heavy. I like my freerunning too much.
I find if I can get headshots it's quite lethal, since I'm likely to get multiples - I believe the burst fire actually shoots faster than pretty much anything else.

And the heavy is really worth a try, if nothing else the heavy weapons are a real blast.




Yeah that's annoying sometimes. Also, it should let you change appearance in-between matches without disconnecting from server. Oh well.
I don't really care about appearance editing, just the getting stuck halfway into a match and realizing there's a problem I can't solve. It's doubly annoying since the rest of the game is very much designed around being able to adapt to different situations quickly.

[Dogmantra]

I also know that, but it's the PRINCIPLE of the thing :smallwink:

[warty goblin]

Good News! I've finally fixed my dammed lag problem!

Essentially, the game was running on one core of my CPU. Change that setting in the console to multicore rendering, and voila!
<hr>




[URL="http://www.bwana.tv/forums/index.php?threads/pc-fixes-for-those-with-issues-playing-brink.26279/"]
I think the secret is that you really have to abuse verticality as a light.

I'm very used to scout in TF2, and being tricky with FaNJumps, so it's a bit easier for me.

This is the breakdown between the classes:

Heavy: Insanely tough, strong, and limited in mobility.
Medium: Can go mostly anywhere, beefy enough.
Light: Fragile but flies over obstacles and does crazy melee damage.

I wouldn't say the heavy is that much better of a damage sponge. Sure he's tougher, but very, very far from being able to wade through a firefight. He's more defined by having access to the best weapons in the game - anything a medium or light can do, he can do with his secondary slot, and things like the machine guns or the grenade machine gun are absolute hell on dudes in corridors.





Hey warty, what's your STEAM name?
Should be WNG. I think, I honestly use Steam like once in a blue moon anymore - this is the first game I've gotten there since, oh, January or so.

[Treayn]

Sorry guys if the server was down, STEAM update borked it.

Should be back up in a few.

[Treayn]

Just a side note:

VOIP in this game is crap.

Most servers don't even have it enabled, and the servers where it is (including ours) have inaudible sound and you can't tell who's talking.

Will see about getting that fixed.

[warty goblin]

Found a new weapons combo this morning: playing a medium with Mossington shotgun as my primary, and Kross SMG as my secondary. I honestly use the Kross a lot more since it's virtually non-existent recoil makes it quite accurate and compensates for the lower damage per bullet. The Mossington is for if I'm in a very tight space, or suspect somebody's gonna try to melee me. Since it's easy to get hits with in CQB and does good damage at that range, it works like a charm. And getting slide tackled, then promptly ventilating the tackler is always good for a laugh.

This would make it something like the third game in the history of ever where I actually like the shotgun.

[Dogmantra]

This would make it something like the third game in the history of ever where I actually like the shotgun.

And in a bizarre twist of fate it's like the first game ever where the shotgun just baffles me rather than being my absolute favourite weapon.

[Treayn]

Finally, got a potential fix for VOIP:

1) Go into console
2) Type s_volume_voip and press tab.
3) Type s_volume_voipIn_db and set that to 0.0
4) Type s_volume_voipOut_db and set that to 0.0

You should be able to hear people clearly now.

Now if only there was a way to see who was speaking...

[Neftren]

Finally, got a potential fix for VOIP:

1) Go into console
2) Type s_volume_voip and press tab.
3) Type s_volume_voipIn_db and set that to 0.0
4) Type s_volume_voipOut_db and set that to 0.0

You should be able to hear people clearly now.

Now if only there was a way to see who was speaking...

It shows up in the score menu. Hold Tab, and when the PTT key is depressed, the headphone icon changes.

[Treayn]

Well in a way more obvious and intuitive, considering noone's going to keep a scoreboard open through the whole match. Something like in TF2 I suppose.


Also operative = Spy in TF2.

Except he needs to stab twice.

From any angle.

Hilarious moments were had.

[Neftren]

Well in a way more obvious and intuitive, considering noone's going to keep a scoreboard open through the whole match. Something like in TF2 I suppose.


Also operative = Spy in TF2.

Except he needs to stab twice.

From any angle.

Hilarious moments were had.

That's true.

I've found I enjoy medic the most though. I get loads of points for healing, reviving, buffing, and so on. I get the most supply pips, so I get the most grenades (yay!) to throw at people. I would play soldier more, but it's just... not as satisfying. People don't actually shoot enough to make refilling ammunition worth it.

[warty goblin]

That's true.

I've found I enjoy medic the most though. I get loads of points for healing, reviving, buffing, and so on. I get the most supply pips, so I get the most grenades (yay!) to throw at people. I would play soldier more, but it's just... not as satisfying. People don't actually shoot enough to make refilling ammunition worth it.

I've been having a load of fun with the engineer: always getting the damage buff is sweet, and between buffing my ally's guns and handing out kevlar there's plenty of ways to support my team. Also turrets are nice to have, particularly on defense. Mines are nice as well. Of course this means I'm usually out of supply, but I don't mind that very much since I don't find grenades very useful anyways. In the event I do feel a need for them the grenade launcher is more efficient, and if you're good with it you can get more knockdowns a lot faster.

Although I do like the operative's caltrop grenade.

[Neftren]

I've been having a load of fun with the engineer: always getting the damage buff is sweet, and between buffing my ally's guns and handing out kevlar there's plenty of ways to support my team. Also turrets are nice to have, particularly on defense. Mines are nice as well. Of course this means I'm usually out of supply, but I don't mind that very much since I don't find grenades very useful anyways. In the event I do feel a need for them the grenade launcher is more efficient, and if you're good with it you can get more knockdowns a lot faster.

Although I do like the operative's caltrop grenade.

I've found the turret just doesn't seem to track enemies. It only works at a stupidly close range, and by that point I've already gunned them down with my SMG.

[Treayn]

Little by little, I start appreciating the maps more.

There are so many great jump spots in aquarium, plus the hidden vent is an awesome flanking route.

Resort is stalematey, but hilarious since people really don't watch their back or top there.

Reactor's a really complicated one, I don't think I've even seen the whole map yet.

Any neat little spots you've all found?

[warty goblin]

I've found the turret just doesn't seem to track enemies. It only works at a stupidly close range, and by that point I've already gunned them down with my SMG.

The thing with the turret is, like it's counterpart in Quake Wars, that it seems to have a reasonable lock-on period. If an enemy moves through its field of fire quickly, it won't get a lock. Thus one wants to align the turret parallel, or at a very shallow angle, to the line of approach you are trying to shut down. I find facing straight at a doorway works very well.

And once it starts firing, the turret adds at least as much firepower as another team member, which can tip the odds pretty decisively.

[Neftren]

Little by little, I start appreciating the maps more.

There are so many great jump spots in aquarium, plus the hidden vent is an awesome flanking route.

Resort is stalematey, but hilarious since people really don't watch their back or top there.

Reactor's a really complicated one, I don't think I've even seen the whole map yet.

Any neat little spots you've all found?

Yeah, on the missile map. As Security (light bodytype) in that room to the left with what looks like a generator turbine (left of the main barricade room), you can run up and walljump on the wall to vault onto the second floor. It opens out onto a phenomenal flanking spot. You can use it as Resistance to get behind them and drop a turret/landmines and camp, or use it offensively to murder them from behind.


Security Tower is pretty awful though. Security can just camp from the second floor and win the game without anyone even breaching the door.

[Dogmantra]

I'm slowly getting the hang of this game, and I gotta say, why on earth would ANYONE play something that's not light bodytype with a pistol secondary. Bouncing around knifing people is great.

[Neftren]

I'm slowly getting the hang of this game, and I gotta say, why on earth would ANYONE play something that's not light bodytype with a pistol secondary. Bouncing around knifing people is great.

Well, you get a whole lot more stopping power with the heavier body types. Light is really fun and fits my playstyle, but ultimately, you're going to need a mix of each to soak up fire and return fire at the same time. Unless you're planning to lose or something.

[warty goblin]

I'm slowly getting the hang of this game, and I gotta say, why on earth would ANYONE play something that's not light bodytype with a pistol secondary. Bouncing around knifing people is great.

Until you've gotta hold still to get that objective repaired, I can see the advantage. I'd prefer not to be an absolute sitting duck when it comes to actually completing objectives however.

[Treayn]

I don't doubt all body types have their usefulness; I just think lights have the highest skill cap of them all. Always more to learn about lights.

[Treayn]

Also, bump to post this nifty little video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0q14FZmfIo).

[Neftren]

Also, bump to post this nifty little video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0q14FZmfIo).

Whoah, I learned some new routes today. :smallbiggrin:

[Neftren]

So, anyone up for some Brink right about now?

[Treayn]

Something tells me the game's sadly died a bit from the mixed reviews.

I might be up for it whenever, but I'll probably get back into it when the DLC for it comes out.

[Neftren]

I've just been taking a break from Brink since the framerate is awful on the drivers I'm using right now. Catalyst 11.5c fixes my Brink framerates, but then I can't play SC2 on Ultra, so...

[Dogmantra]

Just FYI supposedly Lulzsec, the people behind a bunch of attacks on games/game related stuff like League of Legends and The Escapist have managed to get their grubby paws on 200 000 Brink accounts.

Now I'm not going to say whether they're to be believed but there's no harm in changing your passwords just in case.

[Neftren]

Just FYI supposedly Lulzsec, the people behind a bunch of attacks on games/game related stuff like League of Legends and The Escapist have managed to get their grubby paws on 200 000 Brink accounts.

Now I'm not going to say whether they're to be believed but there's no harm in changing your passwords just in case.

This was on the Stats site only. It shouldn't affect any of us, since PC stat-tracking hasn't been turned on yet.

LoL however... anyway.



I found a lovely way of idling for XP. This should speed up my quest to hit 20. :smallamused:

[Neftren]

Guys, don't forget, Free DLC today.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Also, free weekend.

How I kill baddies?!

[Treayn]

New maps are gorgeous and actually play better than the stock maps.

That said, this game really would benefit greatly from an SDK. Sadly, they seem to want to milk the game for as much DLC as it's (not) worth.

[Neftren]

New maps are gorgeous and actually play better than the stock maps.

That said, this game really would benefit greatly from an SDK. Sadly, they seem to want to milk the game for as much DLC as it's (not) worth.

They're probably working on some sort of SDK. It's probably just difficult to include support for all the different surfaces.