So, it's been a while, and since Grace imploded on itself, I've been looking for new games to play since too much Phighting is bad for the mental, I tried PWNED by 14:00, I don't like a few things about it (Collector, Kitty Wizard, and Guest 666) so I don't think I'll play it that much, and then I went back to SCP: RetroBreach, and I do enjoy this game and I am decent at it. But I still don't like a few aspects of it.
(Also general dictionary for those who don't know)
GOC - Global Occult Coalition
SCP - You know what an SCP is
There are eight factions in the game, each with different goals and allies, I don't feel like getting an image of the ally chart, so heres the skinny;
Class-D work with all forms of Chaos Insurgancy
All SCP Staff work together
SCPs and Serpant's Hands work together and hate everyone else
And the Global Occult Coalition is chill with everyone except the SCPs and Serpant's Hand
Now you'd think with Neutral ties, like Class-D with Foundation Personel, and the GOC with virtually everyone else, there would be a bit more teamwork between factions, like Class-D working with FP to escape Heavy Containment or everyone besides SCP and SH seeing GOC and going "Nah nah, they chill."
Yeah, you'd think. Something thats clear is that teamwork is very limited.
Class-D teamwork is so fucking transactional, since the map is the same and the items are relatively the same every game, its first come first serve, if you're last because you accidently went the wrong way or some other D-class shuts the door on your face for the love of the game, you will be wandering around the facility soft-cock in hand completely defenseless waiting for some MTF or SCP to show up and make you their bitch. THE ONE TIME I HAD ITEMS AND DECIDED TO USE SCP-914 FOR THE FIRST TIME, I PUT MY GUN AND KEYCARD IN THE THING, AND AS THE DOORS WERE CLOSING, TWO CD WENT IN, AND CAME OUT, AND GUESS WHAT? ALL MY ITEMS MYSTERIOUSLY VANISHED.
TEAMWORK AND God damn it I can't believe I'm gonna use this word but CHIVALRY IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTANT WITH D-CLASS, I'VE EXPERIENCED MORE TEAMWORK MOVING WITH OTHER EMPTY-HANDED D-CLASS THAN ANY OTHER D-CLASS. THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE EXPECTED TO ESCAPE THE FACILITY AS D-CLASS IS IF CHAOS INSURGENCY FIND YOU. Yeah, very lore accurate I guess.
Foundation personel are basically D-class but not horrible and they have rights
Chaos Insurgancy is imo the most fun class despite having beef with all of the Foundation so their only allies are D-Class and the GOC, and they have the coolest cosmetics, remember this now
I think I've played as GOC once and I died, GOC is basically ultra-hardcore mode as despite being neutral with everyone besides those who get in their way and SCPs, EVERYONE CAN KILL YOU. And since virtually everyone in this game is hardwired to be trigger-happy, you get no brownie points for technically being on everyone's side. Since imo all classes that start with Guns look so similar its literally just "anyone without an outline, KILL." And its so boring, I can't be completely fucking unarmed as a D-class without FP with guns JUST KILLING ME DESPITE BEING NEUTRAL TO THEM, WHAT IS THE POINT OF BEING NEUTRAL? PEOPLE ARE JUST GONNA KILL WHOEVER DOESN'T HAVE AN ALLY OUTLINE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH OF A THREAT THEY ARE, SINCE YOU'RE REWARDED FOR KILLS!?
YOU ARE REWARDED FOR VIOLENCE AND PUNISHED FOR PLAYING PACIFIST.
THE ONLY PACIFIST WAY TO GET MONEY AND XP WOULD BE ESCAPING, WHICH YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DO SINCE THE ONLY CLASSES THAT CAN ESCAPE ARE D-CLASS, FOUNDATION PERSONEL, AND SCP, CLASSES THAT ARE KILLED BY BASICALLY EVERYONE ELSE.
SCPs are either the weakest or most bullshit class and its RNG which side of the spectrum you land on. And due to this, I SEE MORE "TEAMWORK" FROM THE SCPS, THE GENERAL POWER ROLE, THAN THE SQUISHIER EXPENDABLE CLASSES, AS EACH SCP HAS A WEAKNESS THAT OTHERS CAN COVER, WHILE SINCE EVERYONE IS VIRTUALLY THE SAME BESIDES WEAPON AND ARMOR DIFFERENCES, THE ONLY REAL TEAMWORK THAT COMES FROM THEM WOULD JUST BE TEAMING UP TO TAKE ENEMIES DOWN, WHICH IF THEY'RE YOUR ENEMY, YOU'LL WANT TO DO BEFORE THEY CAN KILL YOU, AS EVERY SECOND SPENT NOT SHOOTING THE ENEMY IS ANOTHER FOR THEM TO KILL YOU. WHY TRY TO PARTNER UP WITH THE GOC WHEN YOU CAN KILL THEM TO GET MONEY AND XP WHILE THEY CAN ALSO KILL YOU, DEPRIVING YOU OF SAID REWARDS SHOULD YOU NOT KILL THEM? ITS LIKE TEAM FORTRESS 2 WHERE TEAMWORK IS A THIN VEIL ONLY SUPPORTED IN SMALL DOSES SINCE YOU'RE ALL FIGHTING FOR THE SAME GOAL. I SAW THIS SO CLEARLY WHEN I WAS SPECTATING AN ABEL AND 035 WHO WERE MASSACERING THE CROWD AT 914 AND INSTEAD OF SHOOTING THE DANGEROUS SCPS, THE MTF WERE SHOOTING AT THE CLASS-D, WHILE GETTING KILLED BY THE TWO. THE SCPS ARE GENERALLY THAT BUSTED WHERE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER GET A FEW EASY KILLS AND DIE, RATHER THAN TRY TO TAKE THE SCP DOWN.
fuck right this was about the SCPs, uh, I think they're all annoying to fight against unless they walk up on you and you have an entire firing squad on your side, and a lot of them boil down to "walking kill circle", and since the only way to defeat an SCP would be to kill them, it ends up just being people throwing themselves at the SCPs to try and kill them. I also don't think 035 should be able to get worn again after inital defeat, as, WEARING THE MASK MEANS THEY TAKE OVER YOUR BODY AND YOU DIE. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? THE ONLY CLASS I FEEL LIKE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT WOULD BE SERPENT'S HAND, OR, GIVE ZOMBIES THE ABILITY TO DO SO. WHY WOULD AN MTF MEMBER PUT THE MASK ON!? WHY WOULD A CI PUT THE MASK ON!? GIVE CHAOS INSURGANCY, D-CLASS, AND GOC THE ABILITY TO CRUSH THE MASK. NONE OF THEM CARE IF THE MASK SURVIVES, WHILE THE REST DO.
This leads to my final point about the factions, how dull they all are. Theres only three factions wins, Anomalies, Counter Forces, and Foundation, but they all have the same few goals.
WHY ARE MTF, WHO WORK FOR THE SCP FOUNDATION, KILLING THE SCPS INSTEAD OF SUBDUING THEM??? Y'KNOW, THE MTF WHO WORK FOR THE FOUNDATION NAMED
SECURE. CONTAIN. PROTECT?
D-class and Chaos Insurgancy: Have as many D-class escape as possible, kill as many SCPs and SCP Staff as possible. Their win condition is split into two and gets combined at the end of a round.
[Ex.] [12/30 D-CLASS ESCAPE]
[16/25 Foundation killed]
[FINAL TALLY]: [30/58] /2 = [15/29]
FOUNDATION SHOULD FOCUS ON STAYING ALIVE AND RECONTAINING SCPS, WHILE KILLING CHAOS INSURGANCY AND KILLING OR ARRESTING D-CLASS. HAVE PERSONEL FOCUS ON FINDING WAYS TO RECONTAIN THE SCPS WHILE SECURITY HELPS THEM STAY ALIVE, WHILE MTF FOCUS ON OCCUPYING THE SCPS AND DEALING WITH ENEMY FACTIONS. Containing D-class will net more money and xp, as they still need them for tests 'n stuff, and it ENCOURAGES THE THOUGHT THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS SOLVED BY EXERCISING YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT. Hear me out:
[EX.] [32/40 D-CLASS Exec./Detain.]
[1/4 SCP contained] - [2/4 SCP KILLED]
[TALLY:] [39/52] /2 = [19.5/26] ~ [20/26]
GOC will only have a few objectives:
[EX.] [12/24 Humans survived]
[2/6 SCP/SH contained/destroyed]
[TALLY]: [14/30] /2 = [7/15]
Killing people will give only like five tix and xp, killing SCP/SH and helping contain them will give higher rewards
And finally, SCP and Serpant's Hand, its pretty straightforward
[40/62 EVERYONE ELSE KILLED]
[TALLY]: [42/66] /2 [21/33]
Whoever wins a match would be whoever has a better ratio, I'm lazy and won't be converting these to full-on factions, but you can kinda get the idea that I'm putting down here yes?
You can even have SCP specific goals!
Maybe Plauge Doctor wants as many Zombies as possible at once, if they add SCP-079, their primary goal would be to escape into the internet, that kind of stuff
I also don't like the lack of counterplay with some of these guys, as again, most of them boil down to "walking killzone", but, for example, SCP-966, The Ghost, basically, they're completely invisible unless they attack. They are exactly as advertised, this usually means they could be in this very room, right behind you! Right behind me! They could even be... Right behind you..
*gets ganked by the ghost while allies with fully loaded guns run away like usual*
Anyways, I feel like AT LEAST, make the Ghost emit footsteps and power will trip more around them (lights flickering and doors opening/closing randomly)
And also, while here, let's talk about MTF, basically each MTF is specific for SCPs, like Hazmatters for 049, whom don't die instantly from them, Hammer Down for 173, 096, and Abel, being big gun with big damag, and for The Ghost, See No Evil, who, you'll never guess what the counter operatives can do against the ghost. They can kinda see them better.
They're a ghost! Have them do spirit Box and ghost orb stuff! Have them track the ghost's footsteps via Blacklight, have them place EMF meters and REM pods to monitor spaces, SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING PLEASE.
I feel like more could be done with it, you're telling me we can't even have like, site rotations or something? It could keep the gameplay fresh while still including SCPs, or just straight up change the map without changing SCPs, JUST SOMETHING NEW. Plus the map has a lot of things I don't agree with, especially the exit, its basically just a capture point for whatever side (usually the SCPs) has the will to stay there doing nothing for immense stretches of time. I also don't like how Heavy Containment is between Light Containment and Entry Zone, I feel like it adds unnecessary difficulty, even if it could be source accurate, as for other reasons, its just free kills for the SCP.
Specifically, why can SCPs open the checkpoint gates, but humans need a keycard to access them? You're telling me the humans allowed to leave and pass through the facility as their job can't enter Heavy Containment but the SCPs it contains can just waltz out!? I feel like each SCP should have a way to escape on their own, but it would be easier to do it with other SCPs.
049 can ambush a Scientist and as a zombie, they can use their keycard to open Checkpoints, OR, they can team up with Abel to have him just break the doors or something.
Have 173 find an alternate route out from prying eyes and only they can get to it via their teleport, but it takes a while for them to get back into the main facility, or, they can get 096 to rip open the doors for them.
I want all this because it just doesn't make sense, especially since more often than not all SCPs will just go into Light Containment and murder everyone, and since in Light you're either first or last, anyone who ACTUALLY has items to utilize will usually not have anything too spectacular and die, and everyone else will die because they didn't reach the items first.
Keycards are cool, I like the colorz
Grenades are whatever, my personal favorite is the Insinerary Grenade, normal grenades are fine, I don't like Smoke Bombs, and Flashbangs are also whatever
I'd like more SCP items, as I've never used the few that are already in the game.
Oh yeah while I'm at it; I'd love for the SCP explained room to get expanded a bit.
Have each stationed where theres their general stats on like, a wall behind them or something
SCP-173 /// The Sculpture
A construct of concrete and rebar with traces of Kylon brand spray paint. It remains inanimate while observed but highly hostile.
Move at *breakneck* speeds, instantly killing anyone you get behind via snapping their neck, M1ing is not needed to do this. Once being stared at, you cannot move, only being able to teleport once every few seconds, use this to either kill your audience or make like a bar of soap and give them the slip.
Stamina - N/A / No sprinting
Blink - Once in line of sight with anyone on an enemy team, you'll freeze. You'll be able to Blink, teleporting while in sight, and will instatly kill if you teleport on top of someone, you can only do this every few seconds, and it gets faster at different health thresholds.
>60% - Every five seconds
60%-10% - Every four seconds
10%< - Every three seconds
Also include this for item SCPs, I have no idea what the Donut or 3D-Glasses do at all.
I'm not sure how to feel about the guns, I guess they're all just to same-y, mainly to those of the same category. Honestly I don't care about their fire speed or whatever, I'd rather know where they come from and how to get them, like shotguns coming from Hazmatters and Fire Eaters (SCP-457's counter).
And finally, point Four; Cosmetics
This game has cosmetics, and as of now is the sole thing you spend Tix on, sounds fair enough right? Well, remember all the way back at Part One where I said the Chaos Insurgancy had the best cosmetics? I said this because, EVERY SKIN IS 1000 TIX AT LEAST, WHY!? I BARELY HAVE THAT MUCH, AND MANY OTHER SKINS ARE DOUBLE THAT! NOT TO MENTION ALL THE COOLEST AND HIGHEST QUALITY SKINS ARE LOCKED BEHIND GAMEPASSES. THE SCPS ONLY HAVE GAMEPASS SKINS,
Listen I saw the image in the lobby of them getting permission from a guy (who I assume is important) so clearly they don't seem like complete dicks BUT DO WE SEE HOW GREEDY THIS LOOKS?? LOCKING ALL THE HIGH QUALITY AND UNIQUE SKINS BEHIND A PAYWALL IS A GREAT WAY TO SEEM LIKE A TEAM WHO CARES ABOUT THEIR PLAYERS.