Tribes 2 Has At Least One More Era Left In It

Tribes 2 Has At Least One More Era Left In It

There’s always lots of talk about a game being dead. The definition may fluctuate from person to person. It makes or breaks Steam sales in new games. By and large, there’s no reason for the average gamer not to consider Tribes and all of its variants ‘dead’. There is a reason there was a lasthope, a lastgasp, why Tribalwar is not nearly as relevant as it once was- the glory days have come and gone. 

What’s left in each of these games is a ragtag and scrappy group of dedicated players, consisting primarily of longtime vets, or new players the vets have recruited who must be masochistic to take the perpetual ownage from the former. Tribes 2 might get frustrating to some of these dedicated players after long periods of play, coupled dealing with constant drama- (ego in a 20+ year old game? Why, just why…) But after a hiatus, they always come back. To me it’s pretty easy to see why anyone sticks around- this game is fucking fun. 

You remove all of the bullshit, and you still have in my humble opinion one of the most entertaining games around. The physics make the gameplay fluid and dynamic, the tough gunplay makes every skillshot skill as savory as ever, and as you learn more and more about the game and all of its systems, you begin to appreciate all of the layers of complexity that allow for various strategies.

Lengthy preamble aside, Tribes 2 is very much still alive. And if you were to ask me- I’d say Tribes 2 has at least one more era left in it. We are realizing that era now. Lots of exciting things are happening in the game. 

What We Are Doing

The main server everyone uses often has 16+ players on weeknights, and can sometimes pop anywhere from 20-30 people on weekends. Admittedly, there’s been a lul in population at times- many regulars have run into IRL shit to deal with. But it’s awesome to see old players come back, 1 almost every week. And yes, we’re still playing classic CTF- with gens and base assets. We play lak and LCTF too.

It’s awesome to see just how many people are working on content for the game. Some people have diligently been working on stat tracking on the primary pub server, and 3D heatmaps are being generated. The type of data being recorded and analyzed from play sessions is large and varied. The monthly scoreboards have been interesting too- although their validity has been questioned, it’s great to use as a tool to track your own improvement as a player.

Another individual has been working here and there on a twitch bot for Tribes for spectating. Apparently, it’s no walk in the park, the base functionality is there for observers to switch between players, rotate the camera using basic functions, and even enable the viewers to use V-chat commands right from twitch. 

I couldn’t write this without plugging the map pack I’ve been working on.  Some maps are ones I’ve just been sitting on collecting dust that I’ve given lots of TLC too- and other maps have been the results of pushing the dev tools to the limit, seeing what I can get away with. Caves, tunnels, floating islands, easter eggs- it’s all there. The great Fling may be able to contribute to the map pack. Other people have expressed interest in making maps too.

There is no ETA on when the map pack will be complete, but there is talk with the server admins about coupling the map pack with an ‘expansion pack’. The expansion pack would include previous maps made for other map packs that aren’t on the server yet. It would also contain new interior files, terrains, skyboxes and objects. The idea is to give mappers more things to use when making serverside maps, and really let their creativity run wild. Players would just need to download one map pack, and it would contain all of these things that mappers could use.

Another person is working on a UI overhaul for the game. Another, on a most coveted auto map downloader. Others have been working on getting custom textures into the game. And I’m sure I’m forgetting others. Case in point, there are a lot of augments people are working on for T2. People just can’t stop tinkering with this game.

The other thing that leads me to believe Tribes 2 has at least one more era left in it- how many players care about keeping the game going. While streaming the game has been lacking, at the very least, people talk about streaming, and reaching out to community streamers about the game. Talks about bringing in new players happen consistently. When there have been new players, there are always 1-2 people available to show them the ropes and troubleshoot tech issues. Discussing server map selections/ map rotations has always been a touchy topic, but I think that just goes to show how passionate people are about this game. They want this game to be fun.

What Can You Do?

In general, I think we’re pretty healthy for a dead game with a cult-like following. Things could always be better. I’d love to see the game thrive. I’d have the following suggestions/encouragements for the players who have stuck around:

1. Be patient if your favorite gametype / map isn’t being played. 
If you’re anything like me, you’d be okay with never playing Small Crossing or High Octane ever again. If you’re out there- believe me, I feel you. Some people are bored without a mortar in their hands. Some people are sick of battling the never ending HO train. Some people think LCTF boils Tribes down to the bare essence of what makes it fun. Some people love vehicles, some people think they are gimpy. 

I think it’s important to appreciate that Tribes 2 means different things to different people, and at this stage in the game, we have to simply grin and bare it. A few attempted map votes are OK, but please do not spend the entire match trying to vote something on. If you’re not enjoying yourself on the current map or game type, try making the best of it- try a role you don’t typically try, or try to learn the gametype if you haven’t played before. Learn about the nuances of the map. Go observe mode until the next map- hopefully its one you like. If you really have to leave the server for the map, that’s totally understandable- but please come back soon!

2. Cut the drama. 
Again, multiple schools of thought here. Some people love the drama for god knows what reason- I guess it adds stakes to the game? Nothing wrong with some friendly competition for sure. But it gets old when it becomes a perpetual thing and is dragged from inside the game to outside, especially if others have to read or listen to it. 

Again, this is an old game. Nobody gives a fuck who you are or what you did, there are no ePeen points to uphold or redeem here. People are playing to have fun. If someone makes you mad, don’t engage. If you have known political differences with someone, don’t tempt fate by leaning into it. You are playing this game to have fun, right? Ask yourself if its really worth the temporary satisfaction of ruining the game for someone else to a point where they leave when we already have fledgling playerpool. To be fair, 95% of the population does not have this problem at all. The other 5%- check your egos, please.

3. Don’t go tryhard all the time / try evening the teams. 
This one is arguably a tough one for many people. We have fun when we win, the object of any game is to win. And so many vets have been playing for so long, they are very good at winning. It can almost be auto pilot. And maybe the good players feel pressured for always playing at their level because they see themselves as hard counters to other good players? Maybe they feel like if they play casually they’ll develop bad habits. Maybe they feel as though they’re expected to play a certain role, or that they’re only having fun when they are being the most effective (I struggle with this all the time with capping). It can be hard to pinpoint the exact reason for tryharding- it’s a multifaceted problem.  It’s hard to advise “going easy” on new players- but at least be mindful that we’re playing on a public server with a big disparity in skillsets. It is really okay to play casually from time to time.

Consider handicapping yourself, maybe play a role you don’t typically play, or use a weapon you don’t typically use- it provides an interesting challenge for you, and levels the playing field for them. Try to avoid turtling when possible- leave yourself out in the open and exposed, it keeps the game interesting. The server isn’t very good at balancing teams, that is for sure. Shutouts may feel fun for the winning team- but it sucks for the losing team. If you see a shutout is happening and you think you can stem the tide for the other game, switch teams.Players will thank you for it- ultimately everyone is going to have more fun.

4. Teach players something new. 
If the opportunity strikes, do not hesitate to teach a player something new. I think we’ve collectively been awesome at doing that, and its something we should continue doing. Hell, if it has to be a Vchat spam to stop eating repair packs, go for it.

5. Be creative / be patient with those being creative. 
We do it because it’s fun, and because we’re trying to add value to the game.  Countless people have sunk hours into making things for this game. Maybe you appreciate it, maybe you don’t- and that is fine. Just be mindful of people’s time- and if you’re not going to be constructive, consider saving your time? 

6. For the love of god, STREAM. 
No one streams this game. And it’s a damn shame, because Tribes can be as fun to watch as it is to play- this is true more often than any other game I’ve played. I get it, it’s not like there are many players who would even watch it now. But there’s always a chance a new player might watch the game and get interested. If you’re down for the task, hit me up and I’ll friend/follow/host you on twitch. 

For those continuing to play this game, you rock. I'll see you out there for some VGCGs. For both who have taken a hiatus and are wondering what the buzz is about- come pop in and join us!  

The primary pub server is the "Discord Pub" and the T2 Discord is here:
https://discord.gg/Y4muNvF

Until next time, VGB