Be me, Charlie Comtech. Excited to run new JTAC loadout.
One of two Comtechs, get moved to Bravo. Annoying but oh well.
Charlie ordered to comms. Mfw they have no engi to get comms up.
Go and get comms up.
Charlie leaves me alone to secure it.
Call for backup at comms.
Mfw no one comes.
Get Lurk’d.
Scream for help at comms.
Mfw no one comes.
The other groundside engi went front and died.
No FOB. No comms cades.
About to perma.
Scout finds me, brings me back to FOB.
No medics.
When a medic comes, orders marines to CPR me.
They just fluoride stare.
Perma.
Lowpop sometimes comes down to a gamble of which of the two sides wins their first fight, with the losing side being routed. Frankly, lowpop is just a coin toss as to if the Marines will perform decently.
The only real solution would be the creation of a dedicated lowpop game mode that alters the composition of the Marine force to better accommodate the lower population and changes xeno evolution and even spawn/respawn system. Perhaps even changes to the core objectives and win conditions.
I know TGMC has a lowpop gamemode where they cut out their version of the Almayer, remove most of the shipside crew and make it based on the Marines landing on the planet is a medium sized ship before having to hunt down components for a nuclear warhead to destroy the planet before they evacuate. So the concept of a dedicated lowpop game mode is feasible, but only if you can code it.
I actually love lowpop, given I often end up playing it. It can be a really fun challenge trying to manage anything. Maybe one day if I learn to code I’d love to try making a lowpop mode, but I wouldn’t want to it to be like TGMC crash, because I’m not sure that would suit CM. But I do like how TGMC does it with the shuttle acting as basically a mini prebuilt FOB.
I think if we did it on CM the way to go would be to follow in TGMC’s footsteps of adding objectives for a more ‘special forces’ marine body, with shipside staff being lessened, with an emphasis on CIC staff. Maybe giving CIC more tools to monitor the status ground side as well. I think more objective-based gameplay works better for lowpop though.
Lower the pop the more personal you get with other people and the more it hurts when they are gone. I think its why the PvE alt server has nice personal interactions cause its only 11 people.
With a hundred people and maybe 30 people a squad, you are just a cog in a machine.
I have mixed feeling with low pop, had this one round as the XO where everything just was a nightmare. People didn’t RP, couldn’t load the OB, I had like one competent squad lead that actualy answered my announcements but they were sadly in bravo, we were ok on medics and comtechs compared to other rounds I have had but it was still horrible.
On the other hand I do agree that things are more personal, squad structures are all over the place making them fun to manage, echo squad can play a big role if you like and if others allow me to RP its much much better than Hpop
yea thats why I like trying to carry during low pop as marine or wipe during low pop as Queen,
once the formality of having the lead a platoon with actual numbers is thrown out the window it becomes
pretty low stakes for COs XOs in the sense that everything is stacked against them
bald / green players are getting SL, FTL, Specialist rolls.
PFCs who have some experience are powergaming cause they know its stacked against them driving RP way down
no one rolls medic or if they do they are bringing two guns and minimal medical supplies
alternatively I’ll let you know lowpop affects xenos in the same ways tbh
everyone want to frag and do combat caste stuff cause they know lowpop they can “get away with” not capturing or listening to orders (part of the reason I won’t give direct or in-depth guidance as Queen depending on how the vibes of the hive are) cause the reality is some of my favorite daughters are Lowpop
its the daytime or the beginning of the night for them (late in the night for me) and they love the direction and the command and the engagement
that being said late night low pop is also where you find a lot of genuine players who want to connect and RP and be immersed in the experience, and at least those people attempt to stick out
I would love to see a lowpop game mode or even just a lowpop alternative ship to the Almayer that has different Ordinances that can be fired by COs or XOs to replace the lack of lowpop POs, and smaller quarters that offer up the med dispensers to the public or w.e
realistically a lowpop CO with a CMP could expand the access priveleges to the marines at large but it would lead to powergaming if not done correctly. a “oh its low pop so I can go make myself unga injectors as PFC” kind of nonsense that requires no engagement at all. or “oh its low pop and Sergeants can launch Alamo now, so I won’t say anything”
I’m likely crazy but I feel lowpop, <80 or <70 people, needs a more lean Marine force, closer to the movie Aliens than a full batallion. Or just a unique gamemode.
TGMC in whole is mid (bad but without offending anyone). Colonial marines should be able to do better than a LRP name mixed with equipment which is:
A: basically any 20th firearm
B: basically HALO spartan armour
C: basically a star wars gun
D: basically a katana but with LRP name
E: basically starship troopers armour
true lowpop is the only deployed engi getting decapped/perma’d before comms is up and there’s not enough roflmen at FOB with the presence of mind to check flanks while command keeps screaming about no cades/no comms while everyone ungaballs away. Or even better, command doesn’t even check to see if FOB has cades.
