After all, what is the function of Machina?

1234579

Comments

  • VenomousToadVenomousToad ✭✭✭✭✭

    It seems the biggest complaints are the speed of the growth and inaccessible areas. If those two issues could be resolved it might be easier to play against. I don't think there's a reasonable answer to inaccessible portals because that's always been a fault in the game but they could slow down the spread or just let them decay. Sadly it seems it's either accept them the way they are or remove them entirely. Because there is no answer that will help. I think it's a good addition to the game if they stay out of inaccessible areas. But because the portals in those areas will never go away it will never happen. The only real answer it seems is to get rid of it. Inaccessible portals have been a problem from day 1 and it's never going to change

  • I think it's a good addition to the game if they stay out of inaccessible areas.

    The problem that has existed sincee forever is how you define an Inacessible Area though. Whether it's Machina, Big Fields, or single faction farms, the definition has always been the stumbling block both in terms of scalability and even definition.

    If we could define inaccessible portals, there's a host of things that would be achievable.

  • DrHydrosaurDrHydrosaur ✭✭✭✭

    Doc with a compilation of what is known about Machina:

    Until Niantic makes some real changes to Machina though, the only conceivable strategies seem to be:

    1) destroy as many Machina as possible

    2) capture as many neutrals as possible

  • VenomousToadVenomousToad ✭✭✭✭✭

    The game has slowly been losing players for a few years now. Rather than promote the game they gave us a computer opponent. I actually like it but I realize I'm probably in the minority of opinions. I'm not sure how many more people have to quit before Niantic just gives up on it. But the numbers are getting really low. If machina isn't the answer then they need to change gears before they lose everyone.

  • SSSputnikSSSputnik ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good point above - if you want to keep fielding, Machina FORCES you to play. At least with human opponents, if you have issues with them they get bored and go away if you do nothing.

  • IcyBlueHeartIcyBlueHeart ✭✭✭✭

    Am having fun with Machina, it just is too slow in my area. I get to pop red piñatas about once every 3 weeks. Only have access to two infections, one is apparently on life support and the other goes from 5 portals to about 60 in 3 weeks. I took 54 today and it will be weeks before the half hour drive is worth it.

  • KhatreKhatre ✭✭✭✭✭
  • SSSputnikSSSputnik ✭✭✭✭✭

    Last post above sums it up well.

    A lot of us have busy lives with limited time to play. Now we need far more time, which frankly, we don't have.

    People who can play basically unlimited hours, fine. For others, no so fine.

  • LlamazapLlamazap ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023

    Follow-up:

    I think, if Machina must absolutely persist in the game, if they had any sort of rules attached to them instead of being completely random, then it would be more fun to have them around.

    Not being allowed to cross links would be one of those rules that we need here. Limit links to 200 Meters. Why not let them build small fields? Make them look like they're not complete idiots.

    Also, any Machina network could have a designated hub portal, blowing that one up and the whole network attached to it immediately crumbles in a chain reaction. That gives players the choice of playing with machina junk or not.

    Post edited by Llamazap on
  • The area where I play has a high number of active agents. Machina portals are usually destroyed in a few days. I had to drive over 100km to get to the closest infestation bundle, to check the portals out and take them down.

    Unless Machina changes its behaviour, to become more active / agressive, it has a very limited presence in my area.

  • LlamazapLlamazap ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023

    Seeing things like this makes me believe that Niantic just wants to destroy Ingress completely.

  • DrHydrosaurDrHydrosaur ✭✭✭✭

    If you have enough active agents to keep Machina under control for over 100 km you should consider yourself lucky.

    If Machina was made aggressive enough to maintain footholds in your area indefinitely then it would likely be so aggressive that it would overwhelm just about everywhere else.

    Machina is supposed to be about providing an opponent in areas with low activity, not to be strong enough to destroy the game in areas with low to moderate activity. Or is it?

  • MirthmakerMirthmaker ✭✭✭✭

    That's what I would think. Take every not heavily patrolled BAF off the board. Certain places need rightsizing because of lack of agent activity however.

  • MillopaiMillopai ✭✭✭

    Anyway. The end

    It doesn't matter the little story created or the illusion offered for the end of machina in the way it was evolving.

    More important than creating a stimulus to ingress. is not to discourage the legitimate players that still remain.

    I wish long life to ingress and that the real community (that makes the game happen) has the feedback taken seriously and actually heard.

    Congratulations on the decision to remove machina for now or until gameplay adjustments are made.


  • Well it was fun and annoying at the same time. It needed to be more easily controllable to give individual players a chance to control it, e.g. a slower rate of spread, inbuilt decay, shorter link length or not being able to cross existing links so an infection could be capped. Possibly put a limit on the maximum number of machina portals - 5 million+ was too much, or have a growth/retreat cycle.

    Out of all of these, I think if it obeyed normal linking rules would be the biggest improvement. And heck, why not have Machina create fields...?

  • MirthmakerMirthmaker ✭✭✭✭

    They are from another universe where linking is anathema.

  • IcyBlueHeartIcyBlueHeart ✭✭✭✭

    And as currently implemented crossing links is Machina's only advantage in dealing with 2 teams of human players. If we impose all the same rules on it that we play by it becomes just a farmable addition to the game and as such is pointless.

    Maybe a mechanism could be devised where if an infection has no neutral portals to capture becaue of being link bound or surrounded by captured portals, it throws out new infections across the blockage or maybe captures claimed portals to spread.

  • IcyBlueHeartIcyBlueHeart ✭✭✭✭

    Actually thinking further on that mechanism idea, it wouldn't work. We would still fence it off, farm it, and just make sure there were always a few neutral available to it. I honestly can't see another mechanism other than allowing it to cross links that keeps Machina alive as a threat. I am interested in others ideas on that.

  • edited March 2023

    That's kinda the idea.

    If you're in an area with players, it should be largely an irrelevant part of the game. If you're all alone, it's something you can play with in a limited fashion.

    Machina shouldn't replace other players as the primary engagement. It should only be there if there are no other players.

  • So long, Machina. You'll be sorely missed. o7

  • IcyBlueHeartIcyBlueHeart ✭✭✭✭

    Buckle up, return your seats to the upright position and hold on, I am seeing new Machina portals. I have 1 new red portal each in two separate areas. I'm excited to see what happens next.

Sign In or Register to comment.