A few more opinions now that I've a fair number of matches, not using the survey format since I already filled it out..
Attacks from below:
These are...a significant issue imo, even if it isn't happening in every game. I'm talking specifically about somebody using a waterfall down to the lava level, then bridging across from there. 9/10 times you don't anticipate it, meaning even vigilant players might not notice it. I play with Far render distance but I imagine a short distance might not even be able to see such a bridge!
Even if you do see somebody bridging across the bottom, that leads to an even bigger issue: how do you defend against it? Since you can not build down, you can't properly get down there to hinder somebody's bridging attempts or to scare them off. If you waterfall down there yourself you're still in a worse situation than they, because you need materials to build up to the level of their bridge, and even then it's a crapshoot; if you fail to kill them, they're in a significant position to win since you have to, once again, trek down the waterfall.
All in all, it's an overpowered tactic. No it's not perfect and it can theoretically be stopped (since it's never been done in practice). The only solutions I can think of is to lower the islands/raise the lava, or completely forbid bridging from the obsidian floor you create.
Second Node placement:
The most recent map might address this, but just in case I want to mention it. So here's the situation: I gather plenty of dirt, bridge to the first Node, then get ready to start bridging to the second Node closest to my team. But before I even start, I can already see the other team starting a bridge to the
same Node I'm approaching.
Personally I think there's something wrong with that. If my team's second Node is so close that it's viable for them to approach it immediately, it needs changing. In the scenario I described above, I didn't drag my ass, I was on the ball and getting to the nodes was my top priority. I was going as fast as I could and they
still almost beat me to the punch! I don't fault the players for this personally. Even a team on top of shit can lose valuable resources because the other team is going turbo speed. It's actually more worthwhile to at least try for the other team's second node than to go after your own.
So the Node needs placed elsewhere to fix this issue. I don't want it so that the other team can't get to it, but it needs to be hindered enough so that a team doesn't lose it for being only a quarter step behind the other team. Only real suggestion I have is to switch the distances of the nodes, as in make the middle node closer to the pillar while the off-center node is closer to the planet.
Mobs:
I have mixed feelings about this. The first game I played didn't have mobs and I thought it worked out great. Every game after has had mobs and I've had mixed results with their inclusion.
To cut to the point, Nighttime play is really stale at night because of mobs occupy the bridges, hindering progression. Nighttime quickly turns the game into pure resource collection because neither team can do a whole lot otherwise. Additionally, mobs spawning on the starter islands can be a real bother, especially Creepers. However, on the flipside of hindering progress, they offer a sense of false security. A team can reasonably assume the mobs will be enough of a hindrance to keep them safe from assaults, but a crafty/determined individual could fight across the bridge and make it there undetected (I've done this personally).
Combined with the above, there's a far amount of luck in play with this mobs as well, because one team might only have a few mobs spawn while the other team has their bridges/nodes occupied with lots.
Basically, I think mobs hurt OO:SOS more than it helps. I would either like them disabled or at the very least have the islands sufficiently lit from the get go so teams can at least have some security of knowing mobs won't be an issue.
Starting resources:
The biggest barrier to actually getting worthwhile production is actually getting some tools in play; even if someone is dedicated to getting wood, it can still be a bit before we actually get picks, and that time frame feels like an eternity if you've already bridged to the nodes.
So with that in mind, I'd like to request either starting each team off with a wooden pick or 2 logs.
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All in all, I would like OO:SOS gameplay to change so that games last longer, instead of the current trend where we do a series of short games. It takes awhile to organize teams, especially with all the dicking around that goes on (hint: if this is you, stop). It can also be confusing when you get teamed with somebody you just played against, I know I've personally attacked others and personally been attacked by players for that reasons.
I might add more but this is what I've got now. These are just my opinions, others may disagree and I encourage others to give their opinions on these matters!