If I could post a poll for descent here, I would, but this will have to do

Which would you prefer to see in D4 levels?:

-Classic "blow up the reactor and beat it to the exit tunnel"
-D3-style with multiple objectives
-Mixture of both

Personally, I'd love to see a mixture of both, where you're taking out the alien infestation by destroying mine reactors one-by-one, but on the way there are those multiple objectives that you see in D3 (I.E. grabbing intel, shutting down power sources, producing bombs to drop in acid, shutting down force-fields to let in reinforcements, hacking security, etc.). I kinda liked the blue-yellow-red key approach. : P

What do you guys think?

I preferred "blow up the reactor and leg it to the exit tunnel", because I like somekind of exciting incidents, like robots protecting the reactors or boss robots.
Multiple objectives in Descent 3 was quite boring. I like action and Descent 3 didn't serve it enough. I really hope that Descent 4 would give a better resources of lethally good artificial intelligence. All we need is sisu, sauna and salmiakki... Hyv? Suomi!!

I think a combination of both, like you suggested CAPGuy, would be best.

I liked the multiple objectives of Descent 3, not to say I didn't like the simple blue key, yellow key, red key, blow up reactor approach either. I wouldn't mind even if there was only one or two levels where your only objective is blowing up the reactor, but I realise that repitition seems to be a no go these days. The only differences between levels in Descent I & II was level textures, level layouts, robots and powerups.

I think the problem with the lack of action was simply the environments were too big or the robots were too few or there were too many one-shot-one-kill weapons. A massive thank you to EA for:
- Producing great quality games time and time again
- Providing excellent technical support
- Never destroying any highly acclaimed studios for profit
- Never ripping people off
- Never wasting people's time

I would imagine that level creativity would remove the need for always having to blow up a reactor. That doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of action packed escape sequences though.

Say there might be levels where you have to steal a part, but once you acquire it all hell breaks loose and you have to fight your way back out. Maybe there is an escape from the event horizon of a black hole that you set off. Perhaps your weapons get knocked out as part of the end of a mission and you can't fight your way out but instead have to evade robots for a change. There are plenty of ways to make levels fun without just a reactor. There should still be at least one reactor level though.

I think that a mixture of both would be best. I know one of you said that you would like more action, which "Descent 3 didn't produce enough of." I think that they could improve the amount of action in a regular objectives style of game, maybe by including traps and triggers etc.

Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the objectives. Considering you spend the entire time in a ship, it's hard to make the game make sense (Even though I like the idea of expanding the universe).

Levels was just fun. Uncover and learn each level, unlock the doors, destroy the reactor and get out, with the occasional boss battle. It's a breed of game that's nearly dead and gone.

What they could do is add different types of levels to add variety if they fear repetition while retaining a level based atmosphere.

i will have to stick with B-Y-R-blow reactor, i like the classic d1&2 SYSTEM SPECS:
+DELL DIMENSION 4600 (!LOADED!)
+CPU: Intel Pentium 4 (2.66 Ghz)
+RAM: 1Gb (PC3200)
+GRAPHICS: ATI Radeon X1600 (512Mb)

Yah i would like to see both as well

I like the mix idea. I always liked the arcade feel of D1&D2 but in todays jungle of games, a few objectives thrown in would be nice.

You gotta have reactors somewhere in the game just for old time's sake. Like secret level 2 in D3.

I liked D3 mission 5 where you have to save the reactors instead of blowing them up. And that secret one in D2 where you blow the reactor right at the start but you get a lot more time to escape than normal.

The objectives in D3 ended up being pretty linear for the most part so some levels might as well have had keys. There was a few missions you were free to explore a bit more, like the Expediator. I'd prefer that to linear objectives or keys. And maybe a reactor or two thrown into the mix. Do any of you know the tale of how cornmeal came to be?
Neither did the miller when he left his house that morning!

I also think that a mix of both would be the best. That's how i do my levels (trying to mix both worlds as much as i can). Visit my website: http://www.pumosoftware.co.nr
and my forums: http://3d-get.de/pumosoft/forum/
There you'll find info about Pumo Mines (my Descent2/D2X-XL mission & mod project)

i tink that a mixture is a great idea cuz it gives the game a real twist. i hope that D4 can even objectives AND reactor blowups at the same time!!! "When you learn to control your emotions and tame them, no matter what situation you're in, you will then truly become king."-Sonny, speaking to a young boy

I'd say a mix of both also. Reactors did add an element of suspense, but for level after level, seemed to push the game more towards a puzzle game. Don't get me wrong, I love the puzzle games, but when D2 hung on the storyline at the end, I felt from there on all the installments should delve more into the storyline. That's why I really liked D3, because the objectives had a more realistic "okay, try it now" approach (lvl 10 in particular). Besides, we can build a lot of suspense into blowing up other things with countdown timers on them, couldn't we?
So maybe a couple reactors, but more objectives in D4, almost a secret-agent-in-a-kick-ass-ship feel if you will.

Reactor blow up stuff and objectives. Thats the recipe for the perfect life.

I agree. A solid mix of both. If MD or whoever is sent out to track down and wipe out the Virus source, then this is very feasible. (not that it would not be with any other story line.)

Would be cool to have both in some form.

What if, instead of one reactor/mine per level, we had large, tiered mines, with seperate (though large) sub-mines arond differing mineral deposits. That would make for complexity. You can have a load of objectives for destroying or acquiring items, and you would have to deterimine whether or not it was necessary to destroy a target, or let the reactor in that area do the work for you. Then you would also have to make sure you didn't leave behind items you needed to get, either to keep or use with others in other areas. Then, there would be the question of whether or not the "destroy" targets would make destroying the reactor easier in some way by inhibiting certain sytems or enemies. Or perhaps as such targets are destroyed, stolen, or otherwise compromised, others in that sub mine might become further locked down to force you to go after the reactor directly, or another objective altogether, to get access to them again. Objectives housed in that other mine down that accelerator exit over there. Yeah. Go fetch.

And then, if we have luck, someone will make a bonus level where you control the robots like a 3d strategy game, with the option of taking control of one directly. Then we can have fun defending all that lithosphere we have fun raiding.

If that doesnt show up, then maybe a mod for it would.