New letter

[Navaron]

Associate Producer's Letter - July 21, 2003
Several weeks ago, we announced our future plans for the game and started on PlanetSide's never-ending journey of continually added content and gameplay. The two new vehicles we added, the Liberator three-person bomber and the SkyGuard anti-aircraft buggy, have had a huge impact on battle conditions across Auraxis. Commanders are now able to rain destruction on their enemies through the Orbital Strike and EMP Blasts. Medics are now able to locate soldiers that need their help easier. I wanted to take a moment to shed some light on what's next for PlanetSide.

In a few weeks, we'll be shaking up the base capture process by bringing out of the SOI and back onto the terrain. In order to successfully capture a base, rather than waiting inside the base's SOI for the capture process to count down, players will need to capture a base's Lattice Logic Unit and deliver it to one of their nearest facilities. We'll describe this more fully in the coming days.

In the month of August, we will be finishing up the long-awaited Facility Link Benefits across the world. As described previously, these will include the following:

Bio Laboratory: Reduces all respawn penalties by 50%. Note that this only applies to linked facilities , not Towers or AMSs.
Technology Plant: Makes "advanced" vehicles available at any vehicle pad linked to a friendly Tech Plant.
Amp Station: Allows vehicles to recharge their shield capacitors in the courtyard of any linked facility. This shield strengthens the armor of the vehicle, but its strength dissipates as damage hits that shield. Vehicles recharge over time when in a linked courtyard. Vehicles' energy dissipates only when they're damaged. There is no way to recharge a shield capacitor "in the field."
Dropship Center: Allows access to Repair/Rearm Pads at linked facilities. Air vehicles can now land on the air vehicle pads, and ground vehicles can pull up to a wall station in the courtyards. Once at the Dropship Center, the vehicles can repair themselves over time; and they can access a terminal interface that's based in the Equipment Terminal allowing them to fill their trunk space without leaving the vehicle.
Interlink Facility: Greatly enhances the coverage area of a player's basic radar and makes Phalanx Wall Turrets much more effective.
In addition, we will be implementing the Base Ownership System. This will allow Outfits to stake their claim on a friendly base and claim certain benefits as long as it remains under their Empire's control. Outfits will be able to quickly recall to Outfit-owned bases, similar to recalling to Sanctuary. An Outfit-owned base will always be available as a respawn point to players on the same continent, regardless of their proximity to the base. Of course, controlling your own turf isn't half as cool if no one knows the base is yours. This will warn enemies of who they're about to attack upon entering an Outfit-owned SOI. The Outfit's logo will appear on the Empire hologram flag and be visible over the base SOI on the Continental Map.

To help those brave soldiers who choose to stay behind and defend their Empire's facility holdings, there will be an Enemy Density Warning. Soldiers in a friend SOI will be alerted when enemy forces begin to build up near the facility.

We continue our ongoing efforts to eliminate bugs and exploits. There have been a few stubborn issues that we hope to have addressed soon. We'll also implementing enhanced community features in the near future.

For Land. For Power. Forever. See you on Auraxis!

Danny "Blackbird" Han
Associate Producer

[Navaron]

Do any of you guys think that CTF is the cure for capping bases right now? I mean, this is totally out of character of the game, and really seems out of the blue. I'm kinda sensing desparation coming from these guys, and that's very unsettling.

[starrider]

yes unstettleing it is......tho base ownership is a big plus :D

[Indecisive]

WTF? now ps is mmo tribes without argument

[BUGGER]

the CTF thing is gona kill the game.

[starrider]

i hope not...mabye they will realize the error of their ways and just putin the benifits/ownership and think of a better way to make base fights more interesting

[Navaron]

...and everyone will join ELF :rolleyes:

[Indecisive]

I can see it now:


Patch 5.00.10

1.You can now ski
2. you now have jetpacks

[Valcron]

What absolutely SLAYS me is the fact that this is the BEST they could come up with?

This is how supposedly the game will become dynamic?

Fuck that, I am not down with that shit. They can go ride someone else's MasterCard, not fucking mine.

[starrider]

what is ELH

[Navaron]

A spam clan

[Sputty]

Originally posted by {BOHICA}Navaron
Do any of you guys think that CTF is the cure for capping bases right now? I mean, this is totally out of character of the game, and really seems out of the blue. I'm kinda sensing desparation coming from these guys, and that's very unsettling.

Gah, this makes me feel sick. I might cancel my subscription over this. This is pathetic. They just try to be as many games as they can be and it just makes a crappy version of T2:1942. It's retarded. Use your heads. Don't just copy something. Fuck. dsfngfjbndasljnf

[starrider]

i concur

[Hexen]

I often wonder how people can be good enough at C++ to come together and make a game, but don't seem to have the brains to find inventive solutions to their game's problems.

I guess its just one of those mysteries of life. :)

Anyway, IMHO, this CTF thing sounds BAD. Lattice Logic Unit? wtf is that? Why would you have to take it to one of your base? It doesnt even make sense. Right now you take a base by force, AS YOU SHOULD, and have to HACK to gain control of it's facilities, as you should. Where is the sense in delivering a little crap to a friendly facility so an enemy one will become yours? I mean.. what? Its so stupid.

I mean even Tribes 2 has "Capture and Hold", Battlefield has Conquest. Both of these involve players attacking bases, and holding them, similar to how PlanetSide works NOW. It makes sense damnit, if you want to take over a base, you force your way in and sit there until its securely yours goddamnit. :mad:

I hope they don't implement this, so they can at least sit on their asses and figure out a more viable solution.

[Indecisive]

Originally posted by Sputty
Gah, this makes me feel sick. I might cancel my subscription over this. This is pathetic. They just try to be as many games as they can be and it just makes a crappy version of T2:1942. It's retarded. Use your heads. Don't just copy something. Fuck. dsfngfjbndasljnf

Indeed


Watch.

Its gonna be "wait 15 min, then play ctf"

Goddamit f*** this game

[BUGGER]

Originally posted by Gohan_VA
Watch.

Its gonna be "wait 15 min, then play ctf"

Goddamit f*** this game

[EarlyDawn]

I'm betting that You'll have to hack the control terminal, which will unlock the mainframe. Then, you take the LLU ( I Hearby patent that Acronym, BTW ) to the nearest base's control console. This way, Hackers will still be necessary. There will probably be a period of time where you have to wait for the LLU to unlock, five minutes or something.

I dunno. I think it sounds kickass, but that's just me. As for the Facility link bonuses, WTF took so long? Jeeze. Outfit ownership = the pw3n, but I'm wondering if you can have multiple outfits in ownership of one base.

I like :D

[Hamma]

Someone please tell me where in this letter it says capture the flag?

[Navaron]

Originally posted by Hamma
Someone please tell me where in this letter it says capture the flag?

http://planetside.station.sony.com/

Front fucking page.

[BUGGER]

Originally posted by {BOHICA}Navaron
In a few weeks, we'll be shaking up the base capture process by introducing the Capture the Flag system.

[Hamma]

Hate to break it to you nav, but no.

Associate Producer's Letter - July 21, 2003
Several weeks ago, we announced our future plans for the game and started on PlanetSide's never-ending journey of continually added content and gameplay. The two new vehicles we added, the Liberator three-person bomber and the SkyGuard anti-aircraft buggy, have had a huge impact on battle conditions across Auraxis. Commanders are now able to rain destruction on their enemies through the Orbital Strike and EMP Blasts. Medics are now able to locate soldiers that need their help easier. I wanted to take a moment to shed some light on what's next for PlanetSide.

In a few weeks, we'll be shaking up the base capture process by bringing out of the SOI and back onto the terrain. In order to successfully capture a base, rather than waiting inside the base's SOI for the capture process to count down, players will need to capture a base's Lattice Logic Unit and deliver it to one of their nearest facilities. We'll describe this more fully in the coming days.

In the month of August, we will be finishing up the long-awaited Facility Link Benefits across the world. As described previously, these will include the following:

Bio Laboratory: Reduces all respawn penalties by 50%. Note that this only applies to linked facilities , not Towers or AMSs.
Technology Plant: Makes "advanced" vehicles available at any vehicle pad linked to a friendly Tech Plant.
Amp Station: Allows vehicles to recharge their shield capacitors in the courtyard of any linked facility. This shield strengthens the armor of the vehicle, but its strength dissipates as damage hits that shield. Vehicles recharge over time when in a linked courtyard. Vehicles' energy dissipates only when they're damaged. There is no way to recharge a shield capacitor "in the field."
Dropship Center: Allows access to Repair/Rearm Pads at linked facilities. Air vehicles can now land on the air vehicle pads, and ground vehicles can pull up to a wall station in the courtyards. Once at the Dropship Center, the vehicles can repair themselves over time; and they can access a terminal interface that's based in the Equipment Terminal allowing them to fill their trunk space without leaving the vehicle.
Interlink Facility: Greatly enhances the coverage area of a player's basic radar and makes Phalanx Wall Turrets much more effective.
In addition, we will be implementing the Base Ownership System. This will allow Outfits to stake their claim on a friendly base and claim certain benefits as long as it remains under their Empire's control. Outfits will be able to quickly recall to Outfit-owned bases, similar to recalling to Sanctuary. An Outfit-owned base will always be available as a respawn point to players on the same continent, regardless of their proximity to the base. Of course, controlling your own turf isn't half as cool if no one knows the base is yours. This will warn enemies of who they're about to attack upon entering an Outfit-owned SOI. The Outfit's logo will appear on the Empire hologram flag and be visible over the base SOI on the Continental Map.

To help those brave soldiers who choose to stay behind and defend their Empire's facility holdings, there will be an Enemy Density Warning. Soldiers in a friend SOI will be alerted when enemy forces begin to build up near the facility.

We continue our ongoing efforts to eliminate bugs and exploits. There have been a few stubborn issues that we hope to have addressed soon. We'll also implementing enhanced community features in the near future.

For Land. For Power. Forever. See you on Auraxis!

Danny "Blackbird" Han
Associate Producer


No capture the flag.

I edited your post. Obviously it was changed at some point, and what you pasted is no longer what is at the site.

[Navaron]

Download PlanetSide
FilePlanet subscribers, download and play PlanetSide with your 7-day trial TODAY!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Enhancement!
Capture the flag

LOOK AT THE FRONT DAMN PAGE.

"In order to successfully capture a base, rather than waiting inside the base's SOI for the capture process to count down, players will need to capture a base's Lattice Logic Unit and deliver it to one of their nearest facilities."

There's not a "flag" but rather a disc. So technically it's not, but it is.

[starrider]

on the front page under future thingys.

[Hamma]

get off your high horse bro, i reccomend you stop slamming me.

[Sandman]

ctf=ghey

[Navaron]

Originally posted by Hamma
get off your high horse bro, i reccomend you stop slamming me.

No one's slamming you at all.

What did they change from the original copy to now?

[Hamma]

For one it doesent say capture the flag :lol:

Okay, there appear to be some issues with the update post, as the version with the May 21 date is an early draft that should have been corrected for everybody. Let's give it a little bit so all of the servers in the cluster can update. The earlier draft has some inconsistencies in it.
Victor Wachter
Community Relations Representative
Many questions can be answered by reading the PlanetSide Game Info and FAQ

[Valcron]

AND IF THEY CHANGED IT, THEY DID IT VERY SNEAKY.

[starrider]

settle val settle

[fpmoose]

That's weird. The front page says "Capture the flag" plain as day, but they took it out of the Producer's Letter. It still sounds like CTF, doesn't it?

[Hamma]

Stop posting the old letter please. Thanks.

[Valcron]

Just making sure you got the "Capture the flag part"

=)

[Valcron]

So hamma, post WTF you think of this...

You probably love it, I know you too well =)

[Valcron]

Relax, Slugger.


HAMMA, LOOK at sporks POST. OMFG it says CAPTURE THE FLAG

http://boards.station.sony.com/ubb/planetside/Forum8/HTML/008494.html

[Hamma]

Let's please discuss the notes as what they are now, not what they were accidently posted as.

[Hamma]

The article just changed, again. :rofl:

I will come back tomorrow when they finally figure out how to update their own website.

[Uzziel]

this is going 2 b insane....imagine 15 guys running out of a massive assault to look for a tiny little disc way out in the middle of the desert or under a tree root....WTF??

[domdre]

now didnt someone say that this wasnt going to turn into a massive game of capture the flag? hmm well im very happy i didnt waste my money on this i mise well save up for unreal trouney 2k4 everything planetside has with capture the flag

[ZionsFire]

your that guy Valcron thats always callin for nerfs and stuff on the OF

[kidriot]

way to over-react. buncha damned drama queens.

"We'll describe this more fully in the coming days."

before sentencing the programmers how bout waiting till they fully explain what they're doing. then when you know what's coming, bitch or don't bitch.

all those changes sound interesting.

[BUGGER]

i think everyone on the planetside forums got all F'ed up bout their idea so now they are constantly updating the leter so the anti-CFT posts stop.

[Hamma]

:lol:

[Hamma]

As I said previously, the version being quoted right now is an early draft. Evidently, the latest draft had not propagated to all web servers when I first posted (correct version is up now, including the proper date).
CTF is only an internal monicker we placed on a system that is intended to bring battles outdside the SOI. Instead of requiring soldiers to hang around an SOI that has dimished action, we want to make the entire capture process more dynamic. The design, which I will detail soon, is intended to make this happen.

What we are envisioning is not a simple capture and deliver game. That's been done - you've all done it and for a game shipped in 1997, it would be pretty innovative.

What we are trying to do is give rise to chase scenarios. Bring back choke points. Give people a reason to engage in bridge battles again, and generally keep action flowing independent of the base SOI (which will still have advantages). We think that implementing the Lattice Logic Module will stir up better gameplay and improve the overall pace of the game. The design process has been very careful on this to ensure that the grief behavior we've seen in other CTF scenarios does not happen in this design.

[Valcron]

Sure, I'm sure they have it figured out just like how they're really nailing down those bugs on the test server.

/sarcasm off

[Indecisive]

Ah that sounds bettah

[Hamma]

Well I still dont know what the final version of the news update is, because now I am getting the old liberator update on the future plans page. Either way I updated the front page of PSU.

Discuss away :p

[gonnagetyou]

I'll wait and see what kind of twist they put on this before I start screaming. However, if it does turn out to be nothing more than a version of CTF I'm going to be sick.

To me CTF is fast game play like Tribes or UT. Planetside just doesn't have the speed of those games.

I can see it now, everyone running the disk back to a friendly base will have the Mosquito cert so they can haul ass with no radar signature.;)

[Indecisive]

Man, you would think that a fucking company as big as SOE would know better then to post something they KNEW would piss everyone off, then posting that is gonna be "new and innovative" without backing this up with anything.

Oh we will tell you later, now, flame away :mad:

[Indecisive]

maybe, multiple flags, mutliple places? And only squadleaders can carry the flag? then They bring the flags back to the friendly base and assemble them.

That would be kickass...


/edit/ O.O brainstorm!


You have to set off an event in the base you are trying to cap, then the "Flag" auto spawns at the vehicle pad. The Flag would have horid handleing a top speed of like, runing, and no weps, then you would have to convoy it to the nearest base.

The flag would have to accually BE an soi so if you are near the flag covering it, you get more xp for the "cap"

Also, if the flag was destroyed, the proccess would restart and you would have to trigger the spawn again.

Maybe, the flag vehicle could also have a timer on it. Differing for the nearest base. If you didnt make it in time, then it would self destruct, and then once again, start over.


God, if it was like that...im gonna be playing for a looooong time

[Vis Armata]

I think it's a little early to jump to conclusions...give it some time.

[AtomicBanana]

Personally, I think it could work quite well, and get some great battles going out in the terrain around bases.

Jumping so quickly to slam it without even giving them a chance to explain fully, let alone try it for your self is a little ignorant if you ask me.

[instant]

I just hope they put it up on the test-server first.

But I wish they would implement all the "Promised features" before they start adding new content.

Just so that we will forget the broken promises perhaps?

I want BETTER OUTFIT SUPPORT, PLATOONS, SQUADS etc.

[pauljar1]

I think it will be just what the game needed!

Jesus guys! You cry when the don't give new content? You cry when they don't give you new vehicles? You cry when they don't fix your weapons to be the best in the game!

SOE just made a MAJOR change to the gameplay. Whether good or bad, in my opinion, I think they are putting forth the effort.

YOU BITCH AND NOTHING HAS EVEN BEEN IMPLEMENTED YET!!!!

[Happy lil Elf]

YOU BITCH AND NOTHING HAS EVEN BEEN IMPLEMENTED YET!!!!

But throwing hissy fits over things no one has anything more than a vague idea about is so much fun...

[IDgaf]

The thought of having to transport an item to another in order to create a 'victory condition' does sound a bit like CTF.

It'll probably be different - but not entirely so.

Incidentally I think that CTF is much more fun with organisation.

Hamma, can you please ask the devs when platoons will be implemented.

PSU obviously has SOE's approval, so can you leverage that for us a bit.

Thanks,

IDgaf

EDIT: Can someone let me know what rule my sig broke, please.

[pauljar1]

Elf, very true. :D

[Valcron]

http://www.rallymonkey.com/store/puppet.jpg

[Nixon]

Wow... I don't know what you guys are complaining about, but this looks like it'll be a welcome addition to the game. First off, it does NOT sound like it'll be CTF, but something similar that'll add a new dynamic to the game that, contrary to what some have expressed, makes perfect sense!

While it's true that it's a bit early to start jumping to conclusions, the way I'm seeing this is that after hacking a base it'll become necessary to take the LLC to your nearest base. What is this thing you ask? Lattice Logic Unit... sounds like a key base component that allows you to hook up said base to your empire's lattice network. Always thought it to be a little to easy to simply pull out a lunch box and have your own base in 15 minutes. Now you actually have to move around a bit and do the work in connecting your bases together.

For all we know, it'll probably still be necessary to have people stay at the base and guard the CC. Perhaps if the hack is stopped, or in the case of neutral bases somebody else hacks it, maybe your LLC stops working and deconstructs. It also gives incentive, in addition to the other features, to hold bases.

Yeah, if the game turned into CTF it would suck royally... but come on, it doesn't sound like they'd do that to us. Once I calmed down after a few minutes of WTF-like mentality, I've never been more excited about new content. Let's just hope that they can deliver...

[Seer]

Well, I for one am happy that they are addressing these issues. I can think of better things to do than masturbate over a CC for 10 minutes on end.

[pauljar1]

^^^ What he said....

[Agathon]

Hello,

It is a curious idea, and I'll withhold judgement for now. I am within the ranks of people that want to see platoons added, exploits removed, and other things done BEFORE more added content though. They need to stick to past promises before tossing out other changes, or they need to only make official changes they actually plan to implement. Otherwise, they should keep such things quiet. It doesn't make customers happy when you don't deliver on your promises without reasonable excuses.

Just my 2 cents,

[NapalmEnima]

It seems pretty clear that what information we have to go on isn't nearly enough to form an accurate opinion.

Not that this is stopping anyone from going off half-cocked.

We have no idea how big the LLU is. Maybe it's so large only a MAX can carry it, and has to give up most (all?) of their ammo. At that point galaxies and sunderers become the transport of choice and we get even more emphasis on air as people frantically try to beat down the LLU-carrying gal.

Maybe the LLU is a custom vehicle... or can only be carried by that vehicle.

And just maybe it's a flag like T2/unreal/quake. But I seriously doubt it.

We don't know how detectable the LLU will be. Maybe it'll show on enemy radar. Maybe it'll show on the continent map. Maybe you'll have to eye-ball it.


Personally, I think a Big, radar-detectable flag-oid would be cool. Make it so that only a MAX could pick it up, at serious movement penalty (cargo loader, no longer able to fight, no autorun). Tweak the inventory of the Galaxy and sunderer so that only a sunderer can carry it. Then everyone has to play protect the sunderer (or the slowly crawling MAX with a serious ammo limit).

Could be very cool.

We don't have nearly enough to go on. So CHILL.

Sheesh. Kids these days.

[NCG JMan]

Originally posted by kidriot
way to over-react. buncha damned drama queens.

"We'll describe this more fully in the coming days."

before sentencing the programmers how bout waiting till they fully explain what they're doing. then when you know what's coming, bitch or don't bitch.

all those changes sound interesting.

I agree. Sheesh. Have some patience peeps. :p

[NCG JMan]

Originally posted by Agathon
Hello,

It is a curious idea, and I'll withhold judgement for now. I am within the ranks of people that want to see platoons added, exploits removed, and other things done BEFORE more added content though. They need to stick to past promises before tossing out other changes, or they need to only make official changes they actually plan to implement. Otherwise, they should keep such things quiet. It doesn't make customers happy when you don't deliver on your promises without reasonable excuses.

Just my 2 cents,

I also agree with this too. Oh well, it may be implemeted further down the road. Yes, it's disappointing that they didn't deliver on their promise...oh well....life (virtual) goes on :p

[Jarlo]

OMG the sky is falling the sky is falling!!

You people (most of ya) sure love to panic sheesh. I'm glad they are looking into gameplay changes and this could be hella fun with running battles and conveys outside of bases.

I'm just glad they are still working on it with the shitty population #'s on the servers lately.

[bryan25]

I thinks its a bad idea. If they put it into the game its going to mess it up and i wont play to they get it out of there. What the Lattice Logic Unit is, is a big sign on your back that sais KILL ME. It would be hard to hold it for 5 minutes without being killed cuzz evrybody body wants u dead, then someone else gets it and it repeats. Its bad enough that they show u on the map and u glow but they slow u down as well its SUICIDE. If they do put it into the game(i pray they dont) they should atleast give u a ton of XP if u kill a guy with the Lattice Logic Unit or get it to your base. :mad:

[Antres Midel]

Ya know, if there's somebody here who knows how to if we could send an e-mail to the dev team with a link on it to bring them to this thread then maybe, I caution maybe, they will read all of your opinions and decide not to implement the LLU. Just an idea.

-MIDEL

[1024]

In response to the first post:

Talk is cheap.