Recent Interviews

[Hamma]

There have been a ton of new Core Combat interviews on the news recently.

But, what do you want to hear? What questions do you have that remain unanswered? Please post them here, and I will work my best to get them answered.

Of course, we cant ask all your questions, but we will do our best.

[Valcron]

Dallas:

I'm concerned about the longevity of the Captured Artifacts empires get from the Caverns. Specifically if one of these items are destroyed, will it then disapear? What is determined on how long they stay? Will a hack make them disapear? I guess my main question is this, if we fight underground for 2 hours, and just to have these modules disapear on us in a few minutes will absolutely be the suck.

[Everay]

are they planning any new vehicals or weapons that are not in the expantion and instead will come out for free?

[Happy lil Elf]

Why are non expansion people not going to be able to use expansion equipment that's been looted?

With the issues PS has currently with items beyond a persons view being drawn unneccsarily are you concerned there may be major FPS issues in the urban settings?

How compact are the urban settings?

Is the architecture style for the urban settings extremely alien (rounded, odd shapes) or is it more like modern day city settings with identifiable buildings?

Are the buildings/structures completely fleshed out with multiple rooms and entrances or are they more on the simple side?

How is the Lodestar coming along?

How are Platoons coming along?

Base benefits are rumored to roll out to test soon, is there any truth to that?

Does it seem balanced that the Reaver has more armor than the Lightning given the Reaver's increased manuverability?

Do you feel the Empire specific tanks are equal given the Prowlers need for a larger crew and it's larger profile?

Are there any plans to create "Heavy" tanks at some point whether it be through free additions or another expansion?

Have countermeasures for aircraft ever been discussed as a defense against locking weapons?

Are you guys concerned at all about the server populations, particularily on the less populated servers such as Johari?

Wow, I can usually never think of questions :p

*Edited for length*

(I went into detail on a few because I remember the last interview where a few questions were asked but never answered because the he wasn't sure what was being asked ;) )

[Hamma]

Just remember if your question is like 2 paragraphs long chances are I wont ask it :lol:

[Squeeky]

I am curious about Platoons, i miss PlanetSide :(

Need to get my Damn CD's back :mad:

[Valcron]

Was mine okay hamma? I tried to keep it short and to the point.

[Zatrais]

What happened to the whole TR and NC's reluctance to use Vanu (the race, not faction) tech weaponry? Isn't having them, after doing just great whit plain ol lead, turn around and use Vanu tech weapons a slaughter of the storyline and what the factions represent?

[BDMJ]

How many players can the cavern battles support before becoming too crowded and locking the entrance?

[SmokeJumper]

I'll answer a few of these here, as long as they pertain to Core Combat (I'm doing a quick flyby while waiting for a change to save, so I'm not sure when I'll be by again to check this thread out). Here goes:

a) Pop locks haven't been figured out yet for the caverns. It's different than aboveground because the interior spaces "suck up" people (you can't see them, so they're not an FPS-drain), but the caverns have more "static" objects (non-moving) that add poly budget. Therefore, until we get some big fights down there, we're only guessing (albeit they are educated guesses) at fps issues. I expect them to be similar to continent levels.

b) Platoons are being worked on now and should be out "soon".

c) Occlusion code (where you talk about objects being drawn "unnecessarily") also costs CPU in order to determine which objects need to be drawn. Often, such occlusion code is more expensive than merely drawing the objects. This is the case with the situation you've heard reported elsewhere. PlanetSide draws what it does because it's cheaper that way.

d) The "buildings" in the caverns are crystalline and VERY different than what you see aboveground on the continents. There's also a heck of a lot of them. The environment is very dense and the challenges are more interesting due to the 3D-style environment (ceiling buildings, ground buildings, and even some hovering ones).

e) Modules can be stolen. They can be destroyed. And they also time out after a certain length of time (still testing to find the "sweet spot" on that timer, but currently it's 48 hours or more).

[NoSurrender]

Are their any plans to weapons that are effective against tanks because its very hard to kill a prowler with just a phoenix because the TR use the prowler very effectively now...

[Squeeky]

Hey Dave,

Nice to see you around here! I guess they're keeping you busy eh? :wave:

[X-113]

What if the continent above the caves is locked? Will players below the locked cont be trapped?

Are there spawn points down there? Or are we gonna have to load twice every time we die?

Is there a magma filled cave? (its illegal to make a game or exp pack without a lava level now :))

If a module is taken from its spawn point underground, does it spawn again before the first one degrades?

What kind of hazards will there be in caves? (Beyond other players)

All I can think of for now. And its nice to see that the devs are still alive. :thumbsup:

[Ludorious]

X-113, I can ansewer one of your questions.

In the Game Cronicle interview, Dallas Posted this pic:

http://www.gamechronicles.com/qa/pside/core3.jpg

[X-113]

Pulsy-glowy crystals of doom. Nice. :)
I still want to know if we'll have bottomless pits or random exploding geysers and rock slides and such. :)

[Falcon_br]

in the last everquest expansion, before the release the game was self-updating weeks before the release to avoid server overcrawnled.
In the day of the release the games asked if you want to play the expansion and if you hit yes you need do agree with the contract and receive a extra fee into your subscrition. I dont know how the players that used the montly card adquired the expansion.
My question is:
Will be planetside the same thing? all will download the expansion, but only the ones that pays the fee will be able do play it?
Will it require the standart game or can I buy or donwload it without having the original game?
Correct the english mistaques for me to do the questions, because there are 4 years that I leaved the US.

[BUGGER�GHO�T]

Would you ever plan on closing one of the coast severs so you could get possibly maximum amount of players on one server?

If so, would you transfer data from that server to the current server for time being untill the server gets close to being too populated and/or full?



:note how good my grammar was up there, you guys that complain about my grammar should be impressed:p :

[321]

Originally posted by Squeeky
I am curious about Platoons, i miss PlanetSide :(

Need to get my Damn CD's back :mad:

Where are your CDs?

[bryan25]

Where will the light in the carverns come from? You have to be able to see.

Will there be realistic echoes?

Will there be openings in the ceilings of the caverns so you can have orbital strikes?

[PallarAndersVis]

i would really love to have EAX support so when we are in the caverns, you get to hear huge echoes and stuff.

[vipjerry]

1) Is anyone working on constant crash to desktop problem because it happens like every 1 hour since last patch?

2) Servers are becoming empty as it looks right now (except Werner but even on Werner it is very rare to see more than 3 dots and I remember times to se yellow or red dots on regular base) and there is nothing new that you can take whole continent and have like 10 enemies on it, does SOE has in plan anything else than expansion pack to bring new players in PS.

[CraZy]

the question is: will there be graphics optimizations? some new options to increase performance or quality? performance for slow PC`s(minimum) and quality for fast PC`s.

[Rightwing]

If I choose to pick up Tactical Support again for the Router, will it still be the same two certs it costs for the AMS alone?

Or will it go up?

[Zakaah]

Will there be a fix for that damn memory leek for us who cannot afford 1 or 2 gig's of memory were not all super rich y'know.:p

[Hamma]

Good to see ya around again Dave ;)

Keep the Q's coming, gonna collect some later this evening and send them off for an interview ;)

[AztecWarrior]

How will the new weapons function, if at all, in the normal, non-expanded continents?

[Otis]

The New Conglomerate "supposedly" rely on more punch then rate of fire with their weapons. why does the Jackhammer fire off a shot every 1.5 seconds?

Along the same topic, if the Vangaurd's ROF was decrease, and the Prowler's was increase, the tanks just might fit their roles.

Is any of this happening? Will it ahppen? Are you even thinking about it?

[EarlyDawn]

-How big are these caverns?

-How big are the cities?

-Are there any bases of any kind to capture or is it all just capturing crystals?

-Will crystal benefits carry across the lattice when facility links go in?

-Are crystals only avalible once to pick up before having to wait for them to respawn?

-Any scale comparison for the first two questions would be appreciated.

[00AgentDuck]

The New Conglomerate "supposedly" rely on more punch then rate of fire with their weapons. why does the Jackhammer fire off a shot every 1.5 seconds?

I agree with you here Otis, I would like to see those changes made. But this is a question forum not a what should be nerfed forum so I won't go into that.

Are there any special buildings in the urban areas that preform unique functions?

And with these new sheilds for the vechicles, how strong are they and do they let any damage go through to the vechicle itself. For example, an infuntry can lose both health and armor from a sniper shot, but a max only loses armor then health. Will the shields be like the infuntry or the max?

[Happy lil Elf]

Otis please start another thread if you're going to ask that.

P.S. And no offense meant by this, but asking for two nerfs to an opposing Empire at the same time you ask for a buff for your own is really kinda cheesey :ugh:

[Rightwing]

The vang ownz.

[Diddy Mao]

K Besides When the Expansion to Be Released! Will they be adding any extra Battle Rank's! If So How Many?

[DDSHADE]

it sould be about to BR25 and at BR21 get a new uniform upgrade and at BR24 you should get a fourth implant(maybe)

but these should be BONUS BR's so it should take A LOT more xp to get to them

[00AgentDuck]

Somewhere I heard they were not planning on adding any BR. Hopefully they think otherwise due to once you reach BR20 or CR5 then there's not much else except to play for fun or help out your empire and outfit. Adding BR would help keep people longer.

[Otis]

Originally posted by Happy lil' Elf
Otis please start another thread if you're going to ask that.

P.S. And no offense meant by this, but asking for two nerfs to an opposing Empire at the same time you ask for a buff for your own is really kinda cheesey :ugh:
I am NOT asking for a nerf. Nor am I complaining endlessly like some people. But months before PS came out I read EVERYTHING. The NC overall strenght was power, TR higher rate of fire, VS manuverability. Pretty much all of them are true. Except the Jackhammer fires so quick and powerful that it just doesn't seem right. I just want to know why they did this, and what their intentions were when they designed it. If you ask this, don't ask if they are going to change it or nerf it becouse then they would blow it off.

[Happy lil Elf]

The Jackhammer has the slowest rate of fire of the 3 Empire specific HA. It also does the most damage per shot. It follows the idea behind NC weaponry, slower rate of fire but biggest punch.

[sirmurphy]

The jackhammer does have a slightly slower rate but at the amount of damage it does the rate of fire may be just a bi too much.

http://stats.planetsidegaming.com/12/612469/stats.png

[sirmurphy]

Oh and to my question whens the lodestar coming out?
Can it transport all vehicles?
Thanks for your time .

[aiwest420]

question about cc beta:

If there is a Core Combat beta, will it be invite-only, sign-up, or possibly previous PS beta testers?

[Otis]

Originally posted by Happy lil' Elf
The Jackhammer has the slowest rate of fire of the 3 Empire specific HA. It also does the most damage per shot. It follows the idea behind NC weaponry, slower rate of fire but biggest punch.
It is slower than the others but it isn't slow.

[X-113]

Originally posted by Otis
It is slower than the others but it isn't slow.

Because if it WAS slow it would be underpowered. Or would you rather be able to lug around a Vanguard cannon? :p

Now please, lets get back to the topic of CC and questions about CC.

[Madcow]

Originally posted by Otis
It is slower than the others but it isn't slow.

Anybody ever see the Aqua Teen Hunger Force with the Moonites?

"It will destroy you" as the big dot travels about 1 mile an hour, I think that's what Otis is hoping for ;)

[Phaden]

YES!! GO AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE!!!

Number one in the hood G

[Happy lil Elf]

It is slower than the others but it isn't slow.

I never said it's slow, I said it's the slowest. NC is supposed to have slower firing weapons than the other two empires, not just slow firing weapons period.

But by all means, give me a Jackhammer that only fires once every 5 seconds but does the same damage that a Lasher or MCG can do in five seconds of holding down the trigger and I'll happily one-shot 4 or 5 people at once :p

[Gilgamesh]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But by all means, give me a Jackhammer that only fires once every 5 seconds but does the same damage that a Lasher or MCG can do in five seconds of holding down the trigger and I'll happily one-shot 4 or 5 people at once

Thats exactly the problem, I have come face to face with enemy many time where we both start shooting point blank, and I will always lose against a jackhammer every time using my lasher, and yes had full health and reinforced suit on. this is consistant, so now i loot hammers as much as possible.

I figure that the weapons in CC will be better or iqual to the best of the weapons currently out, so as to balance the fire power between empires.

As for the balance in population between the empires, thats all screwed up now due to the weapons weakness of the VS, so many players either quit or changed empires.

They know they goofed, so new weapons that are universally available will have some iqualizing effect, and at least help balance the fire power a bit.

[Spee]

Well, lets see.


Shotgun = Many bullets fired at once.


Lasher = One "orb" shot at once.


I'd like to think that MCG and JH are for extreme-close-range, and Lasher is for medium....


'Cause, if you're 20 feet away from a JH'er, you can own him hardcore.