Un-merge the servers

[Heavygain]

(no flame for this please)
Okay, i played beggining of open Beta, through the summer of release and quit after that. I came back after the server merge and found that all organization was gone other than in select few outfits. I miss the early day of release/beta where "zergs" hardly existed and where only select few got CR5. After the server merge the ammount of cr5's doubled, thus making cr5 no big deal anymore. Does anyone else remember the days where you couldnt get a sqaud without listing all your certs? or where you could nearly nothing solo due to enemy **organized** sqauds responding twice as fast as now? I didnt play during the fall of release so i wouldnt know if it was hard to even find a battle but from the way it seems now, i would rather have that with the organization. I almost never sqaud up with non-outfit mates so if i am not playing with CDL i am soloing, and from my experiences, it is way too affective. More players join every day and emerald is too populated for many peoples tastes. I know the odds of them unmerging the servers is very low with only one person suggesting and i know the odds are only slightly higher with say, 25 posts but if a lot of people. I'm finding Battlefield: vietnam a lot more fun than PS right now due to the unorganization of things, but I will stick with this game through the bad and good.

[JakeLogan]

/signed

[Krinsath]

The problem is getting the n00blets who don't understand tactics to stop trying to play the game like it's Quake and think on a more tactical level. Solving problems with idiots is difficult, and really are you're asking for is to dilute the idiots. They will STILL be idiots and you will STILL see the problems, you'll just see it in twice as many places now and strip PS of the one thing that sets it apart from other FPSes, the mammoth battles.

The problem with Konreid and Johari was really that there'd be one good battle going at any given time, and that was usually poplocked so there wasn't that much going on. Sure, the FPS and lag was a hell of a lot better (I used to HATE Emerald at primetime) but at the same time, it was a lot harder to advance and get good action (which is why my Emerald character is BR18 and my Konreid is BR16).

Unmerging the servers isn't the way to go, as you are taking away an important feature of PS, finding more reasons to break up the zerg would be a better alternative as you're still diluting the idiots.

My idea on the topic is that the towers and some other points should be included on the lattice and need to be defended as well. As it stands, you just roll from base to base, and there are too few bases to readily establish front-lines.

I see the system working as follows:

Towers, despite being on the lattice, can be captured at any time still. They account for 1/2 of a hack point and should be linked to at least two bases.

New field objectives (so that not everything worthwhile is indoors...) would be 1/2 of a hack point. There should be two field objectives tied to every base, though like towers these could be shared. Don't know if there should be lattice enforcement (like the bases) or not (like the proposed towers). Thoughts?

That lattice link from a cavern or base is 1 hack point.

The link through a Warpgate counts as 2 hack points (to facilitate invasions).

In short, every base OTHER than capitals would have 2 towers linked to them, at least 2 bases, and 2 "field objectives".

You need 2 hack points to begin hacking a base (simliar mechanism to what the Capitol bases have where you have to have 2 sub-caps before you can hack). These can be from a combination of field objectives, towers, and bases. 1 of each will provide you the ability to hack, or two linked bases, or a linked base and a cavern, or even from 2 towers and the 2 field objectives.

That way you'd have to seize these objectives AND MAINTAIN CONTROL (really evil idea: make the hack timer pause until there are 2 hack points available...) to advance. This in turn breaks up the zerg to a great deal as if they allow towers or field objectives to fall under enemy control their advance will be slowed. Also makes flank attacks and other bits of strategy on the defenders part more viable.

I might post this on the OF to see what the trolls there can come up with. Sorry to hijack your thread. :D

[Kikinchikin]

Heavy that is exactly what I posted in my farewell post. I agree 100%. I want CR 5 to be special again, I want tactical battles again, I want less lag. But of course this will never happen, as the devs obey the idiots and the idiots want WTF HOOGE B@++13$!!!!!111

Unmerging the servers would certainly make me come back.

[Glaynor]

I've been around since Beta as well and the came has collapsed. Why? Because there is no need for tactics. Originally the people who had the game were interested in organized squad battles. But as the bugs and glitches in the game continued to increase many, many left.

What does SOE need to do? Make choke holds that force tactics. Put in either towns or forts that soldiers have to pass through. That will focus the fighting and force some tactics. All the terrain is similar in the game - and you can run everywhere and almost everything. Force organization and the game will become much better

[ORANGE]

heavy has a point someone start a petition

[Vis Armata]

You'll not get far in PS without tactical play.

[dur13l]

/sign

way to many people in one place and way too much lag. its no surprise to log in and see 4 conts that are poplocked!!

[Hamma]

I doubt they will ever "unmerge" but who knows, there may be a new server at some point.

[Neon Apocalypse]

i agree with vis. My outfit Phoenix Royal Guard does lots of coordination and we use TS. We're sort of like SG in a sense that we have less people and aren't as coordinated. But you really won't get anywhere with tactics. You can go out and grunt in a zerg and get exp, but your not really helping your empire so much.

[JakeLogan]

I avoid the zerg as much as possible I prefer to go on Spec ops runs with my outfit at night and if I'm at home during the day I mainly do defense of the conts we have when the enemy starts to attack if the zerg comes there to defend then I run off and take towers by myself. or run solo annoyince(SP?) spec ops. take down gens make people come to the base and bring it back up so on so forth.

EDIT: nothing more fun then pissing off the enemy by bringing down their gens and such.

[Red October]

Hmmmmmm......

How bout an Outfit only server? All outfits from all servers can enter provided some criteria is met. Such as the Outfit must have been active within the last 4 months (eliminates dead outfits & newly formed outfits by people who say "lets F-up the outfit server") and a squad must be currently together, populated with outfit members (eliminates single players from entering and/or could set a required number of people before entrance). Well organized and tactic driven outfits will own rather quickly. Giving the less adequate no choice but to organize better and develop tactics. Higher CR ranks will definately have meaning since it kind of denote's who's in charge....just some random thoughts.

[JakeLogan]

Hmmmmmm......

How bout an Outfit only server? All outfits from all servers can enter provided some criteria is met. Such as the Outfit must have been active within the last 4 months (eliminates dead outfits & newly formed outfits by people who say "lets F-up the outfit server") and a squad must be currently together, populated with outfit members (eliminates single players from entering and/or could set a required number of people before entrance). Well organized and tactic driven outfits will own rather quickly. Giving the less adequate no choice but to organize better and develop tactics. Higher CR ranks will definately have meaning since it kind of denote's who's in charge....just some random thoughts.
thats a pretty good idea there

[Jaged]

If the devs unmerged the servers, I wold be pissed. It is just avoiding the main problem. There will always be idiots, splitting them up dosen't help. What we need is for the devs to make it easier for CR5's to lead. Right now is like herding cats. That dosen't make for a fun game enviroment.

[Rbstr]

I think things are fine as is now. To me NC markov has always been decently organized though soemtime the CR5's do dumb things instead of being smart, as in if we had a good CR5 people would listen to him.

[Baneblade]

Well the thing about being a CR5 is the only thing you can do is talk, I'm a talker and anyone on NC Markov would know it (when Im playing :P )...

However talking isnt the way to lead, you gotta have more indepth command and control system before the real generals shine...

The main problem is that CR5s and CR4s arent given the right tools to decently organize movements, all you can do is hope someone is doing what you can say...

[Lartnev]

I know why you want the zerg to go away, it makes strategic ops less rewarding as they're swallowed up by the mass amounts of people (the large amounts of people also make them more difficult). But when done correctly, against the odds, strategic ops can still turn the tide of battle, even if you won't get much credit for it.

I've said it before, I quite like the zerg. It's what makes planetside different from other games. There are enough people to make it seem like there really is a war going on. And that also, you have your part to play in that war.

Only the devs know if they'll ever split the servers, only they know if the server usage is high enough that if the servers were to split, there'd be enough players to keep that going.

[Rbstr]

I can voutch for the efectiveness of behind the lines stuff, me and Stripmoe totaly shut down the VS's back bases on Amerish the other day, the Nc took only an hour to totaly lock the cont, that was under decent sized zerg on both sides

[Firefly]

Kinda funny that everyone does "spec ops" now and no one engages in infantry/armor roles anymore.

Equally funny is how you blow a generator and a spawn tube and suddenly you're "spec ops".

Maybe it's not special anymore. It's run of the mill... blah. Try some Ranger tactics.

[Rbstr]

we do pleanty of up front stuff, mostly lib bombing and flying air support to the zerg, or just being infanty sometimes.

If evey body does specops then Why is ther a zerg? I never see a fight in wich al that is happening is gen busting and specops type stuff. Why is that? becasue you don't gain anything but an advantage when you do stuff like that the vechs and infantry still have to move in and take the base.

Gen blowing isn't all of it you know. I consider Flail hunting, ams hunting, Mod stealing, Mod getting, capping towers behind the lines and De-generatoring all Special Operations tyep stuff. Why is that? Normal operations is attackign the enemy head on(i would not count degennign a sieged base as specops stuff). Sabatoge, and things like that are not normal hence 'special'.

What would you call it?

[Baneblade]

My vehicle of choice (Enforcer) makes Spec Ops hard to do hehe...

Still wish it had a coaxial 20mm or something for the gunner...

[noodles]

maybe to help cr5's enforce things they should be given an option to lock weapons for a minute or dramatically slow their respawn counter or something in that general area instead of just kicking them out of the squad. some sort of minor punishment to help motivate....
...or maybe i'm just talking outta my ass.

[Heavygain]

I dunno. I miss the days where there would 3 sqauds working together against a tank all at once and one would rush, the other two would flank and it was followed by a big BANG. It would fic the n00bs because they would run into a battle right away so they would be forced to look for a sqaud causing them to obey or to get kicked. If they did this, i would play twice as much as this recent week. Not to bring BF:V into the mix but the game is brand new and twice as good as planetside due to the way it plays, the organization, and the fact that almost everything is even other than the damn m60. planetside still is my second favorite but theres not much time for two. If i dont see some uber l33t kick@$$ changes in the next few weeks, my account is as good as sold.

[Kaymon]

I doubt they will ever "unmerge" but who knows, there may be a new server at some point.

A new server, with everyone at BR1. That would be a riot.

[keam02]

for the one who said you wont get far without tactical play...I knew a guy who was br17 cr3. All he did when he got on was - /o lfs squad pls - (not asking, demanding) then - /s where are you? - then hed go there, follow the waypts and not say another word the whole time. As a squad leader, the only words hed say were - /s new wps up -

so you dont have to have tactics, you just have to play alot, and thats the problem with most people/outfits/sqauds.

[SilverLord]

I agree with Sobekeus on the idea at hand. The CR4's (me) and CR5's still just need MORE of a way to convey orders to the zerg.

About spec ops... How do you think this server merge has effected spec ops? The spec ops in Planetside were meant to be done FAR behind the lines with an Infiltrator squad or a squad or more of regular infantry. My outfit does this all the time and the only people that ever respond are the Reavers and Mossie guys. It's simply fun to just wait and get the suprie on them and kill em. This has not hurt spec ops, just made it more challenging.

[Vis Armata]

for the one who said you wont get far without tactical play...I knew a guy who was br17 cr3. All he did when he got on was - /o lfs squad pls - (not asking, demanding) then - /s where are you? - then hed go there, follow the waypts and not say another word the whole time. As a squad leader, the only words hed say were - /s new wps up -

so you dont have to have tactics, you just have to play alot, and thats the problem with most people/outfits/sqauds.

If you measure success by rank, then tactics aren't necessary. If you are measuring success by really making a difference on the continental and/or global scale, then tactics are necessary.

[scarpas]

i dont really worry about a lack of strategy or tactics as im in TRG, the most coordinated outfit on tr markov, and tr markov has some really good cr5s. :cool:

[Kyonye]

my clan isn't even big enough to be a zerg...but thats ok because all we like to do is run spec ops mission considering we haven't failed in a spec ops yet. besides, spec ops are alot more fun then zergs...

[Kaikou]

Playing solo will accomplish nothing more than make mass BEPs. You will not be able to hack and hold a base solo unless it's somewhere with 0 population. Zergs are sadly a major part of the game. They require no strategy. Simply masses of people. However this is a valid tactic. The way PS is designed favors numbers. There are no ways you can set up ambushes or gain an advantage over an enemy with twice the people you have. Unmerging the servers would take the number of people participating, and divide it in half. That way 2 smaller zergs sweep across continents on 2 different servers rather than one massive zerg on one server. A team of 10 highly coordinated squad members will be defeated by 20 mindless zerglings. It's simply the way planetside is designed. Everyone who has played it has realized this and compete with the other empire to see who can muster up the most people in a battle, hence, zergs are formed. So if the defenders have 50 people defending a base, the attackers send 70. If the defenders increase their numbers to 60, the attackers increase theirs to 80. It's an endless loop until the base is taken. Why use your brain and think up a plan to surgically strike a defended base when you can just take twice the people the defenders have and throw them at the base?

In short. Planetside favors numbers, not strategy. Thus zergs will always be the deciding factor of battles until there's a way for 10-20 people to hold off a zerg of 50-60 people. When I say that, the first thing everyone thinks is "Yeah right, 10-20 people hold of 50-60? Not gonna happen." That's exactly what I mean. It probably won't ever happen. Strategy is dead, accept the zerg.

[TheN00b]

Playing solo will accomplish nothing more than make mass BEPs. You will not be able to hack and hold a base solo unless it's somewhere with 0 population. Zergs are sadly a major part of the game. They require no strategy. Simply masses of people. However this is a valid tactic. The way PS is designed favors numbers. There are no ways you can set up ambushes or gain an advantage over an enemy with twice the people you have. Unmerging the servers would take the number of people participating, and divide it in half. That way 2 smaller zergs sweep across continents on 2 different servers rather than one massive zerg on one server. A team of 10 highly coordinated squad members will be defeated by 20 mindless zerglings. It's simply the way planetside is designed. Everyone who has played it has realized this and compete with the other empire to see who can muster up the most people in a battle, hence, zergs are formed. So if the defenders have 50 people defending a base, the attackers send 70. If the defenders increase their numbers to 60, the attackers increase theirs to 80. It's an endless loop until the base is taken. Why use your brain and think up a plan to surgically strike a defended base when you can just take twice the people the defenders have and throw them at the base?

In short. Planetside favors numbers, not strategy. Thus zergs will always be the deciding factor of battles until there's a way for 10-20 people to hold off a zerg of 50-60 people. When I say that, the first thing everyone thinks is "Yeah right, 10-20 people hold of 50-60? Not gonna happen." That's exactly what I mean. It probably won't ever happen. Strategy is dead, accept the zerg.

I do not agree. While I do admit that numbers are very important, I testify that a highly organized and skilled force can hold off and destroy a force twice it's size. However, if you wish to do this, you become more limited in tactical options. For example, simply bum-rushing the enemy is no longer possible: They have twice your numbers and will blow you away with ease, no matter how individualistic, unorganized, and n00bish they are. However, against this kind of force, Sniping and hit-and-run vehicle attacks suddenly become very important. The way I look at it, two times the numbers equals two times the BEP for me :) .

[Kaikou]

True a squad of 10 could hold off a squad of 20...for a time. However if both forces keep at it (say the 20 guys have a tower, and the 10 are defending the tower's nearby base) then the larger force will always win. You can use some hit and run tactics, but they just respawn 20 seconds later. Though no one would want it, increasing the spawn timer would probably *help* not solve, the fact that the larger force always wins.

[Baneblade]

Maybe limit how many times you can respawn each time you go to a continent?

Would give adv meds more purpose and would help reduce the Rambos...

So say maybe 10 respawns before you have to respawn at sanc...

[flypengy]

why not just further reduce the poplock from 150 to like 75 or so?

[Lartnev]

War is about numbers.

[SilverLord]

why not just further reduce the poplock from 150 to like 75 or so?
The pop-locks are fine as is right now.

[Heavygain]

The repawn thing sounds good, but something is just off about it.

[Majik]

why not just further reduce the poplock from 150 to like 75 or so?

Cyssor would become the least wanted continent at that point. It is already hard to hold against 1 enemy force, let alone both coming in. Half the number of defenders and you wouldn't have the man power to even try and spread out and resecure bases, towers, and gens.

[Baneblade]

The repawn thing sounds good, but something is just off about it.
Probably that there is no game engineered reason?

I figure that some cloning excuses would be a good way to do it, you get a certain amount of charges before you arent performing well enough for the empire to keep you in that location...

And maybe you go to the HART building and access a terminal for it...hehe...

[Lartnev]

Whilst it would definatly encourage more players to cert in advanced medic, the zerg would roll over bases more easily since they have more bodies and hence more respawns.

[Baneblade]

Maybe, one thing about zergs is there is a lot of dying goin on...

[flypengy]

This game is about zerging. Rarely is there ever a "Large enemy force" fight. It always quickly elevates into a massive, and some people don't like to play like that. If there was a server with smaller pops on the continents so that every battle wasn't such a cluster fuck, I would happily delete my characters to play on that one.

[Lartnev]

I don't think it's about zerging, but it definatly helps to have the most numbers (in all games).

[SilverLord]

I don't think it's about zerging, but it definatly helps to have the most numbers (in all games).
I totally agree with you Lartnev. PS isn't ALL about zerging, it just happens that way most of the time. If you have the most numbers, yes, you DO have an advantage and most likely will win.

I like the Massive battles sometimes but other times I just want to go and fight about 20 other guys which I think is a large. I don't know what should be done. I think right now there is room for one empire to have 2 massive forces on each continent.

[Heavygain]

I like the idea of having to replenish your respawns by having to get to sanc and access a term. That way you only have to kill a guy so many times until he figures out that he needs a sqaud/advanced medic.