What I would like to see...

[Ltiy]

Bear in mind I made this list back in January before we started getting any details on the game. I wanted to share how I felt about some of these things so I am posting them here from our forums. Be gentle. Constructive criticism is welcomed! Maybe Smedley will take a look! One more thing, it's okay to disagree with me! Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Here is what I want to see.


Energy/physical? riot shields for players with a SMG or Pistol varient. No heavy weapons.
Energy/physical? riot shield attachment for MAX's with no weaponry. A stronger meat shield.
The ability for MAX's to drop their weapon attachment to pick up a new "enemy MAX" weapon attachment.
Weapon Customization. Scopes, equipment attachments, grips for stability, better weapon internals etc.
New useful equipment such as new armor that actually gives armor values, flares, smoke grenades and laser designators.
Make it so players weapons can jam. Make it so players have to un-jam their gun.
Please make medic kits only useable outside of combat...Please! It's not realistic to medic yourself in a fight with a hostile soldier at point blank.
Better progression values. Make leveling your character more rewarding then just battle ranks. For instance a unique passive system that helps increase stats of your char to reflect your actual experience in the game. The values should be very very small, if at all subtle but can actually make a difference when peaked against more less experienced players. Different or unique armor and weapons/attachments etc. for certain higher battle ranks seems like the only logical way. Let me reinforce "subtle" but there.
Implement roles like "Pilot" and "Special Ops" where only certain tools and abilities can be used (and only certain aircraft can be flown) with that skillset. Anotherwords, everyone and their mom cannot fly around and have all the equipment either.
Make more tiers for roles. For example: Instead of Hacking --> Advanced Hacking --> Expert Hacking. Make it Hacking Tier 1 --> Hacking Tier 2 --> etc. etc. --> Hacking Tier 10. I am calling it "Tier" for lack of a better word to describe it. In a nut shell I want to see more levels for different skills.
Potentially make Tier 10 the ultimate level or the pinnacle of what all strive to be and want with all roles. When you get Tier 10 that means most of your certs you have is dedicated to that role. Perhaps you cannot be two tier 10's for balance and for dedicated roles sake? No super soldiers please! If anything make the "Special Ops" role a more broad skillset to accomplish it's task.
This is a given but stick to giving certain role tiers only access to certain weapon types and equipment/weapon customization.
Allow a/many engineer(s) to actually build fortifications/bunkers/turrets/towers that can all be destroyed, yet offer a considerable amount of defense rating to whoever occupies it.
More different types of unique mines and TRAPS to slow and hinder hostile vehicle progress on objectives.
Allow engineers to put down "Sandbags" ANYWHERE with a limit of 10. Make them stackable to a certain height and destroyable with so much damage absorbed. One shot from a rocket launcher or heavy energy weapon of some kind will destroy several at a time depending on where it's aimed. The higher the caliber being shot at the sandbags the less effect the "Sandbags" will hold.
Actual weight values. Slow players down carrying more equipment and materials needed (Engineers) to create structures and fortifications. Have Chain guns with slow walking players and Mini chain guns for quicker speed and agility but less damage per shot.
Vehicle hit boxes. Similar to a BFR except for ALL Vehicles and aircraft. If a weapon is destroyed you cannot fire until you have set down and repaired. If an engine is shot out depending on what vehicle or aircraft your in you may crash or become immobile. Have armor values for these hit boxes to balance. Less armor on aircraft engines and weaponry.
Vehicle countermeasures PLEASE. Shields, flares, whatever.
Better crewman vehicles. Make Gunships (Reavers) with TWO players instead of one to operate. None of this one man gunship crap. Pilot and Gunner. Simple balance.
Make it so Gunships carry 4-10 rockets that do a lot of damage. Not 96 rockets. This makes it so they take on more of an airstrike role. Hit and run to reload.
When vehicles or players are hit by a jammer grenade or EMP of some kind have their HUD or system shut down. Forcing the system to reboot to overcome the temporary malfunction. Distort soldiers vision, do not black out. Aircraft EMPed need to actually fall out of the sky. If they are high enough they might be able to survive the fall if the engines can come alive in time.
Day/Night Cycles.
More brush, trees, waterfalls, etc.
Climb trees and base walls with the right equipment?
Air bases in the mountains, defined rivers that run through bases. Rain storms that hinder and weaken weapons as well as snow storms and sandstorms that hinder vision a lot. Make certain aircrafts impossible to fly in that weather. Unique storms for worlds is great. Do not allow players to be able to turn off particles so it remains fair and more challenging for outfit and player play.
Night Vision that can be optimized for best performance in the dark. Give all vehicles the ability to toggle their night vision. Allow certain roles to obtain night vision faster then other roles.
Make it so a higher level of Hacking can "Lock" doors. Limit the amount of doors they can lock to balance. People with a basic level of hacking should be able to break the lock, but take a significant amount of time to do so, making them very vulnerable. Potentionally make an interactive keypad or window of some kind that pops up that is simple yet takes time to crack for all doors. Longer and harder for doors locked by players.
Naval warfare: Aircraft carriers? Beach assaults? Give us a reason.
Allow a cloaker to actually use something more lethal then a pistol or boomer...Continue to limit the amount of equipment they can carry substantially.
Expand on the virtual reality in the sanctuary. Allow us to actually use weapons, create scenarios and train. Allow us to actually virtually place buildings of all kind to train in and on. Give us the tools to succeed. NO AI PLEASE.
Jump Jets. Allow Rexo/Agile/(Insert armor type here) to get jump jets similar to the VS MAX but with a hefty cooldown and a shorter achievable range. Imagine the possibility of a more mobile commando task force. Footzerging could be fun. Jump walls, or break from trouble quickly. Make it a very costly cert or item. These should not be cheap to get.
CR5/Command....: PLEASE limit the amount of players that can achieve CR5/Highest Rank of Command.
Make it so that It is possible to lose your CR5 position as well as any other command rank position in time. This way if a CR5 stops playing a new CR5 can step up. Limit it to 10 or less. 30 total on a server.
Orbital strikes are fine granted they are limited to the highest command rank on a 5-6 hour cooldown. Make them more destructive.
Make it terribly hard to get command rank. Getting command rank in the first Planetside is too easy. Limit it to officers in outfits and outfit leaders to qualify. Solo players and individuals that are selfish and care nothing about leading and their empire SHOULD NOT BE CR5.
At the extreme make it so SOE decides who is CR5 based on a collection of many different factors.
Make it so CR5's armor actually has armor values.
Make it so CR5's Communication Backpack actually can carry things.
Give (continue to have but add more?) CR5's a powerful command interface. Allow CR5's to see figures, resources and everything else under the sun on continents to help win or dictate fights.

[Ltiy]

FINALLY /sniper rant on (I am an Auraxium sniper in PS1 for those that do not know).


Make snipers...actually a useable intel gathering asset. That means giving us (yes us) the tools needed to do that. In Planetside 1 they were treated like a bad dog. They never received hardly any attention.
We need the stance PRONE...PLEASE.
A Ghillie suit or a more stream line cloaker suit of some kind. Theres a couple ways you could balance this. Snipers rounds run tracer or the Sniper could blink physically when he shoots and appear on radar for a few seconds.
The Ghillie/Concealment suit needs to be limited to snipers only. Tier 6-7+ (a higher level of sniping) is when this should be made available. If the sniper has a spotter the spotter needs to be able to wear the ghillie/cloaking suit as well with a battle rifle. Make sure there is a assault rifle in the sniper tree that players can use with the ghillie.
Also, the Ghillie/Concealment/Cloaker suit should be able to malfunction like anything else in the game, leaving the guy in ghillie a painted target if hit by a jammer or emp, making his suit flash in a colorful array of different colors until the internal system gets control again.
The suit should function like Sensor Shield at all times outside firing his rifle.
The loadout should be heavy because of the equipment/rifle and Ghillie/cloaking system needed to survive alone, thus a slower walking speed. I would define the movement as stalking.
Snipers need the option to change out different ammunition types for their rifle for different missions. Standard for infantry, Armor piercing to shoot hit boxes on vehicles and destroy engines, tank tracks, tires and certain weapon types for example: I shoot an engine on a mosquito, that mossie should spin out of control downwards forcing the pilot to try and stabilize his ship. If he fails to stablize and land it, the craft will blow up. He could eject. If not he will not be able to fly that craft again until repairs are made as it is. There should also be special EMP rounds that can only be fired every 2-3 minutes that last 5-6 seconds disabling whatever it hits. If fired too soon (before the cooldown time is up it) because the EMP round is a very delicate ammo type it will break your rifle, making it unuseable.
Armor Piercing rounds need to be able to break aircraft cockpit glass and kill pilots.
Special equipment pertaining to the sniper. The option to later attach laser designators to your rifle to mark for air support from aircrafts and proper artillery batteries or safe combat drops for transports. That could mean battleships from the sea if it's a beach assault. Also night vision scopes should be acquirable as well as many other different types of scopes. Smoke, jammer grenades and signal flares are a must. Access to climbing equipment? Snipers are pack rats.
SCOPES NEED THE ABILITY TO ZOOM FURTHER ESPECIALLY FOR SNIPERS. It shouldn't be an implant like the first Planetside to get a higher level of zoom.
Continue to keep NO hitboxes on infantry. Hitboxes are not for Planetside..Imagine the ability to headshot? No thank you.


Thoughts?

Maybe this list will give those bored at work something to read and comment on. Looking forward to Planetside Next! ;)

[morf]

I am not a fan of the role system as stated. I understand the undesirability of allowing someone to jump out of a jet armed to the teeth. However I think we need to be mindful of the difference between limiting this specific phenomenon and implementing a system where the role of grunt and the role of pilot are persistently mutually exclusive. You should be able to be a good grunt even if you can fly a plane, because half of the game is indoors. It doesn't make sense to create a system where you can either be on the vehicle squad and suck at indoor combat, or vice versa. You might as well sit out half of the game or switch to your indoor alt once the action moves inside if this is the way things are set up. To reiterate, I am okay with more limits while in a vehicle so they don't just become another layer of armor. More specialization is okay too but I guess what I am driving at is certing for something to improve your outdoor game shouldn't lock you out of certs you might use as a grunt indoors.

[Ltiy]

I know where your coming from. Im not saying that you should be limited to just one role, but rather have the "option" to get more specialized at your choice. Having a role in outfits gave people a sense of purpose and belonging. When SOE came a long with more battle ranks and 40 it totally defeated the purpose of having roles because everyone could be anything and everything. If that makes sense.

[DviddLeff]

A lot of great ideas, many of which I have on my upgrade project website (be sure to check it out:)).

However I have major issue with this point:


-Better progression values. Make leveling your character more rewarding then just battle ranks. For instance a unique passive system that helps increase stats of your char to reflect your actual experience in the game. The values should be very very small, if at all subtle but can actually make a difference when peaked against more less experienced players. Different or unique armor and weapons/attachments etc. for certain higher battle ranks seems like the only logical way. Let me reinforce "subtle" but there.


Sure you say subtle... but you say it should make a difference against newer players. This breaks one of the fundamental features of Planetside which sets it apart from all the other MMOs out there; equality. Any player should be able to grab a Pulsar and have it do the same damage as someone who has been using it for years. This is something that can not and must not change with PS2.

[Raymac]

A lot of great ideas, many of which I have on my upgrade project website (be sure to check it out:)).

However I have major issue with this point:



Sure you say subtle... but you say it should make a difference against newer players. This breaks one of the fundamental features of Planetside which sets it apart from all the other MMOs out there; equality. Any player should be able to grab a Pulsar and have it do the same damage as someone who has been using it for years. This is something that can not and must not change with PS2.

DviddLeff beat me too it. This is one thing I don't ever want to see in Planetside. I love that the stats for a veteran that has been playing for years are exactly the same as a brand new recruit. That level playing field is as crucial to Planetside as anything.

[Ltiy]

A lot of great ideas, many of which I have on my upgrade project website (be sure to check it out:)).

However I have major issue with this point:



Sure you say subtle... but you say it should make a difference against newer players. This breaks one of the fundamental features of Planetside which sets it apart from all the other MMOs out there; equality. Any player should be able to grab a Pulsar and have it do the same damage as someone who has been using it for years. This is something that can not and must not change with PS2.

Hey I checked out your website. Good stuff man :)

Yes I said subtle and I meant what I said. Subtle. Im not talking about anything larger then 10-20 at most in HP or armor lets say with Rexo. It's not going to dictate a fight. You can still be an awful player with it. The differences it would make in a fight 1v2 against a couple of newer players is too small to notice if at all non-existent but I would rather have it then not have it. If it's small enough it should not upset the balance of the game between a noob and lets say a player that has been playing for 6 months if the values are so small to begin with. Perhaps it's not even worth mentioning at that point! lol Just an idea. I just want things to do and work towards. It's nice to be rewarded a long the way.

At it's core though yes I agree. The playing field needs to remain as close as possible to being the same.

One more thing..It does not just have to be values in HP or Armor. It could also be for secondary skills and abilities. For example a granny hacker vs an expert hacker. But something more innate instead of a certification.

[Vancha]

Even the granny hacking vs expert hacking thing seems too much to me. I think anything that would confer an advantage needs to be automatically discarded as a possibility. Aesthetics or side-grades only, if at all.

Edit: Also, most of those sniper changes would be way, way too much. I agree they're too exposed in PS, but we don't know what the terrain will be like in PSN to know whether that'll still be an issue. I think we could definitely be given some kind of "marking" role (I'm tempted to go look up all the special abilities of 40k snipers). AV sniping however...

I kind of doubt we'll see vehicle hitboxes in PSN, certainly not to the extent you describe...I could see us maybe getting some kind of AV round that's incredibly space-inefficient and has a long charge-up/cooldown though (say, 1-2 shots per AV-sized ammo box that does 5-10% vehicle damage with a 30-second to 1-minute cooldown?)

[Raymac]

I learned a great saying from my dad, "Perception is 90% of reality." So no matter how subtle a buff may be, people will perceive it as the rich getting richer.

I'm a big fan of the shield idea. Maybe not so much on a max since they already are a meat shield (especially on NC), but it is a very cool idea that promotes teamwork.

[Ltiy]

Even the granny hacking vs expert hacking thing seems too much to me. I think anything that would confer an advantage needs to be automatically discarded as a possibility. Aesthetics or side-grades only, if at all.

Edit: Also, most of those sniper changes would be way, way too much. I agree they're too exposed in PS, but we don't know what the terrain will be like in PSN to know whether that'll still be an issue. I think we could definitely be given some kind of "marking" role (I'm tempted to go look up all the special abilities of 40k snipers). AV sniping however...

I kind of doubt we'll see vehicle hitboxes in PSN, certainly not to the extent you describe...I could see us maybe getting some kind of AV round that's incredibly space-inefficient and has a long charge-up/cooldown though (say, 1-2 shots per AV-sized ammo box that does 5-10% vehicle damage with a 30-second to 1-minute cooldown?)

The granny hacking vs expert hacking was an exaggeration. I was just trying to paint a quick example of where I was going, not a literal translation.

Why would It be too much? Is sniping not entitled to as much love as anything else? Remember that sniping in PS1 was as cut and dry as "Here is your rifle and here is your ammo." Nothing else..It needs a HUGE face lift. This is just a list of some things I would like to see improved on. (Advanced Sniping, Expert Sniping?) You got to fill that with something (weapons, equipment, skills?). Why not useful things to help evade and stay alive? Remember the argument was making snipers actually "useful" in gathering intel (Scout-Snipers).

Perching up on a hill over a base in blue and yellow armor is not useful, thats a target and I know you understand that.

BFR's had hitboxes, the other vehicles could easily have hitboxes as well.

Your talking about the rifle doing damage. I am talking about using the rifle in more of a disruptive support way.

[brinkdadrink]

Sniping is like anything else where you shoot but you dont have a guy shooting back at you unless its another sniper who has the range.
From your comments i got the impressions your trying to make a clocker be able to both a sniper rifle or assault gun which in either case i dont agree with and then be able to take down both infantry and tanks and planes with one rifle and a few certifications.
As it is now snipers are solo's on a hill top shooting until a mos or reaver comes about. I like the team aspect of planetside and sniper is far from that. I like the idea to give them spotting feature but the way you want to make then i feel everyone will be a sniper as soon as there is a good hill. Its nice to play other things but like everyone everyone else, If you play a style you want that style to be the best over everything else.

[Vancha]

Brinkdadrink hit the mark with "I like the idea to give them spotting feature but the way you want to make then i feel everyone will be a sniper as soon as there is a good hill."

I know where your sniping desires come from, I was a sniper plat when platinum was as high as merits went and it seems Auraxium is only just over double that, which I'd have qualified for and then some.

As snipers, we both know how ridiculously powerful sniping can be in Planetside, despite it's "cut and dry" implementation. The potential kill ratios are like nothing else in the game, not to mention the area denial both indoors and out. Sure, getting mowed down by aircraft or being exposed in the open are huge weaknesses, but if those weaknesses were eliminated I'm not sure sniping could continue to be considered balanced.

I like the idea of being given a marking role, and I like the idea of a sensor shield (though probably at the expense of something else), but allowing the glass cannon to turn invisible, kill pilots, use different scopes, be given smoke grenades and climbing equipment? No one would do anything other than snipe until the fight moved indoors, upon which the entire base would become filled with smoke bombs and only snipers would be able to see anything thanks to their special scopes. :p

[lostabyss]

Please make medic kits only useable outside of combat...Please! It's not realistic to medic yourself in a fight with a hostile soldier at point blank.

well, i would agree, but the technology behind it is sort of what allows this to happen. it pretty much just injects technomagic into the body, repairing it.

# Make it terribly hard to get command rank. Getting command rank in the first Planetside is too easy. Limit it to officers in outfits and outfit leaders to qualify. Solo players and individuals that are selfish and care nothing about leading and their empire SHOULD NOT BE CR5.
# At the extreme make it so SOE decides who is CR5 based on a collection of many different factors.

ever played FOM (face of mankind)? you could say it's like planetside if it went for roleplaying instead of action. there are like 7 different factions, a police force, army, mafia (they make illegal drugs), several corporations that make items, and some mercs. everything in the game is player driven, even the faction relations. they have a constitution, laws, and the R7's (highest rank) are voted in by their faction, along with all the lower ranks being promoted by higher ups. i love FOM for the sense of forced role play, it just kinda happens if you want to progress. as a police officer we had to undergo training and pass a test of our knowledge on the in-game (player decided) laws in order to make R1.
drawback is that it requires a lot of forum time for decisions, arguments, changes, relations, and more crap to attain and keep the higher ranks. (and R7 is said to be like holding down a second job). but at least the company hosts vent and TS servers for each faction to aid communication.

some kind of similar system would be neat, and it would probably be better for the game in that some of the positions would be earned. say each faction has 10-20 CR5's that are all voted in. some would definately be chosen because they make good decisions, a few others would just be popularity and outfit representation though.


ooh! and that would be neat! if each PS faction had a vent or TS server for the higher ranks so they wouldn't have to global all there damn conflicting 'orders'

[Vancha]

ooh! and that would be neat! if each PS faction had a vent or TS server for the higher ranks so they wouldn't have to global all there damn conflicting 'orders'
You mean like some sort of command channel? Genius!

[DviddLeff]

Make snipers...actually a useable intel gathering asset. That means giving us (yes us) the tools needed to do that. In Planetside 1 they were treated like a bad dog. They never received hardly any attention.
Very little roles had any depth to them beyond being able to hit with the gun... cloaker is the most involving and involving in the game.

We need the stance PRONE...PLEASE.
I would love to see prone in PS2, adds so many more tactical options.
A Ghillie suit or a more stream line cloaker suit of some kind. Theres a couple ways you could balance this. Snipers rounds run tracer or the Sniper could blink physically when he shoots and appear on radar for a few seconds.
The Ghillie/Concealment suit needs to be limited to snipers only. Tier 6-7+ (a higher level of sniping) is when this should be made available. If the sniper has a spotter the spotter needs to be able to wear the ghillie/cloaking suit as well with a battle rifle. Make sure there is a assault rifle in the sniper tree that players can use with the ghillie.
Also, the Ghillie/Concealment/Cloaker suit should be able to malfunction like anything else in the game, leaving the guy in ghillie a painted target if hit by a jammer or emp, making his suit flash in a colorful array of different colors until the internal system gets control again.
The suit should function like Sensor Shield at all times outside firing his rifle.
Not sure about these tbh; we need more cover in PS2, and for uniforms to be more camouflaged anyway; a ghille suit would be nice but it should only provide camouflage; nothing more, you can always use Sensor Shield.
The loadout should be heavy because of the equipment/rifle and Ghillie/cloaking system needed to survive alone, thus a slower walking speed. I would define the movement as stalking.
Rexo speed would be fine.
Snipers need the option to change out different ammunition types for their rifle for different missions. Standard for infantry, Armor piercing to shoot hit boxes on vehicles and destroy engines, tank tracks, tires and certain weapon types for example: I shoot an engine on a mosquito, that mossie should spin out of control downwards forcing the pilot to try and stabilize his ship. If he fails to stablize and land it, the craft will blow up. He could eject. If not he will not be able to fly that craft again until repairs are made as it is. There should also be special EMP rounds that can only be fired every 2-3 minutes that last 5-6 seconds disabling whatever it hits. If fired too soon (before the cooldown time is up it) because the EMP round is a very delicate ammo type it will break your rifle, making it unuseable.
Armor Piercing rounds need to be able to break aircraft cockpit glass and kill pilots.
Not sure snipers need dedicated AP ammo, but I fully support high power bullets penetrating cockpits to take out pilots; its bloody fantastic to pull off in the BF games. Not sure I agree with taking out engines though; shield generators fine, but engines is going too far. EMP bullets I think wouldn't be used too much tbh.
Special equipment pertaining to the sniper. The option to later attach laser designators to your rifle to mark for air support from aircrafts and proper artillery batteries or safe combat drops for transports. That could mean battleships from the sea if it's a beach assault. Also night vision scopes should be acquirable as well as many other different types of scopes. Smoke, jammer grenades and signal flares are a must. Access to climbing equipment? Snipers are pack rats.
More equipment for everybody, not just snipers.
SCOPES NEED THE ABILITY TO ZOOM FURTHER ESPECIALLY FOR SNIPERS. It shouldn't be an implant like the first Planetside to get a higher level of zoom.
I've been sniping the past two weeks and totally forgot about the option of an implant...
Continue to keep NO hitboxes on infantry. Hitboxes are not for Planetside..Imagine the ability to headshot? No thank you.
Personally I want headshots; PS's lack of them turns off a lot of people from the game.



My comments in yellow; I didn't read this before I posted previously.

[Traak]

Can't have headshots. Then the game turns into PlanetSniper with everyone else running and cowering like the inmates at the death camp in Schindler's List when the commandant was sniping the ones sitting down doing nothing. Nah.

Go find another game if you want headshots. We don't need 100 new accounts because those people like headshots, and 10000 unsubscribing because they got sick of having to slither and duck everywhere.

Putting headshots in Planetside woudl ruin it, i.e., make it like other onine games.

For balance, then we would have what, exactly? How do you balance a game where a few snipers, who would end up with aimbots, ROF hacks, and everything else, like they do now, don't ruin the entire game for everyone else? By making the snipers all have rotating waypoints above them? Only being able to take one shot per hour? Having their weapon blow up in their hands when they make a headshot?

You can't balance headshots. They are great in real combat, w00t, go join the Army and you can do all you want. This is a game, and ruining it for everyone so a few (who will be infiltrated by cheaters) snipers can be OMG so LEET LOLZ HAHAZ OMGZZZ Y0U T0T4LLY SUXXXXX0RZZZ with their ridiculous advantage is not going to work.

If there are headshots, then there would be one-stab knife kills, one-pistol-shot kills, Heck, even a punch in the temple could be lethal.

Anything that is instagib WILL ruin the game unless it is a massively heavy weapon, like the Vanny gun which actually takes skill to operate, because it is ballistic.

However, a great addition to sniping is making the sniper rounds ballistic. Now you have to actually be able to shoot, just like the Vanguard, Prowler, Sunderer, and wall turret gunners.

I understand that people who snipe want to see snipers turn into all-powerful swaggering gods of the battlefield, which is closer to how snipers dominate the battlespace in the real world, but, this is a game, and the person who is your enemy is Sony's customer, and they don't want a few to screw it up for the many.

I wouldn't mind seeing snipers done away with entirely. Everyone has their likes. But handing snipers a win button isn't good for the game.

[DviddLeff]

Sorry Traak but I just can't agree with you on headshots. They balance the playing field by allowing any gun to be affective rather than just those that are perfect for that situation. Headshots are expected in FPS games.

You can't use hacking as a reason not to have a feature, it will be an issue however it's used.

I totally support ballistic trajectories for bullets to add to the skill and difficulty of ranged combat.

[Bags]

Sorry that your thumper can't be the best weapon for any situation, leff. ;)

[Traak]

I guess the thumper is a functional mortar, but how about mortars? With the tracer fire that everything produces, it wouldn't be a mystery where it came from, and it would enable getting at pesky people on towers and walls. I was thinking a bit more range than a thumper.

I wouldn't like it, but it's just an idea.

[DviddLeff]

Bags I only used the thumper for about three months after I had got tired of third person campers, so actually resorted to popping grenades around every corner I came across!

I would love to see mortars in game; helps keep fights out in the world away from bases and gives more use for cloakers as they hunt down mortar teams.

[CutterJohn]

I'd like to see sniper(and indeed, all) rifles not have cof bloom while turning, at least if you are turning slowly. That was my main and biggest complaint about sniper rifles. So unintuitive.

But yeah.. Sniper rifles and the sniper role shouldn't really be any more effective. I could accept a sniper armor that cloaks you only while standing still or perhaps crouch walking, and takes 30s to reset when you shoot, and a spotting scope/lase pointer. Only the dot of the lase would be visible. To see the laser itself you'd need darklight.

But no more, really.

I'd also like to see the scorp moved to special assault where it belongs, and the rocklet given the explode at a set distance ability too. Would be helpful against snipers, and base walls or corners. :)

[Bruttal]

Hum isn't Flails our vearsion of mortars though i do agree id like to see much better ANTI Alien Mortar

[Robert089]

Hum isn't Flails our vearsion of mortars though i do agree id like to see much better ANTI Alien Mortar

Flails do sort of fit the role but mortars that have a much shorter range than flails, perhaps similar to that of a base SOI, would be nice.

As it is flails can sit in the safety of a friendly base and continue to attack the enemies for hours. A mortar team that can just be out of the line of sight of defenders in a base, behind a hill just out of the SOI would be perfect.

[CutterJohn]

Must say I'm not a fan of artillery gameplay at all though, especially out of line of sight. Very boring, and imo should not be encouraged. Maybe a bullet camera(phoenix style) showing you where your shots are hitting would spruce it up. But of course no, or very limited, guidance.

[Peacemaker]

The game screams for a better artillary system. In accurate yet precise artillary is what we need (that means you can shell a base, but you won't beable to target a specific spot in the base. Mininum range would prevent close range spam.

I also think mortars would add to the game. Implimenting them is something I havnt thought much about.

[Bags]

We don't need guns you can't aim with even if you try.

[DviddLeff]

Have spotters lasing targets for mortar users.

Awesome teamwork.

[Rarntogo]

Laser pointing for the Flail was a great idea. That said, when I first saw the flail I didnt think it could fire unless someone was targeting for you. Spamming mortars, spray and pray down hallways, huge amounts of splash damage etc... Am I alone in thinking that this stuff takes some of the fun out of the game? I mean... why doesn't everyone just have a nuker and launch bombs across the map at each other? We play first person shooters for a reason. Save the artillery for vehicles and AV weapons.

[CutterJohn]

Have spotters lasing targets for mortar users.

Awesome teamwork.

Not really. Its one guy aiming, and the other guy on a $1000 dollar computer, full of frankly miraculous technology, assisted by even more miraculous communications gear, spending $15 a month, to align a crosshair on another crosshair and push a button and watch the resulting killspam. Its about the least interactive, skillful, and exciting role ever thought up.

In my opinion only, of course. :D


Tbh, I don't really like the idea of mortars artillery, largely because I'm a big believer in having to expose yourself to fire in order to shoot enemies. Not really a fan of weapons that let you do otherwise(definitely wasn't a fan of the phoenix).

[Hamma]

What is with all the posts about how much computers cost? :lol:

[DviddLeff]

Cant take a base with mortars, but they can provide cover for other troops to go in and get the job done.

Its all about combined arms.

[Bags]

I can take a base with mortars.

[Teek]

Firstly,
I think the sniper rifle should have headshots, and maybe if we create an accurate, medium range semi-auto rifle (one of the things I'm hoping for.) As for everything else, I don't think it's necessary, one shot headshots certainly don't fit with planetside for the most part, though maybe it can have increased damage. Halo manages to integrate headshots fairly well in game, and I always thought a lot of the gameplay characteristics between the two games were pretty similar.

I'd love for artillery to be included and redone in next, both in the forms of mortars and larger self-powered guns. Mortars were done pretty well in a game called Joint Operations. It's the second largest fps I ever played, next to Planetside, and it was pretty fun. Larger artillery should be like the flail, but more conventional, and maybe not as dependent on the laze pointer. Also, easier to get, and maybe empire specific? I think it would be cool if NC had a huge cannon, TR had either a scud-style launcher or a multi-barrel artillery piece, and VS have an energy mortar.

I'd like to see more placeable weapons by engineers, both anti infantry and anti-vehicle, but with better art design than those currently used. like machine gun nests and large anti-tank missiles, rather than these rather comical turrets.

Some of the OP's suggestions, like not using medkits, are pretty good, but I definitely do not want jamming guns or severely limited command ranks.

Lot of good ideas, but not always well-implemented. But it's food for thought at least.

[Rbstr]

I really want NC to take up the idea of hybrid weapons more.
This doesn't nessicarily have anything to do with actual balance or mechnics, just back story and effects.

They kind of have this "biggest gun" think going on but screw that - make their cannons be railguns and the shotguns be coil guns that shoot Flechettes (The MAG Scatter already seems to be this, in a slightly crazy version of empire uniqueness you could make the MA shoot very tightly grouped flechettes). It's really only a sound and video effects change
So instead of the 150mm you get a 30mm railgun, it's the same thing damage wise but instead of a *boom* it makes a more of a close-range-lighting-strike "chsh!" or an arcing noise followed by a sonic boom sound "Vvvvt...crack!"

Better sound in general, should obviously be part of the new game, given how far even that has progressed since release. Recently shooters have had really awesome sound effects...plus it adds no internet-lag issues because it's all client-side.
Specifically it'd be great to have sound effects that really shook things sometimes, unlike PS which I always thought was very cartoony sounding. BC2 gets pulled out enough as it is...but if you take nothing else from it...listen to the game. It just sounds cool.

[Baneblade]

I think the Gauss Rifle was supposed to be their attempt at a hybrid weapon.

[FastAndFree]

It's really only a sound and video effects change


Not entirely because it makes zero sense for a railgun projectile to have a noticable arc, so then it would have to be arcless like the Peregrine's turret

[krnasaur]

Not entirely because it makes zero sense for a railgun projectile to have a noticable arc, so then it would have to be arcless like the Peregrine's turret

ummm... yes it would. anything that has a mass is effected by gravity, all a railgun is is a gun that accelerates its projectile through electricity and magnetism instead of combustion. Saying that a railgun isn't effected by gravity is like saying the MIR space station isn't effected by gravity because it is in space.

[FastAndFree]

Okay, technically you are right, railguns of course are affected by gravity. But the entire point of railguns is to accelerate projectiles to much greater speeds, and thus gravity has less grip on them.

Seeing tank shells drop after a few hundred meters is weird enough alredy (yes, I know it's a game), but seeing your railgun slug drop to the ground before your eyes would be quite jarring...

Especially since the current mass drivers on the Peregrine and Thunderer are alredy arcless

[Rbstr]

Sobe: NC has a number of electromagnetically accelerated guns besides the gauss. Including the deliverer variant, a BFR gun and the MAG scatter could go magnum or magnetic.

Ravenlord:
Gravity has exactly the same grip on a projectile that got shot out of something as that same projectile simply dropped from a height. The exact same toward the ground acceleration, they will hit the ground at the same time, until you run into planet curvature effects. Completely independent of the method of propulsion (Though aerodynamic effects can screw with things if you say, put wings on it).

But that just doesn't matter, it's a game and physics is secondary to balance. Physically a railgun or coilgun can shoot something with about any velocity it wants, from relativistic to paintball-velocity, the constraints are mainly materials based. In UG physics we do a demonstration of a simple railgun that does a couple cm/s tops, it just rolls along the rails.

Really, I wouldn't be against implementing NC cannons as direct fire weapons with low splash and high velocity. But that steps on VS toes too much, as lasers already operate in much the same way.

That being said, it's a new game. I think it would be neat for VS guns to work more akin to the higher powered lasers I've dealt with. They pulse a whole bunch of "shots" rather quickly. And make little more than "click-click-click-click-click" noises when they ablate things.

[Baneblade]

I wasn't saying they didn't, I was saying that there wasn't a lot of effort put into making it more obvious they are coil and railguns.