Poll: No more sanctuary?

[Atuday]

With the announcement that there would be no more sanc in game I was wondering how the majority of people felt about this. So far there have been mixed post both for the new system and against so I thought I would poll what people thought.

[Timmy]

The sanc really did feel like a hinderance or otherwise waste of time to getting into battle. Games already waste enough real life time, do I really need to stare at a HART timer on top of that?
One of the minuscule benefits was the ability to get a galaxy without needing a Dropship Facility, but since they are removing the limitation of having certain vehicles only available at certain facility types then that's no longer a concern.

[Crator]

Hate to specualte on something like this since I have no idea how they plan to implement the game flow. I voted "No opinion"

[Logit]

The sanc really did feel like a hinderance or otherwise waste of time to getting into battle. Games already waste enough real life time, do I really need to stare at a HART timer on top of that?
One of the minuscule benefits was the ability to get a galaxy without needing a Dropship Facility, but since they are removing the limitation of having certain vehicles only available at certain facility types then that's no longer a concern.

There is a HART I believe, and it doesn't have a timer.

[Raymac]

The Sanc is basically a lobby. As long as we still have a place to assemble for raids, then I say good riddence.

[Kouza]

With the announcement that there would be no more sanc in game I was wondering how the majority of people felt about this. So far there have been mixed post both for the new system and against so I thought I would poll what people thought.

I`m Sure Sony wont be stupid with this. I am not worried about it, beta will tell us if its ok or not.

[Zulthus]

but since they are removing the limitation of having certain vehicles only available at certain facility types then that's no longer a concern.

Wait, what? Link the source please.

[Timmy]

Can we expect more varied base layouts?
Currently we are coming up with a way on how interiors are going to work, we are working on predictability vs randomness and we are leaning towards more standard base layouts rather than random. But this time around combat will be less centralized on bases. There will not be specific purpose built facilities such as drop ship etc (ie you won't require a dropship center to build dropships)

From the FAQ sticky, Scroll down to "Part 2"

http://www.planetside-universe.com/p-fan-faire-2011-qa-70.htm

[MasterChief096]

IMO - keep sanctuary. It gives outfits and the empire a place to form up that's not directly related to any of the continents that we can fight for.

If you think it slows down the game then don't use it. Instant action or use one of the other methods SOE implements to get into battle.

Removing something that people can choose to use or ignore is unnecessary.

[Zulthus]

I agree for the same reasons as MasterChief096. The sanctuary is a convinience, and can be used to form massive raids, or simply a place to safely AFK for a while. If you don't want to use it, as above, you can simply choose to ignore it. It shouldn't be removed and make it harder for larger outfits to do their thing.

This is, of course, not the case if the "uncaps" on each continent serve the same purpose. Enemies can't see what you're doing and you've 100% safe in the environment.

[Raymac]

IMO - keep sanctuary. It gives outfits and the empire a place to form up that's not directly related to any of the continents that we can fight for.

If you think it slows down the game then don't use it. Instant action or use one of the other methods SOE implements to get into battle.

Removing something that people can choose to use or ignore is unnecessary.

But the catch is, you CAN'T just ignore it. When you log in, you are immediately sent there. You don't have a choice.

I agree with you 100% that outfits need a place to form up. I just don't think the game needs a whole separate continent for that purpose. It's like the Construct Program from the Matrix. We don't need a big empty place so we can say "I need guns, lots of guns, dude."

[Zulthus]

But the catch is, you CAN'T just ignore it. When you log in, you are immediately sent there. You don't have a choice.

I agree with you 100% that outfits need a place to form up. I just don't think the game needs a whole separate continent for that purpose. It's like the Construct Program from the Matrix. We don't need a big empty place so we can say "I need guns, lots of guns, dude."

I remember them saying something about you choosing where to spawn in when you log in, be it an uncap, so this wouldn't be an issue.

[Raymac]

I remember them saying something about you choosing where to spawn in when you log in, be it an uncap, so this wouldn't be an issue.

But if you have an uncapable base that has a warpgate and an area to rally a raid, then why would you need a whole separate continent for that? Just because you miss the Sanctuary?

[Zulthus]

But if you have an uncapable base that has a warpgate and an area to rally a raid, then why would you need a whole separate continent for that? Just because you miss the Sanctuary?

Because I never heard anything about the uncaps being massive in any way. Maybe they're the size of a tech plant. Who knows at this point? I'm giving an idea based on what we know right now.

[Raymac]

Because I never heard anything about the uncaps being massive in any way. Maybe they're the size of a tech plant. Who knows at this point? I'm giving an idea based on what we know right now.

Very true. We havn't heard they would be small either. But since "scale" is one of the key pillars to Planetside, I think it's a safe bet to think they will have areas for us to organize large groups.

[NewSith]

"Safe area" will always be existant. Otherwise - gogo 0-base spawncamping.

EDIT: Forgot to mention - I voted "no opinion" because I only care that there will be a safe zone. And IDC how it is implemented.

[Talek Krell]

Voted moon pie. I want the safe zone and the place to form large raids and the sort of "Home" vibe that I always got in sanc, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a sanc. And by all means, ditch the HART timer.

[ECM]

I can understand why SOE is going to do away with the sanc. Sometimes the waiting did really suck. I am cool if you can atleast form up raids somewhere on a cont. But no to having to navigate some menu to form squads/party/raids.

[MasterChief096]

There are plenty of reasons a separate zone would be useful for forming up. One of them being the enemy couldn't detect pops on a continent you are forming on. There's an element of surprise involved when forming up at sanctuary. This is especially true since there is no lattice in PlanetSide 2 and you can strike anywhere you want.

I'm sorry but in my opinion the idea of getting beat on a continent and getting shoved into a foothold that's still on that continent is EXTREMELY lame. Safe zone or not, if the foothold is on the same continent that you got your ass kicked on, something is wrong. You shouldn't be allowed to group up in a 100% safe zone after the enemy empire just beat you to a pulp and pushed you back from all the territory.

If you really think sanctuaries slowed the game down then you just failed getting into combat quickly. SOE has already mentioned there will be several methods of spawning and getting into combat, so if you don't want to ever see sanctuary you won't have to. When I log into PS I can be from sanctuary to combat in less than a minute, and that's if I don't use Instant Action.

@ECM, I'm not sure what you mean, what waiting? The only time you'd have to wait in Sanctuary was when your outfit was forming or your empire was forming a raid, but isn't that worth the wait? Most likely you just got back from hours of combat on a continent you just locked and are forming a raid to hit another.

The fact that no sanctuary will be in-game will not change the "waiting" factor for raids or outfit groups at all, it just means instead of waiting in a sanctuary you'll be waiting in a foothold. This is an MMO, there is going to be some degree of waiting if you want to do epic things like mass an ENTIRE EMPIRE to go hit an enemy held continent. You can't just expect hundreds of people to form a raid in under a minute and be ready to leave.

I also don't understand what you mean by you not wanting to have to navigate a menu to form squads/parties/raids? I don't see how forming squads or raids could be done without some degree of menu navigation.

[Zulthus]

There are plenty of reasons a separate zone would be useful for forming up. One of them being the enemy couldn't detect pops on a continent you are forming on. There's an element of surprise involved when forming up at sanctuary. This is especially true since there is no lattice in PlanetSide 2 and you can strike anywhere you want.

I'm sorry but in my opinion the idea of getting beat on a continent and getting shoved into a foothold that's still on that continent is EXTREMELY lame. Safe zone or not, if the foothold is on the same continent that you got your ass kicked on, something is wrong. You shouldn't be allowed to group up in a 100% safe zone after the enemy empire just beat you to a pulp and pushed you back from all the territory.

If you really think sanctuaries slowed the game down then you just failed getting into combat quickly. SOE has already mentioned there will be several methods of spawning and getting into combat, so if you don't want to ever see sanctuary you won't have to. When I log into PS I can be from sanctuary to combat in less than a minute, and that's if I don't use Instant Action.

@ECM, I'm not sure what you mean, what waiting? The only time you'd have to wait in Sanctuary was when your outfit was forming or your empire was forming a raid, but isn't that worth the wait? Most likely you just got back from hours of combat on a continent you just locked and are forming a raid to hit another.

The fact that no sanctuary will be in-game will not change the "waiting" factor for raids or outfit groups at all, it just means instead of waiting in a sanctuary you'll be waiting in a foothold. This is an MMO, there is going to be some degree of waiting if you want to do epic things like mass an ENTIRE EMPIRE to go hit an enemy held continent. You can't just expect hundreds of people to form a raid in under a minute and be ready to leave.

I also don't understand what you mean by you not wanting to have to navigate a menu to form squads/parties/raids? I don't see how forming squads or raids could be done without some degree of menu navigation.

Exactly. I brought up the issue earlier of there being no sense of accomplishment when "beating" an enemy at a cont, since they'll just have an uncappable foothold. And, since you can choose your spawn location, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to not keep the sanctuaries in.

[ECM]

@ECM, I'm not sure what you mean, what waiting? The only time you'd have to wait in Sanctuary was when your outfit was forming or your empire was forming a raid, but isn't that worth the wait? Most likely you just got back from hours of combat on a continent you just locked and are forming a raid to hit another.

The fact that no sanctuary will be in-game will not change the "waiting" factor for raids or outfit groups at all, it just means instead of waiting in a sanctuary you'll be waiting in a foothold. This is an MMO, there is going to be some degree of waiting if you want to do epic things like mass an ENTIRE EMPIRE to go hit an enemy held continent. You can't just expect hundreds of people to form a raid in under a minute and be ready to leave.

I also don't understand what you mean by you not wanting to have to navigate a menu to form squads/parties/raids? I don't see how forming squads or raids could be done without some degree of menu navigation.

I played a lot during the early years, not since early 2006. I bet most nights currently getting around does take a minute or two. But in its heyday, it was not always like that, waiting in a queue when there was 40 plus people ahead did make it slow (though most times it would be closer to ~15-20).

For the menus, I was refering to a setup like creating all the settings for a mulitplayer game. like setting up a halo map, but having to do it all the time instead. alteast in PS u had terminals to make things more physical and each with a different purpose. This allowed each menu to be simple interface, no one menu to rule them all. IDK, it could just be all in my head, what I'm thinking about and can't be explained. I'm like that sometimes.

Forming raids is fun as long as you don't get that one dickhead who wont stay still. I should have explained that waiting to form a big raid is cool, just dont make it entirely a menu (ie 1000 people in a party like XBL party chat), I want to physically see the scale.

I doubt in PS2 once you lose a cont you can immedietly form a raid there. Thats a broken system. If you capture all the territories on a cont you get X # of resources for X time, but you got to remember there is a 3rd empire that was not locked out, so they could immedietly come in and take what precious resources you just got (remember PS2 is going to be about resources, there has to be some threat or fear of losing them to make you want it more). TR beats NC, NC loses safe zone on cont., but TR has to worry about VS now if VS choose to attack. NC has to go somewhere else for raid gathering. TR could send out scouts to find where this raid is forming and would have the ability to relay to the commander(s), gives that lonewolf scout something else to do. This only works if safe zone ins't a giant cloaking bubble. Just my ideas that I hope SOE likes.

[MasterChief096]

Exactly. I brought up the issue earlier of there being no sense of accomplishment when "beating" an enemy at a cont, since they'll just have an uncappable foothold. And, since you can choose your spawn location, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to keep the sanctuaries in.

And why is there absolutely no reason to keep sanctuaries in? I just gave a few good reasons, but you just said, "you can choose your spawn location." So why shouldn't sanct be one of the spawn locations that you can choose?

[CutterJohn]

Sanc was fine, but poorly laid out, which led to it being annoying.


Have a sanc, sure, but put ALL the terminals in a single modest sized room, including vehicle terminals that spawn vehicles outside. Outside have a parade ground for gathering on, and a warpgate not 200m away.

Keep sanc. Eliminate all unnecessary running around an waiting. As a place to gather its fine. As a place to sit before you decide where to go, its useless. Spawning into a map overview would be preferable.

[legendary]

Sanctuary's VR training was nice for trying out loads and target practice.

[Zulthus]

And why is there absolutely no reason to keep sanctuaries in? I just gave a few good reasons, but you just said, "you can choose your spawn location." So why shouldn't sanct be one of the spawn locations that you can choose?

Damn it, I meant to type there should be absolutely no reason to not keep the sanc in. :D

[ECM]

I wonder if the real reason SOE said there will be no sanc because they are having a difficult time implementing a more streamline sanc. Maybe later there will be one, but it could be some kind of orbital platform and be unveiled when Planetside becomes Universeside.

[exLupo]

^^^ I assume because it's a generally underused resource. They may be wanting players to focus on the battles that are in progress so players will just get pooped straight from the lobby and into the fight. Organized gal runs move from the sanc to controlled bases.

Wasn't there something about not needing special bases to pull specific vehicles?

[Senyu]

I liked the Sancuary for some of the things it provided. Granted the Sanc was a slow way to get in battle and I'm glad they changed that. Still I would like it if they have a lobby type area. Just a place to take a break if you want. Chat with some people. Take time looking at your skills, setting terminal loadouts and all that. And a planning area to stage attacks without being in the battlefield incase you all want to go at the same time and not have someone just rush out.


And it would be neat if they had the video screens like in PS1 that would also show live feed from current battles. It would randomly change perspectives and views. And would only show what your Empire units see. It wouldn't be something that could be exploited, just watching maybe that guy mowing people down, this medic healing for couple seconds and perhaps that guy just got ran over. It could even just record random deaths at certain angles and then playthem back over the video. Showing you recent deaths or kill streaks.


The VS lobby will contain glowing lights, a bar, waiters, marble walls, and a Space Plasma Room. If you have to ask what it is your not VS and IE not cool enough

[PSxCarebear]

I wish I could find the post about it but I'm at work and I'm feeling rather lazy anyway.

I've always liked the idea of an orbital sanctuary. This would cover the HART and a staging area aswell. Allowing an instant drop pod into the middle of combat and an area for outfits to stage raids, including areas to pull vehicles.

Barebones of an idea but an Orbital Sanc lets you have your cake and eat it too. It would also allow you to easily add on more features and areas to it.

[Crator]

Love the idea about in-game replays on video screens by Senyu

[Lartnev]

I voted yes but I wouldn't care if it's a separate continent or just somewhere you can go (the uncappable section probably) to chill out in between fights, have access to VR, chat with outfit etc. In other words I accept the reasons the devs have given (slows down entry involvement in the game etc) but I would like to be able to go there by choice.

[Graywolves]

Having a place that feels like home just feels good. A place that's safe and where you can chill.

I remember using Sanctuaries for gathering the outfit and staging operations, for training, and for planning.

You can't cram players of this scale on a beachhead or peninsula and expect these areas to serve as staging points when the enemy is camping outside a short distance away.


I don't care if people can never see the sanctuary in years of gameplay but for organisation purposes we need a location to plan and gather.

[EASyEightyEight]

I don't care if people can never see the sanctuary in years of gameplay but for organisation purposes we need a location to plan and gather.

Like the footholds? If they're even as small as one hart center, I think we'll be fine. Massing troops in the footholds saves everyone a loading screen, and any risk of pop-lock screwing a raid over at that too. If there are bad guys sitting right outside of the shield, well... they'd be there if one had warped in from a sanctuary too. I think the message being sent is to go somewhere else at this point, really.

Sancs really were just a hub in the grand scheme of things. People are resisting change more than they're resisting losing the sanc. Why not move that hub to each continent and cut out that waste of hard drive space entirely?

[Zulthus]

Sancs were needed in PS1 because there wasn't really any other place to stage massive raids. Since everyone spawned there by default on login, they would be able to join in right away, as opposed to a raid being formed at say, Neit. How would anyone know where it was? I think that sancs need to stay, especially since you are able to choose your spawn location.

Also, these uncaps, all we know right now is that you can't capture them. What if there is no shield defending it? Where will raids be formed then?

[Graywolves]

Like the footholds? If they're even as small as one hart center, I think we'll be fine. Massing troops in the footholds saves everyone a loading screen, and any risk of pop-lock screwing a raid over at that too. If there are bad guys sitting right outside of the shield, well... they'd be there if one had warped in from a sanctuary too. I think the message being sent is to go somewhere else at this point, really.

Sancs really were just a hub in the grand scheme of things. People are resisting change more than they're resisting losing the sanc. Why not move that hub to each continent and cut out that waste of hard drive space entirely?


I remember over 50 people gathering on the steps of the HART Building. It was completley cramped without other people floating around.

But I do partially want to keep the Sanctuaries for sentimental reasons.

[Baneblade]

The Sanc took too much out of the game, though I am curious how SOE plans to handle a completely defeated empire.

[Zulthus]

The Sanc took too much out of the game, though I am curious how SOE plans to handle a completely defeated empire.

How did it take anything out of the game? It was a convenience that allowed the staging of massive raids, or just a place to AFK/look over your certs. Making it slow to get into battle isn't an argument either, it takes literally less than 30 seconds to fly out, or 10 seconds to instant action to a battle.

[Atuday]

How did it take anything out of the game? It was a convenience that allowed the staging of massive raids, or just a place to AFK/look over your certs. Making it slow to get into battle isn't an argument either, it takes literally less than 30 seconds to fly out, or 10 seconds to instant action to a battle.

I'm with you there. Then again you could wait up to 5 min's for a hart drop. I think it would be better if hart timer was shortened to say... nothing. Also I miss the good old days of having a massive battle going one way and then drop pod swarm comes down from the sky raining troops and death on foes. I hope that comes back in some way other than squad spawning. The power to drop behind enemy lines is great indeed.

[FastAndFree]

Smedley said (http://www.fpsguru.com/game/284/features/120/Planetside-2-at-SyndCon.html) that Planetside 2 will launch with a single continent - could that be the real reason why the sanc was removed?

And could this mean it will return later?

[Logit]

Smedley said (http://www.fpsguru.com/game/284/features/120/Planetside-2-at-SyndCon.html) that Planetside 2 will launch with a single continent - could that be the real reason why the sanc was removed?

And could this mean it will return later?

There is always the possibility that anything will return later.

However, the reasoning they have for removing it was because they felt it slowed down game play.

[Hamma]

I doubt that it would return later.