Sunderer vs Galaxy?

[Conq]

Watched that webcast earlier and I'm wondering how the Sunderer will compete with the Galaxy as a troop transport.

Both carry 12 passengers, both (I assume) are heavily armored, both (I assume) are equally vulnerable to air and land forces but the Galaxy can fly over terrain obstructions, over minefields, allows for hot dropping on bases, has 4 manned guns and can deploy as a respawn base.

The Sunderer looks and sounds so damn awesome and I'd love to build part of my outfits assault strategy around it but cool factor is all it seems to be packing.

[Vash02]

I think they upped the armour and gave it the ability to ram tanks out of its way for a reason.

[FastAndFree]

The Sunderer is also (nigh) invulnerable to AA

[Raymac]

It's a good question. The Galaxy seemed far more common than the bang bus in PS1, and I was wondering what they would try to do, if anything, to compensate for that. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I don't think there is much they could do. Both of them are going to be more badass than they were in PS1 so that should be fun.

[VioletZero]

I think what they're doing to make up for it is making the Sunderer tough enough to run through a blockade while a Galaxy is more vulnerable.

[sylphaen]

PS1: both transport vehicles with tons of HP, one can fly and is just faster.
PS2: Gal will be transport able to act as an AMS, sunderer will just be transport but with adaptable traits, now.

I'd say their logic for merging Gal+AMS was decent.

Edit: I completely forgot that the Sundy is now an ammo/resupply machine. Kind of like a moving upgraded aegis which will also resupply vehicles. Maybe allow to change vehicle gun config on the field too ?

Gal is our new flying AMS.
Sundy is our new wallbreaker Lodie.
:D

[Figment]

Galaxy summary (what we know so far):

Occupants: 12
Weapon locations: (one per side/top/tail)
Weapon slot options: AA / anti-ground specific (considered option - Gal Gunship?) / General purpose (as it now has no anti-ground specific stuff) / ES variants (most likely)

Features upon deployed: Spawn room / Equipment Terminals

Approximate size: ~8 meters (height) x ~20m (wingspan) x ~20 (length)

Defensive slot: Armour density / (missile) impact mitigation (on certain areas?) / flares
Performance slot: Speed / handling / Afterburner
Utility slot: EMP blast? (is on Sunderer)

Cosmetic options: Decals / Camouflage / Stripes / bobbleheads (?) / ES specific options

Does not feature (at this time): Cloaking field (considered too large)


Design rationale: "Battlefield objective" / " No hide & seek gameplay" / Defended with onboard systems akin to field turrets

Sunderer summary:
Occupants: 12 (passengers can be all MAX units)
Weapon locations: Two top weapons
Weapon slot options: AA / AI / AV
Additional weaponry: passengers can fire out of sides
Armour: 4x tank
Speed: Faster than MBT
Weight vs performance: Enough to ram tanks out of the way

Features upon deployed: Equipment Terminals / Vehicle resupply / Vehicle repair (?)

Approximate size: ~4 meters (height) x ~4m (width) x ~12m (length)

Defensive slot: Armour density / (missile) impact mitigation (on certain areas) / Mine guard (anti mines)
Performance slot: Speed / tires / amphibious?
Utility slot: EMP blast / smoke screen

Cosmetic options: Decals / Camouflage / Racing stripes / bobbleheads (?) / ES specific options



Design rationale: Transport into frontlines / Disable (base) shields / Breaking into bases

Probably forgot a couple things though, feel free to correct where necessary.

[Figment]

They do have distinct roles, but it pretty much confirms why I think the Galaxy won't do. They have the idea of a spawnpoint only taken from the perspective of a zerg. There simply won't be enough manpower to defend it for use in special ops.

Another 'problem' I perceive is that since it's going to have to be hard to take out as a deployed base, you cannot have it have the same amount of hitpoints while flying. If it's going to be able to sustain a crapload of weapons fire and little vulnerabilities, it's going to be a camping vehicle. Especially when it gets air to ground weaponry added as options on top of AA capacity.

Given the amount of players there will be a lot of these, despite of the fewer sites to obtain it. That means that you potentially have a multi-Gal Gunship situation or multi-BFR situation again: if they have a lot of endurance, they'd cover each other to the point you have a lot (read: too much) of trouble taking a couple or even one out of the skies, especially if you're not in a full zerg fight for support.

Hence I expect a recharging shield on the deployed Galaxy.


As a consequence, I'm convinced there'll have to be a lot of hard point, on site locations to spawn, because if you have to get a Gal every time one gets destroyed from either a tech plant or warpgate, it's not very handy and you'd not be able to sustain an assault if the distance becomes too great to walk.

Or we simply need an AMS equivalent to complement it. Alone it's just not going to be sufficient.

[Coreldan]

Sundy with mine armor! BWWAHAHH!

I'm starting to feel Sunderer will be OP :D

Lol, looking at the ATV and Sunderer, it looks as if the ATV could almost drive under a Sunderer without being hurt :D

[arclegger]

Watched that webcast earlier and I'm wondering how the Sunderer will compete with the Galaxy as a troop transport.

location, location, location ;) You might not be at one of these places to pull your massive galaxy.

https://twitter.com/#!/mhigby/status/160514552998539266

[ringring]

location, location, location ;) You might not be at one of these places to pull your massive galaxy.

https://twitter.com/#!/mhigby/status/160514552998539266

Nah, you can manage those situations.

Primarily it will depend on what your squad has available at any given moment in terms of certs. In other words you will use what you have.

Next it will depend on how you want to make your attack, shock and awe or deliberate assault.

Shock and awe means appearing over the horizon in gals and dropping on a door before the enemy can react.
Deliberate assault means a siege assault and you want to get your platoon through the a breach and fighting in the CY.

It all depends on the state of the battle.

In PS1 we used to first attack with Gal drops, then if the defence was too strong to go back with prowlers. I am starting to think that in PS2 it may be gal drops+mossies as the first wave then sundy's if that fails.

It will be good working out new tactics :)

[CutterJohn]

Wonder how bang bus will unload. One of the huge differences between that and the gal is the gal put your peeps on top of the base, where they will be out of the line of fire of ground vehicles, and the majority of troops up there will be AA/av/sniper oriented.

I was thinking the driver should have something like a 10s duration temporary shield that blocks most or all incoming damage, on a very long cooldown. This would let the troops be able to make it into the door despite some vehicles heavy AI weapon splashing it.

[Figment]

@Cutter: they mentioned smokefields.

[psychosiszz]

Sunderer sounds damn cool now. Definitely going to spec for it. Though I feel 2 ATV's should be transportable on either side. Would look sweet to see them bail and chase off other land vehicles attacking the Sunderer

[Graywolves]

Put a Minesweeper on your sunderer and just drive past a door and have everyone bail out.

[Figment]

Sunderer sounds damn cool now. Definitely going to spec for it. Though I feel 2 ATV's should be transportable on either side. Would look sweet to see them bail and chase off other land vehicles attacking the Sunderer

Why? o.O' ...That has no functional or added strategic value whatsoever. Nobody would use it, unless the Sunderer was amphibious and even then the likeliness of need, or rather, use, would be low. >.>

[Espion]

I assume the Sunderer will still be able to drive through base shields or have a similar mechanic?

[SteinB]

I assume the Sunderer will still be able to drive through base shields or have a similar mechanic?

On the webcast they said that EMP blasts (a utility slot upgrade available to vehicles) will deactivate shields though they didn't specify infantry, vehicle or base shields.

[General M]

I think the availability will be crucial, I see the Sunderer being a "See fortifications. Pick-up nearby friendlies. Drive at said fortifications." whereas the galaxy will be more of a serious strategic assault weapon with the aim of capturing large amounts of territory.

[acosmo]

>4x armor of MBTs
>faster than all MBTs
>can plow all MBTs out of it's way
>can resupply ammo

dunno bout you but i see myself and possibly my outfit driving convoys of sunderers.

[Graywolves]

>4x armor of MBTs
>faster than all MBTs
>can plow all MBTs out of it's way
>can resupply ammo

dunno bout you but i see myself and possibly my outfit driving convoys of sunderers.

Yeah why use a MBT when you have a devoted driver in a sunderer, speed, transportation, and 2 devoted gunners. With guns that can be AV/AA/AI or a mix.

[acosmo]

Yeah why use a MBT when you have a devoted driver in a sunderer, speed, transportation, and 2 devoted gunners. With guns that can be AV/AA/AI or a mix.

also, you can have AV/AI maxes and engineers as passengers to hop out if the sundy needs repairs or additional firepower.

also.. unlimited ammo? sundy ftw.

[Tikuto]

Galaxy smoke-screening which would look like a typical 'common command ability explosion' would be great!

(Undeployed moving) A thick lingering smoke trail to blind enemy airships behind.
(Deployed) A think spreading smoke field to conceal nearby friendlies and give-way for Galaxy escape.

[Figment]

also, you can have AV/AI maxes and engineers as passengers to hop out if the sundy needs repairs or additional firepower.

also.. unlimited ammo? sundy ftw.

Why get out if your colleague Sundy can repair you like a Lodestar? IF.

[SuperMorto]

location, location, location ;) You might not be at one of these places to pull your massive galaxy.

https://twitter.com/#!/mhigby/status/160514552998539266

This is what I was thinking, this game is going to be so different from PS1, that why they hide so much from us. The locations and needs of certain battles will change with almost every objective, unlike PS1, where every objective was the same. Hit tower then base!

Loving it.

[Hyncharas]

PS2 Devs: - twitter hurts my head there isn't enough space; you should be able to post 255 chars! I'm really on the fence as I think they both have something to contribute - there's always room for improvement in both as well, however.

How about a "bubble shield"-type mechanic for the Galaxy; where allied/enemy players can breach it and fire can't, but fire (excluding hard points) drains it and infantry must add power packs that expend over time, to keep it from being destroyed? Another option may be for it to explore the Emplacements (http://www.planetside-idealab.com/idea_emplacements.shtml) idea, i.e. what if while it was deployed as a mobile base, you can establish barricades or stationary turrets outside to defend it?

For the Sunderer, in the interests of reality, how about if it's imapcted with enough force from other vehicle-collisions, it can be toppled/rolled and eventually explodes if it's overturned for long enough?