Geographical 'Scenery'

[CidHighwind]

I'm a sucker for geography and the lay of the land. From what we've seen so far, it seems like SOE is doing a great job at designing the battlefield to be useful and fun for all.

I got to thinking though, just because it's conducive to cover, doesn't mean it can't be pretty.

For example, the picture below is a very PRETTY picture, but also provides AWESOME air cover for infantry, and serves as an excellent tank 'filterer.'

http://www.pollsb.com/photos/60/426606-place_escape_stress.jpg

My question/task for you is this. What visions for land forms/masses/locations would you love to see either in the game, or attempted to be replicated in game.

This of course understanding that some continents are deep in development, and others likely at least started, or being planned for.

RULES

1.) In all cases, try to post a picture or some other representation of what you would like to see in game.

2.) Explain in what ways it is balanced for combat.

Looking forward to seeing other peoples opinions and visions!:groovy:

[Sirisian]

Good thread idea.
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/6770/icecave.jpg
I love ice continents with tundra features. These kind of glacier caves and mounds of snow are awesome examples of natural cover that I'd like to see. Gives a place for infantry to move around while keeping it open so people can fire in.

[Grognard]

If we ever get a naval add-on... how about some H2O...

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/083/e/f/Naval_Clash_by_Edictiv.jpg

[Captain1nsaneo]

Hope you won't mind a bit of an image spam. But I've got a lot of these. And all of them are from my Giant-Pictures folder.

http://i44.tinypic.com/i2nedy.jpg
I know it's inside but long open areas like this allow for some really non-linear play as the rooms on the sides of the halls would offer close combat and shelter from long range fire up and down the hall. It would also give jump troops the ability to engage and then run away vertically. Making indoors not just the realm of rexos and MAXs.

http://i39.tinypic.com/2m7yfkn.jpg
The clouds don't need to be a whiff here and there. Sometimes not being able to see the ground is awesome. Also hope we get heavy fog, won't know there's an enemy tank until you're right on top of each other. Also, the higher you go, the more purple the sky (until you get black.)

http://i44.tinypic.com/290u1cm.jpg
You don't need special rules to stop ground vehicles from being used. Now that the gal can spawn people, infantry and aircraft combat is logistically possible. Then again putting a base on the top of Mt. Cyssor would make aircraft unusable as well. Making the base an infantry fight only.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2e56tmu.jpg
Two words: ground fog. Four words: early morning ground fog.

http://i43.tinypic.com/j8mkgl.jpg
Notice how shallow the river is before it drops off. That could EASILY provide terrain for tank fights but instead of a hill forcing players to stay in the flat area, you have a waterfall. The threat of falling to your death would drive people away but also lure others to use the edge to their advantage by sticking close to it. The best part is you can fall off and die!

http://i43.tinypic.com/r8cnyu.jpg
Sewer in Japan. You could drive a tank in there.

http://i41.tinypic.com/4kij9s.jpg
Holes that drop into caves, that lead to the base of hills, which are next to a facility. Walking in semi-darkness in thigh high water doesn't really happen in most games. The need for defenders to not only watch the ridge but also several waterfall openings in a cliff side adds possibilities for cloakers, snipers, and jump troops. After all, boomers are hard to spot underwater.

http://i42.tinypic.com/11uji2e.jpg
Notice that a lot of the terrain is flat and that cover is at best sparse, excellent tank country. Both Ish and Desolation failed to be good vehicle conts due to hilly/mountainous landscapes and an over abundance of rocks/trees.

http://i43.tinypic.com/16bbmhg.jpg
If there's going to be a volcano then the area around it can be quite unique. Also note that an active volcano has a giant smoke plume coming out of it's mouth. Column of cloud that does constant minor damage but reaches the ground would be interesting for air fights.

The following are from my not-so-huge image folders

http://i39.tinypic.com/15qp4hu.jpg
I hope you like ambushes. I like ambushes.

http://i42.tinypic.com/29o5rtx.jpg
Grass plains, it's like heaven if heaven was made for tank duels. Or hell, as you'd never see the land mines. Also after a few months everything turns golden. Like so:
http://i42.tinypic.com/2rr2am1.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/1yqs1c.jpg
Is that a tank out there? Wooded areas come in all sorts of densities.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ngwizs.jpg
More variation for aircraft cover. Rain and lightning has to come from somewhere.

http://i43.tinypic.com/s2scvt.jpg
Welcome to infantry land. There's no reason that close combat infantry fights need be limited to forests and bases. Hedges and shrubbery allow for infantry to go into areas that tanks can't see into out in the field. Great place for an AV nest.

If I had one I'd post a picture of salt plains, the things are crazy. It's basically a desert with less than an inch of standing water covering all of the ground. The reflections you get are stunning.

[Graywolves]

This is really cool

[Ailos]

Dude I want some of those as my desktop backgrounds (but I need 4800x900 resolution images).

[inigma]

I like this. I am thinking, wow, this would take PS2 to a whole new level, or any game for that matter. Definitely thinking outside the box of base and hill fights.

[DayOne]

I'd love some valley combat. Advance from one side for classic single front warfare with aircraft dogfighting above just inches from the valley walls.

[Vancha]

I think they could probably use some of the minecraft landscape generations as inspiration. You can get some ridiculously cool formations in that game.

[CidHighwind]

I'd love some valley combat. Advance from one side for classic single front warfare with aircraft dogfighting above just inches from the valley walls.

C'mon folks! It's easy to post your vision, but where are the pictures?!?! It doesn't take more than a minute or two to find something similar on google images!

Do you mean something like this DayOne?

http://wilko.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/grand-canyon-a.jpg?w=500&h=375

[CidHighwind]

I think they could probably use some of the minecraft landscape generations as inspiration. You can get some ridiculously cool formations in that game.

Do you mean like this Vancha?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iIaBu5z6TF8/TrXT0mWtaHI/AAAAAAAAAQA/kHgAO_KLHAI/s1600/minecraft-cover.jpg

[Vancha]

Do you mean like this Vancha?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iIaBu5z6TF8/TrXT0mWtaHI/AAAAAAAAAQA/kHgAO_KLHAI/s1600/minecraft-cover.jpg
That's a start, yeah. I might log in later and see if I can find anything screenshot-worthy.

[DayOne]

More like...
http://xtremegapyear.co.uk/gapyear/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sacred-valley-003.jpg

[DayOne]

OR on the tone of minecraft, this...
http://www.blackravendragoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Minecraft_view.png

[CidHighwind]

More like...
http://xtremegapyear.co.uk/gapyear/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sacred-valley-003.jpg

Ooooo really like this one!

[sylphaen]

Great thread.

A spot that could be between 2 bases:
http://pixdaus.com/pics/1263497544YF3lnTC.jpg

[CidHighwind]

Great thread.

A spot that could be between 2 bases:
http://pixdaus.com/pics/1263497544YF3lnTC.jpg

I'm sure we could all use our imagination, but what type of combat would you see prevailing here? what advantages/disadvantages for infantry, air, vehicles?

[DayOne]

I'm sure we could all use our imagination, but what type of combat would you see prevailing here? what advantages/disadvantages for infantry, air, vehicles?

A bridge across the river with a small path of infantry across the ridge. Two epic fire fights going on within one objective.

[DayOne]

This is certainly something. Terrain that vehicles simply cannot cross. They get immobilised if they do.
http://www.funnychill.com/files/cool-pictures/tank-stuck-in-mud.jpg

Or why not huge. dense, forests that you could easily get lost in and are impossible to drive vehicles in. Victory to those who learn.
http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/amazon-river-hydropiracy.jpg

[Vancha]

This is certainly something. Terrain that vehicles simply cannot cross. They get immobilised if they do.
http://www.funnychill.com/files/cool-pictures/tank-stuck-in-mud.jpg
This is why hotlinking is bad.

[Hamma]

This is really cool

Agreed!

Great thread idea keep them coming :)

[Raka Maru]

Down this road, infantry and vehicles only.
http://img.tapatalk.com/b8c12360-e742-3695.jpg

This one, only infantry and planes. See the ladder? Only have this in infrared, sorry.
http://img.tapatalk.com/b8c12360-e7c0-dabb.jpg

Edit: dang tapatalk image auto resolution/resize :(

[Traak]

Ooooo really like this one!

Reminds me of those demotivational posters, for some reason!

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=295&d=1328677434

[cellinaire]

Hope you won't mind a bit of an image spam. But I've got a lot of these. And all of them are from my Giant-Pictures folder.

http://i44.tinypic.com/i2nedy.jpg


http://i39.tinypic.com/2m7yfkn.jpg


http://i44.tinypic.com/290u1cm.jpg


http://i42.tinypic.com/2e56tmu.jpg


http://i43.tinypic.com/j8mkgl.jpg


http://i41.tinypic.com/4kij9s.jpg


http://i42.tinypic.com/11uji2e.jpg


http://i43.tinypic.com/16bbmhg.jpg


http://i39.tinypic.com/15qp4hu.jpg


http://i42.tinypic.com/29o5rtx.jpg


http://i42.tinypic.com/2ngwizs.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/s2scvt.jpg


If I had one I'd post a picture of salt plains, the things are crazy. It's basically a desert with less than an inch of standing water covering all of the ground. The reflections you get are stunning.


So awesome!! I want these environments to be implemented by the power of Forgelight engine :D
(come on, devs. You guys can beat Bethesda and Arenanet. :lol: )



From T-ray's twitter :

"@mhigby @Invictus2010 @Kalyper great looking stuff. We will have all kinds of envs like that"

[Bags]

Oh my god, if we have environments like in the above post quote... no words.

[CidHighwind]

Some more I would like to see...
http://terre.sans.frontiere.free.fr/page_a_voir_a_faire/a_voir_a_faire_images/guilin_et_riviere_li_4.jpg

This one would be AWESOME for Aircraft dog fights, and lead to some very interesting ground/infantry combat as well.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/winners-showcase/7317d1199573189-january-2008-winner-winter-national-park-plitvice-plitvpejsazmaki-jpg

Just feel like this one in particular would be a visual piece, though little plateaus like these can create interesting high ground/low ground situations for tanks and infantry alike, especially when they run at the same height for long period of time.

[ProfessorCrow]

Some may think it's out of place, but I'm a total sucker for trench warfare.

A mile of lush, beautiful Alien landscapes, like the ones previously posted ... torn asunder and BLASTED to hell, turning it into a giant scorched battlefield with bomb-blast and trench cover.

http://benmuse.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/15/gundm_468x361_2.jpg

Everything else posted is gorgeous too, great thread!

-CroW

[Captain1nsaneo]

Glad you guys like some of the pictures. If you want more I've got quite a bit. Just that I thought I'd keep to stuff that wouldn't normally be considered. Personally I'm far more interested in indoor spaces as there's much more you can do with them. I've found that public buildings such as airports, school, and libraries have FANTASTIC indoor areas that seem ready made for FPS action. Let me try to explain why. Indoor combat is normally about 1 or 2 ways of getting something done. There's a door here, there's some cover there. Not many choices in how to get from point A to point B without one being clearly better. Like how Rexo is almost always better than agile for indoor combat. The limitations of options leads to stagnation like we see at interlinks. The breaking up of this inside bases allows for both sides to feel that the fight is moving. You don't need a choke point to give defenders an advantage, you can do it with cover that favors defenders.

CS actually has some really good examples of the opposite of this in how there are multiple paths that are all equally viable.

I'd also love to see bases that allow for vehicles to go inside them. But might have to wait for some variation on the caves for that.


Also some of you guys mentioned some hill like areas, were you thinking of things like this?
http://i39.tinypic.com/mb5m2x.jpg

And there was a mention of canyon terrain too.
http://i41.tinypic.com/kd7rb8.jpg

I agree with crow that churned earth is pretty cool. However, that picture looks photo shopped.
http://i43.tinypic.com/1z3y139.jpg

edit:
Also check out abandoned cities for some interesting urban areas. Hashima Island comes to mind. http://kobekevin.blogspot.com/2009/09/http2.html

[SniperSteve]

Have we seen any water yet in PS2?

[Graywolves]

Have we seen any water yet in PS2?

H2O was soooooo 25th century

[Elude]

Salt Flats!
http://www.utah.com/images/lf/panoSALTFLATS.jpg

[cellinaire]

Have we seen any water yet in PS2?

I'd also love to see some water...




But this thread is full of win I guess =)

[Sirisian]

Salt Flats!
http://www.utah.com/images/lf/panoSALTFLATS.jpg
I'm not gonna lie, I would not want to see that. Flat land is probably the epitome of boring tank battles. Give me some hills and rocks and cover for flanking and ambushing at least.

[cellinaire]

@Invictus2010 @PS_Tray @mhigby Awesome stuff! I think you all will be pleased with what we have in store ;)

From Kalyper's twit (22 hourss ago) :D

[Captain1nsaneo]

That's not really the kind of slat flat I was going for. Looked around and found a picture that I think shows off why I'd be interested. (crosses fingers while hotlinking)
http://parkerlab.bio.uci.edu/pictures/photography%20pictures/Nov06_diagonal%20reflection.jpg

Check out that reflection. The whole area acts as a sort of cover as it confuses the eyes.

[CidHighwind]

Found some more, thought I'd share.

http://imgs.abduzeedo.com/files/articles/20_beautiful_landscape_wallpapers/landscape-wallpaper-18.jpg

Once we get to the point where we see some coastal areas, this would be an awesome sniper battleground, as well as provide some 'bridge-like' battles with the tanks and air vehicles.

http://www.desktopwallpaperhd.com/wallpapers/29/34825.jpg

This picture reminds me a bit of Ish and Hossin if they were combined, which i feel would provide a lot of fun infantry action, while discouraging tank play, and encouraging heavy air play.

http://www.desktopwallpaperhd.com/wallpapers/1/3990.jpg

Flat, lush plains watered by the mountain run-off. Combine this with low-lying fog as was mentioned in an earlier post, and you immediately get the most creepy, awesome night fight ever.

Keep 'em coming folks!

[texico]

Does anybody have any environments they hope/would like to see in the game? As is the case with PS1, most environments I see tend to fall into either temperature grass/forest, desert or snow. Granted, PS1 did well in that it also had swamps (Hossin) and also the environments varied a bit, for example Esamir felt more like frosty open snow plains while Ceryshen felt more like a mountainous ice-world.


I'd really like to see caves (I don't mean the ps1 caverns). I think cave environments, with running fresh or murky water on the ground with underground lakes could be really cool. The idea of mini-facility-controlled territories could mean that some territories could be controlled by mini-facilities that are in caves, and create some nice little fights ;)

I'd also quite like to see Savannah-style environments - Solsar is probably closest to that. Ishundar was just about the red mountainous arid terrain while Desolation was the sandy desert.

Anything creative you'd like to see? Fight across glaciers might be quite cool too, with the potential to fall down crevasses occasionally.

[ThGlump]

Caves - i liked them

Rain forest - Dense forest, that is nearly impossible to drive with vehicles or fly into. Nice infantry close combat with enough cover. (but somebody at soe hate trees :))

[PrISM]

White sandy beaches.

[Shogun]

yeah, caves tora bora style, not as a separate map but as a feature in a mountainside continent.

or some jungle style cont that lends more to footsoldiers than to vehicles. with nice rivers and waterfalls.

and of course a violent burning hell of a vulcano just like mustafa from starwars.

[DviddLeff]

Jungle; dense terrain which basically cuts off the air war from the ground; air superiority is used to drop troops off in clearings, but most of the fight is done by infantry. Tanks are restricted to roads but are vulnerable to ambush.

Savannah; near opposite to above here vehicles are king, infantry left with little cover and few terrain features to influence tactics.

[Stardouser]

It's not natural, but I love bridges...I mean huge bridges that would be out in the space between bases.

[megamold]

a wide bridge over a grand-canyon style canyon, maybe a little outpost in the middle of the bridge, and some walkways underneath the bridge

[Lonehunter]

Don't forget Volcanic, PS1 did that. They really had most environments covered

Desert
Swamp
Forest
Open Plains
Snowy
Extreme Cliffs
Islands

I would like to see more varied terrain types on a continent. Like on Indar most of it seems desert and rocky but there are grassy oasis areas like in the GDC videos. Would also be a good place for some caverns

[Warborn]

Boreal forest during spring. Lots of trees, rivers, lakes, rocky areas, and so on.

[Rozza]

Hiveworld type city with underground transport tubes, walkways between commercial buildings and a river splitting the city in two. It could even be a whole continent.

[Winfernal]

Snow!

:)

I don't know anything about the "planet of planetside", but i do enjoy snowy enviorments.

[Warborn]

Hiveworld type city with underground transport tubes, walkways between commercial buildings and a river splitting the city in two. It could even be a whole continent.

This is a good idea too. I love me some grimdark Warhammer 40k hive world stuff.

[Stardouser]

Hiveworld type city with underground transport tubes, walkways between commercial buildings and a river splitting the city in two. It could even be a whole continent.


Does Planetside even have "cities", or is everything just military type bases?

[TiberiusAudley]

I'm looking forward to the return of Searhus.

[CutterJohn]

http://i.imgur.com/1dV46.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VLgi8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/M8byg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/l4Hmg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BsMw5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wMBC0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MGfaX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mFYv4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/I5hfS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WDSqZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/imIT4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ggoIC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vcwzU.jpg



Mappers! Make it happen!

[MonsterBone]

http://bf2ce.rex3d.net/images/ss/p/b_3.jpg

[CidHighwind]

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38891 - These threads should be merged.

[Skitrel]

Realistic geography is a must. Far too many games just plonk land down and and act like that's how things get formed in reality, then wonder why their environment is nowhere near as pretty as reality gets. Skyrim got this right, building their continent around realistic geographical patterns. I hope to see continents on Auraxis that are carefully thought through with regards to their landmass' evolution over time, it'll make for much more immersive maps in much more beautiful environments.

That said, it's very easy for them to argue that, "Well, it's not Earth, so it doesn't have the same tectonic shift and the physics and weather activities are slightly different, which changes a lot". So it at least fits the lore.

Does Planetside even have "cities", or is everything just military type bases?

One could argue that there'd be no cities on the surface and that they'd support and manage their troops from large space installations, or ship in from other planets. How they approach lore in the game hasn't really been addressed though, we know they can pretty much do whatever and change the background story as this isn't a sequel of any kind.

[Duddy]

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38891 - These threads should be merged.

Well if that's the case then I'd also argue the same for my thread:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39579

:lol:

[Saintlycow]

Caves that look like the ones in skyrim

[GTGD]

I would really love to see an oasis with facilities in the middle of a desert.

[Hamma]

Merged :)

[Hamma]

Well if that's the case then I'd also argue the same for my thread:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39579

:lol:

Yours is a bit different I think. :D

[Coreolis]

http://dumbwire.com/game/wp-content/uploads/mvbthumbs/img_14760_dark-souls-part-1-intro.jpg

Pretend that guy in the middle is a station, and there is no fire in the background. Its a massive cavern. Everything is pitch black except for spotlights on the station. The ground surrounding the station is almost completely flat. Pretend there are some resource points at various places around the station too.

If you want an area that is almost entirely ground combat, pretend the ceiling of the cavern is really low.

In other words, an area focused on ground/night combat.

http://www.explore-beautiful-el-salvador.com/images/elboqueroncrater.jpg

More imagination xD

So you've got a volcanic crater, no trees. The crater is filled with lava. In the center there's a medium-sized island. Its connected by small bridges to a bunch of smaller islands with resource points on them. At night the lava bathes the entire crater in an orangish light. The only way into the crater is by flight.

Again, an area focused on day combat and aerial assaults.