Higby - facility warnings

[Stardouser]

So, we were thinking about defensive deployments and missions in IRC, and decided that facility warnings would be extremely relevant to this. That is, whether there is any need to have defenders at a base that's behind your front line/located in hexes that are not front line hexes, would depend on what kind of facility warnings we can expect.

We know that capture points in behind the lines hexes are supposed to take longer to capture. But when do facility warnings get triggered and are they based on the number of players? Does it occur for main bases like amp stations only, or also for towers and minor outposts?

[QuantumMechanic]

PS1 didn't have anything like this for years, and then they added the yellow/orange/red alert system. Based on the number of enemy troops within the SOI of a base you owned, it would flash yellow/orange/red alert and send out a system message.

I definately hope they have something similiar for PS2 at launch rather than taking time to add it. Being able to find the good fight quickly is one of their priorities though, I think.

[Anderz]

You should be able to spend resources to install scanner cameras in predetermined locations within a base that detect enemy movement. But these cameras should also be dodgeable by either covert movement and timing (think Splinter Cell) or a hack that shuts them down.

[PhoenixDog]

I think the system should be like in PS1. It just shows up on the map. If you're paying attention, you alert people. Having any sort of "OMG YOUR BASE IS BEING HACKED" no matter where you are on the continent completely destroys black-ops groups. Think about it. If you're off fighting somewhere kilometres away...And your base is attacked...There's only two ways you're going to find out about it. One, someone at the base alerting you over radio. Or two, going back to see it trashed.

An alert on the base on the continent map is more than enough.

[Koenside]

You could probably make it an iphone app.

[StumpyTheOzzie]

Just having something pop up on the map is going to be enough because a lot of squad leaders / outfit commanders are going to end up staring at the map screen most of the time if my interpretation of mission management is correct.

Got to spam easy missions so that everyone gets XP and then votes you up - making you an awesome commander even if your strategy is total shit.

[PhoenixDog]

You could probably make it an iphone app.

In all honesty...If you want to talk immersion...If you're on the PS2 app on your phone or tablet or refrigerator...An alert that "Base X" is under attack appearing on there would make sense...But it appearing as a warning in front of your face...Not so much.And of course...If you're not using the app you're not getting a warning.

Could be a requirement for many squad leaders and commanders to have the app running whist they play.

Got to spam easy missions so that everyone gets XP and then votes you up - making you an awesome commander even if your strategy is total shit.

My biggest fear with a voting system.

[Kran De Loy]

You could probably make it an iphone app.

This. Totally.

[Sabot]

You could probably make it an iphone app.

It probably already is.

[windlord]

Sirens. We need more sirens. Like blatting ones. And blaring ones. And ones that go 'honk'.

So we can tell that they mean different things. Base like things.

(I'm not sure what kind of funny I was going for there).

[GreatMazinkaise]

Sirens. We need more sirens. Like blatting ones. And blaring ones. And ones that go 'honk'.

So we can tell that they mean different things. Base like things.

(I'm not sure what kind of funny I was going for there).

Perhaps it was social commentary on the number of ear-bloodying noises that seem to be popular in some recent games?

[Rago]

I want that app for PC, or at least the map on my Second Monitor !

Anyway whats the Higby thing you brought on ?

[Figment]

One of the things that changed after the introduction of alerts, was that a lot of people stopped responding to attacks and stopped scouting them to get a good idea of what was there, because they needed "more people than they had anyway". As if people needed to take out the entire red alert to resecure the base...

And given the prolonged timers to capture something and there's loads of people already watching the map, I wouldn't make those alerts too easy to give away the presence of people. The map is going to move incredibly little already and we'll always be in threeways (blegh). There's no reason for us to leave a continent alone and the other bases won't be far away so there's no reason for us not to scout the area ourselves but rely on any alerts that give away even the slightest of enemy threat.


One other difference though, is that we used to force the creation of hot spots as an early warning system. Of course, now we don't have any proper CE aside from mines, which tend to not make hot spots. So only people who keep track of the number of mines they have would have advanced warning... And who is to say that we will have that many mines?

[ringring]

(we do have sptifires)

I think we should define more precisely what 'under attack' means and at what point a visible warning is produced.

Based on ps1 the options were:
a) when a certain percentage of the the empire global pop is within the vicinity of a base (I don't think we get SOI's this time around)
b) when a hot spot is created (as Figgy said, we used to deploy CE around a likely target simply in order that a hotspot is generated)
c) when a generator/spawn is destroyed
d) when the base is actually hacked
e) information provided when someone happens to be on the ground at the time (more liekly with higher pops)

So does 'under attack' mean all of the above and if so should a map based warning be produced for all too?

[Figment]

One of the things I missed when the pop indicators changed, was that you could previously run into a full scale invasion force as a scout and you would have to rally the empire and tell them of the incoming barbarian hordes personally.

I really like strategic information to remain as hidden as possible till players come and find out for themselves. Scout roles are important, fun and adrenaline filled: don't make the computer scout for us because there's people out there who can't be arsed to scout themselves. Let them face the consequences of being an army without eyes.


Hell, I wouldn't mind if those people with the phone apps get to be the drone scouts who can raise the alerts!

[StumpyTheOzzie]

Didn't Higby say that they were going to release a lot of data for app makers to fiddle with?

I imagine some bright spark will create an app that tells you which faction is invading where based on kill locations and types. I currently work in Geomatics. It amazing what we can wring out of data most people think is "useless". I'm not an app coder though.

[Figment]

Didn't Higby say that they were going to release a lot of data for app makers to fiddle with?

I imagine some bright spark will create an app that tells you which faction is invading where based on kill locations and types. I currently work in Geomatics. It amazing what we can wring out of data most people think is "useless". I'm not an app coder though.

The specific time frame and update rate for that information is rather important though. If the stream is not 'live', it would still be overall valuable information, but mostly for analysis, rather than direct information.

Plus this doesn't provide information on units moving stealthily and not killing anything (which it shouldn't of course, mind).

[StumpyTheOzzie]

ah, yes, live data. I work with live data, must have just assumed...

Still, it'll be interesting to work out gameplay patterns: "Oh, look, it's 8:00pm East coast time, therefore outfit xyz will be gal dropping and backhacking in about 30 minutes. They favour tech plants to bio labs in a 60-40 split so we should place lots of AA here and here and get scouts to there and there"

[Metalsheep]

Sirens. We need more sirens. Like blatting ones. And blaring ones. And ones that go 'honk'.

So we can tell that they mean different things. Base like things.

(I'm not sure what kind of funny I was going for there).

No... The submarine dive siren. The loud, Awooogah one.

As far as facility warnings go, Yellow, Orange and Red alert warnings are good. They give you information without telling you too much. You can gauge how many enemies are present, and how long/how far their Hack is going.

As for an App, i'd like to see an App kind of like the old Planetside stats, where you could see all of Auraxis and what bases are being captured. I'd like to see it a bit more in depth though, more like the actual in game map. Where you can see Hotspots, population, curent hacks/timers/LLUs and HEX ownerships. I used to love being in the computer lab at school watching the bases flip and continents switch while i was working so i knew what i'd be logging into later.

It would be even cooler, if, perhaps you are high enough command rank, that you could even see Friendly/Enemy vehicles/Troops ect. ect. on the apps map as well. (Maybe on a cooldown like in PS1?) So you can kind of metagame on your phone when you aren't actually at the computer.