Why everyone starting off with everything is a problem.

[klungo]

(I am re-posting this thread from the official beta forums to see what some planetside vets think about my ideas. Feel free to leave me some feedback and let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my ideas.)

In another post I made I discussed how I though the class system with some work can actually work out quite well. The point that I am trying to get at here though is that the current class and cert system has in my opinion, two game breaking flaws. If you want to read on how I think the class system could be improved to allow more freedom and customization then here is the link.

http://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/index.php?threads/a-series-of-suggestions-to-improve-gameplay-and-future-metagame-ideas.29950/

The two flaws with the current system as I see it are the following.

1. Everyone starts of with everything. This negates the point of the class system to begin with that was designed to keep one player from being an "everything soldier". With the current system the only thing limiting them is how close they are to an equipment terminal.

2. There is not enough customization and each class feels too linear.(you can read my other thread to see some of my suggestions to improve this system).

Keep in mind that most of my suggestion do not in any way limit how the cash shop is currently set up. I am not trying to keep the team at SOE from making money here. My suggestions are simply to improve the flow of gameplay so that each class has versatility, but to prevent one player from having everything at once so they must still specialize their character at any given time.

I think that a good way to solve the issue currently in the game is to bring back the old certification system from planetside 1, and to change the current cert system into an upgrade system. This means that you would start off with a certain amount of cert points to spend at BR1 and then get a new cert point after each battle rank. There would be a category for each class, vehicle, and weapon type each with its own cert point cost. The cost of these cert points should also be based on how powerful they are to ensure that a heavy assault weapon costs more certs to unlock than a basic assault rifle. The system should also be designed so that no single player can unlock everything at once so that they are forced to specialize their character, but still give the option to reset their cert points to try other play styles. This reset should obviously be tied to a cooldown so that it prevents players from constantly changing whenever they need something different so it avoids the problem currently in the game. As for the current cert system, this could be changed instead into an upgrade system that gives you "upgrade points" to spend freely on anything in the game. This means that even if you are not certified to play as the medic class you still have the option to spend upgrade points on the medic for later. With these changes the current cert system would still be in so players can individualize each class, but still have restrictions in place to prevent one player from having access to everything at once.

Lastly I would also like to add that I think basic armor should be brought back into the game. Currently there is very little reason to put the effort into destroying equipment terminals. I think that spawning with basic armor and weapons like in PS1 would actually make equipment terminals valuable targets for both attack and defense much like they were in PS1. Please leave me some feedback and let me know what you guys think about any of my ideas and if they would be good for the game as a whole.

[EVILoHOMER]

Like I said in another thread if you have nothing to work towards then you wont stick around for as long. The key to CODs success is the endless progression and the constant rewards you get. Every game has now copied this, including BF3 and it goes down to the RPG genre where you constantly develop your character. Once people do this in an MMO, they sit around at end game and are bored because they feel like they aren't achieving anything.

Now with the current way Planetside 2 is made you never win, you never feel achievement other that your own characters progression. If you need proof of this then look at Planetside and how people got quickly bored of that game for the same reason. I mean I remember come Sept 2003 people were saying very much like JTLS expansion for SWG that Core Combat was SOEs last chance for keeping them because people were bored, they've got to BR 20 CR 5 and tired of fighting for the same bases.

Now TF2 has made a perfect solution with the player generated content, finding random loot when you die and crafting. That system has kept people playing TF2 for far longer than if they didn't add any of that. People love to earn cool things.....

Simple as really.

SOE need to have constant progression.



If any one disagrees then just look at the history of how games have gone, it's pretty obvious. We see it in every day life where people want to better themselves, do something with their lives and become bored at the same job if they're not moving up in it. We see it in the examples of games I gave, even Dayz now is dying, partly because of hackers but as Dean Hall said, there was only limited gameplay designed and people want more content.

A lot of people here will stick around because they stuck with Planetside for so long. However that doesn't help SOE because they need more players than people on these forums. SOE needs to appeal to the masses for F2P to work and for the game to work, Planetside was no fun after BFRs when no one was playing.

[klungo]

Like I said in another thread if you have nothing to work towards then you wont stick around for as long. The key to CODs success is the endless progression and the constant rewards you get. Every game has now copied this, including BF3 and it goes down to the RPG genre where you constantly develop your character. Once people do this in an MMO, they sit around at end game and are bored because they feel like they aren't achieving anything.

Now with the current way Planetside 2 is made you never win, you never feel achievement other that your own characters progression. If you need proof of this then look at Planetside and how people got quickly bored of that game for the same reason. I mean I remember come Sept 2003 people were saying very much like JTLS expansion for SWG that Core Combat was SOEs last chance for keeping them because people were bored, they've got to BR 20 CR 5 and tired of fighting for the same bases.

Now TF2 has made a perfect solution with the player generated content, finding random loot when you die and crafting. That system has kept people playing TF2 for far longer than if they didn't add any of that. People love to earn cool things.....

Simple as really.

SOE need to have constant progression.



If any one disagrees then just look at the history of how games have gone, it's pretty obvious. We see it in every day life where people want to better themselves, do something with their lives and become bored at the same job if they're not moving up in it. We see it in the examples of games I gave, even Dayz now is dying, partly because of hackers but as Dean Hall said, there was only limited gameplay designed and people want more content.

A lot of people here will stick around because they stuck with Planetside for so long. However that doesn't help SOE because they need more players than people on these forums. SOE needs to appeal to the masses for F2P to work and for the game to work, Planetside was no fun after BFRs when no one was playing.

That is exactly the point of my post. People will get bored of this game after 3 months if there is nothing to gain. I am already bored of it because there is nothing to fight for. Right now battle rank is a worthless number and all you get from it are rank titles. Everything else is just a slow and mindless grind for weapon attachments. The current system of letting everyone start of with everything makes needless problems for the game and fails very hard at keeping people form being an "everything soldier". So instead of having someone from PS1 who would be equipped with a medical applicator, a repair tool, an anti-vehicle weapon and a heavy weapon, now you just have people constantly switching classes based on what they need on a moment to moment basis. It fails to solve any of the problems with the free form class system and instead just makes new ones.