Equinox, Solstice? Night attacks?

[Trebor95]

Hi there, I have only just signed up today after a few days lurking and reading all about Planetside.

First apologies if my question has been asked (I couldnt find any posts on it)

Ok, I was wondering, in the game, I know that night won't be pitch dark, it'll be like dusk. However, I was thinking, what would it be like if say at intervals (large ones at that, like once every month or so) darkness was longer and darker than usual, enough to give the stealthers a bigger advantage, that way (in my eyes) commanders would have to perhaps plan for a defence or even a sneaky offensive at these times (adding tension I think) you would have to make sure bases were patrolled by the perimeter, sensors would have to be set-up to prevent invasions etc.

I understand it would mean nothing unless you have heavier troops etc. to back up the infiltration if hacking commences, however perhaps at these times certain squads of "Night Hawks" people with the implants for darklight vision, targeting, sound etc.

I'm doubtfull of this however and if it's a stupid idea please flame ;)

Trebor

[Fire_Monkey]

Welcome to PSU :thumbsup:

I think the idea is great, since their are random weather patterns, why not random days with extended darkness, perhaps forecasted on AGN (Auraxis Global Network) a day ahead or whatnot. Since there are lights on all armors/vehicles I see no problem with it.

[Trebor95]

hi thanks for the welcome :)

great idea though about having it forecast on the AGN :) - bit like the Met office telling us sunrise and sunset times now ;)

I also totally forgot about the lights on the vehicels :) handy for base defense, they would have to light up the area and will make it easier for attackers to target them?

not to sure how it actually works in practice :)

[Revulsion]

Good idea. It should have random weather patterns like a sand storm in the desert and thunderstorms etc.

[cell.nerve]

Welcome to PSU!
I also agree that this is a very good idea, would introduce a whole new level of tactics to be used.:p Would also influence more people to set up posts and turrets and motion sensors. Maybe have like a 5 hour 'blackout' period that could be explained by planets blocking out the sun, like an eclipse that happens on a regular basis, maybe once a week, or every 2 weeks. Giving "generals" and commanders oppurtunity to plan tactical strikes. Maybe even have an outfit plan to take over a base that another outfit is gaurding or something along those lines.
Another thing that has been sparsely discussed but is a great idea is voice comm programs such as TS2(teamspeak 2) and RW (Roger wilco) both widely used in various games. This would be great for outfits or squads to plan attacks - charge/retreat/evacuate/coordinated drops/calling in backup or cover fire. The possibilites of PS are so immense that it's impossible to name all te things that you can do.
Being a beta tester and being in several squads has given me the priveledge to see what the action is like. while ina squad, you do coordinate where to attack an defend before hand, but its difficult to call shots when the action is taking place - you can't type and fight/fly at the same time. The other day we were attacking a certain facility then came overrun by terran, I had to stop and type "Hey so and so, bring the galaxy to the southwest gate and get us outta here" He was circling above the base, and came down to land, but after i had started typing i was engaged by 2 MAX's which i usually can evade with cover fire and grenades, but since i had been typing they got the first few shots off while i was stationary costing me my life :D GJ guys! hehe, anyways some of my team managed to escape in the dropship, and others were killed, but it could of been evaded with voice comm - we could of flown around, healed eachother, and tried again, but with the deaths we had to wait for people to drop near by, giving them time to repair themselves and setup turrets - etc. Just some things to think about :D Long post eh?

[cell.nerve]

"Good idea. It should have random weather patterns like a sand storm in the desert and thunderstorms etc."

There are - and they are very cool :D

[Alias]

Good idea, and It's unique to me. So:
Good, unique, idea! :love:

[EarlyDawn]

I'm upset we don't get true darkness. Flashlights and night vision implants would add different dynamics to the game.

[Da King]

True darkness will be cool, then those headlights on all the tanks will do somthing

[SpacemanSpiff]

Trebor is a big fellow hardware guru. :thumbsup:

PS is slowly going to become the closest thing to a readily available non-DOD war-games simulation that we all can enjoy.

[Irnbru]

total darkness would be sweet :D

[SpacemanSpiff]

We would have a lot of fun with tracers. :bouncy:

[Sigurd]

If it got totally dark, than you definetly would have to make specialized groups of night fighters to hit installations at that time. If you look at how America fights, it uses the night to its advantage since it can see in the dark and trains to fight in the dark. The darkness can be a tool that commanders can exploit during an operation. I think the idea adds a nice touch of realism to the game that would provide interesting situations.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Of course, just as the Iraquis have nightvision, so, too, would your enemies within PS. :p It would add a great deal of realism, but everyone would expect an attack at night.

[simba]

yeah but not if it was like only once a day at a specific time.

[SpacemanSpiff]

What? If it was once a day at a pre-designated time... everyone would be prepared that much more easily for an attack. :blowup:

[Trebor95]

:) I wouldnt want a dark period to be every day or so, that way as Unico says it would become predictable and boring in my opinion, however darkness should be at irregular times (in the short run, but with a pattern over longer periods) that way (as I see it) when darkness is forcast you would get some really tense times waiting for an expected attack.

Picture the scene, the last 3 darkness tiems had passed with little or no action. It is a hour or so until dark fall and outfits, platoons, commanders etc. are all rushing around to finalise their defence perimiters (it would be theoretical suicide to ignore the fact that an attacker would have a major advantage at night and not prepare)
Therefore having taken positions, or having setup and automated perimiter you wait patiently.
Activity detected by a remote sensor on one side, then activity on the other. Then you realise they're all around you :) outside your visual range. Who are they? what are they? how many? that way recon would be needed, to find any build up of forces nearby before dark falls :)

commanders would then really show what they are made of. what do you do, do you fall back inside the base, charge with a counter offensive? withdraw and leave a few stealthed people? simply riddle the area with fire?

it would make a nice change from constant melees, defending after hacking, transporting etc. anyone caught out in the open by themselves may not find it easyat night :)

all in my opinion however :)

of course there maybe the possibility that everyone simply defends, booooring! :) but due to the fact that night battles would have more CEP's or BEP's available and as said before you will get the creation of "night hawks" as I like to think of them as :)

I'm trying to imagine it in my head, but it is hard not having played it :)

[cell.nerve]

^^ poser trying to make a long post like me! PSSH :P jp. Ya, like i said voice comm would help commanders and such alot, and nighttime would really help them show their colors as you said

[mr_luc]

Originally posted by cell.nerve
^^ poser trying to make a long post like me! PSSH :P jp. Ya, like is aid voice comm would help commanders and such alot, and nighttime would really help them show their colors as you said

Actually, wouldn't it kind of make it hard to see their color*SMACK*

[Trebor95]

Originally posted by cell.nerve
^^ poser trying to make a long post like me! PSSH :P jp. Ya, like i said voice comm would help commanders and such alot, and nighttime would really help them show their colors as you said

I have to admit I really liked your post :D :love: especially the voice comms idea, would make it a lot easier, probably use too many resources to have an ingame one, but RW or something might work (not the nicest of programs) :D

[SpacemanSpiff]

We can only hope for something like that in a future expansion. :cool2:

[NARF]

lets see, theres, how many moons? Well, they can never ALL have ecipses, so maybe have one eclipse every two weeks, alternating days?

[Trebor95]

Originally posted by NARF
lets see, theres, how many moons? Well, they can never ALL have ecipses, so maybe have one eclipse every two weeks, alternating days?

yeah thats what I was thinking :) not too close/regular that it gets tedious and not so far apart that people get caught out and dont know what to do to add suspense :)

you'd have to plan operations with this in mind, dont want to be transporting a large platoon somewhere as darkness falls :)

[mr_luc]

Wait wait.

Maybe this planet doesn't have an equinox.

[balab]

i just hope your normal weather patterns don't disperse in matter of minutes. imagine that a squad planning to use storm as cover, they'll be crawling and crawling and all of a sudden, your perfect san diego weather shows up...

[1024]

Originally posted by Fire_Monkey
Welcome to PSU :thumbsup:

I think the idea is great, since their are random weather patterns, why not random days with extended darkness, perhaps forecasted on AGN (Auraxis Global Network) a day ahead or whatnot. Since there are lights on all armors/vehicles I see no problem with it.

same here :cool2:

[cell.nerve]

weather patterns seem to move around and be generated randomly, but i cant really tell you all much else, i.e. how long they last how big they are/etc/etc guess you'll just have to wait til open beta. :love:

[mr_luc]

What I really wonder is, is there a 1-to-1 correspondence between those clouds that we see on the command map view, and the actual storms. I would imagine that those systems don't just sit there, that they move -- and it would look fake if they just drifted one way without swirling etc.

The server could be running a very complex cloud/weather simulation, and of course the client only has to know if it's dark/rainy in his area or not. But as far as those clouds being displayed on the client machine from the overhead map view, I'm wondering how they're doing that.

[Hamma]

The clouds move, the colored circles with arrows on them area weather fronts. Red being the worse.

[Manitou]

To piggyback what Hamma is saying and add a little detail on the weather patterns:

The huge systems are color coded, as Hamma said, red being worse. They are slow moving as real weather and the will affect some ops in the area of the storm.

Flying through one of these storms in mountainous terrain can ruin a squad's day real quick. Visibility is greatly reduced in a cloud bank. :)

[mr_luc]

I just went and looked at the weather pic. I can see a little more how they are probably creating those clouds . . .

[SpacemanSpiff]

I just hope someone (Hamma, ahem) could post some in screen shots of red weather spots... it'd be nice to see how bad it can get. :)

[Hamma]

I've yet to be in a red storm, ive been in some darker colors but not red.

[SpacemanSpiff]

*sits down patiently and waits* :bouncy:

[BladeRunner]

It does seem like I haven't seen any screens/video of weather effects really yet. That would be sweet.. I am picturing standing on the wall of the base when lightning strikes and through the flash of light you can see 3 enemy Galaxy's flying straight to you.

[SpacemanSpiff]

^NIIIIICE name. :thumbsup: Damn good movie.