List of things PS2 is missing.

[DDSHADE]

First things first:
This will not be a "What the hell, PS1 had lettuce linked bases, inventories and more tactics" thread.

With that said, I have been thinking over the course of beta of certain things missing from PS2 that helped PS1 truly have the PlanetSide feeling.

I did get a good "This is SO PlanetSide" feeling when bringing a tank over a hill to see a huge war across a field on Amerish. I want more of that.

I want to make a list to keep track of things that made the first one feel the way it did. Here goes.

1. Cloaking needs to be able to REALLY specialize into recon work.
I know there will be a cloak device that doesn't deplete while stationary, but I want it to make you 100% invisible. Only Pistols for that class, and allow cloakers to hack and shoot while cloaked. OBVIOUSLY make them much more visible while doing so, but I don't want the cloak to deplete at all, maybe only when damaged from enemy fire. Make Thermal scopes to detect cloakers


2. In tune with #1 but different, Hacking of vehicles NEEDS to happen, maybe not now, but in the forseeable future.

3. LOOTABLE WEAPONS. Maybe because of classes, only allow LA/Engy loot Carbines, Medics loot their guns AND Carbines, and HA can loot all of the above.

4. Rivers going through maps, and more Lakes/Islands. I know I mostly play TR, but I still feel VS are missing out on their tactical advantage of crossing water in Magriders. Add the Deliverer. (or upgrade the sundy with waterwalking) I understand the challenges faced with adding lakes and rivers/islands.. Players will expect a AAA title to have decent swimming mechanics (nothing like PS1) so it will take some time, but I would like to see a lake or two on Amerish, and perhaps an Oasis on Indar.

5. CERT GAINS at new BATTLE RANKS. Even if it's as small as the number of rank they gain, (BR2=2 CP, BR17=17CP). Players don't really feel like they unlock anything or much from getting a higher BR. (Titles don't really cut it)

6. Commander visual upgrades. I really LOVED being able to see a commander's rank from their Shin guards/Gauntlets or backpack. Please make those with ANY CR stand out in the same way. And add the EMP/map drawing for CR3 :D

7. Make the ACE more multi-function. Engineers should be able to pick 4 things their ACE can do for one loadout. Bring TRUE CE back. Tank mine/Ammo/Turret/Boomer etc.. Also, let cloakers have boomers again PLEASE!!

8. Armor Piercing ammo needs to be available to ANYONE. Maybe unlock it at BR5. Let players choose to switch 1 or 2 magazines worth of their ammo reserve for AP ammo. Effective against tanks and MAX units, balanced enough so they can't really kill a tank, but if they see one driving away with 5% health... :D Just have players pay Infantry Resources for it!

9. Better 3rd person driving: The ability to zoom a LITTLE bit farther out from your vehicle in 3rd person view. The sunderer driver can rotate the camera all the way around to see sneaking enemies in back, but tank drivers can't see friendly pedestrians running out (who don't look both ways before crossing the street) and turn them into pavement. More camera angles please.

10. Add a rearview camera for aircraft. This would both be really helpful to check your tail, AND it would allow PS2 film makers to get some cool shots.


11. Stats tracked for Repair and Healing, and especially for Assists. I mean assists to show as a K/D/A ratio. More stats to do with Assists (it's a big step up from PS1 that didn't even have assists) But you get the point. Stats for how many of each class you've killed of each faction, and each vehicle.

12. Weapon Progress unlockables. Certain secret unlockable weapon upgrades/attachments/camo or even a new FREE unlocked weapon from x number of kills with x weapon. Could work for Vehicles too. Think of how the Flying BFR variant was unlocked, only not impossible. Or the Vulture variant of the Liberator. Rewards based on specialized use of one particular weapon/vehicle.

13. Habitable bases. The bases look like they are ONLY for battle. I want to see a mess hall or two, captains quarters, maybe even a bathroom, etc... Places that make a base FEEL like a base. I know this is unnecessary or minor but it would be cool. Maybe even bunks or a table with holograpic looping tanks and aircraft! :P On a better note, SPAWN ROOMS IN THE BASEMENT! LOGICAL FORTIFICATIONS!

14. Ant runs!! I know.. some might be haters of this, but I felt it added tactics, when you're defending a base and send someone to get an ANT to power the facility or you lose it... the feeling of getting there just in time..thats an epic win.
EDIT: I'm aware that ANT runs would NOT be feasible right now in PS2, Gal's cannot carry vehicles yet (hopefully they will) And there is only one WG per cont so far that you have access to. Plus bases have no form of nanite depletion.

15. LLU Capture mechanics for some bases. It was a lot of fun, and mixed it up. I'm sure that the devs have something on the horizon for CTF style caps, but I had to mention it. We need to mix it up a bit. The new Tug of War system makes base caps take AGES even if there are no enemies around, and there is less incentive to defend.

16. SoI's!! The Sphere of Influence around a base made that area FEEL like yours. It had perks spread within it, and showed a much more clear view of who owned the base/tower. I'm not saying make a lattice system again (Though I DO prefer it to the hexes at the moment) I would just like the ability to make the hex colour more transparent, and to see colour coded circles around the bases. Introducing a slider for opacity of the Hex influence would be a good start! Or just highlighting the edges.

17. Make cloak suits shimmer like in PS1! It looked so cool for graphics back then, and it's not even in PS2 :(

18. Let the Flash turn into the Wraith, and give it trunk space ;)


Just the things keeping me awake thinking at night...

Anyway, that sums the list up for tonight. I'm sure I have an idea or two in my head floating around somewhere, but it's 4am for me and I need sleep.
I really can't wait for Tuesday, and will love this game no matter what (and already do) But I can't help but think these things are missing.


Feel free to add to my list, comment on certain list items, or give feedback!
I'm open to logical criticism!

Night,
Shade

[ringring]

Also, worthwhile CE. Bring back the Combat Engineer role.


Apart from being in the think of it the two/three things I miss are:- Combat engineering, Ant runs and command chat.

[WarbirdTD]

I like almost all of these points, with the exception of the Ant runs. I do understand what you mean about the feeling of pushing out of a base into a courtyard to clear it just enough for your Galaxy to come screaming in, drop an ANT, and refuel the base just in time. However, I'm not sold on that being a valid mechanic for PS2. Even now, I think some of the capture mechanics (in which 6 people have to sit on a point for nearly 10 minutes doing absolutely nothing) are too boring. How will people view ANT runs in a game this fast-paced? And remember, Galaxies can't carry vehicles yet, so you'll be driving all over the continent from the warpgate, thru fighter-infested skies. At this point, I just don't think it would fit well with the game.

On points 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12, I'm 100% with you. I absolutely love the idea of getting cert points at battle ranks, since I got to BR13 in beta, but I couldn't care less. BR13 didn't give me any color changes on my armor or any additional cert points... just a title that I was totally uninterested in.

As far as my own feedback, get rid of the MBT "special abilities". Talk about not making any sense. The TR are the fastest tank, so their special ability is to lock down and become immobile? Bad idea. The slowest tank gets a 100kph afterburner? What?
I'd also like some sort of command channel, with some consideration for continent-all's for organization purposes. Far too many times that the TR have lost Indar because all the lemmings are at The Crown. Right now, there's just way too much zerging around.
Lastly, points for defending. Those need to be put back in. At least something... like 250 or 500 for defending a 1000-point facility. Otherwise, you get this terrible feeling that you were wasting your time, even if it had been fun.

[bpostal]

All of these would be awesome to have...SPAWN ROOMS IN THE BASEMENT! LOGICAL FORTIFICATIONS! is the necessary one that it must have.

[Knocky]

Infiltrators

[ChipMHazard]

I agree with all your points except for nr. 1, 17 and 14. I'm personally fine with how infiltrators' cloak works... Then again I don't play as one and I enjoy killing them. Bases don't really have power so unless you want it to serve as a backup shield generator I don't see it working.

Something to add. An actual mission system. I know they have one in the works, but darn it we do so need one that works properly.

[Srixun]

Lettuce linked bases... lol.

[Rivenshield]

Also, worthwhile CE. Bring back the Combat Engineer role.


Wait, WAIT a freaking minute. They got rid of the Combat Engineer as a class?

/been on hotel wifi for past two months

[Shogun]

i totally agree on everything regarding cloakers, hackers and engineers!

those were my favorite playstyles and they worked very well in ps1 and are totally missing from ps2! those classes are just a shadow of what they once were!
please bring them back to life!

[Shogun]

Wait, WAIT a freaking minute. They got rid of the Combat Engineer as a class?

/been on hotel wifi for past two months

the class is there, but compared to what it could do in ps1, it is totally castrated.no diversity on the field at all.

[Rivenshield]

the class is there, but compared to what it could do in ps1, it is totally castrated.no diversity on the field at all.

/breathes easier

They still don't let us carry more than two freaking AT mines, huh?

[IceJudge]

Voice Macros. The classic V-V-V system was much more intuitive and allowed for greater communication on the fly.

[Buggsy]

Also, worthwhile CE. Bring back the Combat Engineer role.


Apart from being in the think of it the two/three things I miss are:- Combat engineering, Ant runs and command chat.

If SONY wants anyone to defend, they need to bring back CE from PS1, plus the cloak on the AMS. These 2 are absolutely necessary for defense.

Or we can just roll around with the zerg capturing one undefended base after another *yawn*

[Buggsy]

Wait, WAIT a freaking minute. They got rid of the Combat Engineer as a class?

/been on hotel wifi for past two months

Mines/Claymores are totally useless on defense except for lolz (putting claymores inside spawn room after losing base).

There are no spitfires, there are no motion detectors, and the Mines/Claymores don't work if you are traveling fast over them, they will detonate behind you doing little or no damage if you are traveling fast.

[Tamas]

100% invisible and shooting while cloaked with infinite cloak - perfect example why some players should never ever touch balancing.

[Buggsy]

100% invisible and shooting while cloaked with infinite cloak - perfect example why some players should never ever touch balancing.

Yupp

[DDSHADE]

100% invisible and shooting while cloaked with infinite cloak - perfect example why some players should never ever touch balancing.

The trade off would be those cloakers have no shields. In PS1 cloakers had no armour, I don't see how it couldn't be balanced out.

Voice Macros. The classic V-V-V system was much more intuitive and allowed for greater communication on the fly.


I Agree!!! The voice macro system is not robust at all. I want to be able to say I need passengers or gunners. Greet people, hail people. Give basic attack or defend orders, "Cover me!" "Fall back!!".
Command style radio feeds would be a nice touch sometimes when you get a headshot, hit or kill an enemy tank or take down another aircraft. Like "Clean kill." or "Kill confirmed" or "You took that drop team DOWN" for taking out a galaxy with 5 or more occupants. Stuff like that. Polish.

I must add this to the list.


I also need to add Command Chat to the list. I want it starting at CR2 like in PS1, with /sitrep to higher command channels.

Also, a proper Mission System. I'm thinking like Face of Mankind had. I want to see large bonuses for the commander and the squad that complete given objectives. Continent wide Waypoints (That have a different symbol) that appear once a mission is accepted. I want to hear more voice in game of different objectives that need to be taken.


I would like to see a PlanetSide version of Daily 'quests' you can complete for cert point bonuses. 50 kills with x weapon. Kill 20 Infiltrators. Detect x amount of players with recon detect device. Completing more 'quests' unlocks a higher tier with better rewards.. etc. I figure this would work well, seeing as cert prices are so high. The missions should be random, to eliminate one class being targeted for a day, etc.

Another mode could be a scavenger hunt. For the versitile players. Get a kill with a pistol, then grenade, then a sniper, knife, tank, double kill.... etc. Give a time limit for bonus rewards, or high stakes for nothing if the time runs out.

Also, why can we not switch to the knife and turn it on?? I miss that.

AND, one last thing: Where are the Voice selections for our characters we create?? PS1 had 5 for each gender AND a much larger face selection.

[xenoneo]

What's missing from PS2 is certainly an objective topic, but here's my perspective.

A melee only option for infiltrator.

This would be a close range alternative to sniping, which would compliment infiltrating.
After much discussion in the official classes and certifications forum, titled, "About the removed 'melee boost' cert..."; this is how I see it being implemented the best.

A store bought infiltrator only knife requiring that another weapon can not be equipped, with a 3 second delay between swings, which must be activated (makes a sound) to increase it's damage.
This knife would be able to kill in one hit, like a bolt action sniper rifle to the head, if you attack the head or back of the enemy. (cone of back would be a 30 degree cone, so no attacks from the side)
The logic of this is to compliment the bolt action rifle it would need to have the delay between attacks equivalent to the reload time, a boost in damage only when attacking a specific part of the enemy, and a limited amount of uses.
The cloak will give the relative safety that a sniper would have from having distance while the knife requires you to be right up against the enemy hitbox.

There may be another way to go about it, but I'm certain that simply increasing the damage of the default knife (melee boost cert) would cause the same torrent of objection that the shotgun received, because of the speed of attack.

I come from a MMORPG/fpsrpg background, and I have always played a rogue/assassin/thief as a main.
After reading about PS2 in Game Informer, and seeing the end of the cinematic trailer, it seemed clear to me that the game would have a melee only stealth class in a game full of people shooting.
Starting the beta, I saw the "melee boost" cert and "stalker cloak" and was sold with the idea.
This is why I started playing PS2, and although I have enjoyed playing the game as other classes, the infiltrator never became what I felt it was promised to be.
As I worked on the forums to have this introduced, I learned about what the infiltrator was in PS1.

All in all, from my perspective, knife focused combat for the infiltrator is the main thing that brought me to PS2 and it's the one thing that has never come to pass.

[DDSHADE]

All in all, from my perspective, knife focused combat for the infiltrator is the main thing that brought me to PS2 and it's the one thing that has never come to pass.

So far.

I somewhat agree with you, that it would be good to have a one hit knife kill for die hard stealth cloakers. I played PS1 all the way from the start, and largely as an infiltrator. I LOVED running around with a couple ACE's, an AMP or Repeater, (if i could get my hands on some NC Mag-Scatter pistols I was even happier) and sometimes would use the melee boost implant. You have to be aware though that even with that implant turned on, it took two knife hits for a kill. If you had Adv Targeting you could see enemy health and if it was below 60% you could get them in 1 hit :)

I think that instead of a one hit knife to the back or head (which actually could work out, if you make balanced trade-offs) to have an ASSASSINATE ability with a cool animation. The animation could take a little while, and as you put certs into it, you get faster at assassinations. This leaves a period for other nearby enemies to see you (and because of the chain blade perhaps hear you too) so that it would encourage stealth cloakers to really isolate their targets if they can.

A LARGE part of PS1 cloaker game play you found yourself with MANY enemies surrounding you in an enemy infested base. This meant, either break your invisible cover and start shooting, trying to take out as many as you could before geting pwned. OR it meant you had to cross your fingers and hope no one flicks on their Darklight Vision Implant, or runs straight into you and starts shooting, before you reach your destination.

The most fun was had making mischief around enemy bases, sabotaging equipment, waiting for players to repair said equipment, and make your kill :)

I really can't wait to see that cloak device in action, to get my hands on it and cause some chaos! :D

[Rodel]

Combat egn please.

[Marinealver]

Defendible bases with doors, bridge and water fights, hacking, ES MAX AA weapons, Asault Buggies, Amphibious vehicles, resource convoys (ANT runs as well as LLUs and Mod runs) Anti spawn camping mechanics, the ability to make a camp with an spawn vehicle and CE. sanctuaries, HART station (as explain how the heck you get in that drop pod. Stairs.

We are not missing core combat though, with all the jump pads and teleporters the bases have become just like the cavern. SOE still cant get that whole urban fight down.

[SixShooter]

The real big one for me is DIRECTION. Direction as in people leading the fight. CR4/CR5 directives to the empire either globaly or on a specific continent. I know that there is a CR chat channel but I don't know if they can reach out to their faction to try to direct the battle because I have not seen it yet.

This is one that is too important to pass up and should be implemented right off the bat. Otherwise it's just a random zerg with no direction. Someone needs to be able to /contall indar to say "leave the crown and get our techplant back!!!"

Without leadership and direction there is no meta game, despite awesome outfits doing their jobs well. As far as I can tell there is no mission system implemented which was going to be one of the big points of the game. Hotspots do not a mission sytem make.

CR leadership and a real mission system will take this game far.
:cheers:

[Raka Maru]

For me, my favorite classes which I, combine are just a shadow of what they once were.

Stealther and engineer. Cloakers became snipers as they are not real infiltraitors currently. Engineers became repair and ammo dispensers. What can I say about these that hasn't already been said. Beta is over and we get what we get with a promise of more to come...

[Rivenshield]

For me, my favorite classes which I, combine are just a shadow of what they once were.

Stealther and engineer. Cloakers became snipers as they are not real infiltraitors currently. Engineers became repair and ammo dispensers. What can I say about these that hasn't already been said. Beta is over and we get what we get with a promise of more to come...

At a civilized minimum, they need to let us carry more than TWO FREAKING MINES. Give us unlocks for that, if you please, but let us lay minefields again.

Has anyone in this thread seen or been hit by an anti-tank mine? I didn't, though I had to stop playing beta a month and a half ago. People complaining about tank spam? Here's the solution, same as it ever was.... set traps and lure enemy convoys into them... retreat through them if you get pasted... have a big area denial weapon covering one flank while you advance on the other.... carpet the courtyard with them so the enemy has to come in and fight you like men....

But that would be too much like the boring old game.

/wrinkles nose

[Raka Maru]

Yes, minefields was one of the things that need to be added, I certed with the carrying pouch and got a whopping 3 mines. The carry pouch itself was a joke as it said 1 extra AV mine, 1 extra claymore, etc... Talk about mindless useless micromanagement. Just give me more slots to Cary more ACE tools.

[ChipMHazard]

You can cert into carrying more mines. If I remember correctly you can carry up to 5 mines if you cert into the two required trees.
2 mines take out an MBT last I heard.

[Raka Maru]

You can cert into carrying more mines. If I remember correctly you can carry up to 5 mines if you cert into the two required trees.
2 mines take out an MBT last I heard.

Ok, I do remember 5 before the wipe. Still 5 mines does not a mine field make.

[ChipMHazard]

Ok, I do remember 5 before the wipe. Still 5 mines does not a mine field make.

Hehe indeed it does not, although an decent sized outfit should be able to put down a nice little minefield... Until it gets blown up. At least they stay after you die now.
When I got my invite to the tech test I was all stoked about playing an engineer... The devs sure did make sure to change my mind about that.

[Raka Maru]

Hehe indeed it does not, although an decent sized outfit should be able to put down a nice little minefield... Until it gets blown up. At least they stay after you die now.
When I got my invite to the tech test I was all stoked about playing an engineer... The devs sure did make sure to change my mind about that.

How many times I died trying to figure out if a friendly accidentally blew them up or if an enemy tank managed to get away. Proper inventory and deployable management tools would go a long way. Like deployable counts and having them appear for you and your faction on the maps.

[DDSHADE]

I got blown up in one shot by an AT mine in my prowler, maybe i had taken some damage already but it wasn't fun. I don't think 1 or 2 mines is fair to tank drivers, nor is it fair to engineers. The idea of covering an area with mines is way cooler, and you'll probably get more than 1 kill with a good placed mine field.

I doubt we'll ever see shadow spitfire turrets, but it'd be cool to be able to place some automated turrets far into the engineer tree.

I'm also sad that the empires do not have their ES AV weapons. lock-on Striker was perfect for TR, Guided Pheonix missiles were loads of fun as NC, and VS's lancer was something to be reckoned with. Their iconic looks and feels are so uniquely PlanetSide, it doesn't make sense that they aren't even on the radar!