Easy way to make vehicle reequipable

[phungus]

Just make it zero resource cost and not effect the spawn timer if you spawn a vehicle of the same type you already own (would need to allow "spawn now" when timer is counting if you had that vehicle out, also wouldn't work if there was someone in the vehicle as I wouldn't want to give up the ability to gift to squad mates).


Is there any reason why this would be bad for the game other then some weapons would need a few tweaks? If we could reequip (which this mechanic change would defacto do) then weapons like the banshee and skyguard turrets would be wayyy more useful.

Thought about this in regard to the announced change to A2Am where they are going to be made inefective as ESF killers and only work against gals libs. This will make it impossible to use them, as rocket pods work just as well and you will be required to utilze AB pods or new A2A weapon that comes out, which would be fine if they shifted to a viable role but lib and gal killer simply isn't given the vehicle is permenantly stuck with that loadout. There are alot of defacto useless weapons in this game on vehicles that would have a very viable role if we could reequip, like AP rounds and AI nose guns (yeah they can be fun for a bit, but they aren't competitively viable with other choices), also there have been alot of time I've wished I could change a utility or turret on a sunderer.

I assume vehicle reequiping ins't in the game by design, and not difficulty in implementation. Do you guys think the game is better with no vehicle reequip ability (such as the mechanic described in the beggining of the thread, or any other possible manner), and why?

[Shogun]

another easy solution:

give reequip functionality to ammo-towers. if you go to point blank with an ammo tower, the "press e to use terminal" tooltip will show up and when you hit e you get a version of a vehicle terminal with just a loadout screen for your actual vehicle.

much like it was for reequipping bfr cannons in ps1.

edit: ok, this loadout screen should have an additional button: Leave vehicle
just in case somebody needs to use the ammotower as cover and wants to jump out for repairs without repositioning.

[WSNeo]

another easy solution:

give reequip functionality to ammo-towers. if you go to point blank with an ammo tower, the "press e to use terminal" tooltip will show up and when you hit e you get a version of a vehicle terminal with just a loadout screen for your actual vehicle.

much like it was for reequipping bfr cannons in ps1.

This.

[Whiteagle]

They can't do it, believe me I've asked...

Apparently every entity in the game is rendered as a whole, which is why your character needs to deconstruct and reconstruct each time you resupply...

So the reason we can't switch vehicle weapons is because when it is constructed the game sees it as Vehicle A-Weapon Options B and C instead of Vehicle A plus Weapon Options B and C...
...In other words, it classifies things as solid wholes instead of bodies with bits attached.

I assume this was to streamline intercontinental transfers, but since that isn't in the game yet...

[ChipMHazard]

I like it when people claim something is easy while not knowing that it is in fact not that easy:p

Like Whiteagle explained.

[OCNSethy]

I'll accept Whiteagle's explaination - so I guess that means having an inventory system (swapping out ammo / scopes) for a char is not feasable.... (sad face)

[Gatekeeper]

Ok, but even with Whiteagle's explanation - I don't see how this stops them implementing vehicle loadout changes. Surely all you'd need to do is go the vehicle term/ammo tower as discussed above and then have the game rapidly perform the following steps:


Kick everyone out of the vehicle.
Deconstruct vehicle.
Spawn new vehicle (but don't charge resources/reset timer).
Put driver (and gunners/passengers too, if possible) into new vehicle.


To prevent abusing this to deny kills/rapidly repair vehicles only allow vehicle loadout changes for vehicles that are on 100% health. Might also be reasonable to charge 10% or so of the vehicle's resource cost every time?

[Emperor Newt]

They can't do it, believe me I've asked...

Apparently every entity in the game is rendered as a whole, which is why your character needs to deconstruct and reconstruct each time you resupply...

So the reason we can't switch vehicle weapons is because when it is constructed the game sees it as Vehicle A-Weapon Options B and C instead of Vehicle A plus Weapon Options B and C...
...In other words, it classifies things as solid wholes instead of bodies with bits attached.

I assume this was to streamline intercontinental transfers, but since that isn't in the game yet...

Mh, so what about a "refitting" portal. Something you drive your tank on, and then use a nearby terminal to spawn a new one. The game would have to check if the same vehicle is on position X,Y,Z and if it deconstructs it and spawns the new one. Therefore nothing needs to be changed on the entity itself, it "simply" despawns and a new one is created. Just like infantry.

[wasdie]

They can't do it, believe me I've asked...

Apparently every entity in the game is rendered as a whole, which is why your character needs to deconstruct and reconstruct each time you resupply...

So the reason we can't switch vehicle weapons is because when it is constructed the game sees it as Vehicle A-Weapon Options B and C instead of Vehicle A plus Weapon Options B and C...
...In other words, it classifies things as solid wholes instead of bodies with bits attached.

I assume this was to streamline intercontinental transfers, but since that isn't in the game yet...

It's probably used to keep it easier to track entities on the clients. In general the more information you need to check each cycle the slower it is. Even being able to remove 1-2 extra properties per object can radically reduce the amount of cycles required to render, thus allowing you to increase the scope.

This is most likely a product of them having 2000 player continents.

With this setup they could do what phungus said in the original post. If you have a vehicle spawned you can pull another of the same type at no cost or effect to your timer. Pretty simple.

Given the location of vehicle terminals it would be really hard to abuse such a function in game.

[Shogun]

if this obscure gamedesign really is the problem, then go with OP´s idea, but the vehicle you want to reequip has to be near the v-pad you are trying to use and it has to be empty.

if not, go the ps1 way.

[Whiteagle]

It's probably used to keep it easier to track entities on the clients. In general the more information you need to check each cycle the slower it is. Even being able to remove 1-2 extra properties per object can radically reduce the amount of cycles required to render, thus allowing you to increase the scope.

This is most likely a product of them having 2000 player continents.
Indeed...

Mh, so what about a "refitting" portal. Something you drive your tank on, and then use a nearby terminal to spawn a new one. The game would have to check if the same vehicle is on position X,Y,Z and if it deconstructs it and spawns the new one. Therefore nothing needs to be changed on the entity itself, it "simply" despawns and a new one is created. Just like infantry.
Well this would certainly give the Vehicle pads some actual in game usage other then marking where your ride will spawn from...

...Would need an equivalent for Aircraft though, since they seem to appear right out of thin air...

Surely all you'd need to do is go the vehicle term/ammo tower as discussed above and then have the game rapidly perform the following steps:


Kick everyone out of the vehicle.
Deconstruct vehicle.
Spawn new vehicle (but don't charge resources/reset timer).
Put driver (and gunners/passengers too, if possible) into new vehicle.


To prevent abusing this to deny kills/rapidly repair vehicles only allow vehicle loadout changes for vehicles that are on 100% health. Might also be reasonable to charge 10% or so of the vehicle's resource cost every time?
With this setup they could do what phungus said in the original post. If you have a vehicle spawned you can pull another of the same type at no cost or effect to your timer. Pretty simple.

Given the location of vehicle terminals it would be really hard to abuse such a function in game.
Eh, it'd probably need a lot of work...
...If we had actual working Warpgate this would look much more feasible, since deconstructing then reconstructing again is basically how those would function judging by Teleporters.

[Assist]

I don't think vehicles should be able to change weapon loadouts once they're spawned.

[Lonehunter]

If you were able to reequip weaponry you would HAVE to implement a Cooldown or/and a resource cost.

You seriously don't see a problem in any vehicle being able to change out weapons at any time? A lightning could go from AV to Skyguard, to AV. There are different weapon roles for a reason, if they let you fill EVERY role with the only penalty being you have to move to a certain point in between, this game will decline.

[Ait'al]

They can't do it, believe me I've asked...

Apparently every entity in the game is rendered as a whole, which is why your character needs to deconstruct and reconstruct each time you resupply...

So the reason we can't switch vehicle weapons is because when it is constructed the game sees it as Vehicle A-Weapon Options B and C instead of Vehicle A plus Weapon Options B and C...
...In other words, it classifies things as solid wholes instead of bodies with bits attached.

I assume this was to streamline intercontinental transfers, but since that isn't in the game yet...


... Then what if they simply treated it like a respawn at the tower applying the first idea after you chose what you wanted.... There is always a solution! Make the spawn point on your current position. Apply the logic to not make you blow yourself up on spawn. You can always find a way to do something.

OK, already covered. But still there is a solution.

As for balance why is it different than PS1. The towers we own are right outside our bases. Hence within our base defence. In a fight it's even difficult to get to them sometimes. You could even make us spawn back from teh vehicle pad and wait in the que. But I don't see a reason too. As for switching to the correct equipment. Good, you do it with infantry and it makes defences better. Why not vehicles. Defence is the hardest thing to do and needs the most prop up. Offence is easy but everyone is bad at it. So all this will do is make people have to learn to organize and fight better to get bases. I see that as good.

It's not like you can hack an enemy ammo tower and use it. From a vehicles standpoint the 50 feet to the tower is a 2 second hop. But it helps get rid of oopses when picking vehicles, it's worth it.