Dear SOE, Protips on how to make your game better

[Illtempered]

Major ToDos

-Scrap this whole new mission system until it is finished. It's a bad feature. It's not that hard to look at the map and see which base is next on the yellow-brick-lettuce. Stop holding our hands. At least give us the option to turn it OFF.

-Give us new land to wage glorious battle. It's been long enough. Give us Hossin.

-Connect the continents with your lettuce and give us some kind of intercontinental feel, like we had in Planetside.

-Make major facilities more defensible like they were upon release. They weren't the bases that needed redesign any way. I would say revert back, but I know you won't do that, so just stop messing with them. Increase their cap timers or something. The new AMP station designs are TERRIBLE and just make the base much harder to defend. Just what was your intention with this new design anyway?

-Make large outposts a little less defensible, only after the Major facilities are made more defensible. As it stands they are the super-fortresses, therefore most of the fighting happens there as stalemates are more likely. Lower the cap timer a little or something.

-Give less XP to uncontested caps. This is a no-brainer that should have been implemented since day one.

-Continue to improve performance and work on render distance of infantry. In large battles this dynamic rendering is causing way too much pop-up.

-Try to have a little more consistency in development. Right now we never know what is going to change from minute to minute, literally. You could download a patch, log in, then come back a few minutes later to download a hotfix. Releasing a new weapon, then making a major change to it two days later is bad development, especially when people are paying for them. Just about every single aspect of the game, since release, has had a major change, many of them unnecessary in my opinion.

-Stop with this sleazy marketing, trying to trick people into clicking upgrade buttons. Yeah we all know the game has to be paid for. I don't care what they teach in Uni Marketing classes these days. It pisses people off. What about people who just pay directly with SC? Should they be harassed into paying for a subscription? What's worse is when it appears as though they intentionally release weapons that are OP so people can't resist buying them, then finally get around to nerfing them once the cries are loud enough.


Minor ToDos

-Give us doritos back or the option for it. Many of us don't like or need these new IFF icons.

-Stop messing up the camos. We pay for these camos, and for some reason you just can't stop changing them, for the worse, I might add. What's the major malfunction?

-Fix in-game voip or remove it. It's terrible. Everybody knows it. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Our outfit just keeps ours turned off anyway and uses teamspeak. For new players it would be nice for them to have a decent setup. Why didn't you work with Ventrilo, or Teamspeak, or somebody else who actually knows what they are doing in the voice-com department? This point also may belong in the Major Todo category. It worked pretty well for the first few months, then has done nothing but steadily decline.

-Fix the ugly borders on the ocean. We used to have a nice curved horizon over the ocean. It was a very cool feature that I'd never seen in another game, and gave you the feel that you were actually on a spherical planet. Now it's just some ugly big straight line where the map is chopped off. With the Amerish update there are some very loud seams that show up in the ocean on the north side. Quality-control ftw.

[PredatorFour]

Agree with all of this. On the mission system point, why not give the current mission system as it is to the new players? When you get to BR 10 or wateva it then switches off? So the new players know where to go where it's obvious to us who have played since release.

[Wahooo]

Been away for like 7 months and the only change i've seen when I get back is a few weapons and the increase in sleezy marketing.

*sigh*

[Calista]

Get rid of lattice and setup instance queues for random regions via the mission system. Would be ideal for PS4.

[ringring]

Agree with nearly all except not with making major outposts less defendable. They're mostly fine imho and some not defendable enough. The problem is we're playing each outpost as if they are standalone maps and not part of a wider strategic game.

I don't use the in-game voip but they won't remove it, it's there to attract the casual, especially for when the ps4 version is out.

I ignore the missions personally.

[Dougnifico]

With regard to marketing, I had an idea. For getting an auraxium level membership, create a progression system in the vein of BF4. Use more LMG's, unlock LMG's. Use a gun, unlock attachments. Everything else still takes certs. You stop paying, you have to get back to auraxium to get this progression system back. Make it take a while for sure, but if you did that, you would see a lot more subs. Also, it would only apply to auraxium level, so they are paying a minimum of damn near $100 for the ability to do so.

[Edfishy]

With regard to marketing, I had an idea. For getting an auraxium level membership, create a progression system in the vein of BF4. Use more LMG's, unlock LMG's. Use a gun, unlock attachments. Everything else still takes certs. You stop paying, you have to get back to auraxium to get this progression system back. Make it take a while for sure, but if you did that, you would see a lot more subs. Also, it would only apply to auraxium level, so they are paying a minimum of damn near $100 for the ability to do so.

I would much prefer unlocking weapons by getting the medals. I wouldn't even mind prestiging and doing it all over again to get XYZ perks.

[Dougnifico]

Eh... I never liked the prestige system. Always seemed kinda kiddy. And its a cop-out for not having enough content. Just make people work for it. Either way, a way to unlock weapons and attachments through gameplay that doesn't involve certs.

[BeyondNinja]

100% agree on all of these points.
I would probably consider the comms a major issue because they're bloody frustrating when leading a public platoon.

I'd really like to see NC get equivalent infantry and weapon camo coverage to the VS, especially on the heavy.

[Rolfski]

The mission system will become one of the biggest tools for the devs to make battles more even and engaging, as well as controlling pops in general.

I can actually understand that they don't want us to turn it off, only to be never turned on again. Instead, they're opting to make it less annoying and improve & expand it over time, based on our feedback. It's the right way to go imo.

[Dougnifico]

^^much agreed. Otherwise, no one will ever use it.

[Babyfark McGeez]

Ok, now i don't play PS2 anymore, but i just have to comment on this mission system thing (as it was the last new "feature" i -had to- experience myself).

I really cannot follow this "they have to shove a work-in-progress down our throats" line of thinking.
"People would never use the mission system if it wouldn't be forced on"...why put it into the smegging game then?? If nobody is going to use it, shouldn't this tell you something? Like, it's not needed? Or wanted?

And if it's going to be so cool you will want to use it later on, why not put it onto the LIVE server in a more advanced state when it's not actually obstructing the gameplay? Isn't that what a TEST SERVER is for? Which they have? Hell, they could have just made a youtube video of it to get feedback, it wasn't exactly heavy on features that couldn't be explained in a short video.
Shouldn't the live server be for, i dunno, playing the damn game rather then testing WIP? Why are people paying money for this game instead of being paid if they are just testing the product? If they are so worried nobody wants to test their stuff, why not give people an incentive to do so then instead of just forcing it upon them? A special "mission system tester" title could be worn as a badge of honor, people would be in awe of your bravery.

How is making your gameplay experience worse "the right way to go" when there are obvious alternatives (option to turn it off, test server, video + forum) that are being used in any other game?

Now i'm not saying PS2 won't benefit from this feature later on (in fact it can become something really useful if they put the work and effort into it - you can basically turn every tactic into a mission; "Pull a max and jump into a gal" - 200 xp, etc.), but this way of developing it has to be one of the worst ways i have seen in a while.

"Here is a feature we just have started, it won't do anything yet besides annoy you, but since nobody uses our test server or we just forgot we have one we just put it on the live server instead. And since we know the feature still sucks major balls and nobody in his right mind would want to use it in its current state we won't allow you to turn it off."

[Dougnifico]

Well... it doesn't detract from the gameplay and as it is right now would, i imagine, be quite handy to new players. Everyone wants to complain about the bit of the mission system that's in right now when all it does is give a little direction to the zerg and new players. Seriously, how does it negatively effect you?

And if you can turn it off, then you'll probably turn it off or forget to turn it back on when the full system is in place, rendering it useless.

[ringring]

Well... it doesn't detract from the gameplay and as it is right now would, i imagine, be quite handy to new players. Everyone wants to complain about the bit of the mission system that's in right now when all it does is give a little direction to the zerg and new players. Seriously, how does it negatively effect you?

And if you can turn it off, then you'll probably turn it off or forget to turn it back on when the full system is in place, rendering it useless.
It might be handy if it gave good tips but it doesn't especially in out of prime-time.

It gives nothing at all imho to new or old.

[CraazyCanuck]

I think even if it added a colour code to it for more important hexes, (greater links on the lattice, and/or bio/amp/tech facility) it would help make the decision process easier for new players as long as they add it in on the beginning tutorial to explain it.

[EVILoHOMER]

Just don't play the game tbh, I can bet most the development have moved on any ways, SOE love to release unfinished and broken games and never see them through to their full potential.

[Illtempered]

Bump to say give outfits something...

It's been two years and you've given outfits absolutely nothing. At least in PS1 we had outfit decals and outfit points. Anybody that understood Planetside, understood how key outfits were in the big picture. Another example of how out of touch this development is with the spirit of the franchise.

[Boildown]

The VOIP problem has got to get fixed. There's no excuse for it to function as poorly as it does now. Figure out what breaks it and get it fixed. Its been nearly two years, no more excuses. Get it done.

[CmdAtino]

The mission system is very far from being useless, but I think only a few realise what it actually does. I think it should go like this, be mandatory for new players, (seriously SOE needs to do something like this: Give new players from BR1 till BR10 Access to 3-4 weapons per class, at that state they are a "soldier" of whatever faction they are in, and they can actively follow the mission system, follow the orders of the AI commander basically. Then when you get to BR10 you finish your service as a soldier, get to keep your favourite 2 weapons per class and become a mercenary who now needs certs to keep going, this would serve as both a tutorial, prevent new players from "being owned" intice them to buy back the weapons they once had available, feel competent from the start (like oh I miss the fully certed 'standard army reaver with rocket pods' I wish I could get that back, then work for it, at least you know how that felt once, people WILL get attached to their characters and then possibly pay, whislt it provides a nice challenge and provides higher pops for vets to play with! this is so easy to implement it's ridiculous.. it would add lore too)

As for the mission system, I disagree that it is useless, yes it's not the best to follow it straight on, it puts ou in a zerg, but planetside 2 being a WAR, a WAR is pretty much a zerg of tanks and infantry charging, whislt better squads and platoons maneouver about, as a pilot the mission system whist you atack a new base can indicate whether the base on your side of the lattice is under attack "Mission switches to DEFEND" and tells you when you can attack, as an infil in bases further down the lattice you can, without checking the map have info on where the front line is located and whether you should hack terminals or no, attracting enemy infantry away from the fight ,or slowing down tank production.

The mission system guides the "grunts", the "soldiers" from BR1 to BR10, whilst the more advanced players and squads play the role of "heroes" akin to a moba because they naviaget from lane to lane holding and pushing down specific lanes.

The reason the game gets dull is because it is like a moba, capture bases along lanes, albeit complex ones, pushing and defending outposts, but there is no endgame, there is no CAPTURING THE ENEMY WARPGATE, this is SO NEEDED!
it will provide satisfaction, way more than alerts, and realyl create those stories that make games so special, then create a page where those capture and cont lock stats are presented to enhance the lore (ie the war started blahblah, after months of conflict in the year 2014, the NC finally captured Indar, held it for 2 months, Indar was not fought upon for 2 whole months, when the TR and VS finally made a push TOGETHER, but the VS were betrayed, this is what we need.. not tr fights nc and vs and vice versa all the time on the same bases, they get boring if we fight there everyday..

[Illtempered]

It sounds like you were around for the epic Arc Bioengineering farm that made TR finally lose it's month-long grip on Indar.

The mission system is ridiculous, and we should be able to turn it off. Try being a pilot and flying around, getting a stupid beep in your ear every time you cross into another hex. Even for a new player it seems very redundant. How hard is it to look at a map? I always thought this game was where the big boys played. STOP HOLDING OUR HANDS.

[Crator]

I always thought this game was where the big boys played. STOP HOLDING OUR HANDS.

Not really. They want to cater to all types of people (big, small, tall, short, male, female, etc.). Makes sense because the game is free-to-play so they need as many people as possible to try and get them to purchase things. Also, what player doesn't want as many people as you can get in to a MMO where there are no NPCs or game content? Real players are the game content in this MMOFPS.

[BlaxicanX]

I've made that point to Ill before. He doesn't really get it.

[Illtempered]

There needs to be a game where the big boys can play, and be left alone. That IS what Planetside was, and I think it's safe to say that most of the vets wanted PS2 to be the same, but with some marketing added, unlike PS1 which had none.

Oh no though.....We must cater to the the nub-masses because that's the only way we'll make money. Our gurus in the marketing department told us so!

[War Barney]

You missed balance VS properly, its been a ongoing problem since day 1, honestly I don't get how they didn't realise making 1 factions trait incredible accuracy would make them OP as holy hell when aiming is almost the most important thing, you can have a gun which 1 shots people but if you never hit with it its worthless, likewise you can have a gun which does 1 damage but if every single shot always hits its going to destroy people.

Sadly by this point they've probably gone to far to fix it so we just need to accept that if you're not playing VS your playing the game on hard mode. Still, we can always hope one day they'll make the aim on VS weapons not such a dead cert

[Vanir]

Agree with most except for "Make major facilities more defensible like they were upon release. They weren't the bases that needed redesign any way. I would say revert back, but I know you won't do that, so just stop messing with them. Increase their cap timers or something. The new AMP station designs are TERRIBLE and just make the base much harder to defend. Just what was your intention with this new design anyway?"

I think the new AMP station designs are great (The ones with the multiple capture points) and give a greater urban feel in the bases. My experiences with them is that I have had equal success in defending and attacking the new AMP bases.