A complete overhaul of redeploy is so needed.

[War Barney]

I'll be honest I didn't notice this until it was pointed out by Wrel in a video.. but the current redeploy system really is simply awful. For those who don't know why, basically the ability to move 100s of people to a bad in seconds basically removes all tactics and makes large scale fights nothing but numbers management, the closest thing to skill is getting people to listen.

Lets have an example, 1 faction is zerging the east side of a cont, so the smaller faction decides to take some land further away from it to avoid the zerg or split it up. Now in a game with proper tactics this would work as the zerg would need to get transport across wasting time maybe losing a base before they could reach it and then weakening their other attack. What happens in planetside? a quick redeploy wipe them out then deploy back to the other base, all can be done in about a minute or less (thats going to base and getting back).

Thats just ridiculous, its not tactical play, its just managing numbers, as I said the only thing which ends up mattering is if people listen, if they do you can move 100s of people in seconds with no penalty. Not only does this make it a untactical mess but it massively supports zergs as they can zerg in 1 mass then redeploy in seconds to zerg anywhere you try to fight back.

A good option that was suggested was a resource required for redeploying so you can't just spam it whenever you like and need to think about it, though it would be great to see what other ideas people think up. The main problem is redeploying is great because it helps you get into a fight quickly and nobody wants to run for 20 minutes between fights, but the current system is far to extreme on its leniency for deploying, there needs to be some sort of limit put on.

[Mordelicius]

There's a simple solution to mass redeploy that's been discussed before and even agreed to by one of the Developers.

Make redeploy cost resources depending on the distance. That's the best way to limit constant mass redeploy movement of players. In addition they can add a short timer, again depending on the distance or make it more expensive the more you use it within the timer.

Example: (I'll use nanites because apparently it will be the universal resource in the future)
Long distance redeploy cost = 400 nanites (10 minute cooldown; to be calibrated)
Medium distance redeploy cost = 200 nanites (5 minute cooldown; to be calibrated)
Short distance redeploy cost = no cost (adjacent territories).

Here's the thread last year I was pertaining to it: http://www.planetside-universe.com/showthread.php?p=935808#post935808

Easy!

Long Range Spawns = Cost resources depending on the facility type!
Keep spamming redeploy = run out of resources if you're jumping all over the place.

Make them cost 100 (on medium distance) and 200 resource points on the farthest regions. This better balancing point now that resources are scarcer with the price increase of vehicles.

Example: if I want to spawn in the furthermost Biolab across the map, it will cost 200 infantry resource points (because that's what biolab gives, infantry resources).
Same thread:http://www.planetside-universe.com/showpost.php?p=936052&postcount=37

Perhaps "throttle" wasn't the right word. Feel free to interpret that word as "some form of limited-use mechanism that discourages abuse of large groups." And feel free to offer suggestions. Goal is stabilizing the fronts and trending towards population equilibrium along a front.

Outfits of course will intentionally bypass that because that's a clear and obvious way to gain an edge. Nothing really stops one person from going to an area, putting down a spawn beacon and having the rest come in, and that's what organized groups will do. For moving large groups transport vehicles should be the most efficient solution and the preferred method of front-shifting.

That's where a resource cost for long-distance spawning makes a lot of sense, because the resource cost of one vehicle is a lot cheaper than a spawn cost being paid by an entire squad. And you can't guarantee that everyone in the squad will be able to pay that cost, thus transport vehicle becomes your most reliable and efficient solution of moving a large group. And that transport vehicle takes time to move, can be spotted, and can be destroyed. That adds depth and reduces the volatility. So if you want to go against the grain and shift fronts en masse you do so with a tradeoff. I think that's the general idea of how to correctly solve the problem, but it has it's challenges. I think it could solve the mechanical problem quite well but doing so without making the game more confusing is difficult. Also making it work for large organized groups without screwing over the casual/solo player is essential.

And another: http://www.planetside-universe.com/showpost.php?p=891253&postcount=10

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[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Imo, like my last suggestion. Make instant action cost resources as well. The more you use it, the more resources it cost. Remove the cooldown altogether but make it progressively more expensive, hence the resource starvation meta game will kick in

....

[War Barney]

That does seem the best way to solve it, and its good that at least 1 dev sees it as a good idea. It wouldn't even be too hard to implement I'd imagine (though I've not progamming experience so I can't really say for sure).

Especially with there being a universal resource pool soon it could work even better as you'd need to chose between jumping all the way across a cont or pulling a tank/MAX. so it may end up being more practical for people to just try and use gals and it would stop this culture of gals being an expendable spawn point and turn them into something vital that needs protecting.

[Crator]

I agree about the issue and like the solution proposed to make it cost resources along with a use timer. If the resource/timer cost was added I would like it so you could pick a spawn at any front-line spawn point of your choosing.

[ringring]

I've never liked the concept of resources and tbh this idea illustrates why.

For me resources are unnecessary. They are a complication that adds nothing to gameplay. Simplicity is better. Rules such as you're able to redeploy to the nearest outpost and/or nearest tank spawning base should be it, otherwise take a vehicle. Keep it simple. Complexity doesn't equal depth.

redeploy which is too easy is bad for gameplay, good for the instant and casual but bad for gameplay that is involving and will keep people engaged for the long term.

There are quite a few things in this game which have attempted to make thing easier or quicker but unintentionally have also made it less engaging and 'light'.

Leaders should be confronted with tactical problems when looking at where they should attack/defend. The travel time should be included within that.

[War Barney]

As for it being free to redeploy to bases next to you the problem with that is people can just keep redeploying in a line to get where they need to go and it will still not take too long, if its free to go to the next base there needs to be a limit on the number of free redeploys, such as you can redeploy free of resources once to an adjacent base but after that theres a cooldown of say 5-10mins to do it again.

It would be quite cool to see the warpgate a place full of gals taking soldiers to the front line rather than a seldom used place thats only really used to grab a suicide gal for a drop.

HOWEVER when you die to an enemy you should get a free redeploy to the next base, not if its suicide or death to an ally though, otherwise people will exploit it to get free transport across the map.

[Stardouser]

It would be quite cool to see the warpgate a place full of gals taking soldiers to the front line rather than a seldom used place thats only really used to grab a suicide gal for a drop.


So what you're saying is you'd like the game to be such that setting up coordinated attacks from the warpgate provides tangible benefits over, say, mass redeployment? Or so that spawning at the next closest base to set up a counterattack to the enemy's rear is more effective than mindlessly respawning into a surrounded base?

Doesn't that conflict with SOE's apparent goal of keeping things easy for new players, and keeping it where players can get back into the fight within a few seconds? I mean, respawning at the warpgate might take a couple of minutes to organize and a minute to fly to the combat zone, right?

[BlaxicanX]

It would also make the game functionally impossible to play without rolling with an organized platoon/outfit.

Dunno. The tight-rope between casual-friendly and balanced gameplay is a hard line to negotiate.

Is it certainly true though that PS2 is a game of logistics moreso than military "strategy" or tactics. Generally, the faction that can best manipulate its large population is the one that will be the most successful.

[Babyfark McGeez]

Let players spawn anywhere but the further it is away from your current location the longer the spawntimer is. It's a fucking no-brainer.

If i want to spawn at that one base on the opposite side of the map i'm going to do so anyways, just currently i need more clicks to get there.

The key is to make spawning far away possible without clicking like a labrat on a food dispenser, while making it even more attractive to use a vehicle/aircraft instead. "Sure, you could just stare at a spawntimer for a minute, or you could use one of our shiny and fun vehicles to get there and also kick arse *hint* *hint* *wink* *wink*".
But in order for that to work vehicles /aircraft would actually need to be fun to use (and not flip over because someone stared at them too hard and explode because some enemy scratched your paint with their weapon), and maybe also less expensive. In short, there needs to be an incentive to use actual transportation, as there is no downside to not to use. In PS1 the downside is you have to get your butt to the sanctuary because you can't spawn anywhere.

Drop pods as another alternative fall flat on their faces too, as they are complete arse. I tried them a couple of times on hossin, and i either got thrusted onto the middle of a road filled with enemies ("offense"), or right next to our spawn hut ("defense"). They are completely and utterly useless if you can't choose your location.

So there you have it, if i want to defend a particular base far away i WILL use redeploy untill i get there as all other methods are just useless. So might aswell just let me choose my spawn directly and increase the spawn timer accordingly.
Or rework the drop pods into being non shit. Because i totally would use those otherwise.

[BlaxicanX]

Drop-pods are pretty hilarious on Hossin.

First time I used one, I bounced off a canopy of trees and landed like 500 meters away from where I was aiming.

[Eggy]

Instant action. Guaranteed to drop you into the middle of a min 24/24 fight on the cont your on. Puts you in a drop pod. Allows you to make slight adjustments on the way down. Does zero damage. 10 min timer, even if you cancel it. Uses resources.
If it cant satisfy the rules of instant action, it doesn't use your timer/resources and doesn't drop you anywhere.
If your in a squad IE drops you on your SL.

Squad deploy. Allows you to spawn on SL, into a squad galaxy, sunderer or WG. 5 min timer.
Redeploy. Allows you to spawn at every spawn point in every hex (even if its an enemy hex) adjacent to your current one or WG. 10 min timer.

If you just warped to a continent then your reliant on your SL, IE or a transport to get to the front lines.

If you die (from enemy fire) solo at all it triggers a Redploy.
If you die squad-ed (from enemy fire) it triggers a Squad deploy.
If your TKd, same triggers but starts timer.

All 3 use resources unless you go to the WG.
All 3 trigger the timer unless you go to the WG.
Squad/Redploy use more resources than IE.

Dieing should effect your resources and your empires overall resources.
Dieing a lot (allowing yourself to be farmed) should have a negative impact.

No squad beacons.

Want more control and quicker redeploy, use a transport vehicle.

Bring back the deployed defensible galaxy (with non deploy zones).
Make a deployed sunderer slightly harder to kill with infantry based AV (with no deploy zones).
Make the non deploy zones separate, so there could be a Galaxy deployed next to a Sunderer.

Have resources. Have resource nodes. Have bases require resources to function. Have supply runs.
Have missions to defend supply runs. Have missions to attack supply runs.

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Solos can use Instant action to find a fight and Redeploy to move around that fight.
Squads gain more power and an extra shorter timer, as long as they are using transport vehicles.

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Redploy is used less because it cant be, thus transports are used more. Infantry players are forced to use transports to move around between bases, much like Vehicle players are forced to be infantry to cap bases.

Vehicle players have less reasons to be in courtyards/sat at gate shields and more reasons to be out hunting transports, supply runs and escorts.

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Vehicles pulled from a WG should have less impact on your resources than vehicles pulled from a base.
Being in enemy territory (adjacent to friendly) should not have a negative impact on your resources.
Being in enemy territory (cutoff) should have a negative impact on your resources.
Being in friendly territory (cutoff) is managed by the resource/supply mechanic.
The size of a vehicle, and its role affects the resource cost. (Less 1 man libs and 1 man MBTs). Sunderer based around 3 people.