my work on The Matrix for Planetside

[mr_luc]

For those of you without access to the Beta forums (well . . . I can't access them either just now, hopefully that's temporary), players have been suggesting an interesting method to both balance out the insanely crowded battles we are seeing in just a few places, as well as the very dead and barren majority of the continents, with a firefight here or there but mostly just random sprees of base-taking.

The solution a lot of Beta testers are espousing, including Afex and several others, is what they're calling a 'matrix' -- link the bases together figuratively speaking, and any bases not linked to any enemy base or a warp gate can't be taken. This way, 'front' lines emerge, certain bases will stay 'safe' for a while and can be used to gear up without needing to go back to the Sanctuary all the time, etc. This is how we all WANT it to work now, but right now bases are taken and retaken so fast that it really doesn't matter much where a base is, only if an enemy force focuses on it. The matrix method seeks to address this.

Anyways, I realized that not a lot had been done other than what you might call 'concept art' for this idea -- pictures of overhead maps, with linkages connecting the bases, as well as a nice player-created page that is collecting all of the matrix proposals into one place. However, while people have gone into great detail as to why such a matrix (I'm going to start saying 'network' instead of matrix from now on -- 'matrix' just doesn't fit this idea) is necessary to keep the base-taking aspect of the game from being trivial and too concentrated without spreading the love around, no one has been talking about how such a network would be created. Bases are nodes in this network. How do you create the network that this 'matrix' approach is based off of?

That's what I've been working on. I posted a lot more detail in the main forum, but here are the pictures using a 'nearest-neighbor approach. This approach is extensible to an arbitrarily large number of warpgates and bases, in most cases without bogging down. In fact it works very well with larger numbers of bases, because you can actually SEE the front lines.

Here are the pictures. I'll let them do the talking and I'll shut up now. Like it? Don't like it?

http://files.llamahunter.com/CYS.gif
http://files.llamahunter.com/AMER.gif
http://files.llamahunter.com/HOS.gif
http://files.llamahunter.com/ESA.gif

[Silo5]

Its a good concept but we would have to see how it played out

[Hamma]

I'd like to wait and see how the phantom hacker fix works out before we start implementing such huge changes

[�io]

So kind of a BF1942 thing, well at least from what i remember in demo there was a map that worked like that, you had a 1st line of defense, a 2nd then your main base or something like that.

Anyway i think it's a good idea, would add a lot more strategery to the game. :)

[Tricky]

Very good idea, only problem I see with it is the battles will be consistenly at the front line and then some continents will see no action.

[Harps]

battlefield 1942 isnt really like that .. it could be but really they just go anywhere specially if its the map your talking about. I thinkk the matrix system would make the game better( at least what i hear from everyone) I really dont want to cap a base then a hour later have it fall.

[Duffman]

http://users2.ev1.net/~jasonsharp/index.html

good site that promotes matrices in Ps and Hard Lock down. I support both of these ideas adn i believe that they should be added to the gameplay

[Hellsfire123]

It would make locking continents alot easier to defend. Is that good or bad?

Ants would be interesting. It would either be almost abolished do to bases not being used, or it would be so simple to do because there is not danger of running into a random enemy.

How would towers work in such a system?

What happens if a generator is destroyed? Power runs out? But not at a base thats "hackable" by your empire?

Would this fix the spawning issue? You know, die in the field and the closest base isnt a possible spawn point, but that one 70 odd miles away is. How about all facilities are available as respawn points, but only towers and AMS close by your corpse?


The are my problems, but if everything still works out id love that change.

[�io]

Just in from beta chat
Originally posted by Hellsfire123
The matrix idea is interesting, that's all i'll say for now. ;)

More or less word for word, stupid launchpad crashed. :(

[Limi]

I'd wait for the targetted amount of players at least. Nice idea, but takes out some fun strategies. If it's not repetitive now, that sure could make it so.

[Ginzue]

Um...
I think that would take away from alot of battle but the idea of definate 'front' is intresting.

What I think would be cool is if Commanders could have 'trenches'. Wouldent that be intresting for some bigger battles? Just an idea.

[MilitantB0B]

Originally posted by Ginzue
Um...
I think that would take away from alot of battle but the idea of definate 'front' is intresting.

What I think would be cool is if Commanders could have 'trenches'. Wouldent that be intresting for some bigger battles? Just an idea.

Cool idea, I could see trenches making the game to much of a stalemate *cough*World War I*Cough* But other than that trench warfare would be pretty cool.

[Hellsfire123]

Read through the website, and ive been in beta for 2 weeks. This is a great idea. This would fix the phantom hacker, the cont lock problem, promote defense, and increase scale of the action. The only problems are the proposed "cap" on players per continent, and the "victory" aspect. The devs dont want a victory just yet, and if each empire owns one continent, that takes out a third of all playing space (about 1200 people if the server cap is 5000)

[Venoxile]

I haven't played ps yet, but personally I believe a matrix system and zoolooman's idea of continent lock would make planetside 10 x better and more meaningful, not just random battles all over the continents.

[SealDude]

I also think that this is a great idea. What I would like tho is a commado raid so small groups could drop behind enemy lines but make their hack timer like 20 min or sometin.

[Vimp]

Somewhat along the same lines as this thread as far as making the game more meaningfull I have thought up an idea that I think is pretty good.

This idea invloves a form of continent lock without actually having continent lock. Basicly it works like this. Drop pods can ONLY land in friendly SOIs and towers don't count. In other words if all your team owns on a continent is towers then the only way you can get to that continent is by spawning at the towers are traveling to the continent through the warpgates.

I'm kinda to tired to explain all the ramifications that these things would have if implemented but if anyone analysis it they will see what great potential this idea has and how it will not only add more meaning to the game but it also will not hurt the game by having large areas devoid of people like the system mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

Don't get me wrong. the so called matrix idea has great potential but I feel the drop pod issue is one of the more or at least equal importance because as it is now distance is irrelevant in game because a drop pod gets you anywheres in the whole game in an instant which ruins so much strategy and meaning that the game could other wise have.

[Ubernator]

I have been a big proponent of the base network technique on the Official Forums since I heard about it. I can see so many cool options available. If you would like the element of "behind enemy lines" fighting, you can coordinate with a squad that is just about to cap a base on the front. Before the base falls into your empire's hands, destroy the generator of a base behind enemy lines. Now, you and your squad have the option of hacking the console as soon as it's available without any troublesome enemies respawning there. Hold the base for 15 minutes, calling in reinforcements if necessary, and presto you just helped capture two bases in a row! :D

I also had an idea I proposed to the guys on the official forums that absolutely needed a bigger goal. When a continent becomes locked, have everyone respawn at their sanctuary (or wherever). Then the game broadcasts a global message to all the empires that "faction" has conquered "continent". Optionally, the CR5 or 4 commanders on that continent could send a global message to the other empires. They could boast, taunt, or whatever. Now that the continent has been wiped clean, it can then be opened for business after a short timer or something. I can only imagine the rain of drop pods piercing through a cloud of Galaxies bent on getting to the empty bases before the enemies do. Of course the bases would be worth far less exp :p . Anyway, the could end up being pretty crazy and intense before things start to settle down again.

The concept of a reset on just a continental basis should keep the hardcore FPS fans happy because it is kinda like winning a huge CS or T2 map. Furthermore, the persistent RPG guys will be happy because the entire world will not reset. Combine the base network concept with this and you have a real winner in my book.

[1024]

Good idea. The only i problem see is people getting confused about which base they should attack. There should be messages at bases for each cont that say which bases need to be taken next for a cont. lock or something.

[Airlift]

While I wouldn't mind capture time taking longer based on proximity to the nearest friendly base, I don't want restrictions on which bases can be taken and I don't want to have to move the front lines to be able to capture a base.

[Ubernator]

Yah, Spike, or have a map option that allows people to "see the matrix". :rofl:

That way, peeps take a quick look at the map and coordinate with the front lines soldiers accordingly. Just hope the enemy hasn't wised up to your plan to "think ahead". Hehe.

[hargabyte]

I think the matrix is a good idea. Some form of this is probibly going to be needed.

Here is my only concern. I am afraid that your eather going to have one faction that is going to dominate a server by locking out the other faction and heavily defending the "frontline" OR you are going to have 3 even factions that are going to each own about 1/3 of the server each and everyone will be fighting over the same bases all the time. The game will get boring if you get stuck fighting in the same area constantly.

I am not in beta yet so i may be completely off here but that is my take on the idea. I do like the idea. I just think that it need to discussed and researched before the devs spend a ton of time and money implimenting this concept.

[1024]

Originally posted by Ubernator
...a map option that allows people to "see the matrix". :rofl:


this is by farthe korniest joke i've heard at PSU so far, but also the most hilarious!

:lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl:
:lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl:
:lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl:
:lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl:

[Ubernator]

I am glad you like it! :thumbsup:

edit: I also pride myself in the fact that my sig is prolly the corniest on PSU, hehe.