End game objective?

[Dragon]

I've been enjoying the game for a while now but there seems to be something missing. Every time my squad captures a base I cannot help but ask myself, 'what is the point?' Has Planetside become another leveling treadmill game, ala EverQuest? There just isn't anything to fight for.

Bases currently have no significance. There just isn't an impact. Who care if the NC/TR/VS lock down Cyssor? While there are squads that would head back in looking for a fight, others would just go to a less populated continent and look for easy caps.

Taking bases needs to have an impact. Not a 'you cannot purchase galaxy dropships or gain the advanced medic cert if you do not hold base x on continent z' kind of impact but something on a larger scale. Perhaps we could make it so that if your empire controlled the two continents in closest proximity to another empire, you could attack and capture that empire's sanctuary? I think there needs to be a way to win the game. Maybe the game could store your battle rank and when your empire is eliminated, you can join either of the remaining teams at your current rank. When a winner is declared, you go back to your original empire and the continents are reset.

This is just an idea, but I believe that the empires need a reason to fight. Currently there isn't one.

[Homicide]

That plan sounds pretty cool.....I hate the whole base capping thing that is going on right now.

[Thrwdwn]

kinda like a supply system like they got going on in ww2ol.

[Gauss]

Its war.. you may take something and it may seem not very significant but its another spawn point. PlanetSide doesnt award you trophies for each base you take, all that it should give you is satisfaction and fun, why would you expect anymore from a game?

[Gauss]

Im sorry but i have to post again, WTF did you expect? Ribbons coming from your monitor, lights flashing, confetty everywhere, and woman sitting on your lab? Im sick and tired of these posts "im not satisfied with taking bases", i mean come on. Your like my 10 year old step brother who cried when he wasnt having enough fun searching for easter eggs. STOP COMPLAINING!

[Cyanide]

That's not a bad idea actually. Maybe they could have a few servers running that game type because there are plenty of people who don't mind the way it is now.

They realy need to ad someway for people to know which empire is currently controlling the most bases and how long they've held the lead. They could put a small bar chart somewhere on the screen where people would have real time updates of which empire is in the lead. Then they would have incentive to cap bases, as well as defend them. It would also not required major game dynamics changes.

[snowwolfe]

Join a clan have clan feuds, always fun just fraggin a clan you hate.

[Homicide]

I don't think we NEED incentive to take bases , but I think it would be a cool thing to have. I would just like to address the capping thing... How is capping a base fun? I got into this game because the huge battle with all kinds of vehicles and weapons sounded cool. I don't see the fun in a galaxy droppin a squad off at a undefended base and then having a hacker just take it without a fight? Well I am not in beta yet so maybe this is not going on as much as I have heard. I hope the dev team does somthing to prevent that kind of base taking..... its to easy.

[Harps]

i may be wrong but in planetside isnt a little hard to have clan or outfit fueds ... maybe unless u have a friend or something that says "my outfit is at this base, come get me !"

[Dragon]

Let me elaborate a bit.

In other games, there is a sense of accomplishment when your team defeats another team (clan vs. clan, not pubs). You fought the war, and won. In planetside, you can't win. And yes, taking undefended bases is extremely boring.

What happens when everyone is BR20 and bored of taking bases for exp?

[Cyanide]

I think the number one priority in beta should be adding some incentive to defend bases. That would change the games dynamic completely. At the very least they could put some strong automated defenses around the bases so you can't just walts in.

Maybe they could put up some virtual dart boards or pool tables or chess in the bases for people to play while nobody's attacking. :D

[Tegadil]

For an endgame thing, I think taking a sanc would be neat.

In my mind, it goes like this:

When one faction locks down all continents surrounding one sanctuary, the locking faction can now drop into the sanc and enter by portals. The weapons lock on the continent is removed.

There would be a central command point on the sanc. Once captured the SOI changes sides, and the defenders do not get to spawn inside normally. However, they CAN drop outside the SOI, or on other continents. Also, spawn tubes on the sanc CANNOT be hacked. During the capture period, they basically deactivate.

Should the lockdown outside the sanc fall at any time, troops from the assaulters wouldn't be able to go through the warps or drop in, but if they had spawning capabilities (AMS), they would be able to spawn there.

After X minutes (I was thinking an hour or so) of holding the sanc, the base switches teams and the assaulters gain the spawn tubes.

Needless to say, this would be a very rare occurance, but I can't think of what should happen after the sanc is capped...

[quiet]

I've spent to much time at bases waiting for defenders to show up. We should be able to play cards while waiting in the cc room. :p

I think just gving a squad that resecures a Base some BEP's would make a big difference.

[Crash_Site]

Both sides of this arguments have valid points...

In my opinion I think adding incentive to defending a base not just during a cap, but after the cap too would get rid of a lot of these threads. Ya know... Something to get people to stay and engage attackers when they arrive at a base you control.

Personally... I think Sanctuaries should be deleted... Would make capping Bio Labs and Tech Stations a lot more important. Not like it hasn't been considered... AKA Instant Action button.

[gonnagetyou]

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6752

Personally I like Mr_Luc's ideas in the above link. He and his friends have put a lot of thought into the idea of linking bases in a variety of ways that force players to take specific objectives before moving onto the next. This also gives people an incentive to defend what you have just taken because you know for a fact the enemy is going to be hell bent on taking it back. By linking the bases you would establish a moving front easily recognized by everyone else.

The linking approach isn't neccessarily a linear approach either (as in you have to take base A before moving on to base B). Instead, you can create multiple links to one base that allow for multiple approaches.

This would deffinantly prevent a lot of the base capping by lone stealthers or small squads and force a more organized approach to base taking.

[Nightmare]

Geez Gauss, relax. The thing he's worried about is that it might get old quick. Just taking base A, defending base A, then taking base a back again might get boring after a while. He's not looking for a reward, he's just looking for reason. I felt this way once too. It sounds boring on paper (or computer screen) but in practice, its lotsa fun. Think of it more as: amass a fighting force of friends and strangers, set people in squads, get vehicles, approach base, and just kick ass. When you think about it too much, it seems boring, but it'll actually be fun. Don't sweat it.

[gonnagetyou]

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

Here's a link to a website that talks about some more great ideas.
Someone else posted it before, but I thought I'd give it a bump.

[Ubernator]

Make continental lock the game's primary goal. Capturing the sanctuary would probably never happen, but taking over continent happens fairly often. After a continental lock, everyone respawns at their sanctuary. Send out a victory message to everyone, "All your base are belong to the Vanu! Hahaha." Then let everyone go at it to take over the continent again. Should make for some crazy fun gameplay that has a bit of an incentive to defend. (You won't be able to gloat if you can't hold onto the bases that you capture will you?)

Anyway, I would really like to see a lot more testing before any kind of "end game" objective is implemented. If there ends up being a need for one, I think that this idea may prove useful. It has a big goal to keep the FPS types happy, and the global persistence that the MMORPG crowd is used to. It's a compromise, more or less.

[Euroclydon]

How about just increasing the incentives already in place?

Interlink base gives much much better automated defenses at all bases (and not just outside the base).

You can't spawn in towers unless you have the biolab.

You can't deploy an AMS on a continent on which an enemy has the AMP station.

Galaxies don't work unless you own the drop ship center.

I'm not exactly sure what the tech plant does, but maybe it could be changed so that you can't get MAXs at tower equipment terminals or some other armor/weapon limitations.

You'd have to agree a continent lock would mean a lot more. I'm afraid this would dampen the "immediate gratification" fun however. Hmm.

[Gauge]

if taking bases that arent gaurded isnt fun why not attack bases that are heavily gaurded. that solves the boring problem i think.

On another note to this subject, taking bases that are remote away from main battles is part of a war. Wars arent just faught in the major cities, they are secured in the rural areas too

[Euroclydon]

Fortunately, this isn't war though. Lots of realism has been left out for the sake of fun.

Not saying I think remote undefended bases should or shouldn't be attacked, just saying the fact that that happens in real life shouldn't have any correlation to PS necessarily.

[Gauge]

I can see your point but all i was trying to say is that there are all levels of capture avialable to players. From rural undefended posts to well protected main bases. Thats the evolution of the game. where those bases are can change at any given time depending on where the front line is drawn.. and incase anyone is wondering why im responding so fast, yes im at work and yes im not doing a very good job.

[Bighoss]

They need to make taking a base an event. Not something five people can do but you need at least 50.

First off there should be a lot less bases, Maybe three per continent and throw in some towers.

Secondly the bases need to have huge walls with massive turrets and gates that require some kind of explosive to blow it up.

Thirdly The bases also need really good AI defense to keep small groups of people from taking over a base.

Fourth when you take a base it should make all the troups or vehicles slightly better somehow. So your efforts are rewarded. These should only apply when your on that continent. If your empire manages to take an entire contient that you deserve some kind of ability or skill increase that applys world wide.

Just some thoughts cuz right now planetside is a complete waste of time I don't even bother playing it anymore. BORING !!!

[Cyanide]

Well, since it bores you so much I'm sure you'll be willing to PM me with your beta account info. I've already got access to the discs.