Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.)

Timantium · 2011-03-03, 03:19 PM

This is a message for general comments and ideas on PS:N.

I love the discussion, excitement and the ideas for PS:N. I am proud to be a six-year vet and preparing to play the sequel with all of you. But can I please just say to some of you who have super complicated ideas on how to restructure the game - K.I.S.S. (refer to title post if you missed this acronym).

The reason PS works for us is that the system is not bogged down with too many rules. It empowers us to have 3 faction sanctuaries, open (freely moving) populations, different strengths and weaknesses and tons of neutral ground to fight over.

Honestly, what else can you say about the "structure" of planetside? Anytime we try to add a new system (LIKE CORE COMBAT), it makes this system more complicated and throws off the delicate balance. The gameplay structure is cool as is; no need to add more factions, PvE encounters, free reserve units who follow different gameplay protocol than subscribers, MT for upgraded items/weapons/armor, massive cert restructuring or many of the super complicated ideas in these threads.

Once again, I love the enthusiasm, but please, let's remember why PS was fun in the first place - it's simple. And in it's simplicity, it's beautiful. Have a great afternoon

Bags · 2011-03-03, 03:35 PM

Amen.

Raymac · 2011-03-03, 04:41 PM

Now we've expanded from Captain Buzzkill to Club Buzzkill?

I kid, I kid. But really, we have almost no information to go off of but a ton of excitement. Sure we are grasping at straws here, but right now thats all we have. I say let the imaginations run wild. Speculate like crazy in as much depth as you want. Soon enough we will have more details (unless Smed is a total cock), and when we get more info we can obssess over those. Until then, we are limited only by our imaginations at this point. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Plus, nobody is making any of us read and comment on every single little thread. This is the time of maximum speculation so have at it.

CutterJohn · 2011-03-03, 04:50 PM

Theres a need to add a great many things. You just don't agree with it. Simple does not mean better, it just means more limited since you have fewer options.

Delicate balance? Funny. This game has been full of almost worthless vehicles, and OP vehicles, worthless weapons, and OP weapons, since the beginning. Certain playstyles are far more effective than others, or far more rewarding. Certain implants are far more useful in far more situations than others. Certain certs are far more useful or cost effective than others. You even get 5 certs worth of things just by virtue of having had a character for a long time, and a pocketfull of useful tools(and the ability to annoy everybody) by virtue of having a bunch of people join your random squad enough.

What PS got right was the idea of a never ending battle with no interruptions or distractions. All that exists is the fight. No silly quests or NPCs. And hotdrops. Those are totally right. They got a bunch of stuff wrong, as evidenced by their lack of success.

DviddLeff · 2011-03-03, 05:37 PM

As someone who has spent more time working on PS ideas than most, I always aim to keep things as simple as possible. Putting in rules that get in the way of the flow of the game is bad, but everything I suggest is designed to make individual roles more involving, or make underused features of the game more useful.

Planetside is not balanced as CJ says; air cav is dominant outdoors while HA inside. This is a major balance problem that has only gotten worse as populations have dwindled and available cert points have gone up.

Bags · 2011-03-03, 06:33 PM

Guys, he's not saying no ideas, he's saying less ideas along the route of, "if a Cr5 logs in at 5:00am on the third Tuesday of the fourth month, and punches in the access code, and only if it's sunny he can then .." with a million rules.

Raymac · 2011-03-03, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

"if a Cr5 logs in at 5:00am on the third Tuesday of the fourth month, and punches in the access code, and only if it's sunny he can then .." with a million rules.

I like this idea. Tell me more.

CutterJohn · 2011-03-03, 07:00 PM

Perhaps my threshold for complexity is higher then, since I really don't recall any ideas that would be more complex than areas of PS already are. Aside from, I concede, that weird fodderside idea.

Baneblade · 2011-03-03, 08:21 PM

Simple is not the same as having a lack of variety. PlanetSide's main flaw was the singularity of it. There was only really ever one goal, despite the many methods of doing it.

Traak · 2011-03-03, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by Sobekeus

Simple is not the same as having a lack of variety. PlanetSide's main flaw was the singularity of it. There was only really ever one goal, despite the many methods of doing it.

Well, that's the same as eating, and it never gets old.

Baneblade · 2011-03-03, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Traak

Well, that's the same as eating, and it never gets old.

Some people require a deeper aspect of warfare to find it interesting.

Lonehunter · 2011-03-03, 11:51 PM

I do love the enthusiasm of the ideas, and even if their complicated it's ok by me. But some people are doing too much assuming about the game. We have no details yet, don't assume it's just going to be a copy of release day Planetside with new skins. I know your list of new certs took a lot of effort but we don't even know if they'll be using certs, or stamina, or hovercraft etc.

So please keep the ideas coming! Just be careful not to set yourself up for disappointment if PS:N doesn't have a certain mechanic or feature.

Grimster · 2011-03-04, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

I do love the enthusiasm of the ideas, and even if their complicated it's ok by me. But some people are doing too much assuming about the game. We have no details yet, don't assume it's just going to be a copy of release day Planetside with new skins. I know your list of new certs took a lot of effort but we don't even know if they'll be using certs, or stamina, or hovercraft etc.

So please keep the ideas coming! Just be careful not to set yourself up for disappointment if PS:N doesn't have a certain mechanic or feature.

Well the chinese publisher of Planetside:Next The9 said in a interview that Planetside:Next would have all of its all features(almost) that Planetside did.

Sure its not from SOE themselves but I think The9 is a quite reliable source as they probably have good eyes in the development of the game they will be publishing in China.

So I think it is safe to say that PS:N is going to be in general on the major points much like PS.

The9 also said that there would be more features than in original PS.

Traak · 2011-03-04, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Sobekeus

Some people require a deeper aspect of warfare to find it interesting.

Such as?

Baneblade · 2011-03-04, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Traak

Such as?

More than just the rush in, die, respawn, rush in again. Yes, PS has more than that, but not much. Every fight ultimately ends up the same way assuming there is an actual fight.