Battles in space for the future

Stardouser · 2012-03-14, 07:59 PM

Have the devs ever expressed any interest in space combat? I mean, if it were possible you'd want to see dropships entering an atmosphere, but that's probably NOT possible. However, what might be possible is if there were orbital space defense stations that you had to capture before you could begin an assault on a planet.

Capital ships that can spawn light bombers and fighters, breaching pods that can drill through the wall of an enemy capital ship or space station, and, if your advance breaching pod teams can get the docking bay shields down, you could land Galaxy transports right in the docking bay of a capital ship or space station.

I mean, there could be varying tactics, for example, against an enemy capital ship, hammer away at its shields and then its hull until it's destroyed, send in breeching pods to get some stealth teams in there to get the shields down faster, etc. Heck, individual stealth soldiers could possibly use EVA suits to make assaults...

anyway, I'm sure it's not on the table for release but what about 3 years from now as an expansion?

WiteBeam · 2012-03-14, 08:23 PM

They have mentioned it as a possibility for future implementation. It wouldn't have to be any different than how they added core combat to PS. Just this time it could be in mother ships instead of caves.
It wouldn't be hard to write into the story. I just hope they don't feel the need to remove a continent altogether to do it like they did with oshur.

Skitrel · 2012-03-14, 08:41 PM

I've always envisaged a potential direction for Planetside to go would be to have every server be a unique planet, allowing players and outfits to compete cross server. This would add a persistence to absolutely everyone playing the game, together, as one community playing one game as opposed to individual servers essentially playing lots of different games on the same world.

Not really possible for Planetside 2 I'm guessing, but perhaps for the future. Shit, that's thinking small for the future, qubits are right around the corner.

Figment · 2012-03-14, 08:27 PM

I have some constructive critique, this title could have been more dramatic, for instance:

"Battles, in SPACE, for... THE FUTURE!"

That said, it would basically be the opposite of what EVE is doing. Could feel like copy-catting.

Stardouser · 2012-03-14, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Figment

I have some constructive critique, this title could have been more dramatic, for instance:

"Battles, in SPACE, for... THE FUTURE!"

That said, it would basically be the opposite of what EVE is doing. Could feel like copy-catting.

The thing about Eve is that you don't actually use, I believe it's actually called "twitch combat" to fly your ship, you fly your ship through indirect commands. I HATE that. I'd be playing Eve right now if I could tolerate that control style...if anything it might be copying Jumpgate, a dead franchise.

MrKWalmsley · 2012-07-03, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Figment

That said, it would basically be the opposite of what EVE is doing. Could feel like copy-catting.

They could say it was inspired by Star Wars Galaxies! That went from a ground based combat MMO to one which included space battles. It really wouldn't be copying though, if that was the requisite for what is copying we can easily say every game released now a-days is just a copy of something else.

Unforgiven · 2012-03-14, 10:17 PM

i think space combat was mentioned as an idea for the future, and i would defiantely enjoy it! but the problem could be that many gamers (such as higby himself) are not really that good at flying. so it would be somewhat of a turn off, to some players, just like the caves were in PS1.

dont get me wrong, i would really love to see it happen!

Stardouser · 2012-03-14, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Unforgiven

i think space combat was mentioned as an idea for the future, and i would defiantely enjoy it! but the problem could be that many gamers (such as higby himself) are not really that good at flying. so it would be somewhat of a turn off, to some players, just like the caves were in PS1.

dont get me wrong, i would really love to see it happen!

Well, not all of it is flying...if it were my vision, there'd still be plenty of infantry combat in space...you'd have to secure the orbital station before commencing ground assaults after all.

artifice · 2012-03-14, 11:57 PM

I don't think you should require space combat, but it would be a nice addition.

You could also have battles over asteroids, moons, and planets that aren't Earth-like as well.

**Malorn** · 2012-03-15, 12:36 AM

Yes, actually...

From the article here:http://www.fpsguru.com/game/284/feat...t-SyndCon.html

He also alluded to EVE Online’s outside-in approach in that they started with space and have since created on- planet game play while their plans are inside-out, with plans for space game play in the future.

“We will start with a single planet and continent,” said Smed, “then add more continents, and eventually planets.”

Highwind · 2012-03-15, 01:16 AM

The problem with "space combat" ideas is the same problem with "naval combat" ideas. If you distract people from the core gameplay of Planetside 2 in a significant way there will be only downsides in the end.

People will either like or hate the new "mini-game" that has been built onto the existing world. If people like it, then it won't have enough features or depth satisfy them; if people dislike it, then it will be pulling population from the perfectly good game that existed before the update. The playerbase as a whole won't be happy with an addition like this because it is too dissimilar to what everyone signed up for in the beginning, in my opinion.

I feel like Core Combat in Planetside 1 suffered from this effect, mainly due to the addition of BFRs on top of the new environment. The caves alone should have been ok, mixing up scenery and forcing slight gameplay changes in close quarters combat etc, but the BFRs changed the core of Planetside gameplay irreversibly from Tanks, Air and infantry to include a 4th unique area BFRs.

If you start throwing around situational vehicles like "space ships", "motherships", "boats" or "naval gunships" you distract from Planetside the same way BFRs did in my view.

The best and only way to add "space" to planetside would be to focus on space-PLATFORMS, aka spacestations that are large enough to be continent size and are effectively just that, another continent but with a harsh visual update to include a space-skybox, and replacing "water" with "empty space" you can fall through and die like a bottomless pit in a mario game. The space-platform could orbit auraxis, or it could be the surface of another planet/moon, but most importantly it should have the same core gameplay as any other continent taking and holding land/bases using tanks, air and infantry. If you want to get fancy you can reduce gravity on the Platforms, but they should effectively be the same as land, just look really cool, the example that comes to mind is the Space station at the start of Metroid Prime if that was blown out with more open "air" connecting platforms to roll tanks on, and extra bases etc.

SurgeonX · 2012-03-15, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Highwind

The problem with "space combat" ideas is the same problem with "naval combat" ideas. If you distract people from the core gameplay of Planetside 2 in a significant way there will be only downsides in the end.

People will either like or hate the new "mini-game" that has been built onto the existing world.

But who says that it wouldn't be part of the core gameplay?
I wouldn't see it as being implemented at all like a mini game.
For me both Space Combat and Naval Combat would need to be integral parts of the game in order to work.
So certain territories, and therefore resources, would be islands/carriers and space stations/capital ships.

PlanetSide is all about epic combat, and what's more epic than having battles fought on land, on sea and in space, at the same time?

I'd want to see shared objectives, and objectives that had to be completed in series, shared between each of the these three aspects.

There's nothing I'd love more than to see PlanetSide turn into SolarSystemSide.

Highwind · 2012-03-15, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by SurgeonX

But who says that it wouldn't be part of the core gameplay?
I wouldn't see it as being implemented at all like a mini game.
For me both Space Combat and Naval Combat would need to be integral parts of the game in order to work.
So certain territories, and therefore resources, would be islands/carriers and space stations/capital ships.

PlanetSide is all about epic combat, and what's more epic than having battles fought on land, on sea and in space, at the same time?

It might not be a "mini-game" but it wouldn't be part of the core gameplay. Any addition to the game that adds content, classes or vehicles, that can only be used in a unique new area but not in all other old areas are distracting from the game as a whole. You can have the devs use a lot of time and make "boats" with cert trees and spawning points, places to use them etc etc, but everywhere other then water/some bridge battles that skill is useless, and in my opinion distracting.

The Space-Platform, continent sized open air / with bases, that could support all classes and vehicles from foot soldiers to tanks, including our existing aircraft is the only plan I see working (unless you want Caves again, I do, but they have a stigma I think most would like to avoid).

This is well and good, but If they added Space Combat in another form, or even as described, and also added "space ship vehicle" that wasn't one of our existing aircraft then I see one of two things happening off the top of my head:

1. Either you have a new "vehicle class" for "space ship" only usable in the new area. Limiting and distracting for the classic choices, and unfun in the big picture.

2. You allow the "space ship vehicle class" to be used like any air craft all over the game. Then it needs its own niche, because there will be veteran aircraft pilots with full cert trees wanting to know where they sit in terms of balance compared to this new aircraft. Questions will come up like "Can a classic aircraft go in the new space zone like the new spaceship? If yes then why do I want to invest certs in the OLD aircraft again if the space ship is more versatile? If aircraft can't go in space, thanks for making my class obsolete in new content Devs etc."

TL.DR At the end of the day I think the simple version of my point is this: All new game content needs to work in the majority of current battles in current areas. All new game areas added need to allow all classes and vehicles to play a mostly effective role without excluding anyone or adding area specific classes/vehicles because it is wasteful and distracting. End.

Stardouser · 2012-03-15, 12:50 AM

There's no way it can be done right now but someday I seriously hope to see a space combat MMO where you can actually jump to hyperspace/FTL in real time, whether that's to enter combat, escape combat, etc.

**Malorn** · 2012-03-15, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Stardouser

There's no way it can be done right now but someday I seriously hope to see a space combat MMO where you can actually jump to hyperspace/FTL in real time, whether that's to enter combat, escape combat, etc.

You should look into EVE Online, you can do that in that game today.