Light Vehicle/Transport Discussion

Tom Peters · 2012-03-16, 09:39 PM

So I thought I'd open up a new discussion on a topic that I haven't seen much about; light vehicles and troop transport.

1. Do we know which light vehicles will and will not be returning with Planetside 2? I'm mostly referring to the buggies, quads, and the deliverer variants.

2. Do we know how many players these vehicles will be able to hold? I was always a big fan of the buggies. There's something about a super-fast, light and still combat effective vehicle I find awesome. I think the buggies should be capable of carrying an extra person or two (ala Humvees in BF3) to make them a bit more of team-based vehicles. And quads should definitely be able to carry two people.

3. Will passengers be able to do more then just sit there? This was something that bothered me in Planetside. I don't like being stuck in third-person as a passenger. I'd like to be able to view first person, and, if it's possible (depending on what vehicle) take a random crack shot at some infantry as we fly by. This is a minor thing, but it certainly helps with the immersion level (not to mention, it can create amazing moments when you do get that one lucky random shot out of the passenger seat in a buggy).

4. Will drivers be awarded experience for delivering troops? I'm sure drivers will get plenty of assist points for kills, but I'd like to see some support experience awarded for successful drop-offs.

I will admit I did NOT do my research on this one, which is why I start this off with a few simple questions to acknowledge what we know and don't know.

**Malorn** · 2012-03-16, 09:54 PM

This webcast will answer many of your questions. It covers all the common-pool vehicles in the game, which include: Galaxy, Sunderer, Quad/ATV, Lightning, and Liberator.

To your specific questions:

1) The above vehicles are returning. The Reaver & Mosquito are returning in spirit, though their actual implementation is empire-specific aircraft (Reaver = NC, Mosquito = TR). Buggies are NOT returning, at least for release. The Lightning is taking the role of Skyguard in PS2, and the buggy weapon systems like mortar is being absorbed as a secondary gunner option for MBTs. The AMS role has been merged with the Galaxy, so the gal can now deploy and become a spawn point. The Lodestar role has been merged with the Sunderer, so it can heal/repair nearby friendlies.

2) Sunderer and Galaxy both hold 12 players if my memory serves.

3) There are 4 gunner spots on the Galaxy, 2 on the Sunderer from last we knew. The galaxy has a top gun that was apparently added. So I believe it now resembles a flying fortress from WWII. Lib is still a 3-man vehicle with a gunner & a tailgunner.

4) Higby mentioned that players spawning at a galaxy would give the galaxy owner experience, but I don't know about deployment other than that. Good question!

Skittles · 2012-03-16, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Malorn

2) Sunderer and Galaxy both hold 12 players if my memory serves.

3) There are 4 gunner spots on the Galaxy, 2 on the Sunderer from last we knew. The galaxy has a top gun that was apparently added. So I believe it now resembles a flying fortress from WWII. Lib is still a 3-man vehicle with a gunner & a tailgunner.

4) Higby mentioned that players spawning at a galaxy would give the galaxy owner experience, but I don't know about deployment other than that. Good question!

I

every single time I see this is going to be the case for transportation in PS2 for the masses.

If they mess up everything else. Just login in for this aspect of PS2 will be worth the F2P price of admission.

WiteBeam · 2012-03-16, 11:08 PM

Every single bit of PS2 is built around getting large numbers or players together with large numbers of enemies to shoot at. Quickly and repeatedly.

SteinB · 2012-03-17, 12:01 AM

Regarding point 3 of the OP...The developers have said that the passengers on a Sunderer will be able to shoot their personal weapons through gunports in the vehicle.

CutterJohn · 2012-03-16, 09:55 PM

They've said the buggies will be worked on after launch. I think they were pretty popular. Hopefully they improve them so that pulling tanks over buggies is not a total no brainer in nearly every circumstance.

I like the idea of making them more jeep like by adding more passenger slots, if for no other reason than being able to pick up stray grunts stranded in the middle of the field. With no loading animations, this would be simple to add to any vehicle. I do not think they need to be able to fire out of them though... It would add a lot of crazy balance considerations. How weapons work inside of vehicles, and how vehicles work with different weapons.

Tom Peters · 2012-03-17, 01:11 AM

Originally Posted by Malorn

3) There are 4 gunner spots on the Galaxy, 2 on the Sunderer from last we knew. The galaxy has a top gun that was apparently added. So I believe it now resembles a flying fortress from WWII. Lib is still a 3-man vehicle with a gunner & a tailgunner.

I meant more like passengers that aren't in gunner positions being able to shoot out of the vehicle, or at least look around at eachother like in ArmA.

Originally Posted by SteinB

Regarding point 3 of the OP...The developers have said that the passengers on a Sunderer will be able to shoot their personal weapons through gunports in the vehicle.

That's great to hear. It would be so epic to see a whole load of troops unloading on the battle from the bus.

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

They've said the buggies will be worked on after launch. I think they were pretty popular. Hopefully they improve them so that pulling tanks over buggies is not a total no brainer in nearly every circumstance.

That's good news, I would hate to not see my favorite buggies return.

**Malorn** · 2012-03-17, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

They've said the buggies will be worked on after launch. I think they were pretty popular. Hopefully they improve them so that pulling tanks over buggies is not a total no brainer in nearly every circumstance.

One way to make buggies work is to make them significantly cheaper resource-wise than tanks. Resources are a good way to balance things like that.

If I could, for example, pull 3 buggies for every 1 tank, then pulling a buggy is quite tempting, especially if it performs closely to the task that I want to do. Assuming resources matter, which they must, then buggies could be an economical alternative to tanks.

In PS1 there was no economy so pulling a tank and pulling a buggy were effectively equivalent. In PS2 they can have a distinct resource difference. Sort of like how in PS1 buggies could be pulled without tech but you needed tech for tanks. Resources replace that sort of mechanic with something more dynamic.

The addition of resources and economy is the best thing I've seen in PS2. Definitely the right direction for the game.

SgtMAD · 2012-03-17, 01:26 PM

I wish they would give us back buggies, they could be a basic frame that we can customize with AA/AV/AI so instead of having all the different types of different veh models we would have one that we can set up for whatever role we are filling at the time.

and make the buggies hold three guys,driver, front seat gunner and the gunner position over the back axle,like the special forces buggies the US developed,it would make running buggies a blast

Coreldan · 2012-03-17, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by HtSgtMAD

I wish they would give us back buggies, they could be a basic frame that we can customize with AA/AV/AI so instead of having all the different types of different veh models we would have one that we can set up for whatever role we are filling at the time.

and make the buggies hold three guys,driver, front seat gunner and the gunner position over the back axle,like the special forces buggies the US developed,it would make running buggies a blast

Well, luckily they said they'd be coming, even if not for launch.

I too am also really waiting for buggies. Occasionally make for funny fast hit and run strategies not to mention how fun they are drive with proper physics

dsi · 2012-03-17, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by HtSgtMAD

I wish they would give us back buggies, they could be a basic frame that we can customize with AA/AV/AI so instead of having all the different types of different veh models we would have one that we can set up for whatever role we are filling at the time.

and make the buggies hold three guys,driver, front seat gunner and the gunner position over the back axle,like the special forces buggies the US developed,it would make running buggies a blast

It'd be awesome to see buggies return like that, maybe a default with room for 5 (two in the front, 3 in the back) and you could replace rear-passenger space with a variety of weapons, guided and unguided missile launchers, low cal/high cal guns, grenade launchers, maybe even a mortar tube?

(5 total default means two buggies for a squad, you could also roll with 2 up-gunned buggies and a default, etc)

Talek Krell · 2012-03-17, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Malorn

One way to make buggies work is to make them significantly cheaper resource-wise than tanks. Resources are a good way to balance things like that.

Well the frame itself would be free. The mods and add-ons could certainly be cheaper than a tank's though. I think you may have already meant that, but I'm not sure.

I think buggies have a nice niche waiting for them as a glass cannon. I would make them not set off mines this time around though.

ringring · 2012-03-17, 03:19 PM

We kinda liked raiders. Used en masse they are devastating.

What we gonna do for our outfit event nights now?

Skittles · 2012-03-17, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by ringring

We kinda liked raiders. Used en masse they are devastating.

What we gonna do for our outfit event nights now?

Get farmed like all the other peeps in MBT and Sundys by aircav? Or reverse your fortune and become aircav like anyone with half a brain will be doing.

The lack of vehicle variety will simply make this a game of;

Those that farm ground vehicles and the masses

Those that dont and complain about aircavs dominance like they did in PS.

at least until its nerfed by all the whines and crybabies

CutterJohn · 2012-03-17, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by Malorn

One way to make buggies work is to make them significantly cheaper resource-wise than tanks. Resources are a good way to balance things like that.

If I could, for example, pull 3 buggies for every 1 tank, then pulling a buggy is quite tempting, especially if it performs closely to the task that I want to do. Assuming resources matter, which they must, then buggies could be an economical alternative to tanks.

In PS1 there was no economy so pulling a tank and pulling a buggy were effectively equivalent. In PS2 they can have a distinct resource difference. Sort of like how in PS1 buggies could be pulled without tech but you needed tech for tanks. Resources replace that sort of mechanic with something more dynamic.

The addition of resources and economy is the best thing I've seen in PS2. Definitely the right direction for the game.

My preference would be for them to all be hover vehicles like the thresher, so that each empire had hover/water crossing capability. To keep empire themes, TR/NC would hover with turbines/thrusters rather than magic tech.