Deployable Galaxy

[ringring]

Hamme, mate, I feel your pain, but you have to realise it's game breaking.

The removal of gal spawning was the single best change that happened within beta.

Sorry mate


ps: it's better to question the fact that gal drops aren't as useful as they were and perhaps small changes to encourage that which was the signature PS1 mode of attack.

[xenoneo]

On the 14th of november on the subject of stalker cloak and gal ams...
John Smedley ‏@j_smedley
@xanderxavierxd not for launch. still discussing galaxy spawn. not for launch either though.

The galaxy AMS won't be there for launch, but there's no reason to think it won't make a return shortly after they finish the big bug squashing at launch.

[Sifer2]

Last I heard their plan was to allow squads only to spawn on the Galaxy. Anyway I disagree that it was the best change in the beta. It might have been if Sunderers were not so easily spammed, due to being so widely available at every vehicle terminal in the world. Then again I prefer a more tactical game rather than a giant zerg rush deathmatch. Their were a lot of benefits to the Gal spawns I liked:

Harder to spam since they are not so widely available.

Required more teamwork to escort since they are very large targets.

Because of said large size much harder to hide in hard to reach locations like inside bases which actually breaks the design like how every base with shields has Sunderers deployed inside them now.

Opens up the option of vertical assaults. Land on the roof of a base, now defenders have to defend from a whole new angle.



However the real reason the Galaxy is so useless now is not because they removed the AMS functionality. It's mainly Instant Action. You simply don't need a Galaxy when you can hit a button, and drop right at any major battle. It's the Insant Action function that really needs a nerf. I have some ideas like requiring you to capture specific parts of a base like an uplink tower or something that would allow your faction to drop pod in that area rather than just always have the ability to do it for free. Restrict people's IA powers an we will see the Gals get used once more.

[Mechzz]

Changing instant action so you spawn in a tube, not in a drop pod would be the biggest thing that could be done to restore the Gal drop to its rightful place.

[Sifer2]

Originally Posted by Mechzz

Changing instant action so you spawn in a tube, not in a drop pod would be the biggest thing that could be done to restore the Gal drop to its rightful place.

Yeah that would be an improvement but it still makes it so that for the average player when they log on first thing they do is hit IA. To make the Gal of any use you need to make the average player feel there is advantage to getting in one at the warpgate an riding to a battle. If the big fight they wanted to go to wasn't allowing you to IA there then there is incentive.

Basically make it like the fancy trailer they made earlier this year. Where you have fight your way past the defenders to plant a beacon or hack some satellite tower that enables drop podding for that area. And up until that happens the Gals would be the main way of delivering reinforcements from the warpgate. They really should be able to carry a tank too.

Lets face it one of the classic Planetside moments is seeing a Galaxy flying through the sky dropping off tons of people to the fight. That always screamed epic. Yet the game totally lacks this right now since someone though being able to just instant pod everywhere on the map was better.

[Marinealver]

Originally Posted by Sifer2

Yeah that would be an improvement but it still makes it so that for the average player when they log on first thing they do is hit IA. To make the Gal of any use you need to make the average player feel there is advantage to getting in one at the warpgate an riding to a battle. If the big fight they wanted to go to wasn't allowing you to IA there then there is incentive.

Basically make it like the fancy trailer they made earlier this year. Where you have fight your way past the defenders to plant a beacon or hack some satellite tower that enables drop podding for that area. And up until that happens the Gals would be the main way of delivering reinforcements from the warpgate. They really should be able to carry a tank too.

Lets face it one of the classic Planetside moments is seeing a Galaxy flying through the sky dropping off tons of people to the fight. That always screamed epic. Yet the game totally lacks this right now since someone though being able to just instant pod everywhere on the map was better.

Yeah I am irked at the fact Gals cannot carry vehicles. The used to be able to carry a lightning.

[Buggsy]

The AMS needs a cloak, and you guys are talking about these gigantic targets, a parked galaxy that can easily be hit by tank shells at over 800 meters away.

[ringring]

Originally Posted by Sifer2

Lets face it one of the classic Planetside moments is seeing a Galaxy flying through the sky dropping off tons of people to the fight. That always screamed epic. Yet the game totally lacks this right now since someone though being able to just instant pod everywhere on the map was better.

Absolutely, but some have got it wrong here (respectfully). A galaxy isn't simply a transport it's a mode of attack.

You don't get into a galaxy to travel from A to B, you get in tyo attack a specific target and you hopefully know what that is and what your job will be when you get there.

If anyone is jumping into a random galaxy to be dumped who know where, well, that is PS2's equivalent of Russian Roulette.

And, ghoing back a little. The reason I said removing the spawn from galaxies to the Sundy was the best change it was because, magically, after it was done we very suddenly began to see more intense fights and a front-line emerging.

I'm sure the DEVS had been considering this move for a while but as an outsider it seemed to happen very suddenly after Malorn made a post about it.

One consequence of the change was Sundy spam. But that's been dealt with by introducing the deployment radius, I don't see as many sundies in the last days of beta than I did just after the change.

An issue still does exist in my view, which is attack seems to be too weighted towards armoured columns and less towards a shock Gal drop. The ideal would be if there was more balance in the use of both modes.

[MrSmegz]

Originally Posted by ringring

An issue still does exist in my view, which is attack seems to be too weighted towards armoured columns and less towards a shock Gal drop. The ideal would be if there was more balance in the use of both modes.

I think this is exactly what the problem is. The Galaxy is only used where the armor cannot go, on those isolate mountaintop bases. The galaxy needs to be a forward operating vehicle like a sunderer, but needs to be used more for behind enemy lines operations. Problem is that there is little reason or go fight anywhere other than contested front line territory.

When they Made PS2, they said that the fights need to go on everywhere to spread the load on the server as well as use the terrain the artist worked so hard on. I would love to see 2 oufits of 15-20 ppl fighting out over an outpost far from the front lines. One group fighting from their outpost, the other assaulting from the Galaxy.

But the outposts need something else special as well, something else that can be denied to the enemy besides the basic resources they have. Maybe vehicle abilities, or certain weapons if its no controlled.

[Buggsy]

Originally Posted by MrSmegz

I think this is exactly what the problem is. The Galaxy is only used where the armor cannot go, on those isolate mountaintop bases.

You can actually park galaxies there without them sliding off somewhere?

[Tiberius]

Changing instant action so you spawn in a tube, not in a drop pod would be the biggest thing that could be done to restore the Gal drop to its rightful place.

In PS1 you couldn't land a drop pod in a base SOI. This would fix it.

[Archonzero]

Deployable Galaxy/spawn system could still be useful AND if done properly would NOT be a gamebreaking design.

Making the AMS/Equipment cert for Galaxy Class dropships feasible an balanced as follows.

1st off - New Galaxy performance stat.
NTU supply. Battery/charge
level 1 = 25 NTU (5 certs)
level 2 = 30 NTU (20 certs)
level 3 = 35 NTU (50 certs)
level 4 = 40 NTU (100 certs)
level 5 = 50 NTU (240 certs)

2nd Certification system.

AMS/Supply cert
level 1 = adds equipment terminals (50 certs)
level 2 = adds squad G-AMS (100 certs)
level 3 = adds platoon G-AMS (250 certs)

G-AMS spawn system.
Is limited to use only by A)Squad and/or B)Platoon. Each player that spawns from the G-AMS uses up a charge from the NTU battery. Which means there is a maximum of 25 to 50 respawns before the battery is depleted. The ONLY way to recharge the NTU supply is at the warpgate central pad.

Now you may be wondering why the # limitation on the G-AMS spawn system, it's tied to squad/platoon like a beacon, good enough. If you don't place an NTU limitation on respawn numbers, then you will get a gamebreaking exploit with players being able to shuffle unlimited numbers of players in an out of the squad once they've respawned at the G-AMS.

Players will still attempt to do this, but it will have a steep limitation with the NTU limit. Most dedicated Gal pilots in outfits or organized platoons will use the G-AMS NTU spawn system for the limited role to keep their squadmates in the fight, even if it's only a short respawn time limit.

[Kioman]

Originally Posted by Archonzero

Deployable Galaxy/spawn system could still be useful AND if done properly would NOT be a gamebreaking design.

Making the AMS/Equipment cert for Galaxy Class dropships feasible an balanced as follows.

1st off - New Galaxy performance stat.
NTU supply. Battery/charge
level 1 = 25 NTU (5 certs)
level 2 = 30 NTU (20 certs)
level 3 = 35 NTU (50 certs)
level 4 = 40 NTU (100 certs)
level 5 = 50 NTU (240 certs)

2nd Certification system.

AMS/Supply cert
level 1 = adds equipment terminals (50 certs)
level 2 = adds squad G-AMS (100 certs)
level 3 = adds platoon G-AMS (250 certs)

G-AMS spawn system.
Is limited to use only by A)Squad and/or B)Platoon. Each player that spawns from the G-AMS uses up a charge from the NTU battery. Which means there is a maximum of 25 to 50 respawns before the battery is depleted. The ONLY way to recharge the NTU supply is at the warpgate central pad.

Now you may be wondering why the # limitation on the G-AMS spawn system, it's tied to squad/platoon like a beacon, good enough. If you don't place an NTU limitation on respawn numbers, then you will get a gamebreaking exploit with players being able to shuffle unlimited numbers of players in an out of the squad once they've respawned at the G-AMS.

Players will still attempt to do this, but it will have a steep limitation with the NTU limit. Most dedicated Gal pilots in outfits or organized platoons will use the G-AMS NTU spawn system for the limited role to keep their squadmates in the fight, even if it's only a short respawn time limit.

Good post, well put.

[Mechzz]

Originally Posted by Archonzero

Deployable Galaxy/spawn system could still be useful AND if done properly would NOT be a gamebreaking design.

Making the AMS/Equipment cert for Galaxy Class dropships feasible an balanced as follows.

1st off - New Galaxy performance stat.
NTU supply. Battery/charge
level 1 = 25 NTU (5 certs)
level 2 = 30 NTU (20 certs)
level 3 = 35 NTU (50 certs)
level 4 = 40 NTU (100 certs)
level 5 = 50 NTU (240 certs)

2nd Certification system.

AMS/Supply cert
level 1 = adds equipment terminals (50 certs)
level 2 = adds squad G-AMS (100 certs)
level 3 = adds platoon G-AMS (250 certs)

G-AMS spawn system.
Is limited to use only by A)Squad and/or B)Platoon. Each player that spawns from the G-AMS uses up a charge from the NTU battery. Which means there is a maximum of 25 to 50 respawns before the battery is depleted. The ONLY way to recharge the NTU supply is at the warpgate central pad.

Now you may be wondering why the # limitation on the G-AMS spawn system, it's tied to squad/platoon like a beacon, good enough. If you don't place an NTU limitation on respawn numbers, then you will get a gamebreaking exploit with players being able to shuffle unlimited numbers of players in an out of the squad once they've respawned at the G-AMS.

Players will still attempt to do this, but it will have a steep limitation with the NTU limit. Most dedicated Gal pilots in outfits or organized platoons will use the G-AMS NTU spawn system for the limited role to keep their squadmates in the fight, even if it's only a short respawn time limit.

This is a nice post and for me, puts the G-AMS in a good place in the game. A good place to start a fight from, but you need to cap a spawn locally fairly quickly and that would be available to the rest of the empire. But defenders would then have chance to respond.

Maybe provide defenders with special map alert that a G-AMS spawn has been located in a hex?

[Hamma]

I didn't say spawning galaxy, I'd be happy with a straight up deploying galaxy that has boosted weapons.

That being said I don't feel a spawning Galaxy is game breaking but I also don't think its a requirement for deployment.