How do you feel about the idea of class systems and no free-form inventory?

[Warborn]

I think this is just fine. Certainly restricting weapons by class is fine, and restricting the number of weapons you can carry is fine as well. What's left after that? Deciding how many boxes of what ammo to bring? Oh no, our FREEDOM is being taken away! Capital letters and everything! I think people will get over this awfully fast.

[Hmr85]

I'm fine with it as long as its done right. But as of now I see no issues with it.

[Raymac]

Balance > Tetris mini-game

[polywomple]

Originally Posted by Warborn

I think this is just fine. Certainly restricting weapons by class is fine, and restricting the number of weapons you can carry is fine as well. What's left after that? Deciding how many boxes of what ammo to bring? Oh no, our FREEDOM is being taken away! Capital letters and everything! I think people will get over this awfully fast.

where did I say those weren't fine? you need to read my post again

[DaddyTickles]

I wonder if the "shop" will sell alternative loadouts?

[DayOne]

Classes will be fine so long as they are done right. Battlefield's method of classes would make no sense in PS.

What they need is to restrict classes by armour, then weapons based on that. So ,for example, with a heavy gunner class you get a suit of heavy armour, you can now carry big guns with lots of ammo because you are strong and manly. With the recon class you get a light armour set so you can only carry small weapons like the suppressor, maybe assault rifles too but nothing too big. But you are also now light and agile and make very little sound while moving!

If it's done right and makes sense then it's fine, it's when it comes to something along the lines of "why can't my support guy carry an assault rifle?" then I have a problem with it.

[Crazyduckling]

Entire thread is TL;DR.

I'm totally okay with the elimination of free form. We will be able to re-equip at terms (I think we can...considering we'll be able to change classes while we're alive I think...again...).

With the faster pace of combat, it becomes less relevant. Also, I'm sure there will still be customization. Instead of 3 boxes of ammo, + med kit + rek +etc. We'll be able to use side grades to determine if we get an extra clip or -1 clip for something else in return...just like in PS1 but without the inventory mini-game.

[Vash02]

I find the "because its easier to balance" arguments a bit meh. Why should we care if its hard to balance or not. We are paying for the game (well the store customers/premiums are at least), why should we accept a game with less depth just to let the devs put their feet up earlier.

[EVILoHOMER]

I don't remember anyone being Unique in Planetside and playing TF2 with set classes everyone can be unique with what they wear and even how they play. I cannot name 9 active rolls people played in Planetside, everyone just went Exo + Armour/healing + HA/AV and that was it. The was no real diversity in the gameplay, MAX units were usless apart from the AA ones which made Pilots useless. Cloakers existed but they were useless, I never remembered them having a meaningful roll.

The Cert system failed, I never thought of Planetside and thought it was a strength like I thought the skill box system in SWG was. What I remember Planetside for was the massive battles and how long it took to get into the action.

So what would I like from Planetside 2?

Bigger battles and to make them Battles be quicker to get to!


Give me 9 different classes like TF2 has and the game will feel more diverse than Planetside ever did.

[Vash02]

Way to over-simplify PS1 homer.

Some loudouts I have used over the years:
Driver
Medic
Engineer
Heavy assault
Rifleman
Special Assault
Generator defence
Sniper
Hotdropper
Pistol cloaker
Boomer cloaker
Hacker cloaker
Support
MAXes

The reason the cert system was a success was that a player on day one could take on a grizzled veteran on equal terms. In the PS2 system now its seems the veteran has a 20% advantage over the new guy.

And yes cloakers did play a crucial role in PS1 either through sneaking in a router pad into a difficult base, taking out a bases generator or planting viruses into bases.

[Aurmanite]

Originally Posted by Vash02

Way to over-simplify PS1 homer.

Some loudouts I have used over the years:
Driver
Medic
Engineer
Heavy assault
Rifleman
Special Assault
Generator defence
Sniper
Hotdropper
Pistol cloaker
Boomer cloaker
Hacker cloaker
Support
MAXes

The reason the cert system was a success was that a player on day one could take on a grizzled veteran on equal terms. In the PS2 system now its seems the veteran has a 20% advantage over the new guy.

And yes cloakers did play a crucial role in PS1 either through sneaking in a router pad into a difficult base, taking out a bases generator or planting viruses into bases.

You could accomplish three of all of those roles with one cookie cutter cert build. It wasn't like at one point you were a 'medic' and then a 'heavy assault', and then an 'engineer'. You had Med/Ma(/ha)/engineer/x/x/x/x. Insert cloak/Rexo/MAX/Vehicle and you have the limit of customization the cert tree offered.

To me, it sounds like you're trying to fuse inventory and the cert system which are two vastly different things. And to be honest, if you didn't use a cookie cutter inventory build then you were only hurting your combat effectiveness.

So no, Homer isn't over simplifying. He's spittin real.

EDIT:
To address the 20% advantage a veteran 'will have' over a new guy, you're thinking of power in the wrong way. A veteran with HA/Rexo/Med/Engineer/AV/other fun certs, is certainly 20% more powerful than someone starting fresh.

[AshOck]

These changes seem to be oriented at simplifying the game in order to appeal to a larger group of people. Not only to make it simpler to handle your own character but easier on the battlefield against others.

Example: If you try to sneak up on a sniper you can be sure he wont surprise you by pulling out a JH if he detects you coming in time.

Personally, I don't like these new systems at all.

I enjoyed the tough learning curve of ps1. I enjoyed the diversity of weapons I could use at any one time and I think the whole super soldier argument is weak at best since even in ps1, given your inventory space limitations, you could never have been prepared for all possible combat situations.

These changes also raises some questions..specifically: Will we not be able to loot and use enemy weapons anymore? ..and if we can, wont we have lockers to store them in?

[Coreldan]

I believe it was confirmed long ago that taking other empire's weapons is out.

[AshOck]

Originally Posted by Coreldan

I believe it was confirmed long ago that taking other empire's weapons is out.

Did they give any reason for this or is it just a side effect of not having free-form inventory?

[IronMole]

Originally Posted by EVILoHOMER

I don't remember anyone being Unique in Planetside and playing TF2 with set classes everyone can be unique with what they wear and even how they play. I cannot name 9 active rolls people played in Planetside, everyone just went Exo + Armour/healing + HA/AV and that was it. The was no real diversity in the gameplay, MAX units were usless apart from the AA ones which made Pilots useless. Cloakers existed but they were useless, I never remembered them having a meaningful roll.

The Cert system failed, I never thought of Planetside and thought it was a strength like I thought the skill box system in SWG was. What I remember Planetside for was the massive battles and how long it took to get into the action.

So what would I like from Planetside 2?

Bigger battles and to make them Battles be quicker to get to!


Give me 9 different classes like TF2 has and the game will feel more diverse than Planetside ever did.

You obviously haven't played PS. When BR25 was introduced, MAXs became the next best thing for NC/VS.

There was a lot of diversity in PS before the whole BR25 due to having less cert points to spend, thus less certs to have. People had to make a choice on whether to have ground vehicles, air vehicles, hacking, medic, etc...

The problem I for see in PS2 classes is the FOTM ones. Then again, I reserved me judgement until I've actually played. We don't have a whole lot of information about said class system, just that the freedom to switch at "anytime" still exists.