Any plans on making base capture have more options?

[MrBloodworth]

Originally Posted by Duddy

Whilst I agree with this conceptually, I don't want to see a situation having certain classes become an absolute requirement.

That's just an area where we disagree, and that's just fine. I personally have no issue with "We didn't bring a hacker, we need to rethink our plan"

I do like the idea of optional paths, for lack of another term. Not required, but quite helpful. That base concept (optional) can be expanded.

[Xyntech]

I think we'll see a lot of the non-base type hexes be back hacked. I think they will be easier to capture (although hopefully still not too overly easy).

Bases are going to take more effort, but I think that's okay. A back hack could capture some territory surrounding a base, and then bring some of the zerg in to help push into a base that was previously behind enemy lines.

[Gonefshn]

I agree with the idea of having objectives that require classes and roles to fulfill.

However I don't think you can have a generator work exactly like PS1. Adding a generator that takes out spawning or terminals at the entire base in a game this large would create almost a one shot win condition. Blow the gen and it's over. The TTK is faster and if spawning or getting gear is suddenly lost to one empire at a base they will be wiped immediately.

If your going to incorporate a gen it should certainly have a different role such as taking out shields, slowing respawn, making turrets go offline. etc.

[Shogun]

i would like to see something resembling the old module system.

i know, we got no caves, but that´s not the point.
the thing i would like to see is some kind of item we can bring from the foothold (or from a special building we have to conquer first) to a contested base to get some advantage as long as it is installed and under our control. with the ability to steal this thing and take it to another base. just like we could with modules in ps1.

this would add another tactical layer and meta game.

and the "catch the idiot who stole our module" game WAS fun. stealing a mod under the eyes of the enemy was extremely difficult but a nice challange!

[Inverness]

Hey, on the note of ANTs and NTU. How about, instead of NTU draining and needing to be refilled, why not make NTU automatically restore itself and require enemies to actively drain it with a special vehicle (opposite of an ANT) in order to power down the base.

The same goes for other things like generators if they're added. Make it so generators can repair themselves as long as NTU silo is online.

An NTU drain would be a long term thing that would take time depending on how many vehicles are draining it (there would be a maximum drain rate). What nearby hexes you own could also affect how fast the NTU silos restore themselves, so a single drainer couldn't drain the NTU fast enough if the base and everything around it is not owned by their empire.

Generators could be shorter, faster things that only require firepower to destroy. You could also have multiple generators per base, either for different sections or different systems.

[Landtank]

Originally Posted by Inverness

Hey, on the note of ANTs and NTU. How about, instead of NTU draining and needing to be refilled, why not make NTU automatically restore itself and require enemies to actively drain it with a special vehicle (opposite of an ANT) in order to power down the base.

The same goes for other things like generators if they're added. Make it so generators can repair themselves as long as NTU silo is online.

An NTU drain would be a long term thing that would take time depending on how many vehicles are draining it (there would be a maximum drain rate). What nearby hexes you own could also affect how fast the NTU silos restore themselves, so a single drainer couldn't drain the NTU fast enough if the base and everything around it is not owned by their empire.

Generators could be shorter, faster things that only require firepower to destroy. You could also have multiple generators per base, either for different sections or different systems.

Mother of god, it could be like an.. ANTI ANT

[MrBloodworth]

Thanks for a constructive thread guys, gals and otherwise.

Hopefully someone of importance read it, and understood the points.

[Inverness]

Originally Posted by Landtank

Mother of god, it could be like an.. ANTI ANT

Exactly.

I'm imagining a long vehicle that looks like a crane truck except the end has this clawed thing that latches onto the NTU silo and drains it. The trucks would have to keep draining actively in order to kill the base, which means they're susceptible to things like bombing and OSes (assuming the NTU silo is outside, which it doesn't have to be). There might only be three draining trucks allowed per silo in order to prevent drain times from being too ridiculous.

Once it hits 0% the base powers off completely and stays that way until it is restored to 20% or something. It would restore itself on its own. Optionally, if having all of them restore themselves on their own is unfavorable, they could only restore themselves if there is a connection between the hex containing it and the hex containing that empire's foothold/warpgate. This way you could surround a base to cut off automatic NTU refil, but lone drains in the middle of enemy territory become difficult since there are multiple paths to the warp gate which increases refill rate.

[Xyntech]

I wonder if the anti-ANT could also function like a regular ANT.

Like, you drain the base, but when it stops being drained, it automatically regenerates NTU's, however it doesn't do it instantly. Maybe it takes a while, leaving the base vulnerable in the meanwhile.

So if you want to restore the NTU's more quickly, you would bring in your own ANT/anti-ANT to rapidly fill it back up.

Both of these function could be added to a heavily modified Sunderer, with some appropriate tradeoffs. The Sunderer already will act as a resupply point, so why not resupply/drain NTU's as well? I think the Sunderer could use some additional roles. I'm fine with the idea of it being a new vehicle as well though. Not a biggie for me.

It wouldn't be quite the same as an ANT run, in the sense that you wouldn't be going all the way over to a warpgate and then all the way back to the base, but at least it would provide some sort of additional logistical support, which the enemy could deliberately attempt to cut off as well. With aircraft being as fast as they currently are, I don't think the shorter travel time that the Sunderer (or new unique vehicle) would have would be too big a deal.

[Inverness]

Originally Posted by Xyntech

...

The Sunderer would work as a good temporary model for testing the feature, but an ANT variation of it for draining/refilling bases would have to remove all weapons and spots for anyone but the driver in order to fit the equipment in.

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by Inverness

The Sunderer would work as a good temporary model for testing the feature, but an ANT variation of it for draining/refilling bases would have to remove all weapons and spots for anyone but the driver in order to fit the equipment in.

Oh I totally agree. It shouldn't be something that players are just randomly driving around the continent without reason.

I just tend to suggest adding functions to previously existing PS2 vehicles because it seems to be the direction they are heading in with a lot of things. I figure that finding a way it could be a modification to an existing vehicle may increase its chances of working it's way into the game.

Personally, I'm very in favor of having something like the ANT brought back as it's own vehicle, with it's own multi-functionality. I'd like to see it also be used for things like building larger deployables than engineers can usually build.

I believe the devs have mentioned bringing the ANT back in some form, although I don't know if that was intended to mean as a modification to another vehicle, or as it's own vehicle model. I'm holding out home for something like the ANT in either case.

[Landtank]

The idea of being in a base and then the lights flickering and going off while in the middle of a firefight is overwhelming..

That could certainly be one of the mini objectives, but I don't want to see it completely shutting down spawns and ending the battle, it should simply help the attacking team etc.

Having classes needed to take certain points sounds interesting, it would have to be implemented perfectly, or else it could just end up being frustrating.

[Tapman]

I don't think the other options are out because they can't work, I think they were out in the staple Alpha build they set up for E3. The strategic complexity of Planetside 2 is going to develop after they test the current infrastructure with population growth, balancing abilities and weapons while more are developed, etc. so worry not.

I like the idea of having different capture methods depending on the base, variety will be key to keeping people's attention. Arclegger said that the base shown in E3 actually has six capture points, I think it would not be unreasonable to have 3-4 different types. To the people who say that Generators were terrible in Planetside because they killed fights too quickly, I believe the solution will be to have different systems running on different generators, each with various (dis)advantages in attacking and defending. For instance, having flood lights rely on a fairly easily accessed generator. Taking down a medium difficulty generator takes out vehicle terminals, the most difficult one to attack and defend being the one that affects the power in the spawn room.

[Dagron]

Originally Posted by Landtank

The idea of being in a base and then the lights flickering and going off while in the middle of a firefight is overwhelming..

That could certainly be one of the mini objectives, but I don't want to see it completely shutting down spawns and ending the battle, it should simply help the attacking team etc.

How about making objectives more easily accessed from outside when a base is powered down? Something like: when the power is cut off shields or automatic turrets in a few corridors go offline and more paths to the center of the base open up.

[GuyFawkes]

Originally Posted by Tapman

I don't think the other options are out because they can't work, I think they were out in the staple Alpha build they set up for E3. The strategic complexity of Planetside 2 is going to develop after they test the current infrastructure with population growth, balancing abilities and weapons while more are developed, etc. so worry not.

I like the idea of having different capture methods depending on the base, variety will be key to keeping people's attention. Arclegger said that the base shown in E3 actually has six capture points, I think it would not be unreasonable to have 3-4 different types. To the people who say that Generators were terrible in Planetside because they killed fights too quickly, I believe the solution will be to have different systems running on different generators, each with various (dis)advantages in attacking and defending. For instance, having flood lights rely on a fairly easily accessed generator. Taking down a medium difficulty generator takes out vehicle terminals, the most difficult one to attack and defend being the one that affects the power in the spawn room.

See , this is well thought out reasoning and variation from an old concept . Needs coordination , teamwork to pull off . Won't work with a rogue infil who's only goal in life is to play pve all day.

The NTU thing , I agree with duddy . Nothing so timewasting than going through all that nonsense to arrive and find 3 other ants lining up. I'd prefer them to maybe have to use NTU's but have outposts which supply a base and a pipeline you can disrupt or hold the outpost restricting it . Bring fighting and tactics into the idea . Think laterally and evolving the idea rather than just wishing for same old broken and meaningless methods back for the sake of old times.