Hostile/Passive Creatures on each Continent

[Valdae]

I think the idea of invisible ferel wolflike creatures is kinda cool, so long as they stick to the wild and are extremely rare to spot. Create a kind of nice myth.

[Krowe]

Originally Posted by Raelity

That poll is too even for comfort, can't believe so many people would like to see PvE in a game so PvP-centric. The system some games use whereby birds take off from forests if the enemy moves too fast or shoots while in them, thats the absolute maximum inclusion of creatures I would like to see. Thats actually got some function besides annoying players, it would be very useful in bases surrounded by thick forest to see where an infantry attack was coming from. It could even open up more advanced tactics like using one squad member as a distraction to scare the birds on one side of the base while his comrades attack on the other side. Even as I type this I can see a load of problems with that system, but no matter as nothing in this thread is actually going to be in PS2.

A few randomly placed AI controlled creatures is not an entire PvE system. I don't get why everyone is being spastic about that. If they didn't give anything for killing them, I don't see a problem.

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by Krowe

A few randomly placed AI controlled creatures is not an entire PvE system. I don't get why everyone is being spastic about that. If they didn't give anything for killing them, I don't see a problem.

AI - must be processed on the client and the server.

Extra Textures and Polygons - must be processed on the client.

Art and Animations - must be made and tested by real SOE developers.

Bugs - must be fix by real SOE developers.

AFK "loot whoring" - Will be done to the detriment of the game and be defended by the logic, "I pay my $15 so you can't tell me how to play!" regardless of how negatively the activities impact the game. Star Wars Galaxies is a sad, sad example of this reality...

These are the problems I see with adding NPCs/mobs to Planetside 2. They are not insurmountable, but they are 100% resolved by simply not adding NPCs/mobs to the game.

That said, I think it would be interesting if there were areas where the civilians of the empires lived, made babies, and the like. Protecting, capturing/liberating, and minimizing the damage done to these areas could make for interesting game play. These areas could also be where SOE could add "flair" to the game, through instanced (EQII style) player/guild housing, shops, and other such things. Given that this stuff would only take place in certain areas, it would be optional content that people who aren't interested in could simply ignore. But again, see the technical problems that I listed above for reasons to simply not add this type of content at all.

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by Tatwi

AI - must be processed on the client and the server.

Speaking from a programming perspective pathfinding and running simple FSM based AI is extremely cheap. Refrain from making technical viewpoints if you don't know their implementation. It's as bad as building a strawman.

Originally Posted by Tatwi

Extra Textures and Polygons - must be processed on the client.

Art and Animations - must be made and tested by real SOE developers.

I'll give you that. Anything added to the game will usually require these things. The ForgeLight engine is unique in that it's being used for both Planetside 2 and the new Everquest game. It puts it in the nice role that it already has pathfinding in it and support for loading many different models (for creatures in Everquest). This fact was pointed out prior and largely ignored.

I wasn't going to bump this; however, I replied because I read the following over like 5 times and can't for the life of me figure out what you meant.

Originally Posted by Tatwi

AFK "loot whoring" - Will be done to the detriment of the game and be defended by the logic, "I pay my $15 so you can't tell me how to play!" regardless of how negatively the activities impact the game. Star Wars Galaxies is a sad, sad example of this reality...

What does this mean?

Originally Posted by Valdae

I think the idea of invisible ferel wolflike creatures is kinda cool, so long as they stick to the wild and are extremely rare to spot. Create a kind of nice myth.

Indeed. I think it would add something to the game that players could discover by themselves as they played. I also like my idea of having the invisible creatures get angered at darklight and use the NTU orbs to attack. Limiting hostile creatures to melee in a game with high powered rifles seems a bit cheap. Cloaked units have the advantage to cover ground though.

Originally Posted by Vanir

As long as you don't gain anything from killing them. Other wise, no PvE.

I think nearly 100% of people already agree upon that. :P

Originally Posted by Raelity

That poll is too even for comfort, can't believe so many people would like to see PvE in a game so PvP-centric.

Indeed it's interesting to see how the vocal minority views this. Normally they're much more resistent to change. I mean my mech thread got trashed.

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by Sirisian

What does this mean?

Read this thread.

Also, please refrain from making asinine assumptions about people who you don't know from Adam. Doing so does not help to further your point.

[Tigersmith]

passive would be fine with me.

[Logit]

Originally Posted by Tigersmith

passive would be fine with me.

I can live with passive, but I'll be a sad panda if PvE makes it into this game.

A very sad panda.

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by Tatwi

Read this thread.

Oh, making bots/macros to farm creatures for experience. Yeah I don't envision experience coming into the system. I'd prefer if everyone pretended that we're talking about a non-MMORPG type of creature system. That is the creatures aren't always in your way. They might be in certain regions wandering around to dissuade solo players from venturing in a direction. Or they might exist just to liven up the world in the more open areas or in the forests.

Originally Posted by Tatwi

Also, please refrain from making asinine assumptions about people who you don't know from Adam. Doing so does not help to further your point.

Did I offend you? I didn't mean to. I was just pointing flaws in your arguments. A lot of people have tried to defend their point of view with arguments about networking and graphical costs and it bothers me to see those kinds of arguments.

It's fine to try to argue about all the costs to the developers and man hours used, but really I wanted this thread to focus on the "what if". Like what if in the 3 year plan when the game is released we started to see these kinds of things.

Passive creatures seem to be okay with some players. What kind of passive creatures would you like to see?

[Chaff]

.
Well.

I never would have thought of this implementation, but after reading alll the imagination behind adding it .... vs .... "don't change MY Planetside or I'LL NEVER PLAY IT AGAIN" crying & flame-repsonses against this idea ...... I guess I have to jump in on the side FOR IT.

It needs to stay minimal - a little spice - the shooting & killing (PvP) needs to stay above 90% to 95% of the game.

I would vote that large firefights would scare any "animals" away. I know I'll be PISSED if I'm ever in a hurry (on an ATV) and my vehicle gets disabled becasue I hit a "critter" I did not see until the last milli-second. Oh well. People hit deer in real life.

Running water, and some other small touches would ADD to game play - or, at least a little deeper "immersion" into this FPS PS2 alternate reality.

In PS2 - hitting a "critter" shoud be rare - place them on the map with an AI that makes for some near-misses - might make a cross-continent vehicle run a tiny bit LESS boring.

I am FOR adding more REALISM and layers to the game. I think the smaller the number of players in an area - the more critters tend to occupy those parts of the map. It would add a new layer of strategy/challenges to Special Ops, snipers, cloakers, and solo players..

Maybe some kind of small scorpion creature would be prone to bite a sniper (if he stayed in ONE place more than 3 minutes?) right as he was shooting - causing a loss in accuracy or complete misfire. Would there be a "Roach Motel" cert - so these players could counteract this kind of PvE content ?

Passive creatures would add a little realism, but serve no more purpose than a sky with a few wisps of clouds - hardly noticeable - so, what's the point or the debate about ?

I think it has to be left out from PS2 at launch - at least anything remotely hostile to the players. If the game goes gagga big - then there should be $$$$$$ to ADD more content.

I find the possibilites very intriguing - but they'd have to be very careful - I don't want to EVER pass a Squad of Elves on their way to a magic crocodile hunt/spell-quest as me and some of my Squad rolls thru the contryside in our Raider.

I am FOR this idea, but I would want to be on the advisory panel of how much they allow "creatures" to affect gameplay. Spruce up the game. IMPROVE the game with "creatures". Just don't jack up the FPS action. I see great POSSIBILITES amongst a LOT of BAD possible "creature' add-ins.
(still FOR it ! )
It could be GREAT....if done RIGHT (in moderation - away from the major player zergs).

SOE has to be looking at any new content they think will add game enrollment. Like-it-or-not, I'm preparing myself for content that may initially work to turn me off. I'm gonna give PS2 plenty of time to win me over before I write it off.
.

[cashfoyogash]

RAWRRRRR! dinosaurs!!! BUT on the topic I dont think you should be able to be killed in planetside by anything other than a player killing you or your own error in judgment, like hey this is a high cliff let me see if I can make it...

[Krowe]

Originally Posted by Tatwi

AI - must be processed on the client and the server.

Extra Textures and Polygons - must be processed on the client.

Art and Animations - must be made and tested by real SOE developers.

Bugs - must be fix by real SOE developers.

AFK "loot whoring" - Will be done to the detriment of the game and be defended by the logic, "I pay my $15 so you can't tell me how to play!" regardless of how negatively the activities impact the game. Star Wars Galaxies is a sad, sad example of this reality...

These are the problems I see with adding NPCs/mobs to Planetside 2. They are not insurmountable, but they are 100% resolved by simply not adding NPCs/mobs to the game.

That said, I think it would be interesting if there were areas where the civilians of the empires lived, made babies, and the like. Protecting, capturing/liberating, and minimizing the damage done to these areas could make for interesting game play. These areas could also be where SOE could add "flair" to the game, through instanced (EQII style) player/guild housing, shops, and other such things. Given that this stuff would only take place in certain areas, it would be optional content that people who aren't interested in could simply ignore. But again, see the technical problems that I listed above for reasons to simply not add this type of content at all.

If you actually read my post, you would see that I questioned his logic in thinking "OH GOD THERES AN ANIMAL ITS A PVE SYSTEM FCK!", and nothing at all to do with technical problems.

Funny thing is, you said something about farming these mobs, when I infact said that they shouldn't grant anything. Yeah, you can sit down now kid.

[Talek Krell]

Not worth required dev time or system resources.

In a perfect world I wouldn't mind seeing creatures if they were:
A) Small enough not to interfere with anything. Thinking foxes, birds, and rodents, not deer, cows, or dinosaurs.
B) Completely non-hostile. If the fighting starts they should be going to cover, not biting snipers. Basically just there for the sake of ambiance and immersion.

Only after everyone had received their pony though.

[Senyu]

Be cool to be walking on a walkway on a cliff side and seeing a big reptillian bird dive off the edge and fly away. Then someone popping a few shots into it dropping down to the ground and a simple "lol" in chat.

[Timmy]

I'm pretty sure the Dev's have said that Frame Rate is everything to them, and they will choose frames over visuals 9 times out of 10. I think this poll should be "Do you turn off unnecessary visuals to improve frame rate?"

Seems pretty unnecessary to what this game is. And with time being a limited resource do you really want the devs to spend even 1 hour reading this thread for something a lot of people would just turn off?

[Serisno]

I'd be down to have some hostile/passive creatures roaming the land. Sometimes they would be near a base, sometimes they wouldn't.

I don't think they should be worth any xp at all though. They are purely an obstacle to either use to your advantage, or to get in your way.