Field/Mobile Spawn Points

[NapalmEnima]

Originally Posted by Draep

I thought infantry squad spawning would require a hart like drop pod, not magic

Yep. That's what I heard as well.

Magic? "Any sufficiently advanced technology" and all that.

Nerd's Corollary: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced"

[Talek Krell]

It does use a drop pod, but why let information get in the way of complaining eh?

I will compose my thoughts better shortly.

[Talek Krell]

If Gals are going to be spawning troops then I think it's probably necessary for ground transports to have the ability as well so that both forms of transport are viable options. Assuming that both the Deliverer and Sunderer appear in PS2, I see the 3 transports filling a unique niche. This isn't gonna be short, so if you want the quick version then try skimming the headers.



Galaxy
Role: Air mobile troop deployment

Pros:
Mobility
Unusual deployment options

Cons:
Highly visible
Unremarkable armor

The Galaxy is the only transport with the ability to spawn troops on the move, and can drop those troops into areas of a base that would otherwise be unreachable. An airborne Gal is easy to spot however and has only moderate armor and poor maneuverability, making it a juicy target in enemy airspace.

Ground Transports
To prevent the issue that Killerobe brought up, ground transports must deploy before they can spawn troops.

Sunderer
Role: Siege Engine

Pros:
Heavy armor
Heavy weaponry
Protective equipment

Cons:
Terrible agility and acceleration
Obvious target

Only slightly more subtle than a thermonuclear device, the Sunderer is a modern siege engine. It is slow to accelerate and difficult to maneuver, but once it's moving it can plow through most obstacles, including any MBTs unfortunate/desperate enough to be between the transport and it's destination. It has heavy armor on all sides, allowing it to absorb significant amounts of fire from multiple directions. It has a large number of mounting points and a variety of available weapons, including heavy cannons, HMGs, and heavy AA guns. Module options are mostly defensive or disruptive, such as an EMP generator to clear minefields and disable enemy vehicles and a shield generator that creates a shield dome around the vehicle when it has deployed allowing troops time to get their bearings under fire.

Deliverer
Role: Unconventional warfare

Pros:
Small and agile
Amphibious
EWAR equipment

Cons:
Lightly armored
Unable to spawn MAX units

Where the Sunderer uses brute force, the Deliverer uses finesse and flexibility. It's agility and speed allow it to outrun most enemies it can't fight, and it's amphibious nature and powerful engine allow it to traverse terrain that other vehicles might find difficult or impossible. It has only a couple of hardpoints and can use only light weaponry such as MGs and mortar launchers, intended only to ward off single opponents and support advancing troops. It's module options are it's most indespensible feature and include advanced sensor and sensor jamming equipment as well as a cloaking bubble inherited from the AMS design.



TLDR: Skim the pros and cons and you'll get the general idea.

[Crator]

^^^ Sounds good to me. I don't care if it isn't the AMS, as long as there is a spawn mechanic on ground vehicles. Are you talking about deploying these ground vehicles to be able to spawn troops? Will they have a cloak shield when deployed?

[Talek Krell]

They must deploy to spawn, and may have some equipment that only activates when deployed. For example the Deli inherits the cloak bubble from the AMS in my design, whereas the Sundy can equip a shield module.

[Crator]

Awesome!

[Brusi]

I like the sunderer idea...

Undeployed: Slow Moving, Spawn points unavailable.


Deployed: Immobile, Spawn points available.

[Mezorin]

Why use ground vehicles over a galaxy?

Because the ground vehicles can move with the squad, have heavy armor, and can help support the troops on the ground rather than just flying over and dumping paratroopers off. If you want to "fast response" to a base that's not heavily guarded, you Galaxy drop. If you need to get two full squads to a hot objective while fighting off massed enemy troops, vehicles, and defenses, you roll the Sunderers with tank/AAA escort in and fight. Rather than being a joke vehicle, a fully loaded sunderer along with its armor escort showing up then unloading the infantry should mean "shit just got real" in any front line battle.


The ground vehicles could use a serious overhaul from PS1, but should be more along the lines of real life infantry fighting vehicles and transportation, that fits into the planetside universe. In other words, the mainstay of mechanized infantry who move in along side the main armor to a battle zone, then disembark when the fighting starts with the vehicle providing cover.

Sunderers should not only have full on re spawning and all that, but also some sort of defensive/buff systems that make infantry want to hang around the said sunderer and protect it. Think possibly an AOE healing field, or even a giant forward facing BFR style shield that friendly units can hide behind for cover. MAX suits re spawning out of Sunderer is debateable, I'll let the devs decide on this one. Ideally, Sunderers should help be an equalizer in benefit for the foot-soldiers in vehicle verses infantry combat.

Deliverers should be more along the line of modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles, with a half decent level of fire powerful for a light tank, and allow regular infantry spawns. Ideally with one driver, one gunner (on a 40mm auto cannon or equivalent weapontry), and 4 passanger/spawn points who can either fire out of firing ports, or bail out and fight. Faster speed, and the ability to move over water would be the main reasons for rolling Deliverers instead of Sunderers. A 40mm autocannon that's awesome against foot soldiers, light vehicles, and low flying planes and decent armor is the reason you'd use a Deliverer over a Galaxy.

[Grimster]

The Galaxy will also probably become a even worse bullet magnet than it has ever been in PS due to its capability of spawning troops.

[Draep]

I'm glad someone finally agrees with me on this point.

[FastAndFree]

Originally Posted by Grimster

The Galaxy will also probably become a even worse bullet magnet than it has ever been in PS

Is that even possible?

Also who knows, maybe it will have the option of a (ground) deployable cloak field...

[Traak]

Originally Posted by Grimster

The Galaxy will also probably become a even worse bullet magnet than it has ever been in PS due to its capability of spawning troops.

Give the Galaxy a cloak bubble when deployed.

[Majikk]

If they rework the Galaxy to be heavily armored, give it gun turrets and a sizable crew to use them, it creates a huge opportunity. Keep it airborn, let it rain soldiers onto the battlefield, and allow fighter craft to escort her -everywhere-.

If a Galaxy has enough armor and turrets to withstand a casual assault, then spawns are about air superiority, which opens things up for the air game. This would be nice.

On the other hand, the squad leader spawn does have its perks. If it's easy to tell a squad leader from the rank and file, he becomes an immediate target. Everyone will know to kill the officers first... a hefty price to have on your head.

Things completely fall apart with spawning to any teammate (which was described as the 'rank 2 ability'). Everyone will have that skill to rank 2. You'll never be able to get rid of a squad, and the 'target the officers' thing will go to waste, since it won't matter.

[FIREk]

Originally Posted by Majikk

If a Galaxy has enough armor and turrets to withstand a casual assault, then spawns are about air superiority, which opens things up for the air game. This would be nice.

I haven't thought about this. Airborne Gal spawns make it more worthwhile for Mossie/Reaver pilots to engage in air combat, rather than only farm infantry and fight targets only when it's necessary.

Ground-based spawning does have its merits too, though... I hope that a Gal will be able to land and deploy with a shield bubble + terminal + tube, like an AMS...

[ThGlump]

Gal will be good for front line spawning, but cant replace AMS in covert operations behind enemy lines. Even if it will have cloak, you cant just hide gal in the forest under trees. So you wont have any respawn in case whole squad will be wiped out in the base.

New "AMS" will be dual-boxed (its F2P) cloakers in every squad, sitting outside the base in case squad need to respawn.