Prestigeing in PS

nomotog · 2011-10-23, 10:36 AM

Prestigeing is something that MW dose. (Don't run away yet!) After you level to max level, you have the option to restart at level one and you get a little star or marker to show that you made it to max level and flipped back. As I understand it, it's a mechanism to keep people advancing without having to widen the gap of new to old player and to keep rotating the levels of the players so that you don't have everyone at max level.

Do you think PS could benefit from a system like this? Something where reaching max level (maybe overall level or spiting it by skill tree) you can trade your experience for a little mark or a new skin (something neat) and start over again.

Thoughts?

Crator · 2011-10-23, 10:42 AM

Could work. Really depends though on how long it will take to reach max level. And in PS2, we aren't really talking just level, we are talking max skill (involves the skill tree) which I'm not even certain if you can equate it the same way. <shrug>

Senyu · 2011-10-23, 10:43 AM

Have to be something cool for trading in levels for something

Xyntech · 2011-10-23, 10:55 AM

Didn't they say they were planning for it to take at least a year for a player to unlock every skill tree that the game launched with on a single character? Maybe it shouldn't reset the entire character, just whichever single skill tree you chose.

If you reset your tank tree, you get a new tank skin. Reset your infiltrator tree, get a new infiltrator skin, etc.

I know a lot of players get bored with their high level characters and so they start a new character to level up again. A lot of other players are completionists and like to unlock everything. I think this could be a good thing.

Crator · 2011-10-23, 10:56 AM

Perfect idea Xyntech.

Lonehunter · 2011-10-23, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by nomotog

As I understand it, it's a mechanism to keep people advancing without having to widen the gap of new to old player

How are you not widening the gap? You still have some indication that you prestiged and once where higher level. Unless you're actually resetting your level just like in CoD, which with the skills system and the time it takes to unlock things, is very unlikely in PS2.

Also, in Call of Duty, someone level 70 can totally woop someone that is level 1. Better perks, better guns, better attachments, all kinds of stuff that can ensure the lower level guy has NO chance. Planetside's philosophy has always been to keep players equal in power. A level 1 guy may not have access to as much stuff as a max level, but he can still beat him.

Originally Posted by nomotog

Do you think PS could benefit from a system like this? Something where reaching max level (maybe overall level or spiting it by skill tree) you can trade your experience for a little mark or a new skin (something neat) and start over again.

That mark or skin has to be good enough for people to sacrifice what they've been working for. Vehicle/weapon improvements, abilities, all kinds of stuff we doing even know what it is yet. But that stuff, is supposed to be the motivation for playing the game. Swapping it with a mark or skin doesn't seam like it would fit.

Closing statement, I don't think it would fit in Planetside2

CutterJohn · 2011-10-23, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

Planetside's philosophy has always been to keep players equal in power. A level 1 guy may not have access to as much stuff as a max level, but he can still beat him.

No, its been to have a particular weapon perform the same regardless of who holds it, and to keep things sorta close. Though they jumped ship on the first with things like the advanced medic/hacking/engy certs, not seen as a big deal since its non combat I guess, and obviously the second is true due to implants, veteran rewards, command tools, and the very nice advantage have having decent tools for most situations rather than decent tools for one situation.

The level one can beat the max level. Till Pshield flips on. Or they meet outside that one specific situation where the level 1 is competent, and the level 20/30/40 has the certs necessary to be viable in that new circumstance.

Sorry, but the difference between a newb and vet in PS was probably about the same as in CoD. Vets had some massive advantages.

Crator · 2011-10-23, 11:13 AM

^^^ True, but it doesn't take long to get a few BRs under your belt.

Xyntech · 2011-10-23, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

How are you not widening the gap? You still have some indication that you prestiged and once where higher level. Unless you're actually resetting your level just like in CoD, which with the skills system and the time it takes to unlock things, is very unlikely in PS2.

It would be an option, not mandatory. It doesn't matter how long it takes, some people will play enough that they will be happy to earn the same thing a dozen times over.

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

Also, in Call of Duty, someone level 70 can totally woop someone that is level 1. Better perks, better guns, better attachments, all kinds of stuff that can ensure the lower level guy has NO chance. Planetside's philosophy has always been to keep players equal in power. A level 1 guy may not have access to as much stuff as a max level, but he can still beat him.

I don't think anyone's talking about game balance or upgrades vs sidegrades, just the ability to start over and get some sort of cosmetic indicator to show that you already got to the maximum level and started over. The reward shouldn't be some new piece of equipment that affects gameplay.

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

That mark or skin has to be good enough for people to sacrifice what they've been working for. Vehicle/weapon improvements, abilities, all kinds of stuff we doing even know what it is yet. But that stuff, is supposed to be the motivation for playing the game. Swapping it with a mark or skin doesn't seam like it would fit.

A lot of players like to start over. This gives them some incentive to do it with the same character if they want the recognition and the cosmetic. I would hope that the reward was cool, but quite frankly it could be a little smiley face next to your name and a lot of people would go for it. Would this really hurt the game?

Nobody would be forced to reset. With my previous idea from the other post, you wouldn't even need to reset everything all at once. Keep your other sidegrades while you re earn the one tree.

I can't understand the opposition to something that you wouldn't have to participate in. If your argument was about how it would take away some development time to work on the new skins, I could see your point, but aside from that I'm stumped.

Lonehunter · 2011-10-23, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

Sorry, but the difference between a newb and vet in PS was probably about the same as in CoD. Vets had some massive advantages.

It may be objective in PS (mainly just in the later years) but it is no where close to the imbalance of Call of Duty. Better kill streaks like blackbirds, guns with higher dmg/accuracy/rate of fire. When my group of buds gets into a game with an enemy team all under level 30, half of them usually end up leaving because we farm them with Blackbirds, Choppers, etc. They just can't beat better guns and killstreaks.

Edit: Xyn, I apologize, you've made me a flip flopper. I guess there really is no problem with it being in the game, I just don't like it myself (which is no reason not to include it for others)

Crator · 2011-10-23, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Xyntech

I would hope that the reward was cool, but quite frankly it could be a little smiley face next to your name and a lot of people would go for it. Would this really hurt the game?

A "Retired <Insert Cert Tree>" tag on your character with the exposed API to it in the database. So we can write some code to pull that in to a stats website/app. Plus, some sort of in-game indicator on your character, or perhaps summary window of your character (if they have that).

Xyntech · 2011-10-23, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

Edit: Xyn, I appologize, you've made me a flip flopper. I guess there really is no problem with it being in the game, I just don't like it myself (which is no reason not to include it for others)

It's cool. Nothing wrong with voicing dislike of an idea you don't find interesting. I just bang my head against the wall at some of the negativity that pops up on the forums at times.

nomotog · 2011-10-23, 11:42 AM

What if it was a mechanic upgrade rather then a cosmetic one?

Mastachief · 2011-10-23, 12:06 PM

Dont like the idea, i dont feel it has a place in a persistent mmofps

Lonehunter · 2011-10-23, 12:08 PM

As long as it doesn't effect gameplay I don't see anything wrong with it. It will take a long time to reach max lvl, or the max in a certain skill tree. But if someone does want to do it over again I don't see why we should prevent them, keeps them paying money to SOE too.