Light Assault Ammo Drop

[Mechzz]

Originally Posted by Ruwyn

....they are gonna find that it was already done by a group that was on the ball and knows how to function in a massive area.

Ha! That made me think! Have they/will they programme the capture mechanic so that ONLY someone who has ACCEPTED the mission can initiate the capture?

in other words, will we only be able to do what has been asked for in the mission list and then only if we accepted it?

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Mechzz

Ha! That made me think! Have they/will they programme the capture mechanic so that ONLY someone who has ACCEPTED the mission can initiate the capture?

in other words, will we only be able to do what has been asked for in the mission list and then only if we accepted it?

My guess is that you can do things "off-mission," but people who accepted the mission won't arrive to find it already done -- their mission will update as anybody completes the objectives, so they can adjust their targets (whether by reorienting to the next objective, or dropping the mission for a new one).

The more interesting question, IMO, is how they'll handle credit for completion. It can't be solely based on actually being present, as that devalues support roles. At the same time, I don't want people accepting missions for objectives they know to be nearly completed, just to get credit from half a continent away, etc.

[Mechzz]

Originally Posted by kaffis

The more interesting question, IMO, is how they'll handle credit for completion. It can't be solely based on actually being present, as that devalues support roles. At the same time, I don't want people accepting missions for objectives they know to be nearly completed, just to get credit from half a continent away, etc.

Credit completion, imo, will be based primarily on being actually present when the capture goes through, or based on a measure of how long the player was in the vicinity from the point the capture started if you want to avoid the "late-joiner" scenario you mention.

Squad experience will route xp to the support players who were busy behind the scenes, won't it?

[Gonefshn]

My vote goes to an ammo drop that can be picked up by one player. A Light Assault drops the pack, someone picks it up and gets limited ammo for their main gun and pistol. this way it's not an endless ammo pool and keeps it based on teamwork. Also only 1 or 2 per life. That is my vote.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Mechzz

Credit completion, imo, will be based primarily on being actually present when the capture goes through, or based on a measure of how long the player was in the vicinity from the point the capture started if you want to avoid the "late-joiner" scenario you mention.

Squad experience will route xp to the support players who were busy behind the scenes, won't it?

That's certainly one way it could work, yes. As I said, I'm interested to see how they decide to do it.

Particularly since my impression has been that "capture the facility" is only one of a vast array of supported mission objectives. Higby was talking up the mission system and implying that there was FAR more granularity than that, down to things like taking out terminals or maybe even killing troublesome vehicles.

[evansra]

i dont mind the idea but i hope its a limited resuply amount and only a small number of packs. otherwise would make a strong gen hold (10-20 ppl) able to survive off 1 ammo pack from 1 light assault indefinatly. could imagine light assaults running around throwing ammo packs by all the snipers and AV spamers :P i think overall as long as its not infinite ammo per pack or infinite packs it will be a good tactical element to the game.

[kaffis]

Evansra, I'll give you 10:1 odds that ammo packs will be on a recharge timer, no matter what class gets them.

[Talek Krell]

Originally Posted by kaffis

Evansra, I'll give you 10:1 odds that ammo packs will be on a recharge timer, no matter what class gets them.

In the alpha demo he was only carrying one, which he seemed to expend upon placing it. As far as I could tell he was not able to simply pull another out of the ammo crate either. And you bet your ass I watched that part a couple of times.

That's all alpha footage, of course.

[dotcom]

Here is my idea after reading most of this thread on the "unlimited ammo box." Make the ammo box where its own inventory where you fill it with certain kind of ammo like primary ammo, secondary ammo, gernades, max ammo, mines, etc... pretty much whatever you want. Once the ammo box is filled, you put it in your main inventory where it takes up space like in the orginal PlanetSide when you filled your inventory up. Once the ammo box is empty, you have to go fill it back up. Understand what Iam saying ?

[Machine]

id rather see inventory for ammo and no ammo drops. some modern elements and the fact that damn im miles from base and i have no ammo... wow i better start my ass running.

[Brusi]

Just throwing this out there into this thread... as it seems pretty relevant.

http://www.planetside-universe.com/s...ad.php?t=40813

[MercDT]

Okay, I'm fine ammo boxes. However I am definitely NOT fine with light assaults carrying ammo packs since it doesn't makes sense( I'm light, nimble, can fly, and DROP ammo packs! ). Sure! They can somehow pull it with magical nanites but it would best to give ammo boxes to SUPPORT classes.

However I think what would be somewhat interesting to see is the ability to give out ammunition to your buddies at the cost of your ammo pool. It would like in the ARMA games, you can drop a magazine but it can only be used if the rifle matches the specifications of that magazine/clip/ammo/etc.

As usual, alpha is alpha.

[Brusi]

That is like the suggestion i made in the thread "Ammo Sharing"... linkded in the post above yours... have a look

[Corax]

Heh, The light Assault class is perfect for getting the ammo boxes. Just think, you can literally have an air supply drop now.

As for the mechanics behind it. I highly doubt that it will be "infinite ammo for everybody".

More likely then not the pack will be a 1 use item.
Once you toss it on the ground, it has a limited amount of ammo it can dish out. E: 20 full ammo refills for the first 20 nearby. Or it carries 20 Clips. Etc etc.
and/or
It has a set time frame that once up it deconstructs after say... 5 minutes.

I highly doubt the devs would not have the foresight to prevent something like "infinite ammo all the time" from happening.

Its actually fiarly balanced overall.
Infiltrators can go invisible but have 0 armor, has sniper and shotguns.
Light Assault has Ammo Drop and jumpacks (grants access to areas other classes will never be able to reach) but has light weapons.
Engy repairs/builds stuff and has medium weapons.
Medic heals and rezs people and has medium weapons.
HA has has a Shield Booster and heavy weaponry
MAX has awesome weapons for any role, armor, and special abilities, but are slow turning.

It all compliments and balances each other out in the infantry categories nicely.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by MercDT

it would best to give ammo boxes to SUPPORT classes.

Why can't Light Assault *be* a support class? Or, more aptly, have a support role?

If they have no role other than assault, then in areas where the jump pack isn't as useful, they get overshadowed completely by Heavy Assault. Ammo drops help ensure they fill a need even when there isn't the options for verticality or a need for flanking fire.

It's really over-simplistic to say "these are support classes, and these aren't." The Engineer can set up what sounds like a pretty formidable turret. Is that in line for a "support class"? It doesn't matter -- if we don't label things as support and not-support, then all it matters is that Engineers have support roles and bad-ass roles. Likewise, Light Assault.