Systems/Gameplay: The Virtual Training Center of PlanetSide 2

[BillyBob]

Hi

The only thread I found with something along these lines this was mainly focused towards being a "try before you buy" option, but I think there are several other applications a possible VTC may serve as well. So, here's a rundown of my thoughts regarding how I imagine something like that could be implemented into PS2...



The Virtual Training Center



Background

For those of you unfamiliar with the VTC of the original PlanetSide game, it's basically a place within your Sanctuary safe-area which allows you to learn and try out the functions of the various weapons and vehicles in the game.

Being completely isolated and protected from any PvP combat, the VTC is also part of the tutorial you go through when first starting the game.



Combat Training (PvP & PvE)

● For the beginners

As all weapons and vehicles would be available here, it would allow for new players to familiarize themselves with the weapons and vehicles of PS2, much as it did in the original PlanetSide.

This could be either by some form of guided tutorial, or it could basically be directing them towards the VTC and having some simple tooltips pop up while using the weapons/vehicles.

● Try before your buy

One of the perhaps most obvious implementations of this area (which also has been mentioned before) is to get access to all weapons and vehicles in order to practice with them in a non-combat environment. In essence, it would allow you to try out any equipment (weapons, vehicles etc) before certifying into it.

● PvE Combat Practice

This has also been mentioned before, but as far as I can tell only with AI opponents, which probably would take a lot of work to implement (AI usually does) and I'm not sure it would be more beneficial than facing "live" opposition.

However, in the original PlanetSide you practiced by firing at stationary targets which were placed on a shooting range...so it should probably be possible to do something similar here. You might perhaps even allow for some simpler movement and/or action scheme depending on what you do (thanks to users Saifoda and Dagron for the suggestions).

This might not be too complicated to implement and could for example be done by having the targets move along certain predetermined paths, or perhaps have the option to choose from a preset selection of various movement and/or behavioral patterns for them.

Regardless, the general idea is that you would be able to use vehicles as well as weapons when practicing on these targets.

● PvP Combat Practice

In addition to the non-player targets (and regardless of what level of AI they'd end up having), I suggest the possibility to engage in practice combat against other players in what would essentially be non-lethal PvP duels for the purpose of trying out various weapons and vehicles against live opponents.

This could of course be either Player vs Player, Squad vs Squad or perhaps even Outfit vs Outfit, and would allow for practicing various tactics on different levels.

As with PvE, the idea is that both weapons and vehicles would be available to use against other players for combat practicing purposes.

Propaganda Production

The Virtual Training Center could be used for producing "propaganda" as well.

This would basically be the Machinima part of the VTC, with focus on the creative aspects of producing visuals/videos to promote either your Outfit, your faction or just the game in general.

It would be a virtual area which would allow you things like setting the time of day, spawning your choice of environments, vehicles and units...in combination with having extensive control over camera features such as placement, movement, angles etc. In short, everything that would be useful to the creation of Machinimas.

Needless to say, "real" combat footage could still be captured from the live action within the actual game (using Fraps etc), but I imagine this a useful when wanting more control over the situation and allowing for a more staged presentation if you will.



Final Thoughts

With PS2 being a game heavily focused on massive online PvP battles, it may seem counterproductive to even suggest an area which could be thought as effectively removing and isolating some players from the persistently ongoing action of the game world.

However, perhaps a Virtual Training Center could still serve a valid purpose and hopefully would be more of a benefit and help than it would be a possible distraction from the main game.

Here are some of the benefits that I guess (and hope) a VTC of this kind could maybe bring to the game:

• As in PS1, it could serve as a beginners/tutorial area for new players.
  
  
• It would allow for a "try before you buy" option (as mentioned before).
  
  
• It would allow for practice, both in terms of vehicle, weapon and PvP skills as well as overall tactics on a team level.
  
  
• It would cater to the creative parts of the community, by offering specific tools for Machinima creation.

Of course, any or all of the above features (including getting access to the VTC) could be gained by using certification points...making it not a default, but rather something you could cert into in case it's of interest to you. Perhaps the exception would be any beginners tutorial if that's implemented.

I also could see this as more or less a stand-alone feature of PS2, meaning it would have no connection with the combat area and would perhaps even be located on a completely separate server. This would be for various reasons, security being one.

Finally, I do realize the huge amount of work this would obviously require, which is I'm merely suggesting this as a possible feature which could maybe be implemented sometime in the future.



Anyway, some of this has no doubt been mentioned before, and you have my sincere apologies for whatever I may have repeated here.

Still, much of it I did not find when searching, so I hope that at least small bits and pieces are new and slightly interesting to some of you.

Thanks for your time!

/BB



EDITS:

- Added the suggestions on non-player targets by Saifoda and Dagron to the Combat Training feature.

- Merged the the two first features into one (Combat Training) for simplicity and clarity.

- Added more clear references to vehicles being available for use in the combat practice area as pointed out by Ratstomper.