WMD in the game, what do you think?

[kaffis]

I support non-player-controlled WMD-style orbital strikes as the culminating climax of special events.

Like a New Year's battle where, at midnight, server local time, the game assesses the "winning" empire (based on whatever criteria were announced for the event), and all territory (or, at least, the areas immediately surrounding structures) held by losing empires is obliterated from on high by high command of the winning empire.

It's a one-time shot, not something that ever gets spammy (though it could be repeated for the next big event 6 months down the road, or whatever), it's not being used by players to grief, and it's not being fought over to simply rack up killcounts for anybody. As a nice bonus for the winners of the event, they get a brief head start on taking the devastated territory, as there are no defenders present until they arrive from their foothold.

Perhaps some kind of building damage that can (and must) be repaired to begin reaping resource benefits again from the obliterated regions could be instituted, too.

[Stormhall]

Originally Posted by kaffis

I support non-player-controlled WMD-style orbital strikes as the culminating climax of special events.

Like a New Year's battle where, at midnight, server local time, the game assesses the "winning" empire (based on whatever criteria were announced for the event), and all territory (or, at least, the areas immediately surrounding structures) held by losing empires is obliterated from on high by high command of the winning empire.

It's a one-time shot, not something that ever gets spammy (though it could be repeated for the next big event 6 months down the road, or whatever), it's not being used by players to grief, and it's not being fought over to simply rack up killcounts for anybody. As a nice bonus for the winners of the event, they get a brief head start on taking the devastated territory, as there are no defenders present until they arrive from their foothold.

Perhaps some kind of building damage that can (and must) be repaired to begin reaping resource benefits again from the obliterated regions could be instituted, too.

+1

[Pyreal]

Micro Warp Drives are the bomb! Can I have one for my Magrider?

[Garem]

Aside from that specific storyline exception mentioned, WMDs should absolutely not play any part of this game.

Without delving into the deep political science of it, WMDs are the ultimate weapons of peace. I'll use a simple illustration: give one man a gun and another a knife, and turmoil will happen as soon as the knife-wielder believes he stands on even ground. Give both men guns, and the same basic principle applies- eventually, real or not, when they quarrel one will take advantage of the other when they're on even or unfair terms. But put both men in a position of mutually assured destruction upon quarreling and they will live in peace unless madness takes over them.

Think about it this way- with however many thousand nuclear bombs in the world, why is it that only the very first and the very second were ever actually used?

WMDs are the ultimate weapon of peace in the hands of rational actors.

So if WMDs exist, they can only be in the context of preventing the actual decimation of their owners; a storyline tool, but not an actual device capable of mass destruction. Otherwise, they'd either (1) ensure peace which is obviously bad for PS2 or (2) play no role at all and this discussion isn't worth having because the story is out of our control. So we don't want (strategic) nukes.

Yay political science!

If what you actually mean is tactical nukes, then just address big bombs as a whole. But we've already got OS's, as has been extensively discussed. Maybe stylistically the TR could have daisy cutters, the NC could have tac-nukes, and the Vanu could have orbital strike lasers. But this isn't the point of the OP, I digress, and I'll leave it at that.

[Sabot]

I'm all for a discussion on WMDs and their impact on the world and it's societys, people and politics. However... I believe most people who want something like this in the game just want to hear the big boom, see the bright light and feel that overwhelming sense of achievment when pushing the "I win" button to detonate a hydrogen bomb up the butts of oposite factions.

[Garem]

Originally Posted by Sabot

I'm all for a discussion on WMDs and their impact on the world and it's societys, people and politics. However... I believe most people who want something like this in the game just want to hear the big boom, see the bright light and feel that overwhelming sense of achievment when pushing the "I win" button to detonate a hydrogen bomb up the butts of oposite factions.

And that's exactly why 61% of voters are saying Hell No.

Because they know this is a game and the feeling of "achievement" of pushing a big red button (lol) is significantly worse when someone else can hit the button back at you and you can't do a damned thing about it.


If you want to hit big red buttons for fun, go find this one.

[SixShooter]

I didn't mind the OSes too much in PS but the nukes in COD were pretty lame. At least you could run from an OS or hide in a stairwell and they did not really cover that much area.

[Canaris]

If they were making WMD it should be designed after the Deaths Hand missle of House Harkonnen from the Dune series, Oh you might be able to build a giant death dealing doom machine weapon of mass destruction but buddy there's no way to aim it

Roll the dice and launch one today! You may or may not live to regret it






that's my round about way of saying No with a but

[laelgon]

I think the idea of super weapons is cool, but I don't see a way to properly implement them into Planetside 2. The main problem is that they can end a fun fight way too quickly. We all remember having some good fights at a base only for someone to drop the gen and ruin the fight. While taking a base is important, the lack of a victory condition means that the priority needs to be on providing fun combat.