Gameplay: Revisiting Deployable Galaxies (Command Center Galaxy)

[leifnielsen]

Greetings,

Before the Planetside 2 Beta started, it was said that the Galaxy was going to be deployable and allow people to spawn on it just like the Sunderer. I loved this idea. I never got the chance to play the beta because my computer was outdated at the time. From what I hear though, Deployable Galaxies were pulled from the game because they caused major balance issues.

I still think it's an awesome idea though, so I suggest making it an unlockable Utility Slot attachment that's really hard to obtain. You would have to have 3 prerequisites:

1. A ton of CR in Leadership (Let's say 3000 CR) - *This also implies that there should be more Leadership cert tabs than just Squad Leader. There should be Platoon Leader and maybe a Field Commander tab as well but that's a whole other idea.*

2. It won't even let you buy certs in the Field Commander tab until you've reached the proper BR. (I have no preference on the proper level. It would have to be tested first. If people were acquiring this ability too fast than you would just have to raise the requirement.)

3. A good amount of CR to buy the actual Galaxy Utility cert. (1000 CR)


Once this ability was unlocked, you would be able to use a special color/camo option for the galaxy as well to show that it was a command center. Perhaps an all-black color scheme.

The utility would show up on the vehicle as a radome on top like the Navy E-2C plane uses in real life, or perhaps other comms equipment on the sides.

For balance issues, this vehicle would take a lot longer to deploy/undeploy. Maybe 30 seconds or so. This would prevent it from taking off and escaping if it came under attack from enemy tanks. The only other option would be to dig in and defend it with the guns while having engineers repair from the other side.

Optional ideas:

1. This version of the Galaxy could have additional gun emplacement options in order to better defend itself while deployed. Perhaps rocket launchers that would only be useable while deployed.

2. When deployed, The cargo door of this Galaxy would open up and become a vehicle bay. Players using the equipment panel on the side of the Galaxy could then spawn Flash ATV's only. *Note: In the second picture I attached, it shows the Galaxy with the back cargo door open, so I think it was originally intended for that to be able to open anyway.

[Gonefshn]

I played since before beta in the tech test.

Look a a galaxy in the game as it stands now. It is INCREDIBLY easy to spot while it is in the sky. It was removed because it was impossible to deploy a galaxy without the enemy noticing it a approaching. Not to mention it was a huge target once deployed. Having to fly into enemy territory to deploy was a dead give away. Changing it to the Sunderer allowed players a fighting chance to deploy a spawn point undetected.

I wouldn't necessarily mind the galaxy being a spawn point again since it would never compete with the sundie as a regular spawn point in heated battles.

However. I would rather see it work where only squad or platoon members could use it as a spawn point. Keep the Sunderer as the mobile spawn point and keep galaxy for squad ops.

[leifnielsen]

Originally Posted by Gonefshn

However. I would rather see it work where only squad or platoon members could use it as a spawn point. Keep the Sunderer as the mobile spawn point and keep galaxy for squad ops.

That's a good point. I wouldn't mind it working like that.

[DirtyBird]

I wouldnt mind if they allowed the option of the gal to be deployed as an AMS only once in its lifetime.

You would need to cert into it at the expense of something else like composite armour, Auto Repair and Stealth.
I know its more of a Utility but I think its a fair trade off to lose a defensive ability if you add the one time AMS option.
But, when it was deployed it gained an armour upgrade while deployed.

When it was undeployed that was it and then it converts back to basic transport.
Or once deployed it could no longer be flown.

It could also only be deployed on the ground and not on any structures.

[Tertiary]

Omg, no. The Galaxy was a fricken' TANK. More so than actual tanks, especially these days when all the vehicles seem to be made out of paper. Four turrets, massive armor, easiest a/c to fly, go anywhere you like... even to date, the Galaxy remains the only vehicle that REQUIRES concentrated fire to take down. Wheras my Sundie goes down if someone sneezes on it... I hate paper-armor Sundie and would absolutely never choose it in favor of a Galaxy equipped w/ AMS.

[Sentrosi]

Keeping the Galaxy as a 'squad only' spawn point is a great idea. But the player would have to spawn inside the galaxy, not just 'hot drop' wherever the Galaxy is. I think there should be a cooldown on how often you can use the Galaxy as a squad drop point, perhaps half of what a standard spawn beacon drop would be (I think it's 5 minutes?).

[CzuukWaterson]

Way too OP. There would be no way to judge where the fight was coming from if you could park a dozen galaxies on top of a bio lab.

In flight AOE repair and resupply is what the galaxies need. And cockpit optics.

[Artimus]

The bio lab and tech plants were designed to have gals spawn on them. I say bring em back.

[Greenthy]

Bio lab / tech plant / tower fights were a lot more fun in tech/beta.
Back then your platoon pretty much lived off of galaxies in stead of just using it occasionally.

Killing a deployed galaxy was a lot harder though, after a certain point they even had shields that could be strategically placed.

As a galaxy pilot back then I found it very fun and satisfying to support my outfit/platoon/faction in this way. But it made the ground a bit obsolete.
Even after adding the sundy AMS the galaxy AMS was the preferred choice.

Don't get me wrong, I want them back
They would just have to make it an alternative to the sundy AMS and not the replacement through some mechanic/way.

[Micro]

Yea, bring em back. Was a lot of fun. Needs some balancing thou

[MedicNL]

I would like to see ammo/repair in flight and squad/platoon deploy on the ground like sunderer. But you can't have them both at the same time. This should have no impact on the sunderers role.

[BMB]

This is a great idea, a galaxy with AMS would be fantastic, I think that the PS2 creators have done a great job of making game that is interesting but as close to real as you can get for a future based video game, so I say leave it up to them to set the standard for getting this upgrade for the Galaxy but please add it, I think this would add a huge tatical side to the PS2 game that is yet unaddress. Hook us up PS2!

[MangoPunch]

Higby has said that they are trying to figure a way to bring Gal AMS back, but it would most likely be restricted to squad only.

[DviddLeff]

The problem was not that the gal was too obvious a target when deployed, it was that you could put the things anywhere and totally bypass the ground fight to deploy right on the next territories capture point.

As a squad only spawn point it should work.

[DemoTape]

The thing that made Galaxy AMS so OP, was that they were Immortal with a few Engineers behind them once they were deployed(remember the Immortal Galaxies from the BioLabs from Beta). So then in order to fix that Immortal thing they created, they destroyed the whole thing, and now Galaxies server no purposes other than in Squads drops.

I think the should bring an AMS on Galaxy that would connect to facilities. The Galaxy approach an Empire Spawn point( It could work only with towers to increase the difficult a little bit), and then once it reaches a set distance from the point it take 7 seconds to make a connection, once the connection is made players can spawn at the Galaxy as if it were a normal spawn point. That would make the Galaxies more oriented on carrying the troops than to serving as a stationary AMS.

I still haven't thought through the whole consequences of adding this, but tell me what you guys think that will happen in a good and bad way, if it really were implemented.