News: Matt Higby doing a Q&A at reddit!

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Firefly

Eh?

Q: About the specialization trees, I accept that for example my skills in driving a tank won't help me in a MAX loadout, but do I have the option to improve the "spec tree" for every aspect of the game on one character? In another answer you talked about the option of being "jack of all trades" but given enough time can "JacK" effectively master all the trades over the MANY years? Time is important and for a LONG time picking which skills you care most about will be critical, but the idea of true infinite growth interests me. At what point does it break down into "just make a new guy (character) to do 'that'."
[Certification system]
Matt: Given infinite time and no expansion of the skill tree on our part you could conceivably train every cert in the game.

Q: What exactly is the planned Damage bonus for headshots? Will any Infantary weapon be able to One shot Kill?
also, can you make sure that we playtest this properly during beta? Means sometime with headshots, sometimes without. Just to see the difference in gameplay, and if they are a addidion to the gameplay or just a source of frustration.
[Headshots]
Matt: The system allows us to have different damage bonuses for each weapon. This way we can make it so that sniper rifles give a 200% bonus making them OSOK on headshots and chainguns get a 0% bonus making it make no difference. Other guns like pistols or assault rifles might be somewhere in between based on how rewarding we feel precision should be with each of those weapons/weapon types. Vehicle weapons will likely have a 0% bonus.
Exact balance for this is not final, but that's the general idea that we're going with and we'll tweak as necessary.

[Hamma]

[Firefly]

Ah. Thanks. I thought someone had asked about Alliances.

This is actually now a crucial piece of information, at least for me personally.

[Hamma]

Saw Higby lurk tonight, but didn't post :O Hopefully he will give us some info on it

[Bags]

I was going into information withdrawl.

[Rbstr]

TBH, I'd rather have some extra damage on the so called "random lucky shots" from spray and pray weapons than sniper rifles getting a bunch of bonus damage (though I'm not closed to that). People are going to aim at heads but the neat thing about a head is that it's smaller than a torso so they're going to miss more.

The reason for headshots on the scattery-stuff: Say you sneak up behind 3 dudes with a chaingun, they're completely unaware. You'd normaly have no chance, the recoil dooms you very quickly...but if you take the first guy out right away miracles can happen. So plant that fucker right in the back of someones head and let it rip...I feel like you deserve a chance of pulling some crazy out of the hat.
Those shots are aimed as carefully as anything, they deserve the same considerations.

Sometimes you just get WTF-ed. Sometimes you pull off a "Holy shit"
It happens once or twice in a blue moon. And yeah, it's not something absolutely skill based, but it brings some unpredictable element.

[Bags]

Bringing an "unpredictable element" isn't something devs should strive for. I don't need crits to take out three people that I catch with their pants down with my mcg, tbh.

Can you imagine jack hammer with crits? /shudder

[Sirisian]

I just asked the best question ever.
If that is possible and we have locational damage can you imagine taking out an engine or something with that strategy. It would be a sweet thing for cloakers or even players to sprint up to a stationary tank and do that. Blowing up a planes engine would be even cooler.

[SilverLord]

I absolutely love the headshot mechanics clarified.

[Death2All]

Originally Posted by Bags

Bringing an "unpredictable element" isn't something devs should strive for. I don't need crits to take out three people that I catch with their pants down with my mcg, tbh.

Can you imagine jack hammer with crits? /shudder

Indeed.


One of the more irritating things from TF2 regarding crits is when you get the jump on a Soldier and he just spins around gets a random crit rocket that insta kills you. I really don't like the added element of luck being added to any game, but add that into Planetside with thousands of players shooting all with the chance to score a critical hit and would be very irritating.

[artifice]

I wonder if it will be possible to have neutral outfits and alliances (if alliances exist).

[Bags]

Yeah, I only played on non-crit TF2 servers. Crits were amusing for a few days but then got tedius.

There's plenty of reasons to support headshots... but "IT MAKES IT LOL RANDOM" is not a good reason.

[Senyu]

really don't see a problem with crits as long as their totally not ridiculous. Like some bonus damage, not roflpwn

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Senyu

really don't see a problem with crits as long as their totally not ridiculous. Like some bonus damage, not roflpwn

Because whether I win or lose a gun fight should come down to skill and tactics, not random chance?

[artifice]

Damage should not be determined by a roll of the dice.