[Chainfall Original] Air Cruisers: Next

[Tikuto]

Air Cruisers are a sweet idea. I think this is the thing that inspired the creation of the Galaxy Gunship.

With super power comes super control. Like the BFRs that are still ineffectively controlled, they are super-powers that are uncontrolled according to the fairness (and balance) of what PlanetSide is ideally to be.

An Air or even Orbital Cruiser like this needs control. Balance and Control equals to fair competitive action-shooter multi-player gaming like it always does, but when you add a super-power to the fair mix it becomes an uncontrolled mess. Controlling this mess scales it to fair again...

Because the player-base is an uncontrollable solution. There has to be some game system control that applies to all Empires for all Empires, and the control would be the Outfit that achieves the super-weapon availabiltiy and activation first.

An Outfit can be in possession of one though the whole game controls how it's fair-played - not not several outfits with shitloads of super-weapons. Because of the size of the cruiser may mean pre-requisite online population of an Outfit or something, and maybe other things like you Empire is near-defeat and so an Air Cruiser (end-game boss) comes to scale the war and reclaim half of Auraxis for its lifetime/duration. Once everything is checked, the rarity of an Air Cruiser would appear and an Outfit could be responsible. Outfit's taking command of an Imperial Cruiser stimulates competition between friendly Outfits, and competitive leadership means for greater leadership.

Contribution (SUGGESTION):

• Imperial Cruisers (as I'd like to name them) could float in the air, go in and out of orbit and land on the ocean. The ultimate super-power of Auraxis domination that ultimately insists the war!
• They would be end-game bosses controlled by selected Outfits and their players. When an Empire summons an Imperial Cruiser they can reclaim the planet unless destroyed.
• They would have multiple huge hitboxes like shooting a vehicle as its whole. Each hitbox is a big gunner location.
• Biggest weakness: Orbital Strikes
• Counter weakness: Ascend into orbit and seize enemy Orbital Stations.
  
  Pre-requisites:
  • Sufficient active players on the server-World.
  • Sufficient amount of players online within an outfit.
  • You Empire is in peril, near-defeat and requires a climatic resolution: "Summon the Imperial Cruiser!"
  • Recharge timer has completed since last Imperial Cruiser appearance
    _
• Empire refuses to allow your Outfit's Imperial Cruiser to enter continents within enemy Orbital Station view.

edit: If Cruiser such as awesome as this were to be included into PlanetSide, why not bring back BFRs to scale their terror?

[Grimster]

That bigass ship in Avatar was really awesome.

I really loved it. I don't know why but it kind of reminded me of Planetside for some odd reason. Might be the shape of the hull or something.

[Traak]

I think Cameron intentionally made the ship look like a massive, flying tick. That's all it reminded me of.

[Tikuto]

[Firefly]

If this CONSUMES outfit points, you have an easy way to control it.

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by Firefly

If this CONSUMES outfit points, you have an easy way to control it.

That is the intention, yes.

[Canaris]

Is anyone else getting the feeling of a "flying BFR overbalance on crack" while looking at the concept of the airship.

It's an Alpha Class weapons system and excuse me but after what went on with BFR's Planetside doesn't need another AC.

I really like the concept of a massive multi user ship but on the forum there is a discussion already about the complete over balance of a Galaxy Gunship, from the look of some of the suggestions you want to kick that up a notch?
With most of the people who posting here calling for the GG to be scrapped or down graded.

This airship idea was also floated back in 2002 or 2003 same as here it was warmly received even by the Dev's at the time but ultimately it was dropped by the wayside as impractical and over balanced.

This is the problem I see a lot and not just here but on almost every gaming site talking about big concepts for a game, they have the idea but don't take the time to think about the long term effects it would have on the game.

"How will this fit into the game practically?"
"What effect will it cause to the game population, Empire population, outfit populations?"
"Is it a good idea or only a good concept?"
"How will it balance out?"

In closing as a concept I love it always did since I saw it all those years ago but being a bit more mature now I can objectively look at it and say (Without knowing whats in PS-N of course) I can say no on this scale this won't work.

my three fiddy.

[DviddLeff]

Well... how could it work?

As a concept it works pretty well, especially when you consider it has been proved to work by BF2142 which had titan game mode which is basically an outfit cruiser.

[Baneblade]

I had to delete some of Addendum VI due to the 10000 character limit. I wonder if there is a way to change that?

[Tikuto]

Actually... Yeah a cruiser that acts like a facility... but in the sky! . Defending it would be like mounting a wall turret.

[Baneblade]

I covered all of that, but I need more room to get more detailed about each 'bridge' function. Gunners are already critical, as only the Primary Weapons are directly controlled by the Tactical Officer, who also coordinates the gunners incidentally since gunners tend to have target ADHD (must shoot everything) and OCD (must try to finish off that guy that is dancing in and out of my weapon range!).

The Commander is not chair bound, in fact his functions are mostly administrative. His direct role in the operation of the AC is that he can manage the Crew and replace one of them in an emergency (minus the Abilities unless he has the cert for that role). But you need four people to run the command and control efficiently. The gunners, damage controllman, and security forces are also critical to an AC that the enemy is actively trying to disable/destroy. A Frigate might be fully capable with only eight players, but a Battlecruiser may need as many as 20.

One alternative to the Bridge Crew I went over already would be to increase the cert commitment of being the Commander, but also being able to do all of the bridge functions yourself... sort of an EvE style command and control. Commander would navigate the AC either manually or with the autopilot, but it will be a busy pair of shoes during crunch time. So I think it might still be better to allow Commanders to do all of the basics, but keep the Advanced Abilities for other Crew. Remember, one very important thing about ACs is redundancy, including at the Crew level. If your Commander goes LD in the middle of a critical fight, what can you do to solve the situation?

[Canaris]

Sorry Sobe didn't make the distinction clear between your idea and other people asking for it to be loaded down with weapon systems, that's who my post was aimed at.

wrote it at early O'clock without enough caffine in my system

[Traak]

Originally Posted by Canaris

wrote it at early O'clock without enough caffine in my system

This is completely off topic, but, the fact that coffee comes with caffeine is part of what makes coffee so attractive.

The fact that caffeine comes with coffee is also part of what makes caffeine attractive.

I think this is a great idea, as it adds even more to the game that isn't point, shoot, die, and stare mindlessly cross-eyed into space while drooling.

Some guys actually do like to think, plan, manage, and engage in teamwork.

[TRex]

The original OP topic struck me as 'caves' in the 'sky /naval' - a separate mini- fight that dosen't directly interfere with the on going ground fight but that in some way is useful to the overall game. I can't help but wonder why remove Core Combat and BFR's to replace them with something equally as distractive .

I'd much rather have something like this as an entire zone in its own right with pre-build game mechanics like the battle islands do now.

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by TRex

The original OP topic struck me as 'caves' in the 'sky /naval' - a separate mini- fight that dosen't directly interfere with the on going ground fight but that in some way is useful to the overall game.

I suppose it might have an effect like that, but air superiority as well as outfits having dedicated exclusive spawns will vastly impact the strategic ground game and have a lessor effect on the tactical ground game

I can't help but wonder why remove Core Combat and BFR's to replace them with something equally as distractive .

CC took people away from the fight entirely. BFRs dominated the fight entirely. Air Cruisers as proposed does neither.

I'd much rather have something like this as an entire zone in its own right with pre-build game mechanics like the battle islands do now.

Except that the entire concept behind that is one that players dont like generally. BIs were never popular in PS and CC less so. So it stands to reason that PSN players won't be different.