Gameplay: Give Hacking Depth

[Krowe]

Originally Posted by Vancha

Do you have something against cyberpunk, or are you unaware that it's a thing?

Deus Ex is cyberpunk...It can't be that bad.

Too many people throw the term around like candy. I see Planetside as a futuristic wargame, and the general definition of cyberpunk is a dark, gritty underground setting.

If we were running around in megacities, fighting in the streets and alleys, I'd see more truth behind the term, but we aren't, so I don't. Futuristic =/= cyberpunk

[MasterChief096]

I think this could work, but only for more complex hacking actions/objectives.

Keep opening doors or making equipment terminals available to your empire fast and easy, but make the more complex actions have a mini-game applied.

@Bags - Yes this is a shooter, but PlanetSide (former) and PlanetSide (latter) have always had the goal of appealing to multiple playstyles that weren't necessarily dependent on firing a weapon. If you want, you can play PlanetSide without every firing a gun. You can be a dedicated engineer, repairing and laying CE constantly, or a dedicated driver of vehicles. Dedicated lodestar pilot hellbent on making sure your empire's vehicles are kept in good condition.

I see plenty of dedicated medics that use infiltration suit and a medical applicator and that's all they have in their kit, because they want to play as a medic.

Now that SOE has the technology and a new PlanetSide game to expand upon, I think methods should be instituted to ensure that someone who wants to play as a dedicated hacker should be implemented.

What most people seem to be afraid of, is how long will the mini-game take, how challenging will it be, and how game-breaking will the things a dedicated hacker can do become? This is what needs to be discussed, instead of shooting the idea down right away.

Sure YOU may not want to play a hacker mini-game (I sure as hell don't, I'm more into guns), but does not mean that someone won't play PlanetSide that is intrigued by this hacker playstyle and spends all his/her time on his character going down that path. The more playstyles that PlanetSide 2 can cater to, the more players PlanetSide 2 can potentially have, so I'm all for exploring the potential systems, mini-games, and features that can be applied to the "hacker role" within PlanetSide 2.

First off, we need to decide what should remain a simple manner of pointing a REK at something and watching good things happen. As previously stated, it would be a bad thing if 50 guys had to wait outside a door because a hacker couldn't complete a mini-game, so obviously opening doors should be accessible to everyone, fast and easy to do.

Also, control consoles, bunkers, or whatever methods we use to capture bases and/or territory hexes should remain easy (in terms of game mechanics, not easy in terms of gameplay) and accessible to all players, so that everyone can take a territory regardless if they are a dedicated hacker or not.

With these two things stated, the next thing that needs to be discussed is what can a "defensive" hacker do to buff the security/defensive systems in a base/territory/weapon/terminal that isn't too overpowered, and provides a challenge to ''offensive'' hackers.

Right now I don't have the time to go into all of this, because it does require EXTENSIVE thinking and balancing, but I'm ALL FOR trying to figure it out. Nothing would be cooler than having to consult my outfit's "hacker guy" to be able to figure out how to do something or make a base easier to capture or what have you.

The community should not be so biased towards players who want more depth to hacking, its a reasonable and just-worthy concern to a certain group of players with playstyles that don't coincide with constantly firing guns at enemies.

[MooK]

Originally Posted by Krowe

Stopped reading. Get out.

You're an idiot. First and foremost, this forum isn't specifically designed for your useless drivel. You don't like the terminology I use, and base the opinion of the idea on that? Pathetic.

Yes, PlanetSide is cyberpunk. And no, the term is not well-used. That's a hilarious statement.

PlanetSide represents a world where an oppressive government has lied to it's people in an attempt to limit their freedom for the sole purpose of control. In doing so, two factions have splintered from that oppressive body and have declared their freedoms and their choice of war. All three factions fight an endless, bloody war in an attempt to protect their own ideals. Sounds pretty dark to me. It's not a dystopian environment, but it's pretty dark.

Each individual makes use of advanced technology, and the beneficial or detrimental modification of that technology (hacking!) while augmenting their character's abilities through cybernetic implants. If that's not cyberpunk, then there are no cyberpunk books, films or games.

Would you say the Shadowrun universe isn't cyberpunk because there's magic? Oh no! A cross contamination of fantasy! I better completely dismiss the entire series!

Originally Posted by Logit

Could you imagine if 50 troops are waiting outside a door for some dude who can't finish the damn mini-game?

I don't see why multiple people cannot attempt it at the same time. If someone completes the game, the others are ended. That prevents multiple hacks through a single terminal doing tremendous damage.



Thank you for the constructive post, MasterChief. Yes, I agree that opening doors and whatnot, simple things, should not be dependent upon an extensive mini-game; however, not everyone needs to use mini-games if they don't want to. It's only for those who want to play it out, and if skilled, improve their ability to complete their objectives.

[Brusi]

Cyberpunk

I like the idea of a hacking-mini game, but might be worth having the brain-dead version of point-and-shoot rek to terminal available (maybe slightly slower) as well.

[Senyu]

My two cents


Hacking in Planetside is fairly simple and not so complex. Even with the addition of virus's and such it still remains a simple thing in both in how its done and what you can do with it. Personnaly I believe it should remain generally simple in the how and keep from becoming mini-games unless its very very critically important system if you must have it. Or the option of minigame being faster than the player for those longer hacking systems like base cap.

That and there should be more focus on the What can you do bit. I'm loving Offensive/defensive/support and more options. But this can only go as far as much time you spend expanding it. Also unlockable things from capture should be implemented in hacking options. Your allowed special vehicles from Tech Plant, why not more advance hacking methods/effects as well? So should hacking become quite extensive while still remaining a small portion to the entire game? Maybe not but I'd vote for it.


Anyways heres my thoughts on things for what you can do with extensive hacking.


Offensive
Offensive as obv. as it is would be used in attacks. These suggestions support this. I will be making more ideas also based on Hacking ally objects such as vehicles and deployables so I will explain this now. All players have the option to allow their vehicle/deployables be effected by ally hackers or not. By defult their objects accept their owners hacking. Hacking Ally objects will boost the objects in one or more ways. And until we know exactly what things say vehicles will have for progression all my ideas are based off the give/loss concept of boosting one area for decreasing another area.


Vehicle Hacks
For effecting Ally Vehicles I suggest the option of overloading and the give/loss concept. Here are my suggestions

Power Surge:Ally vehicle's system is hacked allowing more than safe levels of power to movement as well as weapons. The vehicle receives increased movement speed and turn rate as well as increased rate of fire and reload time. The negative is a slower acceleration from total standstill and EMP effects overload the vehicle causing some damage and creating a random malfunction from the exploding powersurge. This can be random weapon destroyed or slower speed from damage treads. Vehicle must be repaired for damage parts to be operational again.

Comm Boost:Ally vehicle's communications are boosted. Vehicle is able to broadcast communications as if it is within a sphere of influence. Ideal for commanding units on the battlefield. Must have the equivilent of an interlink facility under your control.

Haywire:Enemy vehicle's system become haywired producing the following effects (listing all the potentials of such a hack)Vehicles visual HUD becomes staticky making hard to see. Vehicle random moves forwards or turns slightly. Shots become very unacurate. Some shots may explode in vehicle instead of firing. Some systems may be disabled.


Base Hacks
These hacks are for enemy bases. Some must be hacked at specific terminals or are simply part of a pool of choices a hack is allowed to choose from. Multiple negative effects are allowed for one base. However for every effect, there will be an increased time to implement another effect. This rate is reduced by level of hacking. Players only suffer this slowrate if one of their own viruses are in the base. All base hacks are allowed the option of being a delayed virus. Player may choose to have the hack not go into effect until EX. 5 seconds or 5 minutes. Timed hacks remain undetected unless specific equipment or a more advance hacker combs the facility of hacks.

Door Lock:Hacking enemy door unlocks it. Having access to the equivelent of a Technology Plant boosts the hack making so the door becomes locked for other factions and will only open for yours. Also a basewide option for this is avialiable at a terminal for more advance hackers.

Motion Sensing Lights: Upon hack on enemy facility terminal, all lights will shutdown except for areas where the hacking faction are located. This hack requires total darkness as well as lights produced from armor or weapons to be of any use at all. So this hack is a little sketchy.

Flucations:Power surges flow throughout the base randomly effecting terminals. Every 2 seconds a random terminal has a 80%chance to shut down for 15 seconds. And 20% chance to explode dealing some damage to nearby players.

Sensor Malfunction:Enemies within or near the base will have all dots on their minimap appear as red wheather their allied or enemies.

Degraded Spawning:Base spawners/tubes/equipment terminals/vehicle terminals suffer malfunctions. Spawned players will spawn with less health at random levels. Weapons spawned may suffer a variety of effects such as less ammo, slower rate of fire, or a very small chance upon use will cause the weapon to explode. This applies to equipment and vehicles as well.




Know what? My post is long enough, not gona add the other sections like defensive and support ideas

[Huma]

Eh as a long time Expert Hacker in Planetside I'd have to agree that hacking is fine as it is. Losing the ability to hack enemy vehicles stings a little but I'll live. As fora mini game why don't you actually play Shadowrun instead then. If you got into something like that whenever you had to hack a control console you'd be fresh meat.
Besides there is already going to be enough going on without hackers messing with facility controls in an active way. Let's also not forget that Sony is trying to keep the game fast paced in order to compete with established FPS and up coming MMOFPS rivals. If they bog it down them their going to lose money and if they lose enough we'll end up like Tabula Rasa.

[exLupo]

I'm iffy on the idea of complicating hacking for the aforementioned "Cmon guy, they're shooting here!"

However...

What if it was just limited to advanced actions? Doors and CCs are universal just like today but when you get into the more esoteric things then you can get kinky. Controlling automated systems manually (doors, individual turrets, security cameras) and changing base systems directly (similar to viruses today).

But what's really getting me excited is what if this wasn't PvE. What if, for these more advanced functions, you can have another hacker sitting in the base on the defensive side, fighting against you. An all out fight to lock the other guy out so you can make the changes you want and defender access is revoked for a time. Maybe even, if you spec deep enough, black ICE.

I don't think it could be any cooler to be in the cc, waiting on your infil to get door control back and then suddenly have his head sizzle as he falls over dead. It'd give hackers a real chance to make a name for themselves.

"I don't know if I'll be able to wrangle turret control, I hear MooK is jacked in on defense."

[Senyu]

Agreed above.


Don't complicated on how hacking is done. Just make more options on what the hacker can do

[Huma]

I'm not sure about adding a mini game for hacking. Last thing I want is to have to jump through hoops when my team has just hot droppe on a tower with a reaver waiting do us. If they do anything though I would like to see some added functionality. Pretty much like your talking about without the mini game.
Though now that I think about it they could just expand the versatility of the t-REK. It already adds a lot of options for hackers but there is room for improvement. Currently their more annoying than anything.

[Traak]

Originally Posted by Logit

Could you imagine if 50 troops are waiting outside a door for some dude who can't finish the damn mini-game?

no limit on the number of hack/crack guys that can spam one term. as in PS1.

[Baneblade]

I think hacking in PS should give you a DOS Command Prompt where you have to enter the base command code for unlocking the door, etc. It is far too easy to hack in ps compared to other abilities.

[Raka Maru]

Infiltrator should be able to have several terminals to open up a new HUD that has doors where he can lock/open. Security feeds should show up for him. Turrets should be able to be totally taken over.

To do these advanced functions, the hacker would need to stay there or drop a special remote access piece of hardware.

[Raka Maru]

Originally Posted by Sobekeus

I think hacking in PS should give you a DOS Command Prompt where you have to enter the base command code for unlocking the door, etc. It is far too easy to hack in ps compared to other abilities.

I'm all for realism, but some would be hackers wouldn't know what to do with a command prompt. We gotta give the IRL non-techie the illusion that he's an electronics expert if he decides to spend his certs as a hacker. A GUI would be better for this IMO.