Planetside Idea Lab

[7ruth]

haha =) I'm in the same hole, my brothers playing PS so I can't =/

To be constructive, I was surfing your site and found an error...

On the TR News page, the Prowler specs are wrong =) it says 2 man crew, and since Smoke says the prowler is getting 15 MMs then its even more wrong!

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by 7ruth

Yea I'm Still following, but have been at a loss for comments until now.

I hope the latest ideas haven't been that bad. j/k

What if the more hackers you have on a terminal the faster it is hacked?

Makes sense to me, considering that multiple medics and engies increase rates. You might have to restrict hacking help to only those things the players can actually hack, like hacking terminals vs hacking IFF doors and CC. Then you could have a granny hacker suddenly being helped by an Adv Hacker at the CC but the Adv Hacker couldn't get help from the granny when jacking a terminal or vehicle.

Interesting idea too on dynamic help among small groups. Probabaly encourage Hack Teams.

Originally Posted by EarlyDawn

Any updates on the horizion? I can't play so this is about the extent of what entertainment I'm going to be able to get, Planetside-wise.

Sorry to hear that, Early. Unfortunately no updates until at least Tues, as I'm out of town this weekend. But at that time I'll be throwing in some concepts for a medic revive bar similar to the visible hacking bar, as well as health bars for damaged generators and spawn tubes.

After that I really really have to get Urban Outposts up on the site. It's been long enough already, I gotta get cracking on it (but it's just so massive a concept, I'm a bit anxious about explaining it all).

[EarlyDawn]

Originally Posted by Hayoo

Sorry to hear that, Early. Unfortunately no updates until at least Tues, as I'm out of town this weekend. But at that time I'll be throwing in some concepts for a medic revive bar similar to the visible hacking bar, as well as health bars for damaged generators and spawn tubes.

After that I really really have to get Urban Outposts up on the site. It's been long enough already, I gotta get cracking on it (but it's just so massive a concept, I'm a bit anxious about explaining it all).

Yeah, it's this damned new patch. Totally kicked my FPS' ass. So now I'll have to wait at least a patch to get within playable levels, it looks like. After I buy my new water cooling rig and everything.

Have we already heard the gist of Urban outposts in this thread, or is there more to it?

Final suggestion for the "primitive emplacements". The ability to make a lockbox independently of the storage-cover. I came to a conclusion as to how helpful this would be in bases where I'd want to stash ammo in pecular places... like on the wall of a base. Maybe make such a deployable lockable.

Something I'd really like to see down the line: Better lock system. Individually lockable seats, multiple permission filters, and variable trunk access. Think you could squeeze this in way at the end of the list and possibly see it sometime next year? Alternatively, I could do a write up and hold on to it until the idea emporium pops up.

[7ruth]

I can agree with alot of what you say, but urban areas I'd really like to see.
Are they going to be 'true' urban, paved roads and 20 plus buildings?
We've all experienced the half-assed and backwards version of 'urban', fun but not urban. I really expected to see anchient cities there, like was in the concept art =(

Still I'm eager to see your ideas, what ever they maybe =)

[EarlyDawn]

Core Combat would have been really cool if it were more dense with buildings. Should have felt more like a cavernous underground Ancient Vanu city and less like some reactor complex thirty miles down.

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by EarlyDawn

Yeah, it's this damned new patch. Totally kicked my FPS' ass. So now I'll have to wait at least a patch to get within playable levels, it looks like. After I buy my new water cooling rig and everything.

I got a framerate hit too. But this always happens after every patch and they eventually fix it...for most people.

Have we already heard the gist of Urban outposts in this thread, or is there more to it?

Yeah, most of it is in here...somewhere.

Final suggestion for the "primitive emplacements". The ability to make a lockbox independently of the storage-cover. I came to a conclusion as to how helpful this would be in bases where I'd want to stash ammo in pecular places... like on the wall of a base. Maybe make such a deployable lockable.

I forget if it was you or someone else, but when they heard about the dufflebag part of my inventory additions, someone mentioned allowing a dropped dufflebag to act as a sort of lockbox/ammo box that you could set permissions on. I always thought that was an interesting idea.

A deployable lockbox would be interesting, but remember, none of my deployables can be built on or within a Base because they'd obstruct things. Maybe there could be a special lockbox built into the walls, where you could store stuff for later use. Not sure if that would be matrix based like the lockers or that-location-only type of thing. Another idea is allowing all those sandbag-type boxes to hold stuff, as sort of an out-door locker. I'd have to think about that one.

Something I'd really like to see down the line: Better lock system. Individually lockable seats, multiple permission filters, and variable trunk access. Think you could squeeze this in way at the end of the list and possibly see it sometime next year? Alternatively, I could do a write up and hold on to it until the idea emporium pops up.

Next year? Sure, why not. Grayflcn had some lockable seats on his version of the vehicle stats hud. I don't know the thread address off hand. I do like the idea, but it'd have to wait for a while. By all means, write up the concept, I'd love to see it.

Originally Posted by 7ruth

I can agree with alot of what you say, but urban areas I'd really like to see.
Are they going to be 'true' urban, paved roads and 20 plus buildings?
We've all experienced the half-assed and backwards version of 'urban', fun but not urban. I really expected to see anchient cities there, like was in the concept art =(

Yeah it's meant to be a true urban feel; outdoors, hard-surface roads, short alleyways, 5-10 buildings (20 is just a bit much for the limited space we have for multiple urban areas), elevated walkways, blasted out walls and ruins, etc. A few urban outposts will only sport the Supply Center building. While 'villages' would be cool to have, because the game fiction we know that civilians do not and have never lived on the planet. So there wouldn't be homes, churches, shops, etc. Therefore all buildings must evoke a military/research function much like the bases but minus the high walls, turrets, bunkers, etc. Think of them as camps erected near tappable resources, not meant for defense like the facilities, but for planet exploitation.

[EarlyDawn]

Yeah, the locked dufflebag idea was mine from when I specialized your inventory additions. As far as the deployable lockbox goes, I was thinking that as long as you didn't place it in doors, you could place it inside. Or prehaps against a wall?

Guess you'll have to design a new permission screen to encompass emplacements, vehicles, and any dropped dufflebags.

Originally Posted by Hayoo

While 'villages' would be cool to have, because the game fiction we know that civilians do not and have never lived on the planet.

Well, there were scientists and technicians, non-military personel. So there were civilians, just not colonists, per se. Plus, I would assume there was a reasonable amount of travel time / expense with traveling through the wormhole again, so I seriously doubt that military personel would be shipped back to earth space for their time off. It is logical to assume there would be minor civic areas for the entertainment of civilians and off-duty military.

[Rayder]

I'm sure there are a lot of great and wonderful ideas in here, as well as a lot of retarded only-a-complete-moronic-idiot-could-think-up-this-stupid-idea kind of ideas here too. I just want to know what the current ideas are, seems to me that they're about hacking, urban areas, and external "lockers."

[DeepStrikeck]

I don't know if this was mentioned earlier, but I would like to see a feature on the lockers where you can type in a character name and grant them access to your locker for a period of lets say, ten minutes. So then when they go up to a locker anywhere in the world, they have an option when they press g to either open their locker, or your locker, which you just granted them access to. This would make it much easier for weapons trade or giving everyone in your squad a MCG while they run around a base during an invasion where the spawn room is overrun. (they access and grab the MCG from the room below/next to the spawn room)


oh, and btw, the ideas are great (I read page 19 & 20) and they sound really cool. That hack indicator looks sweet.

[EarlyDawn]

Originally Posted by DeepStrikeck

I don't know if this was mentioned earlier, but I would like to see a feature on the lockers where you can type in a character name and grant them access to your locker for a period of lets say, ten minutes. So then when they go up to a locker anywhere in the world, they have an option when they press g to either open their locker, or your locker, which you just granted them access to. This would make it much easier for weapons trade or giving everyone in your squad a MCG while they run around a base during an invasion where the spawn room is overrun. (they access and grab the MCG from the room below/next to the spawn room)


oh, and btw, the ideas are great (I read page 19 & 20) and they sound really cool. That hack indicator looks sweet.

That'd be really cool. Like giving someone the code for your locker (Since it constructs everything moments before you open it, I'm assuming you enter in an ID code and PIN or something). Even cooler would be to have a certain area you could flag as "public" that someone could access with the proper code you give them.

"Hey Jim, if we don't get those turrets back up, we're screwed. I've gotta stay here and keep building emplacements for the infantry. Go to my locker and get two glueguns. Passcode is 45100"

The locker access could simply be based on your character name, then you have a PIN you could give to people, and change.

Originally Posted by Rayder

I'm sure there are a lot of great and wonderful ideas in here, as well as a lot of retarded only-a-complete-moronic-idiot-could-think-up-this-stupid-idea kind of ideas here too. I just want to know what the current ideas are, seems to me that they're about hacking, urban areas, and external "lockers."

I personally have yet to see an idea come out of Hayoo that wouldn't improve the game in some way, even if it didn't help me because of my playstyle.

The current topics are the Urban Areas, Empire Tech Levels, Outfit Headquarters (Continentally Based), Outfit Barracks (Sanctuary-based customizable rally points that outfits can upgrade with the facilities that would help their outfit, like training facilities, vehicle storage, ect), and inventory changes (Personal container types, each with their own unique properties, plus locker upgrades.)

I'm just curious as to what Hayoo has in mind to let us buy for the Outfit Barracks.

[7ruth]

Yeah it's meant to be a true urban feel; outdoors, hard-surface roads, short alleyways, 5-10 buildings (20 is just a bit much for the limited space we have for multiple urban areas), elevated walkways, blasted out walls and ruins, etc. A few urban outposts will only sport the Supply Center building. While 'villages' would be cool to have, because the game fiction we know that civilians do not and have never lived on the planet. So there wouldn't be homes, churches, shops, etc. Therefore all buildings must evoke a military/research function much like the bases but minus the high walls, turrets, bunkers, etc. Think of them as camps erected near tappable resources, not meant for defense like the facilities, but for planet exploitation.

Thats cool, I'd be fine with a coastal city or a city built around a starport. Well concerning the 'no colonists', I believe one of the empire websites (Terranrepublic/V-S-/N-C-.com) says that 'colonization continued in earnest for the next 20 years'. I believe that was contradicted, or changed, in a news letter where they said to the effect of 'on the first voyage through, the wormhole destablized and collapsed, heavily damaging or disabling many of the MEF ships'. When I heard that, it just pissed me off... I want my urban combat.

Just remember TR are probably capitalists =) new world + undeveloped = money!

-=Edit=-
Heres some cool concept art, wouldn't mind a good sized city to fight over =P

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by EarlyDawn

Yeah, the locked dufflebag idea was mine from when I specialized your inventory additions. As far as the deployable lockbox goes, I was thinking that as long as you didn't place it in doors, you could place it inside. Or prehaps against a wall?

Guess you'll have to design a new permission screen to encompass emplacements, vehicles, and any dropped dufflebags.

*panics* AAAAAAAA!

Well, there were scientists and technicians, non-military personel. So there were civilians, just not colonists, per se. Plus, I would assume there was a reasonable amount of travel time / expense with traveling through the wormhole again, so I seriously doubt that military personel would be shipped back to earth space for their time off. It is logical to assume there would be minor civic areas for the entertainment of civilians and off-duty military.

Yeah, that's what I mean. We wouldn't have villages, parks, housing developments and other things that would be assumed as civilian areas, but more like base barracks, px stores, rec halls, etc.

Originally Posted by Rayder

I'm sure there are a lot of great and wonderful ideas in here, as well as a lot of retarded only-a-complete-moronic-idiot-could-think-up-this-stupid-idea kind of ideas here too. I just want to know what the current ideas are, seems to me that they're about hacking, urban areas, and external "lockers."

You'll probably just want to go to my site: http://www.planetside-idealab.com. If you just want to browse pictures, you can go here: http://psforums.station.sony.com/ps/...ssage.id=50139

Originally Posted by DeepStrikeck

I don't know if this was mentioned earlier, but I would like to see a feature on the lockers where you can type in a character name and grant them access to your locker for a period of lets say, ten minutes. So then when they go up to a locker anywhere in the world, they have an option when they press g to either open their locker, or your locker, which you just granted them access to. This would make it much easier for weapons trade or giving everyone in your squad a MCG while they run around a base during an invasion where the spawn room is overrun. (they access and grab the MCG from the room below/next to the spawn room)

Interesting idea. How long do you think the permission should last? I like the PIN idea, EarlyDawn mentioned. Some might also want that locker menu as a toggle, otherwise they'd have to do an extra mouse click just to open their own locker.

Originally Posted by EarlyDawn

I'm just curious as to what Hayoo has in mind to let us buy for the Outfit Barracks.

I'll be getting to those details soon. In relation to that I need to illustrate where the Barracks are located and grouped, how it relates to the Sanctuary Capital, and how some of the upgrades tie it in with Empire Tech Levels. I also need to mention that the Sanctuary continents themselves will be enlarged to make room for these Barracks camps, as well as the Sanc maglev system linking the Villas with the empire-specific Sanctuary Capital. There will be the usual teleporters but the maglev is for quick cross-sanc transporting of your customized or enhanced vehicles that you can only get from your Barracks.

It's safe to assume that Outfits will be able to customize their Barracks as their 'home and headquarters' with different types terminals, room items, storage options, training options, outdoor items, vehicle facilities, etc. These customizations can only be used by Outfit members, and Alliance members if they've set that permission. (Yes, this is assuming Alliances will make it into the game).

Originally Posted by 7ruth

Thats cool, I'd be fine with a coastal city or a city built around a starport.

There will be some coastal urban outposts, as well as four seaports for each continent, where players can acquire naval units. In my concepts, aside from any future mega-urban setting the devs see fit to put on a Battle Island, cities will only be located in the Sanctuaries. That is, they have Sanctuary Capitals which will visibly rise or shrink in its urban development depending on the empire's Tech Level.

Originally Posted by 7ruth

I believe that was contradicted, or changed, in a news letter where they said to the effect of 'on the first voyage through, the wormhole destablized and collapsed, heavily damaging or disabling many of the MEF ships'. When I heard that, it just pissed me off... I want my urban combat.

Ditto. It is because of the newsletter that I had to change the "abandoned" civilian/worker villages to military/resource outposts. If in the 30 years of 'colonization' (I think it's 30), the empires had any families, we can assume they'd all be in the Orbital Platforms. That's why I'm bringing in the Sanctuary Capitals. I want to move those dependants/non-combatants back to the surface in a visible way (not as NPCs but represented by more non-combatant structures like high-rises and things).

That's another thing that confuses me. Empires. Just how big was this expeditionary force that it was large enough for them to declare Imperial status only a short time later? If the wormhole was open for 30 years, we could assume an immigration of a population. But with the wormhole closing immediately...just how many kids can you have in 30 years?

I checked out that concept art site and it's very impressive work.

[EarlyDawn]

Bear in mind that it dosen't seem like anyone was left out of being matrixed to Auraxis. People may not even die of old age anymore.

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by EarlyDawn

Bear in mind that it dosen't seem like anyone was left out of being matrixed to Auraxis. People may not even die of old age anymore.

I'm talking about population growth from the original expedition, I don't even consider death-rates for the reasons you mentioned.

My question is how many were in the original Expeditionary Force? 5,000? 10,000? 1 Million?? Did they bring children? Did they have children after becoming stranded? Did they use accelerated growth? Did they induce creation of twins, triplets even? Did they use cloning? What methods did they use to increase the population base necessary for each side to be called an "empire" rather than "nation" or "faction?" Or did the old Terran Republic originally send enough personnel to split between 3 empires? Or...and this would be extremely frustrating...did the Devs just pick "Empire" as a name for each faction because it sounded cooler?

I'd love to get my hands on Smoke's Fiction note for the game to answer all these questions.

[EarlyDawn]

Well, I'd imagine that reproduction is impossible since you're essentially reborn out of nanites the first time you use a warpgate. However, prehaps that's what the biolab tubes are all about, cloning.

I'd say somewhere in the range of 40,000 people went through.