News: PS2 PC gamer preview

[Bittermen]

I like the blue n gold.

And based on Higby's tweets the armor's color changes based on the time of day(reflections) thanks to forgelight. Maybe we can change the contrast/value of the colors on the armor? Or give us preset camo? I have never played PS1 so I don't know what to expect.

[Tlacatecatl]

Originally Posted by Xyntech

I wouldn't mind some AI enemies as long as they weren't ever the focus of gameplay, aside from maybe the rare event or two.

I think hostile creatures could be done more like an environmental hazard, instead of the mobs of giant rats you get in MMORPGS.

I'm thinking more along the lines of antlions or headcrab zombies from Half Life 2. Something that you have to watch out for in certain areas, but there is no XP reward for killing them. Killing them pretty much just keeps you safe from them attacking you and depletes some of your ammo.

Using a cloaker to lure some enemies into a cluster of ai monsters could be fun.

Again, it should be more like an environmental hazard, with no real benefit other than survival to killing them. I think that would be fun and not take anything away from the main, PvP gameplay.

Yep hostile creatures could be an interesting aspect. I am thinking of something like the sandworms from the Dune games. Something you could encounter out in the wild but it should be rare like once every few days and only on one (or some) continents.

But that's certainly not a must have and the team should focus on the core gameplay before implementing fancy stuff like this.

But i still don't like the AI faction idea. I don't think it would be fun fighting some bots while somewhere else the other factions fight each other, especially if the bots can capture bases and you need to retake them.

And banding all players together to fight some NPCs would detract from all the lovely faction rivalry we have right now. Maybe that could be implemented as some form of Christmas event. ^^

[Revanant]

Originally Posted by Bittermen

I like the blue n gold.

And based on Higby's tweets the armor's color changes based on the time of day(reflections) thanks to forgelight. Maybe we can change the contrast/value of the colors on the armor? Or give us preset camo? I have never played PS1 so I don't know what to expect.

That's probably true of the current look, which is why we're getting variations on the shade of blue.

The early photos, though, don't have the star motif or the major yellow borders. Look at the shoulder pads--all you have is metal and a small golden NC symbol ("Geared Eagle"). They also have very little blue--just the occasional stripe on a jump pack, if that.

It was a much more pared down and utilitarian look, and I think it's much more fitting for Planetside 2's tone. It also won't make me into a bullet magnet .

[SuperMorto]

I think any AI is a bad idea. Planetside is all about the human factor. Everything on it is some dude/dudess button bashing a keyboard somewhere. Brining AI into to me would make it feel instantly like Halo or WOW. And remember bring AI into the game, you open a flood of gates for other things.

[Bittermen]

Yea there's barely any yellow. I'll be happy with whatever they give me.

On the subject of AI, I think SOE would do it similar to EVE online's incursions. Don't see why there would be any problem with having AI(events). It could also spice up the lore.

[Sifer2]

The AI faction thing sounds more like an attempt at broader mass appeal. Since a pure PvP game does not appeal to everyone. They have probably been watching Firefall an realizing they need to do something like that too.

They said they would ask the players about it before developing it though. So hopefully we can steer them in the right direction on how to implement it. I would make it so they are not on all Planets at once. So if your so desiring of pure PvP you go to one the AI are not attacking. I would make them a faction of Robots that used to serve the aliens an maintain their technology an now they see Humans as a threat an want to protect the bases an stuff from them. An would have them be adaptive an take note of what weapons/vehicles players are using an try to spawn robot types that counter it.

But that's way in the future most likely. For now i'm more interested in knowing how Medic works. Also the dual arm MAX sounds cool. So you can go anti-air while still being able to kill some Infantry.

[SuperMorto]

Originally Posted by Sifer2

The AI faction thing sounds more like an attempt at broader mass appeal. Since a pure PvP game does not appeal to everyone. They have probably been watching Firefall an realizing they need to do something like that too.

They said they would ask the players about it before developing it though. So hopefully we can steer them in the right direction on how to implement it. I would make it so they are not on all Planets at once. So if your so desiring of pure PvP you go to one the AI are not attacking. I would make them a faction of Robots that used to serve the aliens an maintain their technology an now they see Humans as a threat an want to protect the bases an stuff from them. An would have them be adaptive an take note of what weapons/vehicles players are using an try to spawn robot types that counter it.

But that's way in the future most likely. For now i'm more interested in knowing how Medic works. Also the dual arm MAX sounds cool. So you can go anti-air while still being able to kill some Infantry.

If thats the case, then why not just get the Vanu to dig up some crazy alien artifact and realease all the dead people int o the world. I give you Planetside 2 Zombie mode!!!

Also you could equip your self with a hunting dog, that will attack any nme.

[Shogun]

they took away my beloved spitfire turret ai...

and then they want to add bots instead? its a nogo!

the only ai i would tolerate, would be some small wildlife. just to have something moving that could distract enemys and help with sneaking stealth attacks.
maybe some animals fight back if they get attacked, but i don´t want to see any ai enemys that lure or even try to take over bases!

maybe some very rare events with vanu coming back could be fun, but really really only as rare event like xmas. and let there be at least one cont untouched by the ai to let the people play their pvp if they don´t like the event.

regular 4th ai faction would be a dealbreaker for me.

[Baron]

I think the AI should be in the form of small furry animals, preferably cute ones.

Basically VS hover tech requires bunny marrow for a catalyst...

"Hover capacity down to 30% sir!"

"Need more bunneh powah! head for that grazing heard S by SW"

[cellinaire]

Guys. Don't fret just yet. I think what they mean by that 'AI wildlife' can either be KOS, attackable animals or non-attackable, non-KOS animals that just add more immersion to the gameworld. We will see, though

[Gwartham]

Only if I can strap their heads or carcasses to the hood of my magrider!

Better yet!

[Rivenshield]

>1) Galaxies can act as mobile spawn points.
>2) Squad leaders can act as mobile spawn points.
I'm still very vague and suspicious on how this is going to work. If you can drop a spawn beacon *anywhere*, then you'll have enemy troops raining all over your gigantic, twice as big as the old ones, indefensible-unless-crammed-to-capacity base. The same goes true for the Gals. Once air dominance is achieved, they can simply hang overhead and rain fresh troops wherever they please. Lame.

But if they cannot deploy within a base's SOE, then.... how are you going to take the bugger? That would require a fixed spawn point on the ground. You know. Like an AMS. Maybe squad spawn beacons *can* be placed anywhere, but Gals only spawn once they're out of an enemy SOE....? That might work. Possibly.

>3) Speed of capturing an enemy base may depend on how many friendly bases are in peripheral contact.
I think that's an elegant solution and I'm all for it. It replaces the basic function of the lattice system with something more organic. Now we can carry out daring strikes deep in enemy turf... but we better come equipped for the long haul.

>5) Engineer turrets are not automated. It seems you have to gun them, as in TF2.
What the devil is an 'engineer turret'? I've seen comments to the effect that we no longer have Spitfires, but been unable to find the material these people were quoting.... Is this an extra wall turret? A big manned turret that springs out of the ground like a hyperactive mushroom? That sounds silly as hell.

>6) Medic can be dedicated support, or a hybrid who can heal and fight (the latter is my personal favorite).
So not only do I have no control over my inventory, I'm now actually stuck in a single specialized class? The fuck is this? D&D with pew-pew lazor gunz? I could live with simply selecting as many tools, weapons, or gadgets as I have slots for -- one for light armor, two for rexo, plus one pistol-sized accessory -- and do without my custom configurations. Let the inventory autofill based on my selections. To replenish said inventory, head to a nearby equipment term and simply select the same weapon/gadget you're carrying. That's what I blithely assumed it would be.

But this? No more all-purpose support dude with a glue gun in one hand and a healing gun in the other? No more landing my fighter behind a hill and hopping out with my glue gun to patch it up? No jetpack-equipped medics, even, if that's how I want to use my one rifle slot...? ("Come on boys! On the bounce! We've got lives to save!") No mixing and matching what I'm certed for, like we did TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO? This SUCKS. What a body-blow disappointment. Next thing you'll be telling me there's no such things as land mines.

One-man tanks.... rigid 'classes'..... Shit. I wanted something more than a massive BF 2142-themed gankfest.

[Raka Maru]

Been thinking about AI interrupting gameplay and came up with some examples.

Predator: Hot spots on the planet periodically attract these creatures to come play.

Champions Online: Occasionally some overpowered 8 armed mutant comes around and attacks players yelling that this is his desert.

Hungry Wildlife: The smell of blood and BBQ brings these creatures around to feed. We may see our T-Rex if this is the case.

Small wildlife: Can confuse/distract tower guards as they focus on the stampeding herd. Birds noisily scattering and giving away troop positions (except for cloakers)

Hopefully they will not be trying to take over our bases, but I can think of the case in Alien vs Predator where they will protect an ancient pyramid they put there long ago and wanting it back since the TR took control of it for their own purposes.

If done correctly, it won't distract but add fun.

Think Jurrasic park and oversized creature grabbing the Magrider thinking its a turtle, then flinging it across the continent.

[Traak]

I want mines that are invisible. And antitank mines that do nothing to troops, but yank tank health down 90 percent.

With invisible mines, to balance, they would have to be indiscriminate, friendly OR enemy could be killed by them. Which means we would need signposts to mark them or something that is visible to friendlies.

[Revanant]

@Rivenshield

For the comment about engineer turrets, I bring you the article cite:

"This is our engineer. He can place barriers and gun turrets, and repair vehicles. But he can do a lot of offensive stuff on top of that. Our gun turrets aren’t automated, they require a player to actually man them. And then the engineer can go throw mines down and destroy vehicles"

So spitfires and their derivatives are indeed out. When I first read that quote, I figured they meant the engineer would have an item like TF2's "wrangler," where he can remotely fire his turret.

Then I recalled that Planetside originally had large man-sized turrets that an engineer could construct and players could mount--the field turret. It seems more likely that Matt meant the field turret would be returning to PS2--but all I really know about this issue is that "our gun turrets aren't automated, they require a player to actually man them."