Creativity and Game Balance

[BadAsh]

I think the developers made an error in the initial decision on how to make each Empire unique. The decision was to make each Empire have a characteristic defined by how their equipment functions that gives them a unique style. The problem here is while initially this seems simple; it�s a bear to maintain game balance. In certain situations one side will have the advantage. There is nothing that can really be done about that.

I�m the competitive type. I like things to be even and fair in any situation. I don�t want my victories to feel cheap nor my defeats seem inevitable. I�d prefer to see battles decided by tactics, strategy, and player skill as opposed to victory being defined by capitalizing on your inherent strengths and the enemy�s inherent weaknesses. This is not always the case, but much of the time it is. And to me that�s just not as fun as it could be.

I think making all of the equipment used by each empire statistically the same this would be alleviated and much more fun would be had in the game. I brought this up before, but it was more of a side note to another topic/thread. So I figured I�d bring it up again, just for discussion. One valid concern that was raised is that this might make the game too �vanilla� and ruin the uniqueness of each Empire. I disagree with this, and in my opinion it already is too vanilla. Just look at the amount of �common pool� items and you will see exactly what I mean. Most of the equipment you have access to is the EXACT same as what any other Empire can get. Look at the aircraft for example. The only difference is the coloration to note which Empire it belongs to, but otherwise every flyer is the SAME.

Let�s take a quick look at what equipment you can get (including AT items)

Standard Assault: 2 common pool, 1 unique
Medium Assault: 3 common pool, 1 unique
Heavy Assault: 1 common pool, 1 unique
Special Assault: 4 common pool, 0 unique
Sniper: 1 common pool, 0 unique
Anti-vehicular: 0 common pool, 1 unique
Grenades: 3 common pool, 0 unique


Support: 8 common pool, 0 unique
Body Armor: 4 common pool
MAX Armor: 3 unique

Ground Vehicles: 11 common pool, 3 unique
Air Vehicles: 5 common pool, 0 unique (including the Load Star which WILL be common pool when released)

Overall Total: 45 common pool items/vehicles and 10 unique items/vehicles. That�s a well over 80% common pool identical gear� not very original and not at all unique. Hence my statement about the game being already too �vanilla�.

What I would have done is I would have made each Empire statistically identical but vastly different in sound, appearance, and name. An example of this would be the body armors. Look at how each one is uniquely different, but statistically identical. Now imagine if each of the common pool items and vehicles were as unique and different looking, sounding, and had a unique name but were identical statistically as well. The whole balance issue would fade away.

Additionally each empire would have more items to choose from because I would not eliminate anything that is currently in the game. Let�s evaluate the HA weapons.

The VS have the Lasher an area of effect and splash damage weapon.

The NC have the JackHammer a slow firing mega punch delivering weapon.

The TR have the Mini-Chaingun a rapid firing weapon.

I�d make all 3 available to each empire but make them uniquely different. For example the VS would fire energy blasts from their weapons, the NC would fire razor discs, and the TR would fire more traditional slugs. Each would have a splash damage HA weapon, a slow firing heavy hitter, and a rapid firing light hitter. Graphically each would be very unique and the sound of each would be unmistakable. Further I�d give them names appropriate to the Empire�s theme. The VS would have strange alien Vanu names to their equipment, the TR would have very militaristic (make, model) names, and the NC would have idealistically descriptive weapons (vengeance, dispatcher, etc.)

By making everything �common pool� but giving it a complete artistic overhaul the feel of each Empire can be made even more unique than it is now and offer superior game balance at the same time. To me this would be the recipe for more fun, more diversity of actions/battles, and less lameness.

BadAsh

[Jagd]

HOCKEY BUZZER

No thanks. Take your lame ideas elsewhere.

[SilverLord]

Originally Posted by Jagd

HOCKEY BUZZER

No thanks. Take your lame ideas elsewhere.

Dude, really, is that really nesisary? Go to the OF if you want to flame.

[BadAsh]

Another thing I thought would be cool is if the bases would change more than just color when taken over.

For example the Vanu would take a base and the walls would change to a more rounded smooth shape rather than the block style they are now. Perhaps this would increase over time, so the longer they held the base the more vanu-like it would become... eventually being very alien looking with horn like protrusions on the walls and tube-like interior hallways. This could be explained as a nanite reconstruction phase to make the world more Vanu-ish or whatever.

Then TR and NC would likewise have more unique looking and changing bases.

In this way you could learn to tell by appearance what base was held the longest and how much experience it might be worth to capure and begin the slow change to your Empire's style/ethos.

Plus it would be kind of cool to be able to see what Empire previously owned the base by its appearance and see it change over time to the current owners design.

BadAsh

[Unknown]

Sorry but I have to disagree with you BadAsh. Having different strengths and weaknesses is the very essense of tactical gameplay. Explioting your strenghts and their weaknesses? Sounds like good tactics to me, not lame gamemanship. If anything, the empires aren't different enough. I'd rather have more empire specific vehicles and weaponry than less, or none!

[Hexen]

That morphing base idea sounds cool though. I always thought the bases looked a bit bland.

It might be asking alot to actually morph the bases, as I don't think the PS engine has anything in it to support that kind of thing yet, but it wouldn't be too much to ask for all the walls and floors in a base to change to a different texture or colour dependant on which side just took it. It would still look very cool IMO and I'm sure everyone who was helping in the attack would find it a very gratifying effect to see all the walls around him suddenly fade into the his nation's colours.

[Ivan]

Originally Posted by Jagd

HOCKEY BUZZER

No thanks. Take your lame ideas elsewhere.

[Nimbus]

Eh. I really don't like the idea of making everything common pool. I'd have to say that I'd rather have more diversity than less. To be honest, I wish they'd take a lot of the common pool vehicles out and make empire specific versions. But thats me.
As for the base thing, morphing would be cool, but I think that might take too much work. Maybe for more variation though, the continents closest to each home base have their style of bases. The further out you get they give way to the generic ones or maybe they just mix and match *shrugs*

[Rbstr]

i have to say i wan't more unique things and fewer common pool type things, Apposing armies don't use the same stuff, they each have there own wepons, some are desined for the same task but can be radicaly different in many ways. I would like to see the special assalt cert have empire specific wepons, but the wepons would do differnt things, the NC could have a FlameThrower, the Tr could get a super rapid fire rocklet for AV/A-max, and the VS could get a heatseeking lazer rifle. They all do differnt things and are not alike at all and they fit the empire patterns. And perhaps an addvanced med assult type thing, with better rifles for each fraction, Nc culd have a guass with a SNiper mode or a grenade launcher. The TR could have an "light" MCG. The VS could get a lazer the fires one long beam instead of a pulse.

I relay think uniqueness is realy why i got his game, in the other FPS's like Wolfensien EE you get the same stuff just in different pakages, and even then they look the same.

[Hexen]

Aye, that makes alot more sense. Making the guns identical statistically but look different may work, but it might still end up feeling kinda "vanilla" as you said. Right now the 3 heavy assault weapons are entirely different, they should be redesigned to be different still, but still able to do the same thing. Heavy assault exists to take out infantry right? Right now we've got a shotgun, a chaingun and a ball chuckin energy thing, all good at different ranges.

If the devs were to designate Heavy Assault as "short range, anti-infantry, high-damage" they could much more easily cause balance with variety IMO. The NC could keep the Jackhammer, the TR could use a Flamethrower and the Vanu well uhm.. Ooer how about this, a weapon similar to that of the zealots in StarCraft.

I'm suggesting these weapons as short range only (effective 5 to 10 metres ahead of you), so say a one-metre long energy blade extending from above the wrist of a vanu's right arm, which when swung releases a wave of energy, if yknow what I mean.

Mmm energy blades.

[Rayder]

No. No. No... did I say no? Making everything statistically identical will make this "vanillia" effect you speak of all the more apparent. Ooh! He's using his MCG! I'm gonna get mine and we'll see which one of us can start shooting first!

No.

This game has the empires use different forms of attack for a reason. It creates teamwork. You've got the NC with their hard-hitting Jackhammers, which are useless at range, so, you get guys with Punishers or Guasses to accomidate for that. If they all have access to the MCG which is quite accurate for the first few shots, then would it not be pointless to have all those guys with the Medium weapons?

Your second post however, makes sense.

[Hexen]

Not very subtle are you?

[Rayder]

If your talking to me... no. If not, no.

[Veteran]

If you could hack out enemy assets from their terminals, all this ill-will would dissipate instantly.

As for 'balance issues' associated with this, I think that's bullshit. A big part of war is capturing and using enemy assets against them. It happens in every real war, but on Auraxis somehow an empire can keep everyone from using the advanced tech (guess whose ideal that suits to a tee?).

If the devs ever want a way to double the pleasure of PlanetSide, they have an easy avenue.

Between VS keeping their tech to themselves and NC roaming free as birds, TR seems to be the only empire not achieving any goals. Is it because we're red? Is that it??

/partisan b.s.

[Rayder]

^ what? all the empires get to use the AT weaponry, which is Vanu. The VS in no way have Vanu weapons, they have hover things, but not weapons.