Planetside... in SPAAAAAACE!

[EmperorNortonII]

Well, Core Combat wasn't very well-received, and no one seemed to like the destruction of Osshur, but what about adding another layer to the game that's more traditional science fiction? Does anyone else like the idea of space ships and stations with dozens of gunstations to be manned by players? Boarding actions? Fighters blowing out shield generators so that other capital ships can strike killing blows?

Perhaps seizing and holding space ports to reinforce orbital fleets and capturing planetary defenses would provide some much-needed additional objectives on top of the ole base-hop.

On the other hand, IF SOE could make a system to generate new random planets, maybe making the game into a series of monthly planet-hops would provide some of the long-term objectives and environmental variety players seem to want.

Anyone else think this is a good idea?

[Sifer2]

Well if they are going to make an expansion for Planetside Next adding a space element to it would be the best. Battling over Stations, Satellites, an maybe Moons. That is if they decide to revert back to one big Planet with multiple continents for the main game.

It could be fun especially with ground an space interacting with each other. Like possibility for Orbital strikes if your faction controls the space over a continent. And ability to control large cannons or missile silo's on the ground that would bombard ships an weaken their shields affecting the outcome of a space battle.

The space battles themselves would probably be a battle between Pilots with Fighters an Bombers an maybe Marines that could attach to the hull of the enemy ship an hack their way inside to sabotage stuff. Overall it could be fun but I would like to wait an see how they handle just the ground combat element this time before worrying about more.

[Furret]

Personally, I think the game ought to be fairly straightforward mapwise. If space is added to the game, it should be more of a support element than another frontier to conquer. The caves would be a good example, except I never understood the point of the caves, except for modules (which were fun to run). Perhaps, every continent has a space station over it, for example, Space Station: New Conglomerate Sanctuary, or SS NC Sanc. If you own a space station above a continent, you are the only faction allowed to make orbital strikes. Also, certain vehicles (large gunships like the galaxy, or transport planes like lodestars) should be visible on Satellite Radar (which would be a toggle with your regular mini-map, and also viewable on your main map. Again, only the faction in control of the space station would have access to Satellite Radar.

The space stations would also be able to drop a drop pod into the center of any coordinate square thingy (A1, B7, G2, on the grid that appears on the main map).

As for a layout of the space stations and for space battles, there could be smaller space stations that would represent towers, whereas the real space station would be the single base that controls the radar/OS. I'm not sure if PlanetSide should have space combat, I think the only way that would work successfully is if the space that you were able to fight in was very small.

As for movement between space stations, perhaps the HART shuttle would drop you off at a Teleportation Pad which would give you access to any tower in the space station's system. If there was no space combat, a system of Teleportation Pads would be used to go tower to tower, and once you'd taken all of the towers connected to the station, into the station. They would be easy bottlenecks to hold, and would require a massive zerg of troops to bypass them.

Another concept, that may not be the best idea, although it stops free hacks on a base on a continent, would be to require the space station be in control of the enemy before you can take any bases on the continent. It would be an easy defense system and the faction would know, for example, that Hossin was about to be attacked because their space station was suddenly under Vanu control. I'm not sure if it would work, and It might just aggrivate players because they cant get the first hack on a base and hold it, and the enemy empire would get tons of time to react to the assault, but it would add an interesting concept.

[Tikuto]

Return Auraxis to a single planet!



Orbital warfare would be great. Amusing and exciting. I feel it would remind players that Auraxis, being like Earth, is still an alien planet!



Gameplay-wise, to make it simple yet different from warfare on the planet I suggest orbital warfare should have two segregated zones; seperated but still influence each other.

• Interior - Interior of an orbital structure/facility (e.g. Orbital Station): No vehicles.
• Exterior - Exterior of an orbital structure/facility (e.g. Orbital Station): No foot-soldiers.

A foot-soldier could damage something within the orbital station to benefit vehcles outside and vice-versa; the vehicles outside may damage the structure that would benefit foot-soldiers or hinder the enemy.
These segregated zones allows foot-soldiers to not be bothered by vehicles like elsewhere in PlanetSide (PS1 continent battles). You remember how you'd like all vehicles to just buzz-off for a few days?

Design-wise, the universe will look different than that from Earth's perspective. Looking up in the sky you see what any astronomer would see; a selection of stars in the same chronical positions and so-on. From Auraxis's perspective it'd be different, maybe more colorful and warped or whatever. It would also have some remnant of the Wormhole that brought human colonists to Auraxis.
The planet Auraxis will also look different than from Earth's orbital perspective. Earth-like, yes, but still alien.

[Sifer2]

I don't think Marines should be entirely limited to moving indoors in space. For example walking along the hull of a ship or station with magnetic boots could be real interesting gameplay wise. So long as they design the ships to be bumpy so that's there is stuff to take cover behind. Having a fight on the outside of a ship in space that would be new an fun I think.

An fighters wouldn't be able to easily shoot you off without damaging their own ship I imagine. All in all this has potential. Another layer of the game on top of the normal battle for control of continents. Would be an expansion worth buying instead of the one's we got for the first game.

[DviddLeff]

Try the multiplayer game Shattered Horizon for infantry space combat, its damned good; no vehicles, just troops jetting around in zero gravity.

[Furret]

Something like Star Wars Battlefront II?

Where the base (Orbital Platform) or whatever the hell it is, has external things, like a shield generator, bridge, command center, cooling, engines, and such, that can be shot at by vehicles, and also a system in the ship where you can destroy all of the above with a few well placed boomers.
And since these platforms could technically be expansive (and I think they should be) the inside of the platforms would have warp-panels from different parts of the ship, just to create bottlenecks, and basically, to get from point A to point B, you can either warp straight into point B from point A, which would be heavily guarded be enemy troops who have a huge advantage defensively, or you could try the external route, being running through a maze of turrets on the outside of the ship. If you constructed a good maze, you could have plenty of flank points, and possibly walls that can be moved into place by enemy engineers, and destroyed (though they'd be able to take a lot of damage). So basically, you can fight on a completely new terrain (where there's tons of obstacles like shells from turrets on the outside of the ship, walls, random gunfire from friendlies that could cause collateral damage, and other things) or go for the straightforward numbers vs. numbers game and try a mass-warp to point B and try to decimate the enemy before they kill all of you off.

Also, there would be spawn points throughout the Orbital Platform so as soon as you take the CC on the other side of the warp (at point B) your troops could spawn in at point B.

Basically, the whole Platform would be too large to walk across, but there would be specific sections that 'randomly' act like a maze. Access to the external of the ship could be a system of ladders? Vertical warfare anyone?

[QuadReplicant]

i think people go for EVE Online for that sort of game play. I spose it would be great for an FPS Version

[Baneblade]

I think adding space to PS could be worse for the game if not done properly. I prefer the idea of adding airships, they bring a naval element and add something for outfits to own.

[Furret]

Well, we kinda have to hope that they do things properly for ps next. Otherwise, we're all fucked. =(

What do you think could go wrong though. I'm certainly not saying there's no flaws with space combat, but i'm too lazy to think through everything atm.

[Baneblade]

Well for one SOE isn't likely to make it a fluid system. It would probably resemble a PSified SWG:JTL. And a space end is rather against the whole 'planetside' thing.

Airships add a navy that adds to the main campaign in all theatres. It also gives outfits something to focus on other than generators.

Even a water based navy would take from the game rather than add to it.

[Furret]

mostly that just revolves around whether or not we want PS next to be the same game with better graphics/hitboxes and a few new concepts, or a completely new game.

[Baneblade]

I want it to be more like an actual RTS game, such as Rise of Nations meets Dawn of War (NOT DoW2) meets PlanetSide.

[Furret]

Personally I think the reason a lot of people liked it was the mix between RPG and FPS, because you pretty much created your character, gave him what certs interested you, and then went out and fought people in a hugely team-oriented environment. I don't see what the Rise of Nations factor would be, except for the higher-up commanders having that kind of tactical view of the battlefield.

[Baneblade]

Halve the number of bases on each continent.

Change them to be cities of varying size.

Bring in the RoN border mechanic to replace the current SOI system.