Dynamic Bases

[ANaKeR]

In short, the idea is to have a collection of deployable units that have different support roles and can be connected together and built upon to eventually create a fully functional base.

Consider the following hypothetical situation:

A player, with the appropriate support certification, spawns a Vehicle Support Unit (looks similar to a heavy duty transport truck) that is slow moving and can be deployed anywhere on land. The owner of the unit decides to deploy it in a relatively safe area out of sight from enemies as it cannot cloak like an AMS and will sustain damage if fired upon. In its deployed state, this vehicle support unit has basic vehicle support features such as vehicle repair and resupply, small ground vehicle spawn, etc. Every time a player uses the outpost for vehicle support (like use of the repair terminal), ‘building points’ are earned by the owner of the unit which he or she can use to ‘purchase’ additions like a medium vehicle spawn terminal and quicker repair station.

A second player, with the appropriate support certification, spawns a Soldier Support Unit similar to above, but having the purpose of fast spawning and soldier resupply from its equipment terminals. It initially can only spawn soldiers and is initially slower at spawning. Use of it, again, awards ‘building points’ to the owner, which can be used to improve it.

The second player has the choice of connecting their soldier support unit onto the existing vehicle support unit which allows the player to receive a certain percentage of additional building points from the first player and vice versa (neither of them losing any points). This gives players the incentive to group them together as opposed to deploying them independently.

In addition to those two units, there would be several other support variations that are connectable:

• Soldier Health & Armour Unit – contains healing and repair stations as well as personal lockers
• Certification Unit – contains certification terminals (and implant terminals if they exist)
• Defence Unit - contains manned and unmanned turrets for anti soldier and anti (air)vehicle defence as well as pillbox holes for soldiers to fire through
• Offense Unit – contains a large rail gun (or missiles) for shooting at distant targets
• Radar Unit – contains a radar dish for detecting incoming enemy troops and sounds alarms depending on the number of them in the sphere of influence

...and the list goes on

Depending on how the game is designed, there could be other units such as a Command Uplink Unit, Communication Unit, Dropship Landing Pad Unit, etc. Since Planetside is a futuristic game, the units wouldn’t look like flimsy tent-like structures, but rather solid fortifications that when connected together, looks like a base.

Addressing some of the concerns:

How many units can be connected together? Is there a finite number or is it infinite?
It could be pretty much infinite given that enough users are taking advantage of the unit and perhaps there would be an overall ‘activity rating’ (how many users are spawning, using terminals, etc) that determines if further units can be attached. If the owner of one of the units is not adequately maintaining a support unit (say a Soldier Health & Armour Unit) of high demand, then another ‘slot’ opens up for a player to add a support unit of the same type.

What if the owner abandons the deployed unit that he or she created?
After a certain amount of time without use or without modifications by the owner, the ownership changes to neutral and any other user with the appropriate certification can take ownership of it. Units that are abandoned and see no activity will need to be replenished with a power source (Nanites?) or they will deconstruct after a certain amount of time. The power source could also be used in conjunction with the building points to help the base develop faster.

What happens when the unit/base is overtaken by enemies?
It can either be destroyed or hacked and transferred in ownership. If hacked, the units become neutral (for the hacking faction) and any user with the appropriate support certification can claim ownership of a unit and build on it as he or she sees fit.

[Furret]

So you're thinking of a sort of outpost idea/

A temporary structure that has more offensive capabilities than an AMS, but less defensive.

I'm not sure if thats what you're getting at or not

[ANaKeR]

I was thinking more like a 'build your own base' but built with a multi-person effort.

EDIT: From the way I explained it, it seems more of a small scale (for smaller facilities like a tower), but actually i was thinking more on the large scale (like the bases that exist now). So instead of deploying a truck (in the original idea), you deploy a 'Contructor Unit' that builds the support unit from the ground up.

[Tikuto]

It sounds great. However, I'd feel it may rely too much on vehicle certifications and traveling. Where Engineers of the sort in PlanetSide1 have access to special equipment those same certifications could be used to finalize a temporary base/camp.
A huge Lodestar-like vehicle could quickly entrench itself into an area where its own Sphere Of Influence (SOI) would not overlap any other permanent facilities/bases nearby. This vehicle would turn into a building when deployed providing some cover whereas the AMS does not, and like the BFR has hit-points the temporary base/camp would too. The cover provided by this vehicular-base is a hitpoint immune to damage allowing players to make good use of the cover like a tower in the field or the battlements of a PS1 facility.

• Essential features [instantly after being deployed]: Respawn Tube(s), Equipment Terminal, Reconstruction Facilities; heal & repair, Radar Interlink (allows players to see on their radar), mini-turrets, self-repair.
• Ancillary features [supplementaries for engineers to reinforce and finalize a base/camp] Field Turrets allowed in SOI, Emanation Repellant (pain field), Eletronic invisibility, Aegis shielding, etc...
• Extraneous supplements [extra things from the engineers themselves] mines, boomers, multiple turrets, sensors, etc ...

Undeploying/Unentrenching this vehicular-base would by design take some time whereas the AMS is instant, and lose all Ancillary features.




The main reason why this idea impresses me is for one simple reason:

"Dead" areas in PlanetSide 1 are almost never occupied. By having these could replace those random towers in the field and fill those "dead" areas, and hopefully remove those random towers completely. They never seemed to fit in the world for me those towers. As I've suggested before, a huge Lodestar-like vehicle could quickly entrench itself into an area where its own Sphere Of Influence (SOI) would not overlap any other permanent facilities/bases nearby.

[Kumoblade]

This goes along with the whole RTS idea from one point of view.

The problem with the idea, is if it requires a massive amount of people to build up things, when populations start to decline, its more work for the few.

[Tikuto]

Originally Posted by Kumoblade

The problem with the idea, is if it requires a massive amount of people to build up things, when populations start to decline, its more work for the few.

I'm sure there's a solution to change that somehow. Fewer things to build-up, less time to build them, etc, etc... A big lego-block in the sky that carries 2 pasengers (preferably other engineers) could easily be used to contruct a base-camp if it's worked around a maximum timescale of 30minutes: 10minutes for each person (driver and 2 passengers all Engineers); 10 minutes to finalize this mobile base/camp. 10minutes is nothing; it's one person deploying an AMS and securing it in PS1.

[JackEarthrider]

The deploy-able vehicles sound like a good idea, but there would probably have to be a smaller concentration of real bases for people to bother with them (as there are a lot of bases on each map currently).

It would definitely give the players more power to determine the strategy on the field, as well as open up new methods of coordination; however, this is probably something that would require a new game to implement well.

Great Idea though.

[DviddLeff]

This is a fantastic idea, I could spend all night dribbling my follow up thoughts into this thread, but I do have some work to do... anyway....

To get this to work would hopefully see a major overhaul in the way battles are fought and some vehicles are used.

1. Destroy towers.
2. Reduce the number of pre determined bases, or simply make the space in between them bigger, increasing the size of continents.
3. Alter the AMS to become more building like when it deploys, give the driver to choose either a cloak, shield bubble or automated defence weapon system. AMSs should also regen health of those around it.
4. Alter the Lodestar to become more building like when it deploys (could deploy in the air or on the ground) and make it have equipment terminals on the outside and most importantly allow troops to spawn vehicles from it. Also give it the option to have a shield, cloak bubble or automated defence weapon system.

With these changes, particularly 3 and 4 we see the start of these player made bases; we have spawn points for both troops and aircraft, and we have equipment terminals to rearm at. The drivers also have the option for going down a stealth, assault or defensive base with the modules.

Now, combined with the engineering deployable equipment we already have a fully functioning base, apart from structures for radar and certifications (very rarely used in the field anyway).

We could see the deployable manned turrets become automated when not manned, and able to be designed with general purpose or dedicated AI/AV/AA weapons.

[JackEarthrider]

I think you could also make it more interesting if vehicles like the flail were deployable (this would take a min or two) making them as much a part of a deployable base as the lode or the AMS, also they would have to shoot at points at the radar. (that way people could mark targets for them and call for strikes).

Also the radar could easily be something the combat engineers could deploy (deployable attenna or mini tower) and of course be destructable.

I think the only thing I would want more of would be longer constructable barricades just so the area couldnt be instantly overrun by armor.

[DviddLeff]

Last I saw the Flail had to be deployed to fire and people could use the laser spotter to mark targets for it?

Regarding the radar, currently we have motion sensors that do the job on a small scale, perhaps have a module on various vehicles like the Sunderer or Deliverer that would also do the job?

Personally though I wish that infantry stayed off the radar minimap.

[JackEarthrider]

oh, didnt know that.

Well the deploying time should be slow enough that it would be a sitting duck if it got attacked while undeployed. And I was thinking that the spotter be one of its only recourses for targeting (either that or firing by mini-map).

That way its not just sitting there spamming shots in the general direction of the enemy.

Also if there is going to be an artillery unit, i think it should be more availible but with a slower cooldown (so when its destroyed, it matters).

Basically I think the artillery should be easy to get, but difficult to use (so it takes skill to hit the target).

[Kumoblade]

Deployable bases or any dynamic feature such as changing bases and such is great as it adds a ton of variety.

However, if theres going to be a mobile base, It should come straight from the HQ and be too large to build from any base in the field (as it becomes a blank base in the field). It needs to be larger than life and truly epic. (I'm thinking 12 lodestars long, 8 high and 6 wide). The earth shakes when its moving.
It can carry 40-60 people in position and has landing points for vehicles, Several and has a ton of Gun placements on it making it a real beast to take down. trees are leveled in its wake. However its relatively slow. Defenders can move freely inside of the mobile base should enemy infantry land on it and try to breach the hull and gain entry to destroy it from the inside.

A vehicle so large that it almost classified as an earthquake and the other Factions are given a cryptic message that an anomoly/earthquake/whatever has been located in a general section.

I want this vehicle to be jealous.


You then have to drive this Massive vehicle to its destination, most likely while under fire (A Convoy defense, hell yeah).

Once the location has been selected, the Mobile fortress begins to unpack and unfold into a Completely new base stripped of all its features. This process will take 30 minutes or so.

Once finished, the Base will have Dozens of Modular Nodes that are empty. It will need Power as it uses most of it in transforming into a base.

Several of the Modular nodes will be dedicated to power. You will have to drive charged Ants up to the plugs and insert them into the sockets. After a short transformation, the ANT Becomes a part of the Base as a Power Generator.

There will be other Modular slots located throughout the base where you will need to add fortification placements, Extra Armor, vehicle terminals, etc.. A vehicle terminal could be placed by Socketing a Lodestar into a modular port in which it becomes the Vehicle pad.

AMS's supply Shields for the base and Spawn points.

When its all said and done, there will be a new, uniquely crafted and configured Dynamic base in the world.


THATS what I'd want to see. Something so incredibly epic and difficult to face and requires a TON of work for both defense and offense.

[DviddLeff]

Great ideas, I'd love to see something along those lines.

However, something as "simple" as BF242's titans would be great, or the Goliath vehicle with more base features from this concept game.



http://www.goliathgame.com/



The problem I can see with ground based mobile bases is simply moving them around; they would need a lot of space to move due to their size and that would mean a lot of trees and rocks removed, which takes a lot of cover away from infantry.

Because of the above problem large air bases like the titans would probably be best, or the smaller scale vehicles that can be kitted out to perform various base functions. Perhaps Anakers concpet could tie in to existing bases, with player built structures around the existing bases lending them extra defences and use; more vehicle bays, spawn points (existing AMSs), radar sources, generators, turrets, etc

Regarding the air titans, perhaps make them purchased only by outfits, using outfit points? And defiantly make them modular; allow an outfit to kit it out with a several air pads to support air cav outfits, or large weapon systems so its use as an artillery base.

[Tikuto]

Originally Posted by DviddLeff

http://images.fragland.net/screenshots/2991/74.jpg

I like this. This is kind of what I had in-mind. A flying undeployed base with futile automated turrets. When rested on-ground the pilot could select a base-camp type and then reinforce it there-after.

Originally Posted by DviddLeff

Regarding the air titans, perhaps make them purchased only by outfits, using outfit points? And defiantly make them modular; allow an outfit to kit it out with a several air pads to support air cav outfits, or large weapon systems so its use as an artillery base.

Titans; huge floating gunships of ownage purchased with Outfit points - a flying base. Yeah this is what I initially had in-mind but then balance kicked-in. By having these huge behemoths of epic destruction means imbalance, and so by having it as a global event where all Empires simultaneously summon one sounds more appealing. The winner is the titan that survives the other Empires, and thus dominates the continent.
Yeah that'd be great. A huge floating death-machine where it is only summoned after 6+ solid hours of huge populated constant battles on one continent. An event to finally determine the winner of a continent. Sounds freaking awesome!

[Traak]

I think the bases are like that now, to a large extent, in PS2