News: Matt Higby doing a Q&A at reddit!

[Hamma]

Originally Posted by Lunarchild

They can always make more certs you want to spec in...

There is also adding other things to do. They intend to go Sandbox with this which means tons of possibilities beyond what we know PlanetSide is now.

[basti]

Problem is that by the time you notice that everyone got everything TO THE MAX (), its already 2 late.

The problem would be that a new guy would lack those certs completly until he is done with one class. But if the "max 20% difference" is really the case, then the issue would be minimal. Wait and see i guess, im pretty sure it will be good.

edit: very good point hamma.

[Zerikin Loukbel]

So, does this mean you could potentially train all the certs at once? Is there a cap? Are there diminishing returns the more certs you have on training speed?

[2coolforu]

some kind of exponential training time increase similar to EVE's increase between levels 1 and 5 seems necessary to stop people becoming experts in every field.

[Volw]

Originally Posted by 2coolforu

some kind of exponential training time increase similar to EVE's increase between levels 1 and 5 seems necessary to stop people becoming experts in every field.

It doesn't matter even if people become experts. Can only choose one class to play at a time, plus it seems like it won't be possible to 'equip' all of the class skills at the same time anyway.

[hippieschuh]

Sorry to ask the same question again I just dont quite understand yet.

In PS1 I got, for example 5 different "classes" using Certs.

tank driver, reaver pilot, mechanic and MAX

I could switch between those "classes" everytime I want/had access to Terminal.

Will I be able to do the same in PS2?

I dont want to wait a very long time just to switch back to tank because reaver got boring or isnt suited for the situation.

(letting "Advanced" Skills / bonuses aside!)

[Raymac]

Originally Posted by hippieschuh

Sorry to ask the same question again I just dont quite understand yet.

In PS1 I got, for example 5 different "classes" using Certs.

tank driver, reaver pilot, mechanic and MAX

I could switch between those "classes" everytime I want/had access to Terminal.

Will I be able to do the same in PS2?

I dont want to wait a very long time just to switch back to tank because reaver got boring or isnt suited for the situation.

(letting "Advanced" Skills / bonuses aside!)

Short answer...Yes, it sounds like thats exactly what they have planned, but we'll get more detail on their new skill point system soon enough.

[Volw]

Originally Posted by hippieschuh

Sorry to ask the same question again I just dont quite understand yet.

In PS1 I got, for example 5 different "classes" using Certs.

tank driver, reaver pilot, mechanic and MAX

I could switch between those "classes" everytime I want/had access to Terminal.

Will I be able to do the same in PS2?

I dont want to wait a very long time just to switch back to tank because reaver got boring or isnt suited for the situation.

(letting "Advanced" Skills / bonuses aside!)

You can switch between classes every time you die. So it's less restrictive than PS.

On the other hand, you won't be able to 'mix' classes. So as a medic you *probably* won't be able to stroll around in rexo + ha. And as a rexo + ha, you won't be able to heal as efficiently.

[wormywyrm]

Is anyone else bummed there wont be animations for entering vehicles? That was the sort of polish that I loved about Planetside 1. I can't stand how in other MMOs you cant see your character get on your horse (and in most games the horse disappears when you dismount).

I hope the vehicles don't disappear when you dismount.

It will be lame to see people run up to a galaxy and disappear as they 'enter' the vehicle.

[Lunarchild]

Originally Posted by basti

Problem is that by the time you notice that everyone got everything TO THE MAX (), its already 2 late.

The problem would be that a new guy would lack those certs completly until he is done with one class. But if the "max 20% difference" is really the case, then the issue would be minimal. Wait and see i guess, im pretty sure it will be good.

edit: very good point hamma.

That, and apparently they have a "vision" and a 3 year plan ^^

[MgFalcon]

Originally Posted by Firefly

Alliances yes or no?

I like this idea.

[Dorest0rm]

Originally Posted by MgFalcon

I like this idea.

Alliances would be a pretty good idea.

[Sirisian]

The need for alliances could show a flaw in the outfit idea though. It sounds like SOE wants outfits to be only people that play the same way. However they implemented classes so that everyone plays differently. Kind of seems like if you wanted a well rounded squad you can't be part of an outfit that expects to be fully specialized in something. I see outfits as a bunch of random people that don't know each other just in it because they all fly reavers and the outfit leader said he'll put all the points into that.

Kind of wish there was an outfit system that was more neutral to play style. Unless you have enough skill points to fill multiple tree of skills or something. Or skills that are chosen affect a wide range of classes and vehicles. Should be interesting to see the trees I guess. The idea of Alliances sound like an outfit system for grouping players and specializing their skills, but that would boil down to "oh hey bob what extra bonuses do you want?"

[Rbstr]

Maybe, they needed some kind of unit of player groups to allow larger sized groups of people to work for bonuses that furthered all of them.
TONS of outfits billed themselves as good at Z or Y play style, it's a logical place to start for [groupofplayershere] benefits.

I would imagine outfit bonuses would benefit goup-playstyles more than specific classes. Bonuses could be categorized for things behind-the-lines groups, light infantry, mechanized infantry, air support. Broader categories where outfit skills can be allocated to many of the roles that exist within them. Air cav obviously needs little in the way of medic bonuses, where it would be highly important for the behind the lines group.

Even if you simply had outfit skills that go to a single class, you could mix and match to how you operate and it won't likely be "pick one category of bonus and deal with it"

Even in that case what's the alternative to alliances...you could assign players to certain divisions within an outfit, which each have their own set of bonuses?
Well that's really the same thing as some kind of official alliance structure and simply a semantic difference

[Malorn]

Alliances & permission system for access to alliance chat & alliance officer chat (for outfit leaders and designated officers).

I'd also be interesting if outfits could belong to more than one alliance. In that sense alliances could sort of become like special interest groups within the empire. Have an alliance of air-support or tanks, have another alliance for handling territory defense, etc.

That would also help alleviate inter-alliance drama and bickering and keep it a little more free-form.

This + Missions would ultimately remove the need for CR5 chat and globals/continentals.

Maybe call them "Battle Groups" or "Divisions" or something like that rather than alliance.

I think that's exactly the sort of thing PS2 needs to facilitate free-form organization among outfits and abolish the need for CR5's.

We'd probalby need a few different charter types for these, such as autocratic where one outfit manages the group, and free association, where one outfit creates with another but anyone can join and it only exists as long as two outfits belong to it. Could even do an oligarchy-like thing where a few different outfits rule and approve new member outfits, remove existing outfits, and approve new ruling outfits (this is the closest I think to a joint alliance that would help remove ownership drama). In that way outfits could form their own loose associations in whatever manner suits them to build their empire's social structure.

Really good topic actually. I'll think on it some more and write up something in the next day or two.