The Galaxy

[CutterJohn]

fully charged ants used to make a big boom when they exploded. Gals would drop ants. Ant bomb.

[Warborn]

Galaxies would have a pivotal role if they were the only way to get infantry to the tops of structures, kinda like we all thought they'd do before we played the game. If bailing out from non-galaxies were removed, people would actually use galaxies, because attacking towers or bases from alternate angles is a pretty powerful strategy.

[Teek]

I think that galaxies should have a few additional perks:

1. People have mentioned customizing the bays for extra weapons or extra players: I like that.

2. I think bail outs should be limited in other air craft, and it should just be in Galaxies. Or at least have it so that only galaxies have the hot-drop function, while other aircraft have more of an ejector-seat style, so they can't land wherever they want. Gear limitations in other aircraft would be nice too.

3. What about having a Galaxy drop miniature supply stations, capable of repairing health, armor, and ammo to players or vehicles right next to them? Make it a limited repair capability, but the Galaxy is capable of respawning stations after a while.

4. Give the pilot a chaingun. A nasty one too.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Warborn

Galaxies would have a pivotal role if they were the only way to get infantry to the tops of structures, kinda like we all thought they'd do before we played the game. If bailing out from non-galaxies were removed, people would actually use galaxies, because attacking towers or bases from alternate angles is a pretty powerful strategy.

Or they could just make galaxies more attractive and leave planes well enough alone?

Originally Posted by Teek

2. I think bail outs should be limited in other air craft, and it should just be in Galaxies. Or at least have it so that only galaxies have the hot-drop function, while other aircraft have more of an ejector-seat style, so they can't land wherever they want. Gear limitations in other aircraft would be nice too.

I think sony kind of wants a lot of people from PS to sub for PSN, which won't happen if they start eliminating all play styles other than yours.

[Warborn]

Originally Posted by Bags

Or they could just make galaxies more attractive and leave planes well enough alone?

I guess if they want to reproduce the flop that was Planetside then yeah, they should probably leave the broken elements alone. Otherwise though they may want to do something about them.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Warborn

I guess if they want to reproduce the flop that was Planetside then yeah, they should probably leave the broken elements alone. Otherwise though they may want to do something about them.

How does making galaxies more attractive as transport equate to leaving the game alone? Or are you intentionally being dense?

[Teek]

Originally Posted by Bags

Or they could just make galaxies more attractive and leave planes well enough alone?



I think sony kind of wants a lot of people from PS to sub for PSN, which won't happen if they start eliminating all play styles other than yours.

I was actually almost exclusively an air-cav pilot who used mossies just to get around, and would even ditch a reaver just to get into combat quickly. And in hind-sight, I think its dumb game design that ruins the point of a team-based mmofps.

But I would also be a galaxy pilot for my outfit when we did runs, and often tried to get dropship flights going. And thats what I and many people I played with enjoyed most.

Ultimately, I think this is addressing a deeper problem in Planetside design: role of vehicles, and their worth.

In the vast majority of games, vehicles are a rare and valuable component of team play. People shouldn't just use fighters or land transports to move one person from point a to point b. In planetside, vehicles were so easy to come by that there was no real worth placed on them, with a few exceptions. I think that should change, but then again thats just my opinion.

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by Teek

3. What about having a Galaxy drop miniature supply stations, capable of repairing health, armor, and ammo to players or vehicles right next to them? Make it a limited repair capability, but the Galaxy is capable of respawning stations after a while.

I like this idea, like in war films where soldiers in desperate situations could get a package parachute dropped from a passing friendly aircraft.

[Hamma]

Bags please ease up a bit, you are getting my attention again and that's not a good way to roll. Repeating the "Removing others play-style" in every thread is not contributing - people are entitled to their own opinions.

In the vast majority of games, vehicles are a rare and valuable component of team play. People shouldn't just use fighters or land transports to move one person from point a to point b. In planetside, vehicles were so easy to come by that there was no real worth placed on them, with a few exceptions. I think that should change, but then again thats just my opinion.

I tend to agree with this.

[GoldDragon]

Originally Posted by Timantium

I'm not sure I understand: is this idea to combine the galaxy with a router and AMS combo in one cert?

I kind of like the galaxy as it is, a dropship transport. I don't think they need to combine the capabilities of different equipment. We want to promote teamwork so people will have to specialize in different aspects (like AMS/Router/Galaxy certs) to be an effective part of the TEAM. If we combine abilities of things like allowing the REK to repair stuff or the med cert to drop replenishable healing fields then everyone will be a one-man army and teamwork will completely dissolve.

Thought - However if you have AMS certed as well, perhaps then this ability is open to you? Thus allowing someone who likes piloting to also pitch in with spawn points? This is just a thought, sort of like if there is a medic in a vehicle in Battlefield nearby troops get healed.

[Warborn]

Originally Posted by Bags

How does making galaxies more attractive as transport equate to leaving the game alone? Or are you intentionally being dense?

The galaxies mechanics weren't specifically the problem, the fact that they were obsolete the minute they let people bail out of aircraft with HA was the problem. If people couldn't use any old aircraft as methods of conveyance to the tops of towers and such, galaxies would become more popular. I think galaxies could use a few tweaks as well, but that isn't the crux of the issue.

e: I also don't know how you gathered anything about "leaving the game alone" from what I wrote earlier. What I meant was that the mechanics of aircraft in Planetside are quite obviously poorly done, and if they want the game to do well they should address them rather than doing as you said and leaving them essentially untouched. So you'll have to forgive me if I misled you in some fashion and implied that you or I or anyone else said anything about "leaving the game alone".

[DviddLeff]

Most people agree that air cav being used as a combat insertion vehicle is a bad thing for a heap of reasons:

1. It makes the Gal pretty much obsolete.
2. It gives a single player too many roles at the same time (you shouldnt be an effective assault vehicle one second and an effective grunt the next.
3. It gives air cav pilots a free life almost every time.
4. It allows players to totally bypass the outdoor fight with minimal risk.

Now the problem is caused by a few game systems:

• Too many cert points; as soon as everyone had spare certs we certed air cav to simply get from A to B, instead of relying on slow, dangerous ground transport.
• Pilots able to weild HA and AV weapons (why are there 3x6 and 3x9 weapons when every suit can carry either?)
• Pilots and drivers can wear Agile (what is the point of Standard?)
• Bailing is pin point accurate; add in an ejector seat which throws you up and out in a random direction.

[Aractain]

I still don't see the reason for bailing in the first place. I mean its not for realism because thats a dumbass reason (same reason we don't want pilots or drivers limited to a pistol). Gameplay? Nothing but tower dropping adds to gameplay and that is just stealing the galaxy's role (but better) anyway.

Immersion? Seems rather big deal for simple immersion.
Its also inconsistent, why can't MAXs bail into standard?

It just never made sense for pilots (of ANY vehicle) to bail.

[Warborn]

Someone probably thought it'd be cool if people could bail, never thought much about the balance implications, and all the subsequent lead designers were likely too afraid of scaring away Planetside's dwindling playerbase to actually take a step toward better gameplay and remove it.

[DviddLeff]

I don't mind ejecting before you get destroyed its just the way air cav is used as a transport vehicle for combat troops that irritates me.