The Reality of Leading an Empire Into War

[ringring]

Originally Posted by Xyntech

I'd like to see how customizable the current VOIP system is. We already know we can use it while outside the game, which was a big sticking point with a lot of outfits.

If we can customize it to allow private leadership channels, it will go a long way towards giving the exact kind of support that outfits like this need.

I'm not sure whether or not an official alliance system should be in game though. I feel like that would come with a lot of problems, and that the devs would be better left out of it.

I think more of the tools should be broadly useful tools that just so conveniently happen to work perfectly to facilitate outfits and players who want to be part of a bigger alliance type of operation.

Tools that can be used on smaller or larger scale. Stat and battle plan sharing that can be set to share with individual players, squads or platoons, or entire outfits, both your own and other outfits/squads/platoons.

Yes, it should not be in game.... the devs should simply leave it to us.

[Baneblade]

I don't think such an alliance is truly necessary. War Machine is willing to consider such things of course... down the road, but I don't think the proliferation of bad leaders will make it into PS2.

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by ringring

Yes, it should not be in game.... the devs should simply leave it to us.

The devs have been very good about listening to the community. Also, Forgelight seems robust enough to make a lot of things possible. So I'd hope that, as alliances form outside the game, the players and leaders could petition the devs for x or y feature, which would help them form alliances and run operations themselves, without any direct developer intervention.

All the more reason to be somewhat political when talking about the game or dealing with the developers, although I'm biased in that regard, since I'm genuinely happy with 95% of what I've seen the developers do.

At a bare minimum, I feel like they've extended enough of an olive branch to the fans that they deserve one extended back. They need us to be a success and we need them to have a Planetside 2. Better to be friends and come to mutually beneficial solutions rather than be enemies and get ignored, because while it's up to the players of the game succeeds or fails, there is no reason why the developers should listen to anyone who just seems openly hostile.

Although, all things considered, Higby and crew have actually maintained dialogue even with some of the more fervent detractors. Admittedly some of the lines of dialogue have been intermittent, but they've been pretty damn busy lately, so I think that's understandable.

[p0intman]

Ideal chat functions include the ability to create personal text channels that are password protected and the original creator, as an owner, can ban/allow people into the channel with the option for VoIP function. I'd also like to see functionality added to support ventrilo and TS3 interfacing in some way. That way, even if you don't see it, there are people making tactical decisions about the empire and disseminating them through other means (TS, outfit chat, etc).

[JPalmer]

Originally Posted by p0intman

Sometimes people are lemmings.. kind of like this:

Bad commanders aren't easily differentiated from good commanders by new players.

Higby or someone on the team mentioned awhile ago in a video that people who create missions can get followers like on twitter. If the missions make sense and are completed people can "follow" that person and the more popular they are the higher their missions will be placed for everyone else.

You can get all your Outfit players across the server to like the leaders you want to create missions so they will always be at the top of the mission system.

No need for your whole alliance idea.

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by p0intman

Ideal chat functions include the ability to create personal text channels that are password protected and the original creator, as an owner, can ban/allow people into the channel with the option for VoIP function. I'd also like to see functionality added to support ventrilo and TS3 interfacing in some way. That way, even if you don't see it, there are people making tactical decisions about the empire and disseminating them through other means (TS, outfit chat, etc).

Yes yes yes. Private (and persistent) VOIP and text chat channels.

Also, I very much want to see either first party support of connecting to external voice chat programs like you mention, or at the very least I'd like the system to be robust enough that players could use API's to bridge the two systems with their own player created apps.

I think this shit will go a lot further to promote team work and order than any rigid game mechanics could.

I still like the idea of the mission system and I think it has the potential to be a useful tool, but it will certainly have it's own limitations, so I definitely don't want to see it made out to be the end all be all of leadership tools.

[p0intman]

Originally Posted by JPalmer

Higby or someone on the team mentioned awhile ago in a video that people who create missions can get followers like on twitter. If the missions make sense and are completed people can "follow" that person and the more popular they are the higher their missions will be placed for everyone else.

You can get all your Outfit players across the server to like the leaders you want to create missions so they will always be at the top of the mission system.

No need for your whole alliance idea.

Your notion is flawed, its almost the same kind of popularity contest that is C-chat these days. Idiots will mass follow other ideas and it'll be pointless and even harder for anyone new to get started.

Originally Posted by Vetto

I do hope the community some what has control over who in lead and who not cause of what you said.

If what I've written causes you to want to take an active role in leading your empire, great.

Originally Posted by Xyntech

Yes yes yes. Private (and persistent) VOIP and text chat channels.

Also, I very much want to see either first party support of connecting to external voice chat programs like you mention, or at the very least I'd like the system to be robust enough that players could use API's to bridge the two systems with their own player created apps.

I think this shit will go a lot further to promote team work and order than any rigid game mechanics could.

I still like the idea of the mission system and I think it has the potential to be a useful tool, but it will certainly have it's own limitations, so I definitely don't want to see it made out to be the end all be all of leadership tools.

Done correctly, an API can be more useful than a TS3 password. Many corps and alliances use APIs like that in EVE, to make sure you are who you claim to be.

[p0intman]

Originally Posted by elfailo

Bamelin ruined everything.

for those who don't know...

Bamelin
Noun: A CR5 who, though no longer maintaining a permanent account, continues to show up from time to time in PlanetSide to cause disruptions. Bamelin is most renown for his tendancy to counter global any decisions made by other CR5's.

Verb: To counter-global. Example: "We were going to defend Amerish then somebody Bamelined to go to Cyssor"

[JPalmer]

Originally Posted by p0intman

Your notion is flawed, its almost the same kind of popularity contest that is C-chat these days. Idiots will mass follow other ideas and it'll be pointless and even harder for anyone new to get started.

How though? Would not your Outfits you been communicating with have the majority of pop.?

They could dislike everyone else you do not want and like everyone you do want as a leader.

Simple and effective. Every player has to have a choice in it. Elitism shouldn't stop new players from growing in skill. Auraxis leadership shouldn't be a dictatorship. Your idea stops new growth at the start, this at least gives new players a chance.

[CuddlyChud]

In PS, the right or wrong decision is often times subjective. There might be a tactically sound strategy to ghost hacking a cont, but there might also be a really fun fight at an inter-farm. Neither are necessarily the "right" or "wrong" choice. Ultimately its up to the individual to decide where his priorities lie. I would rather be able to choose who I want to follow rather than have it chosen for me by some Alliance that thinks they can speak for the entire playerbase. I'm really intrigued by the Dev's Twitter-like mission system, and would definitely want to see how that works out before endorsing something like your idea.

[p0intman]

Originally Posted by JPalmer

How though? Would not your Outfits you been communicating with have the majority of pop.?

They could dislike everyone else you do not want and like everyone you do want as a leader.

Simple and effective. Every player has to have a choice in it. Elitism shouldn't stop new players from growing in skill. Auraxis leadership shouldn't be a dictatorship. Your idea stops new growth at the start, this at least gives new players a chance.

Originally Posted by CuddlyChud

In PS, the right or wrong decision is often times subjective. There might be a tactically sound strategy to ghost hacking a cont, but there might also be a really fun fight at an inter-farm. Neither are necessarily the "right" or "wrong" choice. Ultimately its up to the individual to decide where his priorities lie. I would rather be able to choose who I want to follow rather than have it chosen for me by some Alliance that thinks they can speak for the entire playerbase. I'm really intrigued by the Dev's Twitter-like mission system, and would definitely want to see how that works out before endorsing something like your idea.

That's simply not the goal of the alliance, though. We're not out to have the majority of the population. We're not out to make it so new people can't learn to lead effectively. You're suggesting that we're going to put all of the outfits involved under one CoC. That's simply not true. Its the idea of promoting joint operations while making sure that mistakes with attempts at this in the past that have failed aren't repeated. That is why my idea focuses on information sharing and making coordination as simple as is possible.

[Landtank]

Originally Posted by JPalmer

How though? Would not your Outfits you been communicating with have the majority of pop.?

They could dislike everyone else you do not want and like everyone you do want as a leader.

Simple and effective. Every player has to have a choice in it. Elitism shouldn't stop new players from growing in skill. Auraxis leadership shouldn't be a dictatorship. Your idea stops new growth at the start, this at least gives new players a chance.

Agreed. I do not see the need to even start creating a super outfit alliance of justice. I think the system in place will work best, and yeah of course its a popularity contest, you give good missions=more popular with the troops=more followers. Its simple and graceful, exactly how it should be. I don't want someone commanding me just because they are the leader of an outfit from PlanetSide 1, no offense. This is a whole new ballgame.

[SgtMAD]

isn't this a little premature seeing how you don't have a clue about how the servers are going to be set up?

there so many variables at this point in time,makes it hard to get an idea of who is going to play on which server.

I never really had any use for alliances,it was always "my way or get the fuck out",
Cogburn(DD) was the same way so we had a lot of luck with getting multiple outfits all on one TS during the Mono events,we would run a poplock in three channels and never worried about which outfit was doing what.

I don't think the NC ever lost one of those events on Markov.

if you get results,the zerg will follow you.

[p0intman]

Originally Posted by HtSgtMAD

isn't this a little premature seeing how you don't have a clue about how the servers are going to be set up?

there so many variables at this point in time,makes it hard to get an idea of who is going to play on which server.

I never really had any use for alliances,it was always "my way or get the fuck out",
Cogburn(DD) was the same way so we had a lot of luck with getting multiple outfits all on one TS during the Mono events,we would run a poplock in three channels and never worried about which outfit was doing what.

I don't think the NC ever lost one of those events on Markov.

if you get results,the zerg will follow you.

Where is Cogburn anyway? He never did do much with Versus. And as for the rest, yeah, it probably is a little bit premature but tbh, they've said so little on how they expect leadership to work I decided to ressurect an old idea from emerald called the NCA and fix many of its problems that led to infighting. What you see is part of the result. The intent is to keep each outfit as its own CoC while promoting joint operations without the hassle of getting a few hundred people all on the same TS server without hilarity ensuing.

[The Kush]

Good luck is all I can say. You don't even know what server you or anyone else will be on yet your trying to organize outfits?