The Issue of the 10%-20% Power Differentiation

[Lartnev]

I initially voted that advancement was necessary and reading this thread almost made me change my mind... but then I realised something.

I think it is "necessary" because that's the overall design goal of PlanetSide 2 (and PlanetSide too, just with less depth). Could someone make an MMOFPS that was entirely skill based: A Halo, Battlefield, or Team Fortress 2 with a thousand players in a map? Sure. But that's not SOE's philosophy and isn't what they're aiming for with PS2. It's not a question of putting players off but of attracting players who want the experience PlanetSide 2 will provide.

The game isn't out yet but apparently has a "community" which wants to see one of its fundamental apects changed. If you want an entirely skill based MMOFPS then you should wait for the next train, perhaps playing PS2 in the meantime. You're trying to fit a square peg into a square hole with rounded edges by wanting PlanetSide 2 to change to fulfil all of your gaming desires when you've come here because it fills more of them than the others.

Remember that the 20% difference is the maximum difference (out of a range of maximum differences) resulting from a combination of character skills, outfit skills, squad skills, and any empire bonuses in a given situation. The situation doesn't need to change by much to see that advantage dissipate (and if it doesn't then it should be in line for some balance management). From what Higby has said the number of skill combinations which would yield such a difference is very limited and that most options are about flexibility rather than direct improvements. That means that someone who has 100 certs is no better off in a particular situation than someone else who only has the same 10 certs which are relevant to that situation.

[Bags]

If everyone gets 20% more power, nobody has 20% more power.

All this does is make vets 20% stronger than noobs, which is completely unnecessary.

[CutterJohn]

Originally Posted by Bags

All this does is make vets 20% stronger than noobs, which is completely unnecessary.

Its also unnecessary for vets to have more access to stuff than newbs.

[Valdae]

Come on guys, online FPS's are littered with unlocks and perks that reward players of greater skill/dedication, and so long as it's reasonably well balanced I've never known it cause a problem. Some of the replies and suggestions in this thread are little preemptive.

[NewSith]

I voted that it is "necessary", but under certain conditions. This difference shall be gradual and balanced.

One thing that bothers me though is the Headshots. Increased damage + HShot is:

X*120%+Y*120%

Where:
X - Primary DMG
Y - HS DMG

Not very good.

[altminus]

I never thought that weapon attachments can make a player more powerfull.
It is so true, and I'm glad that it counts in insane calculation to be part of the famous 20% Power Differentiation

I really do think that PS2 devs know what they are doing ! That's awesome.
Thanks Matt for the explanation. Always great to see devs so close from the public.

[Peacemaker]

I think you guys are miss understanding something here. Its not like every vet in the game is going to do 20% more damage.

The cert system is going to be gone, replaced by skills. Skills take time to develop. Skills do different things for your character. Example 20% damage buff (with an atachment I guess) to the cycler. Example 2 NO DAMAGE BUFF but you can spawn troops in a galaxy. It is unknown how much time it will take to get the uber buffs, but I imagine it won't be short.

Basicly you'll beable to specialise in something by devoting skill time to it for a long period of time. There won't be jack of all trade characters.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

Its also unnecessary for vets to have more access to stuff than newbs.

True, but at least the stuff they can access is as good as our stuff.

There's no need to add even more advantage to leveling than there already is.

[NUBLERT]

It's fine. It's all speculation until we can physically test this "20%" difference. Even then, in ps1 it was easy (for me) to do well on a new character after having years experience, however first time playing on a new character was cumbersome simply because of the depth of the strategies involved. There are many variables. Simply too many variables to speculate about right now with testing the new engine.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Real Lyte

It's fine. It's all speculation until we can physically test this "20%" difference. Even then, in ps1 it was easy (for me) to do well on a new character after having years experience, however first time playing on a new character was cumbersome simply because of the depth of the strategies involved. There are many variables. Simply too many variables to speculate about right now with testing the new engine.

There's no need for powergrowth because simply by being a veteran you should be able to shit on new players.

[Goku]

Did Higby go any further into what he said about 20% difference? With how he was talking I thought it more along the lines of being more versatile in how your weapon is customized perhaps in trade offs for side grades. Never did I think it was adding +2 damage per shot to your rifle per each BR gain.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Goku

Did Higby go any further into what he said about 20% difference? With how he was talking I thought it more along the lines of being more versatile in how your weapon is customized perhaps in trade offs for side grades. Never did I think it was adding +2 damage per shot to your rifle per each BR gain.

It's been a while but as far as I could tell he meant pure power growth.

"Players like to see themselves become more powerful" or something to that extent.

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by Higby

Also, medical certs will be replaced with using various roots, meditation and acupuncture to cure combat wounds.

Are you saying PS2 will have RPG style crowd control? You do realize that is a guaranteed kill for an FPS... right?

[DreaM]

Seems premature to be worrying about this right now. Considering how everyone is merely speculating on the tiny, tiny amount of information we've been given so far. Perhaps wait to see how it looks in game before you start making crazy polls about game mechanics we know almost nothing about.

[Vancha]

Originally Posted by Sobekeus

Are you saying PS2 will have RPG style crowd control? You do realize that is a guaranteed kill for an FPS... right?

Now where oh where did I put my facepalm emoticon...?

Not those kinds of roots, Sobekeus.