PSU Interview With Higby!

[NapalmEnima]

Originally Posted by Bags

No need to waste time reinventing the wheel.

Think of it as part of the marketing budget:

My Friend Just Posted OMGWTFBBQ Epic [Image|Video] On His [Facebook|G+|Twitter|etc] Account. That Looks Awesome. I Must Join Him.

Even if its just some Snazzy URL that is optional opened when you log out with new screen shots so you can review/post your favorites, that'd still be a marketing gold mine.


But we're wandering rather far afield.

A big +1 to DocBadWrench's question for Matt.

[basti]

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

Wait what? Where did that get answered? Or are you referring to the locational damage models?

They in fact didnt. They said it would be possible this time, but they didnt decide if they do it or not. Propably depens how beta goes.

[Bags]

Originally Posted by NapalmEnima

Think of it as part of the marketing budget:

My Friend Just Posted OMGWTFBBQ Epic [Image|Video] On His [Facebook|G+|Twitter|etc] Account. That Looks Awesome. I Must Join Him.

Even if its just some Snazzy URL that is optional opened when you log out with new screen shots so you can review/post your favorites, that'd still be a marketing gold mine.


But we're wandering rather far afield.

A big +1 to DocBadWrench's question for Matt.

Why are you hiding the existence of Planetside 2 from your friends?!?!

[CutterJohn]

Ask him for clarification on the free to play model. Specifically, whether or not there will be a box price.

Reaver: 1 or 2 seater?

[Graywolves]

I think hosting pictures for people to spam facebook and twitter with is a waste of serverspace.....


unless they made you pay for it.

[PsychoXR-20]

In one of the most recent interviews someone asked if players will be able to swap classes and the response was "you can change classes whenever you respawn", which was a much different answer than we had gotten before about being able to change classes whenever you want.

So my question would be, can you elaborate on how changing classes will work? Will it really be only when you spawn, will there be equipment terminals all over like in PS1, allowing us to change classes without having to /kill ourselves?

The idea that I can only change my class when I spawn (like most modern, but small FPS's) has me very worried. If we are being assaulted by ground troops and I spawn in as a grunt to counter them, but then they start sending in MAX's, I'd like being able to change my loadout (in this case class) to be more effective.

edit: Found the article

RPS: Can you switch between classes at any time?

Higby: You can switch between classes any time you respawn.

[Brusi]

hmmm, thats a good point. I may have missed that subtety... I would hate for suicide to become a game mechanic!

[kaffis]

At the risk of side-tracking the question thread, I think changing class on respawn is a good answer. I don't want to see suicide encouraged, which is why I think "change class on respawn" is shorthand for "the terminals to do so are only next to spawn tubes; they're not as prevalent as equipment terminals."

[Brusi]

So Galaxy's would need equipment terminals then...

Not likely to be able to change your loadout/restock ammo once you have already ejected from a circling gal, if that's the case...

[NapalmEnima]

Okay folks... The Interview is still on for tomorrow.

The timing on the webcast is kind of a bummer. We won't be able to ask anything based on that. Ah well.

At any rate, I'm going to make some effort to rate/rank the questions based on the +1's and quotes. I'll post that here TONIGHT, and we'll use that as our interview fodder over lunch.

Unless something Really Insightful comes along after that post, it won't make the cut. If we end up with extra time, we might get to them, but I kinda doubt it. There's a lot of ground to cover here.

[NapalmEnima]

Question:

What's the Respawn Experience like?

So I just died, now what? Can you talk us through the process? What do I need to go through to get back to the action?

[Crator]

Originally Posted by NapalmEnima

Question:

What's the Respawn Experience like?

So I just died, now what? Can you talk us through the process? What do I need to go through to get back to the action?

+1

[Brusi]

Respawn experience, including details for resurection by squadmates?

[NapalmEnima]

Okay, here's the question list, as sorted by rating. This is a copy-paste from the spread-sheet I typed it all into, so most of the questions have been made Quite Terse. It's also Tab-separated-values, so the formatting blows goats. Deal. Check out the attachment if it'll make you feel better.

If your question vanished:
A: I may have simply missed it. This was all typed out by hand.
B: It may have been merged with a similar question by a previous poster
C: It may have sucked.

Author	Question	rating	category
Crator	Gal spawning?  In air?  Equipment term?	6	spawning
Sirisian	Seats in a liberator	6	vehicles
IdukeNukemI	Advertising?	5	advertising
Sirisian	Boomers?	5	CE
Basti	Continent count at launch?	5	continents
NapalmEnima	MAX armors: weapons only, or hacking/eng/etc	5	MAX
NapalmEnima	Creative Director != PR.  How did you become the Face of PS2?	5	personal
NapalmEnima	How has the data mined from PS1 influenced PS2's design?	5	ps1
NapalmEnima	Has the resource system reduced or removed the need for equipment timers?	5	resources
NapalmEnima	Balance goal with resources?  How common will the expensive stuff be?	5	resources
Kaffis	Encourage CE defense building?	4	CE
Lzachariah	CE? Deployable turrets, explosives, etc?  Focus?	4	CE
Kaffis	What are the available classes?	4	classes
Miir	What is the largest group they have tested with	4	dev
Basti	forgelight tech specs?	4	dev
NapalmEnima	Hacking: as common as PS1?	4	Hacking
Kaffis	User-created Mission system examples?	4	missions
Sirisian	What can be purchased with resources and how often?	4	resources
Kaffis	Resources?  How can an underdog dig themselves out?	4	resources
Kaffis	Resources earned at individual/squad/outfit/empire levels?	4	resources
NapalmEnima	Will we be able to move characters between servers?	4	Server Pop
NapalmEnima	Generic time to the end of a skill tree?	4	skills
NapalmEnima	Training: per char or per account?	4	skills
DocBadWrench	Social networking hooks?	4	social
Kaffis	Design principles for ground transport vs Gal vs get some tanks?	4	vehicles
Basti	Reaver: 1 seat or 2	4	vehicles
Basti	New vehicles that weren't in PS1?	4	vehicles
HtSgtMAD	Hot dropping from mossies/all air	4	vehicles
Miir	Plans for further video footage?	4	videos
Raymac	What design concepts are you using to improve indoor battles?	3	bases
Morf	Support abilities 	3	CE/medic
Graywolves	TTK info.	3	combat
Graywolves	Health system? Health & armor, shields?	3	combat
Graywolves	Any consumables other than medkits?	3	combat?
Graywolves	Character customization: what can we control?	3	customization
Miir	How big is the development team now?	3	dev
Morf	how long are your development sprint cycles?	3	dev
Sirisian	Why F2P?	3	F2P
Graywolves	Friendly Fire: Need it.  Not really a question.	3	FF
Klu	Can the enemy see into footholds?	3	footholds
Klu	Will footholds move/rotate?	3	footholds
FIREk	hacker class?	3	Hacking
FIREk	TR MAX: face exposed?	3	MAX
Graywolves	Music?  Don Ferrone's?	3	music
IdukeNukemI	Will the sun(s) effect visibility of aircraft/etc	3	other
Morf	How to deal with pop imbalance?	3	other
Bags	Lessons learned from PS1?	3	ps1
Basti	PS1 vet benefits?	3	ps1
Graywolves	Drops (from china interview with smed)?!	3	salvage
Graywolves	Spawning?	3	spawning
Basti	Spawning?	3	spawning
NapalmEnima	What is the Respawn Experience like? + medic res?	3	spawning
IdukeNukemI	System requirements?	3	technical
IdukeNukemI	DX 10/11?	3	technical
IdukeNukemI	Estimated servers at launch?	3	technical
NapalmEnima	GUI customization?	3	technical
Miir	Details on flight model?	3	vehicles
Morf	shoot player in open-air vehicle: hurts player?	3	vehicles
FIREk	empire specific versions of all vehicles post-launch?	3	vehicles
FIREk	Sunderer?  Redesign, AFV-like?	3	vehicles
Graywolves	Voice macros & in-game voice?	3	voice
FIREk	hear enemies talking via VIVOX?	3	voice
IdukeNukemI	Weather at launch?	3	weather
IdukeNukemI	what weather effects will there be?	3	weather
Cellinaire	Floating bases?	2	bases
PsychoXR-20	Class change at respawn or at inv term?	2	classes
Cellinaire	continent size?  	2	continents
Senyu	Will the maps change?	2	continents
Cellinaire	Reveal date of 3 year dev plan?	2	dev
Cellinaire	naval warefare	2	dev
SavageB	Purchasing unlocks not avaiable via BR?	2	F2P
SavageB	Premium subscriptions?	2	F2P
CutterJohn	Will there be a box price?	2	F2P
Bags	How do the uncapturable footholds on continents work?	2	footholds
Cellinaire	eye candy like t-storms and whirlpools	2	other
Bags	How will salvaging work without inventories?	2	salvage
Bags	Vehicle entry delay to make up for loss of animations?	2	vehicles
Talek Krell	Seat switching within vehicles?  Specific entry points?	2	vehicles
Bags	Killing power of grenades & other hand-held AOE	2	weapons
SavageB	Empire specific HA?	2	weapons
SavaveB	Maelstrom-esque grenades?	2	weapons
Mirror	So when is beta	1	beta
DviddLeff	Jump Jet Medics?  Jump jet engies?	1	classes
Heaven	Classes available at BR1?  How many classes/char?	1	classes
Pillow	AI MAX vs non MAX: slaughter or killfest?	1	MAX
Pillow	autorun?	1	MAX
Pillow	Max-killer classes?	1	MAX
Pillow	max timers?	1	MAX
Pillow	max res cost?	1	MAX
DviddLeff	Merits?	1	other
DviddLeff	Apply vs invite to join outfits	1	outfits
DviddLeff	Uploaded outfit logos?	1	outfits
Pillow	Self-kill command	1	technical
DviddLeff	How many people in a Galaxy?	1	vehicles
Malorn	Buggies? (Enforcer/marauder/thresher/skyguard)	1	vehicles
Dubby	Cursor at 0:33 in reveal video	1	videos

[Brusi]

SavageB had some questions about new weapons and grenades, perhaps ask more generally if he will tell us about some new devices? Weapons, grenades or even new support devices like NTU drainers for example?