DRONE STRIKES from your PHONE !@#$%!

[Dagron]

Originally Posted by MrKWalmsley

But if this turns out to be an exclusive to like IPhone or Android, then that really would be giving power to those who are richer.

Which is why a lot of people here keep asking for it to be usable from a browser:
No smartphone to play at work? Break into your boss' office and play from his PC's internet explorer.
While you're there, take a screenshot of his TR buddies getting exploded and set it up as his screensaver.

Originally Posted by JHendy

Rewarding a kill streak with more kills is a horrible idea.

Agreed.

[MrKWalmsley]

Originally Posted by Dagron

Which is why a lot of people here keep asking for it to be usable from a browser:
No smartphone to play at work? Break into your boss' office and play from his PC's internet explorer.
While you're there, take a screenshot of his TR buddies getting exploded and set it up as his screensaver.

Now that I would support!

[Corax]

I can definitely see the smartphones + tablets easily handling a grainy cam view of the real time battlefield.
Simple controls would be things like a touchpad thumbstick on each side to control turning and elevation control. A space bar for booster. And a swipe mechanic for changing weapon systems. As the drone flys into a hotspot it automatically acquires targets for the user with an outline recognition system. The user then taps the outlined enemy unit and the drone fires its weapons. Simple and straight forward.

Or you can take it a step further with things like the ipad/ipod/iphone where the device can register tilting if the device. Then use this for the piloting mechanics.

After seeing the apps out there for ipads these days I have no doubt that this kind of thing would be able to hold up very well to the graphical demands.

As for fairness, yea make it so the drones can be destroyed. And that it costs resources to launch, I would say in the price range between the Flash and the ES Fighters. But basically it uses your ingame resources you have earned so that way while you are off line you can still advance your character somewhat, and it prevents players from abusing the mechanic somewhat.

Hell you can even make a cert tree for it.

Drones:
Only usable when player is logged off of main account.
Level 1: 1 Cert Point
You have access to a drone that provides a single predator guided missile.
Resource cost: 200 Polymers
---Player Guides a drone into a hex and has access to 1 predator guided missile.
Level 2:
You can now branch off into 2 types of drones.
A: Recon drone
Cost: 220 Catalysts
Drone circles the hex providing passive scans every 30 seconds that reveal all vehicles and air units. Drone stays in the air until destroyed, player logs off from app, or 10 minutes have passed.
----Side grade: Advanced scanning sub-routines. 1 Cert Point
---------Drone now reveals enemy infantry and MAX's but only scans every 50 seconds.
---Side Grade: Armor IFF transponder 2 Cert Point
---------Drone reveals only Armor elements every 10 seconds.
---Side Grade: Air IFF Transponder 2 Cert Points
---------Drone reveals all Air units every 10 seconds
---Side Grade: Infantry IFF Transponder 3 Cert Points
---------Drone Reveals Infantry elements every 10 seconds
---Side Grade: Active User IFF Transponder 5 Cert Points
---------This requires the user to be actively guiding the Drone. Player 'taps' any enemy unit they see on drone cam. This then reveals the position of the enemy to all friendly units in the Hex, the "tagged" remains revealed for 30 seconds.

Level 2
B
Tactical Drone
Cost: 300 Auraxiam
This enables the player to loadout their drone with up to 2 different weapon systems at a time. (+50 polymers for 2nd weapon system)
Chainguns: AI weapon 1 Cert Point
Side grade: AP rounds: 2 Cert Points
+30% damage to Armor/MAX units, -30% damage to infantry.
Side Grade: Inferno Rounds: 3 Cert Points
+10% Damage to infantry, - 20% damage to MAX/Armor. Sets Infantry+MAX targets on fire. (Damage over time)

Helstrike Pods. 1 Cert Point
Side Grade: Gas Canister Rounds: 2 Cert Points
+50% Damage to Infantry, MAX/Armor units are immune.
Side Grade: Armor Shredders: 3 Cert Points
+50% Damage to MAX/Armor. -50% Damage to infantry.
Side Grade: Flak Strikers: 5 Cert Points
+50% Damage to air, -30% damage to Armor/MAX/Infantry.

Air to Air Rockets 1 Cert Point
Side grade: Target Acquisition Booster 2 Cert Points
+20% Increase to lock on timer. (Faster) -40% To speed of rocket (slower)
Side Grade: Rocket Nitro 3 Cert Points
+20% to speed of Rocket, -30% to lock on timer
Side Grade: Retro Thrusters 5 Cert Points
+30% to rocket maneuverability , -10% to speed, -10% to lock on timer.

Level 3
Drone Bomber
Cost: 150 Polymers, 150 Catalysts.
Drone now has a high capacity of dumb fire bombs.
Side Grade: Bunker Busters 2 Cert Points
+20% Damage. -20% AOE
Side Grade: Napalm Strike 3 Cert Points
+20% AOE, +10% damage to Infantry, -20% damage to armor. DOT for 10 seconds for anything caught in fire.
Side Grade: Gas Bombs 5 Cert Points
+50% AOE, +20% Time of effect (gas cloud lingers). Shifts with wind. MAX/Armor is immune,

Level 4
Drone Strafing runs.
Cost: 100 Polymers, 100 Catalysts, 100 Auraxium
Chose your weapon subsystems. Select your angle of attack and altitude. Launch drone and sit back and watch the mayhem. on your screen.
Drone launches from nearest base.
If drone is not destroyed by the end of its mission, you are refunded 25 Polymers, 25 Catalysts and 25 Auraxium.
Side Grade: Bigger payload 2 Cert Points
Player gives up the refund to be able to do 1 extra attack run
Side Grade: Nitro Booster 3 Cert Points
+20% speed, -2 ammo count of each weapon.
Side Grade: Stealth Shield 4 Cert Points
Undetectable on radar, - 20% speed, -3 ammo count
Side Grade: Fuel Pods 5 Cert Points
+30% Range, -10% speed, -2 ammo count.

Level 5
Kamikaze Drone
Cost: 100 of each resource.
Drone is flown by operator, explodes on contact for massive damage.
1 shot kill on infantry, MAX's, Flash, and Lightning, and ES Fighter. Massive damage to Tanks, Liberators, and Galaxys.
Side Grades: Flak Shield 2 Cert Points
+40% Armor, -30% Speed.
Side Grade: Afterburner 3 Cert Points
+50% Speed (for 5 seconds), - 10% maneuverability, -10% Damage
Side Grade: MOAB 5 Cert points
+20% Damage, +10% AOE, -20% Speed. -20% Handling, -20% Armor.

[Dragonien]

Awesome idea.

Adds a hole new dynamics to the game play, from reco to assassination, allowing you to take on strong point
Be long time till I have the rank to do a drone strike thou

[Dagron]

Originally Posted by Corax

[Some great ideas]

I really like your suggestions, but i'd hope the weapons didn't hit people just for tapping on them, those should have a somewhat limited precision at least.

[Corax]

Yea I think the biggest thing would be to set it where it is linked to your station account, have it cost resources. But most important of all to make it so that you can only use the Drone when your character is logged out of Planetside 2.

This will go lengths to prevent players from:
1. Spamming drones of doom all day.
2. Give a sense of tactical play and usage
3. Make you have to earn the ability to launch drones.
4. And prevent players from dual boxing accounts where they are playing and calling in drones at the same time.

[Corax]

Originally Posted by Dagron

I really like your suggestions, but i'd hope the weapons didn't hit people just for tapping on them, those should have a somewhat limited precision at least.

I would think it more along the lines of either:
A. Tap on target and it fires to where you tapped, EX: Chaingun/Flak.
Your not so much targeting the player as the location the player is at. So if your aiming at a moving target you need to predict to where they will be.
This is for dumb fire weapons.

B. Smart fire weapons. These are lock on esque weapons. Which would be accomplished either by tapping on your target, waiting for lock on to be achieved, and then tapping again to fire.
OR
The 1st target in range is automatically locked on when it is brought into range and then you tap on it to fire. Weapon is self guided to target (IE AA weapons)

C. You manually guide the weapon to the target. IE: Predator missile. You tap on the target, the warhead is launched. Then you drag your finger on the screen to guide it to the target (with opetional side grade booster that you tap for a quick boost)

[Dagron]

Making them cost resources and only be available when you're offline does prevent people from making 300 accounts and creating a bot app just to rain down drone debris all over a battlefield.

Althou, it's still kind of possible if your outfit trusts you with their account information.

Originally Posted by Corax

I would think it more along the lines of either:
A. Tap on target and it fires to where you tapped, EX: Chaingun/Flak.
Your not so much targeting the player as the location the player is at. So if your aiming at a moving target you need to predict to where they will be.
This is for dumb fire weapons.

B. Smart fire weapons. These are lock on esque weapons. Which would be accomplished either by tapping on your target, waiting for lock on to be achieved, and then tapping again to fire.
OR
The 1st target in range is automatically locked on when it is brought into range and then you tap on it to fire. Weapon is self guided to target (IE AA weapons)

C. You manually guide the weapon to the target. IE: Predator missile. You tap on the target, the warhead is launched. Then you drag your finger on the screen to guide it to the target (with opetional side grade booster that you tap for a quick boost)

Agreed, as long as in this case "The 1st target in range is automatically locked on when it is brought into range and then you tap on it to fire. Weapon is self guided to target (IE AA weapons)", the weapon was slow and had poor manouverability so it wasn't a guaranteed hit.

[Geist]

A lot of different interpretations here.

My thoughts? It sounds to me like the drone will be flown by using the on-screen map, which means no graphics. And until you reach a certain level in game, it can only be used for reconnaisance. Then, once you reach the required level, you would then shoot a "Hellfire Missile" at the mass of red dots or ask a clan member to use a Tag Laser(if they're in PS2) for a more precise missile strike.

To balance it, make it the size of a UAV(like Battlefield), with a distinct buzzing sound and a weakness to bullets.

[mintyc]

hmm i wonder how manny PS2 players are going to be arrested for being a super terrorist when some one at the supermarket sees them standing at the cheese counter targeting a missile strike with there phone.

[Eyeklops]

I wonder if the drones are counted into the 2000 player server cap, or if they have a separate limit. Imagine 1900 iDrones flying around and only 100 PC players on a cont. Skeet shooting.

I can also see everyone will be using a second/third/fourth accounts to fly around drones as scouts. This is could be a bad idea.

[atone]

great idea. glad i thought of it. i'll take a check SOE

[Xyntech]

I gotta say, I think this will be 10x cooler than having EvE players call in orbital strikes for Dust 514.

I definitely support the notion of it being a web app in addition to android and iphone. Me personally, I'll be using my android when I'm not at a computer where I can freely use the browser, but aside from that, I'd prefer to use the browser.

Originally Posted by Eyeklops

I wonder if the drones are counted into the 2000 player server cap, or if they have a separate limit. Imagine 1900 iDrones flying around and only 100 PC players on a cont. Skeet shooting.

I can also see everyone will be using a second/third/fourth accounts to fly around drones as scouts. This is could be a bad idea.

Yep, it will have to balance it against that. I'm not into the whole dual boxing thing because it's too much hassle for me to care to bother with, but I'll certainly make a second account if I need to so that I can control a drone when needed while I'm playing.

[p0intman]

drone strikes from my iphone? Yes please. What I want to know is, can I launch a drone strike from my iphone while im ingame on my pc?

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by p0intman

drone strikes from my iphone? Yes please. What I want to know is, can I launch a drone strike from my iphone while im ingame on my pc?

Either yes, or no but you can make another account anyways and still do it, so yes.

It's really going to be a failure if they don't take that into consideration. Another thing for us to make sure to exploit in beta.

I've got easy access to 3+ smartphones, so I'll certainly exploit it as much as possible for testing purposes.