News: RPS interview with Higby - Page 7

Vancha · 2011-09-10, 04:34 AM

Well it looks like a lot of people still have to come to terms with the fact that PS2 isn't PS1.

Complaining that losing the MCG/JH/Lasher dynamic from PS1 would be the death of empire diversity when the quote states that every empire gets their own version of every weapon class...I mean, really?

I know they've said they're making this game for the core PS players, but do you really think the hundreds of thousands of players that might end up playing PS2 would appreciate that they can't have a chaingun on their empire of choice because of 0.1% of the playerbase's "sentimentality"? I'd like to see ESMCGs, and ESLMGs too. Bring on the TR/VS shotguns. Show me a spread of Vanu energy pellet goodness.

This is a new game. If PS1 had never existed and all 3 empires got their own variant of the MCG/JH/Lasher, do you think a few years down the road people would be calling SOE stupid for doing so? Do you think it'd even cross their minds that the game could be improved by taking two of those weapon classes away from each empire? Of course not.

Bags · 2011-09-10, 05:09 AM

ESLasher would be retarded. If people want MCG they should play TR, IMO. Don't play NC if you really want to use a MCG. MCG does not fit with their "hit hard and slow" mantra. And TR/VS have shotgun; it's called the sweeper and it's damn good.

Vancha · 2011-09-10, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Bags

ESLasher would be retarded. If people want MCG they should play TR, IMO. Don't play NC if you really want to use a MCG. MCG does not fit with their "hit hard and slow" mantra. And TR/VS have shotgun; it's called the sweeper and it's damn good.

NC have the gauss, does that fit the "hard and slow" mantra? Is that even the NC's mantra anymore? Will anyone but us CARE what the fuck the NCs "mantra" is? Will they see that as a good reason to not be able to carry around the huge bloody weapon they want to carry around on their empire of choice?

Higby said, "The New Conglomerate is like Rock ‘n Roll or Hip Hop, where it’s loud and hits you with a sustained powerful beat, but can be a smaller group of people and comes in waves that are unexpected." How does that translate to their weapons of choice? Fuck knows. A wave of unexpected bullets apparently.

"What the fuck is this?, Oh, it's a wave of unexpected bullets." Sounds like an NC MCG to me!

And yes, an ESLasher would be retarded, which is why I didn't propose an ESLasher. The Lasher would probably be VS' variant of an ESSomething. "An ESWhat?" I hear you ask. Well I don't know do I? Have you seen PS2's Lasher? Because I certainly haven't. It could fire flowers for all I know, in which case NC would have a huge-ass tree-launcher, and TR would fire five thousand fuchsias a fucking second.

Crator · 2011-09-10, 08:51 AM

I don't think a mantra matters much here but the idea of empire specific weapons/vehicles in PS1 gave the game a "cool" factor. I do agree however that it caused unbalance and took much from the devs to try and balance them according to their functions for each empire.

kaffis · 2011-09-10, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Bags

ESLasher would be retarded. If people want MCG they should play TR, IMO. Don't play NC if you really want to use a MCG. MCG does not fit with their "hit hard and slow" mantra. And TR/VS have shotgun; it's called the sweeper and it's damn good.

I say let Bags keep his TR minichaingun. It sounds badass, and he likes it.

Give NC a maxichaingun. It's a 5-foot long railgun revolver.

Bags · 2011-09-10, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Crator

I don't think a mantra matters much here but the idea of empire specific weapons/vehicles in PS1 gave the game a "cool" factor. I do agree however that it caused unbalance and took much from the devs to try and balance them according to their functions for each empire.

They did what, a whole four or five balance fixes for each gun? My ass they tried to balance them.

basti · 2011-09-10, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

They did what, a whole four or five balance fixes for each gun? My ass they tried to balance them.

Oh, they did, but the wrong way. Instead of just adjusting the numbers slightly with small patches, and see how things go then, they just every time completly screwed the numbers.
Best example is the last lasher change. Before the fast orbs, lasher was fine. In some situations very powerful, in some quite useless. They speeded up the orbs, almost completly killed the lash, and put more damage on a direct hit. Thing was a beast, NC and Tr screamed, but it was in fact almost balanced, and just needed a little less damage. But they went in and nerfed it to the ground, and these days its useless mostly.

Wont happen again.

NewSith · 2011-09-10, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by basti

Oh, they did, but the wrong way. Instead of just adjusting the numbers slightly with small patches, and see how things go then, they just every time completly screwed the numbers.
Best example is the last lasher change. Before the fast orbs, lasher was fine. In some situations very powerful, in some quite useless. They speeded up the orbs, almost completly killed the lash, and put more damage on a direct hit. Thing was a beast, NC and Tr screamed, but it was in fact almost balanced, and just needed a little less damage. But they went in and nerfed it to the ground, and these days its useless mostly.

Wont happen again.

I'd reccomend you to do "buff lasher" search on PS OF. What they did to lasher is exactly what people wanted. To the very last aspect. And after the buff the shitload of empire hoppers got onto their VS alts to test it out. Those who stayed on their empires just looted lashers from those who hopped. And so everyone was dying to lasher... But how the heck can you define the overpower of a weapon, if EVERYONE is using it, independently of the BR and most importantly - of the side.

The damn "lasher" topic (aswell as nerf) still blows away my temper even to this day. And FYI I had been using MA back then, before and after.

Graywolves · 2011-09-10, 08:49 PM

I actually like the idea of empire specific chainguns.

Although, I don't like how they're focusing TR stuff to be "strength in numbers." Because strength in numbers doesn't work when you're outpopped or even popped....

I do like they're balancing via sidegrades though.

Bags · 2011-09-10, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by Graywolves

I actually like the idea of empire specific chainguns.

Although, I don't like how they're focusing TR stuff to be "strength in numbers." Because strength in numbers doesn't work when you're outpopped or even popped....

I do like they're balancing via sidegrades though.

Well of course you do you're not TR... wait.

Well shit.

Aractain · 2011-09-10, 09:18 PM

Perhaps the TR is the "coop" empire where we really excelle when working closely together...

(is TR the gay one now?)

MasterChief096 · 2011-09-10, 10:41 PM

What I imagined from Higby's "orchestra" example is that TR will have to more accurately put together what weapon selections squads bring to the field, and when they do this it will be extremely deadly, not necessarily TR will need 20 guys to be effective against 10. We'll see.

Graywolves · 2011-09-11, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by Bags

Well of course you do you're not TR... wait.

Well shit.

If you were a real TR you wouldn't have a purple pony avatar anyways.

Bags · 2011-09-11, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by Graywolves

If you were a real TR you wouldn't have a purple pony avatar anyways.

I can't help it if Rarity is best pony.

ECM · 2011-09-12, 03:00 AM

No AMS, doesn't really bother me. AMS = a cloak spawn point that lets you continously run into a base. Gal hovering over a base = spawn point that lets you continously run into a base. Same thing, that is ofcourse if gal spawning is allowed if the gal is in the air. nostalgia is the only thing that gets hurt, but the feel is still there.