Building Forward Bases - Supply Bases.

[headcrab13]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

Galaxy - Deploy the Galaxy to provide an infantry spawn.
Sunderer - The Sunderer provides resuppy terminals and has 2 weapon stations.
Lodestar - Deployed Lodestar becomes a ground vehicle spawn.

Alternatively, use your command "transform" ability to robotically integrate all of the nearby support vehicles into a MEGA BFR which can smash entire NC and VS bases with ease. Oops, gotta go change my pants.

In all srsness though, I like your idea EVILPIG. This is something that makes perfect sense as far as encouraging teamwork and strategic planning.

[Malorn]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

I have to be honest, I'm not super big on the Galaxy deploying to become a forward base, complete with turrets and such. What I am big on is the concept of players being able to set up and configure a Foward Base, or "Supply Base" using different support components and vehicles. As such;

Galaxy - Deploy the Galaxy to provide an infantry spawn.
Sunderer - The Sunderer provides resuppy terminals and has 2 weapon stations.
Lodestar - Deployed Lodestar becomes a ground vehicle spawn.

Then you have your engineers who can build MANA Turrets and other defensive measures. Instead of having a single vehicle, like a Galaxy that pops open complete with turrets and such, a good Supply Base could be set up and defended by a squad. The engineers would also hang around to repair vehicles as they return from combat.

For me, this is a far more interesting way to set up a forward base. It's more open ended and it would be up to the players to decide how they would want to configure it. They could mix and match the vehicles in any number of ways and put them in close clusters or spread them out. It could be set up fairly quick by a coordinated squad and would fill the role of a forward base that could supply an assault. It's a powerful tool on one hand because as long as you can maintain the set up, you have a closer supply of vehicles and infantry. It also has it's weakness, in that the deployed vehicles can be destroyed by attacks, especially incoming enemy air. Again, it's all in the players' hands to defend and utilize it.

To simplify, I'm saying that we could have forward bases without having the galaxy be an all-in-one unit. Tailor each support vehicle to their role and use them to build the base.

I'm not really sure what you're asking for here. The Galaxy isn't an all-in-one unit, i'ts a transport that can also be a mobile infantry spawn point. It doesn't do vehicle repair or rearming, it's pure infantry support and would obviously be the heart of any forward base. Roll in a Sunderer and you get a few more guns, more durability and auto-repair action. Ready to go, just add Engineers for turrets & repairs and gunners and you've got a great forward base utilizing infantry, aircraft, and ground vehicles.


The only things I see you suggesting here are.

1) Move the terminals from the galaxy to the Sunderer

I think the galaxy and sunderer are perfect the way they are right now. The galaxy is specialized for its spawn point. Having a spawn point without terminals seems kinda dumb to me, and the terminals on the Sunderer make it too much of a resupply/rearm point by itself. I like how each vehicle is specialized for a role. The Galaxy is infantry spawn/support, and the Sunderer is vehicle support. If you want a real forward base you'll want both vehicles regardless.

2) Bring back the Lodestar as a deployable vehicle spawn point.

The forward ground vehicle spawn is a cool concept and I like it. I also recall Higby saying something about that around July of last year regarding outfit-owned-structures. But there's no need to bring the Lodestar back since the Sunderer absorbed its' vehicle support capabilities, and its transport capabilities were poor and the main things they air lifted were AMS (which now no longer need air lifting).


So I think they're already doing what you're talking about, but instead of the lodestar doing the ground vehicle spawn they're going to use outfit owned structures for that sort of thing. The rest of what they have already is great for a forward base.

[EVILPIG]

I'm expanding on what they are offering. Currently an outfitted Galaxy can deploy as just a spawnpoint. It doesn't need all the built in defenses that are being discussed. Leave it to the players to provide the defenses, whether they deploy them, use appropriate equipment or bring vehicles. I'm proposing the creation of a synergy between the types of vehicles that could be used for such a purpose. Each of these vehicles could be outfitted with the appropriate gear to fill other roles, or, they could be equipped to set up a Supply Base.

Galaxy - Infantry and MAX spawn.
Sunderer - Command center with resupply points, weapon points and a shield dome or interlink like detection system.
Lodestar - Vehicle spawn.

Galaxies don't need equipment terminals, as you will be able to spawn in as any class. If you want to have resupply or rearm available, make sure you have the Sunderer HQ set up as well. Same for the Lodestar. You can spawn a vehicle, but you will need a Sunderer to resupply ammo if you have no other source. They all have a function and a limitation that creates a dependency.

This idea was sparked by the Galaxy discussions that are leaning towards it becoming some kind of fully equipped fold out base, with it's own turrets and such. This is adding the ability to sidegrade these three vehicles into another support role.

[Malorn]

The galaxy already has its own turrets. It's had them since PS1. Two side guns, tail gun and a (new) top gun, all independently upgradeable. It's a landed galaxy. And having an equipment terminal on them is fine, they're infantry resupply just like an AMS was. Using the gal to switch classes seems reasonable to me and a sort of operation I would expect at a respawn point.

It's literally AMS + Galaxy. The only talk about it folding up was so it is more compact and the guns on the galaxy in flight-mode have better firing angles for when it is deployed on the ground. That makes sense to me.

Lodestar is obsolete, and they stated why in the nanite vehicles webcast - its role transferred to the Sunderer. Which makes complete sense to me. You can still get the vehicle terminal effect from an outfit-owned structure, though I doubt we'll see that at launch.

Just because a galaxy has its own turrets for built-in defense doesn't mean Engineer's turrets are unnecessary. I fully expect we'll see both engineer turrets and galaxy turrets being manned. The engineer turrets might be better, and at the very least they could be built in locations that could give them better or overlapping fire arcs vs what the Galaxy offers. Preventing the galaxy from using its turrets while deployed seems quite silly to me.

Sunderer - Command center with resupply points, weapon points and a shield dome or interlink like detection system.

That's a lot for one vehicle that also has a role of vehicle support & base-crashing troop transport. And you didn't like the galaxy having too many roles...wow.

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by Malorn

That's a lot for one vehicle that also has a role of vehicle support & base-crashing troop transport. And you didn't like the galaxy having too many roles...wow.

As with all the modular customizations that vehicles will have, it would not be equipped with every capability at once. You won't see a Galaxy Gunship/Full Troop capacity/Spawn Point either.

[Stardouser]

You guys are arguing about the minutiae of how, for example, a Galaxy might work while deployed as part of a base, but in reality, if they did this, it might be completely different. There could be unarmed modular base sections that people would take to the front and set up, and actually, there only needs to be one unit. Various functions could be achieved based on how many you set up and link together. 1 could be infantry spawn only, 2 could be infantry spawn plus equipment terminal, 3 would begin to allow vehicle spawns. 3 units together could allow up to 5 vehicles to spawn, 4 would add 5 more, etc. And actually I like this better, because if existing units can double as base sections, that may be overpowered. Take 12 guys to the front and then plop down to be part of the base?

And who says these units should be flying units? Maybe they should be, but depending on balance needs, they could also be ground units that are as big as a tractor trailer(except they would be a single unit).

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

You guys are arguing about the minutiae of how, for example, a Galaxy might work while deployed as part of a base, but in reality, if they did this, it might be completely different. There could be unarmed modular base sections that people would take to the front and set up, and actually, there only needs to be one unit. Various functions could be achieved based on how many you set up and link together. 1 could be infantry spawn only, 2 could be infantry spawn plus equipment terminal, 3 would begin to allow vehicle spawns. 3 units together could allow up to 5 vehicles to spawn, 4 would add 5 more, etc. And actually I like this better, because if existing units can double as base sections, that may be overpowered. Take 12 guys to the front and then plop down to be part of the base?

And who says these units should be flying units? Maybe they should be, but depending on balance needs, they could also be ground units that are as big as a tractor trailer(except they would be a single unit).

Ideally, all new units would be great. This is just expanding on existing models through sidegrading and yes, I am talking about having to sacrifice other upgrades/weapons to have such functionality.

[ShockNC]

Originally Posted by Malorn

That's a lot for one vehicle that also has a role of vehicle support & base-crashing troop transport. And you didn't like the galaxy having too many roles...wow.

the Sundy also doubles a a Bar and Tour bus

[Malorn]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

You won't see a Galaxy Gunship/Full Troop capacity/Spawn Point either.

Sure you could. The Galaxy Gunship as it existed in PS1 doesn't exist in PS2 as of yet (per the nanite vehicles webcast), but as far as we know....

* Deployment into respawn point is stock for Galaxies
* Galaxies have 4 independently upgradeable guns
* Every vehicle has a defense, a performance, and a utility upgrade slot.

So yeah, you could have a Galaxy jam packed infantry with some upgraded guns and top-armor drop over an objective, then land and deploy into an anchor point with engineers deploying turrets and cover and other things nearby to be manned/repaired by those infantry while they capture that objective.

Then when the objective is captured those infantry can pack up, pile back into the galaxy and move on to the next objective.

Seems quite awesome to me. Don't know why you have issue with that.

[Roradan]

Originally Posted by MacTruckuLes

i really, really like this idea. we were also talking about the lodestar today, and talking about it spawning ground vech, and being able to carray more than one tank.

my only issue is though is how balanced would it be to be able to spawn MBT's at a lodestar.

mybe the lodestar had a amount of resource that had to be refilled , only allowing it to spawn so many and a timer on it? mybe it could be filled up with a ant giving it resource from a base ?

[SkitzoSniper]

Originally Posted by Miir

I really like the idea of forward bases. I actually just did another post about it as a possible way to get rid of empire footholds using a forward operating base idea. (see below)

Your idea of the "green zone" is pretty good. I actually like it alot more then the current "foothold" idea that is being sold to us.

[SkitzoSniper]

Originally Posted by Malorn

Sure you could. The Galaxy Gunship as it existed in PS1 doesn't exist in PS2 as of yet (per the nanite vehicles webcast), but as far as we know....

* Deployment into respawn point is stock for Galaxies
* Galaxies have 4 independently upgradeable guns
* Every vehicle has a defense, a performance, and a utility upgrade slot.

So yeah, you could have a Galaxy jam packed infantry with some upgraded guns and top-armor drop over an objective, then land and deploy into an anchor point with engineers deploying turrets and cover and other things nearby to be manned/repaired by those infantry while they capture that objective.

Then when the objective is captured those infantry can pack up, pile back into the galaxy and move on to the next objective.

Seems quite awesome to me. Don't know why you have issue with that.

With a vechicle that seems to be as diverse as the galaxy in PS2 will be, you should have to choose which upgrade path to go. Like do you want to have addition armor at the cost of speed? Or do you want speed at the cost of armor? Or do you want more firepower on your gal at the expense of troop capacity and vice versa or any combination of those things. I just really hope you dont have the ability to make a galgunship with an extremely large troop carrying capacity with extra armor. that just seems like it could be slightly OP.

[Lokster]

Love EVILPIG's idea .. but I have to admit Malorn makes some good points as to why the system is fine as we presume it is "right now".

[Malorn]

Originally Posted by SkitzoSniper

With a vechicle that seems to be as diverse as the galaxy in PS2 will be, you should have to choose which upgrade path to go. Like do you want to have addition armor at the cost of speed? Or do you want speed at the cost of armor? Or do you want more firepower on your gal at the expense of troop capacity and vice versa or any combination of those things. I just really hope you dont have the ability to make a galgunship with an extremely large troop carrying capacity with extra armor. that just seems like it could be slightly OP.

Rather than paraphrase Kevmo, you can see what they said about the galaxy here:

It's at 23:00.

He seemed to indicate that they aren't going too far into the gunship side of things with the customization.

He also explained why the AMS functionality was on the Galaxy and not the Sunderer.

It's so radical I think its hard to say whether it works or not without playing it. It seems like a great design to me and I see no reason to muck with it until we get our hands on it and see what works and what doesn't work.

[Stardouser]

Originally Posted by Lokster

Love EVILPIG's idea .. but I have to admit Malorn makes some good points as to why the system is fine as we presume it is "right now".

What exactly do we think the current Forward Base system is right now and where did we get the info from?

Also, here's another thought to add to this: Being able to built floating pontoon bases! Of course I'm going to get shot down by naval haters but still, just throwing that out there.