Planetside 2 Removing my favorite aspect of PS1

[Malorn]

The root problem was that PS1's cert system, while awesome, did not scale. In the beginning it encouraged specialization because not everyone could do everything. As more potential certifications are introduced the only way to allow people to really use them without sacrificing their existing method of play is to expand the cert pool.

As the cert pool expands the player base becomes less-specialized as now we can do more stuff. While we might need to still specialize into the super-duper-ultra-advanced-hacking the majority of the playerbase used the expanded cert pool to become all-purpose soldiers complete with all the certs they need to handle any situation.

That turned Planetside from a great game where you can choose your own specializations into something where specialization didn't matter at all.

The class system is effectively the same as having certs with dependencies and limitations. It allows them to expand the roles over time and provide more specialization options without creating homogenized good-at-everything soldiers. It also allows them to add cool and powerful specialized abilities without worrying about players combining that ability with other powerful specialized abilities to create super soldiers. In this way they are much easier to balance and expanding on the certs and abilities scales very well into the future. Specialization remains relevant.

[TheMozFather]

Specializing in a specific role gives the individual a sense of importance.

[ArmedZealot]

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

I assume you know how many developers were in the PS1 pot. The Design was dead after smoke jumper.

They put on people from EQ for Christ sake, Of course increased power became the focus.

Increased power was always the focus. It was the business model that SOE was used to. MMO's from Planetsides age were all about the grind. Players came to expect that.

Now a system is put in place to stop that. That is what the class system is. Now vets want to go back and try again.

[MrBloodworth]

Originally Posted by ArmedZealot

Increased power was always the focus.

No. Stop talking.

[Papscal]

Character classifications = restrictions. Its a loss of in game freedom. But hey every sequel or game remake gets dumbed down because developers all seem to believe that you cant just let a good thing be just that. Taking away decisions from the players never pans out.

[kaffis]

To preface, I'm fine with a class system. I think it adds options for the developers to more precisely balance exciting new features. But I'll play devil's advocate, here, because the cert system as originally designed wasn't unsustainable.

Originally Posted by Malorn

The root problem was that PS1's cert system, while awesome, did not scale. In the beginning it encouraged specialization because not everyone could do everything. As more potential certifications are introduced the only way to allow people to really use them without sacrificing their existing method of play is to expand the cert pool.

If you're introducing new potential certifications and nobody's willing to use them by sacrificing their existing method of play, the new stuff you're adding is just bad because it's superfluous. If it's useful, or contributes something meaningful or that caters to a legitimately unique playstyle, some people will drop other stuff to take it, and the system's not broken. If people aren't dropping stuff to take it, it's either underpowered, unnecessary, or the stuff they refuse to drop is overpowered/not properly valued cert-point-wise.

[ArmedZealot]

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

No. Stop talking.

Smokejumper brought in Core Combat.

Here buy this expansion for flails and switchblades! Here are our new weapons that make all other empire equivalent trash!

Yeah whatever you call "The Design" really existed....

[cellinaire]

My notion so far :

A bit of overestimation about what PS2 don't have that PS1 did have,

A bit of underestimation about what PS2 will add that PS1 didn't have....

We will see, though.