Squad Spawning Orbital Station, launching station, and communication station

LampShade · 2012-08-10, 01:46 PM

The idea is simple: Squad-Spawning Orbital Station(SOS) is something that is launched into the air that gives a faction the ability to "Squad Spawn". Without the SOS on a specific continent, a faction cannot "Squad Spawn" on that continent.

In order to launch a Squad Spawning Orbital Station, a faction must capture a Tech Plant (for example...) because Tech Plants contain the "Launch Pad". They must also capture an Amp Station (for example... could be another base type though) because the Amp Station contains the communications tower that is required to "beam up the player's DNA to the SOS" that is orbiting the planet so the player can be Dropped from the Drop Pod.

Once a faction owns both a Tech Plant and an Amp Station on Amerish(for example), then can now "Squad Spawn" on Amerish. Launching the Squad Spawning Orbital Station would cost XXX in-game-resources and it only lasts for say "200 drop pods" or "12 hours" or some set limit before it dies out. Then the faction can launch another SOS if the previous one dies out. But again, this costs in-game-resources.

Squad Spawning requires your team to own an Amp Station, if you lose the Amp Station, you need to get it back in order to continue squad spawning since the Amp Station communicates with the SOS by beaming the player's DNA up to the Drop Pod. If you Lose the tech plant but still have the amp station, you can still squad spawn until your SOS dies out or runs out of fuel or whatever...

Game play scenarios. Let's say Amerish contains 2 Amp Station and 2 Tech Planets. There is a scenario where the NC own 1 amp and 1 tech while the VS own 1 tech and 1 amp and they are both squad spawning and launching SOS's at will... Maybe another planet has 2 amp stations but only 1 tech plant, this would make for interesting battles over the tech planet to ensure your faction can squad spawn!

The Amp Statoin's SOS tower can be destroyed! Similar to Planetside, where a bases Generator can be destroyed. If the Tower is destroyed then it will need repaired before squad spawning can continue. The tower would be a target for Liberators, thus increasing the need for Air to Air combat load outs for Reavers, Mosquitoes, etc.

This adds a additional strategy for attacking a continent. Let's say an Outfit is running 4 squads in an attack on a new continent. A strategy might be to have 3 squads push on a base while the 4th squad flanks a rear base to take on the enemy's Amp Station Tower to prevent enemy Drop Pods. Preventing enemy drop pods has a clear advantage -> You know the enemy is coming from either the Warp gate or the spawn tubes...

Duskguy · 2012-08-10, 02:21 PM

from my understanding, they made it so that one faction taking over a continent is highly unlikly to ever happen. and the continent is the map....the whole thing.

and from what i understand there are lots of tech stations and stuff.

i mean its not a bad idea over all if added to the spawn on squad leader function as it would add an incentive to defend your bases or take the enemies'.

perhaps if each tech lab could launch within a certain radius, but overall i think the spawn on squad leader idea is better overall

LampShade · 2012-08-10, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Duskguy

from my understanding, they made it so that one faction taking over a continent is highly unlikly to ever happen. and the continent is the map....the whole thing.

I think my last paragraph may have confused you? I removed "taking over" and added "attacking". What does a faction taking over an entire continent have to do with Squad spawning? All you need for an SOS is an Amp Station and a Tech on a single continent in order to Squad Spawn.

I played PS for years, I've seen countless all Blue, Red, and Purple continents. It's doable for sure. Sometimes guys just get owned and pushed off continents.

Duskguy · 2012-08-10, 03:23 PM

i never played ps1, but from what i've gathered, in PS2 there will be warp gates and uncapturable nodes/ facilities. and again, the continent is the map. and there will be 3 continents at launch each with 2k players.

i dont understand your "attacking a continent" because the continent will be the map. you choose a continent to fight on and thats where you are, there are no intercontinental fights. again there will be 2k players between 3 factions, and i doubt that ~600 players will be unable to hold at least one area on a map where you can ALWAYS spawn due to a warp gate that is uncapturable/indestructable.

maybe i am indeed misunderstanding something, but i was under the impression from all the interviews and such that there will be many tech stations, bio domes, amp stations or whatever. which bascially means everyone is almost guarenteed a spawn tower thing, which would end up the same as just spawning on the squad leader. and again, how would squads prepare to attack a continent if there is only the current one you are on, and no intercontinental fights?

Program · 2012-08-10, 06:53 PM

I like it. It's kind of like a home court advantage!

Edit: It removes instant gratification from the squad spawn equation, too.

Gugabalog · 2012-08-10, 08:22 PM

Thereve been many similar threads, this seems to be a popular idea. (Connecting Squad Spawn to space!)

LampShade · 2012-08-13, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Duskguy

i never played ps1, but from what i've gathered, in PS2 there will be warp gates and uncapturable nodes/ facilities. and again, the continent is the map. and there will be 3 continents at launch each with 2k players.

i dont understand your "attacking a continent" because the continent will be the map. you choose a continent to fight on and thats where you are, there are no intercontinental fights. again there will be 2k players between 3 factions, and i doubt that ~600 players will be unable to hold at least one area on a map where you can ALWAYS spawn due to a warp gate that is uncapturable/indestructable.

No problem, it's not really that important in the concept of the idea i proposed. It Planetside there were like 10 Continents, so beginning an attacking on a new Continent was very common.

Originally Posted by Duskguy

maybe i am indeed misunderstanding something, but i was under the impression from all the interviews and such that there will be many tech stations, bio domes, amp stations or whatever. which bascially means everyone is almost guarenteed a spawn tower thing, which would end up the same as just spawning on the squad leader. and again, how would squads prepare to attack a continent if there is only the current one you are on, and no intercontinental fights?

There MAY be cases where each faction on a continent has the ability to launch and control Squad-Spawning Oribital Stations, but that will not always be the case. Bases will be won and lost 24/7, I guarantee factions will not always have a tech planet and an amp station on every continent.... Shit happens and people get blown up :-)

Originally Posted by Gugabalog

Thereve been many similar threads, this seems to be a popular idea. (Connecting Squad Spawn to space!)

Yes I heard some talk of possibly space related things in PS2's future, this kind of goes along with the concept.

Originally Posted by Duskguy

from my understanding, they made it so that one faction taking over a continent is highly unlikly to ever happen. and the continent is the map....the whole thing.

Here is a screenie I found google imaging "Planetside". See it's totally possible for a faction to dominate!

Originally Posted by Program

I like it. It's kind of like a home court advantage!

Edit: It removes instant gratification from the squad spawn equation, too.

Exactly! Squad Spawning is very powerful and should be something that is literally fought for and secured rather than just free and taken from granted... AKA fight over the Tech Planets for the SOS Launch Pad and fight over the Amp Station for the Communications Tower.