comparison with RL military

Iceman · 2003-09-02, 10:39 PM

This post is in no way to bitch or discriminate the game, or its player comunity. Its just thoughts i'd like to share with 'it' and the 'dev' team.

First, i'm a war buff. I study warfare, weapons, history and am especially interested in WWII and a bit over Korea and Vietnam.

In playing Planetside i first noticed that, although futurisc in nature, planetside was build - unlike today's modern technology - as an infantry-based fighting wargame. While there are technicals in the game, both surface and air (so far), the main focus is on footing, which makes it so appealing.

There are no 'Special forces' with extra scopes and cameras to look around corners, or missiles that are guided through a camera, or walking mines or stuff like that, like we are seeing today.

But, while planetside is very 'WWII' era gameplay, it is also very far from what a 'real' military division would behave - if it were real.

By that, i would start by saying the armies (3 sides) are not wearing camouflage equipment. Although i understand the concept of players not knowing what is friendly and enemy just by looking. A very distinctive colour patter must be used to elaborate on that. (take for exemple Battlefield - rig it for tournement without nametags and people scream. Can't make a difference, everyone looks the same... ). I understand the concept, but while its for appealing reason and ease of use, since there are nametags on the top of everyone's head, why not use camouflage? in a colour pattern that match the army in question (i'm not saying NCs should have blue and Yellow camouflage). a bit like taking US Woodland, US TigerStripe... and so on. In that sens, technicals and body armor could represent the camouflage pattern representing the upcoming enviromment (change island - pattern changes).

Another aspect of the game that is drastically different from reality - Transportation.

In Real life, the 'Galaxy' transport plane (it really exists) can carry up to 3 full platoons - thats roughtly 80 people) and/or 2 tanks / 4 humVs... and so on. While in the game, the Galaxy can only carry 12 people + an ANT? or some ATVs. Now i'm not saying the Gal is not good. But since its so small, maybe it could be a good idea to make it more manoeverable, and create a 'real' Dropship that can carry the Upcoming PLATOON size squads + their technicals (ground transportation). Technically, with the hovering technology and all, there should be a possibility to carry at least 2 heavy technicals (Vangard, MagRiders... ) and the platoon. That would make sens, and then, give it a heavy and lousy manouverability. Throw in a few gunners and yer set.

In another range of ideas... i was wondering about 'space'. When you take a HART ride.. where does it go exactly? out into space, or the outeremisphere and drops you?... shouldn't there be people preventing that? There is a war.. why not up there? I was wondering about the drops. It is possible for people to drop everywhere - except in enemy sphere of influence (i,ll get to that later). what about the contrary? Shouldn't players be able to drop only in friendly and neutral? - FOllow to Sphere of influence...

About the Sphere of influence... i was wondering why they don't 'grow'. Bare with me. If for exemple, the Vanu take on Cyssor island, and have all the south side, and the war is raging over Gunuku with the NC, which in turn, possess all the North side of the island. wouldn't the sphere of influence 'grow' over neutral ground, making some kind of a cloud over the controlled areas?

This would bring interesting strategies, not only per island, but by WarpGates as well. Lets say for exemple (as it happens quite frequently) that one side - the Terran - possess Cyssor completly. In that sens, the sphere of influence would cover the whole island. In that instance, the only way on that island would be throught the warpgate (or over water?). It would then be possible for players and outfits to organise defence of islands, which could only be accessed by another island in turn. All this would make attack and defend a lot more 'large scale' and of very long duration. A siege could no longer be only of an outpost, but of an entire island. Usage of Gal and transportation vehicules would drastically change (for the better) as units would have to be carried from WarpGate acess to Warpgate access.

Fights would trully be about the planet instead of the island. And, in the case of the conquering of the whole planet, the last place an enemy could access would be the sanctuary... And in the case of a planet completly conquered by a side... the server resets, with a scoreboard saying who won, when... TR 1, NC 0, VS 0. (exemple - i play VS).

I know this is all farfetched, and its a very long read. But my game experience (its my job too) led me into those directions of thinking.

321 · 2003-09-02, 10:42 PM

Who said Planetside was supposed to be very realistic?

JetRaiden · 2003-09-02, 10:44 PM

I like the camo idea. the reason why they made the colors so bright is so its easy to distinguish a bad guy from a good one. it would be cool to have different kinds, like you said, woodland, tigerstripe....nice job iceman.

Iceman · 2003-09-02, 11:03 PM

321, little correction concerning the 'realism'.

Its not about realism towards 'OUR' world - taking for account that Planetside could come from another world (no one actually cares).

But fact of the matter is - any 'sophisticated' army - military force or faction of oppresive element using weapons and 'infrantry-like' techniques and ressources should consider their surrounding as elements of camouflage, amongts other things. Hence the camouflage(s).

Also, just before someone else makes a comment about the planetside gameplay - which i understand is 'arcade' in nature. Any 'sophisticated' army (...)(read above) also try to maximize their transportation methods to cost effective standards and capacity (maximum). The Gal does 'not' fit in that description, where the surrenderer does - in a lifescale effect.

SasukeMurisama · 2003-09-02, 11:15 PM

Erm... actually.... there are missiles that you can fly by camera... (Phoenix... NC weapon)

Iceman · 2003-09-02, 11:19 PM

Quite interesting! never played NC!

SasukeMurisama · 2003-09-02, 11:21 PM

Yeah... ive AT LEAST done training for all of the empires... tried out all their weapons and vehicles and such... so I can get a feel iof what the enemy is packing... Though i mainly play TR...

Anyways.... weren't they tjhinking about making some huge transport thingy besides the Lodestar.... i mean... it can hold a whole bucha people and a couple vehicles and stuff...

SecondRaven · 2003-09-03, 12:09 AM

I like what Iceman has to say "Bump"

Jaged · 2003-09-03, 02:55 AM

I think planetside would greatly benefit if changed like iceman wants it.

Harps · 2003-09-03, 03:02 AM

but we all know that wont happen

Evahn · 2003-09-03, 03:29 AM

I agree with these thoughts, but I think what we are dealing with the fact that we are talking about Sony... you know, the people who made EverQuest? In other words, what's going to happen is that first of all, many of these if not all of them WILL be implemented... each in their own expensive expansion pack. Second, Sony seems to heavily favor the lack in of realism and intense combat in many areas in order to keep a "user friendly" environment. Unfortunately, that means this could be a hard idea to get them to implement. I personally hope more people go along with those lines of thinking, those are very useful ideas and I agree by all means they should be implemented. I guess we'll just have to cross our fingers.

(just having fun the the smileys there

)

X-113 · 2003-09-03, 01:55 PM

Nice post!

I'd really like to see space- or at least upper atmosphere- combat in the next expansion. And it would definately be funny to see SWG fanboys whine "OMG a game called PLANETside gets space combat before STAR Wars! WTF?!?!?"

Heheh

Drinky · 2003-09-03, 03:16 PM

I read somewhere that one of the ideas that SOE has had planned was some low orbit stuff. Its already set up as each empire has its own orbital strike platform, these would probably function kinda like sanctuarys. Or maybe a rival empire will be able to take your platform and your empire would lose OS capability for awhile.

Sputty · 2003-09-03, 03:46 PM

Let's just say a modern army could beat PS's anytime.

Paingiver · 2003-09-03, 04:03 PM

i totally agree with iceman, with new strategies empires would actually have to muster their forces, instead of everyone going in as one small group. Also a factor is that in the future(acoording to planetside) there is no need for strategy because of cloning technology, which makes it so losses and blunders do not make a big difference. I would like it so that empires could cross the water to each continent. i also dont like how facilities and continents switch hands so easily, facilites could either be bigger, or maybe have bunkers within the couryard, and more mannable guns and defensive positions. Also, i have been wondering if there could be actual towns, which would be big and have urban combat settings, such as snipers on rooftops, machine guns in windows, and such, this would be a perfect place for widespread infantry combat, with armor nad such, and infantry would be able to ambush tanks in streets and have huge street battles. I also think that there should be improvements to the sniper scope, because its hard as helll to shoot with it.