Small tweaks that would make a big difference

Jagd · 2004-02-02, 12:12 PM

This is the place to list any "pet peeves" you have with the current state of Planetside, and suggestions on how to fix them. I'm not talking game balance issues or huge bugs, just little irritations that seem like that they would need only a small code or art tweak to make the game better and more fun.

Laze Pointer :: Once a target is lazed, the waypoint stays up until either the player is killed and releases, or until they mark a new target. Change the marker so that it is a circle with the player's squad number and color on it. Each player is therefore only allowed 1 lazed waypoint at a time, but they will be considerably more useful as you won't have to keep painting the vehicle pad every 60 seconds.

Flail :: Add a range-finder to the HUD of this so-called artillery piece. There's no need to add numbers do it, just pips (like the altitude meter on aircraft) that are spaced off in say 100m increments, allowing faster and more accurate tracking of lazed targets. With a gap as large as 100m it will still require some co-ordination and spotting work, but it will make it easier and more reliable when used at its intended range.

Game map :: Make it so we can see the inside of the caverns again without having to actually go through the geowarp. Add enemy force warnings on the geowarps on continent maps, that are affected by the total amount of enemies in that cavern, and not just at the AT plant or whatever. While they're at it, fix the maps of the caves because after playing below the surface several times in the past few days, it seems like some of the facility locations are completely wrong on the maps.

Vehicle favourites :: Allow us to save 10 vehicle favourites. This can't be that hard, and what with the new cert bundling 5 slots is simply not enough to save all of your setups-- particularly when you have to use more than one per vehicle to customize your loadouts the way you like (ie: liberator with no tail gunner, pure rockets in the reaver, etc).

Medic / engineer tools :: Make it like hacking. You click to start it, and then you can let go. I can't believe this hasn't been implemented yet, what a piss off to our hardworking support soldiers!

Spawn loadout :: Allow each player to set up a favourite for the equipment that they spawn with, with the caveat that it must be in standard armor. For simplicity's sake I'd be fine if they hardcoded it to slot 1, so that whatever you save there you spawn with. If you try and cheat the system by saving a favourite to slot 1 with something other than standard armor then it won't be used, and you'll spawn with the current standard/suppressor/pistol gear. This gives spawning troops at least a slightly better chance at surviving when they pop out into a camped spawn room. This could lead to the end of the suppressor, but hey, who cares??

Breached spawn room warnings :: You know how when people are shooting at the generator, everyone in the SOI gets a warning message? If there are enemy personnel in a facility spawn room, there should be a similar message going off everywhere as well. Since there is no indication on the map when 1 or 2 of the 3 tubes are down, this would give defenders a chance to react to spawn room invasions before it's too late.

Spawn point selection :: You can now spawn at any available spawn point your empire has on the continent. Matrixing will only be needed if you want to spawn off-continent, say to bring up a new vehicle.

Gun towers :: Add 2 ground vehicle repair pads to all gun towers, one on each side that doesn't have a door.

Ok, now let's hear what you'd like to see improved!

Veteran · 2004-02-02, 12:16 PM

I like all the ideas.

Also, you should be able to select a vehicle favorite from the vehicle terminal instead of having to drive to a vehicle repair silo, assuming your base is properly linked.

Majik · 2004-02-02, 12:18 PM

Vehicle favourites :: Allow us to save 10 vehicle favourites. This can't be that hard, and what with the new cert bundling 5 slots is simply not enough to save all of your setups-- particularly when you have to use more than one per vehicle to customize your loadouts the way you like (ie: liberator with no tail gunner, pure rockets in the reaver, etc).

YES!!!! I have 17 certs worth of vehicles, 5 favorites doesn't come close to covering that. I would love to flip the standard 10 and veh 5 for my needs.

Deadlock · 2004-02-02, 12:55 PM

I would like the option to tone down the graphics of vanu weaponry... they lag the shit outa my comp, especially that lasher. I mean, i just nead a big purple ball to know whats killing me, not a tendricaled orb dashing all over the place making it so i cant move for cover.

Also, loadtimes for conts have gotten extremly long and logging out has also started to take forever, though this could be some sorta bug on my side not the server.

Jagd · 2004-02-02, 12:57 PM

I think you have to turn your particle FX detail down to do that, but then it affects other stuff as well as Vanu weapons.

EarlyDawn · 2004-02-02, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Jagd

Game map :: Make it so we can see the inside of the caverns again without having to actually go through the geowarp. Add enemy force warnings on the geowarps on continent maps, that are affected by the total amount of enemies in that cavern, and not just at the AT plant or whatever. While they're at it, fix the maps of the caves because after playing below the surface several times in the past few days, it seems like some of the facility locations are completely wrong on the maps.

It would be nice if we could click on a warpgate/geowarp and skip right to the applicable continent.

Renegarde · 2004-02-02, 09:42 PM

Good points, Jagd. I haven't played in a while so I can't really think of anything to add though =(

dscytherulez · 2004-02-02, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by jagd

Medic / engineer tools :: Make it like hacking. You click to start it, and then you can let go. I can't believe this hasn't been implemented yet, what a piss off to our hardworking support soldiers!

That and remove that damn "The AMS you are bound to has lost its owner yadayadayada" message...

Warborn · 2004-02-02, 10:00 PM

1. Drastically reduce the ammo capacity of most Heavy Assault weapons. Jackhammer down to 8, MCG to, say, 50, and Lasher to 15 or so (didn't have much ammo to start with, so it might be OK). I mean, fine, let me die in 2 seconds to these weapons, but don't make it so that the next 5 guys down the line get to die too. This is especailly annoying with the MCG and Jackhammer, where the guys clearly can't aim worth a damn, but by sheer spam they will kill you and several other guys before running out of bullets.

2. I really wish the sounds in the game would get a revision. You can't hear anything until it's right on top of you. Tank rolling to run you over from behind? You'll hear it after it runs you over. I have always hated how quiet PS is. The only stuff you ever hear is weapons firing, and voice macros, which just sucks. Distinct footstep indoors, like Counterstrike for lack of a more widely known example, and vehicles audible from a much greater range should be in.

2.5. In addition, you should get more audio feedback while driving too. The driving sound consists of a single noise in a constant loop. Vehicles hardly rev at all, don't make any different noise when going over different terrain, don't give any audio feedback when you go over a bump (unless you damage the vehicle), and otherwise provide a really poor experience.

3. I don't know why the hell it is done this way, but you can't chat during certain times, like immidiately after you die. So annoying. And it's not because you'd be able to instantly warn people, or whatever, because I already can do that with voice chat.

4. Restrict HA weapons to Reinforced armor. Fuck Surgiles, and their universal love of bailing out of a Mosquito over a tower to kill 10 guys with those stupid HA weapons before they get killed and go back for another round. Cheap, extremely annoying things to be a victim of strategies should not exist.

5. Add a grenade slot, so that grenades don't take up a pistol holster, and can be drawn and fired without fiddling in your inventory. Grenades are so clumsy to the point of total impracticality.

6. Fix the ground vehicle physics. I think it's insane how much vehicles are slowed down by hills, especially when they have a good run at them.

7. Let you select from a list of all possible Instant Action spots to go to. I am tired of hitting Instant Action and being forced back into the same horrible, spawn-camped area.

8. Why, exactly, were people made to be able to spawn into hacked facilities? If they've got the hack, chances are the base is lost. Letting people spawn back into the base only encourages spawn camping.

9. Make AP and Regular versions of bullets for vehicles. Have the AP do a bit more damage to vehicles than it does now, and the Regular do significantly less. For explosive rounds, the AP version would have a smaller blast radius, but would again do more to vehicles than the Regular, which would do less to vehicles. This way, you can use the shitty vehicles like Harassers for pretty effective anti-vehicle operations. It's reasonably difficult to hit infantry while on the move in those things, but they'd be much more effective against larger targets like tanks and so aircraft and MAXs.

10. Modify the result of being run over to fit the vehicle. Being hit by a vehicle with light armor, like a Basilisk, should hurt a bit, but not be fatal. A Basilisk hitting a MAX should blow up, doing some damage to the MAX, but not killing it.

A vehicle with medium armor, like a Harasser, should not kill infantry either, but it should seriously damage them when it hits them. They shouldn't kill MAXs either, but a MAX being hit by one should be reasonably damaged.

Only heavy vehicles like tanks, sunderers, and the like should kill infantry outright. MAXs should be killed by these as well, but running a MAX over in one should inflict damage to the vehicle.

The idea is that cheap kills like Magmowing should be discouraged. I think it's extremely stupid that for non-tank ground vehicles, their bumper is their primary weapon.

Visor · 2004-02-02, 11:19 PM

Game map :: Make it so we can see the inside of the caverns again without having to actually go through the geowarp. Add enemy force warnings on the geowarps on continent maps, that are affected by the total amount of enemies in that cavern, and not just at the AT plant or whatever. While they're at it, fix the maps of the caves because after playing below the surface several times in the past few days, it seems like some of the facility locations are completely wrong on the maps.

Dosent matter since no more then 5 people go there to get the mods but if there would be more people this still does not have to be implemented since the maps are so small.
What would be great is to see where the density of your enemy is in your SOI like a poor mans "reveal enemies" but only for SOI and they should be more rapid like the circles arent exactly where the person is. This would happen only to all but cloakers and only to bases linked to an interlink facility.

Rbstr · 2004-02-02, 11:23 PM

I liek all but the Spawn idea that would makw it very hard to take anything(especialy towers) unless you had a zerg, we want to cut down on zerg not make it the only way to win. Also the spawn point selection, a bit, make it so you can go to the two closest bases/AMS's/towers. Becsaue the other way you get rid of logistics witch i my bigest petpeave.

If you want to go right to the action go play a normal damn game like CS. This is a team based game that relies on teamwork to get stuff done, along with decent leadership. Logistics is part of this. i think it should be made harder to get form base to base, not easier. Has anyone ever had a battle away from the bases, say the sothern plains of cyssor near tore? its one of the most awsome places to fight. and a fight in the montians of forseal would be sweet, but we never get to fight in most of the very nice seenary in PS.

Acaila · 2004-02-03, 11:33 AM

I think vehicle repair silos should be put on watch towers, not gun towers. At the moment, watch towers are useless.

Queensidecastle · 2004-02-03, 12:07 PM

I dont have time to write out a post expressing all the tweaks I would make but the one that stands out in my mind the most and the one I find the most annoying in this game is the damn Interlink Benifit.

I want this changed where it does not invalidate the Cloaking cert. You dont see Facility Link Benifits that invalidate AA MAXs or that invalidate Heavy Assault, or invalidate your favorite vehicle...etc. Crouch-walking cloakers should be undetectable by everything except for darklight or very observant troopers period. I want the Silent Run implant to actually work and I want turrets to stop firing on Cloakers that are crouch-walking or not moving

GreyFox · 2004-02-03, 12:34 PM

There are vehicle repair silos on gun towers?

Wow, hadn't noticed!

And why don't they work sometimes? :? I'm clueless here...

Majik · 2004-02-03, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by GreyFox

There are vehicle repair silos on gun towers?

Wow, hadn't noticed!

And why don't they work sometimes? :? I'm clueless here...

No, it was one of the suggestions he made, there aren't any on towers. The current repair silos only work when you have control of, and an unbroken link to, a dropship center.