Scouting and Esionage

ArmedZealot · 2012-01-10, 01:48 PM

Should mechanics be added to the game that promote these playstyles rather than just relegating them to the "metagame" position like they are in similar MMOPVP games?

Were you satisfied with PS1 mechanics that allowed you to gather intel?

Personally I believe that scouting in PS1 was the most unrewarded profession there was. You never got any reward personally for providing information to people that could use it, and once you actually got back to the fight it was over.

Espionage is metagame just because the game never caters to such a playstyle. You have to make a new account or alt to be involved. If there were mechanics to promote this playstyle in the game in the first place it would be an accepted and respectable role to their communities.

Metalsheep · 2012-01-10, 01:56 PM

In PS1 90% of the time, the information a scout could gather could be quickly and easily gathered by using your CUD and using Reveal Enemies. The only thing it didn't show was AMSs, and even then it wasn't too hard to guess where one was placed.

Scouts don't have such a huge role in Planetside when info is available through use of CUD and Tactical maps, they're really only useful for finding an AMS then OSing it on their own or hacking/deconning it.

Not to say this will be the same in PS2. I hope to see more roles for cloakers and the like.

acosmo · 2012-01-10, 02:20 PM

what more reward do you need other than the knowledge that you were the reason your team won that night

Princess Frosty · 2012-01-10, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Metalsheep

In PS1 90% of the time, the information a scout could gather could be quickly and easily gathered by using your CUD and using Reveal Enemies. The only thing it didn't show was AMSs, and even then it wasn't too hard to guess where one was placed.

Scouts don't have such a huge role in Planetside when info is available through use of CUD and Tactical maps, they're really only useful for finding an AMS then OSing it on their own or hacking/deconning it.

Not to say this will be the same in PS2. I hope to see more roles for cloakers and the like.

I agree, and using infiltrator to hack an enemy AMS and then jump in a drive it away while 20 enemies are all shoot at you, that's the funniest thing ever!

ArmedZealot · 2012-01-10, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by acosmo

what more reward do you need other than the knowledge that you were the reason your team won that night

While this may be good enough for a veteran, for newer players that don't understand the value of intel it may be a better way to get them involved in scouting.

Bittermen · 2012-01-10, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by ArmedZealot

While this may be good enough for a veteran, for newer players that don't understand the value of intel it may be a better way to get them involved in scouting.

It should be good enough for anyone with a brain. If they don't understand that then they shouldn't even be playing this game!

Also did the CUD and Tactical maps provide enemy positions? I think it would be important to scout out an area to see what you are up against beforehand.

Knightwyvern · 2012-01-10, 03:18 PM

I really enjoy the recon/stealth aspect in games. As an old PS1 sniper I loved sitting on a ridge and, when I couldn't find any targets, relay info to my CDL Brethren on enemy positions, etc.

You're right, there usually is no benefit for the actual recon player, but as long as performing stealth and recon actions has an impact and allows your Empire, Outfit, or Squad to win the day or perform better than they otherwise could, I feel it's enough.

ringring · 2012-01-10, 03:19 PM

Don't be so harsh guys .....

in reply, in ps1 scouting is important but intel is usually distributed via outfit TS/Vent and via cr5 channel.

Is any more needed? What would be the mechanic?

Funniest intel is when we have a cloaker in an enemy courtyard .. " oh look, they ahve a router and it goes right to the spawns" ...... " right, load a gal we're going to do a gal drop"

Xyntech · 2012-01-10, 04:23 PM

I'm not sure how valuable actual intel would be in most situations, but I would love to see cloakers given more things to do.

Maybe there could be some artificial equivalents of intel gather, such as stealing data from a enemy hex that enables your side to capture it more quickly than usual for a limited amount of time.

Stuff like that where it's an actual mechanic of the game, a predictable factor that can be balanced.

I wouldn't mind seeing some more dynamic, real intel gathering stuff as well, but some fictional intel gathering would probably help round things out.

PoisonTaco · 2012-01-10, 04:27 PM

You know how we're getting these resources for capturing territory right? What if the stealth players could try and sneak into enemy territory and steal resources for their empire?

Draep · 2012-01-10, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Princess Frosty

I agree, and using infiltrator to hack an enemy AMS and then jump in a drive it away while 20 enemies are all shoot at you, that's the funniest thing ever!

That IS really funny. You don't live in New England do you?

DviddLeff · 2012-01-10, 05:04 PM

Scouts should be spotting enemies like in the newest battlefield games and getting bonus points for those spotted enemies being killed shortly after. They could also be lasing targets for air strikes and again being rewarded for their efforts.

Xyntech · 2012-01-10, 05:58 PM

Even though hacking and then driving enemy vehicles won't be in Planetside 2, i wonder if we could get something slightly similar.

Hack into an enemy vehicle and gain the ability to drive it remotely. Make the controls all wonky and disable firing of the guns maybe. Just enough control that you can wreak some havoc with it.

Since it's colors won't be changing, you could have a particle effect with electricity arcing all over the place on the vehicle to indicate that it has been hacked and compromised, also indicating that it won't incur any grief points to destroy it. The vehicle should probably be slowly losing health and blow up on it's own eventually too.

Maybe you can't control the guns, but they fire off randomly, with any turrets spinning wildly out of control?

Obviously there should be an option to decon the vehicle you hacked at any time as well, or maybe an option to self destruct it, hopefully injuring enemies in the blast.

I hate to see hacked vehicles go away, but maybe some vaguely similar stuff could fill the gap a tiny bit.

Talek Krell · 2012-01-10, 06:22 PM

The idea of having a much more detailed sensors interface is something that I and others have advocated. Having things like deployable radars and aircraft sensor suites that show detected enemies on the maps of allies. I like the idea that enemies killed while they are being detected in such a way would reward some support xp to the scout responsible.

As for espionage, I don't think there should ever be any sort of impersonation mechanics in the game. Still plenty that can be done though. I'd wager that there are numerous high value things like CY shield generators scattered through bases, and even just having rewards for scouting could reward clever cloakers for their effort.

Ooh, here's a twist on an old idea. Sensor Beacon: Infiltrator (possibly also SL) equipment. Can be thrown like a grenade or planted on the side of a vehicle or deployable/destructible. When attached it highlights the vehicle on the radar of allies and reveals it on the tactical map. When thrown creates a beacon visible to things like gunships and artillery.

Metalsheep · 2012-01-10, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

The idea of having a much more detailed sensors interface is something that I and others have advocated. Having things like deployable radars and aircraft sensor suites that show detected enemies on the maps of allies. I like the idea that enemies killed while they are being detected in such a way would reward some support xp to the scout responsible.

When thrown creates a beacon visible to things like gunships and artillery.

#1: In Planetside 1, the Mosquito aircraft did this. It only did so if you were at about 30% throttle and revieled anything in a small radius underneath the aircraft. Unfortunately it didn't give SEP, though i wish it did. There were also Motion Sensors, Sensor Disrupters and Aegis Shields that all influenced Radar as well. Though they could expand on this, i'd be comfortable if the even just stuck with what was in PS1.

#2 There was something similar to this in PS1 as well called the Laze Pointer, the scout had to sit and Paint the target with a visable laser that then set a beacon for all squad/platoon members and even set a crossheir for Flail (artillary) units. I'd love to see this expanded upon in PS2 as only the Flail really benefitted from this, and the becon didnt move or track specific targets, it was only useful for stationary targets.