Make Lightning Tank Empire Specific?

Vectorian · 2012-04-28, 02:00 AM

I think it would be cool if they made the Lightning Tank have different looks for each faction kind of like the buggies. I think it would be really awesome cause the current model definitely could belong to NC and they should make new models for TR and VS. That way each faction has a unique light tank as well. What do you guys think?

Eyeklops · 2012-04-28, 02:09 AM

The guy who plans the texture budget disagrees

Sirisian · 2012-04-28, 02:09 AM

Is this for real? Personally I hate ES stuff, so these kind of comments to make more things unbalanceable bothers me.

Ruffdog · 2012-04-28, 02:14 AM

No, different paint jobs on the one model are just fine for me for this vehicle.

Zulthus · 2012-04-28, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by Sirisian

Is this for real? Personally I hate ES stuff

Why are you playing Planetside in that case? Variety is spice.

Vectorian · 2012-04-28, 02:24 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Why are you playing Planetside in that case? Variety is spice.

I concur, If you don't like empire specific stuff then you might as well go play counter strike lol...

Kran De Loy · 2012-04-28, 02:58 AM

@OP: No. Just, no. If they have time to make custom models I'd rather it get spent on enter/exit animations.

As for people that do not like ES stuff, so what? It's their preference and that's fine. The point of Planetside isn't the ES equipment. It's about three factions fighting on a massive scale. The ES stuff is just a spice, like Zulthus said.

Zulthus · 2012-04-28, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by Kran De Loy

@OP: No. Just, no. If they have time to make custom models I'd rather it get spent on enter/exit animations.

As for people that do not like ES stuff, so what? It's their preference and that's fine. The point of Planetside isn't the ES equipment. It's about three factions fighting on a massive scale. The ES stuff is just a spice, like Zulthus said.

I agree. Enter/exit animations uber alles.

But you wouldn't care is Planetside was just dudes wearing the same armor and everyone was holding an AK-47? There's a reason Planetside was built around the stories of three different factions with totally different ideas and technology.

Kran De Loy · 2012-04-28, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

I agree. Enter/exit animations uber alles.

But you wouldn't care is Planetside was just dudes wearing the same armor and everyone was holding an AK-47? There's a reason Planetside was built around the stories of three different factions with totally different ideas and technology.

Yeah, and it's a spice.
It's like having a piece of fine Steak or a piece of fine Steak that's been marinated and prepared by a top class chef.

Sirisian · 2012-04-28, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Why are you playing Planetside in that case? Variety is spice.

It's not really a big deal breaker for me. More of a personal preference for balance. I don't mind empire skins with the same collision mesh as a form of variety. Basically I'd prefer to have 3 NS fighters I can use rather than 1 ES one, 3 distinct ES tanks rather than 1 tank, 3 NS rocket launchers with unique playstyles versus being locked into one, etc. Different projectile and weapon skins that are all equal in the end with their customizations is fine also. So I'm not against an MMOFPS with identical factions. I digress it's really just a different preference I picked up after playing Planetside 1 and watching all the balance changes over time and having to switch factions to experience all the weapons and playstyles which got tiresome when I wanted to stick with one faction. (I get bored easily doing the same thing).

Originally Posted by Vectorian

I concur, If you don't like empire specific stuff then you might as well go play counter strike lol...

Honestly if Planetside 1 released with 30+ unique weapons for all empires with different meshes for some of the per empire I'd be fine. CS:S might have been a bad example on your part. It's hard to compare the scale and persistence to that of Planetside, but I think I understand where you were going.

Zulthus · 2012-04-28, 03:30 AM

Originally Posted by Kran De Loy

Yeah, and it's a spice.

You know that isn't true. The three unique empires are the very core and base of the entire game.

The Kush · 2012-04-28, 04:04 AM

The PS2 budget doesn't have this available, get over it.

Zenben · 2012-04-28, 04:35 AM

Nah. I get the feeling that if this were to happen, you'd just end up with smaller versions of the MBTs. I'd rather the tank lineup remain the way it is.

Kran De Loy · 2012-04-28, 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

You know that isn't true. The three unique empires are the very core and base of the entire game.

And you know that isn't true. Seriously think about it.

If you had a game with three factions that were all nearly identical, but the fights were 200v200v200 over a 8x8 battle field or a game with three iconic factions each with multiple outstanding characteristics and a rich background story interlocking them near seamlessly with each other placed in a game where the fights are a 16v16v16 match made system (to be fair and keep it the traditional size of 16 per team). Which one would of these things would be a better game?

I, and I hope you do as well, recognize that it's a futile question. If you had to choose between the two no one would be happy and that it's a wonderful thing that we get to have both at the same time. I'll at least answer my own question though. The large scale battles more than the rich story line is what gave PS so much longevity in the cookie cutter world of games we players are forced to beg in these days. It was the stories that we made ourselves in those battles that trump any of the background faction histories.

Xyntech · 2012-04-28, 05:11 PM

I'd say scale > team work > 3 sides >> empire diversity >> everything else.

The scale, not just of the world but of the actual battles, is at the core of what makes Planetside what it is. Team work is almost inseparable from that scale and is the other important part, and the 3 faction system is about the only good solution to keeping those large scale organized fights relatively balanced.

Empire diversity is still up there as far as what makes it feel like Planetside, and it just wouldn't be the same if it were all common pool, but it is not at the absolute core of what makes the game for me.

Everything else, like having something like a MAX, or an Infiltrator, or anything like that, is pretty inconsequential to me. There is no real good reason not to have something like a MAX, so I'm just as happy that they include them to make it feel even more like the original game instead of dumping them for no reason, but if PS2 had a good reason to have no MAX units, it wouldn't destroy the core of the game for me.

There is a big difference in my mind between having nostalgia for the first game and wanting the opportunity to relive every happy little moment from it, versus keeping the core of the game alive to generate all sorts of new experiences. In most cases, the devs should be able to and seem willing to cater to the nostalgic elements as well, but any time changes have to be made to move the game forward, I'm generally okay with them as long as they don't endanger the core of what I think made Planetside so great.