How about Gal pilots?

Turdicus · 2012-05-26, 04:38 PM

Piloting a Galaxy back in PS1 was one of my favorite things to do. It was so satisfying responding to requests for gal pilots and then successfully dropping off an entire squad onto my enemies heads. But I don't remember ever getting experience for transporting troops (please correct me if I'm just forgetting).

Would there be a way to add some kind of incentive to gal and sundy pilots? Some kind of xp reward so that being a transport driver doesn't retard your BR progression. The way I picture it working is if it was somehow incorporated into the mission system, if there was a mission to bring a squad to a certain place the gal pilot can get xp for successfully delivering that squad.

This would make it so that being a gal or sundy pilot is both fun AND rewarding. I'm probably still gonna do it even without an incentive, because its so critical to gameplay and fulfilling that role is very satisfying, but an xp incentive makes a lot of sense to me.

onwee · 2012-05-26, 04:41 PM

From what I have gathered, EXP is gained by basically being in the combat zone. The more amount of people killing each other in an area, the more EXP you get.

I don't think they have mentioned any specifics on support exp (such as getting exp when people drop out of your GAL). But I'm very confident you will be able to level up by just dropping people into combat. Since you were in the combat zone, you would be getting the same exp boosts the shooters would be getting.

Thomas · 2012-05-26, 04:43 PM

I'm not sure how that would activate a trigger to give you XP though and obviously we can't just allow XP for people being in the galaxy and bailing out as that would be a major XP exploit.

I'm afraid the life of a Galaxy pilot is a lonely one...

Maybe as the galaxy is a spawn point maybe people that spawn from the galaxy - as they complete objectives - give a small percentage of XP to the gal owner?

p0intman · 2012-05-26, 04:45 PM

As long as I can dump people I don't like out over an ocean still, doesn't matter much to me.

onwee · 2012-05-26, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Thomas

I'm not sure how that would activate a trigger to give you XP though and obviously we can't just allow XP for people being in the galaxy and bailing out as that would be a major XP exploit.

I'm afraid the life of a Galaxy pilot is a lonely one...

Maybe as the galaxy is a spawn point maybe people that spawn from the galaxy - as they complete objectives - give a small percentage of XP to the gal owner?

I think if you established rules on GAL drops it would be ok,

For example, if it's a combat zone and there is enemy in the area, then +XX exp for each gal drop...for example.

Gogita · 2012-05-26, 04:51 PM

I think what we tend to forget is that in Planetside 2, there will be a much larger focus on outfits and more incentives to join outfits as well. Outfits will help giving incentives to people to have support roles.

In PS1, many support roles have to be incentivized before people will use it mainly by giving support exp and such. This holds for galaxy pilots as well, AMS's and so on.

However, I can imagine that if you are in an outfit and you are the designated galaxy pilot, you do not need any experience incentives to pilot the galaxy. The fact that you are helping your outfit and you get credit for it in your outfit.

Mechzz · 2012-05-26, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by onwee

I don't think they have mentioned any specifics on support exp (such as getting exp when people drop out of your GAL). But I'm very confident you will be able to level up by just dropping people into combat. Since you were in the combat zone, you would be getting the same exp boosts the shooters would be getting.

Higby said early on that if you deploy a Gal spawn that you get a share of the XP generated by peeps who spawn there.

Atheosim · 2012-05-26, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by Gogita

I think what we tend to forget is that in Planetside 2, there will be a much larger focus on outfits and more incentives to join outfits as well. Outfits will help giving incentives to people to have support roles.

In PS1, many support roles have to be incentivized before people will use it mainly by giving support exp and such. This holds for galaxy pilots as well, AMS's and so on.

However, I can imagine that if you are in an outfit and you are the designated galaxy pilot, you do not need any experience incentives to pilot the galaxy. The fact that you are helping your outfit and you get credit for it in your outfit.

But XP is required to certify for greater specialization. Why would I want to be a dedicated gal pilot if piloting a gal doesn't net me any cert points for piloting a gal? If I want to be a sniper, sniping lets me specialize further, etc, etc, etc.

Turdicus · 2012-05-26, 04:57 PM

I agree Gojita, even without incentives the sheer utility and necessity of gals and sunderers always draws people in to use them. It won't be an issue I don't think, but getting xp wouldn't hurt

The battle zone info helps to clarify where SOE plans on going with this. It seems like it might be a hell of a time just getting the whole process balanced and worked out, but if they can do it then they are going to make a lot of support players very happy. A simple sphere of influence wouldn't work, because then people would always try to do combat drops instead of dropping them on the outskirts of the battle. I dunno, it gets complicated.

Atheosim · 2012-05-26, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Mechzz

Higby said early on that if you deploy a Gal spawn that you get a share of the XP generated by peeps who spawn there.

Okay, so that's the AMS bonus. What about actually piloting the gal as a troop transport?

Gogita · 2012-05-26, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Atheosim

But XP is required to certify for greater specialization. Why would I want to be a dedicated gal pilot if piloting a gal doesn't net me any cert points for piloting a gal? If I want to be a sniper, sniping lets me specialize further, etc, etc, etc.

Of course, I agree with that. Support exp needs to be given, but it seems like there is still a lot of worries about that there is not enough incentive for people to play support roles. I just think it will not be as bad because of the combination of focus on outfits and support exp.

Zenben · 2012-05-26, 05:01 PM

I think this could be an awesome implementation of the mission system: A squad leader calls for an evac for his squad. Those with Gal pilot certifications see the mission, and can accept it. Only one pilot can accept it, so as to avoid overlap. Pilot flies to the squad, picks them up, and SL sets a destination through the mission system. Once the squad arrives safely at the destination, the pilot is awarded mission experience. OH GOD I WANT TO BE A GAL PILOT NOW!

Edit: Oooo afterthought - experience could be based on how "hot" the LZ is for the pickup and/or dropoff. This would be measured perhaps by the number of nearby enemies or hotspots as in PS1. The danger level would be indicated to some degree in the mission interface. If you're in a Gal and you're ballsy enough to try to evac a squad that's surrounded by enemy forces, you get a significant exp bonus.

Mechzz · 2012-05-26, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Atheosim

Okay, so that's the AMS bonus. What about actually piloting the gal as a troop transport?

whaddaya want, a bonus for spawning the Gal? You spawn the Gal, load it up, fly it to the attack point and set it up. Why does playing taxi driver to 10 deserve its own share of the xp?

You XP for flying the Gal, learn to land it like ArcLegger and learn to aim

Atheosim · 2012-05-26, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Zenben

I think this could be an awesome implementation of the mission system: A squad leader calls for an evac for his squad. Those with Gal pilot certifications see the mission, and can accept it. Only one pilot can accept it, so as to avoid overlap. Pilot flies to the squad, picks them up, and SL sets a destination through the mission system. Once the squad arrives safely at the destination, the pilot is awarded mission experience. OH GOD I WANT TO BE A GAL PILOT NOW!

This is a fucking EXCELLENT idea.

Turdicus · 2012-05-26, 05:09 PM

Well Mechzz the galaxy as an ams might be a sidegrade, and so might not be the default option of the galaxy. I mean...I hope it is. Some people prefer to taxi squads back and forth to the battlefield, picking up a squad, flying and dropping, then going back to base and picking up another squad. Rinse. Repeat. For those kinds of situations an xp bonus would make being a dedicated gal pilot more viable, since rank progression would still exist as opposed to being nonexistent.