Bring Back The Lattice System... But Make It Dynamic

[Rivenshield]

/shamelessly crossposted from PS2 forums

So there I am, part of yet another grandiose Terran tank column... having just been steamrolled by a similar NC zerg on the far side of Indar, and spawning back at my WG to regroup... lamenting we couldn't point these two zergs at each other and have an old-school king-h*ll deathmatch as we did of old, and likewise lamenting that the devs clearly would never bring back the lattice....

And I had an epiphany. What if the lattice were dynamic? What if those little beams of light tying the main bases together swapped around at regular intervals? You'd have to fight over different ground in different directions at different times of day, and it'd still serve the good old purpose of channelizing the zergs at each other, more often than not.

You'd still have the hex system. You'd still have to capture outposts and minor facilities to stage the main assault. But if the zerg were only able to go in, say, one of two directions, that would enable the defenders to predict where they'd be. We'd have *battles* again, instead of this frustrating strategic outflank-and-capture-the-empty-base syndrome we suffer from.

That plus the old yellow/orange/red alert system would do a lot to allow large-scale battles to coalesce. And it'd be *new.* What do my fellow zerglings think?

[RykerStruvian]

I feel kind of for and against this type of system. The main reasons why I would like a dynamic lattice is simply because it gives some formal structure to the game. Not only that but it would also allow us to fight at different bases without as much annoyances. An example would be actually being able to attack Hvar as NC on Indar rather than having to fight over Zurwich all the time.

This would also probably mean we wouldn't have those dumb crown fights anymore, possibly.

The only thing that makes me apprehensive really would be the base benefits system based on lattice links and covert ops. For some reason, I spent a lot of my time on PS1 doing 'behind the enemy lines' type of missions to take down gens and hold them to help our main zerg forces assault a base. To have to do those again wouldn't really be too thrilling for me.

All in all, it would be interesting due to the diversity of the battles. But at the same time I don't think Planetside 2 is necessarily large enough for it. After all, we only have three continents...if they implement a lattice system of any kind, there would have to be some form of continental locking...

Thats how I think/feel about it at least.

[Kail]

For awhile I was trying to come up with ways to give greater incentive for large battles - since that's what the lattice accomplishes - without going back to the lattice. Then at some point someone in SoE tweeted about how one thing they liked about PS2 was that it had something for everyone; small fights, large fights, squad battles, vehicle, air, etc.

And it struck me that I was missing the forest for the trees. Would a lattice encourage bigger battles? Yes. Does PS2 need that? I don't think so. I can find large battles easily. I can also do small skirmishes easy. Forcing every fight to be a big fight isn't something the developers wanted, and after thinking about it it made a lot of sense.

So before I would have said we don't need the lattice, there are better ways of getting what you're going for. Now, I don't think its warranted at all.

On the other hand I do think it would be super cool when more continents come out to have their connections randomly change so that one week you might be pushing into Esamir from the north gate, and the next from the SW gate.

[Rivenshield]

Originally Posted by Kail

And it struck me that I was missing the forest for the trees. Would a lattice encourage bigger battles? Yes. Does PS2 need that? I don't think so. I can find large battles easily. I can also do small skirmishes easy. Forcing every fight to be a big fight isn't something the developers wanted, and after thinking about it it made a lot of sense.

With respect, I disagree. Kill-hell humdinger battles are what makes Planetside Planetside. It's what gives us that frisson of actual physical fear-delight when you look into the courtyard or across the field and see dozens, hundreds of people all charging at you and your monkey brain is convinced THEY ARE ALL PERSONALLY PISSED AT YOU AND THIS IS FOR REAL.... the fabled 'Oh my GOD' moment.

The world is chockabloc with tacticool twitchy small-scale 'games.'

Planetside is a war. We need to make it more so, not less.

[Wahooo]

What about having the Lattice only connect the major bases, Tech Plants, AMP stations and Biodomes but all the check points are still free to grab, but those give little to no XP. The influence is still there and the tactical desire to control the checkpoints and towers will remain but we remove the benefit to zerg ghosting oneside of the map while another faction does the same on the other.

[Rivenshield]

Originally Posted by Wahooo

What about having the Lattice only connect the major bases, Tech Plants, AMP stations and Biodomes but all the check points are still free to grab, but those give little to no XP.

That's more or less what I had in mind. It complements the hex system; it overlays it. It doesn't replace it.

Originally Posted by Wahooo

remove the benefit to zerg ghosting oneside of the map while another faction does the same on the other.

And that's my chief motive. Because what you neatly term 'ghost zerging' is the chief fly in the ointment, game-mechanics-wise.