PS1 Orbital Strike vs PS2 Roadmap

[Spoof]

"Starts with some projectiles falling from the sky, followed by a lot more projectiles falling from the sky."

This is the roadmap concept for an Orbital Strike. We already have enough spam like this from Liberators, ESFs and tanks, and the proposal is to dumb down this unique weapon with more of the same - more boring, unimaginative projectile spam.

Let's take a moment to step back and think this through. What is it that separates an orbital strike from the mundane? What could mark it as different, special, memorable, interesting, an event...

1 Players need forewarning of the impending strike. Something like a blinding beam of light directed down from the orbital station. Sound familiar to anyone?

2 Players need a little time to play smart and evade. "Oh, fuc... ruuUUNNNN!" Picking up on a theme yet?

3 Players need fresh sets of underwear. An apocalyptic rushing sound accompanied by deep rumbling that shakes dust from the subwoofer, followed by a slamming rush of energy, billowing out in a shockwave of destruction... Those were the days!

Yes, that pretty much describes the orbital strike from PS1. Bloody spectacular it was! Awesome to watch from a moderate distance, thrilling to evade with quick-wits, and amusing for the noobs who instinctively stare up into the blinding light like startled deer with tears in their eyes, before it takes away their suffering.

That's what I call an orbital strike. Please, reconsider the 'throw some spam at it' design.


Btw, I did post in the roadmap thread but it doesn't show. There may be a bug with post limits or something.

[Dkamanus]

My idea of a orbital strike on the Roadmap. 26 likes, 5 dislikes so far. =x

HOW TO DO THE ORBITAL STRIKE AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE:

Just so we start on good terms, this IS a small manifesto of what I think of the OS and how it should be applied to the game.

Let me make this perfectly clear, I'm not a PS1 Vet with a nostalgia case. The Orbital Strike IS a must in a game like this, specially since this game if very zerg friendly. We must consider the fact that, in this game, vehicles are just too easy to acquire and each added vehicles increases a force multiplier by a bunch, even if the MBTs in question are only 1 manned. Air units it happens the same, increasing the amount of force multiplier per air unit.

This can be very troublesome for small attacker/defending forces against a MUCH larger enemy, and the zerging bring out another problem, which LOTS of people have experienced in the game. There is a time this zerg with hit such a critical mass, that people start to avoid it, mostly because it has become SO huge, it's impossible to counter it unless ANOTHER zerg is thrown into the mix.

Both those things considered, the Orbital Strike is a tool that advanced players need in order to counter this massive incursion while defending a place, or while storming a heavily fortified position, in which case, the addition of a orbital strike by commander dedicated to the commanding aspect of Planetside 2 would give a lot of options and possibilities.

THE MAIN PROBLEM IN ORBITAL STRIKES

As we can see in the PS2 forums all around, and even in games like CoD or BF, the problem is the easiness that people fear that this tool will give in farming certs, using and abusing of a system that SHOULD NOT and CAN NOT be abused, in order to keep balance. What people fear is the immense power of this harnessed by gigantic outfits, with sufficient members to make the OS a spammable, total instakill object that will be spent on ANY occasion and any problem.

This is a very much valid problem people are concerned, and to adress this, restrictions are to be put in place. YES, this goes a little against the sidegrade thing SOE has planned, but a big problem in this game are the zergs and huge formations that are unbreakable simply because there is just a HUGE number of people, more people then bullets, and it kills ANY strategic effort any commander has to put in place in order to defeat it besides zerging back, simply because it has much more players against them, without any possible counter to it besides a second zerg.

Another problem is that we are SO accostumated IN GAMES to picture Orbital Strike mechanics as Total destruction tools that can make or break a match that people are afraid to have such a thing in planetside 2 and it breaks great combat and everything. EVEN more if its completely spammable.

SOLUTIONS TO THIS DILLEMA

First of all, restrictions. THESE MUST HAVE TO BE IN GAME. NOONE, including myself, wants a spammable easymode god's ray of death that grants a HUGE load of kill without any though or tactical use besides spamming it to hell. Restrictions is whats needed in THIS case, and therefore, some other mechanics need to be introduced, specially from PS1, since they worked, they just need some extra revamping.

Its called "Command Rank". It was a seperate rank awarded for those leading squads and platoons on planetside 1, which lead to special commander abilities that helped out with a LOT of things. THIS IS A MECHANIC THAT NEEDS TO COME BACK! It's a reward method, in a way, for commander players who like to command his troops effectively in a battlefield.

Command Rank was awarded by garnering Command Experience Points (CEP) based on the diffiulty of engagements in which the commander participated with his squad. If the squad is ghostcapping stuff, the CEP awarded will be minimal, as capping heavily contested bases will make for a good amount of CEP.

Here's the catch, however. In order to keep the Command Rank 5, players NEED to keep playing the game as commander in order to keep the CR5 level there. If you spend a week without playing the commander, you'll lose the CR5 and the ability to fire your Orbital Strike (NOT lose the purchased ability, you just can't fire it until you reach CR5 again). Make the loss of CXP bigger the higher ones Command rank is, so the player is forced to keep commanding. This will make people who like to command keep their role, while the FotMers not.

This IS an instrumental restriction needed for the Orbital Strike to work. We can't have it in the hands of ALL players available, as it CoD-ify the game even further, having a HUGE destructive power to a whole lot of players in a game where vehicles and air units play a VERY important roll.

BASIC WORKING ON HOW TO ACQUIRE THE ORBITAL STRIKE

In order to have the Orbital Strike, restriction must be put on place, for having such a powerful weapon in the right time can change the tide of a battle and consequentiely, the whole continent cap.
Some Basic restrictions concerning the players end:

Battle Rank 70 - This is a thing for advanced players, those who KNOW how to play the game and command for quite some time. Handing it out for new players will just not make em want to learn how to use strategically, using it on the first sign of trouble. And it adds a long term objective to a lot of players who like the command.

Command Rank 5 - This is a purchasable command rank 5 ability that adds to the arsenal of things a CR5 can do.

2000 certifications - It is an expensive tool, and a powerful one. It has to cost a LOT in order to make it the powerhouse we want it to be without breaking the game by having that many OS's firing over the course of one single battle.

And some Basic restrictions concerning the placement/usage rules the game puts on:

A player must point at a same location for 10 seconds - This is a restriction in the game rules. Think of infantry with a target laser designator. You can keep running around or the slightest miscalculation will make you miss the target, and therefore, a full 10 seconds stand still is needed. This is the first form of avoiding a OS from falling in your head, which is to snipe the commander in question. You can prevent a OS all together if having dedicated teams sniping for commanders trying to OS a place.

After the deployment, another 10 seconds are needed in order for the OS to be fully deployed - This is also needed for, in case of good deployment, people aware of whats happening can escape the area, minimizing the damage of a good organized platoon. This warning should be a visual effect of the place its about to get hit. I think audiable effect in the whole hex would scare the **** out of everyone, making all panic. Visual confirmation is the best.

12 hours cooldown - THIS is needed as well. Although I like having a OS ready in place, having it spammable will eventually turn this into OSside 2. A huge 12h cooldown is more then enough to award a commander 1 OS per gaming session (few people play more then 12h per gaming session), and will actually make having MORE commander desirable for multiple OS's per gaming session.

15 minute no-OS zone for the empire that fired on that specific HEX - This is also needed. Having spamming 5~8 consecutive OS because you have 8 commanders on your own outfit will turn this into OSside 2. Allowing one shot every 15 minutes on the Hex in question.

Commander's presence at the OS location to perform the ability - A commander MUST be in the same hex he's about to shot in order to order the Orbital Strike, so people can actually have a chance of stopping this from happening. Sniping has gained an Important utility now.

50% XP gains from the kills - This can or not be used, but the main idea here is to show that the OS is a tactical/strategy tool, not a farming toolm while still garnering something for those who actually spent ALL those certs into this.

50 meters Radius - Its a big enough radius to be used to deal with a chokepoint, while being unable to envelope a whole base with it.



HOW WILL THE ORBITAL STRIKE WORK?

The main idea is to have a commander use a Command Uplink Device (CUD, straight from PS1) that will allow it to give all his command abilities, from CR1 through CR 5. Having this is needed in order to also limit a little the functionality of a class in order to give another. I'll use my example. I run as a Light Assault, having the C4 always at the ready for it for some demolition job.

If I'll be doing some more heavy commander duty, such as platoon leader/faction leading, this tool should be in the utility slots in order for me not to keep everything that makes my class special. It's a tool you gain once after reaching CR1 and will allow a multitude of things, that I would not speak of in this thread.

With the CUD in hands, a commander will point his crosshair to a single position and hold it there for 10 seconds. That means TOTALLY IMMOBILE (Camera shutter thanks to explosions doesn't affect it). This means his a vulnerable target for 10 full seconds, even a longer ranges, specially if snipers are doing some commander sniping. Cover and positioning plays a keep strategic value in this for the commander to actually be able to fire the shot.

After this, we imagine the orbital placement is positioning and adjusting his position to fire at the location. Visual Effects must be in place for those 10 seconds, in order for people to actually have a chance to find either cover or run away from the spot that it's about to get bombed. Visual confirmation must only be used, as using audiable confirmation might freak out EVERYONE on the hex, even those not being a target, but this is something to be discussed as well.

After the final 10 seconds are up, a Orbital Strike on a 50m radius will hit ANYTHING for 6000 damage and destroy it or severely cripple it. Air units, being on the way of the OS, will be hit by stuff as well, but that'll prevent things below to recieve the damage the plane recieved. Infantry can find refuge on buildings while vehicles will have to run.

This can be a siege breaker or a defensive utility, without to total abuse about it. If a commander atempts to use it against a moving zerg, he has to compensate the timers he has in order to make the shot count, and for a complete immobile zerg tank column, it'll make em think twice before staying still trading shots.

WHY BRINGING BACK COMMAND RANK WILL MAKE THIS A GOOD THING

Commanders are actually missing a lot of funcionality to better lead troops and actually influence in a meaningfull way on the micro-based tactics and on the macro-based strategic levels. Adding CR5 is something players can work for, adds extra longevity to the roll without the need for extra vehicles and classes while still using the certification system for great effect.

Having abilities that help coordinate better in each CR level will make the Command rank meaningfull without having to spend ****loads of certs on them, as giving extra tools by SPENDING certs on them will give commander situational utilities that'll make em much more valuable targets in the field, without having to resort to XP rewards to surviving players, simply because in a strategic level, this can become the most dangerous player to a zerg.

COMMAND RANK CXP REQUIREMENTS AND REWARDS

These are examples of Certification Purchasable abilities for commanders. There would also gain abilities more directed towards coordination for each CR level achieved.

Command Rank 1
Command Experience (CXP) needed: 100,000 XP
Ability Unlock: Unmanned Air Vehicle
Cost: 100 Certs
Effect: Pinging a location, giving the location of EVERYTHING in a 100 m radius on the map for the commander for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 20 minutes
Limitation: Must be fired on the same hex the commander is.

Command Rank 2
CXP needed: 200,000 XP
Ability Unlock: ???

Command Rank 3
CXP Needed: 400,000 XP
Ability Unlock: ???

Command Rank 4
CXP needed: 800,000 XP
Ability Unlock: EMP Pulse
Cost: 1000 certs
Effect: Disables everything electronic (minus infantry weapons, TR for being mechanical, NC for working with magnets and electrical currents and VS, cause aliens) in a 100m radius for 8 seconds. No protection from it, so buildings won't help out.
Cooldown: 2 hours
Limitation: Must be on the same hex to fire.

Command Rank 5
CXP needed: 1,600,000 XP
Ability unlock: Orbital Strikes
Cost: 2000 certs
Effect: Deals 6000 damage to anything within a 50m radius around the target location. Doesnt affect things under cover of buildings, bridges, rock formations, etc.
Cooldown: 12 hours
Limitation: Must be on the same hex to fire. After any OS of the same faction has been shot in that hex, a 15 minute cooldown is implemented in order for another shot to be made.

Empire Specific Orbital Strikes:
NC - Mass Driver Orbital Cannon [MDOC]- Fire several chunks of metal from the cannon, hitting with lots of debries for 6000 damage.
TR - Hellfire Missile Barrage [HMB] - Fire several missiles into one location dealing 6000 damage.
VS - Advanced Multi Lancer Battery [AMLB] - Fires several laser shots against a spot, dealing 6000 damage.

The way they act against each other must be different, but the end result must be the same. This is just an opinion on how the OS' must be named and should function.

FINAL CONSIDERATION

Considering all the pro and cons of the OS in nowadays games, specially FPSes, THIS OS idea makes it a VERY nice tool to be used against a large group if the commander knows its workings and when, where and how to use it, while being a total waste for the unexperienced. This will not be a farming tool if the devs know how to restrict a powerful weapon like this.

Thank you for reading this 6 page long manifesto on how the OS should work on PS2. Hopefully I'll be able to put it on the roadmap later on, once the thread stops sucking my posts there =[

Simple copy paste there.

[Crator]

Originally Posted by Dkamanus

My idea of a orbital strike on the Roadmap. 26 likes, 5 dislikes so far. =x



Simple copy paste there.

I agree with restrictions. OS spam was the main issues with the OS in PS1. I'm not certain I agree that an OS is necessary for this game though.

[Ghoest9]

Im a PS1 vet - I would be happy if Obrbital Strikes were NOT added to PS2.

I always felt they hurt the quality of the game.

[EVILPIG]

The current plan is to have the OS a consumable and will cost resources.. You would buy the marker and likely have to aim it, like a Laz-Pointer. The bombardment would start slow and ramp up.

Personally, I'd prefer to not have the OS. We coordinate this effect with organized aerial bombardment already.

-If- the OS makes it in, I certainly hope they have empire specific ones.

[basti]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

The current plan is to have the OS a consumable, as in, it will cost SC. You would buy the marker and likely have to aim it, like a Laz-Pointer. The bombardment would start slow and ramp up.

Personally, I'd prefer to not have the OS. We coordinate this effect with organized aerial bombardment already.

-If- the OS makes it in, I certainly hope they have empire specific ones.

No one ever said a single word about OS costing Station cash, stop making shit up.


The cost would be resources, obviously, as every other consumable in the game.




But whatever, thats not important anyway. The important thing is to avoid the spam. having 525235250273895235 OS going down in one location just because why not was terrible in PS1.

But the restrictions shouldnt just lie in "you cant fire here because there was an OS already just a second ago", or "12 hour CD", but the basic ability to fire a OS needs to be heavily restricted, means even aquireing the cert should be something that isnt easy. And im not talking about making it cost loads of certs, that isnt a restriction, that just delays the problem.

We nee restriction that prevent 95% of the playerbase to ever get acccess to Orbital strikes. We need that, or OS need to stay out of the game.

[Dkamanus]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

The current plan is to have the OS a consumable, as in, it will cost SC. You would buy the marker and likely have to aim it, like a Laz-Pointer. The bombardment would start slow and ramp up.

Personally, I'd prefer to not have the OS. We coordinate this effect with organized aerial bombardment already.

-If- the OS makes it in, I certainly hope they have empire specific ones.

You're shitting right? OSGate will come crashing down on SOE if they do this, and the games image will be MUCH more damage once such a powerful weapons has to be bought. P2W all again.

[Sir B Smythe]

Just no for crying out loud, its not needed in the game, end of.

[Qwan]

There really isnt a command rank in PS2 right, I mean in BF3 they had command rank, and I think it worked out quite well. . . . . . . sorry wrong thread. I recant my last statement.

[wasdie]

I think the OS should not just be something given to players by unlocking it via certs or SC. I believe it's something that each side should actively work towards owning.

For example, throw a single facility on Hossin when it's released. The owner of this facility can use the OS on the other 3 continents, but not on Hossin. This way the facility that controls the OS is always contestable and can never be defended with the OS. This means that the owner would have a considerable advantage on the other continent, but would always have to keep defenses on Hossin to protect.

Maybe link 3 amp stations to an interlink facility. Each of the 3 amp stations power the OS. If you control all 3 and the interlink facility, the OS recharges at a faster rate. If you own none of the amp stations, the OS doesn't recharge. Owning 1 or 2 of the amp stations charges the OS at a slow rate. The OS is tied to the interlink facility. If the interlink facility is connect to one of the amp stations and the owner's warpgate, it charges. This would give all of the sides the ability to slow down the charge of the OS and control it.

Could be fun.

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by basti

No one ever said a single word about OS costing Station cash, stop making shit up.

I see no need for the "shitty" attitude. This was my understanding from my conversation with a developer. We all know by now that we get different information based on the source, as they always have multiple ideas kicking around.

I never make up information, nor claim something is true unless I personally saw or heard it from a reliable source. I just clarified this information, so I will correct it. I will post the actual plan in another thread.

[Mietz]

Originally Posted by Dkamanus

My idea of a orbital strike on the Roadmap. 26 likes, 5 dislikes so far. =x



Simple copy paste there.

Just goes to show that something this substantial needs a complete redesign of the game mechanics or the introduction of new game elements.

PS2s design doesn't scale.

I would like to see the OS to be a beam-weapon that sweeps down a path for a set amount of time, or even multiple smaller beams that sweep in random directions over a set area.

This would make the OS avoidable as you can run/drive to the side. The graphic could be similar to the current squad and platoon map markers (they already look like beams from the sky). It would show a thin "laser designator" before it fires so people get warned before it hits.

As for OS restrictions, I'm not sure this can even be done without the proposed redesigns and I'm not holding my breath.
The OS will come, it will be spammable, all we can do is try minimize its impact by not making it like an automated AOE Dalton.

[Timealude]

Originally Posted by wasdie

I think the OS should not just be something given to players by unlocking it via certs or SC. I believe it's something that each side should actively work towards owning.

For example, throw a single facility on Hossin when it's released. The owner of this facility can use the OS on the other 3 continents, but not on Hossin. This way the facility that controls the OS is always contestable and can never be defended with the OS. This means that the owner would have a considerable advantage on the other continent, but would always have to keep defenses on Hossin to protect.

Maybe link 3 amp stations to an interlink facility. Each of the 3 amp stations power the OS. If you control all 3 and the interlink facility, the OS recharges at a faster rate. If you own none of the amp stations, the OS doesn't recharge. Owning 1 or 2 of the amp stations charges the OS at a slow rate. The OS is tied to the interlink facility. If the interlink facility is connect to one of the amp stations and the owner's warpgate, it charges. This would give all of the sides the ability to slow down the charge of the OS and control it.

Could be fun.

This could work, but they would need to make it someone easier to take these bases as it would reward the steam rolling mechanic we already see in the game.

As for the CR ranks making a return, it would help fix the communication problem but the OS problem. In maybe a years time with all the double xp weekends they have been giving alot of people will have by 2 years easily. Maybe the combination of both these ideas might help, but there needs to be at least 2 interlink facilities per Continent in order to prevent one empire from dominating the world just because they have one facility on one Continent.

[Aaron]

OS should be an energy beam, yes. It is one of those iconic Planetside things that should at least be included into the sequel. It could be very handy for breaking the zerg as well.

Might be a benefit for defenders too. For instance, perhaps you would only be able to use it within your own territory, so defenders could not be bombarded by it. Or maybe it can be used everywhere except for a sphere of influence around a base.

Must be heavily restricted though. Restrict it's access, and put in an anti-spam mechanic for OSs based on region or something.

[PurpleOtter]

If they are going to put it in, and I sincerely hope that they do not, I think the orbital strikes should be Faction specific.

Vanu should get a gathering cloud animation (the prerequisite forewarning), followed an ion beam from the sky.

TR should get a tactical nuclear strike delivered by a cruise missile, the missile fly over animation being the incoming signal, followed by a mushroom cloud.

The Smurfs, in keeping with their faction tradition of ersatz munitions, get a "Daisy Cutter" delivered by an NPC Galaxy. It flies overhead, and a large pallet of C4 is pushed out the back and is delivered to the ground via parachute. Large conventional explosion then follows.