Vehicle in the field refit

Canaris · 2013-03-04, 04:33 AM

With the advent of vehicles costing resources, having timers and needing situational weapon systems depending on what comprises the enemy force. I find myself wishing sometimes I could change the load out of my vehicle while in the field to suit the changing battlefield.

I thought perhaps having the ammo towers & perhaps the repair sunderer act as a field refit base where you could spend a few more mech resources in order to have the nanites change load outs.

Thunderhawk · 2013-03-04, 04:47 AM

Indeed, I find this needed over and over and can't do anything about it. Although I am not sure if this is a form of balance by the dev team, having to spend the full amount of resources on a brand new ESF rather than reduce it and have a jack of all trades.

Same with MBTs if you go Anti infantry and find lots of tanks, you lost the Rock-Paper-scissors game, and need to just take it at that (at least thats what I think the Devs want)

PredatorFour · 2013-03-04, 05:15 AM

This is a great idea. Yeh give it to repair sundies too, then i could hover above and change to AB or AA loadouts. You could change to aa from saron in mag possibilities are endless. I hope they put something like this in it would be ace.

warryan · 2013-03-04, 05:49 AM

Vehicle refit at Warpgate and tech plants.

Silent Thunder · 2013-03-04, 05:59 AM

At the very least a grace period in the warpgate immediatly after spawning would be nice. Cant tell you how many times I've pulled the wrong gun on a tank.

Eggy · 2013-03-04, 06:11 AM

This issue has been raised a few times before and has been discussed by higby in one of the Dev-Chat videos.

He stressed 2 points.
The first is balance/choice. Forcing players to think about stuff and also use team work.

The second was engine limitation. He said due to how the vehicles are spawned a change like this would be a major amount of work. Rather than just changing a weapon/system it would be required to despawn 1 vehicle and then spawn a new 1.

An easier/simple solution I think links into resources and deconstruction.
If you were to receieve 75% of the resources you spent when you deconstruct a vehicle, you could just then get another with the guns/systems you actualy wanted.
This leaves it up to you to organise your passenegers and gunners into the new vehicle rather than needing some complex code to it, taking acount of its HP and worrying about if your under fire and trying to exploit, etc etc.

Koadster · 2013-03-04, 06:45 AM

With tanks roll with Heat.. beats HE & AP. Allows very effective dps versus any scenario. With ur secondary gun use a multipurpose weapon. On my prowler I use the P525 Marauder. Even being a very UP weapon it eats infantry like a 10 round HE cannon and does moderate armour dmg.

I remember watching ps2tv interviewing higby about a similar scenario with retro fitting when out in the field. higby said he wants to do that but it was months ago (back at soe live) so maybe it will come later.

JesNC · 2013-03-04, 08:03 AM

This was already suggested in beta, and as far as I can remember it don't get included due to the way vehicle properties are bound to the vehicle entity, aka once it's spawned you can't change them any longer.

Most have been some Dev interview with Higby and T-Ray, but can't remember the actual quote anymore, sorry.

Blynd · 2013-03-04, 08:35 AM

Simple solution bring in a galxey loadstar make it purely vehicle term for refit and repair/ammo - it has to give up all seats for the fitting of the refit ability. Maybe cut out the middle like those transport helicopters.

CasualCat · 2013-03-04, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by JesNC

This was already suggested in beta, and as far as I can remember it don't get included due to the way vehicle properties are bound to the vehicle entity, aka once it's spawned you can't change them any longer.

Most have been some Dev interview with Higby and T-Ray, but can't remember the actual quote anymore, sorry.

Yeah I recall it being a technical limitation as well.

Though surely they could work around it?

Maybe refit could instantly respawn a new vehicle in place while deconstructing the old one without impacting resources or a timer.

MrBloodworth · 2013-03-04, 10:46 AM

Man, Can't we have ONE choice in game that matters? Please?

You brought the wrong tool, Deal with it. You Can already changes classes at will for those of you who thought it was a good idea to bring a AA max to a Tank fight.

CasualCat · 2013-03-04, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

Man, Can't we have ONE choice in game that matters? Please?

You brought the wrong tool, Deal with it. You Can already changes classes at will for those of you who thought it was a good idea to bring a AA max to a Tank fight.

So make the infantry choice matter more... No more changing classes at terminals including the AMS.

Going away from the battle with a vehicle to change out seems reasonable because it is removed from the field. Infantry have many times more flexibilty than vehicles with the ability to change loadouts and class without any cost and minimal downtime.

MrBloodworth · 2013-03-04, 10:51 AM

Yes they do.

So apply what you see with INF happening with Vechs. Tanks sitting at a rearm tower switching guns depending on what comes over the hill.

I have no issue with changing Equipment, that's a Planetside staple. IE: Infiltrating inside a base and hacking out a max. They will never change that. Classes though... That ship has sailed.

CasualCat · 2013-03-04, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

Yes they do.

So apply what you see with INF happening with Vechs. Tanks sitting at a rearm tower switching guns depending on what comes over the hill.

And the correction to that is limiting where it happens. If you limit it to the warpgate and maybe techplants, it gives some flexibility without becoming ridiculous.

ETA: They could even treat ground and air vehicles differently due to the disparity in travel time. Allow ground vehicles to refit at any major facility, and force aircraft to use the warpgate.

EVILPIG · 2013-03-04, 11:23 AM

The Loadstar should have vehicle transport, spawn or rearm/repair options.