Automated Engineer Turrets?

Palerion · 2013-07-21, 08:59 PM

I'm just curious, I never played PS1, but are automated engineer turrets like the spitfires from PS1 ever going to be implemented in PS2?

Ironfather · 2013-07-21, 10:44 PM

I think they will be because i found them in the in game files.
its just named auto turret.
http://imgur.com/fgkff1Y

AThreatToYou · 2013-07-21, 10:49 PM

That does not look automated to me.

Ironfather · 2013-07-21, 11:03 PM

and with a bit of digging found this thread on soe forums

https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/...s.72583/page-3

Shogun · 2013-07-22, 06:28 AM

there even was a "spitfire" certification tree for the engineer in early beta (or in the special client they used at last gamescom, i don´t remember when exactly i saw it)

and my hopes went up to get my beloved fun auto turret.
but ever since i didn´t hear any news about it from the devs.

and i don´t understand why they have been scrapped!
bases are indefendable, spawnrooms are campfests, and everything we used in ps1 for defense is either reduced by 90% or stripped totally (basewalls with catwalks, chokepoints, big minefields, fields of motion sensors, sendor disruptors, automated turrets and so on)

hell, even the only turret the devs left in the game is castrated to uselessness by restricting it to only be used by the engi who placed it!

why? it´s almost like the devs planned to discourage defenders and wanted them to run away from any fight!

so YES, please give us back the spitfire turrets! and while you are at it, increase the numbers of CE an engineer can place and make the mana turret useful by making it manable by every friendly, or at least squadmembers, or give it a menu like vehicles have, to switch its access status..

Qwan · 2013-07-22, 07:16 AM

I hope they do bring back the motion activated spit fire, but see it wont be like in PS1 were you certed for it. See there going to make a shit load of cash with that item, here is what I predict. They will sell it for SC 1000, or certs 1000, it will initially be over powered, that way people will buy them like crazy, then during the next GU they will significantly reduce the damage and range. If anyone notices, this is how most of the newer weapons are put out, im starting to notice a pattern. Everything they initially put out they make OP, you buy it, then they nerf it, in the name of balancing the game.

PredatorFour · 2013-07-22, 07:27 AM

I think they got scrapped cos they would be more OP in this game. They were great in the old game, i used them all the time. With the TTK being alot faster in this game though these turrets could possibly take you down in a second or two compared to the quite long TTK in the original.

Hmr85 · 2013-07-22, 07:44 AM

I would love to see the spitfire make a return. Hell, if the spitfire made a return I would actually start using my engineer some more.

Ruffdog · 2013-07-22, 08:34 AM

Maybe when power crystals make an entrance?

Canaris · 2013-07-22, 08:36 AM

I wasn't a fan of the spitfires from PS1 they weren't the worse and could be out thought but in PS2 given the short TTK of the game, weapon systems that play themselves would be even worse, just put me down on the the no thanks list.

While there's lots of PS1 that would be a boon to PS2, there's also the flip side of the coin where plenty of stuff just doesn't belong

Shamrock · 2013-07-22, 08:52 AM

I loved spitfires, when well placed they could swing the balance in a defense especially when your out numbered and your grasping for any edge over the attackers. Sometimes even when they got taken down the audio of them firing would be useful as it immediately alerted you to the direction/door an attacker was coming to. The TTK in PS2 does present a problem but I see no reason why they could not be tuned to do weak but consistent damage.

Calista · 2013-07-22, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Qwan

Everything they initially put out they make OP, you buy it, then they nerf it, in the name of balancing the game.

Kerrec · 2013-07-22, 09:52 AM

I know a lot of people here will look back at Spitfires in PS1 with nostalgia, but I can't get on board with implementing this in PS2. But I have reasons at least:

1) There is already a lot of backlash among the playing populace about "no skill" weapons. A Spitfire is basically a "lock on" weapon that chooses it's own targets. How would this ever be condoned? Anyway, that being said, the strongest argument I have against automated anything is,

2) Spitfires are automated, which means Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is CPU intensive. A Spitfire deciding who to shoot (and how accurately to shoot?) when a squad is in the area might not be CPU expensive, but several Spitfires deciding who to shoot when there are multiple platoons would just slow everything to a crawl.

TL;DR: Spitfires are CPU intensive. PS2 is ALREADY limited by CPU. Spitfires would just destroy performance.

Palerion · 2013-07-22, 10:41 AM

Well, it would be enough to make me play the class more.

Personally, I would rather remain an infantry soldier while my defenses work, and defend them with my carbine, than man a more powerful turret. It's just my playstyle. The idea of it being overpowered isn't really a problem, it could be fixed very easily by having a slower time to kill. I suppose there could be one turret that was more indoor-focused with less range but a quicker TTK (still allowing the enemy to evade its fire, but maybe killing in 2-3 seconds), and a longer ranged one that would go farther but take 5-6 seconds to kill.

Needless to say that's just a concept with numbers that I haven't thought through very much, but it should be easy to balance.

On the other hand, as for CPU load, that could be a serious problem.

Whiteagle · 2013-07-22, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Palerion

Well, it would be enough to make me play the class more.

Personally, I would rather remain an infantry soldier while my defenses work, and defend them with my carbine, than man a more powerful turret. It's just my playstyle. The idea of it being overpowered isn't really a problem, it could be fixed very easily by having a slower time to kill. I suppose there could be one turret that was more indoor-focused with less range but a quicker TTK (still allowing the enemy to evade its fire, but maybe killing in 2-3 seconds), and a longer ranged one that would go farther but take 5-6 seconds to kill.

Needless to say that's just a concept with numbers that I haven't thought through very much, but it should be easy to balance.

On the other hand, as for CPU load, that could be a serious problem.

Indeed, the only reason I can see that they didn't give the Engineer an Auto Turret to begin with is because of optimization issues.
As it is, I only use the MANA when I need a piece of cover or to destroy something with sustained fire and not waste ammo.