[Suggestion] Far more fleshed out hacking and point capture (in depth and formatted)

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Tanelorn, Apr 19, 2013.

  1. Tanelorn

    What happened to using the hacking tool to take over a bases computer system? Planetside 2 really took away the need for specialist, namely infiltrators, to do important things in the base. Why can any grunt override a generator? Why can any grunt convert a facilities computer system just by standing around a hologram? The current capture concepts are extremely dumbed down! Not only that, we have taken away much of the importance of infiltrators.

    I recommend the following:
    1.Hacking is done with a hacking tool that only infiltrators have
    2.Sabotage can be done by infiltrators and engineers
    3.Capturing points is considered a hacking action (conversion of a facilities’ systems to your faction)
    4.All actions involve a minigame

    Minigames:

    Minigames depend on the facility:
    1.Non competitive actions on the physical object (generators, turrets, terminals, capture points at small facilities)
    2.Competitive actions on capture points (major facilities)

    Non-competitive minigame:
    The minigame would be like rewiring a circuitboard, or hacking with computer code, depending on the object. (I dislike the Mass Effect minigames as they are just matching, not even related to the actual task).

    Rewiring a circuitboard examples (make the flow change from normal to overload)
    1.Nancy Drew puzzle example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OcWPv7FKL2k#t=672s
    2.Pipes style minigame:
    [IMG]
    3.Off topic a bit: Frequency match game from Myst (harmonics cause generator to blow)

    Hacking code examples (password find, replace code, etc.)
    1.Codelink V2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bYw3Qx6mWOE#t=64s
    2.Deus Ex 2 minigame
    3.Hacker Evolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Vpy7mVfB5fw#t=140s
    4.Fallout minigame http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VPSLQ-JLEIQ#t=22s
    [IMG]

    Competitive minigame
    The coolest thing about this, is not just adding some more depth and more importance to interacting with these objects, it also allows for protective measures. Imagine, that there is a main control room in every major base. In this control room, there are up to three stations where users can "backhack" hacking attempts by the opposition. This is illustrated in the paradroid example video.

    Competitive rewiring example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OEam-zQgWcU#t=186s
    [IMG]
    I say up to three, because if you have one turncoat, newbie, etc., it will frustrate everyone. If more than one player can work to slow or prevent capture, it is less likely that a single person can sabotage the defense attempt.

    Discussion:

    If the devs *insist* on allowing anyone to pop generators or take capture points, then allow infiltrators to get bonuses for performing those actions. The bonuses would be related to the mini game. Whatever makes sense to give them an edge.

    There would be a question of retaking hacked objects. Can the operators in the control room retake a hacked terminal, or retake the capture point? I suggest the hack is semipermanent. If the hacker succeeds, it belongs to his or her faction for at least two minutes uncontested. At that point, a control room operator can retake the terminal, turret, etc. if it is uncontested.

    For capture points, I suggest layers of control. Each success buys you 1 minute of control, which keeps the point from being instahacked back if your infiltrator is shot. There would be 5 layers of hack depth, for a potential of 5 minutes of uncontested control. The control point could be recovered more quickly if the defenders retake the control point by force and get an infiltrator to the control point to unhack it personally.

    Finally, some reconfiguration of the capture points would need to be addressed to make them more insular and defensible. Currently, it's all been about just standing there, so it's been relatively easy to kill defenders and retake the point. PS2 has notoriously undefensible buildings. With this system, it would need to be a bit more PS1 style with a physical barrier and hallway or some such.

    Please share your thoughts on this!
    • Up x 4
  2. Ixidron

    **** no, this is probably the worst thing I've ever reard, forcing people to play an specific class to achive a key objetive in order to continue playing is no fun.

    And worst of all, minigames, seriously? I hate them, some games force you to play that stupid time consuming triviality.

    I just plain use the in-game console to unlock doors in all bethesta games, and that games stop the time when you enter the minigame mode, this is an online FPS, people will shoot you while you are hacking things.

    Minigames are annoying as hell, some people do not like stealth based classes, and you want to combine both?
  3. water fowl

    There def needs to be a hacking overhaul. And vehicles should be targets. Wouldn't be overpowered at all because honestly, who sits around stationary in a vehicle? Maybe should take 15 or 30 seconds. If you leave your sundy alone for that long, well that sucks for you. And of course have a defensive slot mod that lethally electrocutes any infiltrator who tries to hack it :D

    As for only letting infiltrators convert points, I'm iffy on that. I guess it would make the game much more interesting, and give infs an actual role.
  4. water fowl

    This is how it was in PS1 and it was good. You had to specifically load out to hack points.
  5. Tanelorn

    Yeah, in PS1, the infiltrator hacked the base computers while everyone else defended him. The ENTIRE base attack was about defending the hack. Those were the days when infiltrators were heroes for their group. Now... they're snipers and shoot you in the back CQB runts...
  6. Ixidron

    lets suppose it gets implemented:

    1 out of 2, they either remove the XP bonus for destroying and overloading generators or 50% of the guys attacking a base will be infiltrators.

    No infiltrators? goodbye offensive, Noobs trying to hack vs pros counterhacking? goodbye offensive

    Then, I can just get a couple of friends and troll an entire offensive by blocking the capture point.

    Forcing people to play a class and do something like playing a minigame in order to capture a point or overloading a generator is an stupid feature, PS1 has good features, this one is not one of them.

    While I agree, points now should have a "Hold E to cap" feature, everyone should still be able to do it, not only a single class.
  7. Skeith

    agree the better we have from the old Planetside the better it is
  8. Hosp

    In PS1 ANYONE could hack the bases computers if they had the right certs and proper tools on them. Typically, an infil doing such things was doing so in a hot base and noone defended him because the freindly forces hadn't pushed in yet, and his actions could potentially slow down the defenders enough to allow the attackers a good push. EDIT: The Infiltrator actually infiltrated.

    In a hot base where forces managed to push in, it was usually someone in Rexo (HA equivalent) who did the hacking as the survival was much better. Though if enough zerging was going on the sheer amount of bodies would provide ample cover for anyone to do it.
  9. Chackle

    You're forgetting that in planetside 1 being an infiltrator and being a hacker were not equal.

    Hacking could be picked up on any class. Do not bring back this system as it will make things far too confusing and annoying for new players.
  10. Tanelorn

    All new players for all games need to learn how the game plays. How is this an argument against a bit of extra realism and depth for hacking actions?

    I do agree though that we lost depth by creating strict class limitations where they weren't really necessary. Why restrict carbines / ARs? Why does one class get flashbangs while another gets concs? Why can HA fit in ESF pilot seats? Infiltrators hacking makes sense, but others really don't.
  11. Cmdr. Keene

    I agree wholeheartedly, and would suggest that there be an improved suite of abilities for the hacking as well, maybe at higher levels giving it a little distance transmission. Advanced abilities might include messing with the IFF coding on an enemy hud (friends appear as enemies and enemies appear as friends) for all enemies spawning from a hacked spawn tube. Maybe you could hack the terminals to remain with the same faction but randomly glitch loadouts supplied from it; a soldier that kits out with no ammo or a missing gun is less of a threat.
    • Up x 1
  12. DaveyJ

    But what about the LA's who flank hard and breach the objective only to say "Oh **** we've got no infiltrator"
  13. Thesweet

    Maybe, but in ps1 a basic hacking cert was cheap so just about everyone had a hacking tool.