This could fix population unbalance. 2 solutions

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by maximus, Sep 2, 2013.

  1. maximus

    Two solutions here what do you guys think because the population thing is getting so old. For the faction that is outnumbered 3 to 1 getting spawn camped is getting old. And for the faction everyone jump to during alert well they don't even have a challenge 0 meta game sucks for everyone.




    1. I see this 4th faction pop up on alert and it is for the free xpor they just do not like being outnumbered. Simple solution make the xp bonus so large that people REALLY want to be on the on the low pop faction. I mean give crazy xp bonus like 50% for ever 1% you outnumbered.

    Example
    I've seen VS get 10% more pop during alerts that's 500% more xp!!! But I bet it drops to within 2% just because of the xp bonus and then the people will just stay on lower pop faction because they think well crap its a even game sweet.


    2. I don't like this option but here it is. Take lowest pop faction NC have (random number)200 players indar. Do not allow TR or VS pop on indar to go over 225 players for each faction. So until more join the NC max pop will stay at 225 per faction on indar. I think 25 player cushion would be ok. for each faction. Because the more you allow to join the other faction further unbalanced it gets.


    Anyone agree with me or is this just a stupid ideal and severs will never be balanced? EVEN if they merge servers we will always have this problem I think either of these 2 solution would be better then the crap we have atm.
  2. SpetV

    I was thinking the same about the second ideea a few weeks ago. It will help a lot.
  3. blashyrk92

    Population imbalance will never go away simply because SOE doesn't want to use proper measures, probably because they don't want to risk aggravating paying players.

    I've already proposed a couple of suggestions myself on PSU but most players have stated that this wouldn't be "fair to paying mambers of the overpopulated faction" which is a very meh argument in my opinion. Here are my suggestions:

    1) In situations where each faction chooses to outnumber everyone else on a particular continent, I really thing that some sort of automated continent pop balance system (like team balance in canonical FPS) is needed. Maintaining at least 2 continents on an even balance, and dump the rest of the majority players on the 3rd continent, that's what they mostly like to do as it is.

    2) Impose harsh punishment on the majority pop faction's players while rewarding the underpop faction even more.
    For example respawn timers should be dependant of the pop status, if there is 66% of players of faction A on a continent as opposed to factions B and C pop, players of faction A should have DOUBLE the respawn timer duration. I think that also resource costs should be variable according to the pop %.
    XP bonuses for the underpop'd should be directly proportional to the other factions' overpopulation, reaching even 100% XP bonus or more.

    3) Some sort of server interconnection where you'd get to play with your character on different servers, or an automated system that will choose the server for you based on the servers' pop numbers.
  4. EViLMinD

    I think there's something appealing about being outnumbered yet still being able to overcome the odds. So, for that reason, I'm not for a strict cap on admittance.

    More bonus exp for the underdog is a great incentive. Could also reduce the resource gains and/or increase the vehicle cooldowns for faction with the stacked pop. Redusing the time to cap bases is also something to consider.

    Whatever is the best way to promote pop balance, SOE will need to figure it out. And, asap too. Because, when the majority of some servers' factions consistently ignore an Alert, something is seriously broken.
  5. Loken

    Ideally, I'd say to remove the Alert system altogether OR make it happen on a much lower frequency.

    Failing that, get rid of the XP for the win and distribute it to ALL who take part as an incentive. (say +50% XP for taking part? ) Additionally, ramp up the underdog bonuses much more than they are currently to give those that take part that extra incentive boost.

    This will at least reward those that are actually playing their character have some decent XP gain for that alert session. There's no reason to 4th empire hop if there's no XP carrot being dangled at the end for the win.
    • Up x 1
  6. portal-link

    This idea may cause some controversy, but since the over-popped factions do not care about the (currently substantial) xp bonus for the underdogs, I think that a negative xp bonus should be given using some algorithm to the over populated faction. This would reduce 4th empire hop because players would not be able to farm nearly as much xp by switching factions.

    I mostly only play one character so I really don't understand the appeal of switching to the winning faction during an alert; why do people want to improve characters of different factions on the same server? Also, why are we allowed to have different faction characters on the same server in the first place?
    • Up x 2
  7. Loken

    I see most of the switching at the end of an alert, not for the whole duration, so it's unlikely they're going to be doing much XP farming, they're just there for the prize money at the finish line. Putting in Negative Xp won't work, everyone needs an incentive for character progression, irrespective of population figures. Just make the underdog numbers significantly more.

    As to multi chars per server, I totally agree. One faction PER server. If you want to play another faction, use another server. However, SOE has already fubar'd this idea by going live with it at the beginning.
  8. freeze


    no, that's actually how they launched the game...

    they changed it later on, to what we have now.
    that's why you won't see them change it again
  9. Loken

    Oops, forgot about that. Nonetheless. it's a done deal.
  10. Zenanii

    There is no point in a "one character per server" restriction in a F2P gamd.

    Punishing the overpopulated faction is a horrible idea, not all of those people are 4:th factioners, you can't punish them because someone else wanted to be on the winning team.

    We already have the xp bonus for underpopulatded factions and I don't think increasing it is the answer. We would have a cert inflation, people would reach BR 100 within weeks and cert themselves out by fighting outnumbered. Then they would grow bored and leave. = moar population imbalance.

    I son't really understand the whole contintent population reatriction suggestion. You only want to apply this to indar? What if there is a alert on amerish/esamir? What if a bunch of NC/VS leaves indar, giving TR a pop adcantage, would you start kicking TR from that continent? Outfits would have all kinds of problems with only half their memebrs being able to join before hitting the cap etc.

    The thing about PS2 is, the 3-faction system is supposed to give you a fighting chance even if one faction have superior numbers, you just have to ally up with the other underpopped faction. I think we just need to find a way to encourage underpop factions to focus on fighting the overpop faction.
  11. maximus

    That sounds like a solid easy fix to there current pop problem good ideal.
  12. maximus

    The example is indar would work on all planets I really don't see a problem with keeping each continent balanced to the best of there abilities.
  13. Loken

    It never works that way. You may get brief occurrences where it either has happened or appears to have happened but for the most part it ends up being the guys with the smallest population get squeezed. This has been seen time and time again in PS over the years.

    You need to give a tangible reward to those that stick it out through the rough times. Something that makes them willing to stick with it, XP boosts are a simple way. If people are bored when they get to BR100, that's a different problem. If the game is enjoyable enough people will play it, regardless of whether they hit a level cap. Those of us that played PS for months / years at BR20 -> 23 -> 25 for years are an example of this.


    How about another option then?

    Faction Loyalty Bonus.

    If you only have ONE faction per server on your account, you get a faction bonus automatically applied similar to the Subscriber bonus. Heck, we could even go all out and give those loyal faction players a special camo / badge / other option too.

    If you make another faction char on that account, it stops. And for those that want to try that create and delete option, then there's a cooldown timer for reactivation timer for being a bad little runt. Maybe 3 months? ... and you get a SCUM tag applied to your avatar name.

    There. Fixed!
    • Up x 1
  14. maximus

    The xp bonus you get atm is nothing its like 50% or less. To me anyway that is nothing when you have a 500 VS camping 100 NC at each spawn room.


    Think about it like this if the xp bonus will increased allot higher IT WILL BALANCE THE FIGHT. I think allot of you or missing the point listen again. With a large xp bonus IT WILL BALANCE THE FIGHT and guess what happens in a balanced fight? You are correct no xp bonus. The problem will fix itself with a large xp bonus. People will switch for the xp if it is substantial enough and when enough do problem solved.
  15. Zenanii

    So if the entire server is imbalanced the overpopped facrion would be stuck in VR unable to join any continent? Not a good solution

    Would have worked at launch and then only for subscribers. Now you would only be punishing people who have already made several characters on the same server. Forcing people of the server is not the solution.
  16. maximus

    Ok well keep it the way is and the 500 vs 100 will switch to the 500 population. Can you tell me what is the point of joining a continent that you will be zerged on with no chance of a fair fight? That's right there is no point.... If you like being the underdog feel free to open your face and get *****. Im on the zerged side on my sever is is very boring yes sure xp is easy spawn camping them and always winning alerts gets old.
  17. Loken

    The loyalty bonus would reward those with a single char, it would not penalise those who chose to be a empire hopping scumbag. ;)
  18. maximus


    What about the people that just enjoy playing different factions? Hoestly if ythey do not fix pop **** this peice of **** game.
  19. Loken

    Use a bloody different server. Simple.
  20. sauna


    Yes, something is needed. And fast. TR is destroying the game atm on Miller.
    I made a suggestion (which WOULD work) here: https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/index.php?threads/population-balancing-throttle-system.145245/