I REALLY prefer giving out complements than complaining about stuff that is poorly designed and thought out. Sadly, those opportunities are few and far between. This time, I have something to rant about alright, but only because it's awesome. Hats off to the level design guys. They're really starting to show their experience and a better understanding of how to design an environment that seamlessly melds infantry and vehicle combat. Amerish is a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT over the original, and over Indar and Esamir as well. In some ways, Amerish reflects the design concepts of Titanfall's maps, in that Titanfall's environment design is built around two distinct types of combat: mech an infantry. The environment has to accommodate both while at the same time not just accommodating both but catering and highlighting each class'es asymmetric capabilities. Amerish now achieves this as well, and not with some heavy handed walls cobbled together around each base a la Esamir. One particular aspect of Amerish's design that really stands out to me is how seamlessly the infantry-vehicle combat flows into all-infantry combat. The designers have done a really outstanding job with this key transitional area going from the immediate surrounding area of a base to the interior of the base. The designs allow vehicles to support the assault to a point, but they're only able to reach in just so much into any particular base. From there infantry take over in a very organic and un-forced manner to complete the final stages of capturing a base. Aircraft screw this up a bit, as usual. But much less so than for the other two continents. I think that the key design element that makes Amerish so successful is how it limits vehicle's sight lines as you get closer to a base. Vehicular movement is tighter and more constrained, infantry have a larger movement advantage over vehicles in this key transitional area and that allows them to push back against massed vehicle assaults. Just like Titanfall. Go figure. I think that this design concept can easily be transferred to Indar and Esamir as well. I hopefully Hossin will be (re)designed with the lessons and success learned from Amerish, but I don't think Hossin will have much issue with vehicles being too mobile vs. infantry anyway. As much as it's a pain in the *** to get around Amerish, I'm really liking the fights that happen there. Now if only we could get some decent AA to fend off the massive ESF/Lib swarms...
Point A at The Ascent is amazing! I find myself constantly walking around marvelling at the new base layouts even in the middle of an intense clusterf**k. I run into a base and actually need to explore as the layouts arent the usual copy paste like with the other continents. I also like the new tactical opportunities that bases like Subterranean Nanite Analysis offers. Brilliant work SOE, you have really gone beyond even what us picky buggers expected. You have screwed up one aspect though SOE You have made Indar and Esamir seem utterly bland and pathetic in comparison
This update makes me sort of wish they "touched up" some bases on Indar in the same fashion. After seeing this continent and not being too excited for it I can honestly say that I can't wait for Hossin. To see a full map that SOE took care and time to make, especially after seeing new Amerish, would be amazing.
Ya I agree, the bases on Amerish are amazing, absolutely fantastic. A lot of it reminds me of Quake maps or CS 1.6 FY_ or Aim style layouts. Absolutely loving that continent. The bases are as good as the aesthetic of the continent now.
Yeah Amerish is really providing some of the best battles I've ever experienced. The design team really hit the ball out of the park with the themed bases which is exactly what I wanted to see. There are one or two bases that fall into the same old pattern of being camped to fast but overall I'm really enjoying it as the variety makes every base play out a little different. As others have said it's just a shame they cant really do a run on Indar to bring it up to the same standard without delaying Hossin again.
Yes it's great and love fighting there, all credit to you guys... but can you please get a move on with Hossin already, it's been 15 months.
The one thing that sucks about the new Amerish is that it is Amerish. On Cobalt they all went back to Indar like lemmings cause that is where most players are. Amerish is the best continent...but the main reason to join planetside2 are huge fight....and if those fights are on Indar then people will go to Indar. Essentially players making their own game experience worse than it has to be by not fighting on the most interesting continent. It's sad but that's the toxic behaviour I currently see in the game. Hope that will get better in the future...or maybe SOE should close Indar for some weeks...
New bases are nicer than I thought but I still miss Crux HQ being a tower base and the kiosk at Tungsten. Still wish they did not add any new bases. Glowing cave crystals could have been done better.
The Air is OURS, Don't complain, if you hate air come to Kwahtee moutain complex somethin', that place is also an amazing underground ( or Call of Duty style... )
I wonder did The Bastion have an airlift at the wall on one side west of point B? I haven't been around The Bastion enough before the update to tell.
