*there are only 2 sentences about it in the whole post. Sometimes bad decisions make good stories, but other times they make bad game experience. Things mentioned below are my personal opinion, but i'm sure there are players who argee with me. Metagame - it's not only about Shut up, or we'll bring freedom to Your Warpgate written in /yell chat from time to time. It is also about finding the best class configuration in a squad or loadout for Your character - the elements that work in synergy to one another. We had a synergy like that - many might consider this OP and game breaking - they are probably right, because i'm talking about resist shield + old nanoweave and nano-armor + new nanoweave. The point is, that finding this synergy was fun. The problem is that it was only synergy for these slots that had only upsides and no downsides. Your decision SOE was to cut off the synergy - i think the better way to manage thet problem was to add a downside AND more synergy posibilities among the slots. For example, make resist shield + nanoweave stack but the higher the levels of both, the higher delay before the shield goes up. Another combo: Advanced shield capacitor + Nanite maesh generator - if the player turns NSG on, while their shield is down the ASC would insta start regenerating shield (the 500 hp shield) by consuming NSG energy. We also had a synergy between classes. Let's take HA as an example. Let's say we want to take a building with a squad of haevys. Will they make it? - perhaps, but some of them will end up dead because 1 - they had no recon darts, so they didn't know what to expect. 2 - there where no medics. But wait! Right now we have a xbow with recon darts, so Infi's no longer a need. But wait, there's more! I heard a rumor about some kind of a kit that would let classes other than medics, put fallen allies on their feet again. Ask Yourself a question SOE: What makes a class? A weapon pool, the abilities, squad role? What is the role of LA in a team? What is the role of an Infi in a team? Do we even need teamwork? - Yes, a lonly solider won't win a war (no mather what TV says). A lonly solider can be a good farmer, but that's not what this game is about (or at least it shouldn't be). Teamwork lets You cap and hold a point even when outnumbered 2 to 1. SOE, let playesr favourite classes be helpful to the team, let them feel necessary and promote teamwork. Fun This is a computer game - not a simulator, so we can have elements that aren't logical (explained with nanites). There should NOT be the one and only correct way to play this game. If one wants to drive off a cliff and manages to land on wheels - let them survive, no matter of the height. If someone wants to ADS while jumping - let them. AFAIK the reason behind no ADS while jump is that the incerased COF wasn't shown well enough. SOE, instead of removing a possibility You could add a visual COF indicator on scopes - don't be lazy. First day after no ADS while jump i tried to shoot someone while standing on a side of a hill. As i started to slide down, the ADS started to constantly switch on and off - it felt like i was hitting my head with the scope. IMO there should be cross-fraction proximity chat. Yes, it can be anoying, but it also would be fun if You could say psst.. i'm right behind you, or watch skywhales accompanied by Ride of the Valkyries We also need more fun weapons, like Phaseshift and Phoenix. There are weapons that outstat them, but these two are different, unique - we need more unique weapons, because there are already plenty regular ones. A MAX is a good example - every empire has a MAX with different weapons and different ability which gives unique feel when playing each of them. Equal treatment Some history: -Weapons bought with SC are consolidated to one item on different accounts - certs refund. -Nanoweave no longer stacks with resist shield - certs refund -Camos for armor, weapon and vehicles are consolidated to one item - no refund -Nanoweave no longer stacks with Nano-armor - no refund SOE, pick ONE path and stick to it. I get angry when someone else gets refund for their stuff and i don't - probably i'm not the only one. It would be easier if You were consequent about this, so that people had something to hold on to. As it is now, i feel like i've wasted my certs and sc - that's bad PR. Moreover, the weekly updates, that are made mostly during EU primetime. An argument, that we didn't buy the game is invalid. We buy items in the game, we buy premiumship, and what's the point in buying something that we cannot use - again, bad PR. Fortunately recently something finally started to change about this. The patches are released 1h earlier and the downtime seems shorter. This is great! Thank You for the effort The community When i first met Planetside 2, i was told that There's a great community, where Developers listen to players opinion. Right now i can say it's only partially true. On one hand SOE, You listened when we asked for no sniper-shotgun - i'm ok with it, even though i was in the minority that would like to have the shotgun mode. On the other hand, there are game-changing updates that are only mentioned in update notes, that are announced less than a day before update goes live. About the deathscreen update - You made three bad decisions here, SOE: 1. Uploading the changes on PTS only 3 days before puting them on live server - There was not enough time to test them. 2. The need to restrict the weekly updates schedule - Someone said that a delayed game can still be good, but a game released too soon will be bad forever - the same applies to updates. 3. Not listening to the community saying no killcam, nor killmap <- What happened?! What i suggest instead of killmap is some more info about the weapon, like in example below (killer was a quickscoper with NC14 Bolt Driver) Code: Weapon type: Bolt Action Sniper Rifle Effective range: 150-250 meters Bullet travel distance: 23 meters Some of the problems can't be fixed but others still can (i'm grateful that grenades make landmines explode again). I hope we - as a community can make a solution for remaining issues and make this Devs-Players relation work as intended again.
In terms of community, I'd say heavily favoring new players instead of leaders was a big mistake--good leaders make the newbie transition really easy without any effort, but if you don't add in tools and such to make it easier, then people burnout and don't want to play, and you're left with a glut of leaders and a lot of newbies who are always going to have trouble with the scale of the game. This game is very character-driven; everyone has their own storyline, and SOE should really be catering to the people who make those stories epic adventures.
Fun weapons and tasks are great ways to increase player retention. 1. I also would like fall damage to not be removed but to recieve a traditional super nerf. Same applies to vehicles, too. 2. You are correct, that is the reason why ADS whilst jumping was removed. 3. Cross faction proximity chat should be an option to enable or disable so that we can turn it off if we want to (and should be off by default). Fun is one many reasons why people play video games. SOE could easily capitalize on this with a few silly and fun weapons.
I have heard of this thing you call 'fun'. I think I have had it once or twice. More of said 'fun' would be enjoyable. It's a videogame, as said, we shouldn't be forced to nesecarily be forced to comformt to reality or a specific style of doing things. Structure yes, mechanics yes, interconected mechanics a definite yes. A rigid way to do things, I'd rather not.
The fact that people complain about this bothers me. How many people got free camo from this offer? Probably more than not but people still complain. You are not entitled to a refund because you got what you originally purchased. Just because some gets a better deal than the one you got doesn't mean you get your money back. Some people have such a sense of entitlement.
Good point - I think the people You're playing with are usually the biggest reason to stay with that game. "Do not show killmap on my deathscreen and do not reveal my position on enemy killmaps" That would cut off all the whining!
