What this game needs is a way for low skillcapers to contribute meaningfully against highskillcapers

After a decade of triple AAA dummbed down, lollipop shooters. A new generation grew up playing those triple AAA small map, aim assist shooters with no friendly fire. Getting those zombies to play PS2 is near impossible. There has to be a end screen telling them how well they did so they can stay engaged.

The problem isn't Planetside. It's the industry norm for the last decade that's made those cheesy easy shooters. Lollipop shooters, just to sell as many copies as possible to the masses.

Planetside 2 should stay hard as &@?!

Doesn't mean there should be no way for beginners or players who onyl clock in an houronce in a while to contribute and do something worthwhile. This game needs its players.

I've come up with a system to try and eliminate redeployside: make "contested" bases that can be attacked and captured impossible to spawn into from anywhere on the continent, unless you died or redeployed in that region. Then replace the population-based priority system with one based on distance from your empire's warpgate.

The point then is you can't just redeploy into a base to stop a capture; you need to gal drop or drive a sunderer from the preceding base. At the same time you need aircraft to shoot down approaching galaxies and tanks to destroy incoming ground vehicles. Attacking and defending both require a combined-arms approach.

There is.
See my previous post. There is plenty of room for high and low skilled players to exist on the same battlefield.

I know it seems sooooo unfair but the veteran players are just going to have to deal with it.

Noobs are allowed to 10v1 you, or HESH you, or pull a Max on you, or Shotgun you, or simply not fight you and do support stuff instead.

And there is NOTHING you can do about it in this game. So suckit, noobs...er...I mean veterans.

They can, its called being a medic, or an infiltrator and spotting. Two very low skill ceiling classes that are extreamly useful.

So I've seen a lot of people posting that the headshot multiplier is too much, which I disagree with but that is an entire other rant.
I do agree that there are too many in game mechanics that attempt to force headshots more than is necessary. Some suggestions:
1. Change assimilate and regenerate to activate on any kill rather than headshot. This allows lower skill players to actually begin to gain value, while retaining value for high skill players.
2. Remove nano-weave. 2x headshot damage is fine, but nanoweave actually increases it since it does not apply to headshots. Currently it is generally best in slot and is taken over almost any other suit slot. Rather than rewarding high skill, it actively punishes lower skill players and dramatically weakens weapons with sub 2x headshot damage (shotguns, Hunter crossbow, Mini-chaingun etc.) taking nanoweave out of the equation will diversify player choice across all skill levels.

These ideas are horrible and let me tell you why.

First, i do agree head shot multipliers are to strong, it makes the TTK of weapons that are already .48, go down to .1 ttks which is just stupid imo.

1. You really dont want to do that, or else your going to turn Heavy assaults into death machines of the battle field, and dont even suggest just nerfing assimilate, because its what makes the heavy assaults good.

2. Again, no, because this is not true, nano weave is just the easiest to use for builds, its not overpowered. Case and point, Engineer shield regen builds dont use. Medics dont use this. You just see it all the time because the other options for the classes that need to utilize this are not worth taking. If im a heavy assault NOT running assimilate, it would be dumb not to take this. An extra grenade is not worth it, extra ammo is not worth it because you end up dying before its useful and ammo is abundant, when was the last time you actually heard the click click click of an empty gun? The problem is not nano weave, its all of the other options are pure dumpster. It will not diversify anything. I guarantee you if you take out nano weave all you are gonna see are more people using assimilate, or you are just going to see more people using grenades.

Agree! As a Heavy I'll make longer killstreaks and will be immortal ^)
Following your suggestion: (Assimilate+regenerate or Assimilate+Nanomesh Specialist ) + Adrenaline Shield + (MAW+Unstable ammo) = godlike mode.
That is obvious VS buff since only VS have Unstable ammo. As a VS I strongly agree!! ^)
But I think this would be an unbalanced solution from NC's and TR's points of view

Every class uses assimilate, you can even run it with shotguns. Idk about his idea, but it's adren shield combined with assim that makes heavies' regen extremely strong.

Eng ASC use symbiote, which is essentially nanoweave.
Medics def use nanoweave.

It's not just that the other armours aren't that great, it's that they also aren't great compared to nanoweave. You would have to nerf nanoweave into the ground for other armours to be worth taking, especially since many don't stack with implants, or are redundant.

The only 2 real other choices are flak or grenade bando. Sometimes ASC on heavy or eng, but that only works because of the symbiote implant.

And heavy regen needs to be strong, because heavies are in the front lines were they are getting hit with the maximum damage of weapons, where the ttk of fights is less then a second.

And further, it only really works if symbiot OR bionic. Really nothing needs to be done about nano weave because its fine, everyone can use it if they really want to. Its a none issue being made into an issue for some reason.

2x head multiplier is pretty standard for most first person shooters, it is not even that harsh. There are many games where headshots can go up to 5x or even instant kill regardless of damage.

Regarding my first suggestion, the changes would probably make it too easy to snowball, so it is probably a bad idea. The current iteration of assimilate strongly incentivizes headshots, and creates a large skill gap effect between high mechanics and low mechanics players. The idea behind my original suggestion was to reduce this gap, or make it not incorporate headshots in some manner. Currently it's current form is not good for new players in terms of input - output. There are a few builds that don't use assimilate, but they are significantly more uncommon.
Also, heavy assaults are good because of their overshields and weapon selection, not just assimilate.

Regarding the second, I don't quite understand what you are calling untrue. I never said it was overpowered, I just claimed that it was best in slot, which your post is agreeing with. Nanoweave actively works against lower mechanics players, and increases the difference between headshot damage versus bodyshot damage. Removing nanoweave shortens the skill gap as well as forces players to take other utility options in their slot suit. Doing so will make it easier for lower skill players to compete, and makes TTK more consistent across the board.

As a side note, personally I actually do run out of ammo as non-engineer classes, usually infil or light assault but it does happen with medics and sometime heavies. If you survive for an extended period and actually apply good pressure you will run out of ammo without engie ammo packs or ammo printer. Extra grenades are useful when dealing with large groups in enclosed areas.

Aye, i agree its best inslot and thats not because it itself is so strong, its because all of the other options are massively weak.
They need better options then just, more ammo, or more grenades.

Like better options would be.
Combat helmet, reduction in headshot multiplier
Ammo rig, Reduction in reload times by 50%
Weapon sling, weapon switch time reduce by 50%.

Something needs to change not with nanoweave but with all of the other options since they just blow.

Again, I'm suggesting removing nanoweave because it widens the skill gap. Taking it away reduces the skill gap and more specifically makes it easier for lower skill mechanical players to compete with stronger players, which is the entire point of the original post.

I'm strongly against reducing headshot multiplier, especially as a potentially unknown variable. Since there is no way to tell what suit slot your target is running this would make TTK very inconsistent. While it could reduce the skill gap, it will guaranteed reduce the skill ceiling as well. Not only that but it would be very frustrating to play against as any class.
50% reductions are extreme. Besides, those types of bonuses (faster swap and reload) are already incorporated, and should stay as implants.

You have that backwards, it widens the skill gap if you remove it. This is why.

Currently its safe to assume that everyone is using or the vast majority is using Nanoweave. Skilled players specifically target the heady which is not effected by nanoweave. Now even the best skilled players cant land 100% headshots when bursting. Some of those rounds hit body, currently there is a 20% reduction in that with nanoweave. By removing it, you are making it so that skilled playes are able to down none skilled players faster. As a non skilled player will not have a good concept of how to burst fire, and how to aim for the head correctly. Most are just body shooting. Nanoweave gives them some protection against skilled players who are primarly going for head shots and the stray round that does miss and hit body now is reduced by 20%

If you remove nanoweave, those skilled players will be able to put down newer unskilled players far quicker since skilled playersare not changing their method of play, their TTK will only go down because they are still gunning for head shots. Unskilled players TTK will also go down, but not enough to make up for it for a skilled player.

I strongly disagree, If you assume that players are running nanoweave, that includes more mechanically skilled players as well. Assuming that a more mechanically skilled player has better accuracy, and is aiming for the head which nanoweave does not affect, versus a lower skilled player who is aiming for the body, which nanoweave does affect, the nanoweave more consistently penalizes a mechanically weaker player. Nanoweave reducing the damage by 20% means that bodyshots have a 0.8x multiplier. This in turn means that headshots have an effective multiplier of 2.5x against a nanoweave user.

Nanoweave incentivises headshot over body. If it didnt exist chances the many people i hit with around 6 to 15 rng hits will make me a victor in more engagements. Mostly since i tend to aim center mass. When i do manage to line up for headshots ill drop ppl left and right save for panic speedymcspeederton bulletdodge players.

Also since this is % based this is gonna make LMGs really powerful.

The question is what exact you're trying to fix. Randoms or even a platoon redeploying to a base isn't a problem. At most, with the current system, they can even out the pop. What causes problems is massive and quick overpops out of nowhere. That's done with either gals or ESFs dropping beacons, and wouldn't be impacted with your proposal. All restricting base spawns would so would be nerfing casuals even more against platoons. The way you can completely ignore bases till the last minute is a problem. I've kind of mentioned it elsewhere, but on top of the addition of mini hexes up to and around bases, the actual base being made of little hexes would help too. No more appearing out of nowhere to defend and the last 5 minutes of attacking was wasted. This means pop would have to sit around and really fight for territory.

As a Heavy I play without Nanoweave. It doesn't help a lot when your overshield is broken. One of my loadout: I use Advanced Shield Capacitor and Nanomesh specialist + Survivalist implants. As a result - almost instant shield recovery, no delay before overshield recharge and greater survivability.
Looks like Nanoweave works like written in descriprion: decrease small arms (e.g. pistols), vehicle/aircraft guns.
But not LMG or SMG. Right ?

Agree!!!

Small arms damage is any regular infantry gun bullet damage, includes LMGs, SMGs, Carbines, Pistols, Shotguns, MAX AI, Spitfire turrets, MANA turrets, Kobalt and All Rifles except for archer and shortbow.

Source: https://planetside.fandom.com/wiki/Vehicle_armor_and_damage_resistance