Changes to Outfit Wars

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by RabidIBM, Feb 24, 2021.

  1. RabidIBM

    The devs are monitoring outfit wars, and making some changes. Here's a link:
    https://www.planetside2.com/news/ow-alpha-v3-retrospective
    And yes, someone else already posted this link on this forum, but the guy had a very negative tone, so I just wanted to start my own discussion.

    Specifically, about the requirement to have 48 players signed up to join. I see what they are going for, having personally participated in a round where one outfit only brought 15 people, I get why they are doing this, but demanding all 48 might be an over reaction. Some people aren't going to know 100% whether they will be available or not, life happens. I think demanding 36 confirmed participants would be enough to have a proper match, even if a bit short handed. Then there would be 12 spots open for last minute fill in.

    Thoughts?
  2. Somentine

    1. 1v1v1 is a bad format. It only works on live because, for the most part, it isn't a big deal to lose alerts.
    2. A2G proves itself to be way too strong time and time again. At least some bases need to be safe from A2G, possibly one's closer to the WG/on the outskirts, while the middle can be a blood bath.
    3. 48 is a lot of people. If they got rid of the 3-way and made it 1v1, they could reduce it to 36 easily (or make it start at 36 and scale up to 48 by checking each team and ensuring that at no point can you get another player if your team has more than the other).
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  3. iller

    It's called Construction.
    It's not a coincidence that the inner Diameter of the "donut building" is the exact same diameter as a module SkyShield.

    "The Meta" just hasn't evolved enough to accept that fact and get everyone prepared for it
  4. Somentine

    There were skyshields in the first matches.
    A2G isn't strong just because it's easy and powerful, it's because it's also un-restricted mobility.
    You can only dedicate and set up so many, and they can be taken out easily.
  5. RabidIBM

    There are numerous balance issues in PS2, but AtG isn't one of them. There are many things which counter AtG, not the least of which is AtA. Most AtG players aren't great pilots, even one sky knight on station can usually clear them out.
  6. Somentine

    A2G is arguably the LEAST balanced things in this game, wtf are you talking about? Right up there with the Mauler cannon and pocket orbitals.
  7. RabidIBM

    Do you personally play AtG? I ask because most people think the things they don't personally play are OP. Anyways, I'll list off a bunch of things that either limit or counter AtG
    -All three of the major facility types have most of the infantry fighting indoors.
    -Most bases have a spawn room with decent angles to fire out of, or if they don't you don't have to step too far from the spawn room to provide StA coverage. This means that a couple burster MAXes can clear out much of the air. If you're low on nanite, heavy will work too, but the MAX is better, and can swap to AI weapons once the AtG have cleared off.
    -Any group of vehicles should have enough walkers/rangers/skyguards to ensure their safety. If they don't they're asking to get farmed.
    -PMBs can provide a no-fly-zone with combo of AA turrets and sky shields.
    -Sky knights are usually better pilots than AtG farmers, but even if any sky knights load up AtG, they will still be at an equipment disadvantage against players who pulled AtA load outs.
    -Many of the bases have built in AA turrets so that even new players with bugger all unlocks can still contribute StA.

    So that was 6 points I just rattled off without thinking too much about it. You have a fair point about pocket orbitals being skilless and offering no counter play, but this forum is already awash with posts about the pocket orbital. Bastions are really just a flying meme. They don't determine who is going to dominate a continent, they usually just soak a bunch of player count from their own faction. They also aren't included in Outfit Wars, which was the original topic of this post. So enough salt about AtG and...

    Back to Outfit Wars! This post is about the proposal that an outfit should need all 48 players signed up to qualify to enter. Do folks think that is the right move? Or should the bar be lower to accommodate drop ins and generally real life outside of Planetside?
  8. Scatterblak


    Get rid of it completely, and focus on gameplay and content that all of the playerbase will have access to. Where's the new continent? Turn TI back on, fix the Crown bridge, tone down the lattice, and make other changes that bring joy to everyone, instead of just certain groups.

    No wonder the guy had a bad tone.
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  9. Somentine

    - AMP bases are almost entirely outside, and the one's that aren't have gens that are. Tech (not including Esamir) is about half and half, depending on if you're attacking or defending. Bio is bio, but even then you can have libs hover and grind out a side for a while before they're driven away.

    - And an equal or greater amount don't. Heavy doesn't work from spawn unless you're TR, and even then only at certain bases.

    - And if they do take an AA weapon, they are at a complete loss on the ground. Also, the only ground vehicle that can actually use it's Turret AA to kill Air reliably is a ranger harasser. Everything else is better suited trying to swat them with the main cannon. Ranger on buses are deterrence, and lose to a lib regardless. Also, lol armour columns in 2021.

    - PMBs are incredibly restricted. Yeah sure, they create a no-fly zone... 800m away from where it needs to be.

    - Air to deal with air.

    - The AA turrets are garbage, and that is assuming they aren't blown up. They are also limited on anything that isn't a 3 point or major facility base.

    There, I just countered your 6 points about A2G being balanced without even really thinking about it. Most of them wasn't really an argument at all, just that you can -kind of- fight back against it?


    A flying meme that averages 5-6 KPM for an hour with a map point and click AoE weapon. It's only less of an issue now because they've nerfed acquiring the resources for small outfits and the novelty has worn off.
  10. JibbaJabba

    "The Meta" has moved on from the Skyshield in the center. There are other variant's with the shield over the roof the the donut perimeter that are powerful as well.

    A2G being powerful has nothing to do with the evolving of gameplay. It's powerful because lo and behold you actually have good players in the air on OW. We find when we stack the best Air players, Infantry players, and armor players that Air dominates. It is what it is. The "weapons" are simply better.
  11. iller

    Wrong but also sorta Right. It's not the (map) mobility itself that's the problem because Harassers and Zephyr/Dusters and Valks are also very "Mobile". The real problem with ESF air is the Hover3 frame which literally allows for breaking of Tracking & simulated collision physics and other things to be made possible. Generally its only a problem while afterburning. But it's not nearly as exaggerated a problem or as META when pilots are only using Racer or Dogfighter frame.

    All of the never ending threads we've seen on these forums year after year complaining about A2G, actually boils down to this but most people who pull A.A. haven't flown enough themselves to get the 1000+ kills in order to understand this. Me personally I had to look at my own stats just to realize that I have more kills flying Reaver than I have of any other weapon in the game ... which kinda took me by surprise. And I would say the ONLY thing which accelerated that process was me giving up entirely on the other two frames, and understanding all the Cheese that's possible with Hover
  12. csvfr

    There could also be different weight classes for matches with 12, 24, and 48 players. This would make outfitwars accessible for many more players. 12v12v12 matches could have a reduced lattice akin to unstable warpgates, where only the 3 central relics are fought over. Medium weight matches (24v24v24) would have the current full Desolation map, and 48 player matches could additionally open up the 3 empty command centres with some newly designed bases. Perhaps even, holding one of the empty command centres would put a battery of AI controlled turrets on the side of the controlling faction, that reduced viability of A2G.
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