[Suggestion] A few ideas that could possibly refine gameplay.

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Makora, Aug 20, 2014.

  1. Makora

    These are some ideas that have been stuck in my head for a while and thought I'd let the larger community voice their opinions. They are somewhat random, where some are small, others would mean a complete rebuilding of the tied game parts. Most if not all points here can lose validity when more information of the full resource system features come to light. And any numbers you see presented are for demonstration purposed only, not actual suggestions.

    - Galaxy and Sunderer squad spawn feature tied to Squad Spawn timer.
    This is more important when it comes to galaxies. This feature was originally intended for use in keeping a squad together by making it easier to gather up in a transport vehicle. And that idea is sound. But in it's current version and use it has become, basically, an armed and armored spawn beacon with lesser cooldown and other perks (AMS or flight).
    By tying this timer directly to Squad Spawn, you will still fulfill the intended role of the feature but still maintaining a necessity to maintain a "proper" spawn point via a beacon or sunderer.
    I will not lie, this idea mostly ties into the use of a galaxy as a flight ceiling bunker. This alternatively ties into the next idea.

    - Galaxy drop immunity becomes more limited to force the galaxy to actually make use of it's massive armor in drops.
    This could be achieved by two methods:
    1) Limited range. The immunity is only active for a set amount of time/distance. 100m for example. Or:
    2) Requires a specific things of the galaxy to "activate". For example, the galaxy has to hover over the drop zone while maintaining a steady speed bellow a set KPH and staying level enough (within reasonable degrees, not perfect) for the drop immunity to activate.
    The reasoning of this is to drain galaxies. With the current, yet unfinished, resource system and the ability to pull galaxies at nearly every base with an air terminal. These behemoths have become too common of a sight in the skies. Their weaponry is powerful enough to be used an offensive tool rather then defensive and the armor lets a galaxy dart in and out with far too little chance of being destroyed. It is a transport vehicle, first and foremost.
    So this would force the galaxy to stay in the hostile area long enough or go in low enough to put it in enough danger to let the opposition react to it.
    This also has the optional potential of creating epic moments of dropping out of a burning wreckage just in time and the glorious drop-in-a-hot-zone moments. "Epic accounts of bravery and courage don't write themselves, Zael." as was once said.

    - Bases have a regenerating, limited "stockpile" of vehicles and possibly MAXs.
    This is to combat the rather humorously tragic cases of a single base spawning a whole endless vehicle zerg in a short moment (queue allowing). So each base has a limited number of a vehicles that can be spawned at any given time. This stockpile regenerates over time. Meaning smaller engagements will see little to no downside to this. But if the traffic is heavy you might start to see shortages of certain vehicles. And possibly MAXs.
    The regeneration rate could be modified by Amp Station ownership, each Amp station shortening the time it takes for an available vehicle to regenerate.
    An added effect of this would be that a base can effectively be drained of armor if the opposition manages to kill enough. This however raises the question of priority. If the number is effectively limited, should there be a "priority list" based on certification level of a vehicle? And the answer is no. First come, first serve. If the base is drained by unranked armor and you can't pull your epic tank, tough luck.
    If unclear, think of it like this: Your character doesn't carry the 750 resources around with them. The "Nanties" is currency, not materials. The materials are already at the base and are being used to prep up vehicles for construction. You simply pay your 300 Nanites for the Lightning that was by all intents already built, but not yet assembled. You pay, the vehicle pad puts the teleported/nanoconstructed "parts" together and off you go.
    The Warpgate is, of course, an exception. Limitless vehicles as long as you got the dosh.

    - You respawn in a timed "Wave" rather then by an individual timer.
    So rather then there being a timer based on when you, personally, died. There's an overall timer for the base itself that you queue up for. For example the base spawns a wave every 15 seconds. If you die and queue up at the 10 second mark, congratulations you were dead a whole 5 seconds along with everyone else who joined your queue during those 15 seconds.
    BUT, there's a catch. The 15 seconds gets longer and longer if a large number of people are lined up to spawn. So a force of 12 people lined up will have no effect on the timer. But beyond that you start pushing the timer longer. Maxing out at around the 25-30 second mark but only in case of a full platoon being spawned at once.
    This would have two outcomes. Defenders would be more inclined to push out of the spawn room and succeed if they spawn in a wave, rather then one-by-one piecemeal. Zerg spawns with redeployside have a downside where large forces just siphoned onto a base without some sort of logistical organization causes the defense reinforcements to actually stall. But if organized will see little stoppage.

    - AMS changes.
    AMS is a game changer. No denying that. It is dirt cheap at 50 certs and is now a passive making pretty much every sunderer out there a potential point from where the enemy can spawn. Add insult to injury, a sunderer only costs 200 resources. At the very least base no-deploy zones should also apply to defenders.
    The first thing, that I believe should be done. Is that the 50 certs should be refunded and the AMS put back in as a 500 cert unlock and put back as an Utility. It'd also saddle it with one of the following changes.
    1) Equipping AMS disarms the sunderer. No weapons on top.
    2) Equipping AMS kicks the price up to 450.
    The sunderer is a transport vehicle. AMS is an unlock, an addon. Right now the unlock defines the vehicle. It should add to it, not make it.

    As those who have reached this far have noticed. They are pretty radical. With at least two of them being pretty much "never going to happen" and the others close to it. But I'm still curious as to why you like or dislike any of these points and how would you predict the game to change if any of them theoretically become reality.