[Suggestion] Generator revamp

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by RabidIBM, Nov 26, 2020.

  1. RabidIBM

    I have a couple issues with the way generators currently work in the game:

    -While they are meant to be micro objectives to be taken and held by either side, the defenders can recover them without properly earning them. The attackers have to take and hold the generator room for the amount of time it takes to burn it down, then defend it. The defenders only need to get within grenade range to throw repair grenades into the room. Also, any repair progress is permanent, but burn down can be canceled.

    -Speaking with some background in maintaining and repairing machines, I'll tell you that you can only break and repair the same machine so many times before that sucker's done, so the repetitive blowing up and repairing irks the ex-navy stoker here.

    What do I propose?

    -Replace the burn down timer with a shut down timer, this part would only be a cosmetic change. The generator would now shut down instead of exploding.

    -Replace repairing the exploded generator with re-flashing the shut down generator. This would be the functional change. If the defenders want their generator back, they need to earn it. Now they need to guard the room for the duration of flash up, which the attackers can cancel.

    Those two are the main points, but some add ons:
    -Help out the new players a bit, lay a big cable on the ground connecting the generator to whatever it powers. Make the cable shiny, possibly lit up in faction colours. This would help new players who may be confused as to what does what by giving them a visual cue that this generator powers that shield or whatever because look at the shiny cable.

    I would even spice up the animation a bit, add a control console to the generator. Make an engineer required for flash up, as nobody else knows how to control the generator. On the shut down side I would say either an infiltrator or an engineer would know how to use the console well enough to break the thing. As a cute little extra, you could add an animation where the heavy assault gets frustrated and starts beating the console because "Duh! Not working!" *thud!* *thud!* *thud!*
    • Up x 2
  2. DrostenVS

    I'd say your idea sounds good in theory, but I think you'd run into problems.

    If each generator now functions as a pseudo-capture point and defenders have to choose whether to protect the actual capture point or a generator that has to be restarted, they're going to pick the capture point (since gate shield diffusers exist). If they do get pushed off the point and need to get to the generators, they are often at a disadvantage due to the placement of the generators. If they successfully make it back to the generator they now need to hold it while the capture timer is still counting down because they've lost the point. Even if they do get the generator back up before the cap finishes, they now need to leave the generator to clear the capture point or send less people in to clear it because they have to defend the generator to avoid having it shut down again.

    This doesn't even cover the Bio Lab generator (good luck balancing that) or SCUs because I'm not sure if you're including SCUs in this.
  3. RabidIBM

    I would include SCUs, but I might give them a faster reboot time. The point in general would be to give the players more decisions to make, so that there can be more ways to win.