[Suggestion] Go all-out on construction, remove all pre-built bases

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Toumal, May 17, 2023.

  1. Toumal

    First off, I'm not a fan of the construction changes overall. There's some good ideas there (modules, variety) but also some really bad ones (removal of defenses, bases next to points flipping, etc)

    But then I thought, if we're going in that direction, why not turn a bad thing into a good one and go all the way?

    Here's the idea:

    1) All (or almost all) pre-built bases are removed. By default there's only a cap point on the terrain and an indestructible silo
    2) You build the base yourself. You can go small, or you can go super big, up to you. Biolabs etc. would require multiple steps to slowly grow them to full size, certain limitations would need to apply (i.e. can't build a biolab everywhere, maybe have specific places be "biolab sites", "techplant sites" and so forth). An option could be to have really large structures such as biolabs or techplants to remain static as they are of course.
    You can "move" the point by placing a point module or one of several point buildings, which will make the original point location disappear. That way you could put it up in a tower for example.
    3) You need to resupply the base silo every now and then if it's being drained. Use the new rules so there's no passive drain, but if people attack a base the silo gets used more and more.
    4) If the silo goes empty the points flip to neutral and all fixed spawns become inoperable.
    5) Base construction without an active lattice link have a shield and takes less damage. Base construction that is deep within your territory is indestructible.
    6) Obvious troll building needs to be prevented via sanity checks, i.e. no completely enclosing a vehicle pad with walls, no building stuff right on top of cortium nodes, etc.

    As an attacker, you have the option of completely destroying a base instead of trying to capture it. But if you do, you will have to spend the time to build up a new base yourself. If you instead cap the points without grinding everything to dust, you inherit a functional base for defense.

    Of course I'd want to be able to place almost all current building blocks, such as L-shape, banana building, infantry bridge, tower, etc.


    What'cha think?
    • Up x 2
  2. MonnyMoony

    So basically - FPS Command and Conquer
    • Up x 2
  3. OneShadowWarrior

    No thanks!

    Construction bases are a dismal failure and capture points that use them worthless.
    • Up x 1
  4. Amador

    Construction was already emphasized on Oshur more than any other continent, this was due to how Oshur had very "limited infrastructure" which players were encouraged to supplement. The first of its kind, truly.

    Thus, Oshur is one of the largest Construction-orientated maps in the entire game and it is not well-regarded by most players. Designing an entire continent solely upon enabling player Construction would probably be even worse.

    Keep in mind that even though Planetside 2 has a Construction system, it is still in a very crude state. Construction still has not been refined to be "modular". As in, Construction still does not have a "magnetism" where structures "snap to eachother" or "snap to surface". Players must still painstakingly position walls to make a secure enclosures. Very disappointing.

    Although I can sympathize with your enthusiasm for player Construction, I am sorry to say that it is an aspect of gameplay that is about to enter a "Dark Age". If you have been on the Public Test Server regarding the Construction update then you'd know it's receiving a giant downgrade overall.

    Automated turrets have been removed. No more defensive pain spires. Traditional modules have been replaced by a "conduit sockets" which you have to micromanage, yet still do not provide adequate structural sustain while under fire from even 2 tanks.

    Simply put, Construction has been downgraded from "base building" to "temporary obstruction building". The time and effort put forth to prepare and build a base is not worth having it torn down in less than a minute or a matter of seconds.

    I'm sorry, but the upcoming updates is going to heavily cripple Construction where only the most dedicated of builders will remain.
  5. RaiMarie

    Ah but all they would have to do then is to increase the health and repair rates to make them more worthwhile maybe. I can see these things being fine-tuned in the upcoming months, but hope they don't make construction completely pointless as it was one of the reasons I go all-in saving certs for the system.
  6. Toumal

    While that is true, the old construction assets didn't really help either. I'm not thinking about just putting up walls, I'm really thinking whole bases as we have them now on the fixed ones, only player-built and destructible.

    The other issue with the old system was that few people understood how to build properly. I was once also one of those goofs who put up a silo in the middle of Berjess Overlook for example. I was wrong, and if you built a silo in the middle there you're doing your faction a big disservice. Few people realized that making the center area a killing zone by placing two silos on either edge of Berjess was a much more effective way to build.

    And don't get me started on the huge mass of players who place their silo and base right on top of the biggest cortium nodes...
    The system needs to prevent the most egregious problems via sanity checks.

    Agreed. Snap to grid, snap to adjacent construction etc. all would have to be available. What I would NOT want is to just have fixed placement spot where you could just select between which building you want to place at exactly that predetermined spot.


    I know. I'm in a group of players who spend about 80% of their time doing construction since it came out. We all know what's going on, and removing active defenses is a giant mistake. There is absolutely no reason to build any turret now, since it's much more effective to just pull a tank, which is mobile and available immediately without build time.


    Worse yet, if you do build a base on a point with the new system, you're only making it harder for yourself if the enemy manages to flip it.

    You know what will happen? The same people who built bases in the center of Berjess will continue doing exactly that, and one cloaker in a moment of distraction will flip the entire thing to the enemy side. So the only winning move will be to not build on points at all.

    I still think this could be fixed. And hey, if they are unsure what to use construction for... again, being able to build *proper* bases with buildings and all that, with proper tools like snapping and interconnecting parts, and with some active defenses to make infiltrating them fun... that would go a long way of motivating me to actually build a defendable base.


    @Wrel I am convinced you listened to the wrong people - mostly the "PS2 should be focused on PvP only without that base stuff" people. You know, the ones who claim that an AI turret gets you hundreds of kills.
    Infiltrating bases was a lot of fun. Now with defenses completely removed, what's the point? It's all back to "let's pull a tank and pound it until it's dust".
    Instead of adding a counter to cloakers with AV knives you essentially removed AV knives. It's just like with the original cortium bomb - instead of adding an element of skill by making it possible to build bases in a way that negates cortium bomb placement (which was possible in sundy garages btw!) you first made it possible to place cortium bombs *everywhere* - and then you nerfed it because of course it got out of hand. And now we're relegated to using a cortium bomb at a predefined slot.
    • Up x 1
  7. OSruinedPS1


    "Vehicles are dismal failure," said the guy in 1990's about a Halflife mod with vehicles.
  8. OSruinedPS1

    Introducing RealTimeStrategy elements (like base building and resource gathering) to replace lame FirstPersonShooter elements that badly tries to simulate RTS logistics (capture the flag and lattice) would be a huge improvement. Problem is these devs don't have the vision to do something like that. No devs have the proper vision, I've been watching them for decades.

    LATTICE: Lattice was introduced first into WWIIONLINE, the first MMOFPS, to simulate logistics. But RTS games already have a logistics system that doesn't need to be simulated. You send your weak gathering units on long treks to get resources, they will be cut off and destroyed by enemies. You overextend with your SCV's (think Starcraft), you will lose.

    CAPTURE THE FLAG: Capture the flag was introduced during an era where when devs built all of the environments, and it's there to simulate taking territory. Well welcome to 2020's where computers have advanced to the point where we can build our own environments. Those that lack vision mock this idea of player building their own environments with phrases like "minecraft" and "legos"; two multi-billion dollar industries I might add.

    Do you want a bad simulation or do you want the real deal?

    1) bad simulation
    2) real deal
  9. OSruinedPS1

    MMORTSFPS