Next Live Update news and status

So can the community expect all future new contents to take 160 - 240 weeks to be released?
That's 3 - 4.5 years per continent.

Considering that Planetside 1 was released in May 2003, just 6 months later in October it released Core Combat which included 6 six continents.
Those bases weren't any less complicated or involved with PS2 bases. Actually, they included more mechanics like ANT runs and base energy that is completely missing from PS2.

3+ years for additional map content seems ridiculous. That means for PS2 to get up to the map content that PS1 had, with SOE's formula it would take 20+ years.

Absolutely this.

As people have already stated, it's a great idea to create low density contents in addition to the high density ones we already have. I mean really, just look at all these benefits!

• Better open fields for improved vehicle gameplay.
• Shorter development time.
• Can release continents more often to boost morale and game interest.
• Lower base count will make the continent feel less crowded.
• Having more continents to conquer will make people feel like they have an impact on the game. (post full continental lattice ofc)
• More nature screenshots of superb scenery.
• People will love it!
• You will make more smedbucks!
• [insert super awesome reason I can't think of].

See? Everyone will love it and the world will be a happier place. There's no reason not to!

Thank you for using the official forums. Credit where credit's due.

Looking forward to seeing Hossin. Only 6 continents to go.
Maybe Searhus or Ceryshen next? (loved the "vertical" gameplay on those continents)

I mostly agree with people who say that too many outposts/bases are bad. But if that's the biggest problem with Hossin, then im really excited about it.

Good job on the post and grats on (almost) completing Hossin.

is it possible to say how many GB the new update will be? ...

Glad to read this. I like the open approach and even though it's too bad that you guys are taking the time with Hossin it is also all the better for it . Looking forward to beta testing Hossin !

You nailed it on the head. I've been saying the same thing since Beta.

#1 you do not need to reinvent the wheel. Planetside 1 has multiple maps with the topography and base positions already in place. You do not have to copy them exactly, but it sure would make life easier, then building new maps from scratch. I doubt PS1 vets would care and new PS2 players wouldn't know any better.

#2 You do not need to add new maps with every last outpost, base and detail. In fact I would go with the less is more approach. add it to the Story line. " The factions have found a new world to colonize and the big bases have been dropped from space and terraforming and expansion of those facilities is beginning." And then you can watch how the players attack and defend these bases and make new additions monthly. it doesn't have to be one big chunk at a time add new features to bases or additional outposts over time, let the maps grow over time.

#3. WE HAVE TOO MANY OUTPOSTS. I would say the amount of main bases on a continent is probably about right, but god knows we do not need 3 - 4 outposts between each of those bases. Just link the main bases with the lattice and remove all of the smaller outposts from the lattice system and remove their spawn rooms. It would be ideal if they provide a benefit other then a spawn room, allow the player to use those outposts as defensive and offensive positions to launch attacks on the main bases.

The only other suggestion I have is you do not even have to remove all the small outposts surrounding the main bases. Just remove them from the lattice and allow the player capture them as long as they are adjacent to the main base on the lattice, this would allow fighting over a main base flow in different directions around the main base for both the attacker and defenders...

When we where coming out of Beta, my main concern then is the same it is now...

We do not need 9 servers with 3 continents, we need 3 servers with 9 continents.

Anything about a buff to compensate magriders losing its unique traits.

What about continent lattice and the Battle islands? Why is that being scrapped over in favor of Alert type locking? That just makes continental locking lose all it's significance.

This is temporal until the battle islands are ready you ....

I completely agree with you...

I made a similar post months ago. What I envision is removing the satellite bases from the lattice and just keeping the main base part of the lattice, then the satellite bases would be captured according to their adjacency to the main base on the lattice and each other. This would spread the fighting out for bases and allow the fight to flow in different directions.

Hybrid Hex/Lattice



***please note I forgot to connect Hvar Watchtower and Northgate garrison on the north side of Hvar***

You mean those islands that they announced and put up a demo video with them that look pretty ok a year ago? Yeah... Im sure it took them 80 weeks to polish the 1st pass and then another 50 will be reserved for the 2nd pass and then they'll be live and still they'll need polish. Don't kid yourself. They still don't know the direction they are going to and they are holding on things that they should've just delved in from the very start. And we'll have to wait now for the PS4 release so SOE would have the staff to actually have the slim chance to do the right deed.

There is only 1 battle island that has had any work so far and it's not finished. Still pink glowing place holder objects here and there, misplaced particle effects and what not. SOE has not worked on battle islands since they showed Nexus.

How exactly does continent-locking work, and what problem(s) does it solve?

so no empire specific Pistols I guess the Roadmaps lied to me yet again (or simply you didn't bother update them cant say I'm surprised since its not the first time)

I don't think you're considering the concept of man/hours, where multiple people/teams can work on the content concurrently.

I'm considering what Higby said.
Here, I'll quote it again since you didn't read it the first time.

" creating a "good" outpost in Planetside 2 takes about 2-3 weeks of level design, art playtesting and iteration time minimally, per outpost"

They need only one at the time they release Continental Locking which can act as a placeholder untill they do the other ones which shouldn't take that much time considering it's not a continent but rather a huge outpost spanned over the territory of a few big bases which by Higby's calculations should be no more than 4 months to design, art test etc. That means instead of us having a vague start of an actual tactical meta right now, we'd have to wait another year.

Seconding the suggestions about the approach to smaller outposts and lattice links.

One thing I'd like to restate (you all are probably sick of this by now): please try to avoid plopping down spawnshacks in the open. If their placement would make them completely inaccessible to vehicles, you could get rid of a number of problems in one fell swoop.

- Liberators/tanks parking in a position to shell the way between the spawn and the control point with impunity wouldn't cause nearly as much problems if players could afford to take three steps outside of the spawnroom without dying six times over. (Ideally, we could also use an SCU for each and every stationary spawn to eradicate spawncamping almost entirely...)

- A number of issues with things passing through spawnshields that shouldn't be doing that (splash damage leaking in for example; which may very well contributed to the blank splash radius nerfs across the board) and vice versa (think tower base spawnshields that actively work against the players trying to fight their way outside).

- Otherwise viable Sunderer positions for attackers becoming untenable as soon as there is any kind of actual activity in the base because players inside the spawn can shoot at it with impunity.

Other feedback on base design from me would be "try to avoid relying on teleporters and jumppads". The reason I am against them is very simple - in many cases they actively make the gameplay worse. Thankfully, AMP stations' jumppads on the outer walls are team-locked now, but other bases still suffer from this.

The most recent update of the Ascent on Amerish made it a gorgeous landscape to fight in, the usual drawbacks of it being a tower base notwithstanding. A good chunk of this however is almost never traversed or fought in by the players though because the vast majority of foot traffic revolves around jumppads only (which, by the way, give the attackers a way too easy way inside the perimeter).

That new fully underground base that went live in the same update - Nanite Subterrain Analysis I think it is called - is actively thought of as completely undefensible by all platoon commanders I've played with despite it being about vehicleproof as it is possible in this game. Do you know why? The reason is simple: focusing all points of egress around gravlifts makes it way too easy for the attacking side to set up camp and kill them all even if the defenders have numerical advantage.

I'm not even gonna mention the Skydock Mesa and what jumppads do to it.

Same with teleporters. Imagine you are defending Vanu Archives. On one hand, C point giving control of the teleporter gives the defenders an active incentive to fight out and kill everybody outside instead of turtling up. On the other hand, the moment C point switches hands, you now have a teleporter right by your bum that is spilling enemy troops inside your perimeter by the boatload; to do anything about it you need to get to C point, the way to which is camped by the myriad of tanks, aircraft and assorted infantry milling about outside, waiting for you to peek out.

If you are attacking Vanu Archives, guess what happens when you get the coveted C point? Congratulations! You know get to experience the wonders of spawncamping when attacking too!

That kind of nanites makes me want to log out.

BLESS YOUR SWEET VANU TAINTED HEARTS!!!
YOU REALIZE YOU JUST MADE ME $50 I SC OVER BET!!!!
MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!