[Poll] Vehicle gameplay - do you enjoy it? If not, why?

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Haquim, Oct 28, 2020.

  1. Haquim

    I simply want to know what the general consensus of vehicle gameplay is.
    Wether that is vehicle vs vehicle, vehicle vs infantry or infantry vs vehicle.

    My personal opinion is that all vehicles in general have riddiculously ineffective weapons while also being similarly riddiculously hard to kill.

    If I'm in a vehicle I'm annoyed because my weapons can't kill even a normal footsoldier (with exceptions) unless I accidentally or in special situations can land a direct hit.
    If I'm in a vehicle fighting another vehicle I'm annoyed because all that is happening is we trade shots, drive in cover and repair unless a big tank push starts. If its an aircraft I can generally get a kill or two, till a burster or guard pressures me away. It is simply a chore.
    If I'm the footslogger I'm annoyed because I can combat neither air nor ground targets effectively due to our 18th century lockons that take 2 to 3 seconds and lose progress due to someone running through the screen. Or a bush.

    In short: I find it generally incredibly unsatisfying
    I think vehicles should be far more powerful and also far more fragile.

    For example, ESFs, which I assume are still the vehicle that gets complained about the most, should have the firepower to wipe out a squad in a quick flyby (assuming that squad is rather close to each other)
    Conversely it should also immediately die to a single lockon rocket - which should take half a second tops to finish its lock - or 1.5 if it has the upgrade that does that. Or similar firepower from bursters/skyguards/small arms.

    But I want to see what other people think. Assuming there are still people in these forums i took a long break
    • Up x 2
  2. Campagne

    I personally don't really enjoy vehicle combat very much.

    It tends to be a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors about equipment numbers than actual skill in most instances.

    With infantry combat, getting the drop on someone or getting the first hit doesn't automatically guarantee a victory. But if two equally upgraded AP lightnings cross each other and no one else is around, whoever lands the first hit is going to win every time. There is no real counterplay. The first one to hit can just rush the other and slam into him. They'll both have 100% accuracy with identical DPS, only one has slightly lower health to sustain the engagement and cannot evade or retreat.

    And of course the issue of simply encountering a better-equipped vehicle. A HEAT lightning verses an AP lightning isn't going to be very fair in a direct conflict.

    Plus vehicle fights tend to go on way too long, with both parties just retreating, hiding, and repairing instead of actually fighting anything.
    • Up x 1
  3. Johannes Kaiser

    Vehicle physics alone make a big dent in the vehicle gameplay here. What is the point of any vehicle when a pebble can turn it upside-down?
    Also my Harrasser always does a 180° flip (meaning so the roof is down) when it is in the air for more than 1 second, and I am not entirely sure why...
  4. iller

    This is a great question to ask.

    ..unfortunately I think the real answer is that it's just a completely different skillset from "Head-Clicker Safari" which is 99% of infantry play (which is broken IMHO and almost always dominated by netcode exploiters and subtle toggle botters)
  5. InexoraVC

    This is exaggregation. You literally want to make it glass cannon. This is no fun at all, because fun is trolling, harrassing an enemy (like ESFs do to Vulcan Harassers).
    Your offer is some kinda binary: die or kill.

    Instead I'll suggest to add a "bomber" option for an ESF: dropping the bombs are fun. Requires a skill. Can choose AV or AI bombs.
    And decrease ESF/Valk/Liberator/Galaxy resistance to small arms (e.g. primary infantry weapon) damage. So squad on the ground will be really dangerous to air even if it has no lockons.
    And add AntiAir Auto Cannon for an enginner. Some kind like spitfire cannon but it hits the air targets as Walker does. This would be useful to prevent aircraft (Lib mostly) hover above the battlefield and farming ground targets.

    P.S. and decrease Dalton A2A damage ! :)
    • Up x 1
  6. Demigan

    It relies too much on DPS battles and has too many situations where one or both parties have little effect on the outcome. 2 Lightnings with the same canon is a good example, but most infantry AV for example is too short-ranged with too little a DPS to be really effective while the tank can OHK them with a direct hit. Then aircraft come along and 95% of the players cannot even defend themselves, few places to hide (infantry can hide but they have to cross open terrain at some point), no way to outmaneuver the aircraft who dictates all the rest of the battle and unless the aircraft pilot choses to do so you have little chance of fighting it off without nerfing yourself with dedicated G2A weapons, which immediately nerf your capabilities against the rest of the game.

    I think we need more ways to modify the outcome. Abilities, features, mechanics that can help you either fight, protect yourself or both. A range of abilities to make yourself a harder target. A range of mechanics that help you maneuver to avoid or get into combat. Vehicles that focus more on switching to the right ability or weapon at the right time etc.
    • Up x 6
  7. OneShadowWarrior

    I enjoy most of it except for the lack of climbing on all the vehicles besides the wonderful hover bike.

    You have a great time until you try to make that initial climb or get around to many friendly or enemy vehicles. Getting stalled or slide back on the cheesiest of inclines. Flashes of all vehicles should be the kings of off roading but they aren’t or you get slapped around like bumper cars when you barely tap someone.

    The lack of torque or horsepower can be frustrating, also why does everything show KPH? This is America give me MPH for christ sake.
  8. Atorum

    Not really, seeing how OP VS and NC MBTs and ESFs are, no enjoyment. TR is just underpowered, thanks to Wrel.
    • Up x 1
  9. Pikachu

    A long way of saying that you want to mutually reduce the time to kill for vehicle vs infantry and for vehicles vs vehicles.
  10. AlcyoneSerene

    I don't really like vehicle combat.

    Physics are really poor.
    Air combat annoying mouse acceleration that takes too long to get used to.
    Too many random events that can't be predicted that throw all attempts at skill, coordination, careful observation out the window.
    Enemy counter-attacks on any armor ball that doesn't keep moving, with ridiculous down-time waiting around, and not contributing to objectives.
    Hard to find consistent gunners or drivers and pilots especially without an easy game menu of looking for x like squads.
    • Up x 3
  11. Haquim

    While I would like a bomber option, I gotta say the binary way of my proposal is absolutely intentional.

    The problem is that, in the specific case of ESFs, infantry usually feels absolutely helpless since all their aa options are barely able to chase it off - and it comes back half a minute later to annoy them further.
    That most people don't even bother anymore because of this doesn't help either.

    Giving infantry the ability to down it instantly, proper gear provided, would eliminate that feeling of helplessness.
    And the ESF gets a substantial firepower upgrade to compensate for the loss in durability to prevent the situation from simply being reversed.

    Just giving ESFs another tool to farm players who don't permanently watch the sky and/or are distracted is not what I want.because The ability to drop a bomb and boosting off into the distance would make ESFs even more unstoppable for the common footslogger.
    And everyone knows how much fun it is to play skyguard.


    While that is essentially true, that is only part of it.

    The tools must also be working appropriately, not only have sufficient dps to be satisfying.
    Harrassers for example are usually totally safe from lock-on launchers, because every stone, tree and leaf they boost behind interrupts the stupidly long time it needs.
  12. Blam320

    That's an out-and-out lie. The Prowler not only has access to the single best top gun in the game, but can effectively win any DPS race with its Barrage ability. Vanguard and Magrider I'd say are tied with the Vanguard's ability to outlast most engagements with its shield and extra HP, and the Magrider's ability to dictate most engagements with its mobility.
    • Up x 3
  13. iller

    Mosquito >>>> Reaver ....and Vulcan Harasser EXISTS.

    P.E.B.K.A.C.



    Excellent point. Going Hand in Hand with: "Logistics" has NO BUSINESS being an exceptional implant. ..it should be a regular Crafted implant that only costs 3500 iso to start unlocking (each rank increases its spawn-deploy range 400 meters)
    • Up x 1
  14. Atorum

    You are a moron, literally. Magrider is harder to destroy due to its insane mobility, as a Hornet ESF, or LA with C4 or engi with AV turret.
    But seriously, you are ******* stupid.
    Vanguard can destroy Prowler in perfect damage scenario which means it does more damage.
    If Vanguard engages Shield. Prowler will lose with even Barrage and being deployed.
    Seriously, you are stupid.
  15. DarkChocolate

    I agree with making the vehicles (and infantry) more fragile would be a nice change, I personally don't mind the fragility and the excitement it brings, but I'm also fine with the way things are.

    Only dumbasses stay in these repair line battles, but I guess I should thank you for giving all the flanking opportunities by staying in that stalemate. The beauty of Planetside 2 is that you can choose your engagements and you can choose how to engage. If I see a good infantry battle in a base I bring my infantry farming harasser through the door, if they have no anti-air I bring a lib, If I notice newbs in a line battle I go flank with my MBT and so on. Still there's a lot of freedom in that in many battles you can choose from multiple viable methods of farming newbs and every now and then you get actual rivalry from a competent opposing harasser or lib crew doing the same thing.

    The only real problem with Planetside 2 in general is that it has no objectives. Period. It stems from the fact that the combination of constant spawning and capture points is a really dumb combination. I've played with countless people on all three factions and I can't say I've met many competent players who play the game for the game stated objectives (of capturing bases) or who reach competence and still hold on to the objective based gameplay. The pure sandbox experience doesn't work for everyone, you need to be able to enjoy farming and the occassional competition with other farmers, as far as I know, this is the only enjoyable way to play Planetside 2.
    • Up x 1
  16. Parsa

    I think driving needs a 3rd person crosshair, that would be nice for people who dont like the first person mode
    • Up x 1
  17. MoistDoctor

    i like most of Vehicle combat except a few things.
    •As someone mentioned before, the fact that there's some rocks, barriers and railings some vehicles drive over and then other times (especially bad in Hossin) you slightly nick a small rock or plant and it complete screws your vehicle is something Im surprise still exists and hasn't been adjusted and patched.
    •Projectile speeds seem bad, I get tank shells can be big an all but even a Prowler in deployed mode still has a very slow projectile speed. (I get it it's a game, don't flame me) However comparing to reality, a tank shell actually travels at about the same speed a bullet from a gun.
    •Tank weapons, I get that each kind of turret is suppose to be more 'specialized' but even on anti infantry or even baseline 'all around' turrets on tanks, impact explosion damage seems very underwhelming.
    •Harassers seem too good at too many things, Anti infantry, anti tank, anti air, you can squeeze/jump them up into bases, almost same HP as MBTs, tiny hit box stupid amounts of speed.
  18. iller

    ^ Yeah harassers are something that us Vehicle mains also have noticed are still very out of line with the rules of balance every other vehicle generally must adhere to. The only known counter to a group of them currently is lots of Walker topguns and absolutely littering the battlefield with tank mines before engaging them. That's a really big sacrifice that makes it a lot easier for enemy Armor to catch up and surround you and just demolish you on raw Attrition in your difference in firepower you've had to sacrifice JUST to "Deter" the Harasser ball (the same exact thing Infantry can relate to when they complain about A.A. only deterring Air instead of getting actual kills with it)

    Not to mention that the Walker requires more experience to use effectively than your average Squad-filling Rando has ever had the practice time to accumulate. My only suggestion instead is just let these new Havoc missiles lock onto Harassers or add some kind of new "canister range" Flash/ANT weapon that gives incredibly fast ground vehicles a "Flat Tire" for 10 seconds.
    • Up x 1
  19. MoistDoctor

    Taking the boosters off Harassers could do justice either that or like half their HP pool
    • Up x 1
  20. DarkChocolate

    This complaining about harassers is such scrub talk. Go on, remove the harassers, the next thing you guys will be complaining is about libs or esfs, then about MBTs untill the game is so stable, stale and odorless that it makes absolutely no difference what you do with it and that day is when Planetside 2 has died.