Rationale for having an alert on 2 continents at once?

Just curious. It seems to take away the importance and urgency of an alert when there are multiple going at the same time.

When this happens at 3am EST and there are like 100 people total on Emerald it seems a bit ridiculous and confusing.

Can someone give me the actual rationale for allowing multiple alerts at one time??

I think that Alerts are not the only thing any more since the VP system came in, just one more victory condition amongst others. Personally I like the wider range of victory conditions. So, more Alerts but each one of shorter duration? Plus other options for capturing continents alongside Alerts.......gives the game a bit more variety from my point of view.

I'm not a big fan of the new multiple alert timing. The length change is good, though I think we should have both 1 and 2 hour alerts, along side facility alerts. That said, why are we getting two alerts with only two continents open? Seems a bit pointless

It is counteracting the strategy of leaving the alert continent and ghost capping the empty continent.

Can't go to the other less population d continent if they all have alerts.

My point is that it's zero-sum. If there are two alerts on the only two continents, then people will stay put... which is good on paper, until you realize that a lot of alerts start with a huge overpop, and only balance out because they attract players to the underpopped faction purely by virtue of being the only alert continent.

In effect, 2 alerts with 2 live continents becomes the same condition as not having an alert at all.

I saw this happen yesterday for the first time and was like, "wtf?". It would make sense if it happened when both continents have a good population on them but otherwise not so good an idea imo.

I like that idea. Hope they at least try reducing the time to finish an alert. Maybe try 30 minutes reduction to start?

I've not seen them hit at exactly the same time. Usually like a 45 minute lag. And everyone only plays the alert for the last 45 mins anyway. So you go from one alert to the other.

And you get an xp bonus for playing in an alert. Two edged sword.

There's only one continent open on Briggs, so no problem here.

i like it , better chances i can play on the cont i want and still get more xp.
be nice if winning them still gave xp..

I don't think alerts are meant to draw in or balance out populations. I mean they might have been before. But every year the alert system changes.

First it was capture all biolabs, all amp stations, all tech plants, or major factilities on x continent. Back then alets only spiced things up by having us go for objectives we wouldn't have done on our own unless there was an award for it. They also did NOT contribute to the continent lock as there was no lock.

Second was the previous system, capture X continent. At first this didn't lock either, but then it was modified to do so.

Now.. they don't award exp at all (this is a mistake IMO), and they exist merely to speed up the VP system's locking mechanic.

From what I've seen (especially since Indar has a 8VP requirement instead of 10), they want the continents to rotate in and out on a regular basis. Faster alerts, more of them, and simultaneous alerts facilitate that. I'm not saying I agree with it, just that I understand it.

One change I would do is add variety of alerts to the VP system, and add in back the rewards for completing them.

Since it's impossible for this game to achieve Population lock on a single continent any more, I would prefer less Alerts, seeing as most players Ignore them and continue to Farm or Double team one Empire for their KDR.

Right now, it's just a distractions for the masses, if Alerts and the frequency of Alerts went down, this game would be SO BORING.. because the fact of the matter is, there is NOTHING in PlanetSide 2.. So they've created Alerts to create the illusion that there's stuff to do in this game, but the truth is.. this game is nothing more than a Scoreboard game with loads of things to force you to play for KRD, such as Implants and Charges, Certs for Unlocks and Progression and more Certs for Weapons and attachments..

The Lattice system is so terribly designed, (because it was botched in by popular demand) you can Redeploy at almost any base that being attacked or just Zerg fit the bases, because they are all Terribly designed and are ALL CAMPABLE BY VEHICLES, ALL OF THEM! ALLLLL OFFF THEEEM!

It Just isn't as good as PlanetSide (rip).

Think about it, what does this game actually offer other than Alerts?
Nothing! This game was designed be a MLG wonnaby scoreboard game with micro-transactions.. Problem is, SoE spend all the PS2 profits on FailMark, EQNeverToBeReleased and H1Fail1, which also has nothing to do in it, so it needs constant community events to entertain people.. and now all the PS2 money is gone and DB are left with a terrible Investment, which means less development and no real content. Most people own everything so there are far less Micro-Transactions going on, and even Less content coming out, and if you really think about the recent content that's came out in the last year/s, it's been nothing but Store Items and systems to create more Micro-Transactions.. Like the Bounty System, which NOBODY USES... So I can't even do the Directives for it..

The ingenuous invention of getting players to design the cosmetics, Woo! that was smart, less work and more Income.

When a game comes out on the same scale as PlanetSide 2.. I'm gone, I'm only playing because I'd be bored otherwise.
That game might even be Star Citizen, but who knows, I hear Smedley's new company is working on something big.

Take your 30% more XP in stride

True, they may not have that effect designed into them, but the side effect of population shifts during alerts is an emergent property nonetheless.

I was just pointing out the general futility of having two alerts at once, though Mikey made a good point about them not being exactly concurrent. I wasn't picking at the system itself so much as player psychology.

The XP reward never should've been removed, I have no clue what the thinking was there.

Not just more alerts that are shorter, but having variable length and variable objective alerts, so we can have 2 hour alerts during prime time, and 1 hour/30 minute alerts on the off hours as well as "Capture All [Large Facility Type]" kind of alerts for example. Swap the numbers/objectives as you see fit.

The problem is with the VP system it is very easy, especially off-peak, to keep two continents perma-locked (one of the unlocked ones almost always being Indar).

I agree 100%, but I think it was either a bug, an oversight, or a bit of both. Basically they removed it until they could figure out an appropriate reward.

One thing I hate about Daybreak. Its a medium sized LLC, not a large corporation. But they have way too much bureaucracy as if they were a large corp. Something as simple as alert exp should have been left alone and then tweaked as needed.

Instead they removed it and are still running through scrums to find the 'perfect' value. Personally if i was a dev working there, I'd slip in a value and not say a damn word about it. Let them find it accidently weeks from now and then have to scrum to see if they even want to remove it. Making it stick for weeks, or forever.

I preferred a lot old tech/bio/amp alerts, even those wich took all continent facilities.
at least there was a wide strategy to win it.

now, you can hadly do something meaningful on both.

It really depends who is playing.

During alerts I go to the other continents and Lock em. On purpose. The alerts are meaningless. The "ghost cap" happens to show a point. The point, alerts are meaningless

this
don't overthink....

fwiw, i don't think there's a plan, stuff in PS2 seems pretty random these days

Were it up to me only 1 continent open (the alert.) at a time. When it locks next one opens up and we have a little downtime till the next alert. If too many people log on and can't fit into the continent a second one opens up. Everyone plays on every map...every fight matters...no one gets left out

Rotation damnit!

I wish continents locks and Alerts would be disabled during off peak hours..
Disables at 1am and re-enables when each side has 60? players a side on each continent.. would be idea for me.