What's the point of timers?

We have the resources and we have the timers. Both serve to limit vehicle spam.

What I fail to see is the point of having two separate mechanics for that purpose when they seem disconnected from each other. The point of the metagame is to make zones important for resource collection, but frankly the lack of resources is secondary to a timer lock - I rarely get into a situation where I don't roll a tank because of resources. Usually it's a matter of the timer not being reset.

The timers impose an artificial limitation. Suppose I'm up against a magrider zerg - I need my men to roll AP prowlers, for what that's worth. Someone gets blown up and even though he have the resources, that guy has to roll an AP lightning instead. This limitation feels arbitrary and pointless. Sure, it basically forcibly funnels players through content - YOU HAD ENOUGH FUN WITH THIS GAME MODE NOW IT IS FORBIDDEN YOU MUST HAVE FUN WITH THAT GAME MODE INSTEAD

But bad, forced and arbitrary design is secondary to the fact that this neuters the resource-based metagame. It renders the resources effectively irrelevant - it doesn't permit you to deplete your resources in an organized push, it doesn't allow you to force the enemy to do so. Since resources are for the most part irrelevant the amount of vehicles on the map is dictated by timers, resulting in a fairly constant numbers of vehicles per player on the map at any time. This creates a monotonous gaming environment.

When a faction gradually gets warpgated, it's almost exponential how many people leave for other continents as time passes, rather than staying to defend since it gradually becomes impossible.

If there was simply a timer, it would only be a matter of time before the defenders could organize a force of tanks, libs, etc to fight back, but the current system favors abandoning continents to those where there is sufficient resource income to balance the odds.

I can't count how many times I've crossed a certain boundary (I'm NC, and the Xelas biolab on Amerish seems to be a boundary) where the TR give up and disappear, and from there on out there's little to no resistance. I may run across a stray tank or mosquito, but ghost capping with the zerg becomes the norm after that bio lab and I can even abandon my Vanguard and get in a Reaver to scoot from empty base to empty base. This isn't the way I'd like to capture a continent. I want to fight for those last few territories and actually have a sense of accomplishment for legitimately warpgating the TR/VS through tactics, strategy, etc rather than them just giving up.

its there to hide the bad implementation of resources.

How does all that relate to timers and resources? What is the point you're trying to make?

I agree they are largely redundant but if your going to call for getting rid of one or the other why not the resources one? Timers have a much more pronounced impact on enforcing smart play than resources do and resources on the whole except for infantry are largely meaningless and even than it's more about managing your stockpiles of consumables than anything else.

With timers it doesn't matter which territories are controlled; the defenders always have a fighting chance with a large enough force.

With resources, the defenders eventually reach a critical point where they can no longer defend (can't spawn vehicles), and give up.

The resources are the artificial limitation, actually.

One is a system to stop you spamming the same vehicle, the other is a system to stop you spamming vehicles in general.

Agree.

Timers are critical and important, resources are meh. Occasionally people run out of air resources due to gals getting shot down but not that often.

Infantry do matter to me since I play a jack of all trades and use a lot of consumables, but as you say its more about just going on a buying spree every time you see you are full.

Makes me wish there was a separate vehicle pilot class.

Finally someone calls it.

I don't feel that way. Capturing zones gives you resources. You use resources to spawn vehicles. You capture different zones to get different resources. It feels logical, organic, and ties with the (meta)game.

Timers? Why can't you spawn another lightning but you can roll an MBT? Why does this timer keep following you from terminal to terminal?

Removing resources would effectively remove ALL metagame PS2 currently has. There would be absolutely no point to control zones and no point in defending them. The only point to the game would be to grind at the crown/zurvan.

Most posters in here feel that the metagame feels out of place in the context of the game and would be better off without it. This is very concerning and telling of PS2's design.