Why do people relocate when it gets tough?

Do other people have this problem?

Just now, on the Miller server, there was a fight going on for one of the bases on Amerish. It was a good fight that was at a stalemate, and it looked as though it could go either way. I went back to the base for a new Sunderer, and suddenly one of the points was capped by the TR; I went to flush them out, but soon was overwhelmed by a bunch of people including a MAX.

A look at the map revealed the problem. Whereas a few minutes' prior, I'd been in a battle with 30-40 other NC, I was now pretty much on my own. Everyone else had redeployed somewhere else, having given up.

I don't really get why people do this, but it happens a lot. A good fight is going, then people leave and go for other bases instead via redeploy. Why? Do they actually enjoy capping empty bases?

I get the idea that they're trying to be incisive and look for the enemy's weak point, but if you don't have to fight for it, what's the point in doing that?

There are actually a few features from Planetside 1 I miss, that prevented this a bit. Firstly, PS1's bases had automated turrets that were quite effective (though not as effective as if a player was sat inside) which made solo capping reasonably difficult (as bases were never really undefended) and secondly, if I recall correctly, it placed limits on where you could spawn relative to where you died. If you wanted to relocate, you had to either physically relocate (walk/drive/fly) or you could recall back to your sanctuary (like a safe location) and redeploy, similar to Planetside 2's Instant Action - though this had a global timer of once every 30 minutes.

Given the way PS2 is now, it has PS1's lattice system (or something similar) but this ability to relocate makes it too easy for people to up and leave, when really, they should be encouraged to stand and fight.

If a side has a population >60% and someone relocates, its because they dont want to run with the zerg.

If a side has <40% and relocates, its because thier platoon leader has deemed the fight unwinnable and has found something better.

If a side has 55%-45% and relocates, its because theyre ghostcappers.

I don't want to die ten times in a row while achieving nothing. Do you?

I'm playing a game to have fun. If I don't find a fight fun. I move. What is wrong with that?

A combination of things can cause this.

The most common being that the enemy deploys an extra platoon or two to the fight thus overwhelming you and your allies. This often causes an avalanche of squads/ platoons moving to places they can be more effective. Changing the population in your area to near nothing.

It also is caused when a platoon simply pulls out to attempt a flanking maneuver from another territory not realizing how important those numbers are to the current skirmish.

No, but I should probably state, this wasn't like we were pinned down in a tiny spawn room, with machine gun fire pelting every shielded door. It was a battle that had gone back and forth over the midground between the two bases a fair few times, and people just upped and left.

AH. Then what the other respondents said. Platoon lead could have chosen to pick a different lattice line or continent.

That's fine, I guess. I just wish that it was like in PS1, where you could still do that, but it was just that bit more difficult, to encourage people to tough it out.

In PS1, Platoons could still do it (as they had the logistics together to get transport), but individual players and small squads would usually fight to the bitter end, because to go to another lattice line could take quite a while, especially if none of you were able to pull a Deliverer vehicle or Galaxy. Even then, moving a full platoon from one part of the map to the other was quite an undertaking. It was certainly more difficult than a keypress and a couple of clicks.

Happens all the time and gets really annoying. I just stay because death means nothing nor do my video game stats. A lot of people leave fights because the enemy destroys spawn points and if people can't immediately spawn again, even though they see a friendly sunderer approaching the fight, they find something else. I think the majority of the time people just give up though. I see it a lot when some friendlies are attacking a base populated by some good enemy outfit, but with out pain there isn't really much gain to be had. You also have to keep in mind that most fights are lopsided and too many enjoy those types of fights, so when there is resistance, they're out of their element.

Half of them relocate, the other half stays in the spawn room to shoot behind shields.

Not getting farmed is a good thing and stalemates often mean defenders are winning on aggregate.

There was probably an outfit present that was pulled out to defend another base that was more important at the time.

For me, after two hours in a stalemate going back and forth and not getting anywhere, its just fatigue
and a case of, 'I'm tired of doing this'
or maybe to quote Einstein: Insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

"If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it." -W.C.Fields

Because of the "This farm isn't worth it" mentality and the ease of transporting across and even to a completely diff cont

PS1: Platoon leads discussed with outfit leads benefits of continuing or leaving because resources/lattice benefits/fights on other conts related to current cont fight ->Decision made->if unwinnable fight, recall to sanc, regroup, rearm, rollout (Downtime: 15 minutes -30 Minutes)

PS2: Individual decides cert farm isn't fast enough->clicks anywhere->finds better farm (Downtime: 15 Seconds -30 Seconds)

I'd agree with Einstein on this one if there was any real goal, any absolute victory or end condition, but in Planetside 2 there isn't. The reason to play the game is to fight and have fun doing it. The game is ultimately pointless; we play it because we enjoy the combat, surely?

This.

Lots of people don't want close fights, they want overwhelming numbers and a "farm".

Would be solved with less lame teleporting and more player driven logistics.

fair enough

I think the OP is referring to relatively close fights, from 50/50 to 60/40 tops. In a lot of those fights, all of a sudden, one of the sides loses 1 or 2 squads, making it a 75/25 fight, that's what I think he's addressing

Quite a cute quote considering the majority of humanities' breakthrough were made by people who didn't quit even after being called fools.

Doesn't make sense to me either but that does seem to be the case