[DviddLeff]

UPDATE: I have been hard at work making concepts for PS2, check them out here: https://sites.google.com/site/planetsideupgradeproject/

Original 2009 Post:

Below you can see my basic ideas for a Planetside Upgrade Project, essentially forging the existing game into PS2. I wrote this over the Summer, when I had my holiday (teachings not too bad and before PSNext was even rumoured. As I cancelled my subscription to PS about 3 years ago, and only played since for the recent reactivation some of my ideas may not be consistent with the current state of the game and I unfortunatly can not post this on the official forums. Anyway, enough babble and onto the good stuff.

Planetside Upgrade Project
The Planetside Upgrade Project (PUP) is an open development team, made up of fans of the game who are interested in improving the game to continue its lifespan. This requires support from the existing Planetside development personnel, particularly in accessing the required files for editing. Without this support and access PUP will never get off the ground.

This is entirely community run, we need volunteers who are willing to put time and effort in to improve the game for all, as well as input from players as to what aspects of PUP is worth pursuing.

The project is broken down into three phases which would ideally be completed in order, but do not have to be;

Phase 1 This is aimed at improving the existing graphics; upgrading textures and models to more detailed versions, and increasing the draw distance, especially on distant hills. This would be an optional download.
Details:

• Terrain Textures
• Building Textures
• Infantry Armour Textures + Models
• Weapon Textures + Models
• Vehicle Textures + Models
• Long distance terrain visible
• Enhanced Water Effects (add meteors and earthquakes as weather types).
• Enhanced Weather
• HUD Upgrades (eg Better missile lock on cross hairs)

Phase 2 is about improving existing game systems; for example giving infantry a separate hit box for the head, allowing head shots to deal more damage. This would also carry across to vehicles, giving them weaker rear armour and buggy/ATV drivers being able to be killed within the vehicle as originally intended. Phase 2 would also include redesigning continents and the bases and towers on them, making each base unique is the ultimate goal. This would include upgrades to outfit systems; giving them more visibility, usefulness and their leaders more control over them. This would be a necessary download.
Details:

• Real night and lighting systems (not included in Phase 1 as it requires the addition of lighting points on infantry, vehicles and buildings).
• Infantry head hit box (200% damage).
• Vehicle weak point hit boxes (eg rear armour takes 200% damage)
• Open vehicle direct crew damage.
• Facility Redesign (making them unique)
• Tower Redesign
• Core Combat Overhaul (see Planetside Idealab)
• Outfit Improvements
• Outfit owned bases (see Planetside Idealab).
• ANT Bombs brought back.
• Command Support Tree and command upgrades (see Planetside Idealab).
• Terrain cover upgrades (denser trees, more small rocks and cover for infantry)
• Reduce base hack timer to 10 minutes
• After capturing continents lock for an hour against your enemies (is this already in game?).
• Make MAX units take damage like infantry, adjust Decimator to kill all infantry including MAXs in 3 hits, empire specific AV stays the same kill rate on MAX units, and less time on infantry. This will need intensive balancing and play testing.
• When killed the player retains a blurry first person view, and the enemy can “finish off” the player immediately sending them to a respawn screen so that player cannot be revived.
• Vehicle driver and gunners must be in standard armour (except buggies and transports)
• Agile armour has VS MAX style jump jets, 3x6 weapon holster instead of 3x9 (tied into adding empire specific SMGs and a light AV weapon).
• Aircraft take 10% extra damage from all AI/AV weaponry.

Phase 3 would concern new additions to the game, giving players new equipment to use; both weaponry, vehicles and support equipment. This could also include my proposed Vehicle Hard Point System. This would be a necessary download.
Details:

• Vehicle Hard Point System
• BFR Overhaul (require 3 or 4 crew, increased armour, option for one of shield, flight pack, cloaking bubble or roof turret)
• Lodestar Overhaul
• Galaxy Overhaul
• AMS Overhaul
• Add ANT, Harasser, Skyguard, Raider and Prowler driver weapons.
• Merge Light Vehicle Weapons into infantry weapon certifications:
• Common Pool and Empire Specific Infantry Anti Aircraft Weapon (stripped down versions of the AA MAX weapons and the Common Pool Wasp AA Missile Pod).
• Machine Gun Certification (3 points): Empire Specific (TR 15mm, VS Quasar, NC Scatter cannon) and common pool (12mm) machine guns (deployed to fire).
• Add MAX and vehicle weapons to AV Certification.
• Change MAX weaponry so that they can equip one Medium Hard Point Weapon, but TR MAXs would get to choose 2 light weapons; one for each arm. This makes MAXs into a hybrid of infantry and vehicles.
• Empire Specific Aircraft Chassis
• Small (1 pilot)
• Medium (2-3 crew)
• Large (4-5 crew) Require Dropship Centre vehicle terminal to acquire.
• Empire Specific sub machine guns
• Light (3x6) AV weapon added
• Sanctuary Overhaul
• Sanctuary Virtual Reality Squad Training
• Sanctuary Strikes (once captured, the winning empire gets to use the conquered ones empire specific weapons for a week, while the loser loses access to all but one continent from their warpgates).
• Outfit Barracks
• Residential buildings (turn Sanctuaries into cities), possible player housing?
• Emplacement System (see the Planetside Idealab).
• Capturable villages and towns around the landscape, in some cases built around the facilities or inserted into the lattice elsewhere.
• Additional Equipment (eg, binoculars, signal beacon, flash bangs, stamina booster and oxygen).
• Addition Implants.
• Additional Merits (for new equipment and others).
• Long term empire goals

A variety of these changes are controversial and would have to be decided by the community whether the PUP should include them or not. However, these would not be votes on the forums, these would be votes in the game world.

All proposed changes would be discussed in detail before implementation, and could be tested for at least a week before the patch and could be rolled back if necessary.