Hoverboards for Vanu

Monsta · 2012-06-28, 06:22 PM

I am kinda disappointed that the Vanu Sovereignty gets pretty much the same buggy/light vehicles as the other empires.

Why not having hoverboards for all light classes and maybe even heavy assault? Players should be able to carry them on their back, and make use of them while jumping from a specific height and speed (like you are being able to use a parachute), it should behave like surfing clouds and with the temporary speed booster on it you get enough speed to fly a little upwards. Boosting has impact on other player hoverboards from close range. And does like 50% damage to the player when it gets shot down and explodes under its feet. I think the hoverboards don't need any weapons on it. Should be very cheap to spawn (or in default outfit). Players should be able to use there normal weapons while using the hoverboard. To gain extra speed, making use of the terrain is very important (like Tribals). Players should be able to use the hoverboards as well when undocking from a Galaxy ship.

Comon who is with me?

Yaguer · 2012-06-28, 07:18 PM

I'm not sure how or where I could classify my interests in science fiction, but the idea of seeing hoverboards in Planetside 2 seems to far out-of-bounds. The "realism" I have grasped from playing Planetside 1 for quite a bit, than seeing Planetside 2's mainstream upgrade of the game, I really can't imagine something so miniature, containing so much power to both float and carry the weight of a futuristic warrior. I feel the implementation of a hoverboard would detract from the nature of the game honestly.

What I could however completely imagine and would fit perfectly with the Vanu Sovereignty, is many of their vehicles possessing hover variants such as the ATV, ANT, a moderate land-transport, etc. Features such as these brought into the certification system for the game would be unique.

Cuross · 2012-06-28, 08:19 PM

Well, I'm not entirely for the idea of hoverboards. Personally I think that all VS characters should have jump packs or some form of levitation tech :P

As far as your idea goes, what role exactly are you trying to have them accomplish? So far from your post it sounds like you're trying to give infantry a bit more mobility. I'm not at all against more mobility for infantry, but even if I had a more favorable opinion, what would the other two factions get? Surely all-terrain segways would not even be able to cut it since hoverboards can hover.

It's an out there idea, but maybe it's too out there.

Monsta · 2012-06-28, 09:48 PM

Well try to see it like having the advantage of the jetpacks, but more Vanu/hi tech wize (low gravity, floating, slidy, builds up speed if you do the right strafe jumps). Ill bet those light assaults will defiantly get the max out of that jetpack skill. I think it can be quite useful for jumping out of buildings and having like 10/20 seconds to float in the sky like a mini galaxy, locating your self on a position you normally would never find flying players unless a scythe acrobat is doing tricks. Being exposed but still having a pretty good overview.

I don't know how much damage falling from a high building does, so yeh, that could be maybe changed for Vanu. So the players are forced to used the hoverboards.

Zidane · 2012-06-29, 03:30 AM

Lol this is a pretty good troll

Tooterfish · 2012-06-30, 10:52 PM

Vanu are Hipsters, so this would work for them.

Talek Krell · 2012-07-03, 04:59 PM

This has, unlikely as it seems, been brought up before to a similarly unenthusiastic response. I don't like the idea myself, it's just kind of ridiculous. I'd very much prefer to just have hovering variants of the other vehicles.

Kythas · 2012-07-03, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by Monsta

I am kinda disappointed that the Vanu Sovereignty gets pretty much the same buggy/light vehicles as the other empires.

What if we just color the Lightnings/Quads Purple and give them glowy bits so people know that the Operating Systems in the Vanu vehicles are web 2.0 capable?

On a serious note though, you can't offer something to one faction alone without balancing it out on the other factions.

What would you give the NC and TR?

Monsta · 2012-07-04, 08:39 AM

A fast quad with a heavy weapon vs a hard to master hoverboad without any vehicle weapons, why would that be unfear to the onces riding a quad?

Ratstomper · 2012-07-04, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by Jonny

Lets not copy anything from ut3...

Or tribes for that matter....

Originally Posted by Monsta

A fast quad with a heavy weapon vs a hard to master hoverboad without any vehicle weapons, why would that be unfear to the onces riding a quad?

We've already said why. It would just be a way for vanu infantry to move around on foot ridiculously fast. It shouldn't even be considered in the same category as a vehicle.

Monsta · 2012-07-05, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ratstomper

We've already said why. It would just be a way for vanu infantry to move around on foot ridiculously fast. It shouldn't even be considered in the same category as a vehicle.

Lol, PS2 is going to be the most customizable FPS ever which makes your outfit combination unique and different from everyone else, and your argument is that a quad and a hover board are not the same? Yes you really made a clever conclusion. Apart that, I never said its going to be ridiculous fast, maybe just a bit little bit faster on the long run vs a quad/buggy which has a max speed because of earths friction and because its a light vehicle that should belong only to a non hi-tech empire.

You maybe have a point about the category position. Still the hoverboard will be just an (unarmed) light vehicle ment to drive alone to get you quickly back in the battlezone with the high risk you get blown up by a locked rocket or it explodes by a few assault shots.

Ratstomper · 2012-07-05, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by Monsta

Lol, PS2 is going to be the most customizable FPS ever which makes your outfit combination unique and different from everyone else, and your argument is that a quad and a hover board are not the same? Yes you really made a clever conclusion. Apart that, I never said its going to be ridiculous fast, maybe just a bit little bit faster on the long run vs a quad/buggy which has a max speed because of earths friction and because its a light vehicle that should belong only to a non hi-tech empire.

You maybe have a point about the category position. Still the hoverboard will be just an (unarmed) light vehicle ment to drive alone to get you quickly back in the battlezone with the high risk you get blown up by a locked rocket or it explodes by a few assault shots.

The issue is, aside from the fact that I think this would really ruin the pacing of the infantry game, that you've got a small hoverboard that can fit anywhere an infantryman can go, allows the person riding it to use their regular weapons, prevents fall damage and lets them move faster (if we're talking tribes-esque movement, that's pretty damn fast) than the other two empires (who have to hoof it) in areas where no vehicles will fit. It's not a vehicle at that point, it's practically just an extension of the infantry.

With squad spawning, I don't think it's going to be a big issue to get back into the fight. All you'd have are Vanu zipping around on hoverboards to zerg locations faster than anyone else could.

Monsta · 2012-07-05, 04:37 PM

To be honest I never played PS1, so I believe you on your opinion.

If you say its really too advanced lets get ride of the jetpacks for light assault on Vanu in that case, and only light assault can request to spawn it for a few points or have it as an outfit slot. And to keep it fair, the hoverboard is not an unlimited speed vehicle, even when you do the correct strave jumps. I'm quite sure shooting from a fast light vehicle with an normal assault weapon isn't that easy. Lets just say it goes 20% faster then a quad/buggy.

So far I have seen from the PS2 demo video's there is quite a lot variation between the empire ships, and i think a little hoverboard won't change the game that much.

We have seen the quads go inside the buildings, so should the hoverboard be able to do so, and if your body explodes in lots of pieces while doing some silly acrobat moves, you look just as silly as bringing a quad inside. Most of the time when you are using the hoverboard you are close to ground to get some speed or you are exposed in mid air because you used a little time based speed booster. (remember, still no jetpacks for light assault for Vanu). Another option to make it less advanced is if it would carry a reload time for grabbing the hoverboard itself, so it cannot be used like the jetpacks.

And yes, if you are TR or NC you will start to hate them, because an hoverboard can be used for a one-second-feeling-lucky moment to get out of the action quickly (with a lot of acceleration upgrades) against experienced shooters. Just like a jetpack. Being fast, deathly but also vulnerable fits perfectly for Vanu from my opinion. Especially when Vanu in the PS2 trailers is promoted with the idea that Vanu is different, more hi-tech, doesn't care about getting the most territory, only a few important onces.

MrKWalmsley · 2012-07-05, 04:18 PM

I support this. The hoverboard has no room for an effective weapon, and also there's not any real protection against frontal fire. Fill your boots!

markik · 2012-07-05, 06:27 PM

This is a bad idea; easily obtainable foot soldier transportation, sans limitations? Troopers need to have to rely on the established vehicles, or they'll be able to get into the fray too quickly; instant Vanu zerg. The tears of every player would cry tears. And those tears would yell, "Soooooo OP, nerf now!"
Hoverboards would detract heavily from the importance of vehicles to the Vanu, too, which would just about ruin the balance of power thing the devs seem to want for *some* reason. And anything you give the other factions that could actually even that sort of -bleep-ed up playing field would be, due to the fact that they'd be meant to counter the OP hoverboard, overpowered themselves. Any other counterbalance given to the sides that's meant to simply negate the hoverboard would make the whole scheme a boring addition; a mostly pointless layer of rock-paper-scissors complexity, added just because "a hoverboard would be cool", not because it would be integral to the gameplay in any way.
It would be a tacked on, boring nod to Back to the Future that would probably end up cut in the first patch.
So yeah, not the best idea.