Gameplay: Jacking Vehicles

RedKnights · 2011-08-23, 10:26 AM

Ok guys, lets talk about hacking vehicles for a moment. We know that this will not be possible in Planetside 2 due to "balance issues and texture budgets"

But what about "Jacking" them.

Imagine you're in a Vanguard, you think you're all cool because you have the best tank in the game, you and your friend are driving along a tight road on Ceryshen with a shear drop on one side.

Suddenly you see a flash of light impact your vehicle, and you no longer have control. It lurches to the right, heading right for the cliff as your gunner bails (the coward), and you with all your willpower hold down the spacebar to try and stop your shiny vanguard from reaching a deadly end, you fail, and you're killed by a tree during the fall.

Essentially I think it would be cool for cloakers or high-level hackers to be able to shoot something akin to a T-REK pulse at a vehicle and temporarily assume control of the driver position for a couple seconds. Hilarity Ensues.

We were shooting the idea around coms the other day, we thought it might be pretty funny, and help people in vehicles still stay on their toes, so thought i'd slap the idea down here to see what people thought.

NewSith · 2011-08-23, 04:21 PM

Heh, I was thinking about hacking vehicles some way alternative to PS1's not so long ago too...

The only thing that bothers me in your suggestiom though is that your suggestion is too OP. I'd go more easily on T-REK-like shot. It's fine as is, plus maybe make it locational...

Yet, I'd like to see some sort of virus-like hacking of vehicles.

It's the same as vehicle hijacking in PS1. But instead of color-switch, let it create some inconveniences based on timer, like:
No radar for a vehicle (long timer)
Gun disabling (moderate timer)
Movement disabling (moderate timer)
Vehicle lockdown, forcing crew to bail out without the ability to get back in (short timer)
Interference screen, like instead of seeing what's actually happening, you see snapshots of it, with like 2-3 snapshots a second, mixed with normal vision and with loads of static interference (short timer)
(d0re has reminded) Special ability disabling (long timer)

It'll do careless drivers the same harm as if it did with PS1 hacking.

EDIT: Oh, yeah and vehicle should all go "WARNING! WARNING! RADAR/WEAPON/CONTROL/ACCESS/TV/SUPPORT SYSTEMS MALFUNCTION! SYSTEM LOCKDOWN. REROUTING IN --:--"

Trick is though, that the effect should be able to be removed without any special certs even by the vehicle crew. 40 rehacking seconds would do just nicely. Because the vehicle should only be re-hacked from outside, and that would give an infil a chance to play his part.

EDIT2: Or maybe even "FAILSAFE PROTOCOL ENGAGED. DECONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE INITIATED. ABANDON VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY! YOU HAVE 2:00 MINUTES LEFT." Still should be able to rehack, though.

Zulthus · 2011-08-23, 04:49 PM

Honestly... that sounds too OP. If it was implemented, the ability should be very deep down in an infiltrator's spec tree. T-REK shots are easy to aim, so there should be a different method of delivery.

Dorest0rm · 2011-08-23, 04:50 PM

I loved bailing on parked enemy Lodestars and Galaxy's.

Some self destruct mechanism would be cool, one that takes like 5hp/sec off of it when you hack it.

Lonehunter · 2011-08-23, 05:19 PM

Sounds a lil OP to me, personally I'd love to see us be able to still hack/occupy gunner/passenger seats.

Not having control over your character in general has not been a much liked decision in game design, I could see them implementing something like disabling weapons, slowing them down, affecting their radar, but not making their vehicle go wild.

Bravic · 2011-08-23, 07:51 PM

It wouldn't be too OP if the driver/pilot certs antihacking on their vehicle.

Talek Krell · 2011-08-23, 09:04 PM

So it would only allow you to be blatantly overpowered against inexperienced drivers? -_-

Senyu · 2011-08-24, 01:27 AM

There have been alot of ideas like this in other hacking threads

CutterJohn · 2011-08-31, 08:41 AM

Why not just, you know.. Shoot the vehicles?

NewSith · 2011-08-31, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

Why not just, you know.. Shoot the vehicles?

BE GONE, HERETIC!

Sentrosi · 2011-09-06, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

Why not just, you know.. Shoot the vehicles?

I'm out in the middle of the field and I see a Vanguard coming over the ridge guns blazing. I can't pull out my AV weapon because I'm not certed in that. But, because I'm an awesome hacker, I can screw up that rebellious NC's guns so that he can't fire at me. Sure, he can run me over, but it's much better if I can disable the Vanguard's guns because, unknown to the Vanguard's driver and gunner, I got 20 Dragon Wolves over that ridge that are packing their AV weapons and Reaver pilots who's missles are just aching to violate a Vanguard's tailpipes. So I disable the Vanguard and suddenly he's nothing but a huge target. BOOM BOOM BOOM, out go the lights.

OR

The Magrider is camping the vehicle pad/Tower/base. I shoot the T-REK at the Magrider disabling it's guns. Now he's a sitting target for my friends.

CutterJohn · 2011-09-06, 03:02 PM

Disabling weapons is already the function of the emp grenade.

What loon of a weapon designer would leave pathways to control systems that a hacker could take over? Since the vehicles cannot be controlled remotely, it would make zero sense to have anything exposed and capable of receiving a message connected to anything involved in moving the vehicle or firing it.

Traak · 2011-09-24, 03:24 AM

EMP nade should screw up controls too. Not eliminate but mess with.

**Malorn** · 2011-09-27, 01:14 AM

I would say the majority of the time myself or my outfit jacked a vehicle it was to deny it (deconstruct it). Since you had to have the vehicle cert in order to use it actually stealing and using was relatively uncommon. Mostly happened with Tanks, or the occasional AMS.

I would like to see the Hack-and-Deconstruct option remain for the hacking skill. Vehicle theft is far less interesting to me than the ability to hack a vehicle and destroy it. AMS are the best use of this, but since they are not in PS2 it might lose value, but not if APCs or other vehicles take its place.

So yeah, keep "jacking" for deconstruction purposes. Just make it the default. That requires no new textures or art or anything.

Raka Maru · 2011-09-27, 11:16 PM

Nothing like jacking a vehicle and killing the pilot with his own ride. Good stuff!!! Will miss this much.