Gameplay: Outfit Air Cruisers Redux - Page 2

Sentrosi · 2012-05-18, 10:11 AM

I could see implementing something like this IF the distances between bases is long. Like 15-20 minute transits via Galaxy transportation. You could put this up at some sort of midway point to provide a quick way to re-distribute your troops to the ground.

But as Galaxies are pretty much flying spawn points now (as I understand it) I can't see Air Cruisers being integrated into PS2

VelRa · 2012-05-18, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Sentrosi

I could see implementing something like this IF the distances between bases is long. Like 15-20 minute transits via Galaxy transportation. You could put this up at some sort of midway point to provide a quick way to re-distribute your troops to the ground.

But as Galaxies are pretty much flying spawn points now (as I understand it) I can't see Air Cruisers being integrated into PS2

Presumably there would be some benefit to airships over galaxies as a spawn point, longer range and ability to spawn while moving the most obvious, (did I read somewhere that people can spawn in galaxies in flight, or did I make that up?).

EDIT: Oh, and the ability to carry vehicles.

Essentially my understand of the OP is that air cruisers are a customizable logistics aircraft vulnerable to a coordinated assault but defensible by a fully-manned crew. They are useful as staging platforms for major assaults involving outfits. Galaxies will not be adequate anchors because they are vulnerable to all types of fire. Just one galaxy will probably not be enough to anchor an assault. I can see them dying alot especially since there is no cloaking bubbles like there were for AMSs.

Baneblade · 2012-05-18, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by VelRa

Yeah your option sounds better, upon reconsideration. Except for the fact that presumably a pure heavy assault player could pilot a behemoth of an aircraft equally as well as a pure galaxy pilot. But I'd be willing to sacrifice the immersion for the ease of gameplay.

Well these wouldn't necessarily be controlled the same way as other vehicles since they resemble naval vessels more than aircraft. I figure the classic heading and speed settings are all we need. Navigate the old fashioned way.

And yeah maybe each Mark level requires an outfit cert, and purchasing the module each time you build or upgrade a ship requires resources.

Definitely, one of the defining characteristics of this plan is that some outfits will want to master these, and they should be able to. But most outfits won't, so they shouldn't be able to get the best toys without dedicating themselves to it. Much like players and their professions. Another reason to keep outfit specialization is so larger outfits don't subdivide to form a fleet of them.

Originally Posted by Sentrosi

I could see implementing something like this IF the distances between bases is long. Like 15-20 minute transits via Galaxy transportation. You could put this up at some sort of midway point to provide a quick way to re-distribute your troops to the ground.

But as Galaxies are pretty much flying spawn points now (as I understand it) I can't see Air Cruisers being integrated into PS2

Well, I'll be happy to conceded the point when the Galaxy can spawn while flying, transport MBTs, and anchor an outfit's beachhead.

Originally Posted by VelRa

Presumably there would be some benefit to airships over galaxies as a spawn point, longer range and ability to spawn while moving the most obvious, (did I read somewhere that people can spawn in galaxies in flight, or did I make that up?).

EDIT: Oh, and the ability to carry vehicles.

Essentially my understand of the OP is that air cruisers are a customizable logistics aircraft vulnerable to a coordinated assault but defensible by a fully-manned crew. They are useful as staging platforms for major assaults involving outfits. Galaxies will not be adequate anchors because they are vulnerable to all types of fire. Just one galaxy will probably not be enough to anchor an assault. I can see them dying alot especially since there is no cloaking bubbles like there were for AMSs.

Exactly, OACs can be destroyed without using another OAC, but since they are not floating BFRs, it should require significant effort and coordination. Even still, an OAC is essentially offensive in nature while being defensive in stance. The only time an OAC gets directly dangerous is when another OAC is in range. Then it is naval warfare.

Duskguy · 2012-08-07, 05:07 PM

i would advise that the airships would only be able to be in allied areas or the areas directly next to an allied area. otherwise i can see a bunch of outfits sitting these up all behind enemy lines and killing enemies as they spawn.

would also want a limit to the number of these available. wouldnt want every idiot who makes an outfit have one.

to go with the limit there whould be an outfit ranking system of some sort, such as outfit with the most resources, the outfit with the most kills, the outfit with the most overall points, etc. should be something like 5 categories, and only the top outfit would be able to launch their ship (assuming they have and are supporting one, mentioned constant resource drain).
while that outfit holds that position they can choose to launch their ship or not. if they dont launch, the next ranked outfit in that category would get the option.
the ship would stay active until a shift in the rankings, (if the secondary outfit is using it, then it would shift when they lose that position, ie. second place dropping to third) or until it has been destroyed.
-- if you lose the ranking position the aircraft is retired, not destroyed, and is simply put into storage until the next chance of use.

^^ would promote outfits working and competing aginst each other while working together, and encourage guilds to try and keep their rank or to raise their rank. larger guilds would be more likely to dominate and keep their aircrafts up, but the trade off would be that if they lose that position or pass on launching their aircraft, they are still losing resources.

mentioned constant guild resource drain. would say active use should drain resources at 100% rate while if the unit is not airborn and being used, it would only drain 50% rate, whatever that rate would end up being, such as 2 resources per hour while in flight, 1 when not in use.

basically you would have big anti aircraft flying fortress spawn points for the front lines for the highest ranked outfits (they are the ones likely most supporting the battle). rank sysytem coul update once daily and if destroyed you would as said have a 7 day respawn timer, allowing the second or third ranked outfits in a category to launch their aircraft.

if one outfit is at the top of multiple rankings, they still only get one, and they have to choose which ranking they are using to launch, granting other outfit in the following ranks of the unselected rankings to launch their aircraft and clearly defining which category the lead outfit has to be surpassed in to force dock their aircraft, which would avoid one outfit monopolizing a launch so long as they are number 1 in anything.

gaz · 2012-08-08, 02:29 AM

i kinda like this idea, but i think there should be more restrictions:

1. The Cruiser should only be commandable, but not pilotable.
2. The Cooldown should be per Outfit, at least 24h (If you're not able to defend a Cruiser, you should not have one).
3. The Amount of Cruisers per Faction should be limited to 3 per faction per contintent.
4. The Cruiser should stay at a fixed height, really high in the sky not being able to affect ground fights directly (above clouds?).
5. The Cruiser should be extremely slow.