MBTs - 3-man or 2-man - Discuss!

**Malorn** · 2012-03-17, 12:19 AM

Several awesome tweets resulted from the prowler thread.

Per Hamma:

Via Twitter right now it is a two man tank. Higby and team have toyed around with making all empires 3 man to have a dedicated drive but it's nothing final.

https://twitter.com/#!/BrewkoPS/stat...36207570333696

@CDLHamma @mhigby The Prowler is a 2-man tank in #PlanetSide2.
Quote:
@CDLHamma We're still determining if we'll have a 3rd slot on the MBTs, it's a possibility at this point.

I asked:

@BrewkoPS @mhigby thanks brewko I'd assume what Matt mentioned would go for all tanks if it happened

The response:

@CDLHamma @BrewkoPS probably. It's something @kevmo0 and I discussed POSSIBLY adding as a way to spec tanks out to have a dedicated driver

So it is not in stone but it is something they have thought of.

Possibly new thread worthy?

Definitely new thread worthy!

Since 1-man tanks have been one of the biggest discussion points I thought it would be worthwhile to give our developer overlords our thoughts on the matter.

So please, discuss away! Dedicated driver or no?

Skitrel · 2012-03-17, 12:23 AM

On topic: 2 man, it works perfectly fine in BF3. They're devastating and any skilled driver doesn't run into stuff. Don't really see a need for a dedicated driver, that just takes 1 man away from being in other stuff and making the fight bigger/cooler.

EDIT: That's gasoline to you yanks.

Grognard · 2012-03-17, 12:39 AM

Im ok with 2 man tanks in any encarnation, but three man tanks... That seems like an excessive waste of available manpower that could be doing other things. I could probably live with it, but I dont like locking three players into one tank.

The devils advocate in me tells me that it might then be in-line with a liberator, which strikes me as a "sky-tank" in its new configuration...

I would have to be convinced that 3-manning is a good idea, so at this point, I prefer 2.

noxious · 2012-03-17, 12:46 AM

Sweet. I hope this means we'll get configurations with dedicated drivers. It's hard to imagine how they'll balance these with the one-man versions, but I'm sure they can figure something out.

Zulthus · 2012-03-17, 12:49 AM

Nothing wrong with three man tanks, IMO. One dedicated driver, one main cannon gunner, and the chain gunner. Tanks should be the Liberators on the ground.

Dedicated drivers w/dedicated gunners > One man army drivers, in all cases.

Do it guys.

Skitrel · 2012-03-17, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Nothing wrong with three man tanks, IMO. One dedicated driver, one main cannon gunner, and the chain gunner. Tanks should be the Liberators on the ground.

Dedicated drivers w/dedicated gunners > One man army drivers, in all cases.

Do it guys.

You must have missed the prowler thread, there's lots of things wrong with 3 man tanks. The prowler in PS1 proved that.

Zulthus · 2012-03-17, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by Skitrel

You must have missed the prowler thread, there's lots of things wrong with 3 man tanks. The prowler in PS1 proved that.

Just because they had a shitty chaingun doesn't mean they can't make them good in PS2. They already said they were making the secondary guns very powerful. Try again.

ringring · 2012-03-17, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Nothing wrong with three man tanks, IMO. One dedicated driver, one main cannon gunner, and the chain gunner. Tanks should be the Liberators on the ground.

Dedicated drivers w/dedicated gunners > One man army drivers, in all cases.

Do it guys.

Absolutely agree.

Bags · 2012-03-17, 12:53 AM

I'd be fine with it as an option.

It takes more players, but you get the added bonus of better control and m ain gun accuracy.

Zulthus · 2012-03-17, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by Bags

I'd be fine with it as an option.

It takes more players, but you get the added bonus of better control and m ain gun accuracy.

Exactly... give everyone what they want. One man tanks for the killwhores and multiple seat tanks for the teamwork oriented players. I'm fine with both as teamwork will always win.

Warhound · 2012-03-17, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Exactly... give everyone what they want. One man tanks for the killwhores and multiple seat tanks for the teamwork oriented players. I'm fine with both as teamwork will always win.

Umm cant you still have teamwork with the one man vehicles? Ya know kinda like coordinating your efforts with people in other vehicles? I dont see how one man tanks take away any teamwork aspect at all, instead of coordinating within a vehicle(You still would if you had someone manning the secondary) you're just working with multiple vehicles.

Besides it would seem that if this was implemented wouldn't the multicrewed tanks run the the strong risk of being vastly outnumbered in an armored engagement? I mean sure you can spend the time and get people to multicrew some tanks but I mean for the price of one fully crewed tank you could have three one man tanks. Quantity always seems to trump quality.

Zulthus · 2012-03-17, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Warhound

Umm cant you still have teamwork with the one man vehicles? Ya know kinda like coordinating your efforts with people in other vehicles? I dont see how one man tanks take away any teamwork aspect at all, instead of coordinating within a vehicle(You still would if you had someone manning the secondary) you're just working with multiple vehicles.

Besides it would seem that if this was implemented wouldn't the multicrewed tanks run the the strong risk of being vastly outnumbered in an armored engagement? I mean sure you can spend the time and get people to multicrew some tanks but I mean for the price of one fully crewed tank you could have three one man tanks. Quantity always seems to trump quality.

Did you play PS1?

Warhound · 2012-03-17, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

Did you play PS1?

Very fleetingly but to answer your question, yes.

Coreldan · 2012-03-17, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by Warhound

I mean sure you can spend the time and get people to multicrew some tanks but I mean for the price of one fully crewed tank you could have three one man tanks. Quantity always seems to trump quality.

Such armor column with only a drivergunner in it would get quite easily raped by air and infantry. The main turrets are fairly inefficient against infantry now and you can't most likely do shit when Raymac comes bombing you with his Reaver.

So basically, the quantity > quality would probably be right, but only against another armor column (supposing they didnt go for AV in the secondary guns, in which case it gets more even, but they are equally vulnerable to air and infantry).

Cos we know that a Vanguard will need a direct hit on infantry to one shot, the splash damage this time around is fairly nonexistant. Sure, that's still a one hit, but without splash damage it's a whole other ballpark, really.

I may not be 3 manning my tanks, but I will have a secondary gunner every time if barely possible with what we know now. I guess it might change once we actually get to play, but my head as it is now doesnt support one man MBTs

Akemo · 2012-03-19, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Warhound

Quantity always seems to trump quality.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.