Medevac Vehicles

[Hayoo]

Two suggestions on Idealab were ground and air versions of a vehicle that could zip around the battlefield, rez or transport troops, and medevac (teleport) them to the nearest medical station emplacement to avoid troops having to spawn in their pajamas and loose their equipment.

Below is the description link:

http://www.planetside-idealab.com/id...vehicles.shtml

Medevac Vehicle

• Medevac Vehicle: Common Pool
  Type: Ground Transport and Support Vehicle
  Role: Health/Armor regeneration and Light Troop Transport
  Primary Weapon: None
  Occupants: 4 (Driver, 3 Passengers)
  Handling: Average
  Armor: Light to Medium
  Certifications Needed: Adv. Medic

When fully stopped , the Medevac Vehicle becomes a health-regeneration station by emitting a small regeneration field.

• Riding in a support vehicle’s passenger spot (mobile or stationary) heals health faster than the regeneration field.
• Dead troops within the regeneration field’s radius are quickly revived inside the vehicle (if there is an unoccupied passenger spot and the vehicle is not in motion) with minimal health and no stamina.
• Being inside each vehicle also keeps passengers from being harmed by plasma attacks and immediately halts any current plasma damage as soon as a player mounts the vehicle.
• MAXs may benefit from the regenerative field, but may not enter the vehicle. They can still be revived from death.
• Regeneration field does not heal vehicle armor.

Medevac Vehicle features:

• When parked close to an AMS, it increases its spawn timer like a bio-lab.
• The vehicle can act as a light troop transport, holding up to 3 passengers (1 driver, 3 riders/patients).
• ISV armor is light and its handling is average.
• The vehicle also has a large trunk to act as a cargo transport for ammo and supplies.
• When moving at slower speed the vehicle is rendered invisible to radar.

These vehicles' Medevac function tied closely with Revive and Respawn improvements, detailed in this thread: http://s3.invisionfree.com/Planetside_Idea...hp?showtopic=11

[piolet68654]

for the air medvac
maybe use a pelican (Halo) type aircraft.
maybe size it down a little,


maybe replace warthog (jeep) with a undeployed med station

[firestormrct]

Unfortunatly, I don't think an Air med vehicle would make much sense, as how would the bodies of the dead float into the cargo bay? (DONT mention an antigrav lift)And as for the droping of the med thing, that is already solved.
Lodestar
-Med Evac Vehicle

[Hayoo]

Originally posted by firestormrct@Dec 27 2004, 10:28 PM
Unfortunatly, I don't think an Air med vehicle would make much sense, as how would the bodies of the dead float into the cargo bay? (DONT mention an antigrav lift)And as for the droping of the med thing, that is already solved.
Lodestar
-Med Evac Vehicle

The Air Med Vehicle is a more mobile version of the ground unit. Like it's terrain-based cousin, the Air vehicle provides a conduit for players to be revived within the vehicle (if there's passengers space) or revive at a nearby Medical Post. Think of it as a flying Medical Applicator which can heal or revive within a bubble. There's no floating bodies or anything. It all happens instantly, just like when someone hits respawn and a backpack appears.

The lodestar doesn't really have any such special function other than armor repair.

[bwzman]

If this was added, I think they should add to the respawn timer, because this would make it easier for you to stay alive, not having to press respawn, there should be a harsher penalty if you do press the respawn button.

[Hayoo]

Originally posted by bwzman@Dec 29 2004, 11:45 PM
If this was added, I think they should add to the respawn timer, because this would make it easier for you to stay alive, not having to press respawn, there should be a harsher penalty if you do press the respawn button.

I see what you're saying: make Revive or Medevac more rewarding than tapping out instantly. The question is whether we reward the revive or penalize the respawn. :) Current players will object to the latter as they feel they wait enough already.

Now remember also that paired with the medevac concept is the idea that all AMS run on a supply line. If they aren't in a friendly-controlled zone, like an enemy SOI, they steadily drain an onboard battery until the AMS can only provide standard weapons and Agile armor. So in a sense, a penalty is already built in because during a Zerg fight there's no garauntee that when you respawn at an AMS that you'll be able to get heavy equipment like HA or AV.

In my current build, this is how the three methods of resurrection compare (reference the image in the first post):

Revive: spawn with 75% health, max of 10% armor, 10 stamina, implants 50% enabled.

• pros: you get to keep the equipment on you, implants start faster, you get to stay in the fight at hand
• cons: must repair, must regain stamina, might be out of ammo, you are a little vulnerable on the frontline (unless a player can "carry" your corpse to a safer place)

Medevac: spawn with 100% health, max of 30% armor, 50 stamina, implants 25% enabled.

• pros: get to keep the equipment on you, implants start faster, medevac point probably safer place to repair and regain stamina, terminals available to get basic ammo and medkits.
• cons: must repair, you have to run back to the front lines, can't change heavy equipment at terminals

A possible incentive might be that a Medical Station's cloaking bubble can block Reveal Enemies.

Respawn: 100% health, max of 50% armor, 100 stamina, implants disabled.

• pros: at full health and stamina, high degree of safety (if respawning at a base), access to vehicles (if respawning at a base).
• cons: must get equipment all over again, heavy equipment might not be available at a drained AMS, possibly longer run to the front lines, you have to wait the full timer for implants to enable.

There is one more very powerful incentive we can impliment that will keep many players from tapping out rather than wait for a revive. It's been mentioned before, can you guess what it is? :D "Being revived cancels that death in your kill/death ratio." Now some might argue that this will ruin any sense of how many times you've actually died in a campaign, so the term Death would have to be re-interpreted as Rebirths for the ratio changes to make sense. Also, just in case anone was wondering, the revive wouldn't cancel the kill for the enemy who shot you down.

edits: updated pro for Respawn per Bwzman's post

[bwzman]

Those are all good points, but I don't think most players will recognize the pros and cons unless you really shove em in their face. There are also some extra plus' for respawning at a base:

Almost assured safety, easy access to new vehicles.

These outweigh basically all the other plus' of being revived, unless you're being revived in the courtyard of a base. The con of implants being disabled can be very miniscule depending on your profession (cloakers would be mad).
Vehicles are the big thing though. Vehicles can wipe out zergers, and they are only available at bases. So It depends on the situation I guess..

[Hayoo]

Originally posted by bwzman@Dec 30 2004, 11:56 AM
Those are all good points, but I don't think most players will recognize the pros and cons unless you really shove em in their face. There are also some extra plus' for respawning at a base:

Almost assured safety, easy access to new vehicles.

These outweigh basically all the other plus' of being revived, unless you're being revived in the courtyard of a base. The con of implants being disabled can be very miniscule depending on your profession (cloakers would be mad).
Vehicles are the big thing though. Vehicles can wipe out zergers, and they are only available at bases. So It depends on the situation I guess..

I updated the pros for Respawning.

Remember though, that you can't be revived or medevaced if you were killed in a vehicle. Revive usually is for bringing back infantry, so vehicle access probably wasn't a concern for them at the point of death unless they wanted to change tactics. In which case, they can still choose to respawn at a base if they want to, but the option to get back into the fight is still there also.

I see this most useful for the grunts who are assaulting a base.

Players would come to understand that just like reviving, medevac allows them to keep their equipment and come back to a place of safety...kinda like deconstructing somewhere and popping up somewhere else ready for battle again.

[bwzman]

I getcha now.

[piolet68654]

ohh pretty pics, made by DATH

*drool* six sexy wheels

http://psforums.station.sony.com/ps/board/...essage.id=29189
more awsome concept art

[IncomingFire]

I read this thread during CAD class today and did a few sketches both un-deployed and deployed. I'm working on an interior now but I'm not very good at drawing so it isn't turning out too well. When I get to my dad's and his scanner this weekend I'll throw 'em up and even though they look pretty crappy maybe someone will become inspired.

[Tiletron|Hyncharas]

Not to go all "Batcave" on people or anything, but I wondered if you considered making the medical station part of the current AMS Design.

We know that currently, there is one spawn tube and two equipment stations. What would you say to have one of those removed and, when the player is being healed, a restraint preventing them from using their weapon on the pedastal would be similar to the one inside bases?

[Hayoo]

Originally posted by Tiletron|Hyncharas@Feb 7 2005, 07:31 PM
Not to go all "Batcave" on people or anything, but I wondered if you considered making the medical station part of the current AMS Design.

We know that currently, there is one spawn tube and two equipment stations. What would you say to have one of those removed and, when the player is being healed, a restraint preventing them from using their weapon on the pedastal would be similar to the one inside bases?

My current medical vehicle doesn't deploy. Rather, like the Lodestar, its revive and regenerative effects spring up when it's at a full stop. I want this thing able to bug out in a hurry because it's made for the Medevac feature. It can rush in, scream to a stop, revive the wounded into the seats or teleport them to a medical station, and then get the hell out. An unarmed Deliverer variant is an excellent platform for such a vehicle.

The medical station you mention is already an emplacement constructed by an engineering vehicle, not a deployable vehicle. Merging the two wouldn't mesh with my other concepts.

You guys are free to design a new medical vehicle that deploys terminals and such if you like but I'm afraid I won't be able to include it in my design. :(

[IncomingFire]

Originally posted by Hayoo

My current medical vehicle doesn't deploy. Rather, like the Lodestar, its revive and regenerative effects spring up when it's at a full stop. I want this thing able to bug out in a hurry because it's made for the Medevac feature. It can rush in, scream to a stop, revive the wounded into the seats or teleport them to a medical station, and then get the hell out. An unarmed Deliverer variant is an excellent platform for such a vehicle.

The medical station you mention is already an emplacement constructed by an engineering vehicle, not a deployable vehicle. Merging the two wouldn't mesh with my other concepts.

You guys are free to design a new medical vehicle that deploys terminals and such if you like but I'm afraid I won't be able to include it in my design. sad.gif

I dunno about the deliv variant I was thinking something more along the lines of a fat harrasser. Slightly longer and taller (think kind of like a hearse). As for the not deploying thing, that makes more sense than having to stop and deploy to be vulnerable to a nice reaver run or two.

[piolet68654]

i know about the benifits of respowning reviving ect. but to make this stuff more meaningful i would suggest making the life more precious,
i know the theme of the game is based on meaningless violence and death but a longer respawn time might fit in with these ideas better.
for example: americas army
http://www.americasarmy.com/downloads/
once you dye you cant come back till the end of the round
(i suggest downloading)(very good FREE online game)

[Hayoo]

Originally posted by piolet68654@Feb 8 2005, 05:44 PM
i know about the benifits of respowning reviving ect. but to make this stuff more meaningful i would suggest making the life more precious,
i know the theme of the game is based on meaningless violence and death but a longer respawn time might fit in with these ideas better.
for example: americas army
http://www.americasarmy.com/downloads/
once you dye you cant come back till the end of the round
(i suggest downloading)(very good FREE online game)

The main problem with that is determining when a round has ended. And America's Army is free to download and free to play so waiting isn't an issue. Since Planetside is pay to play, any delay in a player having fun (coupled with the money lost for it) will make them find something else and PS doesn't do so hot with low pops. :(

[IncomingFire]

The no respawn thing is the part that always ticked me off about CS and AA. However the long respawns used to get on my nerves in PS too, which is why I think it's such a great idea to encourage the revival of friendlys in the field.

[piolet68654]

I meant more of a 20 extra seconds respawn extend, not a wait 4 miniut one, anyways you make a point
i've played 2 games with this system
1.City of Heros (good game)
2.Earth and Beyond (would, but cant recommend seeing how its gone :( )
XP debt
-when you are BR 8 you will begin getting XP debt (so noobs dont start off with so much debt)
-XP Debt: every time you dye you get Half xp towards rank advancment, and half to the Empire(basicly half for you, half down the drain) until you have gained, say 500xp which in the game with xp debt is 1000xp

i'd say a logical XP debt would be 200xp per death so you must earn 200xp
(NOTE: being revived will cancel the debt)
also this way you can make a bigger deal about killing someone :P

[firestormrct]

How about adding Radiator resistance/invincibility to the benefits of riding in the vehicle?

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by firestormrct

How about adding Radiator resistance/invincibility to the benefits of riding in the vehicle?

Yes, that's included in the original concept as an extension of protection from plasma attacks, making the vehicle something of an NBC platform:

• Being inside each vehicle also keeps passengers from being harmed by plasma attacks and immediately halts any current plasma damage as soon as a player mounts the vehicle.

[firestormrct]

Well, you can't really consider the Radiator damage "plasma". Im not sure if it is supposed to, but the radiator will damage your health directly, even if you are in a vehicle (atleast this happened to me in the caverns a while back; 2 pesky REXO NC guys with full alien weaponry). I died inside my Flail!

[Hayoo]

I don't consider Radiator as plasma, that's why I specifically said radation protection is an extension of it's ability to counter plasma. The Medevac vehicle is designed to counter area-of-effect, non-ballistic delivery systems within the general catagory of NBC weapons.

[QuantumArtist]

Hey guys, I'm QuantumArtist of the now closed GameReformer.Com. I have to say I love this site! 4 stars!

I would like to post a few thoughts if I may about these mobile medevac units.

• Stellar idea!
• Why not make the air version more like flying "spawn and drop" station? The concept is that instead of spot reviving a wounded friendly unit, you would "beam" them up to the airial medevac unit... like Star Trek. There, the revived player would sit in a passenger slot until ready to make a drop from wherever the unit is flying. You would have to have a decent radius for it to be useful, and remember that while it sounds grand to have a unit that could perpetually drop players from the sky, it is still vulnerable to AA. This would make this an ideal vehicle for certain outfit operations, tower assaults and even some base roof assaults since revived players would respawn above the base and could hotdrop on the tower again from a less vulnerable position.
• I believe the airial version should be utterly defenseless, like its ground counterpart. Stricktly support. This means that it wont be able to do its job effectively without a decent compliment of defensive units protecting it.
• What if both the ground version and the airial version run on "Med Juice"? This makes it so that it cant run forever without an occasional reload. The airial version would burn through the med ammo much faster then the ground version and will have to reload significantly more often. This makes it so the ground version never placed too far from an AMS or other terminal where it cant be resuplied with ease in extended operations. It also makes it so the airial unit cant just hover over a tower for hours on end without having to reload. In a sense you can say each person spawned is like round of ammo that has been fired. You can only fire so many before you need to reload.
• Only revived players can spawn at the airial medevac. You will not respawn there if you have not been revived by an advanced medic!
• To ensure the airial medivac unit never replaces the Gal and its perks, the medevac is less armored, has fewer passenger slots (which must remain open for players to spawn in them), cannot carry maxes or vehicles, completely defenseless and requires adv. medics to make it work.

Those were some thoughts I had on a slightly different role for the airial version and how it could differ from the ground version. Think of it like the mobile cross between a router and your ground based medevac concept.

[Callaway]

Originally Posted by firestormrct

Unfortunatly, I don't think an Air med vehicle would make much sense, as how would the bodies of the dead float into the cargo bay? (DONT mention an antigrav lift)And as for the droping of the med thing, that is already solved.
Lodestar
-Med Evac Vehicle

The air med should be like a liberator...... only it would drop med packs lol

[QuantumArtist]

Originally Posted by Callaway

The air med should be like a liberator...... only it would drop med packs lol

Hahaha, and when they land on people you hear them yelp.

[Hayoo]

Welcome, Quantum!

Originally Posted by QuantumArtist

Why not make the air version more like flying "spawn and drop" station? The concept is that instead of spot reviving a wounded friendly unit, you would "beam" them up to the airial medevac unit... like Star Trek. There, the revived player would sit in a passenger slot until ready to make a drop from wherever the unit is flying.

Actually, that's exactly how it works. :)

The Medevac Aircraft has to hover maybe 10-20m above the general area of the corpse and the player is beamed up and revived inside the passenger compartment (if there's room. If there isn't he simply revives on the spot) or 'medevaced' (read: teleported) to the nearest functioning Medical Station if the dead soldier has opted for medevac rather than revive.

Don't think of the medevac vehicle as a spawn point though, it's really just a big mobile Medical Applicator and can only be flowing by a Field Medic anyway you see (maybe Advanced Medic too). Reviving in a vehicle gives you full health but minimal armor and stamina, and you have whatever equipment you died with. Medevacing to a Medical Station gives you moderate health, armor, and stamina, but no garauntee of re-equiping with heavy weapons. Respawning would give you full health, moderate armor, full stamina, and a good chance of re-equipping. Implant initializing times would also vary between the three options.

And correct, the aircraft does not have a weapon.

What if both the ground version and the airial version run on "Med Juice"? This makes it so that it cant run forever without an occasional reload.

That's certainly possible, so that it must return to a supply point rather than hop all over the field rezzing people all day. I like that idea, so long as it's used for revives only, since it heals passengers constantly and any nearby troops if landed. And don't forget that landing one near an AMS will reduce the respawn timer for that spawn point.

To ensure the airial medivac unit never replaces the Gal and its perks, the medevac is less armored, has fewer passenger slots (which must remain open for players to spawn in them), cannot carry maxes or vehicles, completely defenseless and requires adv. medics to make it work.

Correct, the Medevac Aircraft only carries the Field Medic and 3 grunt-sized passengers.

[Callaway]

Originally Posted by QuantumArtist

Hahaha, and when they land on people you hear them yelp.

haha could you imagine the enemy looking up and the air med vehical looking exactly like the lib.... when you drop the medipacks it looks like bombs being dropped. lol RUN FOR COVER.. then the medpacks hit the ground and the enemy just gets so embaraced for running away that their character just keels over and dies.

[ChewyLSB]

Holy crap, as an on-and-off advanced medic (once my characters hit BR23 I'll get Adv. Med again) I absolutely ADORE these ideas. If this was implemented, I would orgasm. Seriously.

[HELLFISH88]

I like it, Medics need more props and advantages.

[land_leech]

Originally Posted by piolet68654

ohh pretty pics, made by DATH

*drool* six sexy wheels

http://psforums.station.sony.com/ps/board/...essage.id=29189
more awsome concept art

Indeed. Six sexy wheels... My main guy is sort of a medic. I hope I get a ride like that!

[minignu]

OMG every thread i have a flick through Land_Leech posts in about 5 mins later O_o
Very good ideas here people. We need more support style vehicles in game....

[land_leech]

Originally Posted by minignu

OMG every thread i have a flick through Land_Leech posts in about 5 mins later O_o
Very good ideas here people. We need more support style vehicles in game....

I've had a LOT of free time this weekend. Just chance I suppose.

[minignu]

AAAARRRRGGGHHH QUIT FOLLOWING ME :P

Just kidding loves ya really.

[land_leech]

I knew you cared! LOL

(JUST TO IRRITATE YOU)

[minignu]

*gives Land_leech hugs*
beat THAT.
Maybe we should continue this elsewhere....I hate spamming real threads:P

[land_leech]

Originally Posted by minignu

*gives Land_leech hugs*
beat THAT.
Maybe we should continue this elsewhere....I hate spamming real threads:P

Agreed. Besides, I dont swing that way anyway...

[refusing to spam]

Anyway, I would love to be a medic on wheels. I'm sure if it's put in game, someone will make jokes about it being made for blood drives or somthing. (:

[Hayoo]

Medevac Deliverer:

• no weapons
• kind of a mobile Adv Medical Applicator
• rezzes corpses inside vehicle if there's room
• slowly heals troops in small area when completely stopped.
• Increases respawn time when parked near AMS.

[MasterCalaelen]

Originally Posted by Hayoo

Medevac Deliverer:

• no weapons
• kind of a mobile Adv Medical Applicator
• rezzes corpses inside vehicle if there's room
• slowly heals troops in small area when completely stopped.
• Increases respawn time when parked near AMS.

Sounds good, but how do you rez corpses inside a vehicle? If your dead, you can't get inside it...

[Hayoo]

Originally Posted by MasterCalaelen

Sounds good, but how do you rez corpses inside a vehicle? If your dead, you can't get inside it...

Magic!

heheh. I figure it uses a mini-teleoporter or spawn-tube technology to get them inside. That idea is a hold-over from the Medevac Aircraft version, where the craft would hover over the bodies and they would have been "lifted up" into the passenger section like a rescue basket. No big deal really. I can have it simply heal or rez soldiers in its immediate vicinity and then they can jump into the vehicle if they want.

[DrizzCat]

Why not make it so it Rezzes them at 10% Health, they then can Get into the Vehicle for Faster healing or Heal themselves. There should also instead of a Trunk be a Med Equipment Terminal that Only Produces Medkits, Med Apps and Med Juice

[Hayoo]

If you look at the first post in the thread, you'll find all the features for the vehicle. :)

If it lacks something you want, it's most likely in another vehicle or equipment. No idea exists by itself you see. I split up all the neat features, such as a medical terminal, among several medic options on Idealab.

[DrizzCat]

Yea, I'm still new to the Idea Lab part, But I will tkae the time tonight at work to Roam it some, inbetween Forum whoreing Forumside and the GoTR Forums

[phar0213]

Okay, it's been almost two and a half years; where's the progress on this, Devs?!

Medevac vehicles seems like a SWEET idea! Let's get rolling on this!

[Flylier]

yes guys,move some pictures,a 3D model and send to SOE,well,try send to SOE,if there is a big forum for talk about that vehicle,why the SOE can't read a mail?
already past 1 year