Under certain circumstances, alternating ion plating (AIP) results in the same effects as conventional ion plating (IP). These conditions are satisfied if vapor and ions alternately act on each point of the substrate at rates and action times that are mutually adapted within each period. Based on energy situations in the coating process, it is then shown that energetic activation of the condensate can be enhanced by an increase in ion energy only within a limited range. Proper selection of the ionization arrangement, however, allows alternation of the ratio of ion to vapor rates and thus to change energetic activation by some orders of magnitude. An experimental setup for AIP is given. After that, nickel films produced by vapor deposition, pressure plating, and alternating ion plating are investigated with respect to some applicative features; i.e., optical reflectivity, corrosion resistance to H2S vapor, and protective action as per the Hutschenreuter porosity test. With reference to the examined properties, AIP gives the best results. According to the Hutschenreuter test, protective action increases with growing ion rate. The variation of optical reflectivity of the deposits is the same with AIP and the conventional IP technique. Expanded industrial application of IP calls for high depostion and ion rates, low working pressure, and adequate facilities for large-area coating. One way to approach this goal is AIP with an ionization arrangement of the planar magnetron type. The possibilities of this technique are then outlined by way of the following parameter example: deposition rate 200 kÅ/min; energetic activation about 100 times higher than with vapor depostion; alternating frequencies up to some thousand cycles per minute.