Planetside 2

[Mrbloodworth]

Air pads. Big giant icon on them. Land there. Make sure its a friendly tower/base!

[WayAbvPar]

Duh. That makes sense. Thanks!

[Mrbloodworth]

Any time.

Matt Higby talks testing weapons, server restrictions, and more in PlanetSide 2 interview

For anyone who hadn't noticed, a little game called PlanetSide 2 launched one week ago today. OK, it isn't really little at all; folks who log in to the new MMOFPS enter a massive world with battles taking place all over the map. In a recent video interview, Creative Director Matt Higby discussed a few features players might have missed in their battle frenzy as well as some upcoming ones they can expect.

Introduced at launch, one feature Higby highlighted is the ability to test weapons out in the field before committing their hard-earned certs to a purchase, so "buyer's remorse won't necessarily be as prominent." Every eight hours, players can grab a weapon (for free) and run around with it for 30 minutes. Players can do this three times a day but must use a different weapon each time; the cool-down timer for testing a weapon a second time is 30 days. And soon, players can also expect a more detailed preview window when perusing weapon with information on how the weapon behaves and what attachments can be used on it.

Higby goes on to reveal that the one empire per server restriction will be lifted and highlights the upcoming ability to switch servers and rename characters. Folks waiting for the ability to switch factions, however, are out of luck. Get all the details -- plus some in-game footage -- in the video after the break.

[Falconeer]

Higby goes on to reveal that the one empire per server restriction will be lifted

 

[Miasma]

That's a crazy idea, they shouldn't do that.

[Nebu]

That's a crazy idea, they shouldn't do that.

Does it really matter with F2P?  All on one account seems easier for them to manage than having people make 3+ accounts. 

[01101010]

Well it will be rethought once a full on base defense get's neutered by some of the other faction spawning over as defenders and sabotaging the defense. But I do see your point Nebu... it can happen anyway with multiple accounts. I just hope that your grief score carries over between faction jumps to help with things.

[Mrbloodworth]

He goes into more detail in the video than that paragraph provides.

[kaid]

Higby goes on to reveal that the one empire per server restriction will be lifted

 

This is not necessarily a problem. You could do this in PS1 but there was a lock out timer that once you played one side in a day it took a few hours before you could log onto the other faction so it kept you from doing any rapid switching side to side.

[Falconeer]

Something weird happened. I never noticed I had a "Warden" battle rifle in the Cert list, so I checked it out even though it was red (unlocked) and decided to buy it for 700 SC. It's a single shot long range rifle, and I really like it. But my surprise comes from the fact that I could not find this rifle in the "Depot" store for the life of me. I think it has to do with the fact that the depot has a stupid auto-filter function, and "Battle Rifles" are part of no sub group, so they don't show up.

The bottom line is, there could be more weapons available for your class that you haven't seen in the depot page. Look harder in the cert page. And disregard this message if I am just crazy and it was all there but I couldn't see it.

[Mrbloodworth]

If you filter for a class, I think you miss seeing the Nanite system Stuff, we used to call them common pool items.

EDIT: Seems that one is is EPS.

[Nija]

The warden doesn't show up if you filter by class either. Neither did the NS-11a. You just have to be on top of things to find the cheater guns.

The warden is pretty cool for an engineer. I can go suppress with a sniper buddy of mine and lay down infinite ammo for us. I can't hit shit at that range (only a 6x scope) but I can lay down 20 rounds as fast as I can pull the trigger.

[Mrbloodworth]

Some eve dude loves some Planetside 2.

http://themittani.com/features/planetside-2-review

EDIT: Also, anyone notice than when you are in a platoon, the "Z" key switches from squad to Prox? Odd that.

[Sky]

Maybe it screwed up the shortcut for platoon in the automagic code? You should bug it.

edit:

I forgot my #2 wishlist item. More voice options. Because I'm getting awfully tired of being Fred Armisen from the skit The Californians, dude. "Like, I could totally use a heal, broham!"

[Bzalthek]

Well I bought the x12 scope and tried the infiltrator. Headshots all day long!  Have to move after 4-5 because they start to figure it out hee.

[Kageru]

Jackhammer is regarded as very underpowered I think (so is the lasher?). Apparently it's shot spread is pretty obscene.

Medics, and to an extent infiltrators have a very limited role because the time to kill is so short. It becomes a lot about dying, respawning and running back to the fight. A medic can be valuable, and get good xp, if they are part of a tight group fighting a goodly distance from a respawn point, but that is very rare outside of organized groups. Either the fight is very near the respawn point or people fan out and go every which way. In such a situation getting to a body and giving a revive within the 8 second respawn timer is very tight. I've also seen large groups of infantry trying to defend a hilltop but that almost always ends with a vehicle obliterating them all. The engineers ability to repair vehicles when in the open, defences in the base and give ammo is more reliably useful.

The medic does have a better weapon ranged though. So being a medic as effectively a designated marksman (Since HA,Eng, LA and MAX) are pretty much all short range is still valuable. And if you see a body or low health you can add a bit.

[Goumindong]

Infiltrators are hard to use strategically, medics are much easier. The time to spawn is low, but the time to get back to a fight tends to be a lot higher. Any group which has a medic or two will consistently push a group that does not off whatever piece of land they're fighting over and then hold a critical choke point/destroy a spawn.

Infiltrators are hard to use strategically because they cannot effectively push a location against medics/HA's/moving units. Each infiltrator you have is someone you cannot effectively use to push a location down, though a few are still valuable to hack turrets/consoles.

Infiltrators are great in protracted fights, where the group is unable to push because the enemy has some infantry which is resupplying them and without which they can be pushed against. I have, on occasion, single handedly turned engagements by sneaking around a fight sniping the enemy medics and flipping vehicle consoles/turrets. Sure the medics respawned in 8 seconds at the sundy, but the 12 second turn around of running from the sundy was all our assault force needed to secure an advanced position and put their sunderer in jeopardy. Sure they could flip the vehicle terminal back, but the time they're not spawning vehicles is time our vehicles can push.

[Kageru]

In general though the best way to kill an attacking beach-head (ie. away from the spawn point) seems to be to roll a heavy tank over it or hit it from air. Grenades too are massively powerful in skilled hands. The infiltrator just kills so much slower, and the medic will lose the battle to keep people alive. So in such a situation the most valuable thing is probably MAX / HA zerg, with engineers supplying ammo and MAX repairs, because these can threaten vehicles and kill infantry on mass.

Medics and Infiltrators have the same core issue in that infantry is not currently the main threat. Other than perhaps in a fight on the top of the bio-dome where vehicles are restricted. Even there you are never that far from a spawn point unless you have lost. LA the same to an extent, they're a finesse class in a zerg rush game.

I don't really fear snipers anymore, and I play medic / engineer so prime sniper bait, because it's such a minor irritation to have to run back from spawn.

Once again though this is playing pubs mostly. An organized team has a lot more capacity to fight productively away from spawn rushing.

[Surlyboi]

I can verify that the noobhammer is a one-shot kill to the head in CQB situations.

After everybody dropped last night, I managed to pop 12 more barneys, including four bad snipers who were aiming right at me as I put one through their domes.

NC weapons may be as inaccurate as shit, but the bolt drivers are the shit.

[Kageru]

Apparently the VS ones are fun with no bullet drop, same for their HA weapon.

I think the game will become dull though. Most of the motivation is getting certs so I can unlock stuff. And most of the stuff I unlock is disappointing.

Extended magazines and laser sights both go on the "rail" attachment of a gun and are thus mutually exclusive in case that saves anyone else blowing 100 certs. Despite the fact that an extended magazine being rail mounted makes no sense.

[rattran]

So I actually had some fun tonight in this, got into Evil Chickens but have no clue how to link up with people. I found a defense, jumped in a turret, and lit things up. But there really should be some sort of tutorial, and can you even do things like make chat not fade, move things in the ui, etc?

[Bzalthek]

Finally get a break in studying and need to kill shit and servers coming down in 2 minutes.  Bleh. 

[Der Helm]

Finally get a break in studying and need to kill shit and servers coming down in 2 minutes.  Bleh. 

Heh. Came back from work, right as downtime started. Managed to get 15% on the loading screen before the servers went down.

[kaid]

Jackhammer is regarded as very underpowered I think (so is the lasher?). Apparently it's shot spread is pretty obscene.

Medics, and to an extent infiltrators have a very limited role because the time to kill is so short. It becomes a lot about dying, respawning and running back to the fight. A medic can be valuable, and get good xp, if they are part of a tight group fighting a goodly distance from a respawn point, but that is very rare outside of organized groups. Either the fight is very near the respawn point or people fan out and go every which way. In such a situation getting to a body and giving a revive within the 8 second respawn timer is very tight. I've also seen large groups of infantry trying to defend a hilltop but that almost always ends with a vehicle obliterating them all. The engineers ability to repair vehicles when in the open, defences in the base and give ammo is more reliably useful.

The medic does have a better weapon ranged though. So being a medic as effectively a designated marksman (Since HA,Eng, LA and MAX) are pretty much all short range is still valuable. And if you see a body or low health you can add a bit.

A medic engineer combo is also necessary to get full use out of maxes. With an engineer to heal the maxes and a medic to rez them if they do die you can roll maxes MUCH more effectivly and really drop the hammer to break a stalemate.

[Kageru]

Playing jumping pad / generator destablised chasey around the AMP stations is more tedium than fun. As is repairing fortress defences from opportunistic tanks and aircraft. Though I oddly enjoy shooting aircraft even though it's exceptionally hard to get kills with base defences and pretty much requires a terrible pilot. Likewise lobbing a shell onto a distant sunderer is fun, but there's enough obstructions that also requires the gift of a foolish enemy.
.

[Nebu]

I figured out what my issue is with this game.  I'm terrible at FPS.  Apparently they need a disclaimer on the box that states anyone over 40 should do coke/crack/Adderall prior to logging in.  God damn kids and your God damn fast synapses. 

[Mrbloodworth]

Quite sure many players make the mistake of thinking the game is more frantic than it is. In other words, if you slow down, the game does. Maybe I have built in tolerance for massive battles though.
 
Also, sprint is a killer. Do not ever sprint in areas you know there are enemies.

[01101010]

Quite sure many players make the mistake of thinking the game is more frantic than it is. In other words, if you slow down, the game does. Maybe I have built in tolerance for massive battles though.
 
Also, sprint is a killer. Do not ever sprint in areas you know there are enemies.

Unless you are me. Then by all means, sprint and fly around the area. 

I get streaky when I do stuff like that though... either 10 deaths in a row, or I wipe out an entire squad.

And played around on VS last night for shits and giggles. Holy christ the Magrider is just as bad ass as it was in PS. Two tanks kills, a Mossy, and a Lib assist from the main gun in one run. Screw the skyguard, let me buy a magrider for all my characters. 

[Mrbloodworth]

I thought this important enough to repost here as a PSA:

   

    Steam users, please avoid using the Steam Validate files feature for our game. Their validate feature does not properly calculate what needs updating and could potentially delete up to 3GB of files that you will then need to re-download. We know some of you are playing in countries where you have caps on your monthly download limits and we want to save you unnecessary downloading where possible.

    If you feel your game assets are damaged or corrupt you should only use the Launchpad Validate Game Assets feature. You can find it by clicking the gear button on the left side of Launchpad. This function will accurately ensure that all of your game data files are in tact and up to date.

    Thank you

[Sky]

Also, sprint is a killer. Do not ever sprint in areas you know there are enemies.

Why not?

I figured out what my issue is with this game.  I'm terrible at FPS. 

You can't be worse than me!

Playing jumping pad / generator destablised chasey around the AMP stations is more tedium than fun. As is repairing fortress defences from opportunistic tanks and aircraft. Though I oddly enjoy shooting aircraft even though it's exceptionally hard to get kills with base defences and pretty much requires a terrible pilot.

Don't do tedious stuff?

I hear you on the aircraft thing. I don't think I've ever gotten a kill despite putting in a decent amount of time with a Hawk (the AA lock-on rocket launcher). Even if I manage to hit an aircraft twice, they just run off and repair up. On base defenses, by the time my rocket gets there it's already dead by turrets or friendly aircraft.

[Mrbloodworth]

Also, sprint is a killer. Do not ever sprint in areas you know there are enemies.

Why not?

Because if you do meet someone, your Aim will not recover from sprint in any time-frame that will save your life. Sprint is only for moving to cover, or covering long distances. In a fire fight or a breach of a known NME location, its instant death.

I will walk indoors, or even iron sight to slow down even more to maintain my aim. Obviously its not a black and white use case, but i see so many people sprinting constantly, and doing jack shit because they never land shots.

Shotguns are a possible exception.

[Mrbloodworth]

Also: Another PSA:

RE: Tech Plants and shields.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q14-6RYo3j0&feature=player_embedded

[WayAbvPar]

They need a PSA that says "Press fucking Q, you mouthbreathing cretins!". I swear to FSM I am the only person on NC that ever spots anything.

[Falconeer]

What's really annoying about the Jackhammer is that it seems to be so nerfed that it pales in comparison with other NC shotguns too. What the hell?

[Mrbloodworth]

They need a PSA that says "Press fucking Q, you mouthbreathing cretins!". I swear to FSM I am the only person on NC that ever spots anything.

I would like to add a comment to this. DO NOT spot while near an NME. They can hear you!