Planetside 2

[Trippy]

I'm sorta looking forward to this, but do you think this game will accommodate solo players who just can't grab a clan worth of friends to an mmo.

In PS1 squads are groups of up to 10 players and the squad leader is able to mark his or her squad as joinable by anybody. Though there wasn't always a public squad that had free slots open at all times when I played it was still an easy way for players who weren't members of an outfit (clan) to engage in (semi) coordinated group play. I would imagine PS2 has a similar mechanic.

[Gets]

There are plenty of gameplay videos out there, like watch TotalBiscuit's E3 videos on YouTube or on twitch.tv. It might change during beta, but it's less than a minute to spawn in a base, except for spawning on squad leader or Galaxy/Bangbus, which has a cooldown.

[Mrbloodworth]

I'm sorta looking forward to this, but do you think this game will accommodate solo players who just can't grab a clan worth of friends to an mmo.

Yes. I'm also sure there are going to be a number of outfits people here on F13 join from the past you can hop into.

[Ingmar]

That said... spy.

[MediumHigh]

I'm sorta looking forward to this, but do you think this game will accommodate solo players who just can't grab a clan worth of friends to an mmo.

Yes. I'm also sure there are going to be a number of outfits people here on F13 join from the past you can hop into.

Memoirs of a Suicidal Planet Side Noob.

[shiznitz]

As unintuitive as it might sound, Plantetside was about patience.  Sure it was easy to charge into a massive battle and die 10 times in 15 minutes, but if you played with patience you could put yourself in a position - even solo - to pick off players too eager to join the main fight. 

In that vein, it isn't clear to me from all the play demos how visible a lone, careful gunman is on the radar.  The maps do look like they will have more holes and geography to hide in than the original.

[Mrbloodworth]

Planetside 2 beta invite waves detailed, Steam version confirmed

The Planetside 2 beta has begun, but access is being gently escalated over the course of the next week or so as SOE try to protect their servers from total meltdown. SOE sent over a statement recently detailing the order in which beta invitations will be sent out.

“External Beta invites will be sent out in waves on an as needed basis, with priority given to active Planetside subscribers, inactive past subscribers and then Priority Beta Code and opt-in registrants, in that order,” they say, adding that “invitations to the External Beta will automatically be sent via email to the address associated with the Station Account utilized to register for Beta participation on PlanetSide2.com.”

“Participants of the upcoming External Beta will be under a non-disclosure agreement if they accept participation and enter into the External Beta. We look forward to hearing players’ reactions, feedback and comments so we can continue to refine and polish PlanetSide 2, making it even more awesome!”

But how awesome is it really, HMMM? Probably quite awesome, actually, which is why Rich has been vibrating faster than a pure vibranium nugget cloistered in jelly and pelted with a neverending torrent of bouncy balls. Luckily for his poor, shaken chair he’s moved past that level of excitement, and now merely broadcasts a zen like calm. “It’s fine,” he says in a way that suggests it’s really not entirely fine. “We’ll all get to play it soon.”

Exec producer Josh Hackney has previously confirmed that those who gained a key from one of our beta key giveaways (PCG US issue 225, PCG UK issue 241) will be among the “primary rounds” of invites, and so should make it in once Planetside 2 subscribers and past subscribers have taken up their places.

In bonus news, Planetside 2 will be coming to Steam. That’s according to a Tweet spotted by VG247 in which SOE CEO John Smedley says “Planetside 2 will be on Steam. Yes it will.” And THAT’S THE NEWS. *studio darkens, music plays, silhouette of reporter appears to be frantically refreshing email to see if invite has arrived yet.*

[Speedy Cerviche]

As unintuitive as it might sound, Plantetside was about patience.  Sure it was easy to charge into a massive battle and die 10 times in 15 minutes, but if you played with patience you could put yourself in a position - even solo - to pick off players too eager to join the main fight. 

spawncamping...?

[Mrbloodworth]

Doors were removed to "speed up game-play". Speedy Cerviche is now officially the target audience.

[01101010]

Well at least it will be on Steam...which means Steam Sale fodder at some point, so I won't be totally left out from NEVER playing this. 

And really, an NDA? It is COD: Planetside. What can there be possibly lying there to surprise anyone outside of the constant stream of Higby videos of how insanely awesomely tubular this game is? We know the factions and their "ethos" and the type of equipment used. Couple new things here and there like cloaked snipers  but really - maps are about it on the unknown side. Then again, I'll stop now since I am barking up the wrong tree.

[Mrbloodworth]

Planetside 1 vets (not current subs) - make sure you have registered for beta or you won't get in. It's not automatic.

Zero hour tweet. Awesome.

[UnsGub]

spawncamping...?

More like route camping.  The shortest distance between to points is ...

[shiznitz]

spawncamping...?

More like route camping.  The shortest distance between to points is ...

This, not the former.  And then there were those lovely times when an enemy drop pod landed in your vicinity.

[Lantyssa]

Well at least it will be on Steam...which means Steam Sale fodder at some point, so I won't be totally left out from NEVER playing this. 

You need a sale on a f2p title in order to buy it?

[01101010]

Well at least it will be on Steam...which means Steam Sale fodder at some point, so I won't be totally left out from NEVER playing this. 

You need a sale on a f2p title in order to buy it?

Is there not a box cost? Meh, even if there isn't, yeah... I still need it for this abomination. 

[Mrbloodworth]

No box. No box cost. Steam or SOE download.

Any steam sale I would wager would be for station cash, though I guess that posses issues with Steam wallet and station cash, so who knows until they tell us.

I figure it my be like T:A, where you buy a "starter kit" of station cash or whatever + Boosters.

[brellium]

spawncamping...?

More like route camping.  The shortest distance between to points is ...

This, not the former.  And then there were those lovely times when an enemy drop pod landed in your vicinity.

I still think fondly of that badly placed AMS I camped for half an hour as a sniper.  It resulted in over 50 unique kills (backing out repeated kills of the same person in less than 5 minutes).

[Furiously]

So apparently I need to check my email more often...

Apparently so do I.

[Mrbloodworth]

 

[Furiously]

By the way... if you have station cash and are in Europe. They are going to be using some sort of different currency with PS2...

Vectoron
I'm in Europe and already have a bunch of Station Cash sitting on my account ready for PlanetSide2. Europe players are now having to use Pro7, what happens to all our Station

   walabond
   does this mean european players who bought a bunch of "station cash" specifically for Planetside 2 are going to get screwed over?

     j_smedley
     hmm. i think that's kind of a loaded question - we shared that PS2 was part of the Prosieben deal. If you feel personally screwed email me at jsmedley@soe.sony.com and I will see you get refunded personally.

So there's your chance to get money from Sony.

[Speedy Cerviche]

Doors were removed to "speed up game-play". Speedy Cerviche is now officially the target audience.

I'm sure some budding developer is working on your door opening simulator as we speak.

btw sniping is low-brow.

[Gets]

By the way... if you have station cash and are in Europe. They are going to be using some sort of different currency with PS2...

Ah, Smed, you're like an ex-boyfriend who again makes me feel abused and ripped off after mistakenly believing you've changed. Who am I kidding? I saw this coming a mile away.

So they are going to use IP locking to ensure euros have to use their jerry middleman, but with Steam being involved at some point that would mean some get to use two middlemen. Screw ProSieben though. I remember scrolling through satellite channels on TV as a post-soviet kid thirsty for western culture. Constantly I would come across this one channel that had something good like a Hollywood action movie or the Simpsons running, only to realize it's ProSieben where everything was dubbed over in German. Not just lazy Russian dubbing where you could ignore Ivan Monotone speaking over all the characters, including the female actors, and still make out Stallone's numb cheek. But these jerry bastards managed to squeeze their kraut squabbling over every lip movement with perfect accuracy. I bet you they just rewrote some of the script or added frames to get the dubbing to sync up perfectly, because no way in hell can you slip in shit like "Eisenbahnknotenpunkthinundherschieber" without some of that fritz precision making every goddamn show seem like the Nazis had won.

[Mrbloodworth]

Planetside 2 - Implants

[01101010]

An implant that reduces your vehicle spawn timer? 

And implants only last 24h? I assume you have to repurchase implants everyday then? meh...

[Malakili]

If F2P ruins this game I am going to be on a warpath.

[01101010]

If When F2P ruins this game I am going to be on a warpath.

All better now.

[Mrbloodworth]

Planetside 2 Closed Beta Live Stream (August 7th) VIA MHigby

[shiznitz]

That video appears to give a good sense of the gameplay.  I found it encouraging.

[01101010]

Gameplay does look good aside from the beta glitchiness. However, the purpose is just not there. It feels like "oh over here, we can shoot other people" rather than "hey we need this 'base' in order to <insert purpose>."  Yeah, beta beta rah rah rah... but I think the purpose of why the fuck you are fighting is being (and has been from the start of this) overlooked in order to speed things up and make it a go go go headshot shooter FPS. Great, they made a good FPS that is hardly groundbreaking without some sort of structure underneath to give me a reason to play.

[Malakili]

Gameplay does look good aside from the beta glitchiness. However, the purpose is just not there. It feels like "oh over here, we can shoot other people" rather than "hey we need this 'base' in order to <insert purpose>."  Yeah, beta beta rah rah rah... but I think the purpose of why the fuck you are fighting is being (and has been from the start of this) overlooked in order to speed things up and make it a go go go headshot shooter FPS. Great, they made a good FPS that is hardly groundbreaking without some sort of structure underneath to give me a reason to play.

What sort of thing are you looking for?  If I understand properly there is some advantage to holding bases/points of interest in terms of gameplay.  But Planetside never had some kind of greater victory condition the first time around.

[shiznitz]

And furthermore, how would one easily demonstrate any such overall objective-based system in gameplay footage?  That is a variable that only playing the game will reveal properly.  It is F2P afterall so there is no risk.

[01101010]

And furthermore, how would one easily demonstrate any such overall objective-based system in gameplay footage?  That is a variable that only playing the game will reveal properly.  It is F2P afterall so there is no risk.

Well there is the factor of taking a select base/territory in order to pull certain vehicles which made the bases the objective and not one's kill count. I get it, it was a vid about the gameplay - but planetside was so much more than that, a 2-3m display of the map, where bases are located and what they do for your empire so you know what is up next if you accomplish the current task, resource list (how much is my empire getting and how much more if we take a territory/base) since that is the in thing in this game rather than NTUs, hot spots on the map to see where the fight is ebbing and flowing to, waypoints anyone?, how many control panels do I have to stand next to in order to flip the base and how do I know it is flipped? Great... shooting people looks nice aside from the betaness - video achievement accomplished... now perhaps give us (well me I guess since I am the only one who cares) one that establishes a reason to shoot people. 

[Surlyboi]

You're not the only one who cares, just the one who cares the loudest.

[Sky]

You're not the only one who cares, just the one who cares the loudest.

[Mrbloodworth]

Planetside 2 Closed Beta Live Stream (August 8th)