The PlanetSide Hacking Epidemic

[Synnoc]

If you haven't been keeping up, for the last month or more PlanetSide has been overtaken by a cadre of hackers.  They started reasonably innocuously with flying MAXes, "cone of fire" hacks, and infinite afterburners, but recently they've escalated into "if you're on foot, you'll be teleported to them and killed".  The hacks today are game-breaking and render the game essentially unplayable when the hackers are on.

Now I know that PlanetSide has been on life support for years, but it's still pulilng in some cash and is still part of the Sony stable of games, so I'm mildly curious:  Why isn't this on anybody's radar?  I mean, at the very least it makes an interesting "ha ha look at Sony" or train wreck story.  Is the game really so irrelevant?

[Ratman_tf]

Is the game really so irrelevant?

I'm afraid so. I enjoyed my time playing Planetside, but it had no long term appeal. This talk about hackers is mildly interesting, but I haven't played the game in about a year, I think.

[Sky]

I have the Station Pass but no real interest in PS, either. Very dated and they really missed the window for updating the game. The cave expansion was a serious mis-step, too.

I was under the impression PS has always had problems with hacks, though.

[Dtrain]

As much as I loved the game (and still do,) way too much important shit is client side. Probably something to do with having made the thing work with dial up connections. Something I would also contribute to the general mushiness in the feel of the game's client side prediction.

But hey, it was 2003 when the game came out. You had to make it work with dial up. The next time someone has the balls to do something like PlanetsSide, it needs to be broadband only.

And yes, I am sad to see that people with nothing better to do are kicking this poor old man when he's down. The game had so much unrealized potential.

[Krakrok]

Apathy strikes a critical hit for 5000 damage!

[Calantus]

I read the thread title and my first thought was "I thought PlanetSide was dead?" So yeah... not on the radar.

[UnSub]

I think the real story of this is that SOE thinks PlanetSide is just as important as the other posters in this thread.

[MahrinSkel]

But hey, it was 2003 when the game came out. You had to make it work with dial up. The next time someone has the balls to do something like PlanetsSide, it needs to be broadband only.

Actually, this isn't true.  In the same time window, an overwhelming majority of DAoC players were on broadband, in a game that was much more tolerant of low-bandwidth connections than PS.  I don't think I'm allowed to say what exact figure was involved, but it was enough for us to say "screw the patch size limit".

Had they looked at EQ, I think they would have seen a similar ratio of broadband use (at a time when less than 25% of US households even had a broadband option).  I think there's a subtle effect of the psychological impact of latency involved there, if your latency passes 150ms (and with dialup it nearly starts there), the character feels unresponsive and robotic.  So they could have made PS optimized for broadband, and probably would have done much better as a result.

--Dave

[Dtrain]

Hm, those are some interesting stats.

I spoke in haste, because they really should have known better.

I'm still tempted to go back and play some PS, but with the hacking, less so.

[Trippy]

As much as I loved the game (and still do,) way too much important shit is client side. Probably something to do with having made the thing work with dial up connections. Something I would also contribute to the general mushiness in the feel of the game's client side prediction.

But hey, it was 2003 when the game came out. You had to make it work with dial up. The next time someone has the balls to do something like PlanetsSide, it needs to be broadband only.

The client-side stuff like hit detection were to allow the large scale battles that are possible in PS. Having that done on the server would've either melted the CPUs down or caused so much server latency that the large battles would be unplayable. Even today with much much faster server hardware than 10 years ago MP FPSes still don't go above around 64 players total (some can go to 128 players but I've never played on one that wasn't incredibly choppy) *and* the system requirements to actually run a current MP FPS server is much much higher than it was back in the QuakeWorld/Half-Life days.

[Mrbloodworth]

Trippy is right.

Other than that, people know i love this game. But even i haven't been playing it... As far as the hacking goes...Its a very old game, and they (hackers) have had a very long time to figure things out. Thankfully, every patch screws up the hacks for a while. But, ya know, what FPS game doesn't have a hacking problem? Its is sad however... I wait for a Planetside 2, updated graphics (Same stuff, just "Re-imagined"), everything that matters server side. It would be glorious.

Anyway..Epidemic? No, "same ole same ole", but its easer to see with the smaller population.


However the new patch is rather sweet.

[Slayerik]

As much as I loved the game (and still do,) way too much important shit is client side. Probably something to do with having made the thing work with dial up connections. Something I would also contribute to the general mushiness in the feel of the game's client side prediction.

But hey, it was 2003 when the game came out. You had to make it work with dial up. The next time someone has the balls to do something like PlanetsSide, it needs to be broadband only.

The client-side stuff like hit detection were to allow the large scale battles that are possible in PS. Having that done on the server would've either melted the CPUs down or caused so much server latency that the large battles would be unplayable. Even today with much much faster server hardware than 10 years ago MP FPSes still don't go above around 64 players total (some can go to 128 players but I've never played on one that wasn't incredibly choppy) *and* the system requirements to actually run a current MP FPS server is much much higher than it was back in the QuakeWorld/Half-Life days.

And those epic large battles are what kept me playing, and eventully coming back to Planetside.
http://gotr.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10038/2.jpg Bridge fights where both sides are lobbing shells across bridge were sick. I've seen no other similar experience since...maybe someday it will be attempted again but who knows. It was fun leading 80 man raids with multiple channels in Teamspeak for Air, Ground, Infantry, and spec ops. Really. Fuckin. Fun.

[Mrbloodworth]

As much as I loved the game (and still do,) way too much important shit is client side. Probably something to do with having made the thing work with dial up connections. Something I would also contribute to the general mushiness in the feel of the game's client side prediction.

But hey, it was 2003 when the game came out. You had to make it work with dial up. The next time someone has the balls to do something like PlanetsSide, it needs to be broadband only.

The client-side stuff like hit detection were to allow the large scale battles that are possible in PS. Having that done on the server would've either melted the CPUs down or caused so much server latency that the large battles would be unplayable. Even today with much much faster server hardware than 10 years ago MP FPSes still don't go above around 64 players total (some can go to 128 players but I've never played on one that wasn't incredibly choppy) *and* the system requirements to actually run a current MP FPS server is much much higher than it was back in the QuakeWorld/Half-Life days.

And those epic large battles are what kept me playing, and eventully coming back to Planetside.
http://gotr.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10038/2.jpg Bridge fights where both sides are lobbing shells across bridge were sick. I've seen no other similar experience since...maybe someday it will be attempted again but who knows. It was fun leading 80 man raids with multiple channels in Teamspeak for Air, Ground, Infantry, and spec ops. Really. Fuckin. Fun.

Love to see that image, but my work classifies that site as "Porn". 

[Ratman_tf]

Love to see that image, but my work classifies that site as "Porn". 

It's a bunch of fucking Barneys and their Fagriders. Can't get a real weapon like a Jackhammer to save their lives.

Purple freaks. 

[Slayerik]

lmao

Noobhammers..... then again i picked one up everytime I owned a Smurf face, so I guess I'm a noob. And EVERY NC had one.

[Mrbloodworth]

lmao

Noobhammers..... then again i picked one up everytime I owned a Smurf face, so I guess I'm a noob. And EVERY NC had one.

Thats cause they suck.

TR for life.

[Surlyboi]

lmao

Noobhammers..... then again i picked one up everytime I owned a Smurf face, so I guess I'm a noob. And EVERY NC had one.

Thats cause they suck.

TR for life.

Heh MCG lamer.

Never used any of that crap. Always found it more fun to shoot you in the face from halfway across the map and then watch you scramble and pick you off on the run.

[Mrbloodworth]

lmao

Noobhammers..... then again i picked one up everytime I owned a Smurf face, so I guess I'm a noob. And EVERY NC had one.

Thats cause they suck.

TR for life.

Heh MCG lamer.

Never used any of that crap. Always found it more fun to shoot you in the face from halfway across the map and then watch you scramble and pick you off on the run.

I don't use heavy assault. To situational. Cycler + Rocklet is king.

[Ratman_tf]

And EVERY NC had one.

Nothing clears out a hallway better...

God I wish this game had caught on. 

[Krakrok]

CCP should buy it from SOE. I'd pay $25 a month if I could hot drop on EVE planets.

[Numtini]

CCP should buy it from SOE. I'd pay $25 a month if I could hot drop on EVE planets

It's perfect for CCP, it's the only game less comprehensible than Eve after you finish the tutorial!

Actually, I think integration of ground/station stuff into Eve is a huge mistake, but I'd love to see CCP run PS or a clone as a separate game.

[Mrbloodworth]

And EVERY NC had one.

Nothing clears out a hallway better...

God I wish this game had caught on. 

It did, it just didn't stay on.

[Sky]

I don't use heavy assault. To situational. Cycler + Rocklet is king.

Thumper!


....THUMP!

I pretty much use grenade launchers in any game that has them. I like the indirect fire, bouncing around corners or lofting over cover, figuring out ranges and arcs. Good times.

[Mrbloodworth]

I don't use heavy assault. To situational. Cycler + Rocklet is king.

Thumper!


....THUMP!

I pretty much use grenade launchers in any game that has them. I like the indirect fire, bouncing around corners or lofting over cover, figuring out ranges and arcs. Good times.

Nah, i wont say i didn't use it, mostly for BFR hunting (Lots -o- jammers), but my favorite was the rocklet and the radiator.

My friends and i were hell on wheels in a marauder. Even wrote the "Tips and tricks".

[Jimbo]

Gimme a tank any day!  I luv vehicles, would load up some battle music; nothing like having "Cliffs of Dover", "War of 1812", or "Ghost Riders" cranking in the back ground and driving like a wild man.  I could get some jumps that would have impressed the Duke boy's, wish I could find the screen shot of my getting my Enforcer stuck in a tree after one night of driving like a mad man 

[LK]

So clearly there is an audience for a non-Sony MMOFPS done right.

[Righ]

Gimme a tank any day!  I luv vehicles, would load up some battle music; nothing like having "Cliffs of Dover", "War of 1812", or "Ghost Riders" cranking in the back ground and driving like a wild man.

Vera Lynn, Tchaikovsky and Simple Minds? Odd mix.

[Mrbloodworth]

So clearly there is an audience for a non-Sony MMOFPS done right.

Yes. Has been.(Look at battlefield 2142 for PS influences) Me personally, i want a planetside 2. (SOE or not) and Huxley is not it.

[Jimbo]

Gimme a tank any day!  I luv vehicles, would load up some battle music; nothing like having "Cliffs of Dover", "War of 1812", or "Ghost Riders" cranking in the back ground and driving like a wild man.

Vera Lynn, Tchaikovsky and Simple Minds? Odd mix.

No no no!  No one does Ghost Riders like Johnny Cash!  Of course the original is awesome too by Vaughn Monroe.

Eric Johnson is allways gonna be a turn and burn, kicking song.  I was in the Air Force back in '93 and me and buddy were watching AFTV and they had his song with the Thunderbirds, it has been imbeded in my mind since then.

And anytime you get to shoot of cannons in music is awesome!

On a typical ADD moment...I miss The Muppet Show

But yeah, they need MMOGFPS done right.  I get my fix from the FPS out there, but a true battle of 400+ is just wicked.  Too bad WWIIOnline and Planetside didn't deliever.

[Dtrain]

Nobody can prove PlanetSide had perfectly optimized network code, but my guess is that it wasn't. Yes I know that little things like cone of fire (just as an example,) are hard for a server to keep track of on a massive scale, but somehow I think it could have been done a little better with more headroom for bandwidth. The degree to which the game allows for latency is sickening. Unplug your network connection, play for a bit, and then plug it back in, you'll see what I mean. Slower connections can also put more strain on a server. But without anything other than anecdotal evidence, this isn't an argument worth having.

On to something more fun: How can an NC with their noobhammer, or a Vanu with their lasher spam criticize the MCG, which actually takes a little bit of skill to use well?

The fact is, TR was the real man's empire. You knew if you were racking up the kills as the TR you were doing something right. Plus we had red and black, goggles, and gas masks. 

And don’t' forget the TR's shitty tank. You needed some mad skill to be good with that thing. Once a friend and I got over 100 kills on a single prowler.

[Trippy]

Slower connections can also put more strain on a server.

No, they don't.

[Furiously]

You need to play some BF2 or BF2142 with someone with a shitty connection then. They do.

[Ratman_tf]

I loved driving s. Being in a big outfit and being able to pound a base before our foot soldiers rushed in.

Boom boom.

[Dtrain]

Y'all are spoiled in that big vanguard tank (sorry about the name.) The few times I've hacked one or jumped ship to get one were highly enjoyable. The gun is so freaking huge. Picks off people hiding behind trees nicely. Also, get 3 or 4 of them together and engage things at range and it's like an artillery bombardment.

Then you have the magmower - with no arc on it's shot. Just as effective as AA as AV. Damn, I still hate the Vanu.

Edit: Damn it, now I want to play PlanetSide again.

[brellium]

Planetside is dead and it's sad.

Doubt I'll ever have this much fun ever again in an FPS.