Planetside "Fodder Program"

[Shockeye]

Sony Online Entertainment prepares subscription free offer

Paul Loughrey 15:49 23/01/2006

New customers to gain 12 months free PlanetSide gaming

Sony Online Entertainment's massively multiplayer online FPS title, PlanetSide, will shortly be available without subscription for a twelve month period to encourage new players to join the growing community.

According to recent forum posts from the game's developers, the subscription-free 'Fodder Program' is expected to launch on February 14th.

Access to the MMO title will be limited in terms of BattleRank and CommandRank, although sub-free players can still enjoy all the enhancements and new additions planned for release in February. "Essentially, new players will be able to have access to any part of the game but they will be limited on the diversity of their arsenal," said developer Enrico Pallazzo.

As part of a multitude of enhancements and new additions to the gameplay, scheduled for release with the subscription-free offer, PlanetSide is set to gain a completely re-worked user interface and player training programme, designed to make it as simple as possible for new gamers to jump straight into the fray.

"One of the complaints that we receive frequently is that when you enter the game, there isn’t an easy learning curve and transition into battle. We’re going to change that in hopes of getting new players/characters into battle within a couple minutes of entering the game at the same time teaching them how to play," Pallazzo stated.

In addition to its subscription-free offer, which mirrors similar moves from a number of MMO publishers in an effort to encourage and keep new players in the genre, PlanetSide developers have opened more than 300,000 closed accounts, offering 30-days of gameplay for free, providing the offer is accepted before February 28th.

Good on them.

[5150]

They finally got around to doing this then - been talking about it for ages

They need to force all the freebies to join the TR as we are badly in need of numbers  :-D

[Viin]

Someone update this thread when it happens and I'll check it out.

[WayAbvPar]

Holy crap! I might actually check it out.

[HaemishM]

Even I will check it out when this happens.

[SnakeCharmer]

As part of a multitude of enhancements and new additions to the gameplay, scheduled for release with the subscription-free offer, PlanetSide is set to gain a completely re-worked user interface and player training programme, designed to make it as simple as possible for new gamers to jump straight into the fray.

"One of the complaints that we receive frequently is that when you enter the game, there isn’t an easy learning curve and transition into battle. We’re going to change that in hopes of getting new players/characters into battle within a couple minutes of entering the game at the same time teaching them how to play," Pallazzo stated.

Sounds like another SOE product that recently underwent an extreme dumbing down makeover.

Apparently, to SOE, challenging = bad.

[Krakrok]

Just how hard was it to click Instant Action and press the trigger when you saw a different colored guy?

The other things they have in the lineup like the portable turret, portable cloak, etc. sound somewhat cool. It's about time.

[Mesozoic]

Now all they hav to do is patch ps.exe ---> swg.exe and their whole marketing plan for '06 will be in motion. 

[shiznitz]

I fiddled around with the Certification Planner at PS Stratics. One can actually make a decent character at BR8 (11 points.) I always liked Uni-MAX+Sniper (11 points) myself. You could also go HA+Rexo+some vehicle or go tank driver+combat engy.

This will bring me back, for sure.

[Strazos]

I'll be checking this out.

I mean, come on...it's free. I had some fun moments in closed beta also. Hopefully most of the bugs will get worked out.

[Dren]

I've never had an interest in trying the game, but this program will get, even me, to try it.  More MMO's need to set up their systems this way.  Hell, AO had me for at least 2 months this way.  They got $20 they wouldn't have normally had at least.

[Sky]

Cool, more numbers = more fun in PS. Too bad they hadn't done this when it was more of a modern game, I'm not sure the fpstards will get hooked, even free, as they're used to teh shiney in BF2. Subscription cost was the main reason my bf1942 clan didn't transition to PS, despite my explaining how cool and massive it is. Ah, well.

I'm not sure what was too hard for newbies to learn, though. Instant Action + shooting until there are no different colored guys, rinse and repeat.

[Raguel]

sounds cool, but the phrase "fodder program" just makes me laugh.  :-D

[Triforcer]

sounds cool, but the phrase "fodder program" just makes me laugh.  :-D

It makes me wish UO had introduced a similar "Sheep" program circa early 2000.   

[Threash]

I wish i had tried the AO free offer once in a while, ill definitely be trying this one.  Someone please bump this when it actually starts.

[Sky]

http://planetside.allakhazam.com/

[HaemishM]

http://planetside.allakhazam.com/

Roofles.

[sinij]

Where do I sign up to be fodder?

[Jimbo]

That is a great idea, I seem to be looking for gunners many nights for the Raider I'm driving.  The TR just doesn't know how good we have it with that vehicle, even if we have to have 5 people to make it effective, it is one helluva force multiplier.

[5150]

That is a great idea, I seem to be looking for gunners many nights for the Raider I'm driving.  The TR just doesn't know how good we have it with that vehicle, even if we have to have 5 people to make it effective, it is one helluva force multiplier.

2 Deliverers > 1 Raider (yes I know you need 1 more guy but if you found 5 just take the time to find 1 more)

[Evil Elvis]

If I can find some freetime, apart from when I should be sleeping, I'll definitely try it out again.

If they can come up with some incentives to make me actually feel that the subscription fee is warranted - without making me catass about - they may even see a few of my dollars.

[Der Helm]

If they can come up with some incentives to make me actually feel that the subscription fee is warranted - without making me catass about - they may even see a few of my dollars.

I thought it was only available via station pass ?

[Trippy]

I thought it was only available via station pass ?

No it's available as a stand alone subscription as well.

[SurfD]

Anyone know if the fodder program has gone live or not yet.  I popped over to their website (they have some flashy new main page), but all i could find was a 10 day trial promotion.

[Kitsune]

Not live yet, AFAIK.

[SurfD]

They now have a FAQ up regarding this program, dubbed the "Reserve Program":

Interesting tidbits:

- 12 month expected duration of the program is "fixed"  sign up first day, get 12 months to play.  Sign up half way through, get 6 months to play
- Max battle Rank 6, max Command Rank 2.
- You will be unable to Pilot BFRs  (the big modular mechs)
- you will be prompted, after every game session, to upgrade to a full account (via being redirected to a website when you stop your current session)

Expected to go live in the month of March (or so they hope)

[Trippy]

- Max battle Rank 6, max Command Rank 2.

I seriously hope they get rid of or drastically reduce the time delay in removing certs, otherwise I predict that a lot of people that would be interested in experimenting with different builds and learning about the game are just going to give up since you'll very likely be gimping yourself for at least a day to learn something else when you have that few cert points in total. Also not having experience accumulate past the BR6 limit is lame, though I understand why they are doing it that way.

[Sky]

I fail to see how letting people play for free for a year is in any way lame.

Hell, my highest character only ever made BR12 or so. I always avoided groups that were all about exp grinding, spent many days playing with only getting a handful of experience, but almost every point was turning a battle.

Stupid mmogtards.

[Sunbury]

With 8 character slots you can try a lot of 'shallow' characters, so one can try most of the equipment after a couple of ranks.  That's what I did in beta.

How does it work with 'sides' in live?  In beta you could have chars on any side on the same server.

[Miguel]

You can have characters in any two of the three sides in each server.  You can play one side, then switch to the second, but you cannot go back to the first for some amount of time (12 hours I think, but that is just a guess).

[Stephen Zepp]

Currently, you get 7 full calendar days with zero recert wait time, and after those 7 days, it's now only 6 hours per recert as opposed to the old 24.

[Rhonstet]

Indicators from what few Devs talk to the community state that the 'Reserves' program (its new and vaguely less insulting name) should go live sometime this March. 

The community on SOE's own boards couldn't be happier at the prospect of new players or at the upcoming promotion.  Which is rare, because its one of the few things that I have ever seen a forum agree on.

Planetside manages to stay alive because of its gameplay, despite SOE's valiant attempts to screw up.  I'd highly recommend it.

[Furiously]

MOLE!!!!!!

[AcidCat]

The community on SOE's own boards couldn't be happier at the prospect of new players or at the upcoming promotion.  Which is rare, because its one of the few things that I have ever seen a forum agree on.

Haha, of course they are pleased to have a bunch of newbie, BR limited soldiers to shoot at.

[Rhonstet]

The community on SOE's own boards couldn't be happier at the prospect of new players or at the upcoming promotion.  Which is rare, because its one of the few things that I have ever seen a forum agree on.

Haha, of course they are pleased to have a bunch of newbie, BR limited soldiers to shoot at.

Actually, its a quality-of game issue.  Planetside is one of those PvP games that gets better when the total number of players gets larger.  Fresh blood means more people to shoot at, but also more varied fights in more locations.