Massive PlanetSide Updates

[thecrazyd]

The MMOFPS PlanetSide is getting a lot of great improvements, the most notable being Subscription Free "Fodder Program."

New Players will be able to create a new account and and play for free for a period of 12 months. The new account will have limitations on the BattleRank (+ or - BR8) and the CommandRank (+ or - CR2). 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. Time Frame – We are shooting for February 14th for Launch.
Full list of changes can be found here. (http://psforums.station.sony.com/ps/board/message?board.id=psdevdiscussion&message.id=95623)

[rein]

I used to play Planetside and they recently sent me a reactivation notice. I may jump on and give it another try. I remember the first time I was playing as a pilot in a big skirmish. It was amazing how much was going on on ground while I was watching it from above.

[WastelandDan]

Man, I haven't heard anything about this game in ages. One of the initial things that I was really looking forward to about it was being able to have my own quarters on a war ship, but when I heard that they cut that out of the game completely I didn't have enough interest to buy it. Ah well!

[Neosho]

Aww awesome i'm totally resigning up for this.

[Nameback]

I reactivaed my account for the free 30 day promotion, its ok but the same problems still exist for me. It just feels extremely clunky, and dont even get me started oh those damned BFR's.

[Zurik]

I played this recently, felt really slow. The huge maps are only a plus when you don't have to slow walk or drive to the same place everytime you die. Let's not get started on crowded stairwells and friendlyfire. Ug.

[GrinR]

I loved Planetside up until Core whatever... That just ruined it for me and I couldn't tell you why.

[Demo_Boy]

This is teh right kind of demo for this kind of game.

I predict planetside will earn a lot more subs a couple months after this goes live.

I will definetly sign up and see whats new. I was hardcore for a year on this game.

(There is only one other game where I saw this kind of demo and that was Zap! by the garagegames guys. Look it up, it rules. Pls port to Xbox live Arcade!!!!)


In any case this is essentially an unlimited time demo with character limits, and it will make the ingame play better for the main player base as well since there will be more population to fight.

Super awesome move guys

[jacktion]

If you are looking for an MMOFPS this is the only game in town... Until "Huxley" comes out next year.

[Thenetcase]

Polishing brass on a sinking ship is never good marketting.

[Spiffae]

I betaed this game way back when (we were all pissed when they implemented the linking system - that far back), and i loved it then. I didn't have time or money for it at the time, but this would definetly get me back for a little while, and if i like it, i've got the money now. nice move on their part.

[Moatman]

I started playing this shortly after the Aftershock patch, where they added big mech-like robots. Very fun game, some truely massive fights and a huge selection of weapons and vehicles, only problem is sometimes that the map seems too big and it's a pain getting around. The battles can have hundreds on each side, with tanks and air support, turrets and landmines. Only reason I don't play now is I have 2 active mmo accounts that I barely have time for, if it were free or cheaper, I'd keep my Planetside active(br8 only takes a couple weeks to get to, if that, so there will be a lot of people stuck at that with the freebie version)

[Logik]

Polishing brass on a sinking ship is never good marketting.
To play devil's advocate, this has been one of those games that I've always been on the verge of trying. A little polish is probably going to be enough to sway gamers like me over.

[Goronmon]

I always had fun playing Planetside. The trouble I think though, is that there isn't enough content to warrant continued play like a normal MMORPG. I had tons of fun for the first 3-4 months after it came out, got bored, reactivated a while later, had a ton of fun for a month, got bored, reactivated later, had a ton of fun for a couple weeks, got bored.

The problem is that its too much of a normal FPS at its core. Sometimes the feeling can be compared to playing on a Tribes server, where the game never actually ended and all the maps are connected at certain points.Though the gameplay can be fun, you don't feel like you are actually accomplishing anything by taking over the same bases over and over again. It would be like having to complete the same set of quests over and over again in a MMORPG. I mean sure, there are end-game raids in games like WoW that you do repeatedly, but those aren't the same quests you have been doing since level 1, and there is a chance you get a really sweet item as a reward.

I really think they need to implement more RPG elements, they need to have battles that matter for something. Heck, I would love to some form of mob to fight as well.

[Goronmon]

I'd also like to point out that everything except the fodder dealy and the training UI, all of these changes are just "ideas for the future." So who knows when some of the bigger (ie. changes that matter) ideas will actually be implemented.

[MasterEvilAce]

My friend was wanting me to try this about a month ago.

Well, now there's a 12 month trial..

Friggin' awesome.

[MrPoo]

I think Goronmon perfectly described the biggest problem with this game.

When I purchased Planetside, it was in the middle of the summer, and my wife was on a trip out of the country for a week. A friend and I both bought the game, installed it, and started learning how to play it. We started having a lot of fun.

At the time I was on first shift, so we didn't start playing it until around 6pm or so.
I kid you not--we routinely played that game until 3 or 4am before even realizing what time it was. I don't think I've ever been so immersed in a game before. Insane.

And then it happened... towards the end of the week, as we were coming over a hill to take over a base... I realized "Hey, we just took over this base last night. Only the lighting is different..." and it hit me, just how tiring and repetitious the game was. I quit on the spot.

Approximately six months later I tried signing up again, but it was the same, and I had 0 interest in it after all.

It can be fun, if you have a decent group of friends, but even then... it needs more purpose and a little variety.

[Citizen Philip]

Too much FPS, not enough MMO is the Planetside I played. I believe a 25% boost to MMO elements would make this a great game. However, I have no idea how to distinguish the FPS from the MMO elements?

All MMOs are about doing the same stuff over and over again, but something is slightly off with Planetside that somehow makes the repeating more boring.