Writing Archive #1 - Planetside
‘Going Planetside’ - an extended look at the online shooter for PC Gamer UK. Originally published August 2004
“We’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe. We chased dropships across ice-worlds and fought a sci-fi siege in the depths of an alien dust-storm. We’ve bailed a jeep out of a dropship from three hundred metres up. We’ve seen attack ships on fire…†Nevermind the poetry – this is more like opera anyway, filled with vast scenes of conflict and fat men singing, well shooting anyway. Planetside is a huge, bewildering phenomenon and right at the heart of it are thousands of players, each one with a hundred thousand war stories to tell. For this transmission from the depths of cyberspace we join our intrepid combat reporters on the brink of an assault into the continent of Amerish, a ‘home’ continent of our very own Empire. For the Vanu Sovereignty, the mighty Empire the journalist corp serve, it is a matter of honour to hold on to these continents. The three islands are the places from which we can strike out and make headway into capturing the enemy continents, but today it is lost – the enemy overran it and now the capitol base must be reclaimed at all costs. In this perpetual war there is never a moment of rest, but for this evening’s struggle we have a finite goal: we get in, hit the enemy defences hard, and get back that nice purple colour, all over the world map…
While we wait for the rest of the team to log on we’re already heading up towards the vast glowing dome of the warpgate (an efficient means of transporting vehicles across continents) in our faithful Deliverer. This light APC is heavily armed with two turret-mounted machineguns. A solid piece of kit. On board is the core of our crack team, led by ‘Swiss’, our experienced commander. We have an infiltrator, wearing his stealth suit and armed with jamming grenades and a powerful pistol; we have our medic, who has now gained enough experience to pack some heavy weaponry, and we have the pilot, who is also a capable engineer. Everyone is nervous, slightly excited. It’s been a while since we played together and the tension is palpable.
On the other side of the gate Swiss chats with a local commander, who is one of the most experienced players in the game. He’s going to helping to direct the assault, using his command tools to gain a clear picture of how the overall attack is going, and helping to co-ordinate the various squads. Our own squad makes their first target a small tower – a spawn point that is currently captured by the enemy. As we roll out the gate’s defensive shield we see that the combat has already begun and, more importantly, back at base our air support has arrived and are spawning their vehicles. Chatting merrily, Swiss lays out some waypoints, the visual markers that will help the team to navigate to their objectives. He also writes ‘Kieron smells of wee’ on the in-game map for everyone in the squad to see. Why? Well because it’s funny. And it’s funny because it’s true.
Trading friendly insults, we skirt along a road, seeing a few friendly troops engage some far off vehicles. But that’s not our goal – we’re interested only in taking that tower. Our action will push back the enemy lines and allow our forces to engage in a pincer movement on the enemy positions. The map indicates a heavy storm is sweeping in from the west, which should make things a little more interesting.
The first taste of combat comes from our gunners, who spot some enemies skirting through the woods. Our big guns open up, noisily hurling bullets into the trees. The rogue infantry return fire with light arms and we run them down. Another supporting trooper hits us several times with a guided missiles, before he too is killed. The damage to the APC has to be repaired, and we stop while our engineer patches it up. But he’s in trouble – an enemy infiltrator, hidden by his Predator-style invisibility armour, kills the engineer and driver and immediately our team is stranded…
Leaping out of the APC, our own infiltrator uses his ‘darklight’ implant to track down and kill the enemy assassin. The team must now make their way on foot to the tower, while our engineer will respawn at a mobile base, set up by an allied squad, and make his way to the rendezvous.
But things take an turn for the worse – an enemy Reaver, the heaviest of the attack aircraft, has spotted our lone team and, seeing them as easy targets, begins to attack. We make for the shelter of the nearby woodland, taking a few injuries as the reaver finishes off the APC. Once undercover we patch up, watching the Reaver circle and trying not to give away our position, it’s only a matter of time before… he’s taken down by our own Air Cav. The boys come thundering over the hilltops and lock onto the enemy pilot. He tries to use his afterburner to escape, but is quickly tracked and destroyed. The pilot bails out and our own Reaver pilots ruthlessly gun him down.
Finally we’re onto the tower. A second squad is already trying to get inside, but they’re meeting some resistance. They’ve set up a mobile base outside, allowing us to respawn and rearm as we die, and ensuring that this will be a protracted fight for the tower. ‘Ain’t got time to bleed’, quips Kieron. ‘It’s do or die boy,’ says Tim. ‘Saddle up!’ The enemy defend ferociously – shotguns and plasma grenades felling the steady stream of attackers until eventually some MAX units arrive. These heavily armed suits of robot armour act as walking tanks, pushing the enemy back with endless streams of laserfire. Engineers and medics back them up, patching up the injured and laying down suppressing fire. We spot PC Format’s Adam Oxford on the opposing team and have a bit of a chat with him before his squad gives up and is whisked away to another continent.
Soon the enemy at the tower are neutralised, trapped and killed in their spawn tubes as a friendly hacker switches the control console to align with our Empire. On the map and the global chat we see that our other forces are making headway – the first two main bases are under hack, and they’ll soon belong to us. The commanders, whose skills mean they have a large array of tactical tools at their disposal, see that the enemy are massing at the next base on the lattice. They are being reinforced and will likely make a stand.
We decide to fall back, pulling out of the chaos of the siege to collect a second set of vehicles. This time we’re going to break up the squad a little to let people use their own vehicle skills. One of the pilots will take to the air to dogfight in the fast recon hovercraft, the Mosquito. The Reavers are long since dead and because our force is yet to capture a technology centre base, there are no ‘advanced’ vehicles to be had on this continent, and that includes the Reavers. Each of the bases provides an advantage the Empire that captures it – the very next base should open up that very set of options.
So the team is divided between two of the one-man Lightning tanks and a Harasser, the aptly named light attack buggy. ‘We’re with the Press corp,’ we tell a bewildered beginner. ‘We’re covering the whole event for the papers. Don’t worry, we’re experts at this kind of thing.’ Then, armed to the teeth, we tear crazily out the base, accidentally running over a friendly on the way out. ‘Sorry about that!’
The next quarter of an hour of combat is spent harrying the enemy lines, hunting for their mobile bases, working as unit to knock out incoming enemy vehicles and ruthlessly running down lone enemy soldiers. We spot a whole group of them come down in drop-pods, killing them as they land and, hopefully, disrupting whatever plan their dastardly squad leader was hatching. But soon the pendulum of battle swings back into the hands of the enemy. The concentration of force on this base has left another of our bases on the grid wide open and a couple of squads of enemy soldiers has made their move, hacking the adjoining base. The hack has spawned an LLU, one of many facets of the game dynamic that has been added in since its release. If the hacking team is able to take this glowing object to the correct terminal in a nearby base then the hack will be completed. Likewise if we stop it then the hack will fail. The various commanders bark their orders on the global command channel, directing air power to try and intercept the LLU, which will likely be transported in a vehicle to the target base. Knowing that air power will only be of limited use, we decide to move into intercept. Swiss drops some waypoints, making sure that we’ll move in to the flashing LLU marker on the map from different sides. Time is ticking and the LLU is on the move.
Our enemies aren’t stupid – they’ve got reavers to engage our limited air power and the LLU is being transported in a heavy tank. We spot them through a gap in the trees. Our Harrasser goes hurtling over the hilltop, plunging down in the enemy in a hail of bullets. It takes a direct hit and skids away into the trees. The driver manages to bail out, but the gunner is killed as a second shell comes howling in. The Lightning tanks engage, but they’re no match for the heavier battletanks. The first puts up a valiant fight, the second pulling our, heavily damaged, for repair.
Beaten, we’re soon on foot in torrential rain. And the mobile spawn point’s position has been compromised. To our horror, MAX units close in from all sides, guns blazing. We retreat, hurling the electro-bolts of the Lasher heavy assault rifle into their ranks. But it’s not enough. Our men go down, one after the next. Swiss is at a loss for words… we were so close. The LLU is lost, and so is the base.
‘What are we gonna do boss?’
‘Run away! Game over, man…’
We spawn back at the single captured base in time to hear more bad news: the ANT fuel truck that was to refuel our single remaining base was shot down on board the Galaxy-class dropship it was hitching a lift with. If the power runs out, the so do our guns and vehicles. Who else is running an ANT? One lone soldier, a commander who’s just joined the game. He’s out on his own. Can we get to him? We invite him to the squad.
We punch through the enemy lines at pace. A selection of vehicles heads out to meet the ANT, tanks, buggies, APCs. There’s a dropship on its way from HQ, but there’s not telling if he’ll make it in time. If the ANT doesn’t make it to the base within the next few minutes then we’ve had it. We arrive at the warpgate to find the ANT waiting inside the protective safe zone. A small group of enemies are there too – a couple of attack buggies waiting for the ANT to make its run for the base. We engage them at close range, guns blazing, and the ANT trundles on its way. What follows is a running battle, we fight off aircraft attacks, infantry and a second wave of vehicles. We die one by one, our vehicles exploding and plunging over cliffs. One by one we’re sent back to base, our hearts in our mouths. And through all of it the ANT travels slowly onwards, taking shots, getting weaker… Unable to do anything else, we watch the last few moments on the map. Can he really make it? Suddenly his map marker is moving fast – the Galaxy has arrived. Under heavy fire, the heroic dropship pilot has picked up our truck! We run out of the base to see it roar overhead, the ANT ejecting from the back. We run to activate the refuelling array. With seconds to spare the base is refuelled and we live to fight another battle. Praise be to the Gods of gaming.
And the local commander, who seems to have missed the point about drama, congratulates us in his normal surly way. ‘Well,’ he says. ‘It’s about bloody time.’
Jim Rossignol 2004
March 1st, 2005 at 8:39 pm
We should play this again. It frys my brain to think this war is still going on, without me.
Also - I still think this is one of the finest pieces of games writing around.
March 1st, 2005 at 9:03 pm
Yeah, I still haven’t played with the big robots, which seems absurd.
March 4th, 2005 at 4:22 am
Hi. Excellent piece of writing!
I’ve been interested in this game for quite some time but never got around to buying it. Do you think that getting it now is worth it? Or is it nearing the end of its life cycle?
March 4th, 2005 at 12:22 pm
It seems to have a core of people still playing - it’s quite the spectacle when it gets enough people in the same place at the same time. But sadly the world is now too big for them, they rattle around with numerous empty continents and you can drive for hours without seeing anyone. But the war continues and I’ll be sad to see it end.
SOE just don’t seem to be do anything to sell it, they’ve just given up on it making it, as Tim says, this kind of lost war, the digital backwater of MMOs. It’s a shame.
March 4th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
That was absolutely superb. You’ve captured the experience perfectly. As an ex-Planetside player you make me want to jump right back into my Galaxy (best damn Gal pilot in the NC, I tell ya!)
March 4th, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Thanks.
March 4th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
A damned fine piece of games journalism, friend.
March 4th, 2005 at 6:40 pm
The memories of my outfit are still vivid in my mind. I was part of an anti-air infantry outfit, lone worriors with missles and an thirst for action. The days of planetside are still with me in my memories. My most favorite online experiance. If there was a Planetside 2 I would buy it in a heart beat. Lets hope SOE realizes it had/has a good idea with this online game and are thinking of a new planet that a sequel will take part on. To my outfit: (if you are still out there fighting the good fight) May the gods of war grant you quick feet and destructive accuracy.
March 6th, 2005 at 7:04 am
Ok, I think it’s about time for recorded mmo war documentaries. With voice-overs and everything.
I had read about this game on various review/preview sites before it came out and only AFTER READING THIS article am I looking at planetside.com for the first time and considering trying it out.
March 7th, 2005 at 7:59 pm
Fanstatic article which brings to life the vivid reality of Planetside. Its war but not as we know it! Still playing this huge game, theres nothing else like it, wars rage over continents, mech style robots,air & ground vehicles and weapons to suit everyones playing style. Anyone considering the game after reading this should head straight over to planetside.com and download the free trial of 30 days. See you at the front… Long live the NC and [BHO]!
March 7th, 2005 at 8:00 pm
Great write up Jim. I saw the news bit from the London Guardian and thought I’d say hi. I think the other awesome thing about PlanetSide, as with most MMOGs, are the great players who make up the game. Certainly, the fact that you are fighting with and against all real people (no bots here!) makes all the situations you described in your piece come even more alive.
Anyway, I hope to see you PlanetSide :)
Cheers!
Alex “Samhayne” von Minden
PlanetSide Producer and Lead Designer
March 7th, 2005 at 8:18 pm
I dont know what the guy was talking about when he said “numerous empty continents and you can drive for hours without seeing anyone.” I login every day on the East Coast US Server and I am always able to find a fight easily.
March 7th, 2005 at 8:18 pm
The game is still going strong. We are almost at the 2 year point and most of the annoying bugs that accompany games of this size and scope have been squashed. If anyone is interested there are free trials of the game to play. So suit up and join the war!
New Conglomerate till death!
March 7th, 2005 at 8:19 pm
This game is the best MMOG FPS ive played in a long time. Lots of Weapons, Planets, Vehicles, etc etc… The only problem is the downtime waiting to get on the a Planet b/c everyone is there and its Locked. But once you get in you sucked away… Revers and Skeeters flying around droping Guys everywhere. MAX units taking out the Aircrafts. BFRs taking out the MAXs and Tanks taking out the BFRs…just one long circle.
Back to it, its a great game just needs to be publicised more.
~BR9 CR1 Noob of the
NC BlueLions BloDdyTwitCh~
March 7th, 2005 at 8:21 pm
I hear the european server, Werner, has lower population numbers than the North American server. I play on the Emerald server and we still have alot of people. The war still rages on and on multiple continents at the same time. I definitly say its worth it to play.
March 7th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
I remember reading this in that PCG. It still makes me damn-near proud to still be fighting in this game after almost two years. There’s some life left here yet. It’s a crying shame the developers have tried to take it in the wrong direction, but I remain convinced that a little time in the spotlight and a bit of publicity to regain population would see the Planetside experience soar again :)
March 7th, 2005 at 8:23 pm
To get a feel of the game at its best, take a look at the PS Guerilla Marketing movie made by dedicated members of the PS community :)
http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSMovies/PS_AD_LARGE.wmv
March 7th, 2005 at 8:38 pm
There is a 7-day free trial so there’s no risk in trying it.
I’ve been playing since the day of launch (and in the beta before that) and the game has never lost its appeal for me. (Part of that is getting into a good Outfit, which really makes the game.)
March 7th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Very fine article. Have been playing for pretty much two years now - and whilst there are less players online than the peak, it still has a very healthy population and is ultimately - absolutely unique and great fun in a good outfit/squad (or even ramboing!)
March 7th, 2005 at 8:57 pm
PS is still going strong on Emerald there is at elast 2 conts locked during peak on on weekends at least 3! I urge you all to go and play!
There was some gueilla marketing done recently by some community members,
Here is the trailer
http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSMovies/PS_AD_LARGE.wmv
There is also a trial key you can get here…
http://cmt.ubisoft.fr/planetside_pcgamer/
and an installer for the launchpad which will download all of the game you need!
http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/psinstall.exe
Here is a great FAQ about the trial and installer for you to use if you have any questions
http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSFAQ.html
You know oyu want to come and join in this war….PS is in no way going to die in the forseeable future so get in there and fight the good fight!
(NOTE: For clarification in the Trailer; BLue and Gold is the New Conglomerate (who are the best ever!!!111oneoneone, Red and Black are the Terran Republic and the Purple and Tourquoise(sp?) is the Vanu Soverighty!)
March 7th, 2005 at 9:02 pm
Very well written, one could feel the tension. Vanu, TR or NC it doesn’t matter. Anyone in that situation would have found themself hard pressed to respond in a better way.
Fight on, Xress has a Phoenix waiting for you.
March 7th, 2005 at 9:15 pm
Sign up for the TR or dont come back :)
March 7th, 2005 at 9:20 pm
I am an experienced PlanetSide player (BR 23 (highest BR) and CR 4 (second highest CR) on VS Markov) and I continue to play to this day. We are still going strong and thanks to the “underground marketing campaign” by marcopolouk, Planetside is again gaining population. I would encourage everyone who likes FPS and especially those who enjoy epic battles to check this out. It is a great game and a lot of fun! Check out the forums at http://www.planetside.com and come join us on the battlefield!
March 7th, 2005 at 9:22 pm
I still play PS. Damn fun.
March 7th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
As an active PlanetSide player, I’m a bit biased, but I feel the game is far from dead or empty. Around Christmastime the numbers plummeted, due to World of Warcraft, EverQuest 2, and the introduction of BFRs (essentially, MechWarrior-style mechs). However, the population has been surging back upwards lately.
Quite a fine piece of writing, I must say, and every bit of it a true in-game experience; I’ll take this opportunity to put in my own plug for PlanetSide. With all the “guerilla marketing” the PS community has been doing recently, I feel I should put in a bit of my own.
March 7th, 2005 at 10:29 pm
Great job on the writing. You left out several specific names for units in the game which I think is a good thing. The jargon loses those that haven’t played yet. The latest patches have really increased the strategic feel of the game.
I now see more planets feeled to capacity and hope the recent changes bring more targets err.. players to this great game.
Playing since the beginning.
March 7th, 2005 at 11:31 pm
I’m still an avid Planetside player, I’ve been playing since its release. It’s had its ups and down’s but the battles are still going strong and it’s evolved quite a bit since it’s earlier days. The Devs continue to improve the game each month, I encourage anyone interested in Mass PvsP FPS wars to try it out. There are free trial subscriptions you can access. My advice is try it and join one of your empires leading outfits and you’ll be guaranteed a unique gaming experience.
March 7th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
Hi guys,
Thanks for all your comments. Glad you enjoyed the piece.
-jim
March 8th, 2005 at 2:36 am
Been a long time Player of Planetside, i cant think of any other game i have played for more then a year non stop, you have to play the game to understand what we guys of the Community Keep comeing back for more.
Big shout out to the DEV team to, they are almsot like brothers.
Your commander
BR23
CR5
AKAPELLA (Werner)
March 8th, 2005 at 3:34 am
Yeah, PlanetSide is still going strong, and it’s better than ever. Watch the video linked above if you’d like to see it in action.
repeating link, if you missed it: http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSMovies/PS_AD_LARGE.wmv
March 8th, 2005 at 3:37 am
Planetside is one of those games that leaves you with so many memories. I still play, but I cancelled my subscription (my Laptop just can’t handle it, and my other computer is dead…)
Bridge Battles, air raids, seiges and last stands. Even the smallest tower fight can leave a lasting impression.
March 8th, 2005 at 4:17 am
I’ve been playing this game since release and although there have been times when the game’s future appeared shakey the devs have never given up in their commitment to make this a better game. I had been a dedicated Counter Strike junkie since 99 and this game replaced it, many FPS games have come out during the last couple of years since PlanetSide’s release but none compare to the experience of team play that comes from PlanetSide. You won’t find another FPS game out there as massive as PlanetSide period. Let’s not forget PlanetSide is always improving, the game is a lot different from when it was first released.
March 8th, 2005 at 5:43 am
Just started reading about this game and decided to buy it for myself and a fellow guildmate (EQ2:TenTonHammer on Ogguk). I have yet to even install it as I just picked it up today and still working. Glad to hear it is not dead as I hate to have missed out on this. I’ll see you all online! Thanks for the article and for the comments folks. That one about ‘death’ scared me, but glad to hear its gaining numbers.
Riordan
March 8th, 2005 at 5:46 am
I really do love this game but make sure you join a good outfit. When you play with a bunch of people you are friends with it makes PS so much better. Its too bad that on June 27th(hopefully) this game will practicly die because of BF2 but o well it rocks right now.
March 8th, 2005 at 6:06 am
I’ve played many MMOs, including EQ1, EQ2, AO and DAOC, but PlanetSide is the one I keep coming back to. This game is unique in that it isn’t based on personal wealth or materialism, “my sword is better than yours.” All players have access to the same gear as their peers. It adds enjoyment to the game, removing the greed seen in other MMOs.
P.S. AMAZING write up! Thanks for the immersive description of the game. (Almost wish you’d write a PlanetSide novella.) :)
March 8th, 2005 at 8:16 am
Oh noes!
You’re now on the recieving end of the player publicity effort :D
I loved the article. It really did remind me of being a wide eyed newbie.
March 8th, 2005 at 8:51 am
hi there excellent article, good magazine too.
planetside is still going strong and it’s like no other online fps you will play! you have to try it - if you’re not sure ask in game. really friendly community willing and able to help.
check out the marcopolo vids and adverts above for a taster.
see you there!
March 8th, 2005 at 9:03 am
Vanu command will have you all back in the field soon.
Don’t worry, and good reports on the action.
Remember
Technology = Might (possibly work correctly some day)
March 8th, 2005 at 9:45 am
Such a Fantastic Game ive played it for a long time now and i still love it, no game beats it
March 8th, 2005 at 9:48 am
Hello, I remember reading this article back when it came out in PC Gamer. I purchased the magazine only weeks before I took a flight to meet the PlanetSide game developers in Orlando Florida, and brought the magazine with me.
While standing in line for “Shrek 3D” in Universal Studios with Project Lead “CriticalMass” and Art Director “T-Ray” I suddenly remembered the article and pulled it from my backpack and showed it to them. I remember as they flipped through and marveled at what a great article it was, T-Ray remarking on how he was impressed with the 8 pages of color photos included in the article, and CriticalMass grinning as he pointed out how well it captured the action of the game. They both were glad that PlanetSide is still getting the attention it deserves, and hopeful that the article would pull readers into the ranks of soldiers.
After the trip was over, they posted about the article on the SOE website and encouraged members to grab a copy of their own for their friends to read :) I have to say, great job on the article, it really captured the essence of the game and helped the PlanetSide team a great deal by giving the game some much-needed coverage. Once again, nice work, it was a pleasure to read.
-ElectrofreakNC, Markov New Conglomerate
March 8th, 2005 at 9:56 am
Simple.
There is nothing comparable out there.
And i doubt there will be anytime soon
(except Planetside 2, maybe ;) )
March 8th, 2005 at 11:56 am
Nice write up and thanks for spreading the word of Planetside.
I’ve been playing since day 1 and I still love this game. The dev’s have been adding new functions and vehicles ever since release, although the BFR ( Battle Frame Robotics, or Big ..err Friendly Robots :D )implementation to the game and their success is a bit doubtful, its still a very nice game that can keep you glued to the screen till a continent is won or lost, which can usually take more than 12 hours.
Possibly one of the best thing about PS is the community. You got this global game where you meet people and start to play with em everyday, I know this is a standard thing in MMO’s but its particular interesting in PS, as when you see a friendly trooper in a base you can properly remember his name because you’ve done many battles with said trooper for the past 1½ year :)
Come join the New Conglomerate’s a.k.a Treehugging freedom hippies ;) A.k.a Smurfs
Kongstad - BR 21 CR5 - Werner
March 8th, 2005 at 12:19 pm
Great write up guys !
This is the greatest FPS in the world - No Bots !! 2 years almost now and im still addicted !
March 8th, 2005 at 12:57 pm
This is truly ” THE Best Game ” the Graphics are just incredible !
My outfit 5th Regiment on Werner NC have our own Teamspeak server as do many other outfits, this makes the whole experience amazing, I have made so many friends in this game and using TS it becomes like a big family.
Cimo CR5 BR23
March 8th, 2005 at 1:29 pm
Been Playing since Sept/Oct 03 still luvin it.
Even though im from Europe I mainly play on the East Coast American Server and Check out the Euro server once a week.
However I would recommend this game to anyone who has played and enjoed a FPS, Flight Sim, Stealth Sim or even a RTS.
The PC Requirements are high but know one really cares as its really addictive and by far the best game on the market.
March 8th, 2005 at 2:18 pm
Very nice article!
My main is a BR20 CR2 member of the Vanu Sovereignty on the Emerald server (East-coast American Server), and I’ve never gotten tired of PlanetSide- and I’ve been here since the first June after release.
There are some great Outfits out there, and PlanetSide has a very nice, varied player base as well. This game is great! The variety of gameplay is incredible- more so than UnrealTournament 2004, and every other MMO that I’ve played (well, I’ve only played Lineage2, SWG, and PlanetSide, but PlanetSide is better than the other two by a longshot).
You could take the high-risk job of a Galaxy DropShip pilot and make backdoor, roof, and tower insertions; you could become an Infiltrator and wreak havoc inside enemy bases; you can be an everyday “grunt” with your Reinforced ExoSuit and Heavy Assault weaponry (anti-infantry weaponry) if you relish close combat; you can be a Reaver or Mosquito pilot and soar high above the battlefield…Until you’re spotted by an observant Anti air MAX- then you’re toast!
And those are just a few of the options that we’ve been presented with in PlanetSide.
PlanetSide isn’t going away anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you should wait to buy it. If you don’t have it yet, go out, buy it, and join in the battle!
See you all in the battlefield!
Vorgan, Vanu Sovereignty, BR20 CR2
Tosani, New Conglomerate, BR10, CR0
March 8th, 2005 at 2:28 pm
[Jaron95 & EliteHaxor, VS Markov]
The last round of changes to the game have dramatically improved its longevity for me. The developers did something VERY RIGHT when they added special benefits for “locking” different planets. I’ve been playing off and on for over a year now, and I keep coming back because there really is nothing else like Planetside.
Thanks for the great write-up. It really does “capture the essence” of the game.
AND CONGRATS TO TheTrueVanu ON ATTAINING CR5 YESTERDAY! :P
March 8th, 2005 at 3:52 pm
Many of french speaking players enjoy the game and are going to enjoy playing it for a while.
Also a french speaking union has been created with player of all empire. then you could be recruited, join our team and cover ourselves on http://forums.jeuxonline.info/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=76 if you have a french speaking desire…
See you on Auraxis !
March 8th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
Planetside for Teh Win!
oh, and Technology Equals Might! ;-)
Werner lives and fights, not as packed as Emerald, but lots of fun to spread around, with excellent players and strategic minded outfit organization.
March 8th, 2005 at 6:59 pm
I must admit I was very impressed with the article when I first read it in PC Gamer, it’s the sort of game where you visuals are not that impressive until you consider the scale of the landscape and you realise every one of those soldiers sneaking, healing, sniping or driving as part of a tank column is a real person and the scale of the game itself and the landscape suddenly dawns on you. I have frequently sat on top of a hill in my Anti-Aircraft MAX assault armour and gazed down into valleys and seen the floor of the valley crawling with infantry and tanks assaulting a base, with base turrets churning out hundreds of bullets at strafing aircraft on ground-attack missions… Suddenly the model comparison between Say, Doom or Half Life 2 seem irrelevent when there is that much action going on.
This is one of the few games Where I have genuinely felt pinned down by mass enemy fire and wanted to hide. When the Flail artillery starts firing, you do not want to be in the open.
However, my rantings do not capture the narrative drama that can occur in Planetside that the article above demonstates…
The statement about every soldier having a story is very true… I remember my first few days of Planetside, when our Terran Republic soldiers were pinned inside our own base, with enemy assualt troopers having already breached the walls and push us back to our spawn rooms, the last rally point in a base. From there we valiantly pushed out, fighting to the last, with each corridor claiming dozens of TR soldiers. We pushed out from the front doors and onto the walls, and as we slowly saw the enemy assault run out of momentum I stood atop the walls and exclaimed “We’ve turned the tide” in exhileration.
I’ve suffered bitter defeats where out forces were routed, but there will always be a new battle to fight, from elite dropship-based sabotage missions, to scouting out artillery targets with a laser pointer to breaking enemy air superiority with flimsy buggies armed with lethal flak guns. In the last example you know fully that an encounter with a full two or three-man tank will be dire, so you have to trust your fellow soldiers to be able to support you. Battling through forests with a squad with specialists clearing mines, healing and watching out for hidden infiltrators is a great feeling, and each squad member can feel they are doing something worthwhile.
-Tremadog
Terran Republic
Proud member of the “Elite Terran CALS” outfit
Werner (Europe) server
March 8th, 2005 at 8:17 pm
Nice nice article
Hook up in game with me. Im Empress of the NC =P
StarRaven118
March 8th, 2005 at 10:15 pm
For all of the RPG junkies, how about a taste of full head to head PvP. No bots, no chasing rats and bunnies or waiting for the next sword to pop up for some massive xp. The action never ends (trust me, I play mostly during the graveyard shift) so grab your gear and bust a cap
Your friendly neighborhood BFR buster,
6Deez9
CR5
BR23
March 9th, 2005 at 1:23 am
To really see what Planetside is about (without a gigabyte download) visit http://www.planetsidemovies.com. Look for the independently created Planetside Advertisement movie by MarcoPolo(something) for your warmup, then dive into the real action videos there. The Popular category should provide you with some jaw droppers, especially the BFR action videos done on the test server :)
March 9th, 2005 at 7:52 am
Well written story. I only just logged off and now want to get back on and continue the battle at Ishundar. If you have ever wondered about this game, try it! Use the links posted previously to access Marcos sample video and the trial.
One of the best things in this game is that you determine what you are, what you do. Everyone has a specialty of some sort. No one character can do EVERYTHING and it’s fun trying out everything to find what fits for you.
My thing, I’m a Cloaker, an Infiltrator. I’m also a Combat Engineer, I roam the edges of the battlefield, invisible, planting mines and other booby traps. But my absolute favorite thing is to find an enemy Sniper, creep right up to him and take him out. Pistol, knife, grenade, explosives… these are all at my disposal to facilitate his disposal.
StarRaven118, come back to us. You were the Vanu Empress first. ;)
Rei
Phoenix Royal Guard, Emerald Server
BR 21
CR 5
March 9th, 2005 at 9:22 am
Nice story! I like that.
You have to play Planetside to know why it is so fantastic!
So try it out for the price of a few beers I say.
Atomium
Outfit Leader Dutch Rebellion
Terran Republic (Werner)
March 9th, 2005 at 10:42 am
This game is not dying the population is stable, many new players join but many old leave because the BFR introduction pretty ruin gameplay balance
Tharsus/Zothike/Frangine TR WERNER
March 9th, 2005 at 5:26 pm
very good artcle i enjoyed even though im tr and your HEH… VS but i find very easy to get in a good fight even if im not with the main force because theres always a secondary planet to fight on and capture.
TR-Emerald
br 20
cr 3
Fallen Sniping Hero of Death
March 9th, 2005 at 6:01 pm
There are a few things the new payer should know. This is a massive world and there are strategic points where battles will occur. Until you play the game it will be hard to explain, but yes there are some areas that do not have combat. There are even some areas that have combat free zones. This is much different than CS. My recommendation is to make sure you have some transportation to get to and from the battle. ATV is good for the new player. Secondly, a really large part of this game is team play. Yes, you can solo if you like but once you are done with that take it to the next level and join an outfit. You will begin to enjoy the game even more. Third, when you start the game you will be at a low battle rank. There are virtual reality training centers. You will gain exp and battle rank just by trying the weapons and vehicles. Forth, make sure to use the map and “hot spots” to find battles. If you just try to walk or drive around, until you find the battle, you will be going on luck. This will quickly make it seem like there is no-one online. Once you get to the hotspots you will be able to re-spawn close by and get involve in a large scale battle. Once you figure out how to get to the hotspots you will only spend 2-3 min max, finding a good fight. And lastly, I just want to mention that there are all types of play environments - - indoor play, outdoor play, and even cave battles. I personally prefer to drive a tank but many people like the indoor/cave battles.
Numenor - Emerald - Sons of Vanu
March 9th, 2005 at 7:12 pm
Also jumping on the “Amazing gamepley, not dying” bandwagon. This game keeps my attention even when I’m not playing it. I can be sitting at work, and trying to figure out new ways to use the Jackhammer (The New Conglomerate’s Primary Heavy Assault weapon), Or wonder just what went wrong or right at that base last night.
This game is so enveloping that you really have to try it, and love it.
You won’t regret it, especially since there are a hardcore dedicated group of players out there that just want to make sure YOU are up to speed on what to do. That’s right, planetside has people who are willing to make sure you’re ready to fight, and take you under their wings to get right into combat.
Arcersam
BR14 CR2 NC markov
BR18 CR2 TR emerald
March 9th, 2005 at 7:13 pm
A truly awesome game, I joined up easter sunday 2004 (Terran Republic forever - Victory is Our Tradition!), and have been playing ever since - nearly a year! Wow, where did that time go…well, i was having a lot of fun!
It really is the scale of the game that gets you. The graphics are good but not HL or doom3, but its the fact that you can look off into the horizon of whatever landscape you’re fighting on today and see the awesome scenery and then GO over there and there will *still* be some of your mates (you get to know thousands of people) fighting the enemy there, Tanks and buggies and infantry and BFR’s (now balanced IMHO after many changes) all fighting the same war.
You can stand in the courtyard of a base under the last stages of seige and know that a few metres under your feet an intense tunnel fight is taking place, tens and hundreds of soldiers from both sides sacrificing themselves again and again in a grinding battle of attrition - a desparate last stand for one side, one last push for the other.
You can look up 400m into the air and see, way up in the clouds and nearly obscured by fog, the battle raging over your heads between bombers and fighters, and massed infantry hotdrops (think paratroopers but sci-fi) out of transport aircraft, and when aircraft get killed they fall almost gracefully, careering into the ground and exploding a short distance from you - unless you are particularly unlucky (hehe).
You can look in the dark corners and generator rooms of the bases, and see (or rather not see) the silent war of sabotage and infiltration waged by the cloakers while other people walk past unaware.
And then you can mess around with your best online mates at your sanctuary, running each other over with tanks, reading the squad leader’s inane (and often highly amusing) map scribbles and generally having a laugh.
That is the scale of planetside.
It really is awesome ot behold, great fun to take part in and something I will be part of for a long, long time to come.
Soulless1
Terran Republic
Elite Terran CALS Outfit
Werner Server
I’m off now cos i’ve talked myself into playing PlanetSide :D
March 9th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
Excellent piece.
Goooo New Game Journalism!
Look for me on Emerald-TR with KAAOS/Exxon-1.
March 9th, 2005 at 8:42 pm
“The enemies of the Terran Republic will tremble at the thundering approach of our warmachine. They will fall to their knees begging forgiveness when the wormhole is reopened and the Mother Republic returns to put her house in order. Loyalty until Death! Strength in Unity!”
-Terran Republic
These, were the first words i read about the Terran Republic, and words which shaped the future of my Planetside Gaming. This speech, is what convinced me to join The Terran Republic in Planetside almost exactly a year ago. When i first joined, i remember the first days of awe and shock. The scale of fighting within this game is enormous, almost impossible to describe (PC gamer did an amazing job of it). But i can assure you, with many others to agree, that the tension and atmosphere that is created in game is 10 times better than reading it. To explain this game, it MUST be played!
Apart from the large scale battles, the sneaking into enemy bases to blow gens, and the huge air battles…and of course the mass infanty gal drops (theres tons more!) the squad and outfit play in this game is like no where else. Not one game ( i can think of) gives the team play and style that planetside has brought out. I have met some really great people (my outfit especially :D) just through team play. I feel that the team play that this game has, makes it 20 times better. Apart from the team play outfits bring you, it also brings the crazy side of the game! Such as trying to see how many flips a galaxy can do in the sanctuary lol,or finding small bugs in the game- that sort of thing!
One experience, i will never forget was the last stand on ishundar(this is like my third week playing planetside) That day, things hadnt been going too well for the TR- we had lost all our continents, and our last stand was on a base on Ishundar called Marduk (sp?). This was the last strong hold the TR had outside the sanctuary. Both NC and VS at our doorstep. The fight, was valiant- hundreds of infantry charging up hills- trying to fight out way to freedom. Tanks rolling out of the Vechicle bays every second. One thing i would never forget, was the broadcast chat. Every minute someone would be motivating us to keep fighting and pushing. But as all battles when fighting two sides, we were outnumbered, and eventually lost. But that day was a true spark for me to stay in planetside. That battle had everything that planetside has to offer, teamplay, huge fights, both land and air, excitment, gen blowing and best of all Enjoyment!
The scale of this game is unimaginable- you have to play it to beleive it. Few short stories, or a description of game playing just doesnt do it. I never regret buying or playing the game…i only regret not playing it more (school work, other stuff gets in the way :() If you think of buying this game- buy it! My days in this game are DEFINATLY not numbered, i still have a loong adventure to live :)
GeneralXimus
Terran Republic
Proud Outfit Leader of the Elite Terran CALS
Werner Sever
P.S Ignore any spelling or grammer errors (if any) i am too lazy to correct :D lol
March 9th, 2005 at 8:52 pm
This game is truly awesome. I started sometime in February 2004, and have just recently earned my 1 year service merit. Like Soulless said that time flew by because it’s so much fun. Even after playing for a year I still have a lot to learn because I get schooled a lot by the dozens of incredible players, a must have FPS IMO!
March 9th, 2005 at 9:13 pm
I’ve been playing since last May and Planetside is an awesome awesome game. (Awe is definately the right word to use about Planetside.)
I’ve seen forty reavers flying overhead. I’ve been involved in a five Gal hotdrop to attack a base. I’ve been in a platoon that consisted of ten fully manned tanks, three people to each tank. I’ve been in deperate base defences and epic base assaults.
I could go on and on and on and on.
Yes Planetside is PvP, but the real difference is the cooperation of people into squads of ten, or platoons of multiple squads or Outfits (clans) of hundreds.
If you’re wondering what PS is like, go on give it a go, and if you do and you see me wandering around, send me a /tell and I’ll help you out where I can.
Hillfort
BR21 (Battlerank 21)
CR2 (Command Rank 2)
Outcasters Outfit,
TR,
Werner
March 10th, 2005 at 2:13 am
Fantastic review, captures the game perfectly.
I have played planetside since release and it never gets boring you can find a battle at anytime 24 hours a day 365 days a year including Christmas day on the Werner server (european)
After 18months+ of game play i have witnessed it all the arrival of new vehicles weapons continents (8km square maps btw).
Regularly 170 online on each empire on each server remeber thats a possible 510+ on average the servers can handle many more this isnot Counterstrike.
Nothing get better than the Moment my empire organised 20 galaxy Aircraft to raid a continent (each galaxy carry’s around 12 player and we rained 170 players on to the top of a base, this is the style of co-ordination and gameplay possible,
Check out http://www.planetsidemovies.com
March 10th, 2005 at 3:49 am
Quite an excellent piece! Lots of great indepth detail and I absolutely loved the commanders comment at the end of all the drama. No matter how great a visoin of teh game you can have, it all comes down to that one impatient guy =)
Having been playing this game for over a year and a half I definetly think Planetside is far from dead. It’s true that Christmas saw a drop in players due to WOW, EQ2, and the introduction of the BFR menace, but in the end, many players have returned to wreak havoc once again. I truly think Planetside is one of teh few games with longevity. The only other games I have ever played for more than a year are Diablo2, and Starcraft, and I truly believe Planetside has them both beat from a fun factor!
Tetryon, -Delta Triad- VS Emerald
March 10th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
Nothing can compare.
Greatest game ever.
Loyalty until death.
BR20 OneStepAhed CR5
Read The Fucking Manual 2005
TR Werner
March 10th, 2005 at 7:12 pm
Oy, I have had quite an interesting carrer with this game. I started in open beta and stayed for maybe about half a year then stopped because i started going to a college prep school (nooo time) Then started gaain for another half year then stopped for same reason. Now im back on my old char and having a blast!
Dudes, come on, planetside is da bomb. Now i have a bit more time to play and omg all the other games ive tryed, including WoW dont compare. The amount of work put into perfecting and polishing this game is phenomenal. Seriously just try it out and get into a good outfit, cuz im playing in a good one with some great people,and TS (teamspeak) really ups the anty a bit. The community is so huge my outfit leader is British and there is also an australian guy there….AUSTRALIAN!!
Panzykicker
Tr-Markov
Br13
Cr1
Private in the 105th Rangers Division AKA Bloodhawks
Tr for teh win!
March 11th, 2005 at 1:12 pm
An excellent article; makes me think whistfully of the days when everything was all so new and shiny.
But the beautiful thing about PlanetSide, which is what sets it apart from most games, is that once that initial awe has warn off there is so much to do & experience in the game. Sure it hasn’t all been smooth sailing; I for one, wish I’d never experienced being insta-gibbed but a BFR, but all things considered the Devs have done a remarkable job without, it seems, much support from the SOE bigwigs.
And the other reason that I will play PlanetSide for as long as the servers are up is because fo the people. I’m English and I play on both North American servers and within the diverse community of people you meet you really do form friendships which makes the whole experience a great deal more enjoyable.
Anyway, great article about a great game. Now lets have a little more publicity!
Dart
March 11th, 2005 at 7:39 pm
The begining or the end?
Loved the article and love the game from day 1!!
RAZ
March 12th, 2005 at 6:38 pm
I bought planetside a week ago, and for the first few hours considered getting a refund(even to the point of e-mailling them to see if i was allowed). It was only after a few fellow players gave me a hand in learning the basics that i got into it fully. [they gave up a couple of hours of their time to help me, they took me round all the training sections, explained everything and generally helped me out]
The teamwork is something id never seen before, people were actually going out of their way to help each other, whether it be dashing across a corridor to revive a fallen commrade, or running over to re-arm you/repair you in the middle of a battle, and then what i put earlier two people spending a few hours of their gameing time to help me out.
Planetside is great fun, just takes a bit of getting used to, iv had it for a week and have loved every minute of it, and cant wait till i can get back into the thick of it later this evening.
Andehh
Werner server
NC
March 14th, 2005 at 4:00 pm
I won’t play any other FPS other than Planetside. You just can’t come back from playing it to play anything else. It is an experience like no other. So much to learn, so many great experiences and warstories. The game is good because of the balance the dev team strives for … it isn’t just run and kill but thinking and planning plays a huge role in the success of your session and group campaigns. You join a good outfit and meet ppl from all over the world. And there is nothing like the feeling of a 10 kill run. Boomering an unsuspecting infantry running around the corner, or Plasma spamming a squad of 4 that thinks they are safe to heal up, or a great one-on-one duel with sweeper shotguns, or owning masses of enemies at a good choke point inside a facility. You will not play a better MMO, and I certainly hope Planetside 2 is in the works.
Thanks — Beau, Gorath on Emerald Server.
March 15th, 2005 at 4:14 pm
Planetside won’t EVER die.
SOE made the long-term business decision that in order to promote their “All Access Pass” they would continue to evolve their ’stable’ of games.
Already you can get Planetside, Everquest, Everquest 2, and Star Wars Galaxies under the same subscription.
They used EQ2 to bump up the PS subscriptions, they included SWG to help promote “Jump to Lightspeed”, etc.
I don’t see SOE dropping planetside until planetside 2 is ready.
March 19th, 2005 at 6:51 pm
I played the beta when it was available but on opening day much as I loved the game I didnt sign up for a subscription because I stubbornly refused to pay a monthly access fee. Currently the price is appealign to me and I really really enjoyed the game during the beta stage. I gaurantee if the game was one tenth as similiar as it was years ago during beta I will be around to play for a long time. Viva la Planetside.
March 20th, 2005 at 2:38 am
I’ve only been playing planetside for a a week now and I love it so much, its replacing tribes2 for me which I’ve been playing for 4 years…
March 21st, 2005 at 2:58 am
Been playing Planetside for over 1½ year now and I still love it. Nice to see such a good review of my fave game, just too bad you guys seem to have played VS. NC: Freedom Over Oppression ! :D
March 24th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
I as a Senior Officer of Cobalt a Vanu Sovereignity Outfit on the Werner server (European server), have been playing since the introduction of the Beta test for this game. Certain periods of time in this game either greatly increased or decreased the numbers of players on Auraxis, some of these being the introduction of Battle Frame Robots (BFR), the new models of vehicles, the Battle Islands scenarios and others. Yes the game is stuck at the moment for ideas and yes the Werner server can normally only get one continent population lock but and its a big but, this game is the ONLY one of its kind. Where else can you get massive battles where all players are thinking for themselves without any bots involved? Erm…. answer there isn’t any other game. Its a unique experience, you have to be there to believe it.
I do think that one of the main features of the game is the Outfit experience, if you are playing in a platoon (3 squads), all of the other 30 guys are fellow members of your ‘gang’ its a great feeling to trounce the enemy with the help of your comrades. We (Cobalt) like many of the other outfits use Team Speak as well as the in game chat systems. This allows members to directly converse with each other in real time using voice. This greatly enhances the game and promotes frienship and loyalty, just like being in the armed forces.
My suggestion to anyone who has never thought about playing Planetside is…. download this freebie trial and have a go. Theres nothing to lose and plenty to gain. Oh yes the monthly fee of around £9.00 is not exactly ‘breaking the bank’ material either. I gladly forego that extra pint a week to play this game.
If you do decide to come in game, feel free to give me a tell, our outfit will do its best to help you settle in.
Good luck out there…… your going to need it.
Sir Godolphin Blemmington-Smythe
Senior Officer
Cobalt
Werner
March 26th, 2005 at 10:37 pm
Great review and some great comments!!!
I have been playing Planetside for enarly 2 years and I can say its the best game I have played on any format. Yes, other games have better graphics, you cant beat the Doom’s, Gran Tourismo’s,Prop Evolution’s and Final Fantasy’s of this world but do you still play them after 2 years?? or even 2 months?? I think not.
Planetside is great because its real people fighting real people!!! No other game like it unless you like to kill rats. WOW is trying player vs player but if you fight against a guy that is a higher level you dead meat. In Planetside you have a fighting chance, cos its the skill not the level that decides the outcome!
I’ll be playing until they turn the server off!
thanks, and try the trial its free!!
brainbow
Senior Officer
Cobalt Outfit
Werner
March 27th, 2005 at 2:48 am
I totally agree with Sir & brain, I am a member of COBALT and we have a real good time on PLANETSIDE, i have tried City of Heroes, EVE, WOW, and Martix online and none of the games comes close to Planetside for the playability and flexibility this game affords you, you can play solo if you want or join a sqaud/outfit its up to you how you want to play it……….
March 28th, 2005 at 2:02 pm
I agree with DORGO, other MMO’s dont seem to have the flexibility that Planetside offers. Except, it can need a bit of patience at times
March 29th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
:Transmission Recieved:
Message addressed to anyone who might recieve it. Please forward to TR MAJCOMMAND HQ.
War is hell. They told us that, but we didn’t listen. The enemy is powerful. They told us that too, yet we didn’t listen. We were also told that there was no sense in returning our incapacitated comrade to sanctuary, from the distand continent on which he was waiting for our arrival. Do you think we listened? Even now he is healing well, though the fighting has taken a lot out of him. There are more wounded now that the rescue operation has become a futile attempt to get home. We’re not far from it. However, as we go on we have seen more and more of the opposition blight our radars. If anyone can hear me, please respond. Send a Galaxy to Oshur. If you see a red flare, call the cavalry. We’ll die before we surrender…
:End Transmission:
March 31st, 2005 at 6:44 am
Yes, PS is a very fun game, and their adding more reply value by adding the 3 more battle ranks and new merits… theres practically an endless amount of merits you could go for, especially when the number of kills needed are so high.
I’ve been playing for about half a year on CoDW on Werner and I’ve gotten to BR16 CR3 since then. This is another great feature, cause when you get bored of one character, just make another. My main is on Emerald NC and hes BR17 CR1. Being able to make several characters on different empires adds a whole lot to the game.
Planetside is going strong… occasionally you can have a huge 3-way battle with the VS, NC, and TR, which is really fun unless your the empire in the middle of it all.
A little more weapon balancing and the game will be perfect again. :)
If you don’t have Planetside…. BUY IT NOW!
April 1st, 2005 at 7:14 pm
I have been meaning to play this again for a while… I definitely had more fun with this game than in set- piece single player shooters that aim for the same experience. My name is FrodoFailed (but I forgot what server ;)
April 5th, 2005 at 3:57 pm
I had been interested in this game since it was released, but never looked at it because I was on 56k. Since getting broadband in January I have never looked back.
This game is a truly amazing experience and has no equal. There is not a single game I can think of that in anyway compares to PlanetSide, or even tries to achieve what it has. This game does not have a genre, it IS a genre. There is no competition at all.
What another poster said about ‘having 1000 friends’ is absolutely true. After a weeks play you will be unable to walk through i base without seeing someone you’ve squadded with or whos tank you were gunning. The teamwork and spirit of the players of this game is unrivalled.
Enlist today at http://www.terranrepublic.com and you will never look back…
April 7th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
all comments say the same thing this game is awesome
so come on sony get your finger out and support the game the way we have supported the game
April 7th, 2005 at 11:35 pm
I’ve been playing PS now for nearly 18 months now….still can’t shake it off. I had cancelled my subscription for a few months when I knew I had to take time out from the intense and time-consuming battles of Werner….but I always knew I would be coming back to the vast continents of Auraxis, to experience the new game developments and most of all….play alongside old comrades. True, the game sometimes requires patience but this is another great thing about PS : I’m still learning new things, only this week I learnt to use a neglected weapon (punisher) with a previously unused ammo type (frag) - now PS has surprised me again and I’m enjoying it in yet another way (amongst hundreds).
“My CS gaming years seem like a distant memory of a childhood toy, now playing Planetside is more like having the satisfactions and pleasures of an adult life!”
“Fight Hard Soldier!Long Live NFC!”
DrChan
BR21 CR5
Norfolk-In-Chance Werner NC
April 15th, 2005 at 5:26 pm
Its a great game, although I havent been subscribed for quite a few months. I really ought to go back to it again, unfortunatly I’m currently hooked to World of Warcraft.
Still, long live Planetside! I used to be ‘Comrade Boris’ and I enjoyed many an epic battle on the game. I was upset with SOE however when I heard that they werent offering the ‘All Access’ subscription deal to Europe (that combined subscription to Planetside with Everquest II and Star Wars Galaxies). Once they do I will consider coming back.
May 2nd, 2005 at 2:46 pm
Nice to see all of the fan support for this incredible game. I’m currently taking a break from play…but I will be back.
A note to SOE…please put some resources into advertisement of Planetside.
May 18th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Ive played this game for 2 years now it so cool theres always something to do or some1 to kill.
i cant wait till next patch and get that free sniper. like ur cite. im from the emerald server
,name xtr3m3 send me a tell cya on the battlefields
May 18th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
hey im back i forgot to add im TR on emerald name XTR3M3 br 18 cr1
May 29th, 2005 at 6:42 pm
PS gets my adreniline going like no other game, period. Whether it’s a run in a Reaver looking for juicy, unprotected targets, an intense battle for the back door at a base, or a drop from a galaxy to knock out the generator at an enemy base, the game keeps me on the edge of my seat.
Chilng (21/3)
Markov
VS
Raging Primates
June 12th, 2005 at 10:12 am
When I bought the game i wanted a 30 day free trial but it says i have to pay for it straight away. How do i get my 30 day free trial?
June 12th, 2005 at 10:15 am
Your first month will be free - it just wants your credit card details so that they can start billing you if you forget to cancel before the month is up. Well, that’s the theory, i think.
June 13th, 2005 at 2:48 am
Writing Archive #1
Writing Archive #1
June 14th, 2005 at 6:39 pm
It’s just facinating how many people engoy Planetside. I’ve loved It from when I first started. I look forward to seeing new players.
See you on the Werner sever!
June 17th, 2005 at 9:02 pm
if you dont go on for most of youyr fist free month will it count it as part of your month?
June 18th, 2005 at 10:54 am
Yes.
August 13th, 2005 at 12:23 am
Papa Roach
Writing Archive #1
August 19th, 2005 at 6:50 pm
great game and writing
November 9th, 2005 at 11:44 am
Planetside’s still going strong, despite SOEs best efforts to ignore it and avoid spending money on it to get us more players.
Generally we see fights in 2-3 areas at a time, but those fights are still bigger than anything in other FPS games to date, 100 or so guys on each side at least.
We’ve got a new lead developer, the above samhayne quite a month or two back due to frustration with SOE and the original game code it seems, and the new lead dev is rolling out some nice changes now that hes settled in.
At a recent dev chat it was revealed that we may be getting a no subscription, limited stats promotion that can last for as long as a year. This will hopefully be in before the new year, and will make a huge difference to the game, as with hundreds of more players, theres going to be great fights on every front line.
If you play, you must join an outfit and use teamspeak, it improves the game so much, you simply get more coordination that way. Theres nothing like rolling five tanks behind, then through enemy lines, you just cant do that in other games.
November 30th, 2005 at 11:45 pm
Planetside is the greatest game of all times!
You guys should really pick this one up.
(hey Dvidd, I play Emerald as well)
December 1st, 2005 at 12:33 am
SOE are just simply milking the game for what it is worth now… If you’re a new comer, or an old comer for that matter of fact don’t be expecting too much, for those that havn’t come across them yet SOE have added ingame ads all over I think ingame there is a total of 800 billboards, the money was suspose to fund planetside but yet the community is still waiting to see any effects of this revenue that has been generate by this mass amount of ads, one example was out of game marketing was promised there still hasn’t been any signs of this happening… The money has appeared to have gone straight into SOE’s pocket or other MMO’s eg: Everquest, also you still have a large number of BFR users in there including the flight vari BFR, the devs have failed to bring back the enjoyment to the game it is just a mass BFR, plasma spam fest which really did kill the game for most vets including myself, if you’re looking for a trial key the site is no longer up supplying keys and SOE have failed to put up a new site for keys as of yet.
- Cyborgmatt (Ex-PlanetSide Player).
December 1st, 2005 at 12:40 am
great game, bad company…
December 23rd, 2005 at 10:40 pm
That’s my game name, above. My family loves playing PS. We play daily and share a single account, with three people taking turns using their characters. It’s great fun and never boring. My sons–yes, I’m the dad–use Teamspeak and talk to their squad members for truly live interaction. As you become increasingly experienced, you have more fun because you are more consistently successful. You learn the nuaunces of the many available weapons and vehicles, and refine your armament set-ups for the situations you typically encounter. PS is a masterpiece of game programming and hosting reliability–we’ve been playing for about 2 years and servers are almost never down and characters are never lost. I encourage you fence-sitters to join the PS battle today. Us grizzled veteran need new, fresh noobies.
March 25th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Time to have another look at Planetside Jim :) ; “reserves” has just come out, sure you’re limited to BR6 and CR2 but that’s enough for an aircav/heavy assault setup and it should increase the population significantly, i already have a load of friends downloading it.(It’s free for a year).