Will Planetside 2 disappoint its hardcore fans?

[Reddek]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum and new to the game itself (although I played Planetside a few times at my friend's house a few years ago). I have been following Planetside 2 for some time now and I have a burning question I wish to ask you, the community:

Is Planetside 2 heading in the right direction in terms of becoming a successful sequel to the first game?

Why do I ask?

I have just stopped playing Battlefield 3; the game completely lacked what Battlefield 2 featured - DICE/EA turned into a money-making machine and have now turned Battlefield 3 into one of the most-successful profit-making video games in history.

The game failed to reach expectations, will Planetside 2 succeed in terms of what the hardcore gamers expect? I really want to play this game, but I have been let down by so many different games over the last few years that I'm not sure if I'm willing to trust it yet.

Thank you for your time,

Reddek.

[Khrakhan]

way too soon to know....

[Traenor]

People will always be disappointed in some fashion, just because some feature they dreamt of isnt there or some kind of gameplay doesnt suit their tastes. What you have to do is manage your expectations and ask yourself what you want to see in the game. I want to see massive FPS combat with strategical oppurtunities, and i certainly hope PS2 will deliver. Ask yourself, what do you want to see? If you see the possibilities of that existing the in the game, hope for it and get hyped :)

[Hamma]

To soon to know - I don't think it will disappoint.

[ArmedZealot]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum and new to the game itself (although I played Planetside a few times at my friend's house a few years ago). I have been following Planetside 2 for some time now and I have a burning question I wish to ask you, the community:

Is Planetside 2 heading in the right direction in terms of becoming a successful sequel to the first game?

Why do I ask?

I have just stopped playing Battlefield 3; the game completely lacked what Battlefield 2 featured - DICE/EA turned into a money-making machine and have now turned Battlefield 3 into one of the most-successful profit-making video games in history.

The game failed to reach expectations, will Planetside 2 succeed in terms of what the hardcore gamers expect? I really want to play this game, but I have been let down by so many different games over the last few years that I'm not sure if I'm willing to trust it yet.

Thank you for your time,

Reddek.

Why would you base your opinion of Planetside 2 off how other people compare it to Planetside? Why not instead judge the game off of its own merits and the entertainment you get out of it?

[Reddek]

Thanks for your responses, guys.

I was just asking because I just want to make sure that the original Planetside playerbase is happy with how Planetside 2 is looking at the moment.

I guess I should judge for myself on how it looks, and I have to admit that it looks excellent, but are all the original Planetside players happy with how it looks?

[DerFurst]

Well, I can tell you that I'm already disappointed at how long the wait for beta is!

[Miir]

Hell yes! Nothing makes me happy.

Except this:
http://hamma.ytmnd.com/

edit: But seriously. I think fans are the hardest to please and they are bound to be some bumps in the road. So far from what we've seen up to this point. The game is exceeding my expectations. We'll know more after beta :)

[ArmedZealot]

Thanks for your responses, guys.

I was just asking because I just want to make sure that the original Planetside playerbase is happy with how Planetside 2 is looking at the moment.

I guess I should judge for myself on how it looks, and I have to admit that it looks excellent, but are all the original Planetside players happy with how it looks?

Why would you care what the playerbase of a game you have never played thinks of PS2?

As someone who played PS I think PS2 is looking great, but for every one of me there is someone who is afraid of the changes. Both camps seem to be very vocal and things will be tense until beta arrives, once that happens it will blow up for a bit then calm down as people find more and more evidence to base their opinions on rather than "it looks like BF3/COD".

Wait for beta and see how the game plays for yourself to form your opinion on that and not what other people think. It's not like you will be paying to have a chance at the game.

[Red Beard]

Hell yes! Nothing makes me happy.

Except this:
http://hamma.ytmnd.com/

edit: But seriously. I think fans are the hardest to please and they are bound to be some bumps in the road. So far from what we've seen up to this point. The game is exceeding my expectations. We'll know more after beta :)

lol...nice gif!

[Zolan]

As someone who played a bunch of PS1 back in the day from launch (not anymore), I would say it's about 50/50 for me.

Half of the new stuff will undoubtedly disappoint me.

(Perm. Footholds, Quick-melee, Silly camouflage and decorations, jump pads/elevators, health regen, squad spawn, etc.)

However, the remnants of PS1 and any many of the new additions will definitely make me happy.

(Hex System, Night Gameplay, Weapon attachments and variants, Engineer turrets, Barrel-rolls/Physics, Larger maps/capacity, etc.)

I'll end up playing anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

[CuddlyChud]

I think with a game as old and unique as Planetside, its impossible to please everyone. There are vets here who love everything SOE is doing, and vets who think PS2 is the sign of the Apocalypse. Most are optimistic, though perhaps also guarded. For me personally, I think Planetside 2 is looking really good. Mechanically, I always felt Planetside 1 was sub par. It was fun despite its clunky mechanics, not because of them.

[Morphic]

I played PS1 and I am very happy that here is a sequel. I swear i truly thought this would never happen. Im enjoying what I am seeing so far. First day buy for me.

[Gonefshn]

I'm stoked on the new game! It looks better than the original to me!

Only 2 fears, no cont caps "might" get boring, but who can tell at this point.

and no dedicated tank driver with a main gunner as the second player.

But overall I've never been more stoked (played PS1 for 8 years)

[Rhapsody]

Personaly i think 'parts' of it may dissapoint its older fans. Players from PS1 are going to feel out of place in MBT's that their both the gunner of AND the driver. Those mobile tank-battles from PS1 are going to be gone. In its place is going to be the 'move 5 feet, shoot, back into cover again, mess from Battlefield. The PS1 players who loved their lightings are going to feel at home in the new MBT's, but those of us who liked the old dedicated driver/gunner MBT's from the origional i feel are going to be badly let down by the new tanks.

As for the ground-pounders.. i think Everyone is going to like the weapon customizing and the new MAX's, but i think the loss of being able to heal your vehicles + rez your buddy is going to throw some dedicated support players off just a bit.

On a whole i think PS2 is going to be great.. but i honestly do feel that 'some' parts of if (as they stand now) will dissapoint the old-school fans.

[MacXXcaM]

As a old time vet (started in 2004, but couldn't play all the time because of fees) I must say I'm extraordinary confident with PS2. The game looks astonishinlgy good.

There are few points that I worry about (first and foremost TTK) but I cannot judge on that before having played beta at least.

I think PS2 will be a blast.

[Reddek]

Seriously, thanks for all your feedback guys, really appriciate it.

I'm very looking forward to playing!

[Mastachief]

I'm in no doubt at all that planetside 2 will rock but will it be as good as i want it to be?

Dunno

It's all pretty subjective anyhow.

[Figment]

How it looks is fine for all.

How it plays is still under scrutiny for a lot of people. There are controversial topics and a lot of players with some reservations on these specific topics, so it's not as if the full playerbase is fully satisfied with what is known right now.

The question is whether it'll be a big enough deal and whether and how things will change in beta.

All in all, too early to tell, though I'm sure there'll be people disappointed to at least a certain degree. Everyone after all has certain expectations and this is only the first sequel. It's hard to tell how much one should expect to remain the same.

[wOOtbEEr]

i think the loss of being able to heal your vehicles + rez your buddy is going to throw some dedicated support players off just a bit.

This is what I'm going to miss most. I know they want to make a class system instead of an inventory system because inventory systems add a lot to the learning curve for new players. But I don't see why my Medic can't spend cert points to learn how to repair his vehicles or why my engineer cant learn how to use a med tool. Medics are clearly marked on the battlefield and they are going to be the only ones who can bring someone right back into the fight. I know who my cloaked sniper will be headshotting.

w00tb33r

[wasdie]

H
DICE/EA turned into a money-making machine and have now turned Battlefield 3 into one of the most-successful profit-making video games in history.



That's a bad thing? The game is still really fun and has evolved with the entire genre. Just because it's not exactly how you remember BF2 being doesn't make it bad.

Games have to make money. Hell, they have to make a lot of money. Only appealing to the audience of your previous game would kill your studio as development costs keep increasing. You can't assume that you're going to be able to increase your player base by appealing to the core audience and hoping that others see the value. With the market flooded with games, you have to keep up or get left behind.

SoE is under the same pressure here that DICE and EA were. I'll bet you a lot of money their development costs for this game are 100x higher than they were for Planetside. If they built the game just for Planetside fans, they are probably not going to make back the money they spent into the development and have to shut down, then we all lose.

Developers could get away with making their games for a focused audience back when game development cost was 1/100th it is now. Today that's not the case. We are getting AAA level mechanics and graphics in a F2P environment, they are going to have to make some compromises that the "hardcore" will not like.

Same happened in BF3. Now the hardcore bitch about it while more people than ever before play and enjoy Battlefield and EA/DICE makes enough money to continue supporting the game and creating new games. You can't change it and worrying about it does nothing more than put stress on yourself. You either have to learn to adapt to changing time and change your expectations, or be bitter.

Battlefield 3 had expectations that no game could live up to. Don't get yourself into the same position with Planetside 2 because you're only setting yourself up for misery.

[wasdie]

Oops double post... sorry.

[Reddek]

That's a bad thing? The game is still really fun and has evolved with the entire genre. Just because it's not exactly how you remember BF2 being doesn't make it bad.

I never said that it wasn't fun, it's a fantastic game but I am just not happy with it. :)

I just don't like playing it as I feel that things are missing, it just doesn't feel right with me.

[wasdie]

I never said that it wasn't fun, it's a fantastic game but I am just not happy with it. :)

I just don't like playing it as I feel that things are missing, it just doesn't feel right with me.
Well as I said before, don't get your hopes up for Planetside 2. They are going to remove a lot of the little elements to make it much more accessible.

[Surprise]

Trying not to get my hopes up just in case, so its impossible for me to be disappointed.

[Raka Maru]

I think it is well thought out and to the point that the PS2 team is listening to the player base. Take a look at things that have changed for the better.

Kill-cam now shows only stats and costume of killer.
Headshots are OSOK on certain units
We have customization for camo
Etc....

Newbs will be able to jump in and basically know what's going on. My big hope is they will introduce the more advanced features that the hardcore want later on as things settle down and evolve in beta.

[ArCHoN]

To me as a beta player for the original PlanetSide, a long time follower years before launch, and a person who loved the game and played for a long time I believe this won't be a problem.

In my opinion for everything they are going to change about the game for PlanetSide 2 that I may dislike or think is too far off from the first one, I love a lot of the changes they are making. The addition of the Hex system for one is really a great idea. I love how they are changing the base capping, making outposts and hexes of influence. I was against the lattice system, even though i saw its reasoning and benefits it took away a lot of freedom and different styles of play.

I think this games going to be great and because its FTP it is going to be huge, as a PlanetSide player and longtime fan I encourage new players and new interest in a great game.

[Papscal]

The ones that have already tried the game in Alpha say no it will not disappoint.

[jepaul]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum and new to the game itself (although I played Planetside a few times at my friend's house a few years ago). I have been following Planetside 2 for some time now and I have a burning question I wish to ask you, the community:

Is Planetside 2 heading in the right direction in terms of becoming a successful sequel to the first game?

Why do I ask?

I have just stopped playing Battlefield 3; the game completely lacked what Battlefield 2 featured - DICE/EA turned into a money-making machine and have now turned Battlefield 3 into one of the most-successful profit-making video games in history.

The game failed to reach expectations, will Planetside 2 succeed in terms of what the hardcore gamers expect? I really want to play this game, but I have been let down by so many different games over the last few years that I'm not sure if I'm willing to trust it yet.

Thank you for your time,

Reddek.

I project someone will be upset. And that one of those people upset will be a hardcore fan.

[GreatMazinkaise]

If the unwashed masses of PSU have their way, then yes, Planetside 2 will disappoint the true fans of the original...

I do have hopes that Generic Modern Shooter: MMO Edition will be vaporware at SOE and that we'll get Planetside 2 instead.

[Letten]

This place is not Mordor, dude...yet

nah just kidding I am sure PS2 will be great

[Malorn]

I am one of Planetside's most passionate and hardcore fans, and I am not concerned in the least that it will disappoint me.

[Mishap]

well im new & i think that if you dont get in a good squad or outfit it will be hard trying to play as a unit..... or for that matter know what the objective is. people have to decide for themselves if they like or dislike it dont let the hardcore fans decide for you decide for yourself ....besides its free :)

[SniperSteve]

Heck yeah. I'll play PS2 even if it is a terrible game by most people's standards, haha.

[wraithverge]

by definition, a hardcore fan will always be upset by changes because it deviates from the thing he is devoted to. So yeah, it'll piss off a bunch of the players who stuck around for nine years. Meanwhile those of us who bailed during the BFR days and always looked back with fond memories will love ps2.

[Elude]

Thanks for your responses, guys.

I was just asking because I just want to make sure that the original Planetside playerbase is happy with how Planetside 2 is looking at the moment.

I guess I should judge for myself on how it looks, and I have to admit that it looks excellent, but are all the original Planetside players happy with how it looks?

PS1 wasn't that great of a game to begin with and the biggest reason people enjoy it is because of the persistence and large scale battles. If PS2 becomes a disappointment to it's old player base it will be because these two key features were drastically changed in a negative way.

[Shinjorai]

Im not sure im hardcore or casual but i plan to spend a ton of time playing PS2. I only played the original ps1 a month or so on a free trial i had and couldn't afford the monthly fee at that time, or i would've still been playing it to this day. Its the kind of game i've always dreamed of playing and i love the whole concept.

The thing i think to remember about PS2 is they said its a reimagining of the original and not a true sequel so that says right there they're going to make some changes. I think the one guy above who posted about the reasons why companies make games the way they do, due to pressure to make sales etc is exactly right. It has to be accessible to new players to suck them in as well as have enough depth to keep the more hardcore players you're asking about. So trying to strike that balance its going to lose some features both sides might want as well as gain some others to make up for it. I'm pretty much just repeating what everybody else has already said but basically to sum up it will not dissapoint over all, but maybe in some areas where vets liked a certain system in the original game thats not there but is replaced with something new and different that caters to both camps of players.

Im just wondering myself what its really gonna be like but i guess none of us will know until beta begins (fingers crossed that thats in the next few weeks).

[MacXXcaM]

The thing i think to remember about PS2 is they said its a reimagining of the original and not a true sequel

For a multiplayer-only game it doesn't really matter if you call it sequel or reimagining.

PS1 fits into its time as PS2 will now.

I expect to feel the glory of huge tactical battles again I experienced for the very first time in 2004.

Sadly we still didn't see any huge outside battles yet. Small skirmishes around bases isn't what PlanetSide made special so I can see why the public hype still hasn't come.

[Raka Maru]

I played PS1 and loved it because you weren't matched with angry randoms that expect you to perform in a certain way. It was an open world, an FPS and you did what you wanted.

Sure, there were play styles and tactics I've grown fond of, but I learned to use them because it was a game I wanted for the reason above.

So for me, I'm already NOT disappointed. I'm very EXCITED about PS2 as a long term vet. You have to go back to the very reason it stood head and shoulders above the rest of the plain ol' FPS's.

[Exmortius]

i think the game will still rule. i definitely like the direction it's going. i will miss the giant base hack and hold and running footballs like the old days but i think the battles will be mostly small medium sized by splitting up more points to take over. it should still be very fun and better than anything else out there by far. not to mention there will be plenty of room for growth. who knows maybe other continents will have the traditional hack and hold style bases :P for the old schoolers like myself.

[Radaeron]

Fairly hardcore fan here.

I'm concerned I will be a little disappointed purely from how much I have been hyping it up personally. Of course, overall I think I'll still have fun playing it. But I am still concerned.

Just need the devs to prove me wrong I guess ;)

[xnorb]

After BF3 failed horribly for me, i put all my faith in PS2.

For me PS2 will be a full success if it doesn't turn from high TTK / slow
paced game to a CoDish insta-respawn clusterfuck meatgrinder like BF3 did.

[Exmortius]

one thing i do like i should point out is the base design. it looks like they are really putting a ton of effort into making the bases more unique and the environments all different. i think that will really keep things very fresh for a long time. that way people don't get used to the same base all the time. overall i'm incredibly impressed with the amount of effort the dev team is putting in. will it be exactly the same as ps1 no but will it still rule all signs point to yes. nothing in the videos so far i've seen has looked like they have not improved upon any other mechanics.

planes should be far improved, tanks, max units, snipers, light assault. they've made changes to all and all appear to be much cooler overall to me. no other combat game has the tactics this game has bar none. so far i'm nothing but impressed and can't wait for beta.

[AzK]

I'm already disappointed.

1) bf3 gunplay
2) classes
3) no inventory/proper backpacks looting
4) no sanctuaries

It won't be a bad game, but it will just be a different take on bf3, nothing to do with ps apart from the setting. They only called it ps2 to get ps1 customers and reuse the factions and not having to come up with new stuff.

Ps2 and the original one have very little in common.

[Electrofreak]

Hell yes! Nothing makes me happy.

Except this:
http://hamma.ytmnd.com/

edit: But seriously. I think fans are the hardest to please and they are bound to be some bumps in the road. So far from what we've seen up to this point. The game is exceeding my expectations. We'll know more after beta :)

I didn't think anyone else still had that link. Actually I IMed it to Hamma last week just for lulz. :)

As for how I feel about PS2, I'm pretty confident. All the game footage I've seen so far seems very promising; it FEELS like the original PS while not just being a graphics reboot. I'll admit I'm worried at the addition of a new class (LA) and some new mechanics (like drivers gunning tanks) because I'm worried certain units might become too appealing (other vets will remember how PlanetSide turned into BFRside when SoE released giant mechs into the game) but as long as there always is an effective counter to a unit, I think the players will respond to class / vehicle overuse by equipping weapons designed for that purpose. (I know if LA becomes too big a problem I'll be carrying a sweeper shotgun to take them out of the sky!)

Another thing that keeps me confident is Higby's enthusiasm. SmokeJumper was definitely a good Community Manager in the first PS, but back then social media and the popularity of media like YouTube didn't exist. We interacted with him through the forums, and while he did a good job, we couldn't really SEE how enthusiastic he was about the game.

Now we've got Higby tweeting, redditing, taking video interviews left and right, practically jumping up and down with excitement over his brainchild. He certainly seems to love what he's doing and we know he's listening carefully to what we have to say. It makes me confident that any concerns the community has will be listened to and ironed out in Beta.

[MacXXcaM]

I'm already disappointed.

1) bf3 gunplay


You can't seriously want PS1 gunplay :eek:

[Bobby Shaftoe]

In a word.... game is going to be SHALLOW as hell. Very little depth. Blatant attempt at a quick cash grab off the run and gun crowd. Not to offend anyone but that's how I see it.

Not being able to do a Lodey/Bangbus drop on a Biolab and do a Med room hold is kind of a deal breaker for me.

It was a nice fun break (amongst many other things to do) from the 3-way zergfest or the resecure/open cont gameplay. Since we don't know what the 'Deep Hex' opening timers are going to be, all that's certain is the boring 3-way zergy-grindfest to look forward to, be still my beating heart.

[RageMasterUK]

I'm already disappointed.
You can't seriously want PS1 gunplay :eek:

I was on AzK's server on PS1.
Trust me he would ;-)

-RageMasterUK

[Obiyer]

I am one of Planetside's most passionate and hardcore fans, and I am not concerned in the least that it will disappoint me.

Your brain dump is epic o.o. I'm reading it now.

[JesNC]

People always tend to be a bit disappointed about games they longed to play for months, if not years. Just look at Blizzard's D3 forums...

Of course, after a few weeks they usually settle in the new game environment and stop bitching about every dream feature that didn't make it into the final version ;)

[super pretendo]

This place is not Mordor, dude...yet

nah just kidding I am sure PS2 will be great

Is your signature supposed to be ironic? like tim and eric style?

[xnorb]

You can't seriously want PS1 gunplay :eek:

You can't seriously want BF3 gunplay ...

(Although i think PS2's gunplay looks nothing like BF3's)

[AzK]

You can't seriously want PS1 gunplay :eek:

Why wouldn't i, it's alot less random and more skill based than bf3's, where you just lolol 1shot/burstkill everything you fire at.

[Exmortius]

ps2 gameplay reminds me more of bad company 2 than bf3. which to me is a big plus. i really liked bc2. there are just a ton more options on how to wreck peeps than bc2 hehe. but the gameplay and movement style seems reminiscent of that imo.

[ChillerDuu]

Everything has the chance to disappoint. From what I have seen, I don't find that it will.

[sylphaen]

Personaly i think 'parts' of it may dissapoint its older fans. Players from PS1 are going to feel out of place in MBT's that their both the gunner of AND the driver. Those mobile tank-battles from PS1 are going to be gone. In its place is going to be the 'move 5 feet, shoot, back into cover again, mess from Battlefield. The PS1 players who loved their lightings are going to feel at home in the new MBT's, but those of us who liked the old dedicated driver/gunner MBT's from the origional i feel are going to be badly let down by the new tanks.

As for the ground-pounders.. i think Everyone is going to like the weapon customizing and the new MAX's, but i think the loss of being able to heal your vehicles + rez your buddy is going to throw some dedicated support players off just a bit.

On a whole i think PS2 is going to be great.. but i honestly do feel that 'some' parts of if (as they stand now) will dissapoint the old-school fans.

No need to repeat that opinion which I share.

[MacXXcaM]

You can't seriously want BF3 gunplay ...

(Although i think PS2's gunplay looks nothing like BF3's)

Except for ttk I would. Seems to be the most natural one out there atm.

[SKYeXile]

If i say yes wont that mean when it is a disappointment i wont be disappointed?

[Reddek]

Only time will tell - beta will instantly let us know if it's worth playing or not.

Battlefield 3 beta literally introduced you to how different it felt than Battlefield 2, so yeah, let's just wait and see.

[basti]

Will it dissapoint? Thats not up to the game to decide, thats up to us.

Lets face facts here: Planetside was Terrible, extremly Terrible. The Lagging/ADAD warping, the balance issues, the cheating and a lot of other stuff made the game terrible.
Yet, i played since 2004 for over 2000 hours. just check my Xfire. It only shows 1600, but i only got it in 2005 and didnt use it at all in 2006.
So, what made me stay? ITs not the shooter mechanics, its the massive combat and the community that made me stay. I had the best gaming expirience of my whole life in Planetside, just because of the Outfit, as well as all those common enemys (The Mercs, gooddam AZK, OsteKake and his TR crew) you see every day, fight every day, and share hate tells every day.
Planetside was fun because we made it fun. ANd if we do the same in PS2, then it cannot dissapoint.

[Hrongar]

Some people will inevitably be dissapointed but more so due to their own expectations or wishes.

I think a lot of players are going to hate playing against coordinated teams that are immune to 1-on-1 powerhouse players.

Like "OMG I hate this game because whenever I try to take a base I have to fight off over 30 noobs that all know each other and are talking on teamspeak and stuff."

Sure there are bound to be some serious changes to the game as compared to PS1. These points will of course be dear to somebody somehow.

However, it is still loads of players, fighting on a huge map, with outfit support and a teamwork oriented playstyle.

Dissapointment will be inevitable for some people.

However I do not dout that this game will be very fun to play and a refreshing experience from 8v8 12v12 etc etc battles.

[Akrasjel Lanate]

I think i can say that I won't be dissapointed :)