[JimJamJamie]

Hello one and all - I'm a new member to PSU but I've had a long relationship with PlanetSide.

First of all, I am very happy to see that Smed is personally addressing the issues of PlanetSide members (even the less civilised ones..) - this step is definitely in the right direction, in my opinion - getting involved in the community, which is what I'd like to focus on.

Get involved - Don't create a barrier between the developer and the community, the forum is a gold mine of feedback and opinions - the combined gameplay experience of the forum regulars would probably make a QA team jealous!

Also, we are a creative bunch when it comes to things we care about - a Suggestions thread is definitely a good idea during and after development.

Advertising - the community can make alot of noise if they want to - fansite kits and promotional material that the fans and players can use such as forum avatars and signatures, adverts they can put on their own websites/blogs in conjuction with official support can really make the difference. We would be happy to help.

Don't forget about the popular video game websites for exposure - Gamershell, GameTrailers, IGN and the like have huge userbases. Don't forget YouTube either.

I really can't stress enough how much more appealing a game is when the players are able to make a difference to the game and get involved. From a business point of view I'm sure you can see the benefits - as long as we get paid in patches and love we're happy!

I'd be interested in opinions on this post, don't hesistate to PM me or reply here.

P.S: You better read this Smed, or it'll be going to your email (and I know your inbox gives you nightmares)!