Originally Posted by Serisno
2: I now agree that 2 factions would be bad.
3: What other games? And don't list Star Craft. Because that is not a persistent world. Yes it works well for balancing (rock paper scissors style) the three sides, but I'm not talking 'strength balance' I'm talking "battlefront balance". I'd like to see an example of a three faction system in a persistent world. But even if you show me a three faction system in a persistent world that works... I'll always look at Planetside and see a three faction system that ended up being a worldwide stalemate. 
4: Apparently you never played Eve
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Trust me. I want to like the three faction system. I just need someone to help me see how we won't devolve into what Planetside is right now?
Also, nobody has mentioned making the world more like Eve. Thoughts on that? |
3: Erm, plenty of games. true, the persistent stuff is missing in most of them, but that doesnt matter, because the only difference is that you can win and then get a reset. While Planetside 2 wont have a reset, once one empire is pretty much beated down, the remaining two would clash each other, allowing the third one to regain ground. And it isnt just expirience from various games here, these are the very basics of war.
4. I played eve, alot, for years. Was a X-Trader, part of the Xetic, Trust as well as Dusk and Dawn. I blew up BOB, Goon, Stain, Curse and other alliance ships, as well as got blown up by them. I have taken part in countless battles, from small to large, including the destruction of TRUST in EC-p8r. Ive helped build container storages in Immensea, mined ressources in Branch, etc.
And from all those years playing eve, i know very well that 4+ can work, if you have enough options. But in Planetside 2, you wont be able to build alliances with other factions, or betray them by doing a suprise attack. You wont be able to crush an entire Alliance all by yourself. Eves deepness in this matter is somethign Planetside 2 will never reach, and should never reach. Planetside 2 will be a war between factions, that will always be at war. Thats the very core of Planetside, thats why we still enjoy the old one and look forward to the new one. Changing this very core aspect would take away almost everything that made Planetside to what it is.
And if you play eve, you should know how big fights can get. YOu know the lag. Eve can handle this barley, because the game is capable of rendering alot of players because it simply doesnt have to render much else. In Planetside, you would have 1000 or more players on terrain, in bases, with vehicles, including weather and much more lightning than in eve. That would cause alot of lag if fights get to big, hence the limitation to 1000 players. Besides that, playing with lag in Planetside isnt fun, after all you have to aim and shoot, not point and click.
Now, putting more than 3 factions would mean each faction would have less players. 333v333v333 with 3. 250v250v250v250 with 4, 200 each with 5, 166 each with 6, etc.
Fights would be smaller and smaller, and the entire idea of planetside, the massive war, would go into the bin.
Now, lets get to your actual concern: The issue.
Yes, its true, it sucks sometimes, but the problem there is not 3 factions, the problem is the lattience. It often forces your path, because doing back operations is pretty impossible with the right teamwork, and teamwork (the good outfits) mostly left years ago. That wont be that way in planetside 2. For once, going behind enemy lines seems to be easer this time, and besides that, those skilled outfits will be everywhere, filling up their ranks, doing awesome stuff. The Issue planetside has right now wont occur that much in the sequel, if ever at all.
