Planetside... Worth it?

[Fitch]

:confused:

Well after a long time of reading the downs and ups of Planetside, I am now just going to ask the experienced players to fill me in on wether i should buy Planetside or not. If you have any down, or ups please tell me both...

[SmilingBandit]

Up: No bots to learn the programing of. (Your targets are never predictable.)

Down: The lag and bugs. Both of which have gotten tons better in the last month.

Overall, it's a really fun and challenging game with several different specializations that a person can choose depending on their game style.

[teratravp]

You'll be in love with it for a week - it will be at least a 90% game to you. but the entertainment value decreases rapidly and there are very few people who find the game anything but futile after a month. There's just nothing to do, there's essentially one type of building... a base... you attack that base, hack it to capture it. That's the game. Just very thin on the whole core gameplay aspect at this point. And that's not to mention anything about bugs, this is how many people come to feel just in terms of the gameplay. So I'd have to say paying $49.99 right now is really not a good idea. MAYBE in six months assuming they've added some signifigant depth, otherwise, still not worth it.

[Agathon]

Hello,

Well, it is a lot of the same stuff, but the meat of the game is mass combat. If you like games like Battlefield: 1942, then you will absolutely LOVE PlanetSide. It isn't designed to be a game like EverQuest. It is a first person shooter, and people who love those games will love PlanetSide. The large battles is what makes it worth the money for me. When you have so many people fighting together on a large battlefield, it really gets the adrenaline flowing! These games are all about FPS adrenaline. Either you like such games, or you get bored of them. It just depends on the person.

Personally, I love FPS'ers as long as cheating doesn't ruin them, and PS is working on the exploits and bugs quickly. There are a few bugs and exploits left, but over the next month or so they will be ironed out I suspect. It is SOE afterall, and they have the money, talent, and power to make this game work!

;-)

[SmilingBandit]

What kind of depth do you expect? A story line?

True, some new buildings could be nice. New vehicles are being added.

But this game, much like life, is what you make of it. I have alot of fun and enjoy the challenge of attacking a base and not knowing what's going to be there.

And as for people not enjoying it after a month, the only people who have played for more than a month, and most of them are still here.

You want depth, go build droids in another game. You want an increadable FPS, stick with PS.

[Bottleneck]

Really fun, fast paced. Dont listen to the bs just pop into vr, find a weapon or vehicle ya like, train it up and hit the instant action button :)

[Civilian]

The good: Hours of addictive battle.

The bad: Paying $12.95 for beta.

[teratravp]

Originally posted by Agathon
Hello,

Well, it is a lot of the same stuff, but the meat of the game is mass combat. If you like games like Battlefield: 1942, then you will absolutely LOVE PlanetSide. It isn't designed to be a game like EverQuest. It is a first person shooter, and people who love those games will love PlanetSide. The large battles is what makes it worth the money for me. When you have so many people fighting together on a large battlefield, it really gets the adrenaline flowing! These games are all about FPS adrenaline. Either you like such games, or you get bored of them. It just depends on the person.

Personally, I love FPS'ers as long as cheating doesn't ruin them, and PS is working on the exploits and bugs quickly. There are a few bugs and exploits left, but over the next month or so they will be ironed out I suspect. It is SOE afterall, and they have the money, talent, and power to make this game work!

;-)


Actually I am an FPS gamer and that's exactly the problem, PS is a bad FPS. At least in terms of the most rewarding part of an FPS which is an actual way to win. Fun spats occasionally erupt in PS, but the problem for many people is that it's all futile in the long run. There is no attainable goal in the game whatsoever. You won't really understand this till you've played a lot but the burn-out tends to set in hard after about a month.

[SmilingBandit]

Maybe if we had flags. :)

[Slab]

When I was offered a closed and open beta slot, I jumped at the chance.

At first glance, it was an amazing game. I had been stuck in EQ type MMORPGs and was dying for a good FPS game to come out. Thing is, after the beta and the first month of the release, the excitement of Planetside has dropped to about zero.

Once you take away the MMORPG aspect of the game, Planetside is a really mediocre FPS. Several of the issues that I have with the game is that:

1.) Lag

2.) Bugs

3.) Mass zerg which makes #1 even worse.

4.) Replay value.

5.) Taking a base with a squad and getting overrun by a massive hoard. (Not a problem since it was made for battles like this but refer to #1)

6.) Not getting any exp if you do damage to an enemy. Only if you or your squad kills said enemy.

7.) Lots of physics issues that get annoying after awhile. A vanguard shouldn't flip over a wall if it gets hit by a harasser at a certain angle.

That's the only examples I can think off the top of my head. I would recommend you try it out since the first month is free but my friends are going through the same thing as I did.

They're still playing it because they weren't in the beta like me but the replay value is dying out for them.

Planetside is like all MMORPGs in that it needs time to mature. I think I will renew my account about 4-5 months from now. Maybe even 6-7 months.

[SmilingBandit]

Given the odds that you're just as likely that the guy next to you is going to "steal" your kill as you are to final round into the target he's softened up, the points are even in the end.

[gonnagetyou]

There is no difference in goals between Planetside and say Tribes or Counterstrike.

You take over bases, continents and kill people. What's the difference between that and say a game of capture the flag? The only real difference is that in Planetside the clock doesn't stop and the map doesn't reset. I'm really starting to wonder whither some of you have ever really played an FPS.

Planetside is a great FPS and you can jump into it whenever you want. You get big or small battles. There are a butt load of things to do tactically if you use your brain and there's this huge element of team work that can be taken advantage of if people try. Want to go solo? Fine you can do that to. Planetside already has plenty to do and lots of potential for the future.

Like any game on the market, some people will like it and others won't. So don't listen to me or any other idiot on these boards. Just get the game, try it and either stay or go away.

Now where's my coffee!:D

[Slab]

SmilingBandit,

Not if he's randomly throwing grenades all over the place. ;)

I tend not to do that because of hitting friendlies. :D

[Tryndamere]

Gonnagetyou = correct.

The game rocks, try it.

[teratravp]

Originally posted by gonnagetyou
There is no difference in goals between Planetside and say Tribes or Counterstrike.

You take over bases, continents and kill people. What's the difference between that and say a game of capture the flag? The only real difference is that in Planetside the clock doesn't stop and the map doesn't reset. I'm really starting to wonder whither some of you have ever really played an FPS.

Planetside is a great FPS and you can jump into it whenever you want. You get big or small battles. There are a butt load of things to do tactically if you use your brain and there's this huge element of team work that can be taken advantage of if people try. Want to go solo? Fine you can do that to. Planetside already has plenty to do and lots of potential for the future.

Like any game on the market, some people will like it and others won't. So don't listen to me or any other idiot on these boards. Just get the game, try it and either stay or go away.

Now where's my coffee!:D

I know what you're saying, but I just don't agree. Yes, they are all capture the flag/deathmatch type gameplay experiences... but the fact that PS doesn't culminate in ANYTHING at all is the problem. There's no reason for PS to be persistant, there's no features to the persistance, and yet the persistance kills the normal game win/lose goal. I'm saying that's a pretty big gameplay issue, because I'll often go back to other FPS cause at least there's something to do -- win or lose the match... I have no reason to ever play PS again unless they add something that can keep you playing like that even after you've mastered it.

[SmilingBandit]

If they indeed impliment sanc strikes there would be a goal.

[Slab]

If you can afford it, buy it out and give it a go.

If not, I suggest you wait for them to patch the game up a bit. Best time to wait would be 1-2 months.

[gonnagetyou]

Originally posted by teratravp
I know what you're saying, but I just don't agree. Yes, they are all capture the flag/deathmatch type gameplay experiences... but the fact that PS doesn't culminate in ANYTHING at all is the problem. There's no reason for PS to be persistant, there's no features to the persistance, and yet the persistance kills the normal game win/lose goal. I'm saying that's a pretty big gameplay issue, because I'll often go back to other FPS cause at least there's something to do -- win or lose the match... I have no reason to ever play PS again unless they add something that can keep you playing like that even after you've mastered it.

The culmination of your work ends with the successful take over of a base or locking down of a continent and yea, if they do implement Sanctuary strikes, then that will be a goal. You seem to just be looking at the forest and not at the trees, if you get my meaning.

Planetside was developed to be an ongoing war that never ends. The satisfaction comes from all the game play itself and all the small or major victories you accrue each time you play. The players set the goals for themselves. If I succesfully defend a tower from a large attacking force, then I'm quite happy with that.

Why do you want the developers to tell you what to do and when you've won? To me that's what gets boring. As it is I get to set a goal or challenge for myself everytime I play without worrying about some specific end goal set down by the developers.

[SmilingBandit]

My goal is to become Lord of All Humans. That or finally finish my CR2.

[Fitch]

Thank you for your comments.

Right now im wondering if it is the type of game "Gonnagetyou" said it is. Because im a huge fan of CS and many other FPS online games and i was just wondering if this will be not laggy, and some good old fashion deathmatch FUN!!!

Please post more of your comments:


P.S. Surprised by all the responses...:jawdrop:

[SmilingBandit]

The lag's gotten alot better over the last month.

[gonnagetyou]

The lag problem is a lot better and I only rarely get a CTD or lock up. I'm also playing with the minimum requirements if that means anything to you. I just use low video settings with a slightly increased viewing distance and have no problems. Most of the bithching comes from people trying to use max settings and of course that stresses even a high end machine.

If you enjoy fragging people and play just for the fights alone it will be worth it for you.

[AcidCat]

Originally posted by teratravp
Actually I am an FPS gamer and that's exactly the problem, PS is a bad FPS. At least in terms of the most rewarding part of an FPS which is an actual way to win. Fun spats occasionally erupt in PS, but the problem for many people is that it's all futile in the long run. There is no attainable goal in the game whatsoever. You won't really understand this till you've played a lot but the burn-out tends to set in hard after about a month.

It still depends on what you look for in a game. The most rewarding part of FPS games for me is not the win, it's the gameplay itself. I didn't play Battlefield forever because I wanted to win each round, but becuase the gameplay itself was just so damn fun - it didn't much matter at the end of the round who won or who lost, because the dynamics of the battle were just so satisfying.

Personally, I don't see what people get out of these games with the focus just on winning the round. You win, the next map loads, those few seconds of satisfaction are why you play? Once the next round starts, no one cares what happened last time.

So if you're all about the Competition and trying to Prove Something and trying to be Skilled, maybe Planetside is not for you. If however you play these games for the pure enjoyment of the combat itself, you may find yourself sticking with the game for much longer than a month.

[Airlift]

It is worth it to me. The fact that I don't have to search for a server, and that I can always team up with my friends owns all over standard FPSes. In other games I've played, in order to consistently get your team playing on one side, you have to get into league play and schedule matches. Pubbing will almost never provide you a good persistent team. That's the key to persistence in this game; your outfit, your empire, your enemies will be there to fight again.

I disagree that it is a half-assed fps, but I do agree that if you take away the massively multiplayer aspect it wouldn't be a great game. But wtf would you take that away? That's the whole driving point of the game. That's why a lot of the bells and whistles were sacrificed in the first place, to make massively multiplayer FPS possible. Otherwise there would be no reason to pay the monthly fee and there would be no reason for the game to have taken so many years to see the light of day. It is a groundbreaking game, and there will be other games to follow in its footsteps and compete for my monthly fee. For now, PS the only game that offers what I'm looking for.