Game got boring fast

[phungus]

tldr version:

Game is boring because:

-Only flying an ESF is generally fun
-Ground combat limited to The Crown, and very rarely Biodomes: Everywhere else it's just a vastly outnumbered defender getting rolled by an overwhelming force in an undefendable location where the attacker could win with half the numbers anyway due to base layout
-Base layouts lead to spawn camping first - then capturing, stifling any resistance that could have been possible, meaning no one fights outside of the Crown
-Spawn proximity leads to ghost capping being the most effective strategy in the game (flying around in an ESF, to land run around in an empty base and flip cap points to fly away to the next outpost and repeat - increadibly boring, but super effective)
-Crash hack stops any good fights if they start: Too many hackers using some insane hack that causes plattoons and outfits to be dropped by the game at once in big battles - effictively ruining the battle. Happened to my outfit 3 times now.

[phungus]

Usually I when I get a new game and am as stoked on it as I was after playing this for the first time, I'll end up loving it and playing it for years. I still play Civilization IV, Tremulous, and Allegiance, and like many still play BF3. Outside of flying a mosquito or a sythe, this game is just very boring, and this is mainly due to design.

Came back after Christmas with the family and played with a friend over a mic and he just got bored and quit (we play alot of BF3 together, and were playing this game alot when it was first released). After he left I was trying to help my character's faction (TS) take control of Amerish, we succeeded, but how we succeeded captures the whole boringness of this game and why it's not really worth playing (again outside of running around in your ESF, which is still enjoyable).

Basically we had a platoon just rolling in a ball to wherever the platoon leader sent them. Because defense doesn't work in this game (by design) they were the most effective when they would group up at the warp gate, and then bash headlong into the main enemy death ball, when defending it was an utter failure. Now because they were clashing into superior numbers they would almost always be defeated, though due to design they could win when attacking and roll over large tracks of enemy territory before being bogged down and redeploying at the warp gate. So me and a couple other ESF pilots decided we'd run around the border territories ghost capping (you fly your ESF into an empty base, land it, flip the cap points and leave to rinse and repeat). This was very, very effective and the entire front line started to creep up toward their warp gate. Eventually the NC, probably out of frustration, began leaving Amerish and eventually we outnumbered them and were able to take the continent. So congratufuckulations me and two other ESF pilots, we succeeded in performing a boring task for hours on end, avoiding conflict, using engineers like some sort of infiltration shock troops, to effectively frustrate the enemy team into quitting using no strategy or tactics other then flying an ESF in straight lines. I feel so proud.

As if last night didn't deflate my enthusiasm enough I log in today, see that the NC are retaking Amerish. I go there and fly my mosquito with the intent to dogfight using cheesy A2A missiles (another example of the devs removing player involvement - the ONLY A2A weapon for an ESF is a low interaction/skill weapon that feels like total cheese). I kill 3 reavers, make a mistake and get taken out by another pilot who actually had some skill (unlike 90% of the flyers in this game who rack up the points from farming and just get owned in the sky whenever anyone decent makes the attempt to go after them). 6 minute timer on the mossy so I try to fight on the ground. 3 bases, all of which are spawn camped meaning no way to defend. I debated grabbing another mossy, but decided to hit the forums and whine.

Thing is though this isn't just a generic whine. This game is highly flawed and it is so by design. The most effective strategies are incredibly boring and it has led to there being nothing to do but fly an ESF, defend or attack the crown, or bore yourself out of your mind ghost capping. That's it, there are no epic engagements (and in the rare event where they occur a hacker will crash the game for your platoon/outfit ending the battle).

I really hope the developers decide to actually do something about the state this game is in, it is their XP model, base layout, and proximity spawn limitation system that has made the game where it is, so only they can fix, and really the only way to do so it to reinvent all three of those, there is nothing to be salvaged there.

[NewSith]

Read this starting with post #13, it should give you an idea on what really bored you:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/showthread.php?p=871471#post871471

It's just a suggestion, so take it lightly.

[gunshooter]

I'm already bored as well. Haven't logged in for a day or two for the first time since the game came out.

I wish I had spent the money I spent on a 6 month premium sub to buy BF3, which is the same game but without all the downtime.

[stargazer093]

I ain`t gonna go back until the devs have actually fixed something

[StumpyTheOzzie]

Thing is though this isn't just a generic whine. This game is highly flawed and it is so by design. The most effective strategies are incredibly boring and it has led to there being nothing to do but fly an ESF, defend or attack the crown, or bore yourself out of your mind ghost capping. That's it, there are no epic engagements (and in the rare event where they occur a hacker will crash the game for your platoon/outfit ending the battle).


This.

Except at the crown, there's a vanoob called 000000000000000000000000 who's using every hack there is. Shooting rockets through terrain, always headshots with his LMG, runs at 300km/h and all the rest.

So I can't even attack/defend the crown anymore.

Might play VS though. With hacks.

[maradine]

Yes, I'm sure cheating will make things much better. Good show!

[Vashyo]

Bored, but I still play couple of hours a week, mostly cause I don't have many other interesting games.


Doing outfit ops just annoys me in the game cause of lack of meaningful stuff to do and some squad leaders are just horrible at their job (taking hexes that are surrounded by enemy hexes...meh), so I just roll between TI Alloys/Crossroads Watchtower/Crown with occasional Allatum biolab battle. I still enjoy the game when a real war breaks out, wish they'd last longer though. 15 minutes of bliss and then it's traveling time back and forth the bases.

[Rockit]

Game is just overly simple and lacking depth. Churn through it for a bit and realize it is just grind to get certs for more toys. Would have been nice if they had given it more time to simmer until serving but it's done as it's done now. Here's hoping they have some amazing stuff early next year or it won't be pretty.

EDIT: Have to edit this. Did I say next year? Have to get used to it now. 2013 baby!!!!!

[LoliLoveFart]

After the double exp weekend i will not be playing as heavily i did. The Indar grind and the whack-a-mole on the other continents is pretty dry.

Heres to better things in 2013.

[mjokc]

After the double exp weekend i will not be playing as heavily i did. The Indar grind and the whack-a-mole on the other continents is pretty dry.

Heres to better things in 2013.

Same here, I think I will only play during double XP weekends. The game is very boring just doing the same things over and over and over to get xp.

[Miffy]

I haven't seen one cheater, though I have only played 52 hours and 42 of those were in the first week two weeks, I struggle to log on now as the game is shit.

Port Planetside to this engine, be a better game.

[Beerbeer]

Starting to get bored farming infantry.

It was funny, but a magrider saw me in my tank (and I saw him) while we were farming infantry near the crown. We were less than 100 meters apart. We stared at each other for a second or two and I was only going to shoot him if he shot at me first. He rotated and went back to farming infantry and so did I.

Lol, what a great game.

[SGTHACK]

On the servers I play on, it is defending the WarpGate all of the time. It has gotten boring. Funny it wasn't like that in the beta. After the 2xp thing, I expect the servers to be empty. I really hope the SOE re-thinks this game and puts it back to beta game play. Man, there were some terrific times in the beta. Sad.....

[Beerbeer]

Lol yeah.

All PVP games, at their core, are about killing one another; everything else is fluff and conduits towards that means.

This game is great because it gives us extremely efficient tools to do that, and enough soft targets running around to fill that goal, for now.

Why should vehicles fight one another when it is easier to one-shot infantry? Both serve that PVP goal, in a sense, but one is a hell of a lot easier than the other. Thanks Sony.

[belch]

oh, man...I have to say fella's, few things get my ire up like seeing someone on my team, some friendly vehicle, leave a priority target alone in favor of getting the easier kill.

I have been left hanging in the air, on the ground, on foot and in vehicles....more times than I care to recall...by people doing exactly what you describe.

I understand that you're frustrated...but, I personally refuse to let the guys 'working the system' dictate how I am going to play. They can care about their stats all they want...I want to make a difference for my teams sake.

[Beerbeer]

Sony should have thought about the mechanics that allows people to gain whatever advantage they can. They are everywhere. There's no such thing as honor or values in a video game.

If I see an advantage over another player (i.e., vehicles over infantry) I'm going to use it to the fullest extent that the game allows me.

And frankly, so do many others based on what I see. Do you hate the player or hate the fact that Sony couldn't see this coming?

[maradine]

I don't find farming infantry particularly entertaining. I'm glad you do, though. It's nice that everyone gets something out of the game.

[Beerbeer]

To its detriment based on current populations. I'm glad you don't mind that.

Oh: character named maradine. Most played class engineer. Most killed class heavy assault. You may not enjoy it, but you're just as guilty as the rest of us.

[maradine]

I mind it very much; it's just that you choose to communicate only in sarcasm now, so I'm trying to meet you half way.

I am glad you're enjoying it, though.

[Beerbeer]

I'm not being sarcastic all of the time. And even when I am, it is to make a point. Thanks for your assumptions, though.

[maradine]

You're very welcome!

edit: I'm also impressed that you can pull all that out of two stats!

[Beerbeer]

Just returning the assumptive favor.

[Figment]

Sony should have thought about the mechanics that allows people to gain whatever advantage they can. They are everywhere. There's no such thing as honor or values in a video game.

If I see an advantage over another player (i.e., vehicles over infantry) I'm going to use it to the fullest extent that the game allows me.

And frankly, so do many others based on what I see. Do you hate the player or hate the fact that Sony couldn't see this coming?

Frankly, I wouldn't be pissed at Sony for that. I'd be pissed at all the forum members denouncing long term ps1 expert players as crazy, outdated players with no logic but nostalgia glasses and some sort of new selfish, add gamer master race that didn't susbcribe to the laws of what makes gaming fun. "Everything must change for it is a new game!" They gave SOE a justification to not listen to us during the one time period where fundamental changes were still possible.

I mean I expect SOE to not know why and how to design PS game mechanics since Verant came up with the concept and mechanics of the first, while SOE only ignored the game and made weird changes and additions.

It is the players who had unquestionable loyalty and pink goggles, rather than critical respect that deserve our scorn.


Most things critiqued have been talked about endlessly pre-beta and usualy were quite accurate.

[LtKernel]

Because defense doesn't work in this game (by design)

This is my biggest issue with the game (aside from the current crash issue). In my opinion, taking a base should be a BFD. When the TR takes over Zurvan, it should be like a headline new story on the forums for a week. It should be a huge accomplishment the requires advanced planning and execution. But as the game stands now, it could flip three times in an hour. The last time they tried to address this, they just added more time to the cap timers which people didn't like.

And it's by design. I shouldn't just be able to casually walk into the back of a base. It should require a team of hackers to break the doors. I might be able to handle one achilles heal but even the big walled bases usually have about 3 un-blocked entrances. For example, the Tech Plants have two open back doors. Why would a base have these? The current base layouts encourage chaos rather then organized defense so I think they should be beefed up.

That being said, I think it's ok that outposts are more open and less walled up to keep the game play a little varied. In fact, I actually really like trying to defend the Palisades. Though I think most of those need some more AA canons.

[phungus]

I've seen air do that often. For all who say oh just have air beat air, FYI air will
usually just farm infantry and rarely only attack one another if attacked. I have
seen Libs from all three factions side by side bomb da`FUCK out of infantry.

Well any decent ESF player focuses on aircraft first and foremost, but it's hard because the radar in this game and the minimap render distances litterally make other aircraft you are dogfighting with disapear.

This is my biggest issue with the game (aside from the current crash issue). In my opinion, taking a base should be a BFD. When the TR takes over Zurvan, it should be like a headline new story on the forums for a week. It should be a huge accomplishment the requires advanced planning and execution. But as the game stands now, it could flip three times in an hour. The last time they tried to address this, they just added more time to the cap timers which people didn't like.


You want a faction (outfit/clan) arena. I think that's an entirely different game (but could be possible with this engine)

And it's by design. I shouldn't just be able to casually walk into the back of a base. It should require a team of hackers to break the doors. I might be able to handle one achilles heal but even the big walled bases usually have about 3 un-blocked entrances. For example, the Tech Plants have two open back doors. Why would a base have these? The current base layouts encourage chaos rather then organized defense so I think they should be beefed up.

Yeah man. Just quoting you again to repeat what I said. I never played the beta, but even bringing back defendable tech plants would be better then everyone only wanting to go to the crown. Still I liked what I saw in some posted alpha art with bubble shields over bases, and legitimately defendable positions you'd want to hold if you took from someone.

[Suitepee]

I haven't got bored of Planetside 2 yet. It's probably one of the few games in 2012, if not in my gaming lifetime, that I've fervently stuck to for a long period of time after launch.

I'm also glad it's free because it has so many problems to sort out. Like the triple loading screens, the stupid 'players kill each other 1v1' lag whatever the fuck it was that was added in the update, medic reviving sometimes needing to be done twice, air superiority ridiculous......

This game has great potential and I hope it lives up to its potential. And if not, they ain't getting a penny out of me.