What is it going to take to push Planetside 2 over the top

[Sledgecrushr]

I like PS2 and think it has a very bright future. But right now I see that the pops are starting to slip again. So i was wondering what it would take to make this game the total shit. So I had a couple of ideas.

Bring back the BFR. Now before you go and pitchfork me for bringing this up the new BFR would basically be just as powerful as a prowler is right now. But what I was thinking is it would have 2 gunners and a driver.

Lattice of course.

More continents with a continental conquest meta.

The BASTION. This is kind of a gameplay hook Ive been looking forward to. Now I dont really care for the design that has been shown to us. I would like these flying outfit carriers to be more along the lines of old fashioned naval warfare. A row of powerful but extremely short ranged av guns on the sides. Add a couple of aa guns interspersed with these and you have naval warfare along with ship boarding at 1000 meters in the sky.

These are just a few big suggestions and Im wanting to see what you guys think can be added to really push Planetside 2 over the top.

[bpostal]

What can be done? Improve the flow of battle on a micro and macro scale. Since they're already working on this I'd call it good until we see more.
The other major thing would be to improve the infamous lag/rendering/etc that's stopping/slowing the large fights. Since that's ongoing I'm not too worried about that.
The last thing I can think of off the top of my head would be to better clarify what the objective of the game is. Promote teamwork and good fights, not spawn camping and face stomping.

[Snydenthur]

I think the single most people-turning "feature" at the moment is performance. Soe needs to get the fps up faster. And stop destroying the performance at the larger game updates. Hopefully test server helps with the latter.

[Maidere]

Endgame. Build something giant, by example. Each territory improves building speed.

[Timealude]

With alot of my suggestions already on the way (via roadmap), I feel that the mission system will help retain some pop as well as the the new hex system they are putting in. New continents are nice but it wont do anything unless we have a solid battle flow element in. I think Cont locking will bring people back as it will force the fights to different areas of the world and will give empires a bit more to strive for when they are trying to do continental conquest.

I also agree the performance thing is another one that have pushed people away, but at the rate we are seeing of improvements after every patch, I have no doubt in my mind they will have the performance thing figured out soon.

[VaderShake]

I think one thing that would help from a population standpoint as well is some renewed marketing efforts. There are allot of gamers out there that still don't know what Planetside 2 is.

[Rolfski]

Almost everything that needs to be done is already on the road map, I just wish they would hurry up.

The only thing I'm missing on the road map is Blacklight Retribution-like weapon customization options.

For the long term (2+ years) I would like them to expand the universe a bit.

[wasdie]

Until they get the new map changes in, there isn't going to be much new. This isn't an overnight process, it will take them a few months to get all worked out.

The micro hex/lattice system is a huge step in the right direction. After this comes vehicle zoning, continent locking, and home continents. Of course all the while continuing to make changes to the map design themselves, adding more defenses, making new bases. Also they'll be adding more continents in time.

[wasdie]

I think one thing that would help from a population standpoint as well is some renewed marketing efforts. There are allot of gamers out there that still don't know what Planetside 2 is.

This is tricky right now since the game is about to radically change (for the better).

I'm hoping that they had made enough money since launch to keep the studio kicking for the rest of 2013. They can get 2 more continents in, the micro-hex system, some new vehicles, and constant improvements to the whole game (optimizations, ragdoll physics, resource changes, missions system, better UI... stuff like that) and then they can do an add blitz later.

[Assist]

I think the single most people-turning "feature" at the moment is performance. Soe needs to get the fps up faster. And stop destroying the performance at the larger game updates. Hopefully test server helps with the latter.

Agreed, too many people I talk to on other gaming forums didn't continue to play because 'their computers couldn't handle it'. Yet they can play other new games perfectly fine.

[VaderShake]

This is tricky right now since the game is about to radically change (for the better).

I'm hoping that they had made enough money since launch to keep the studio kicking for the rest of 2013. They can get 2 more continents in, the micro-hex system, some new vehicles, and constant improvements to the whole game (optimizations, ragdoll physics, resource changes, missions system, better UI... stuff like that) and then they can do an add blitz later.


Yea but they will really have to do some explaining of PS2 either way. It won't be a game for everyone, if they went with a "Help Us Build This Game" type of message that might help.

[Hamma]

The BFR will never come back.

[CrankyTRex]

The three most frequent reasons I get from friends as to why they don't play PS2 are:
1. "What's the point if it's always on?" (Basically, since there's no victory condition of any significance, they don't see why they'd spend their time fighting over territory that will probably change hands moments later.)
2. "Sounds like pay to win."

If I get them over that and in the game, #3 comes up:
"Wow, you die a lot in this game."

Generally speaking that sums up the feeling of helplessness in the face of superior numbers and random death from all sides they don't feel like dealing with.

So basically, whatever can overcome those issues. :-)

[p0intman]

Bring back the BFR

it isn't april first yet.

[Dougnifico]

Actually, his version of BFR sounds like a ground liberator. That could be interesting...

[Qwan]

Bring back the BFR.

Somebody get a rope. There are things I want to see in this game but BFR's is not one of them.

I think things are coming around pretty good, they have the road map which gives gamers a sence of whats to come in an orderly fashion so lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope they can push a couple of things up. I saw the preview for BF4, so were going to loose a couple of BF fans to that, but I hope that PS2 has made some new fans and as well as kept some of the vets happy enough to stand behind there game.

P.S. if you talk about bringing BFR's back again, I will wash your mouth out with soap.

[Nur]

This game needs continent lock, needs multiple fronts and enemy on each front, needs an end on ghostcapping.

People like big fights, nobody like zergs.

Strategy of ghostcapping to avoid zerg is not funny. If we find a way to stop the zerg without ghostcapping we are on the right way.

[Rothnang]

In all honesty, the main thing that would take Planetside 2 further would be a more meaningful progression system. When it comes right down to it, most people play for certs, but right now you just can't honestly say that you can unlock anything that makes you really stand out.

I think people want that feeling of being a specialist, and being genuinely better at what they do than your average joe. Skills are an important aspect to building a reputation, but the reality is, the worlds best lightning driver is probably also really good with every other tank. The range of skills that make you good at any aspect of the game typically work just as well for the other aspects. People need a way to be unique and sought after though. In a social setting the greatest satisfaction you can have is being indispensable, and that's not something Planetside 2 currently provides. People need to have a sense that it mattered that they specifically were there in every endeavor. Throwing ammo packs is useful, but it gives you no satisfaction if yours is just one among ten and you just plopped it down for the XP. What makes you unique doesn't have to be as important as supplying ammo, but you should get a sense that you have something to offer that other people do not.

Getting that into the game gets people to commit to it more, because they will feel more important (and actually are more important).

[Canaris]

I think that what causes this game to suffer is having just 3 continents to play on which makes the progression/regression of the 3 factions over territory suffer greatly. There is no jeopardy like in the PS1.
I know they say hind sight is 20/20 but I can assure you if I'd been in charge I'd not have let this game ship without at least 5 continents to play on and a battle flow system. I played way to much of PS1 not to see how it works and what people like.

They need to commit more resources in bringing Hossin & Searhus to the live game quicker, June for Hossin & October for Searhus is going to cost SOE big time, trust me.
They also need to put a proper inter continental transit network for the WGs in at the same time instead of just three factions warpgates on every cont. Cont lock is one reward but the other should be access to the new continent through it so once you have taken Indar you now have access to Searhus, something to look forward to as an attacker an objective to progress, or an asset/reason to defend to the death for defenders. Give those continents benefits that will have all three sides foaming at the mouth to take.

[Sledgecrushr]

Somebody get a rope. There are things I want to see in this game but BFR's is not one of them.

I think things are coming around pretty good, they have the road map which gives gamers a sence of whats to come in an orderly fashion so lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope they can push a couple of things up. I saw the preview for BF4, so were going to loose a couple of BF fans to that, but I hope that PS2 has made some new fans and as well as kept some of the vets happy enough to stand behind there game.

P.S. if you talk about bringing BFR's back again, I will wash your mouth out with soap.

Lol. You know BFR came to mind because I want a three man vehicle that really stands out on the battlefield. Maybe the creation of an eight legged mbt hybrid. Mostly what I would like to see is for the trade off in manpower you gain a little bit more mobility instead of firepower. An eight legged crawler tank would be able to sidestrafe like a magrider but slower. This tank would also be able to basically go everywhere ground based infantry could go.

[Pella]

Miller population is healthy 24/7. Indar is pop locked at the moment and its mid day.

Prime time will be interesting.

[Snydenthur]

Miller population is healthy 24/7. Indar is pop locked at the moment and its mid day.

Prime time will be interesting.

Well not by much. Around 2000 players online 1.5h ago. At the same time woodman had around 2700 players. As I said in the server forums, miller isn't the biggest server anymore, at least when you look at the amount of players online. I don't know what has caused people to quit on miller.

Even the psu server thing shows that woodman has medium amount of players earlier than miller. :(

[Pella]

Well not by much. Around 2000 players online 1.5h ago. At the same time woodman had around 2700 players. As I said in the server forums, miller isn't the biggest server anymore, at least when you look at the amount of players online. I don't know what has caused people to quit on miller.

Even the psu server thing shows that woodman has medium amount of players earlier than miller. :(

Russians.

[HiroshiChugi]

Russians.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aliens+meme&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&selectedIndex=0

And also...

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aliens+meme&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=FE42DD95EBE4DE7EA13262E6F91958DF0FD37571&selectedIndex=60

[Canaris]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aliens+meme&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&selectedIndex=0

And also...

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aliens+meme&id=01A20F2C09FDFF267051E10CD6C66710375FF0AC&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=FE42DD95EBE4DE7EA13262E6F91958DF0FD37571&selectedIndex=60

nice :withx: there

[Hamma]

The three most frequent reasons I get from friends as to why they don't play PS2 are:
1. "What's the point if it's always on?" (Basically, since there's no victory condition of any significance, they don't see why they'd spend their time fighting over territory that will probably change hands moments later.)
2. "Sounds like pay to win."

If I get them over that and in the game, #3 comes up:
"Wow, you die a lot in this game."

Generally speaking that sums up the feeling of helplessness in the face of superior numbers and random death from all sides they don't feel like dealing with.

So basically, whatever can overcome those issues. :-)

Fail.

I don't know, that just feels like a bunch of reasons not to like the game rather than problems. Except maybe #3.

[CrankyTRex]

Fail.

I don't know, that just feels like a bunch of reasons not to like the game rather than problems. Except maybe #3.

Well, we all spend a lot of time talking about "meta game" and the lack of meaning there seems to be in doing many activities in this game, which goes right to the victory condition issue.

PS2 inhabits this weird zone where you don't have rounds to dictate winning, but your XP also isn't really supposed to matter enough to treat it like an RPG/MMO (nor do I think the speed at which that XP/certs comes in is sufficiently paced to work that way.) Nor is there a story with an ending to see your way to.

That leaves the experience of a fight itself as the reason to play, and that's not that strong of a sell unless you've actually experienced how epic PS2 can be.

Then if you get people to play, you have to ensure they have one of those experiences, and that's not always easy for reasons we talk about all the time. The numbers can grind computers to a halt. The Zerg may just roll people over so it quickly becomes camp/be camped, which is boring despite the numbers. They can get suck standing around ghost capping. Etc.

The pay to win issue comes up from previous experience with other games. That one I have difficulty countering because it's one of my biggest gripes with the game. It's not straight up P2W, but there are definitely things that I don't consider sidegrades that require unlocking and cost a lot of certs.

#3 we have probably all commented on at one time or another and it ties right back into the first two things. A new player dying over and over again to something like rocket pods that they can't unlock yet without paying money over a base they either can't defend due to the Zerg, or that gets ghost capped as soon as they leave and which has almost no bearing on the game as a whole short of flipping a hex a different color? Can be a tough sell to tell people it gets better.

[Rolfski]

I don't know what has caused people to quit on miller. If anything that would be TR dominance as of lately, causing people to give up. TR has even a triple lock atm, something not seen in months on Miller.

As for marketing blitz to push this game. I would wait with that until there's a decent new player experience and meta game.

[Sledgecrushr]

I really am starting to see our own roadmap for the ongoing success of PS2.

[Neutral Calypso]

With respect to the people referring to the lack of apparent victory conditions, one thing I posted in the ideas forum was to have a more OBVIOUS "You conquered the continent!" type message.

Preferably something with a hell of a lot of victory fanfare (or a defeat dirge) that would instantly alert everyone on the continent that it had just changed hands (or been neutralized) and perhaps give a more passive message to the players on other continents that a cont. just changed hands.


It just seems rather odd to me that we have to check the map to make sure we conquered the continent when that happens, y'know?

[bjorntju1]

Gimme huge space battles and I am a happy man.

[Palerion]

In all honesty, the main thing that would take Planetside 2 further would be a more meaningful progression system. When it comes right down to it, most people play for certs, but right now you just can't honestly say that you can unlock anything that makes you really stand out.

I think people want that feeling of being a specialist, and being genuinely better at what they do than your average joe. Skills are an important aspect to building a reputation, but the reality is, the worlds best lightning driver is probably also really good with every other tank. The range of skills that make you good at any aspect of the game typically work just as well for the other aspects. People need a way to be unique and sought after though. In a social setting the greatest satisfaction you can have is being indispensable, and that's not something Planetside 2 currently provides. People need to have a sense that it mattered that they specifically were there in every endeavor. Throwing ammo packs is useful, but it gives you no satisfaction if yours is just one among ten and you just plopped it down for the XP. What makes you unique doesn't have to be as important as supplying ammo, but you should get a sense that you have something to offer that other people do not.

Getting that into the game gets people to commit to it more, because they will feel more important (and actually are more important).

I like this. I, personally, have always thought a skill system of some sort (Global Agenda for instance) would be kind of cool. Just to allow players to spec a soldier to their liking.

Also would give a bit more flexibility and direction to classes. Giving each class multiple trees with names to define their role on the battlefield. Allows people to pre-determine what playstyle they want for what class. I think this would add more to the "importance" feeling and even to long-term satisfaction and character building in the game.

[brighthand]

In all honesty, the main thing that would take Planetside 2 further would be a more meaningful progression system. When it comes right down to it, most people play for certs, but right now you just can't honestly say that you can unlock anything that makes you really stand out.

I think people want that feeling of being a specialist, and being genuinely better at what they do than your average joe. Skills are an important aspect to building a reputation, but the reality is, the worlds best lightning driver is probably also really good with every other tank. The range of skills that make you good at any aspect of the game typically work just as well for the other aspects. People need a way to be unique and sought after though. In a social setting the greatest satisfaction you can have is being indispensable, and that's not something Planetside 2 currently provides. People need to have a sense that it mattered that they specifically were there in every endeavor. Throwing ammo packs is useful, but it gives you no satisfaction if yours is just one among ten and you just plopped it down for the XP. What makes you unique doesn't have to be as important as supplying ammo, but you should get a sense that you have something to offer that other people do not.

Getting that into the game gets people to commit to it more, because they will feel more important (and actually are more important).

Devs need to see this! ^

also, I just want to second the introduction of strategic elements and battle progression across the maps. Area denial, resource securing, supply lines that can be cut off; all of these can create emergent gameplay and "darkest moments" that will lead to probably the most exciting gameplay the genre has seen in years.

I stopped playing PS2 November of last year because of the lack of these, and I'm not coming back until I see that SOE has implemented them in full force and great elaboration.

[Carbon Copied]

Just echoing the above really; the current cert system is great as it allows you to pull a jack-of-all-trades class depending on your situation at the time however if the game allowed you to further tier one of those classes that you "mained" then I reckon the feeling of indispensable comes with that. These "tier 2" style levels could be one vehicle and one class so giving that overall specialty trait.

[SGTalon]

Waterson Server had a queue to join every time i logged in this weekend.

I think that the key to making PS2 fun is organization. I always find that when i am in a good platoon that has good leadership, the game is immensely more fun that when i am running around solo, small squad, or poorly run platoon.

I really can't wait until true platoon tactics are the norm instead of unique. Zerging is ok for a while but it just gets old.

I am pretty happy with the balance of the game. It will be cool when more of the Roadmap stuff starts coming out.

[Mustakrakish]

Bring back the BFR.
:huh:

No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Please, God, no.

[Hamma]

See what happens when you ask for BFRs? People go insane. I bet he woke up in a cold sweat and came here.

[Sledgecrushr]

See what happens when you ask for BFRs? People go insane. I bet he woke up in a cold sweat and came here.

Lol yeah bfr is a bad idea. But a three man tank would be cool and something that just screams sci fi would be even better. Can we get a spider mech with 2 single shot lightning cannons and a dedicated driver? Something that can follow infantry up those little goat paths.

[Mustakrakish]

3-man tanks, yes. Maybe a "Heavy MBT" that can only be spawned when your faction controls 2+ Tech Plants?

A "spider tank" ought to have a much lower top speed but incredible maneuverability. Another downside is the much larger profile, so it can't take advantage of cover like tracked vehicles can. It should also be able to traverse gaps, rocks and other obstacles that ground-bound vehicles have trouble negotiating. Maybe add a Utility/Performance cert that puts spikes on the tips of the legs so it can get up steep inclines.

Oh man, just imagine a squad of these things climbing up a mountainside to assault the Ascent on Amerish.
:jawdrop:

[Sledgecrushr]

3-man tanks, yes. Maybe a "Heavy MBT" that can only be spawned when your faction controls 2+ Tech Plants?

A "spider tank" ought to have a much lower top speed but incredible maneuverability. Another downside is the much larger profile, so it can't take advantage of cover like tracked vehicles can. It should also be able to traverse gaps, rocks and other obstacles that ground-bound vehicles have trouble negotiating. Maybe add a Utility/Performance cert that puts spikes on the tips of the legs so it can get up steep inclines.

Oh man, just imagine a squad of these things climbing up a mountainside to assault the Ascent on Amerish.
:jawdrop:

This would be epic. And the special ability would be the wolf spider ability. It can jump.

[Palerion]

Just give us a real reward for capturing a continent. And please, not "congratulations soldier! Here's 5 Certs!". Something big.

[Sledgecrushr]

Capturing a continent should be worth a lot if its contested and one hell of a fight. They should give upwards to 10k xp for a good contested continent lock.