News: PlanetSide 2 Backstory Part 3, Joe Walsh

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by Captain1nsaneo

I'm in agreement that the quality of what we're reading now isn't that good. Names are changing, weapons that we've not seen before are showing up, and dialogue feels stiff.

I don't even care about weapons I've never seen before. I'm banking on there being a lot of reimagined concepts and some brand-new original concepts because everyone's got to make their mark. My sole problem is what I said before - frankly, the stories stink. I literally stopped reading after the first five errors. PER STORY. I just can't do it. I know a fifteen year olds 4chan troll who could have written a better, more fluid, less error-prone story.

I halfway thought about busting out my PDF editor and editing their stories and sending them back. But that's too much effort and in all honesty back-story in an FPS isn't worth it to me.

[Baron]

Maybe I'm just easily entertained but I really enjoy the stories. You see, instead of analyzing sentence structure for grammatical errors or story quality, it's good enough for my imagination to kick in. The words and paragraphs become visible scenes and suddenly, I'm there.

So maybe the PS2 story won't win some prestigious literary award, however does it get your mind to visit Auraxis?

[BorisBlade]

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

That's the problem, I'm on the crazy train and I think they're wrong too! The idea that a group of intelligent, educated, rational human beings would learn one cool thing from an alien and then blindly follow his advice to murder the remainder of their species is ridiculous. It would be like a PhD physicist taking candy from a stranger and then getting into the van, but the van is labeled "rape-mobile" and has a giant rubber dildo strapped to the roof. Normal people detect these warning signs.

Have you not read about any of the zillions of religions we have on earth? Take a step back and look at them and they are totally beyond loony. People dont step back and look at em tho, they are very emotional, and try to rationalize things in quick simple ways and will often stick to them. Esp if it fits some ideas and lets them stay in a comfort zone. And if they had been brought up that way, then they are super likely to believe that idea and that idea only even more. No matter how nutzo it is to someone on the outside. Take one religious person, they often think the others are crazy and clueless, but that other side thinks exactly the same of them. But they all just drink different flavors of the same crazy cool-aid.

And thats not just limited to religion, it can be political or social ideas as well. Plenty of loony things coming from politics nowadays, some of it makes sense for a few groups, but there are large parts that are just insane and even bad for those who support it, but much like religions, they are in denial, and just cant see it, and will go to the grave to support it. People dont make very good decisions in areas like this at all.

I dont quite like the cool-aid style stuff they are doin with the vs this time, they do just seem straight out looney, kinda hard to see the rationale like i can with NC/TR. But if it takes being looney to play with some cool vs toys, then make mine grape flavored.

[Halseth]

Originally Posted by Baron

Maybe I'm just easily entertained but I really enjoy the stories. You see, instead of analyzing sentence structure for grammatical errors or story quality, it's good enough for my imagination to kick in. The words and paragraphs become visible scenes and suddenly, I'm there.

So maybe the PS2 story won't win some prestigious literary award, however does it get your mind to visit Auraxis?

I enjoy the stories too, but that doesn't mean it's right to excuse the errors they contain. If you really cared about the stories you wouldn't simply accept them. This is supposed to be a professional product, and all we're trying to do is influence them to treat it as such. Not because we hate them or are out to get them, but because we love them for taking the time to do this and want them to succeed at it rather than just be the target of claims of unprofessionalism and laziness.

I don't think PS2's story will win any awards, but we (Both the fanbase and the developer) should strive to make it as much of a quality product as is possible. We should never accept mediocrity when it comes to something we care so passionately about.

[xSlideShow]

The VS are a group who have made contact with Vanu. All we know is that he is an alien that apparently was a leader. He has made contact with these people telepathically. He is now telling them to destroy the TR and NC... Why? I think it's because of the fact that are using weapons of mass destruction on each other. They are going to destroy each other one way or the other and in doing that they are risking destroying this great new world that might have the key to unlocking great things for humanity.

That is why the VS fight. Pretty sure, because if he already gave them one great technology and the ability to use it. The odds are he is going to give them other things. And if you think about it there is no real danger from Vanu at the moment. Since you know... He's not there. So the advantages he gives have no downside unless he's able to take control of the people somehow... Who knows maybe he's Goa'uld from Stargate.

It's not really a cult is it? It's more of what people think the ideal first contact situation would be. The VS fight to save the world... In short....

[Trolltaxi]

I think that it will be already too late when vanu scientists finally realize what they are messing with - by that time VANU will be messing with them if you know what I mean. But there will be no way back, they will be just the fragment of the VANU hive-consciousness.

You are on the whooo-whooo train, but the train is running towards the Chasm!

[xSlideShow]

Originally Posted by Trolltaxi

I think that it will be already too late when vanu scientists finally realize what they are messing with - by that time VANU will be messing with them if you know what I mean. But there will be no way back, they will be just the fragment of the VANU hive-consciousness.

You are on the whooo-whooo train, but the train is running towards the Chasm!

^^ Reason why people think VS are crazy. ^^

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by Baron

Maybe I'm just easily entertained but I really enjoy the stories. You see, instead of analyzing sentence structure for grammatical errors or story quality, it's good enough for my imagination to kick in. The words and paragraphs become visible scenes and suddenly, I'm there.

I'm sorry. I do not identify with this and unfortunately I'm going to have to agree with you about your being easily entertained (at the risk of yet again sounding like a huge dick). I love visual reading. I love reading something and "getting sucked in". But when there are glaring inconsistencies, outright errors and trashily-written words, phrases and sentences, it's hard for me to get sucked in. Because when it's THAT BAD I can't get involved. I do not analyze sentence structure. Maybe it's because I'm a writer by trade, maybe it's because I consider myself an intelligent human being and a highly literate person, but these things stand out to me like a very obvious beacon. Like someone else mentioned a few posts ago, "that doesn't mean it's right to excuse the errors they contain. [...] We should never accept mediocrity when it comes to something we care so passionately about." And honestly, I expect better - I expect better from a professional gaming company and I expect better from a recognized, published author. I love Planetside and I love Planetside 2. I'm a die-hard fan. But these stories were just crap. And I'm not going to apologize for holding professionals to a professional standard. I'm just not.

Originally Posted by Baron

So maybe the PS2 story won't win some prestigious literary award, however does it get your mind to visit Auraxis?

Nope. Because as I mentioned, I got a few paragraphs in with each story, and I quit reading. I have higher standards than that.

[Baron]

to each their own

[Baron]

Originally Posted by xSlideShow

The VS are a group who have made contact with Vanu. All we know is that he is an alien that apparently was a leader. He has made contact with these people telepathically. He is now telling them to destroy the TR and NC... Why?

Maybe the VS have misinterpreted something the original Vanu communicated? (because that never happens in religion either ).

[Talek Krell]

Originally Posted by BorisBlade

kinda hard to see the rationale like i can with NC/TR.

That right there is the core of my concerns. Doing this right should mean that the rationale is understandable even if you don't agree with it. The VS can still get to that from where they are now, but they aren't there yet.

The problem with doing stuff like:

Originally Posted by Trolltaxi

I think that it will be already too late when vanu scientists finally realize what they are messing with - by that time VANU will be messing with them if you know what I mean. But there will be no way back, they will be just the fragment of the VANU hive-consciousness.

Is that you end up with:
NC: Fight for independence and freedom, even at the expense of safety and unity.

TR: Fight for order and prosperity, even at the expense of individuality and free thought.

VS: Fight because you were a sucker and took the free candy, and now you aren't allowed to think for yourself anymore.

Equally reasonable approaches to government, these are not.

[sylphaen]

I wonder why they don't do a comic style like erfworld (www.erfworld.com) where there is alternation of comics and text.

[ShockNC]

Not really understanding what the big whoop is about PS lore's being screwed up. It's always been somewhat sub-par compared to games where it actually matters (aside from laughing from the old article where the TR execute one of the first NC only to find him on the beach of Ish waiting to be picked up).

Planetside doesn't really need to have writing on par with Halo or the like because those games have PVE elements such as NPCs that need to explain who they are, why do they hate you, and why do you need to shoot them while Planetside does not have these features and really your faction choice boils down to what type of uniform/style of fighting do you like the best.

What i really look forward to is seeing the mechanics of how each faction plays (IE improving on the themes of each faction by allowing the VS to have an technological edge by having auto turrets, the TR being able to bunker up certain places, and the NC taking on the insurgent angle with access to bigger bombs and more cloaking abilities) over lore since it will have an impact on actual game play.

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by ShockNC

Planetside doesn't really need to have writing on par with Halo or the like because those games have PVE elements such as NPCs that need to explain who they are, why do they hate you, and why do you need to shoot them while Planetside does not have these features and really your faction choice boils down to what type of uniform/style of fighting do you like the best.

The issue, at least for me, is not masterful literature on style with War and Peace or Crime and Punishment or The House of the Dead.

It's that any professional writer should have the basic skills to, oh I don't know, get the fucking character's name right on a consistent basis. And by consistent I mean, the guy's name is either Ken or Ben from start to finish. Not Kenny Benny Jackimov, but Ken or Ben. By basic skills, naturally I also mean proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. A spellchecker can resolve a lot of these problems. An editing team and even the most meager editing & review process can catch some other issues. Nothing is bound to be perfect 100% of the time, but Jesus... this was just unacceptably poor.

[Halseth]

Originally Posted by ShockNC

Not really understanding what the big whoop is about PS lore's being screwed up. It's always been somewhat sub-par compared to games where it actually matters (aside from laughing from the old article where the TR execute one of the first NC only to find him on the beach of Ish waiting to be picked up).

Planetside doesn't really need to have writing on par with Halo or the like because those games have PVE elements such as NPCs that need to explain who they are, why do they hate you, and why do you need to shoot them while Planetside does not have these features and really your faction choice boils down to what type of uniform/style of fighting do you like the best.

What i really look forward to is seeing the mechanics of how each faction plays (IE improving on the themes of each faction by allowing the VS to have an technological edge by having auto turrets, the TR being able to bunker up certain places, and the NC taking on the insurgent angle with access to bigger bombs and more cloaking abilities) over lore since it will have an impact on actual game play.

Planetside doesn't need to have good lore, but since they're putting the effort into it they might as well try to at least make it passable.

It should be something you can at least look back at and be like, "Yeah, that fits. We're glad it's something that's associated with the rest of this game." Rather than just having it be some red-headed stepchild that everyone just ends up either ignoring or degrading every now and then due to how bad it is.

It's about making Planetside an all around more polished product this time, but the current track it's on is a bit lopsided.