Nanite Ned and taking Emergent Gameplay Just a Tad Too Far

[Tatwi]

I honestly expected to log in and find Nanite Ned hocking his wears in some far flung part of the map. I really did, but he's no where to be found. In fact, the only "stories" being told in PS2 are that of the BFR and those of the many terminals, beeps, and the distant sounds of animals.

Planetside had a lot more "character" than Planetside 2, with the attention to detail given to things like emotes, enter/exit animations, vehicle variety, and the distinctiveness of each type of armor (and its upgrades). I am by no means saying that PS2 is bad, it just for some reason doesn't invoke the same feeling that Planetside did. This is interesting, because both games are completely devoid of any life or "story", beyond what the imagination conjures by observing the scenery.

PS1 was also able to allow the players to "tell better stories", because it delivered a more robust variety of game play, while also encouraging players to learn a role they enjoy. The end result was that players developed an identity within the game, which then made them a "character" within the "story" of the game.

PS2's class system negates the possibility of players naturally developing a "character" in the game, by virtue of the ability to play any role at a moments notice. While this certainly makes for entertaining combat, it blunts the ability for players to recognize each other's contributions, especially contributions from outside of one's squad. It forces players to focus on the action of combat rather than to develop an appreciation of the experience as a whole (or as a story).

I believe that PS2, in its current form, has taken the mantra of emergent gameplay (player generated content) too far, causing the world of Auraxis to feel lifeless and leaving overall experience of the game detached from many of the important emotions that allow players to define attachment and meaning.

There are many ways in which SOE could overcome this issue, some of which would change the game entirely while others would simply add just enough "magic soup" to make the game "stick" with the people who play it. Here are some of my suggestions.

1. Bring back the Don Ferrone music from Planetside. It was the most captivating character in the whole franchise and it fits the genre and mood perfectly.

2. Add some "flair" NPCs to uncontested locations that are scripted to act as though they are the normal inhabitants of the location. Make them invulnerable and really quite full of random "pathing" and activities. Even as few as two or three non-soldier-looking people "doing stuff" in a Biolab would really bring the whole facility to life.

3. During battles at facilities, script small acts by NPCs, such as ducking into into a doorway and closing the door. The door would not lead to a location where players can enter, thus giving the illusion that the facility is alive by giving the player the impression that he is interrupting the normal activities that take place there. Tiny quirks of life that we'll catch out of the corner of our eyes.

4. When combat is at a minimum, add a few invulnerable animals here and there. Yes folks, I have changed my mind about the NPC/animal thing since 2011.

5. Make Nanite Ned a real character in PS2, by having him periodically show up and do random hilarious things, with his band of Nanite Systems scavengers. Do this in the heat of battle, but make it something that is truly special and random. Perhaps even assign the triggering of these scripted events to real, live CSRs who will be able to select the location in real time, for maximum effect.

6. Make sanctuaries and make them completely epic, actual cities with Nanite Systems factories, NPCs, and all of the things that will make players give a damn about fighting to protect and expand their societies. I am thinking DCUO quality cities here, SOE. Planetside is your property, you can make it as epic and unparalleled in the industry as you would like. Don't miss out on this opportunity to "nail it".

7. Develop something that will not only allow people to specialize in a role (as the class/cert system does allow), but that will actually encourage people to be recognized for specializing in their chosen role. Providing players with the ability to be recognized for their specialization is the best way for the person behind the keyboard to become a "character" in the emergent "story" that is Planetside 2's gameplay (rather than just a character in the community that is external from the game, like BCP and many of the kind folks around here). What is the "something" that I would provide? I would trade access to classes/vehicles for access to deeper, more detailed certs in specific classes/vehicles. It would be as simple ticking a box to give up a class, which then grants you the ability to tick a different class you'd like to unlock "Advanced Certs Level 1/2/3/4/5" on. This, of course could be reset and any cert points placed in Advanced Certs would remain there in case you wanted to use them again another time. Perhaps make it like PS1, where you can only reset 1 level every 6 hours, again to encourage specialization and the building of an identity. With this, a person could go all Engineer/Lightning if they wanted or they could go Engineer 3/Max 1 and Galaxy X/Lightning X/Flash X, etc. Advanced Certs would be genuinely FUN, game play changing sidegrades rather than power increases.


With the exception of #7, these suggestions are all "little things" that [the extremely seasoned MMO building company that is] SOE could do to bring to life the world in which the game and the "story" take place. I fear that without servicing these important emotionally impacting details, Planetside 2 is going to miss the mark required to really grab people and make them care about the game (and ultimately, their time and friends within it).

I want Planetside 2 to be "my game" for years to come, for myself and hundreds of thousands of others. SOE has the experience and talent to make that happen, so I hope they also have the spirit and direction to focus their efforts on building Planetside 2 with a soul, because without a soul Planetside 2 will quickly wither and fade away.