PS2 Launching in January?

[Malorn]

And FPS isn't in beta nearly as long as other MMOs, which have to test a lot of content and the "end game" vs the early experience, and pvp vs pve and all that crap.

The main things for them to test are if the systems work as they expect them to and the game feels right. Some things only manifest at scale, and others only with time - sometimes both.

Big systems to test:
- Influence system & capture mechanics at-scale
- Resource system at-scale, costs of things, size of resource pool, rates of acquisition
- Mission system and how well it creates missions that get the right player distributions, or discouraging double teams against a weak opponent, etc.
- Cert gain rate over time & general experience balance for activities at-scale.
- General weapon balance
- Map/terrain balance.

For all of these things they could work just right for a small number of players but not scale well with more.

As far as actual work on the game goes, there doesn't appear to be all that much remaining. The big ticket items that I see are finishing the continents and the Heavy Assault weapons (which are carried differently and so require new animations). They may have more weapon variants and mods to make, but I expect that is mostly art assets and very little in terms of systems and programming. And of course polish, like fixing up a few animations or textures that may look wonky or rough.

The only "content" to provide in the traditional MMO sense are the continents, of which one looks close to completion (Indar) and the other two are in construction. This to me looks like the biggest challenge for them and the work items that will take the most time and effort. I think they are going to use Indar to determine how the gameplay plays out with various cover amounts and territory layouts and then use that knowledge to more rapidly develop the other continents. Would suck to make all 3 continents and then find out a particular layout or map design doesn't work as they expect it to. Another reason why I think Zurvan has changed so much over the months.

Bottom line is that given all they've done in the last 3-4 months, I find it hard to believe that they can't finish all of the systems work and balancing in that time. Creating the continents is the only thing that would seem time-consuming that might take longer than 3-4 months. That looks like the long-pole.

And if it does take more time because the continents aren't ready, that's not a huge deal as it gives the artists more time to create weapon mods, gun variants, different camo patterns, hats, etc. while the system guys fine tune the game with our testing.

I would expect they have a mid-November release date that might slip to mid-December. It isn't a pay-to-play game so they don't need to release at any particular sales time, but I expect they do want to release before the holidays so the devs have some much-deserved time off. I just hope they don't pull a Mythic and release the game with issues and then go dark for three months with no balance patches or communication.

[Gonefshn]

Interesting but I doubt its a secret message lol.

Let's just get it going so we can make our own lore!

[Rivenshield]

Originally Posted by SleepyZombie

Honestly 6 months of beta? Common use your noodle

That's a pretty short beta for any new business system. Christ, I worked as a technical writer on an app that was being beta tested for the State of California for a year and a half and the bugger *still* wasn't live when I left.

The main cause of time/cost overruns in software development is feature bloat. If you let your user base get away with it, they will lard your app down with all manner of clutter and bullshit until you spend more time trying to unravel your own spaghetti code and squash bugs than you actually spend in freaking development.

I want to play too. But my software-development brain keeps telling me to leave the devs the hell alone. Once beta arrives, we can yell for things to be tweaked or removed.... I despise the magic bouncy trampolines they stole from Tribes, and will hate them at the top of my lungs all through beta; give us teleportation pads or something hard-sci-fi-ish... but for the love of God and the Republic, don't yell for anything *new.* And stop demanding that they rush things.

[SleepyZombie]

Originally Posted by Rivenshield

That's a pretty short beta for any new business system. Christ, I worked as a technical writer on an app that was being beta tested for the State of California for a year and a half and the bugger *still* wasn't live when I left.

The main cause of time/cost overruns in software development is feature bloat. If you let your user base get away with it, they will lard your app down with all manner of clutter and bullshit until you spend more time trying to unravel your own spaghetti code and squash bugs than you actually spend in freaking development.

I want to play too. But my software-development brain keeps telling me to leave the devs the hell alone. Once beta arrives, we can yell for things to be tweaked or removed.... I despise the magic bouncy trampolines they stole from Tribes, and will hate them at the top of my lungs all through beta; give us teleportation pads or something hard-sci-fi-ish... but for the love of God and the Republic, don't yell for anything *new.* And stop demanding that they rush things.

Mmmmm They have been doing internal testing for a while now... There internal testing was focused on bugs, patching and game content. Really they are only allowing us to stress there servers and net code. I am sure there will be a few bugs here and there but they are almost out of alpha and into beta... Open beta even

I am more of a realist my self so my perspective on when an application or a game is going to be released is usually a glass half empty approach... However I see it is very unlikely the game will go into 2013

[Flaropri]

It seems like their are scheduling for a November/December release (if Beta goes well). If I were their marketing, I'd probably be going for late November or January (December is a good release time, but mostly for purchased titles, the jumble of titles that usually release around then might drive down initial interest in Planetside and there's no "must buy" frenzy for F2P). Anyway, it being released "late" (according to their internal expectations and their investors hopes) is still a possibility, but it isn't the plan.

[OnexBigxHebrew]

Originally Posted by Flaropri

It seems like their are scheduling for a November/December release (if Beta goes well). If I were their marketing, I'd probably be going for late November or January (December is a good release time, but mostly for purchased titles, the jumble of titles that usually release around then might drive down initial interest in Planetside and there's no "must buy" frenzy for F2P). Anyway, it being released "late" (according to their internal expectations and their investors hopes) is still a possibility, but it isn't the plan.

I'd have to disagree about december being good for purchases. Huge retail mistake to not release before black friday/cyber monday, especially since most people christmas shop in the fall.

As for PlanetSide 2, there's a lot of groundless speculation. Right now all we have to go on is 2012. Either they keep it, or push it back. Either way, until they do, 2012 is correct.

[Papscal]

It just takes one post from a Developer here on PSU to straight this whole thing out. How bout it Devs? Your balls drop yet?

[Arcticus]

I expect this game to be released in September/October.

Not before September as it needs to be tested and also no one wants to release a game while students are out of school as those students would have endless hours to bitch about any problems found at initial release.

They don't want to release after October as this is to be an F2P game. Their schedule is different from the pay-for-box and subscription games. Those paid-for games have to be hot releases during the holiday shopping season. But this F2P game has to release before then to have the customer hooked and not wanting to play the games that will be given to them as gifts. Once given enough time to be hooked, the players will want station cash as holiday gifts.

[Astrok]

Originally Posted by SleepyZombie

Mmmmm They have been doing internal testing for a while now... There internal testing was focused on bugs, patching and game content. Really they are only allowing us to stress there servers and net code. I am sure there will be a few bugs here and there but they are almost out of alpha and into beta... Open beta even

I am more of a realist my self so my perspective on when an application or a game is going to be released is usually a glass half empty approach... However I see it is very unlikely the game will go into 2013

i think you are right here because i think they tested more then we think.Normally a closed alpha test is where they find those early bugs etc etc. but they tested it all internally so theirs no need to open the game for alpha testing again so they can actually close that part of the game and begin the stresstesting.thats why they say they will increase playercount pretty fast when they go into beta.

[Phantomdestiny]

i agree with articus's point of view they want the customers hooked up before the release of the pay games (cod , bf and other mainstream licences)

[DarkChiron]

Originally Posted by Papscal

It just takes one post from a Developer here on PSU to straight this whole thing out. How bout it Devs? Your balls drop yet?

The devs PROVING the existence of beta would interfere with your free will. You have to have faith. Because faith is a virtue.

[GLaDOS]

I have a question, because I'm actually not sure about this: Will there be that much of a difference between the open beta and the released game? I guess there will be a lot of bug fixing, optimizing, etc in the beta but that will probably continue somewhat after the release.

[Higbys Hair]

Can't have a release before Beta... Muahahah

They'll never take me alive!

[Astrok]

Originally Posted by Rago

6 Months for Beta is not Much, look at the Size of the Game Iho.
I was and be on Different "Beta Test´s."
Beta Test is not Beta Access right ?I would also think Next Year is more Realistic, but who know´s i did not Played it.

you should know that what we test normally they already did internal.So it could be that the only test we will do is the server test (Stress test)y already did interna.And stress testing for 6 months is long lol

[Antivide]

Then who was phone?