Fact: I play BF3, but would rather play PS1

Tialian · 2012-04-14, 12:12 AM

Devs take note:

The "action" portion of FPS games will only keep a person hooked for a limited amount of time. New FPS games come out each year and people are always switching because the majority (basically all except PS1) monopolize upon shiny new graphics but fail to improve on actual game play. Just look at the latest BF3 patch, obviously the folks at Dice have forgotten how to build a game and only know how to program pretty graphics...but I digress...

Want a game that will last? Want a game people will remember?

The key is IMMERSION.

Lose sight of this concept and your PS1 fan base will crumble, and lets face it you will break a lot of hearts who are counting on you to make PS2 a true sequel and not BF3.5.

Immersion means:

No map limits (you got this one down!)
Enter/exit vehicle animations (this is IMPORTANT), and internal animations if possible
Travel times (the act of moving to a target in force is a huge rush before the battle)
Realistic spawn types (the HART drop pod was my favorite from PS1)
Voice macros (these gave soldiers personality both on and off the battlefield)
Inventory (you can't carry everything, resources are limited, you must choose what you bring into battle. Equipment should be visible externally)
Vehicle ownership (like having a badass mount that is actually persistent in the world)
Creating objects that persist after death (none of this BS with stuff disappearing after death)
Music (the music is what you unintentionally hum to yourself and realize you need to play more of the game)
Friendly fire (promotes less spam)
No empire switching (empire loyalty)

I'm afraid if PS2 doesn't at least touch on all of these areas it will not be a true sequel, nor would it be worthy of the PlanetSide name. The bottom line: If it's not ready, don't release it. Patching in a key feature later on is a really bad idea because first impressions are important, many people judge a game at release time and never bother to come back later to see what's been fixed/improved.

I would like to hear from others regarding what immersion means to them.

WaryWizard · 2012-04-14, 12:40 AM

firstly, I've never played the first Planetside (sad I know), but from all of the various things I've read and watched about it, one word comes to mind. That word is unique. Now I'm not going to say X feature needs to be a part of the game because of Y, but immersion is important. Immersion is what makes people keep coming back. I know this game is taking things from series like Call of Duty and Battlefield. That is ok so long as you know what your doing with it. Those games don't require you to keep playing to make money. All they have to do is make you buy it. good advertisement is all they need. I know I've regretted buying a game or two the day I bought it. Just because A popular game does something doesn't mean the features of the game are why people buy it.

Originally Posted by Tialian

No map limits (you got this one down!)
Enter/exit vehicle animations (this is IMPORTANT), and internal animations if possible
Travel times (the act of moving to a target in force is a huge rush before the battle)
Realistic spawn types (the HART drop pod was my favorite from PS1)
Voice macros (these gave soldiers personality both on and off the battlefield)
Inventory (you can't carry everything, resources are limited, you must choose what you bring into battle)
Vehicle ownership (like having a badass mount that is actually persistent in the world)
Creating objects that persist after death (none of this BS with stuff disappearing after death)
Music (the music is what you unintentionally hum to yourself and realize you need to play more of the game)
Friendly fire (promotes less spam)

Enter and exit animations. Personally, I wouldn't say they are IMPORTANT, but I would say there should be something instead of the "pop!" in and out.

Travel times are a double edged sward. Quite a few people hate waiting, and that is what that is, but if it is all instant traveling it will make the game too arcadey. It will just feel like round after round if you can get anywhere in a single click. I personally like a travel time. It gives you a sense of scale, and time to admire the view, or go over your mission, or take a piss. You know the important stuff.

everything else I agree with although on a more aloof level.

TLDR: nonsense nonsense I agree nonsense

Bazilx · 2012-04-14, 12:48 AM

I agree with most of these points, I always liked traveltime in planetside 1, because it felt like I was going somewhere with a purpose and if I died getting there I'd have to start over, it was a challenge. Todays CoD-kidz probably can't appreciate these things, patience is a virtue hard to come by, so even though we will have "instant action" buttons, I hope they have some traveling.

Oh and yes, vehicle ownership! I remember one of the first times I played planetside, I felt so Boss landing my aircraft on one of the landing pads of the facility and then when we took it, running out to jump in and fly away. Boss... James Boss.

Tialian · 2012-04-14, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by WaryWizard

firstly, I've never played the first Planetside

Enter and exit animations. Personally, I wouldn't say they are IMPORTANT, but I would say there should be something instead of the "pop!" in and out.

Having not played PS1 you can't really understand how important vehicle animations are.

Seeing a squad run out to a Galaxy and actually *enter* is a huge difference over watching a squad run up to a Galaxy and disappear. Where did they go? Oh they are all magically in the Galaxy. That was epic, that was exciting...not.

noxious · 2012-04-14, 01:47 AM

I've played PS1, and I don't think the vehicle enter/exit animations are that important. I get together with a bunch of guys every now and then to play ArmA II. We're not super serious about it, but we do coordinate heavily and use the blackhawk (the real-life Galaxy, basically) for insertions and extractions when moving from mission to mission. The game doesn't have enter/exit animations, but it's still a lot more immersive than Planetside ever was.

These animations would be nice, but it's not a big deal if they're absent.

Saieno · 2012-04-14, 01:51 AM

I have to agree with a lot of these points. The little attention to details are what really made Planetside a unique gaming experience. One of the most impressive aspects of current first-person shooters is making you feel like you're actually there, by forcing the player to a first-person perspective through all animations of actions. if you look at any AAA first-person shooter on the market today, one thing that they all share in common is maintaining the first-person perspective while doing such things as opening doors, or hurdling over a piece of cover.

One of the most impressive and immersive features of Planetside, was the entering and exiting animations for each vehicle. Of course he animations changed to a third person perspective, but I think it could be done and maintained in a first-person perspective in Planetside 2 just as easily. having the fully 3-D rendered cockpits is certainly a step in the right direction, but that entering and exiting vehicle animation makes the difference between playing a game and being immersed in the universe. and though it seems a little silly, but watching other players mount up onto their vehicles, jumping into gunner seats and getting situated for battle, really makes you feel like you're part of something bigger.

QuantumMechanic · 2012-04-14, 02:03 AM

I feel there are two big elements of immersion that PS1 had that aren't (currently) slated for PS2:

1) Third person view toggle (yes I know many don't like this). When you're in 3rd person you simply see yourself in the world in a way that you can't in 1st person. Otherwise it's just your arm in the world and not *you*.

Plus I would be a lot more inclined to buy cosmetic appearance gear if I can see it on myself in action versus only on some inventory screen! I want to purchase this stuff so that I can see it - not just others. Also I can't tell you how many times I would go into 3rd person just to admire my Vanu rexo armor shimmering in the light back in PS1.

2) Vehicle enter/exit animations. Again, seeing yourself interacting with the world enforces the feeling of being part of it.

The act of spwning say a lightning, jumping into it and taking it into battle. Then escaping to somewhere safe just before it blows up, jumping out and reparing it. Then jumping back into it and re-joining the fray... There is a bond being developed here between player and vehicle. In my mind this is a big big part of the storytelling experience that PS1 veterans have, that simply can't be explained to other gamers who never played PS1.

I can't say that I've ever cared that much about any vehicle in BF3.

Bags · 2012-04-14, 02:19 AM

While I like the immersion of animations, I think the important aspect was the delay.

**Malorn** · 2012-04-14, 02:21 AM

What does this have to do with PS2?

Zulthus · 2012-04-14, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by Malorn

What does this have to do with PS2?

Well, the first step is to read it...

**Malorn** · 2012-04-14, 02:45 AM

Yeah not seeing anything new there. He wants music? Don f'ing Ferrone.

Sardus · 2012-04-14, 03:13 AM

Vehicle enter/exit animations and travel times were a HUGE part of PS1. No one wants to wait forever to get into the action, but the tactics and the strategy of moving together as a force from target to target really made the game what it was.

Thinking about it reminds me of the good ol' days screaming at my outfitmates to load into Galaxies in record time, watching them quickly pack in, call out load-outs, open the doors, drive vehicles up the ramp into the cargo bay, and then race off to the sound of roaring engines. As we were flying and watching the ground pass beneath us, I'd take this relatively "calm" moment before the action to give instructions and lay out the battle plan:

"SHUT UP N' LISTEN.... we're dropping Akkan back door, maxes first, I got door, who has emp? Good, use it right before we hit the ground. Target is the SPAWN ROOM. Don't fucking die outside. Target is coming up. 10 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.... GO GO DROP DROP."

And then it was party time.

Bazilx · 2012-04-14, 03:51 AM

Face the truth of the person above me.

Could a blue person post any comments on this? We know you're out there.

**Malorn** · 2012-04-14, 04:01 AM

I'm not making the connection between gal drop epic awesome and vehicle enter/exit animations.

Shogun · 2012-04-14, 05:34 AM

boarding animations are important.

they are as important as the death animations/ragdolls.

if soldiers would just disappear when shot, everybody would scream how badly the game sucks! and it´s a persistent world. to truely create a persistent feel to it, soldiers should NEVER just disappear to thin air!
soldiers appearing from thin air and disappearing the same way is a hard reminder that it´s just a computer game and this is bad for immersion.

the problem really isn´t what you see when entering a vehicle. it´s what you see when you watch others entering vehicles.

the OP is absolutely right. planetside was really unique and it would be a major mistake to drop too much of the things that made it unique. i am sure that in 10 years not a single person will play battlefield 3 because the graphics is the only selling point! those who don´t care for graphics all prefer the other bf games. but planetside is still being played. ps needs more focus on the unique features, and less on the short-time-playermagnets.
ps2 has the potential to grow to something bigger than eve someday. but only if it manages to hold longtime players that get immersed and locked into the game.