Like waking from a deep sleep

[simonp]

When I stopped playing Planetside I stopped playing PC games. My obsession progression was Early shooters -> Tribes -> Tribes 2 -> Planetside -> meh

I don't need to talk about how BFRs changed the game too much and I lost interest after about 1.5 yrs of daily play. I know that happened with a number of people. After that, for me, nothing else compared.

I had been through Doom, descent, and quake1, 2, & 3. Small maps with small populations. They were awesome at the time but then tribes and then planetside came out and it totally changed the way I expected to experience online play. I just got used to expecting a lot more from a game. None of the new games held a candle. Halo and the newer consoles seemed to bring a huge new market of gamers to FPSs which is wonderful. But the legacy of that game and the money and marketing around FPSs stayed focused back on the small maps and flat footed worlds for the past 10 years.

I just slowly stopped playing games. Nothing held the adrenaline rush. Nothing brought on the determination or excitement of fighting a pitched 5 hour battle over a single base. No other game ever naturally formed front lines that organically formed, broke, and reformed. CTF, deathmatch, who cared? Not me. Not anymore. I just couldn't go back.

Now finally things appear to be changing. I recently discovered tribes ascend and it's like rediscovering an old friend. I know that planetside next is coming and I wait on the edge of my seat in anticipation. I lurk, and read, and check back here regularly. The excitement builds....

So I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. Thank you for reviving a play style and game type that nobody has done since. Thank you for making me care again about my video card and CPU and helping the economy by giving me a reason to spend the money upgrading. Thanks for reviving the love of play in a geek who's getting a little older every day.

I do have one suggestion though and I know it's probably asking the impossible. After the game is launched and much balancing has been done there may come a point where the game play feels rich and rewarding. Where weapons and sides are nearly matched. Where we're all having a hell of a good time. Try to take a step back once in a while and if you see that things are good... please try to resist the urge to change anything major or do too much tweaking. You'll never achieve perfect balance in a game with 3 different factions and beyond some intangible point you'll likely only make things worse for trying.

Thanks for reading... see you on the battlefield.

-ColonelWrex

[Shogun]

sir, you are not alone!

a lot of us have the exact same feeling!
... and the exact same history when it comes to planetside spoiling you for all other games afterwards.

if you were lurking here for some time, you have seen quite some passionate discussions for sure
that´s because we all have similar feelings about planetside, and we fear, that - if ps2 fails to deliver - we will not get another game that meets our very special needs for a long time.

so welcome to the community, and feel free to take part in some of the discussions, because the devs are listening closely! and they are as passionate about the game as we are.

[Xyntech]

Welcome, I am in total agreement with you.

I appreciate the positive nature of your post as well. It is all to easy to look at games like Tribes Ascend and Planetside 2 and be disheartened by some of the changes made, but at the end of the day everything will be okay. As long as the core spirit of the originals live on, we will adapt and overcome.

It's also quite reassuring to see how well the PS2 devs have responded to the community, neither knee jerk reacting to our every whim nor ignoring the important issues that keep cropping up.

I believe that one of the largest problems with the first Planetside was that it lacked support from SOE and had no clear focus in it's content updates. I am with you in my hope that they keep some perspective when adding and changing things, and realize that the game will never be perfectly balanced. That doesn't mean we can't get some crazy new things, or that the game can't be reasonably well balanced.

The 5 year plan and the game being F2P/cash shop gives me a lot of hope. Even though there are some serious downsides to F2P, it is a proven model that ensures Planetside 2 will be worth continued investment for years to come, and the fact that they have long term ideas already in the planning stages tells me that it won't be some haphazardly thrown together thing.

[deltase]

"The 5 year plan" hmm this sounds like Stalin's 5 year plan
On topic:
Yeah i feel kind of the same as you though i have never played the first game, i'm eagerly waiting for this one cause it sounds like everything i've ever wanted from a game!

[Lokster]

Originally Posted by simonp

When I stopped playing Planetside I stopped playing PC games. My obsession progression was Early shooters -> Tribes -> Tribes 2 -> Planetside -> meh

I don't need to talk about how BFRs changed the game too much and I lost interest after about 1.5 yrs of daily play. I know that happened with a number of people. After that, for me, nothing else compared.

I had been through Doom, descent, and quake1, 2, & 3. Small maps with small populations. They were awesome at the time but then tribes and then planetside came out and it totally changed the way I expected to experience online play. I just got used to expecting a lot more from a game. None of the new games held a candle. Halo and the newer consoles seemed to bring a huge new market of gamers to FPSs which is wonderful. But the legacy of that game and the money and marketing around FPSs stayed focused back on the small maps and flat footed worlds for the past 10 years.

I just slowly stopped playing games. Nothing held the adrenaline rush. Nothing brought on the determination or excitement of fighting a pitched 5 hour battle over a single base. No other game ever naturally formed front lines that organically formed, broke, and reformed. CTF, deathmatch, who cared? Not me. Not anymore. I just couldn't go back.

Now finally things appear to be changing. I recently discovered tribes ascend and it's like rediscovering an old friend. I know that planetside next is coming and I wait on the edge of my seat in anticipation. I lurk, and read, and check back here regularly. The excitement builds....

So I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. Thank you for reviving a play style and game type that nobody has done since. Thank you for making me care again about my video card and CPU and helping the economy by giving me a reason to spend the money upgrading. Thanks for reviving the love of play in a geek who's getting a little older every day.

I do have one suggestion though and I know it's probably asking the impossible. After the game is launched and much balancing has been done there may come a point where the game play feels rich and rewarding. Where weapons and sides are nearly matched. Where we're all having a hell of a good time. Try to take a step back once in a while and if you see that things are good... please try to resist the urge to change anything major or do too much tweaking. You'll never achieve perfect balance in a game with 3 different factions and beyond some intangible point you'll likely only make things worse for trying.

Thanks for reading... see you on the battlefield.

-ColonelWrex

Well said man. I agree 100% and feel the exact same way as you. As the others have said ... you are not alone.

[Cosmical]

All i can say is, your opinion is valid. Cos its youre own personal preference.

But you missed out on a FUCK TONNE of amazing games.