Is this game everything I've been dreaming of for years? Due to circumstances beyond my control, I've had very limited access to videos (which seems to be the way all detailed info on this game can be discovered) so I haven't been able to pick out some of the finer points of the game. I've seen how cool the drop pods and stuff are, but, that's basically it. What sort of stuff should I have a boner for?

You should probably have a boner for boobies and vaginas. Or if you prefer men tight butts and six pack abs I guess. If you mean what is cool about Planet Side 2, I just like the idea of it being a 24/7 battlefield with persistent ranking. Kind of hate that you can just respawn as whatever you want when you die though. I feel that it would be more impactful to be that guy that does this one thing that you need to adjust to doing as best you can for the situation you are in rather then just changing to whatever is needed at the moment as that just leads to the armies fighting each other to keep cycling between what ever class beats what the other side is attacking with. Maybe add a 5-10 min timer on being able to switch classes or something.

@crusader8463 said:

You should probably have a boner for boobies and vaginas. Or if you prefer men tight butts and six pack abs I guess. If you mean what is cool about Planet Side 2, I just like the idea of it being a 24/7 battlefield with persistent ranking. Kind of hate that you can just respawn as whatever you want when you die though. I feel that it would be more impactful to be that guy that does this one thing that you need to adjust to doing as best you can for the situation you are in rather then just changing to whatever is needed at the moment as that just leads to the armies fighting each other to keep cycling between what ever class beats what the other side is attacking with. Maybe add a 5-10 min timer on being able to switch classes or something.

That sounds reasonable. Do vehicles and max suits have cool downs?

I am enjoying it immensely. Also enjoyed Planetside 1 back in the day too. I'm not capable of traveling into your dreams but I will say, in the beta, there has been quite a bit of lag but not as much as the original. This is not some "game is finished, server stress test/balance beta." This is a "I just spawned through the floor and died/just a pair of legs with no torso omg friend take a screenshot of me beta." I will say the community has been mostly great, people using the games squad and platoon dude management systems and using call signs, and getting way into it lol. I have been in alot of crazy large battles already too. So much fun!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=94715129

...if that screen looks bad the game is running on medium-ish settings. I run on high and think the game looks stunning in some ways, others not so much, but again, it's unfinished. Totalbiscuit has done a lot of good videos if you wanna check those out, I recommend the night time gameplay video.

@Kirathian said:

I am enjoying it immensely. Also enjoyed Planetside 1 back in the day too. I'm not capable of traveling into your dreams but I will say, in the beta, there has been quite a bit of lag but not as much as the original. This is not some "game is finished, server stress test/balance beta. This is a "I just spawned through the floor and died/just a pair of legs with no torso omg friend take a screenshot of me beta." I will say the community has been mostly great, people using the games squad and platoon dude management systems and using call signs, and getting way into it lol. I have been in alot of crazy large battles already too. So much fun!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=94715129

...if that screen looks bad the game is running on medium-ish settings. I run on high and think the game looks stunning in some ways, others not so much, but again, it's unfinished. Totalbiscuit has done a lot of good videos if you wanna check those out, I recommend the night time gameplay video.

That's particularly comical. Are people actually planning out attacks long in advance or does it end up sort being mostly done on the fly? How are the missions really getting set up? I would watch the videos, but, I'm in Afghanistan; it can take almost 20 minutes for me to get through a 6 minute video.

@Erk_Forever: max units do not, vehicles use one of the games currency's. In regard to switching classes too much, this would be avoided with the games certification level up thang. Why pick a class you don't have a nice red dot sight for? Or a class that you have not leveled to be more of a bullet sponge? Right now those systems are not in place fully so yeah, you do see a ton of switching.

@Kirathian: I'm not sure I follow. As of now you unlock equipment across the board? Is he cert system still not fully realized?

More on the fly, the game does have guilds (outfits in this case) but I am not part of one so I don't really know the levels of organization going on. I am but a mere peon in this world =(.

@Kirathian: I plan on attempting to join an outfit that is highly organized or, if I must, start my own. I'm sure basic military strategies would be devastating in a game like this.

It's not fully realized yet. A lot of the cool stuff you can get for your class have a 999999 cert point requirement that's impossible to get. lol, Max units literally have nothing to cert for right now!

As for the outfit thing, I'm sure the Giant Bomb community will start something when the games out. That would be cool. But right now they keep character wiping everything every couple weeks it seems. But every patch is so much fun to see whats new, or you have access to.

I like that there is voice chat for squads, platoons (x3 squads linked) and your outfit. In addition to that you can use proximity chat to interact with soldiers around you, like yelling for ammo or a medic.

I've seen some really large fights and they've been hectic with not that much room for tactics when it all gets down to it. It is a spawning/rushing in to kill type of race but it is engaging. Performance has been bad for me though in said fights.

The only thing I feel lacking is the sense of accomplishment, about anything in the game. Bases change hands fast and what you perhaps put a lot of time into could be lost again 5 minutes later simply because nobody wants to just stay and defend, naturally.

I'm not into the character progression of this game at all either. It is clearly designed to be the key source of income, people not wanting to spend time grinding(aka playing the game) are searching for their wallets as we speak.

@Funkydupe: From what I've been made to understand, the game is going to be free out of the gate so I don't know if I have too much of a problem with that.

@Erk_Forever: This isn't really a microtransactions type issue, at its core it is about the progression system in itself. I like my shooters balanced, but that's just my personal taste when it comes to competitive online gaming. I like a balanced fight in terms of abilities and equipment, not just after putting in weeks of game time or through adding money in the micro-vendor. It just irks me you know, that the other guy has maxed his infantry soldier's armor or has an enhanced fighter jet with maxed travel speed, afterburner fuel, roll/turn-rate, air-2-air rockets and upgraded cannons with augmented reload speed and a cockpit radar for better situational awareness etc while I don't have the time to grind everything out like he did, but hey. The game is still fun, but less fun because of it.

Unlocks are great when it comes to say Achievements, vanity items like armor looks and colors and player titles for example, not when it comes to making a fighter jet go faster or shoot harder than others.

I might be a minority in this. It is free to play, yes.

@Funkydupe: That's the same with every *MMO*. Those who put the post time into the game are going to have an edge; but they have stated a few times that they don't want the edge you have to be too great a difference. The unlocks are supposed to be lateral changes, or minor; I think I read that implants are only supposed to last a certain amount of time (or something like that).

I've played more and yeah...

Unfortunately I kind of agree with the lack of accomplishment that Funkydupe is talking about. I figured it was a beta thing at first but once I stuck my nose in some forums it seems like some of these things might stick. In the first game it was possible for a faction to lockdown an entire continent. It was incredibly hard to do so, but it did happen. Another thing that bothers me, and sorry if I seem so critical, is the state at which the game is in right now. It kind of feels like it should be called a closed alpha test because I've fell through the floor so many times, and people are teleporting everywhere and yet are getting tons of kills, the UI isn't very intuitive, the cert system isn't even close to being balanced or even exist on some classes, for some reason the headlights on my ATV is a laser and provides no light lol, and I could go on and on (and on and on and on). I really think this beta should last for like another 6 months if not longer. Which would be fine by me, because every patch feels like Christmas morning. =)

Again, I'm suddenly being harsh because actually playing the game is a ton of fun and I really believe this game could be amazing. I want it to be better! I guess I'm spoiled and selfish since it is free to play =(.

@Funkydupe: @Kirathian:

The thing to keep in mind is that there's only one continent open right now, so that's where EVERYONE is. It is a little ridiculous at how fast some of the territory changes, but it's really crowded in there at the moment. At release there will be 3 continents.

But so far, I'm liking it. A lot. Like, a lot.

They just fixed the spawning issue too! IM SO HAPPY!

@Grimhild: I had no idea about the two extra continents. Also, I just learned about the coming changes to the spawn systems in the game. Finally the Sunderer will become useful again. Good news. :)

Sept.13 <Patch notes for you guys: http://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/index.php?threads/update-notes-09-13-2012.18181/

None of the really huge changes yet, but those were meant for the coming weeks. Still. I approve of the Max spawn nerf at least.

Thank the gaming gods for the max spawn nerf.

I just got a beta key last night. So I'm excited to play later... After work I hope

I think I'm done with Planetside 2. And I haven't even fucking played the game.

Launcher has crashed 6 times on me, losing progress on this 4GB download every time. I can't be arsed anymore, you're not worth it.

Planetside 2 is terrible compared to Planetside 1. I finally got into the beta and I'm appalled that any self respecting human being can enjoy this game. It's what Bad Company 2 was to Battlefield 1942. It's midget puke. I'm deeply saddened that this is the sequel to such an amazing game. It's quite literally Battlefield Bad Company 2. There are zero differences.

I thought it was dumb when I first played it..... then I played it for the entire Thanksgiving break haha. It's pretty addicting. There's nothing better than flying with 4 full transports, getting through their air defense with the support of your escort planes, landing on a base, and taking it in a gigantic firefight.