PlanetSide 2

PlanetSide 2 is a re-imagining of PlanetSide, featuring the same world and factions, and taking place at roughly the same time period. As in the previous game, it features territory control in open-world, large battles featuring up to 2000 players per continent on foot or in land/air vehicles. The territory system differs greatly from that of the original, being more free-form and based on a hexagonal territory control system. Former SOE took into account balance issues from the first game. As stated by creative director Matthew Higby, the developers created a system to reward combatants on lower population empires through mechanics such as proportionally increased advancement rates and resources to aid the balance of overall empire saturation on each server as much as possible without force-restricting players from being able to play with their friends.[8]

PlanetSide 2 is a faster-paced game than the original Planetside and can potentially allow for thousands of players. It also features typical first person shooter elements such as sprinting, iron sights, and regenerating shields. An important aspect is that player skill and teamwork are major determiners when it comes to being able to kill other players and overcome opposing teams. Unlockable skills are available and offer different advantages over enemies in battle. The game also features a day and night cycle, meaning that battles happen at different times of day, which affects gameplay, as night time can provide adequate cover for coordinated attacks.[9]

Combat takes place on the continents of the fictional planet Auraxis, which are broken up into numerous territories. Control of territories provides bonuses to a faction in adjacent sectors. The mission system is partly automated and partly controlled by players. It provides focal points for players to attack and defend and helps players get into the action quickly.

As the player participates in productive activities such as killing enemies, healing or repairing allies, or capturing bases, they earn experience, which increases their character's "Battle Rank," or level, and rewards them with certifications or "Certs." Certifications allow the player to specialize in certain roles by allowing them to improve weapons, vehicles or tools they use. Many certifications require the player to invest in upgrade tiers of the certification, which increase the certification's efficiency. For example, the player can purchase five ranks of Nanoweave Armor, which when equipped reduce damage taken from infantry weapons. Using the certification system, the player is able to customize how they play using different classes or vehicles. For example, the player can purchase certifications to alter the main function of the Sunderer vehicle, such as the ability to repair or restock the ammunition of nearby allied vehicles and aircraft. Another currency, called "ISO-4", is used for "Implants" which resemble Perks in Call of Duty.

Continents can be captured, or "locked," by a specific faction. This is done when a faction gains 100 "Empire Strength" from capturing territory, triggering an "Alert", which lasts for 90 minutes. Whichever faction controls the most territory by the end of the alert locks the continent and gets rewarded with Certs and ISO-4. A combat advantage is given to the faction that locked the continent, such as decreased cost of aircraft, or less overheating on turrets. Another continent opens up immediately afterward. There are other types of Alerts that are done at random times which involve capturing different kinds of bases and facilities, and award semi-permanent Empire Strength points (until the continent is locked).

An update was released in late April 2016 that allowed players to construct their own bases by harvesting "Cortium", a new mineral that appears throughout the world.[10] Using a vehicle known as the ANT (Advanced Nanite Transport), players harvest the mineral and deploy a variety of structures, such as bunkers, rampart walls and Sunderer garages. Players can also deploy turrets, artillery, silos (where players store their Cortium) and modules, which include adding AI to friendly turrets, automatically repairing nearby structures, and enabling orbital strikes within a certain radius.

In early March 2020, PlanetSide 2 received a major update called "Escalation".[11] This update expanded the Outfit system. Outfits are player-led communities analogous to clans in other games. The update allowed Outfits to call massive spacecraft called "Bastion Fleet Carriers" down to the battlefield for a limited amount of time.

Although the story is very similar to the original, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) announced that award-winning author Marv Wolfman has joined the SOE team to write the ongoing historic fiction for the game. This is the first time the PlanetSide franchise narrative has been detailed.[12] There are also many lore videos on YouTube that can provide some insight on how the war for Auraxis came to be.

Promotion at E3 2012

The first official indications that a PlanetSide sequel was in development appeared in 2009. On September 25, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) sent a mass e-mail to current and former PlanetSide subscribers, asking to fill a survey that would help SOE design the next generation PlanetSide. "We plan to expand the PlanetSide universe with another game and we need your help with the design. After all, who knows the game better than you, our customers, the people who actually play it! Don't worry about the original PlanetSide, it isn't going anywhere."[16] In addition, SOE registered the domain www.PlanetSide2.com on September 21.[16] On October 11, SOE president John Smedley posted on his LiveJournal account that the sequel's working title is PlanetSide Next.[17][18]

Little was revealed about the sequel until December 2010, when Smedley said that SOE would be launching a first-person shooter in March 2011,[19] which was soon confirmed by Paul Williams of SOE as referring to PlanetSide Next.[20] On March 31, 2011, SOE announced that it would be ending development of their spy-themed MMO The Agency and refocusing efforts on EverQuest Next and PlanetSide Next.[21] Smedley confirmed that PlanetSide Next had been delayed – the result of recently switching to a new game engine – and would be available later in the year.[22] The working title was later changed to PlanetSide 2. The official website was later updated to show a video trailer of the upcoming game. Many interview videos were taken after that showing sections of gameplay, but the biggest off-screen game play video was shown at 2012's GDC, showing most of the game aspects.

SOE President John Smedley announced that a closed beta test would begin July 30 or 31 2012 "barring any unforeseen circumstances.".[23] On July 30 Smedley announced that the beta testing would be delayed until at least August 3 "to make sure some stuff is awesome.".[24] On August 3 Smedley announced that the closed Beta would commence 2pm PDT (GMT-7) Monday 6 August.[25] The beta closed on November 17, 2012, pending the game's official release November 20, 2012.[26]

PlanetSide 2 is free-to-play and includes a cash shop for players to purchase in-game convenience items and cosmetic changes using real money. For example, a player can purchase camouflage (paint) for their weapon or vehicle.[27] The developers have indicated an admiration of League of Legends's freemium business model.[28] In 2011, SOE CEO John Smedley said the cash shop "will not sell a more powerful gun or vehicle."[29] During the beta for the game, Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Nathan Grayson noted that the cash shop sold secondary weapons for aircraft,[27] but changes have since been made to the game before it left beta.

The game also offers a subscription which provides players with increased experience, cert points, and extra resources, which are used to acquire things such as grenades and medical kits.[27] Grayson said that the goal of these benefits were convenience rather than making subscribed players more powerful than other players.[27] However, Grayson noted that people purchasing these offerings might then be able to quickly acquire a large number of powerful items.[27] Creative director Matt Higby said, "success on the battlefield is still entirely player skill based, [players purchasing cash shop offerings will] just be less impacted for re-deploying to the battlefield. That is a huge benefit, no denying it. Is that 'buying power'? Well, that depends on your definition."[27]

People are also able to create cosmetic items for the game with the Player Studio which are then sold for cash.

PlanetSide 2 launched November 20, 2012.[30] European players were initially unable to play due to an incorrect game launcher on the Steam platform in addition to EU server issues.

Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley mentioned that a Mac version might be planned for PlanetSide 2. Smedley said: "I absolutely strongly share that view. No you aren't going to see PlanetSide 2 on Linux. You will see it on Mac though".[31] The official PlanetSide 2 Twitter account responded to a question on the topic of a Mac version as "Stay tuned for all potential updates. ^Spoiler".[32]

A PlayStation 4 version of the game has been said to be released alongside Sony's new console November 2013. After the console launch when the game was not released, players learned that the launch has been rescheduled sometime in late 2014.[33] Sign ups for the PlayStation 4 version's beta began on the game's website in December 2014, and was launched on January 20, 2015.[34][35] The PS4 version officially released on June 23, 2015.[36]

• Official website