Lost in Space
 
Planetside has been quite the subject of some interest for me lately. I mean, a massively multiplayer online game that plays out like a glorified version of Tribes 2? Could such a thing work on any conceivable level? With more than a half-dozen different continents to fight on, a whole variety of different weapons, vehicles and skills, a squad management system, three different factions, all sorts of gameplay elements, and fast, furious action, could this game be practical to develop with our current level of technology? Having participated in the beta program, I wasn't entirely sure on how the game would turn out in its final form with all the bugs, crashes, general stability problems, and other things that were constantly flying around. So now that Planetside has hit retail, what's the final verdict? Is Sony's much-hyped baby all it's cracked up to be? Well, let's take a look…
 
For the uninitiated, Planetside takes place many years in the future, on some obscure planet in deep space called "Auraxis". A long-range exploration team from Earth has used a wormhole to check out this distant planet and assess it for habitability, but, upon taking a closer look (and setting up some bases to examine the strange alien technology they found), the wormhole suddenly closes, stranding the team and cutting them off from the rest of the galaxy. Over time, relations break down and the "kill thy neighbor" mentality starts to settle in. The explorers end up breaking into three different factions (Terran Republic, New Conglomerate, and Vanu Sovereignty) and start waging war on one another.
 
What relation does all this have to the actual game? Absolutely nothing, failing some minor aesthetics and background info. Enlisting players (upon picking up their copy of the game and signing up for an account with the standard-issue "one-month-free-then-pay-us-$10-a-month" rules inherent in any massively multiplayer online game these days) will have the opportunity to sign up with any of the three factions once they select a server to play on, where they can then configure some basic personal elements (such as if their characters will have boobs or not) and launch into the game to begin their career as a trigger-happy grunt who will probably die within the first five minutes from being run over by a friendly tank. Hoorah!
 
 
 
Be all you can be
 
A given player's career as a bumper ornament can take all sorts of twists and turns. He starts off as a simple soldier working for whatever faction he chose, with some basic weaponry and equipment access. He can then either have the option to run out and start killing (before the player actually joins the game, there's actually an "Instant Action" option that will spawn his hapless avatar right where the action is), or he can spawn at his faction's "Sanctuary", safe from the horrors of war and gunfire (since nobody can shoot, though he can still feel perfectly free to stand in front of a fast-moving armored vehicle and get splattered).
 
Anyways, over at Sanctuary, players have the ability to get some basic training, explore the island, run around and interact with players, and use all of the available facilities to "kit" his character out with the very best futuristic science has to offer, provided he has the right certifications, of course. See, Planetside's primary form of currency is "certification points". These points are what a player uses to improve his character. As he fights more and gains experience (it also helps to be in a squad so everyone shares the same bonuses), he'll be able to increase his "Battle Rank" and, eventually, buy certifications to allow his character to use more advanced equipment.
 
Certifications cover all manner of objects, such as better weaponry, vehicles, armor, or special equipment like repair/medical tools or increased "hacking" capabilities for the basement-dwelling geek within. The average certification costs two to three points each (some are as high as four), which limits a given player's options for a career path and increases his uniqueness in the field.
 
So a player gets a basic character together and is ready for some butt-stomping action. The next question is… how does he get to said action? There exist a number of options in this regard. The first and most obvious is the aforementioned "Instant Action" function, but obviously there will be times when a player will want to start from the Sanctuary and get into the fight from there. Therefore, the second (and simplest) option is the "H.A.R.T" shuttle system. The High-Altitude-Rapid-Transport allows players to zoom off into orbit and swiftly deliver themselves anywhere they desire (enemy sanctuaries aside) via a nifty drop-pod interface. The H.A.R.T. system is simple, though a little boring. Every nine minutes, a large dropship will land at a given sanctuary, allowing players to board through the appropriate door (with a countdown timer conveniently located above). Once the player is onboard and the H.A.R.T. has finally launched, he'll be placed into a global map screen where he can assess the current continental situation (the "Global Map" interface enables players to quickly and easily see what facilities are currently controlled by a specific faction, get an overall view of the "Warp Gate Network" and plan out their route, and, best of all, view the current "hot spots" in the game and be able to figure out right where all the fighting is), select a drop zone, and deploy himself into the action. Again, simple, yet boring since it can get tedious having to wait for the H.A.R.T. to arrive.

Finally, the third method for getting around involves the warp gate system. Each continent on Auraxis has a number of these warp gates scattered around. Transitioning through the gate is as simple as walking up and waiting for the load screen to appear. Advantages are that you can transport large groups of people easily (vehicles can't ride on the H.A.R.T., only infantry, so the only way to get a group of goons to another continent using, say, a Galaxy or Sunderer - air and ground-based infantry transport vehicles, respectively, is via warp gate) using this system, but the downside is that it can sometimes take a long time to get to a destination (multiple gate jumps would be needed, and a given gate only leads to a single destination), as well as the fact that a player can't warp into continents that are completely owned by an enemy faction.
 
With all of the different weapons, vehicles, and ammunition types available, actual combat can come out being a little bit trickier than the standard point-n-shoot tactics people can get so used to. Standard weapons and ammunition are nearly useless against vehicles and MAX armor (large, walking faction-specific pieces of armor designed for specific roles – anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, or anti-infantry), which calls for a player to either switch to armor-piercing ammo in the vain hopes he might be able to bring the target down, or switch to a more effective weapon for the role if he has access to one. Accuracy is another factor to take into account, as a player's weapons will spread out and become inaccurate the more he moves around. This effect can be countered by staying still, as well as by crouching (which will obviously leave the player wide open if someone rushes at him). When it all comes down to it, Planetside definitely does not favor the solo player. Even the hulking MAX units can quickly find themselves outgunned and surrounded if they're not careful, which encourages players to group up into squads and work together to seize an objective. A multiplayer game that promotes tactics above all else is definitely a good prospect, but how well is it implemented?
 
Planetside features full functionality to enable squads to be assembled quickly and easily – just find a willing player and issue the appropriate command to invite him to your squad. When a player joins your squad, he'll have access to a dedicated chat channel to enable easy communication with all of his squadmates, as well as a couple of new additions to his HUD to keep track of who's in the squad, their current status, and their locations. Probably the greatest benefit to joining a squad, however, is that all participating members will be able to share in experience bonuses from other squad members (something I hinted at earlier). One man's kill is a boon for everyone else – provided they're somewhere nearby, of course. Get an entire squad of ten going and any player will instantly find himself having a much easier time increasing in rank – which leads to more certification points, and, ultimately, more abilities and a more versatile soldier. There's also a complete "Outfit" system in place, where players can form their own clans and manage them with ease. Being in a clan is always nice, since it makes finding other players for a squad dirt simple.
 
As I've already mentioned a few times, the game features a vast number of different weapons and vehicles to play with, of which the available selection actually differs between the three factions. While there are "Common Pool" weapons and vehicles available, there are also specific weapons issued only to certifying soldiers of a specific group. Members of the Terran Republic, for example, will have the opportunity to access the high-powered "Striker" rocket launcher weapon, or other toys such as a sexy little minigun. The New Conglomerate faction focuses on more direct, precision weapons like the "Phoenix" guided missile laucher, or the "Jackhammer" close combat shotgun (which essentially ruins the day of just about anyone caught in front of it when it goes off). Finally, the Vanu Sovereignty focuses everything on unique and powerful energy-based weapons, like the "Beamer" pistol or the "Lancer" shoulder-mounted energy cannon. Vehicles are also divvied up between the factions in a similar fashion; the Terran Republic has a massive battle tank at it's disposal, as well as a three-man (one driver and two gunners with separate weapons) assault buggy. New Conglomerate gets a standard rocket buggy and a medium tank as it's special vehicle options, while finally the Vanu Sovereignty gets a couple of versatile hovercraft for it's use.
 
Finally, one other element faction selection affects is the type of "MAX" (or "Mechanized Assault eXo-suit") armor a player will have available to him. MAX armor is used to transform a player into a large hulking one-man war machine of doom. Every faction will have three common MAX armor types for specific roles (one for anti-air, one for anti-infantry, and one for anti-vehicle), but the main differences lie in the types of weapons and specials available. Terran Republic MAX units mount heavy automatic weapons and have the ability to enter a deployed state for more offensive power, at the cost of maneuverability, of course. MAX units hailing from the New Conglomerate feature an internal shielding system designed to repel damage that the user takes, but it can run out of power very quickly and takes a significant amount of time to fully rechage. Finally, the Vanu Sovereignty MAX variants have integrated jump jets enabling them to easily leap over the walls of facilities and breach their perimeter.

The downward spiral
  
So, moving on, a player bands up with a group of some new friends and charges off for some action. What's his objective? What's the ultimate goal to Planetside that will lead a player's faction to glory and fame? Uh, actually… not much of anything. The most prominent way for a player to advance the cause of his faction is by capturing facilities and towers Doing this will net the player and his squad experience based on how much resistance he encountered in capturing the base, and certain bonuses will be provided to other facilities on the continent based on a number of factors ("Interlink facilities"  provide other bases with automated turret control to repel enemy vehicles, for example – more on facilities in a moment), as well as a new respawn point, but that's about the only reward for pulling of this feat. If a single faction controls all of the facilities on a given continent, the entire island will switch to a "locked down" state, preventing the other two factions from using the warp gates to get in. Of course, that doesn't stop them from using the H.A.R.T. system regain entry so that the action can begin anew.
 
A little coverage on how these aforementioned "facilities" work. As I discussed a moment ago, each facility provides it's controlling faction with a basic compound where a soldier can respawn, access equipment/medical terminals, create vehicles, and man gun turrets. In order for an opposing team to conquer a facility, they must break in and head for the designated Control Console, then use a small tool called an "REK" to hack it (a lengthy process that leaves the soldier vulnerable, but this can be hastened by the appropriate certifications). The base will then go into a "hacked" state, where no soldier will be able to spawn from the facility or use its terminals. If the capturing team manages to hold the base in this state for fifteen minutes, it will fall under their control.  Another way for a team to lose a base is by letting it's resource units (called "NTUs") run out. Over time, a base's power reserves will start to drain. If they reach zero, the base in question will instantly revert to neutral status, preventing both teams from using it until it can be recharged. The only way to prevent this is by someone making regular runs to and from the continental warp gates by using a special vehicle called an "Advanced Nanite Transport" to gather NTUs. This makes the tactic of trying to "starve" a base out actually viable.
 
As I hinted at above, different facilities provide different bonuses. Amp Stations increase the "sphere of influence" that are around all bases (which prevent enemy H.A.R.T. pods from falling within the base perimeter), as well as providing self-recharging energy shields to defense turrets, and extending the amount of time facilities can operate without having to receive an NTU recharge. Bio Lab facilities will decrease the amount of time a fallen player needs in order to respawn (the default period is around 15-20 seconds, and will actually increase by small factors the more a player dies in a short period of time), as well as upgrading all local Medical Terminals to "Advanced Medical Terminals", which will now recover armor as well as health. Dropship Centers do nothing but provide a terminal for spawning the large "Galaxy" air transport, while Tech Plants enable friendly vehicle terminals to spit out advanced units, such as the Reaver assault aircraft or other assorted heavy vehicles. There's definitely quite a few bonuses to go around that can help shift the tide of a battle. One note: Planetside's original design had friendly facilities providing bonuses to all other friendly facilities on a single continent, regardless of location, but a recent change incorporated a "linking" system that will only provide bonuses (as well as capturing ability) to bases if they fall within "linking" range of another friendly facility. Check the game's official website for more information on this.
 
So, moving on, what does this all mean? It means that, while the action stays balanced and no side will ever be truly incapable of fighting back or being "conquered", it also means that there's no major objective to work towards. The only major goals of interest I found to work towards were leveling up my character and trying to assist my team in taking over enemy facilities. Both were fun to do at first, but they became quite tiresome over time. After one has checked out all of the different weapons and vehicles available and has played the game to death, what else is there to do? Given the number of players online at a given time between all three different factions, it's almost impossible to reach a point where a single faction controls all the land, so the best one could ever hope to settle for is a temporary stalemate. If a player loves the kind of tactical Tribes-like action Planetside has to offer, then he probably won't get sick of the game quickly, but I'd much rather have an overall goal to work towards. Though I'll freely admit that I'd enjoy the game much more if the game engine were vastly improved, which is a subject I'll touch on in a moment.
 
Lets wrap up this gameplay discussion with a brief stint about the controls. Planetside features a full key binding facility, though chances are the defaults will be all a player will ever need. The game offers separate key binding elements available for infantry, ground and air vehicles, as well as general customization options for interface shortcuts. There's also functionality to bind controls to a joystick, which should make the flight jockeys out there a bit happier. Moving about as an infantryman is pretty much a standard setup for a first person shooter [WASD? You got it – ED], with dedicated commands for crouching and using special items and implants. One annoying absence I've seen players complain about is a prone function, though it's up in the air on if the developers will add it in a later patch or not. Vehicles themselves work mostly the same (use the keyboard to drive around and the mouse to fire and aim the turret, if available), but there's a neat cruise control feature that can be invoked by using the 1-0 keys for a constant throttle effect to make those casual escort runs oh-so-much easier. Overall, there's not really too much to say about Planetside's control interface, besides that it's, unfortunately enough, probably one of the game's best elements.

Let the chugging begin
  
Now, I want to touch on the one subject that's been peeving me off about this game ever since I started playing it. The graphics engine. On any standard gaming system, Planetside is promised to run like a complete and utter pig. Considering how everyone is saying that players will have a hard time enjoying the game to it's fullest extent unless they have at least one gigabyte of RAM, it's no wonder that the game ships with a coupon for some sticks of Kingston memory (redeemable only in the United States, of course… oh, how I love Canada). As it stands, my 512MB system wasn't quite up to the challenge of handling Planetside's girth. Everywhere I turned, the game spent several moments paging my hard drive like crazy. Not a minute went by where my HDD LED wasn't on full bright for at least several seconds. And this isn't just an annoying "why is my computer loading" thing, it physically affected my framerates. The sheer amount of paging this game did to my hard drive caused my framerates to dip and vary wildly in every single fight I went into. Approaching and entering a facility is sheer hell for several seconds because all I can do is sit and stare at my frozen screen as the game desperately tried to collate the new data. Even fiddling with the built-in "Precache" settings doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Getting in and out of the game is always painful and can take upwards of two to three minutes. It got bad enough that I wanted to switch to Windowed mode and endure the handicapped framerates just so I could transition in and out of the game easier.
 
Unfortunately, memory handling isn't the game engine's only problem. I'll be frank: the graphics really aren't all that great. The textures and models are passable by today's standards, but they aren't anything super-extraordinary. So why on Earth does Planetside suffer from such erratic framerates? Commonly the level of overall performance I got out of the game was very poor, and I think the only time I ever saw perfectly smooth framerates was when I was staring at the floor with nobody around. Now, granted, I'm running a bit of an aging GeForce 3 Ti200, but considering Planetside's level of graphical detail, shouldn't that be enough? Is the overhead of playing with so many other players truly that great? Yes, the game has quite a number of customization options to tweak with, but none of these were really able to give me a satisfactory performance without making the game look like total junk.
 
Between the memory thrashing and the iffy framerates, I really can't give this game's graphics core a good rating. It's just plain bloated and slow. At the very least, the network code is fairly solid, though many players still experienced severe latency problems on occasion. Considering the sheer number of players online at a single moment I was impressed with how low the pings stayed. Be that as it may, players can expect to have bullets follow him around corners on more than one occasion.
 
Planetside's audio element is average, but I was hoping for more. Specifically in the weapon sounds which, while acceptable, could stand to be quite a bit meatier. Few things annoy me as much as firing off a high-tech assault rifle and getting some gimped sound effects out of it. The game offers everything a player would need for the expected full audio experience (hardware acceleration support, various sound tweaks, etc), but the overall effects just come off as being a little under whelming. I never quite found myself getting excited about the game's audio aspect. At the least, there are quite a number of different audio tracks available that change based on the situation, but most of these (primarily the combat themes) were less than exemplary and were actually hard to make out amidst the combat. I actually found it better to turn the music off completely so I could make out the sound effects easier.
 
Let's cut to the chase here people: Planetside is a very ambitious game, but it still has a long way to go before it's truly enjoyable. There's quite a bit of new content that the development team has planned on the horizon (including new vehicles and a possible "Orbital Strike" function), and who knows how much the game will be updated further towards the far future. But in its current state, Planetside needs a hell of a lot of polish. The game engine alone is enough to spoil the experience for most people, but after one has seen and done everything, there just isn't that much to keep a player going (then again, how do MMORPGs get popular?). Any parties that are seriously interested in the title should probably poke around a little bit first to make sure they know what they're getting into.
 
--->Parias

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