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The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition
Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line. Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.
PlanetSide 2 webcast features lengthy community Q&A
If you're a PlanetSide 2 fan, you'll want to check out Sony Online Entertainment's latest webcast. The 30-minute affair features creative director Matt Higby, game designer Kevin Moyer, and senior art director Tramell Isaac. The trio field a whole bunch of community questions on the upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS, most of them centered around Nanite Systems vehicles like the Sunderer and the Galaxy. If you don't have time to watch the whole shebang, PlanetSide Universe has a good breakdown of the new stuff (including some awesome bits on vehicle customizations like hood ornaments, camouflage, racing stripes, and other visual tweaks). Click past the cut for the full video.
PlanetSide 2's Higby talks progression
PC Gamer's got the latest goods on Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2, and a new sit-down with developer Matt Higby has a few progression details that might interest you. Unlike the original PlanetSide, the reboot is shaping up to be a more accessible battlefield adrenaline rush. Or maybe not. "We may say, hey, you know what? You have to have a certain amount of time in the Lightning before you're able to use a Vanguard," Higby reveals, indicating that the game's advancement path is far from finalized. Higby says 10 hours is a good estimate for going from cannon fodder to worthy opponent in your vehicle of choice, and those 10 hours will likely be spent unlocking things like side-grade weapons, armor, countermeasures, telemetry, and radar systems. If it sounds like a lot of grinding, take heart. PlanetSide 2 players can avail themselves of an offline skilling mechanic, and Higby says that you'll be able to "shortcut your skills by burning resources" in the live game.
SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 faction video
Sony Online Entertainment is ramping up its PlanetSide 2 publicity machine this week. Last night we brought you word of beta signups for the forthcoming MMOFPS, and today SOE has released a new video clip featuring creative director Matt Higby. Higby provides voiceover commentary for the game's three factions, and the dialog plays against various rotating schematic-type images of armor, equipment, and gear from the game's three factions. Unfortunately there's no new information here at all, and SOE has basically summarized the past several months worth of faction-related text updates in a two-minute video clip. That said, it's better than nothing, and you can check it out after the break. [Source: SOE press release]
PlanetSide 2 community night reveals vehicle customization, Vanguard tanks, and in-game footage
What would you do if you had developers for a highly anticipated MMO on video chat with your fansite's community? The correct answer is "Pump them for all the information you can, then see if you can't get a first glimpse of said game in action." PlanetSide Universe scored 1000 points this past weekend with that answer, as the site's community night video podcast covering PlanetSide 2 turned into an informational bonanza for the game's fans. The hosts talked to SOE's Matt Higby and Tramell Isaac about PS2's maps and vehicle customization while also getting a tour around the team's offices and a couple segments of in-game footage showing off PlanetSide 2's engine. The fansite also netted a pair of new pictures showing off the impressive Vanguard tanks, which you can check out in the gallery below. The full community night podcast is after the jump, but you might want to put on a bib beforehand to catch all the drool! %Gallery-127964%
Massively Exclusive: PlanetSide 2's New Conglomerate Q&A
With the cold war in PlanetSide 2 quickly turning hot, potential players have to ask themselves: Which side will they join? Today SOE is making a bid on behalf of the New Conglomerate, painting them as the scrappy underdogs of the war with plenty of attitude to go around. We sat down with Creative Director Matt Higby to see if we could figure out what makes this faction tick. Massively: As an introduction for new players, what's the philosophy behind the New Conglomerate? Matt Higby: The New Conglomerate are an insurgent guerrilla force fighting against pretty stacked odds: an enormous military machine in the TR on one side and the vast technological superiority of the VS on the other. This forces the New Conglomerate to be adaptive, use creative tactics and take advantage of every possible opportunity they can to accomplish their goals. Their weapons run the gamut from conventional to experimental, and they're not willing to say no to anything that might give them an edge.
PlanetSide 2 going for big continents, big battles
Sony Online Entertainment recently showed off the latest version of PlanetSide 2 to PC Gamer, and if you were worried about not having enough elbow room in the sequel to the popular MMO shooter, worry not. The game takes place on landmasses that can stretch out to eight virtual kilometers on either side, and battles can rage all across those areas, with some weapons firing up to an in-game kilometer. The continents also contain "facilities," which hold courtyards of action, some of which creative director Matt Higby says are "the size of a Modern Warfare level." The team also talked about another form of scale: How many players are involved in these massive battles. At times, they admit, it'll be around 200 people fighting against only 30, but they're attempting to design the game so that with the right tactics, "you can still have fun and enjoy yourself as a group of 20 people defending against an onslaught." Of course, it takes even more design acumen to figure out how to also make that fun for the 200 players, but we're hopeful SOE can figure out something smart.
PlanetSide 2's classes undergo flexible combat training
Everyone loves choices, especially when it comes to roleplaying games and the character building that goes on during the course of a game. While PlanetSide 2 may look, sound, and smell like a FPS shooter, SOE is doing all it can to ensure there's just as much choice when it comes to how players will be building their combat-hardened veterans. For starters, there are six classes from which to choose, although the decisions don't end there. Depending on a soldier's whims, she can train in certifications to tailor the class to her play style. Similar to EVE Online's skill system, cert training takes place in real time no matter if the player is online or off. Finally, players can modify -- or "sidegrade" -- their weapons for that last level of customization. Choose a class or playstyle that ends up not working out for you? SOE will even let you change your build without having to start over. Creative director Matt Higby explains: "You can switch back and forth anytime you respawn, any time you're at an equipment terminal. You can constantly try out each one of those classes and figure out what about the classes you want or what your empire needs."
PlanetSide 2's scale dwarfs Battlefield, Call of Duty franchises
Does it strike anyone else as particularly fortuitous that Sony Online Entertainment chose the week of Battlefield 3's release to let a bit more PlanetSide 2 info slip through its tightly clenched marketing fist? Regardless of the timing, today's article in the new issue of PC Gamer will likely help the three-faction juggernaut gain some more momentum. SOE creative director Matt Higby is featured heavily in the PC Gamer piece, which intimates that PlanetSide 2's battles will dwarf those of the much-loved Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises. "You're going to be fighting in battles sometimes when it's 200 people fighting against 30 people," Higby explains. "Because there's only 30 people defending that base and then suddenly 200 people log in from the other group and go do it." This is a far cry from the 64-player limit on Battlefield 3's PC version, and PlanetSide 2 will also offer huge maps that measure eight square kilometers as well as weapon ranges up to a full kilometer. Oh, and did we mention the persistent gameplay elements? [Thanks to PlanetSide Universe for the tip!]
SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 Terran Republic info
Well, it's not exactly a deep gameplay reveal, but it's better than another lore snippet! What the heck are we talking about? Why, the latest PlanetSide 2 press release of course. Sony Online Entertainment has dropped a new screenshot on the masses, and the exciting image is accompanied by a wall o' text from creative director Matthew Higby. Higby spends a bit of time telling us about the Terran Republic, which is one of three warring factions in SOE's sci-fi shooter universe. The Republic is a professional military organization, and as such its members are equipped with weapons that "have the fastest firing rates, largest ammo capacities, and are generally designed to allow for maximum sustainable damage." The Terrans also have two unique vehicles at their disposal. The Mosquito is "an extremely agile attack aircraft" and boasts the highest top speed of any PlanetSide 2 air vehicle. The Prowler tank is the fastest empire-specific piece of heavy armor, and Higby describes it as "one of the deadliest vehicles in the game." Check out the full article at the official PlanetSide 2 website.
SOE enlists comic book writer Marv Wolfman to pen PlanetSide 2 backstory
Comic book writer Marv Wolfman is taking a cue from his superhero stories to team up forces once again with a powerful ally -- in this case, Sony Online Entertainment. The writer, who last worked on DC Universe Online, has now returned to the studio to flesh out the backstory for the upcoming PlanetSide 2. Wolfman is in charge of writing a series of fictional episodes depicting the life and history of the people of Auraxis and the rising war between the three factions of the game. He's pretty jazzed about the opportunity: "I'm thrilled to be working with SOE again. Not only do I get to take elements from the original PlanetSide and further develop an extensive backstory that can help players more fully understand this incredible new world, but even better, I get to create dozens of individual characters that I hope will help bring alive the story of PlanetSide 2 for the entire player community." In a dev diary, Creative Director Matthew Higby stresses that it's important to have not just a solid game but a believable world in which that game can take place. "Beyond grounding the design of the world, the story gives meaning to who the people fighting on it are, how they got there, their motivations and what their conflict signifies," Higby writes. The first of these episodes will be released on the PlanetSide 2 site later this week.
PlanetSide 2 opens up a comm-link to the players
Creative Director Matt Higby has stepped up to the plate to take a few swings at an introductory letter for PlanetSide 2 on the title's official website. Higby begins by laying out his past experience at SOE, citing his enthusiasm for working on the PlanetSide sequel and introducing the team working on the project. The meat of the letter comes as Higby presents the core pitch for the game. "Our goal with PlanetSide 2 is to create a game where you will fight against and alongside thousands of players, competing simultaneously and directly against one another in massive battles featuring intense infantry action as well as incredible air and ground vehicle combat," he writes. "All of these features come together to deliver what we feel will be not only the world's best MMOFPS, but the ultimate online FPS experience." Included in the letter are two brand-new screenshots from the game showing soldiers stalking the enemy on an alien world. You can check out those images as well as past PlanetSide 2 pictures in the gallery below. %Gallery-127964%
SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 art and screens
Sony Online Entertainment is sloooooowly letting a few PlanetSide 2 teases slip through the cracks, and the latest is a set of screenshots and artwork showing off the upcoming massively multiplayer shooter's dazzling visuals. The new gallery features a bunch of combat shots complete with dirty uniforms, spiffy muzzle flares, and some nifty surrounding terrain. You'll also spot a few dead bodies in the background, and the overall mood evoked is one of gritty sci-fi realism. SOE has also tossed in a couple of concept art pieces for your viewing pleasure, so take a look at the gallery below to see some Terran Republic stealth and medic gear. In other PlanetSide 2 news, rumor has it that the title won't be coming to the Playstation 3 console. "I think I would have been told about it by now," SOE's Matt Higby reportedly told IncGamers. %Gallery-127964%
PlanetSide 2 may feature space-based gameplay
A few more PlanetSide 2 details have emerged thanks to a presentation given by Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley and Matt Higby at a recent SyndCon gathering. The duo explained how PlanetSide 2's dynamic weather system will affect combat and that smoke resulting from prolonged firefights will also play a role. The catch here, according to FPSguru, is that these features "may not be in at launch, but [are] definitely in the long-term plan." Speaking of iteration, Smedley also drew comparisons to EVE Online's "outside-in" approach (specifically, the fact that CCP began with a space game and added planet-based gameplay at a later date). PlanetSide 2 will reverse this process, beginning with a single continent, "then add[ing] more continents and eventually, planets," Smedley said. Plans for space-based gameplay are also on the table. There's a bit more to the article including riffs on certifications (i.e., skills) and the inevitable cash shop. Head to FPSguru for more details.
SOE Fan Faire 2011: Planetside panel and interview with Creative Director Matt Higby
Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley and members of the Planetside 2 development team sat down with press to talk more about the highly-anticipated sequel to the original Planetside. Joining Smedley were Creative Director Matt Higby, Senior Art Director Trammell Isaac, and Executive Producer Josh Hackney. Smedley began by talking about how Planetside 2 is both an MMO and a FPS game, and that there are very few titles in that particular genre. He added that it will be a remarkable experience, and that he feels they can deliver in a way that no one else has. Read past the cut for more details.
Exclusive: SOE talks Clone Wars Adventures
Last Tuesday, we gleefully reported on Sony Online Entertainment's brand-new, upcoming Star Wars game: Clone Wars Adventures. We'd heard the rumors, but confirmation sent us into pure fan-frenzy! This kid-friendly virtual world promises a free-to-play romp through the Clone Wars era, allowing players to jump into Star Wars minigames and join the storied heroes of the Republic in the fight against the Separatist armies. That's what we could dig up on the official site, anyway -- but don't you want to know more? Well, Star Wars fans, you're in luck, because we've landed a juicy interview with the Lead Designer of CWA, Matt Higby. Join us after the break as Matt graciously answers all our eager questions about purple lightsabers and parental tools, cartoons and cash shops, and why adult fans (not just kids) will want to check it out!
