The state of PS2 and what I feel must change.

I am a sucker for this guy (what a surprise, right?) and already heard most of his opinions since way back to last year before I was in his outfit.

The gameplay is the whole soul of this game, this should have been 90% ready when it was released to the public for the first time, failing to do so was a risky manouver. I understand that it happened at that time so they could take advantage of the most income of new players and so on but a bet like that needs a good support, a dedicated attention to the big problems in the game.

At this moment we can see now that the confusing organization per department has reached its toll, I don't even remember the last time I had a queue for another continent. This is bad, it means that either players are not playing this game frequently or they stopped playing it completely or worse, there's not many new players joining the game. As of now there is a miscelaneous mix of problems in this game and they can all be resumed to a few:

- Gameplay flow (where the fight leads I go!)
- Game stability (bugs bugs bugs and performance problems...)
- Game comprehension (how the hell can I change continent?)
- Game affordability (this HA flak armor is awesome, I'm also gonna equip it on my medic aswell... oh, I can't?)

Its a very VERY short description of what buzz is talking about and everything I witnessed as a ps2 player. I want to have fun again in this game, I miss it. It is getting really hard to find it everytime I open the game, either I am alone against ghost cappers or I ride along with ghost cappers or I join my outfit members when they are playing non-ops hours just to find myself fighting against a multitude of enemies most of the time giving 0 chances of defending anything, etc.

I know the team will read buzz's post and I really hope that they start to pay attention to what is sending this game into a really bad path and act on it.

I want to have fun in this game again, it's the only reason why I kept playing... Problem is with less fun I also play less and when there is no more fun... well I really hope it will never come to that.

If turrets were automated some sort of Turret Control Computer that could be destroyed would be neat. Put it in a defensible position outside of bases even.
Unrelated though I don't think the lattice system is coming back, devs have made that very clear. If the game needs a better way to lead players along im sure there are other options.

1. No. So long as you can scum kills from the inside people will not leave. They must be forced out.

2. Terminals stopping doesn't do anything. Making it neutral and allowing people to go in is another possible solution but one I disagree with.


An essential part of a resecure will be repairing a broken SCU. From that point you need to be able to have your units spawning inside and stage a counter attack from the inside if needed.

I think forcing the enemy out through the activation of a pain field is the best solution. Run out and die in a blaze of glory or stay inside and die like a coward. Either way get the hell out and get the SCU back up if you want to keep spawning.

Times change. I used to be against it but now I am 100% confident that it must return to this game.

I think this would be a fantastic addition if the described turret change went into affect. Another way for small groups to influence overall larger fights. My favorite portion of PS1 was doing actions outside the main lines of combat which still contributed to the overall faction's push. Gen Drops / Ghosts / NTU drains. I think any and all added objectives would be welcome additions.

Great post, I agree 100%.

Really hope the devs listen because their ideas and priorities (or lackthereof) are really killing this game.

Holy **** Buzz, great ******* post man!!!!!

I was in teamspeak earlier today and I heard your rant and go over a lot of the points in your post. I agree with everything.

Took my time to read every word, and then logged in to Thumbs up every post.

I really think these ideas are exactly what need to happen to Planetside2 to make me want to stay.

Before the most recent patch I took a good month long break because I was so bored. After the patch, defending and attack feel better, but they still aren't good enough to keep me around, especially since, as you said it, the game has turned into "Indarside" and all I get to play on is that continent.

Hell, on Connery it's gotten so bad that the only faction I ever fight against is NC and the 666. It's really starting to grind me down and bore me again. (Please, I just want to go back to Amerish!)

Good read, I now have hope for PS2, thumbs up.

That was a very long read, but incredibly well thought out. I can't disagree with you. Lattice, Flinching, Screen Shake, Instant action, flak armor, SERVER MERGES are all things that need to be fixed/happen. This post is incredible and I wish the $200 I've spent on this game could go towards your salary if you were able to land a development job on this game. You seem like the kind of person that would love to consult with the devs for free and help out with the game. I really hope the devs read this thoroughly and take into account ALL ALL ALL of your suggestions.

you missed the point i know its a rare occurrence, but it has been done. im not talking minutes but enough time for me to get on voice comms with the people there and get them to make a proper push.

Planetside 2 devs pay attention, what this man speaks is the truth.

So I decided to read this extra long as post that took up 35 mins of my precious time. I am glad I did. This explains EVERYTHING they should have done in the second game update. This makes me realize that there could be a better game if the damn developers TRULY took the players and communities suggestions into mind. Good Post Boss. Great post.

Agree with every idea. Implementation of Buzz's changes would keep me playing and paying. As it stands now, PS2 is getting stale. Take notice, SOE, and make these things happen!

Many simple/elegant solutions to a myriad of problems the game is currently facing. Particularly like the SCU/adjacent respawn/instant action as a fix for the twin horrors of lame spawn camping and the decidedly unfriendly new player/Joe Casual experience.

Also, automated turrets!

Nice work, as always. Thanks Buzz!

Ok very interesting read although I have to disagree you have burster maxes/sky guards/annihilator's/rocket launchers for air units and then you have land mines/C-4/annihilator/rocket launchers/AV maxes for armor.

In a short a sweet phrase stop trying to make infantry the most powerful unit in the game as the strength of infantry comes in numbers.

In my opinion it should be as far as strengths:

Air > Armor > Infantry

where as Infantries strength comes from there numbers.

What really rings true for me are the need for mergers over transfers. My last few stints in MMO's have all ended solely because of dwindling populations due to an overabudance of servers.

I have never been run out of a game because of a queue to log in (at times it's even made me more anxious to play), but logging on instantly into a ghost world will kill my interest in an mmo every time.

Also, I think they need to implement a server merger or something. It is DESPERATELY needed. I stopped playing because we are always on Indar, because that is where the "action" is at. I would REALLY like if they somehow forced players to get to other continents and not just leave because a faction capped it. The noobs need to learn to fight back and not just run to another continent and ghost cap it.

While I would like to see some tweaks in terms of incentives to focus the fight (especially the drop-pod/instant action fixes), and the combining of hexes on Indar, I would HATE to see the return of the lattice. It was an old, tired, broken system that was shoe-horned into PS1 to fix an issue, and the hex system (while not perfect) is much better at spreading the possibility of the fight. In PS1, you knew the fight was going to happen at either base A or B. With the hex system now, there are many more options, and I enjoy that change.

By options you mean more things to ghost capture, right? Because that's all that is happening. I was die hard anti-lattice because I believed the same thing you did but I finally entered reality and realized it isn't working that way at all.

It's too confusing of a system and one that leaves you wondering where the fight is. The hex system makes all defensive battles reactionary instead of preventive because you can never be sure where the enemy is going to go.

PS1's lattice system didn't shoehorn anything. PS1's lattice system single handily saved that game early on and allowed a complex meta game to evolve.

We've been trying to get the hex system to work for how long now? 8 months? It has had so many changes and iterations and with every change and iteration made it resembles a lattice system more and more.

Just bring back the lattice system.