New player, seriously fustrated

Is it normal for a game like Planetside to be just constantly killed practically coming out of spawn, being unable to do jack with the basic weapon sets etc?

I understand, its a FPS game, it has twitch gamers/ people who will always be better then I am. Its just unbelievably frustrating to enjoy this game being killed every single moment I'm alive for the few seconds I have. Practically feel useless to what goal is attempting to be accomplished.

Is there no other way then to just get better by dealing with the endless fustration of dying over and over? I've played TF2 and CS:S mostly, but its been a very long time sense I ever stepped foot into another fps title.

Some of it is bad mechanics, such as the spawnpoint camping that is sort of necessary to hold down a base for capture.

A lot of the rest of it is the all-too-common "skill" that people boast about on this forum: they'll tell you how rare and special it is to headshot you the moment you stick your head out from anything. It's so rare that it scares people like you away pretty quick.

a) if you're being spawn camped and you can't exit in any direction, then redeploy and find a different battle with more even odds

b) don't be where the enemies expect you to be

It gets better.

Planetside 2 is a harsh teacher, but you'll quickly learn when stepping outside of the spawn is effective suicide, and when you can leave it (relatively) safely.

You've played TF2 and you're asking if it's normal to be killed thousands of times before you actually have a good run yourself? You should already know the answer...

Yes, it's normal. Even if you're good at shooters, stepping into a new, different shooter for the first time will often make you feel like it's your first game ever. Knowing the maps, knowing the flow of battle, knowing how to effectively use your weapons all will increase your survival rate over time. And even a good player probably dies a *lot* in PS2, simply due to the massive number of enemies you can encounter.

If you find yourself unable to leave a spawn room, chances are the enemy is pretty much conquered that base, so you might want to try pulling back to one that's not completely surrounded so you can leave the spawn protection. This game is very unlike Counter-Strike or TF2, and rewards working together with a group and holding back more than rushing blinding ahead like TF2 and CS. If you try to play it like CS or TF2, you probably won't have a good time. But if you take your time, stop, look, listen and follow your team as a group as if you were in a real war, the game is much more enjoyable, IMO.

I agree with this post, by and large.

I am frustrated by this game in a number of ways but I keep coming back.

Try to make sure that you are playing with a squad or platoon.

When you log in, press "M" click on the "Social" icon and find a public squad- in the beginning, in general, the bigger the better because that will guarantee that you have plenty of support.

Also, cert wise, it is best to start with medic or engineer. Medic if you prefer infantry combat, engineer if you prefer vehicles. Early certs put into the revive/repair tool because those are XP machines and require little understanding of the game or decent skills to gain XP. Playing these classes, support roles, early on will not only allow you a decent XP gain early on but will also help you learn the basic dynamics of the game by following and supporting the group without having to be as relatively "combat ready" as veterans.

Once you feel you have the hang of things- how to get around the map, what fights to avoid, etc.- it is a good idea to start thinking about what class and role you prefer and specializing in that area. Hopefully, by this time you have found a few decent groups to play alongside or a good outfit to join.

Take heart that your experience is not unique- PS2 is unlike any other FPS you have played before and it takes some time to get adjusted to the differences.

Planetside 2 is really rough at first, but it gets better. Being thrown into a giant battlefield with hundreds of different possible situations is overwhelming, and you'll die a lot in the learning curve. Once you start figuring things out you'll see a marked improvent. The best thing I can recommend is joining squads and possibly an outfit. Having a crew to watch your back makes life much easier, as does running with people who can show you the ropes and let you gun for nicely certed vehicles. The social aspect also makes those times where you can't catch a break much more tolerable.

OP: What server/faction? I'm sure there are many, many outfits willing to take in a new guy and show him the ropes in a safe(r) manner.

I'm on Matterson, tried TR, but im liking the Vanu better (must be the way the weapons fire/ pleasing to see, especially the rocket launchers ). Dunno if I'll stick on the server, though.

Don't worry man. The more certs you earn, the more people you kill before you die.

This game is incredibly frustrating at times, it just makes it that much better when it isn't sucking, and you're headshotting foo's left right and centre. Stick with it, it's great.

So your advice is to surrender and go somewhere else? Wow, and people wonder why defending is so hard.

For a genuinely new player it's far more productive than to say "stay and get farmed."

So they should go to another place to get farmed. Smart. It's not a bad plan, just not a good one either.

What do you suggest, or is your Smug Emission light blinking?

I think every new player should be forced to tolerate being locked in spawns. It'll help train them to deal with zergs, they'll be able to see some of the more effective players fighting outwards, getting good examples etc.

That said i'm a very hateful person.

I know that feel OP.

Basically what inevitably happens is you get zerged and camped, then after that base is lost, the only place you can spawn is the next base in the chain, and this **** just repeats and it can be a horrible experience.

Like someone else said, you need to recognize when a "line" is being hopelessly rolled, and take the time to get out of that line and go to another front that is more promising.

First off, welcome to PS2. It's fun, but there's a few things you need to know.

Don't keep spawning at a base if you're getting camped there. The battle is already lost. Spawn somewhere else and prepare a new line of defense or a counterattack.

Know when you're outnumbered badly and either get reinforcements or pick a more even fight at another location. Don't bang your head against a wall, it's no fun.

Join a well-organized outfit or at least find good squads. You can't do very much by yourself in this game, but if you run with a group those new lines of defense / counterattacks all of a sudden become real things. If you don't know how to find an outfit, try the outfit forum here. Each server has several large and well-organized outfits for each faction, you can definitely find a good group to run with.

To learn the flow of battles in PS2, it's best to use MAX suits at first. Play in areas where you have lots of friendly engineers and medics to keep you on your feet, and don't over-commit and end up in places where your medics can't get to you. But MAXes are more durable than other infantry and will give you lots of extra forgiveness while you're still learning the ropes. Put at least a rank or two into Kinetic Armor to keep yourself alive, and consider a second anti-infantry gun.

When you're not a MAX, medic is another good choice while you're learning the game. You can sort of stay on the outskirts of the fights and help your team, plus Medics get the best all-around guns (assault rifles) for a straightforward fight.

Learn to MAX crash with an organized group. Not many things in this game can change the tide the way a well-organized MAX crash can.

Don't stand still in the open. There are lots of things in this game that can instantly kill you, but most of them have limited velocity (no TF2-style hitscan snipers). They're a lot harder to land on a moving target, and get harder the further away you are. You can avoid eating a sniper round or a long range tank shell if you just stay moving. Even if you're holding a position, make a habit of patrolling rather than sitting still.

For any new player, i'd actually suggest you A) go to the VR training and just get a feel for the guns you're using while standing, walking, and running and B) Join a platoon.

The former will help you aim a bit better and the latter, well it's a lot easier to move with a group than alone.

Frustration is normal, the game doesn't retain a fraction of the people who sign up just due to the first day frustration aspect. I think that's a majority reason why the game was made free to play, it's not for most people. The learning curve is intense for a new player, there's so many different base types different goals and mechanics, this base has generators you need to overload, this base has an SCU that will rob the enemy of their spawn, this base has smaller external bases that you need to take in order to cap the main base, not to mention countless different vehicle types patrolling the ground and skies, and every single one of them is crewed by one or more actual humans with as much thinking and strategizing power as you do. Now survive!

Half of the lesson you will learn is where NOT to be. If there is an enemy liberator overhead spamming on anything that moves while your team conveniently doesn't feel like pulling AA, stay inside and put on Flak armor if you have to scramble to another building. The other half is about where to be, what to do, and how to be of practical use to your team, even if it means sacrificing yourself to progress the battle. Nobody can really teach that, you will just pick it up in time. There's no real formula for winning, that's part of what makes this game great, it's never really the same battle twice. Stick with it you will start having fun soon.