Rogue Planet Games

...is the new name of the PS2 developing studio.

This could mean two things:

1. DBG is planning on selling the franchise.
2. DBG will remain as the publisher, but the devs have more freedom to do what they want. This could possibly mean that we could start getting long requested features without DBG hawking over the devs every move.

Pretty much confirmed to be the case.

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps2/index.php?threads/rogue-planet-games.253209/

It is time. To refer to them as...

RPG!

Guess they were tired of being referred to as Daybreak Gaming Company when it came to PS2. They'll still be the same as publisher, but does this mean wrel and co. are all this indie group, Rogue Planet Games? (assuming so)

Also, they mention PS3 being a possibility in the future. Hype, I guess?

Glad to have a studio focusing soley on PS2. Good things ahead.

Well, it's the same people still, but with likely a bit more autonomy and hopefully more funding. So who knows...

I'm being cautiously optimistic.

i care for results, that is all ...

I'm just worried. "A new property"? This COULD be PS3, but it could just as easily be H2Z2 planetside edition.

There's also the concern of how they are going to fund that property. PS2 has had more time and revenue used to fund other projects than that money and time was used to improve the game. Are they going to build PS3 purely on PS2 money and leave PS2 to rot? At the very very least if they want to build PS3 they should test out features they are looking for in PS2. This way PS2 remains worked on and some of the development money will be spend on PS2 to ensure that PS3 will have a solid foundation. Done right it could push PS2 closer to the awesome that it's gameplay and setting promise to be, while also generating more money for itself and PS3 in the long run.

Nothing much will change from this,
The planetside team are still working on planetside (just called Rogue Planet Games)
The DCUO team are still working on DCUO (just called Dimension Ink)
The Everquest team are still working on Everquest, (just called Darkpaw Games)

I'm worried though about their ambition to make a true galactic planetside game.
They tried making a minimalist downgrade of PS2 (PSA) and couldn't even pull that off, losing a ton of cash.
Do we really want to see what happens when they try making PS2 multitudes bigger? This is no SOE, DBG can't pull it off.
They're already wasting cash on things like "Sanctuary" to bridge the gap to PS3, and I wish they'd just stop.
Stop and realise that they don't need to replace PS2, they need to FOCUS ON IT.
Money spent on PSA/PS3 any other silly spinoffs, should be getting spent in PS2!

Things have to move on. PS3 is a good idea. My cash is ready and waiting for it.
Enough of the doom and gloom already.
I looked at my crystal ball and saw nothing but hope and success for the future.

I think that they should learn their lesson from PS2: the most interesting and enjoyable part is the massive combat elements. This has trumped things like capturing the continent since day 1 with Biolabs and places like the Crown being prime attractions purely because they offer continuous fights.

So the path should be clear: focus on large scale combat. Throw small bases right out the window and focus on the bases and layouts that promote combat above all.

As I think of it now I would create large empty expanses that need to be crossed to reach the next base. Such a base would actually be 2 to 5 smaller bases that are very close to eachother and form a larger facility together. This means that instead of separate walls and roads to connect them you get one interconnected area. Should you push the defenders to the spawnroom in one area they'll be able to launch defensive strikes from the next part of the facility to try and retake it.

It also means that each part of a larger facility could provide something. One section might be dedicated to generators and power many of the shields, teleporters and pads throughout the facility and capture makes it easier to start assaulting other parts that might be nigh impregnable until you capture the generator section.
This also provides an important feeling of progression. Currently you have to take a base before people feel like they progressed, this means that bases have to favor attackers and punish defenders. but by dividing a base in several sections then you feel progress by capturing a small part of the whole, and then fighting through the facility from there.

The large expanses mean that vehicles play an important role in any assault to reach the facilities in the first place and then set up Sunderers. PMB's would function as FOB's to spawn closer and provide vehicles for the assault, and with the lower amount of bases these PMB's could easily be build across roads and canyons to slow down enemy advances and provide a good fallback position. Since these PMB's would see a lot more people traffic and play a more important role there will be more players invested in building and protecting them.

if they do it right, spinning them off into three studios could be a good idea.
not only do they get their own management for a few years dedicated to one game (till they each make more), it could also mean that less funds are siphoned off to existing IPs for a few years and the only 'loss' is the money they send as profits to shareholders.

it could mean that existing games improve due to having more cash while still being able to bankroll a decent amount of money into sequels, it also might mean the financial structure of the sequels is better.

EQ2's money making system right now is seriously bad in terms of customer friendlieness, on top of paying a sub + market cosmetic items/furniture (if you want them) you can directly buy power through the ascension system or be forced to wait for spells to be leveled up, then when they ran out of new ideas they created a new tier with recycled ascension 1-10 spells that scale better.

the reason why i left EQ2 wasn't their money practices, it was how tired of year long, without break grinding (expansion or not).

MMO's shouldn't be built around having to play all year to stay at peak.

some may mention you don't need a sub for EQ2 but you kinda do, you can't equip the most powerful weapons (epic weapons, greater relics) if you don't have a sub (at least that's how it was when i played last year).

and they are the best weapons in the game typically with class defining effects.

I wonder if they are called "Rogue" because they are thieves who always try to steal their client's money? ))

surprised you aren't calling them pirates, since the term rogue goes better with pirates.

also your signature needs updating.

its a good idea i agree, galactic warfare? COOL!
but DBG tried to make another planetside game a fraction of the size of PS2 and failed hard,
losing a ton of cash and causing a ton of lay offs.
and that was when they were making a downsized planetside game,
can you imagine them attempting to make a game 10 times bigger than PS2?

PS2 is one of a kind,
if they throw everything at a new project and end up dragging the franchise down there is no replacement.
we'll all be playing those silly little lobby shooters, 64 players...128 players...pitiful!

hence why i want DBG RPG (whatever they wanna be called!) to stick with what they've got, because what they've got is awesome!
they're so eager to make other games and dont seem to realise what they have already!
they should put money and marketing into PS2, because when i tell people about this game NOONE has heard of it,
but they are all like "WOAH this game sounds amazing"

nope, don't be surprised, rogues are thiefs, check any RPG

or better yet, check the dictionary. Rogues have that stealthy side that pirates don't.

Anyway, I'll update the signature at teh end of Q1 *wink*wink*

I noticed that when there is no organized squad, platoon or players who just don't join one, these players can only go to where the fight is if they want to play the game because anywhere else you'll just get pushed off.
The Crown middle area or Biolabs offer continuous fights, under constant pressure, where it's nearly impossible to push the enemy off with only solo players.
I would not call this the interest of the players.

But yeah I agree the prime focus should be on large scale combat and not a cluster of players forced inside a room. I have most fun in large scale open battles like near the 'Howling Pass Checkpoint' area, but those rarely happen, and also another problem is the inconsistency of game, where everyone can just suddenly redeploy to move to a more important base.

Large scale battles should probably indeed be the focus (as the main attraction), but I want the possibility for viable playstiles with solo players or small squads as well. Be it capping somewhere else, cutting off large bases or doing side objectives in the area of the large fights.

I like a lot this:

“Internally we’ve been talking about this for some time, and a lot of it was based on interaction with the community,” Sites said. “It was obvious to a lot of players this could make a great gameplay mode and a great gameplay experience.”

Ooops!!! My bad, that was the same Andy Sites talking about PlanetSide Arena, so out of context quotation of course.

TL;DR: Time will tell.