How does one tolerate the boring gameplay?

I think Taemien's post is very accurately stated and well summarized. I hope this game has longetivity, but I do feel a lot of anxiety over its future, and that effected (i.e. it was the cause of) my decision not to re-up when my one-year membership expired. It was a dilemma, yes indeed - do I support what I feel (and tell everybody I know) is STILL the best MMO out there? But what if I send in my hundred bucks and a month later the game shuts down? I'm not fear mongering - nobody knows what the future holds, and a cold shut down is most certainly worst-case and thus a low probablility of occurring we hope... but it could certainly happen, couldn't it? Thus the dilemma regarding monetary support. For myself, being retired and money being tighter now... I had to make the unfortunate decision (for DBG, anyways) to only support the game with my words/recommendation to others, and with my continued presence within the game. I hope that is enough, but like Taemien opined, I don't think there's a big enough influx of new players to compensate for those of us who no longer monetarily support the game. I sure hope DBG can find the way to attract them, for their benefit and for ours.

Answer: I don't keep coming back. I got totally bored with the game a couple months ago and haven't played since. I don't know if/when I will come back. I played PS1 for 7 years on an almost daily basis. You got it right here: PS2 is dumbed down in almost every respect.

However, I don't think it was intentional to design the game without the continental lattice - what I mean is, Higby revealed recently that PS2 had an 18 month development cycle. There was no way they had time to make enough continents to support the global lattice. That, of course, is due to them being over ambitious with the base designs and continent designs. PS1 bases and continents were much simpler and would have been much quicker to design.

It seems clear they have wanted the global lattice from the start, but just didn't have the resources. They managed to build Hossin, they have at least one battle island, and some work on Searhus has been done. The reality is, they probably don't have the manpower to ever get it done at this point.

The game has as much longevity as we give it. Well to a point anyway. It will be around for a year. I'm pretty sure about that. I'd give the game another year and we see server merges. Miller and Cobalt, Emerald, Connery, and Briggs. And then at least 6 months before a total server merge.

Then the one server will last until the PS4 servers likewise see merges. Once the PS4 servers are merged to one, that's when PS2 is on life support and in danger of being shutdown. But at a minimum that would be 2 years maybe 3 years from now. That is unless the players just mass migrate.

The one thing that will this game quick, is a competitor. A competitor that PS2 doesn't try to compete with. That's the biggest danger. Its kinda funny, the world record event sounded like a great idea. 1100 people playing on a server and generating interest in the game. Yeah.. it drew a little interest from some players who hadn't played it before. But it also drew interest from other game developers. They also let go many people, people with ideas, people with the know how.

If another game arises that offers MMOFPS gameplay, PS2 is in trouble. That's another indicator that the nail on the coffin is coming. But we probably won't care because we'll probably be playing that game.

Daybreak's best focus for Planetside right now should probably be Planetside 3. But as I've said in other threads. I don't think they want too many customers. I mean look at the words, the actions, and the inaction they have taken and said across ALL of their games.

1. They don't like to advertise.
2. Their games are very niche market.
3. They shy away from keeping many servers going at once and usally like to see their games on half a dozen if they can help it.

I'm surprised that they even use a Free to Play model. They tend to take actions that chase away people more than keep them. For example, in Everquest about a month an a half ago, they released a new progression server. Players were complaining of not being able to do content because other players had it locked down. They're approach to the situation was to say, "Casuals shouldn't see this content." That was straight from the producer. Now whether you agree with the statement or not, you have to admit, its a little bit on the exclusive side.

My conclusion is this, they want just enough customers to slowly add content, but not so many that they have to manage complex server structures. They want to keep their stuff low key. They just don't have the ambition to do more than that. I'm not sure exactly why this is. But its been their policy for a while, even before CN acquired them. It also seems that the people they let go across their games (Higby, Brasse, Georgeson, ect), were the movers and shakers behind generating a lot of excitement about their games.

I'm not suggesting they are trying to kill their own games. But I think they just want to keep them small.

Right now, PS2 is just that game that I play while I wait for the next best game. I supported PS2 by being a member and buying several things during its first year, and it became obvious that DBG (SOE at the time) was , not so surprisingly, once again, screwing everything up. I played PS1 for years as well, and I was EXTREMELY hyped when I heard they were finally making a sequel. The Gun play looked "Modern" which was amazing! Only problem is.. everything else was absolute crap compared to PS1...

And the funny thing is, They've been backpedaling ever since. They realised PS2 needed to be more like PS1 and incorporated a half ***** lattice system that connects even the smallest outposts! (not how it was in PS1.. only major facilities were linked with lattice). Furthermore, a real functional lattice system wouldn't work unless they had an intercontinental lattice in place as well.

PS2, IMO, is just like everything else they've done lately, they just wanted to rush out an unfinished product to get as much $$$ as possible during the Hype Train period so they could move on to their next project. Quite unfortunate, considering everything that PS2 could be but never will due to the lack of population and now, lack of support / devs.

They are still backpedaling, now trying to bring the ANTs in the game so they can say "Look, we're trying to make this more like PS1". But just like the lattice, they're doing it completely wrong (not following the PS1 model) and it will likely just be another fail idea which will never see its full potential. PS2 is really just a series of failed half implemented systems/ features put together in a rush and never quite fully finished.

They just need to let that ship sink and start over with PS3. They already have everything / metagame / features, designed for them in PS1, all they need is to combine PS2's Engine, Graphics and gunplay to PS1's gameplay metagame / mechanics.. and they'd have a 10 times more successful game than PS2 currently is.

Oh well,
I'm still having fun with PS2 for now.. its F2P afterall and I can play with my friends... but once Rainbow Six Siege is out, PS2 will hit the shelf.. and after that, Rainbow Six Siege, The Division is next, and after that, Star Citizen.. so.. I don't see much reasons to play PS2 in the near future, when so many promising titles are coming out.

Well, I'm new to PS2 myself..but, I find the gameplay fun. It's because it's ALL pvp and I enjoy trying to whack guys that know this game way better than I ever will. I'm a dedicated infiltrator, I go between Sniper/Stalker depending on how the battle looks, and I really get a kick out of the "ghost recon" gameplay.I'm terrible right now, but I'll get better. my highest char is only BR18 so I have a looong way to go.

And, there's the air game. right now, I'm even worse in the air than I am on the ground..but I'm learning. VR is there for a reason. I actually have quite a lot to learn about PS2 and that is very motivating for me.

Still can't decide between VS or NC as my main though

I enjoy playing PS2 purely for the battles. the scale of the fights and the thrill of battle that not even BF series gave me. When a fight gets underway and in the right situations the battles are epic, exciting and a lot of fun as both sides tear into each other with combined arms. Back in the old days at the height of popularity there were plenty of memorable battles and struggles. Like holding off a horde of enemies outnumbered 2 -1 and still winning, or capturing a really difficult base by holding a majority of the points and having to sit on the burn till you captured the base, all the while the enemy harrassed you and the point kept being flipped. Hell when 2 zergs met in open pitched battle that was epic as every inch to the next base was won with blood; the enemy's or your own.


....And than there's the other side of the spectrum - cheesing tactics, meat grinder battles that are suicidal, pointless and unrewarding. Like getting stuck in the biodome entrances being farmed or the subterranean base in amerish that whilst is interesting, is a farm fest for defenders and anyone with sticky grenades (i know, because i do it as well). than there is the numerous zergs and you're only there to be humiliated and only there to entertain someone at your expense. Throw in the constant armor spam with tanks shelling entrances from long ranges or constant esf pilots using G2A rockets or projectiles just to be farmed by them.

Random Thoughts by Jack Handy Getahfix:

Game is empty and has little-to-no direction or point. Directives are a bore, I just recently started focusing on them. Think I was at Directive level 550 before I even took a closer look at them. So for me the directives are pretty pointless.

Thing that keeps me coming back to a micropayment platform bent on destroying the gaming industry:
Its a micropay-game. You shouldn't expect much except repeated requests for your money. I keep returning for the simplicity of the game. I have its mechanics worked out for the most part, know the maps and don't need to think.

when the game gets boring (as it always does after the second or third battle) I just pull a repair sundy, play support. Roll up to a zerg to repair the boys, twist one up and blaze. Then just drive around until someone blows me up.

Other than that, I'm just here until Fallout is released then I won't be around. Having to pay for Experience and Resource boosts with real money and not cert-points lost me on this game. Not a cent moving forward. the writing is on the wall regarding why Daybreak is in on this and their motives.

Good-times.