So I joined the forums during the Beta period and have observed many different kinds of threads, a lot of arguments about this and that and detailed explanations as to why certain features are wrong and what needs to be changed. I think that the player base for this game is completely split down the middle. We've all heard the term "hardcore" gamer or "fanboy" and most of us have a different idea on what the term means. Personally, I believe a "hardcore" player is the kind of player who plays games for more reasons than the action or the story or the graphics. A hardcore player seeks to find a game which not only engages them on a deep level, but also allows them to get deeply invested in the games mechanics. This could be anything from creating a completely unique class using the certification system in PS1, or having a good understanding on the how & why a certain base attacking technique works so well. Now we have the other kinds of player, the kind who plays games for the simple enjoyment of doing so. They'd like a carefree experience, a game they can jump in and out of at any time without loss to advantage and the ability to just watch the explosions and the witty characters. Guild Wars 2 reached out to this target audience with their free to play MMO and nailed it. And this translates to any kind of entertainment really, such as movies. You'll always have the crowd who goes out to watch the latest Transformers or Mission Impossible since those movies are pure entertainment bliss. But only for 2 hours. Once the experience is over, it's forgotten and they move onto the next blockbuster (could be transformers 15). And then you have the other movie goer who prefers to watch movies like Bladerunner for it's great atmosphere and themes while the more casual movie fan will call the movie boring. So where am I going with all this? Well I'm not trying to say 1 type of gamer is better than the other. I am only making my own observation and sharing it with you. I personally consider myself a big fan of RPG's and I liked the idea of Planetside 2, that finally it could be the FPS game I could actually get invested in. But here I am disappointed. Planetside 2 isn't that classic movie we go back to watch year after year, or a book that we can count on for years because of it's deep world. It's not anything like the FPS we played 10 years ago which we were hoping would have a worthy sequel. I feel that SOE have given us an experience we cannot get invested in and we can only enjoy for its big battles and amazing graphics for a short while until the next big shooter hits the market. But that aside, I still understand why many gamers are enjoying the game so much. When it comes to FPS standards Planetside 2 is an awesome experience and I'm enjoying my time with it. But I feel that time is limited.
