PlanetSide Preview

And in case you're wondering, yes, there will be a story in the game, but as McCann said it is very difficult to develop a story in a massively multiplayer world: "Basically, what it comes down to is for players that enjoy having a storyline (for role-playing and continuity purposes), we will definitely have an ongoing storyline that will steadily progress over time. For players that just want to jump in and 'play the game,' not caring about a storyline or not, they can do just that. The storyline will still be there, but it won't be obstructive."

For the time being, PlanetSide's story doesn't have an ending, and although McCann claims that PS will have "tons of victory conditions for the assignments and there will be some continental victory conditions," I really don't see how that notion can hold water given the highly dynamic nature of the PS world. IMO, any victory condition like conquering a continent and isolating the opposing Empire's safe haven seem extremely temporary at best, and it's not like you get some 'units killed' stats after you've successfully finished a mission in Warcraft II. In other words, the highly dynamic nature of a MMO world should probably make your "victory," more like 'winning round one' than anything else.

Being that PlanetSide is still primarily an action game most of the 'action' will revolve around designer-created missions and good ol' fragging, which will no doubt remain the primary concern of the developers. Your Empire will outfit you with rudimentary weapons, armor, and vehicles each time you go out. This way, you'll always have a minimum of firepower and protection for each new foray into the wilderness. And don't you doubt for a second that you'll get fragged a lot, because you will. PlanetSide is, for all intents and purposes NOT Everquest, although it hmm... borrows some 15th level zombie-creation fan-generating spells, which made Evercrack so damn popular. Once you're out there, you'll be encouraged to join larger groups, become a loyal team member, or simply tag along with a first team or group of 'freelancers' that come your way... It's either that, or you can hold your own so well, people all over the PS world will start worshiping you and offering pink-fleshed maidens to quench your bloodlust. Regardless of which path you choose though, the designers are placing high emphasis on social interaction and team play. PlanetSide will feature a fully developed and dynamic assignment system that each Empire uses to issue jobs and recruit players. The game will also be supporting official teams with what the developers call registered outfits, with their internal hierarchy, team chat, and macros for easier coordination of actions.

However, if you get sick from all the crap your teammates are giving you, you can always head out for the home city and just relax in your apartment; read up on the news, and browse for new missions or something.

How 'bout that MMOFPS gameplay?

Verant is facing some rather difficult challenges here. How do you go about implementing ranks, which in turn increase character's abilities and even make certain implants available, while keeping the essential equality and focus on player skills - the most important competitive aspect of the first person shooters. And as if this wasn't enough, there are still the problems of Everquest hermits having a strong desire to loot, and the daunting question of the amount of 'realism' in a FPS. Verant must make the mildly RPG ranking system meaningful while retaining basic FPS premises and make such modifications that looting doesn't really become a big deal (although it will still be possible to do so), because it would definitely pooch-screw the gameplay balance. It also needs to balance out the realism factor by making a few essential FPS gameplay trade-offs in regards to physics and other shooter elements.

I think this dev. post in the forums helps explain why looting could present a problem:

"There MIGHT be weapons or items that could be considered "rare" or "unique".

The programmers don't want looting to become an important issue in PlanetSide, like it is the case with Everquest.

If we put in rare or unique items, we recognize that we have to be _very very_ careful not to throw the game balance off (a balance that is only be achieved by months of play testing and beyond). Also, we'll need to keep in mind that losing these unique items shouldn't cause mental anguish like it would in EQ. Still that doesn't mean they can't be "neat"."

As for the RPG abilities vs. FPS skill issue, the idea is to base the combat system much more on the player's reflexes and skill. But as I have mentioned earlier, you gain abilities as you advance in rank, and players also receive certain implants, like: Optical Zoom, "Jacking Implant," which allows them to hack terminals and hi-jack vehicles, and Medical Implant. All of these special abilities, and I presume many more which will be included in the final release shouldn't in any way help you win a duel against a more skilled FPS player. Higher rank won't improve your aim and it won't make you more deadly. You're not gaining hit points as you go up in levels. In the IGNPC interview McCann said: "I didn't want to throw arbitrary limitations on players in that respect where a level 20 guy just kicks your ass because with the sniper rifle he's smooth, and you're not. So, essentially as you go up in rank, you get a graduated pay scale from the Empire you work for, you get better assignments. Well, I should say more assignments." So, higher ranks offer certain advantages, but it's important to point out that these advantages are only light RPG elements, and that the primary focus of PlanetSide stays on the FPS gameplay. "