PlanetSide is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter computer game published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on May 20, 2003. The number of players was over 40,000 in September 2004.

Contents

1 Story 2 Gameplay 3 Leveling and Experience 3.1 Battle Experience 3.1.1 Implants 3.1.2 Uniform Upgrades 3.2 Command Experience 4 Organization 5 Updates 5.1 Core Combat 5.2 The Bending 5.3 Aftershock 5.4 Proposed Expansions 6 Vehicles 6.1 Terran Republic (TR) ground vehicles 6.2 New Conglomerate (NC) ground vehicles 6.3 Vanu Sovereignty (VS) ground vehicles 6.4 Common Pool ground vehicles 6.5 Common Pool air vehicles 6.6 Core Combat ground vehicles 7 System Requirements 8 External links

Story

After traveling through a wormhole, the Terran Republic(TR) discovers the planet Auraxis. Found to be suitable for colonization, the TR send expeditions through the wormhole to colonize the planet. Shortly after arriving, the colonists discovered the remains and technology of an ancient alien race - The Vanu. The technology allowed for quick colonization of the ten continents of Auraxis, the creation of power sources and vehicles for the use of the colonists and, most importantly, rebirthing technology. This nanotechnology allowed the humans to deconstruct and reconstruct their own bodies, allowing fast transportation across the world. Later on, it was discovered that dead workers could be brought back to life using the technology.

Shortly after the rebirthing technology was discovered, the wormhole collapsed, cutting the colony off from the Empire. Dissension in the ranks caused the populace to split into three very distinct factions and a war over the technology ensued. As an inhabitant of Auraxis, you must choose to fight for one of three factions.

• The Terran Republic, who strive to regain contact with the homeworld and re-unite the warring factions.
• The New Conglomerate, a group determined to remain free of the oppressive Terran Republic.
• The Vanu Sovereignty, those who believe that humanity's future lies in the further development of the alien technology found on Auraxis.

These three factions now fight on the surface of Auraxis, none able to gain the upper hand, and the dead soldiers forever being reconstructed by the alien nanotechnology.

Gameplay

At any one time, each of the three PlanetSide servers host thousands of players fighting a persistent war on foot, in ground vehicles or in the air across desert wastes, icy mountains, lush forests or dank swamps. The goal is simple: each faction must attempt to capture as many facilities as possible on the surface of the planet whilst denying them to their enemies. There are many strategies and opportunities for tacticians to divert the flow of battle and learning the intricacies and depth of the game can take many months. The player controls his chosen character from a first-person perspective and can travel about the vast environments on foot or in one of the many available vehicles. Combat is fast-paced and does not suffer from the 'hands-off' feel of many other Massively Multiplayer Online Games.

Leveling and Experience

While a first person shooter at heart, PlanetSide does have a rather basic experience/leveling system. Earned experience is divided into two categories: Battle Experience and Command Experience.

Battle Experience

Battle Experience is gained from exploring and interacting with the game world, elimination of enemy soldiers and from the capture of base facilities. When enough experience is accumulated, the character will increase in Battle Rank. When the character increases in Battle Rank, a certification point is awarded. The higher your Battle Rank, the more certification points you possess. These certification points allow the character to acquire new vehicle, weapon and armor classes. Newly created characters begin at battle rank 1 and can reach up to battle rank 23 (battle rank was inititally limited at 20). Benefits of reaching higher Battle Rank include uniform upgrades and character implants.

Implants

Currently, there are ten implants available for use. Players can have three implants at any given time, however they may be exchanged for other implants at Implant Terminals. Implant Slots are awarded at Battle Ranks 6, 12 and 18.

Uniform Upgrades

Awarded at BR 7 and 14, Uniform upgrades merely change your appearance on the battlefield. In most cases, the character goes from a darker color to a brighter one, supposedly to make them more lucrative targets on the battlefield. The most drastic change is that of the New Conglomerate, which start with a dark blue uniform only to progress to a very bright gold uniform.

Command Experience

Command Experience is gained from leading a squad/platoon in a successful base capture. (Currently, experience is not rewarded for tower captures.) When enough Command Experience has been accumulated, the character will increase in Command Rank. When the character increases in Command Rank, new command abilities are made available. In addition, special uniform modifications are awarded. The breakdown by Command Rank is as follows:

• Command Rank 0(CR0):
  • All characters start at this command level. No special abilities are available.
• Command Rank 1(CR1):
  • The ability to place four (4) waypoints on the overhead map is awarded. The waypoints are visible to all members of the squad/platoon that the CR1 is leading.
  • The command /sitrep becomes available, which reports to the Command Rank above you. Example, CR1s sitrep to CR2s. The text received by the next highest CR is preceded by [Situation Report].
  • A shinguard (or spat for the Vanu Sovereignty) is added to the character's uniform.
• Command Rank 2(CR2):
  • Characters at CR2 are given access to use the Command Uplink Device (CUD), which enables the use of higher level command functions. At CR2, the 'Reveal Friendlies' option, which allows the user to reveal friendly positions on the planetary map in a small radius, is the only available option.
  • CR2s have access to Command Chat, a separate chat channel that will allow them to speak with CR2s on the same planet.
  • SitReps now report to CR3s.
  • The uniform upgrade for a CR2 is a second shinguard (or spat for the Vanu Sovereignty).
• Command Rank 3(CR3):
  • CR3s are given the ability to use battleplans, enabling them to draw on and label the planetary maps. (Note: this ability will function ONLY if the CR3 is the Squad/Platoon Leader.) **Additionally, the CUD may be used to emit an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) in a small radius around the player, which disables implants and vehicle weapons.
  • The radius on the 'Reveal Friendlies' option is increased.
  • Command Chat will now speak to all CR3s on the continent.
  • SitReps now report to CR4s.
  • A bracer is added to the character's uniform.
• Command Rank 4 (CR4):
  • CR4s are given access to the Orbital Strike command, accessed through the CUD. Deployed from space stations orbiting the individual planets (known as Orbital Stations), the Orbital Strike is a devastating attack that can turn the tide of a battle.
  • The 'Reveal Enemies' option becomes available through the CUD. It functions in the same capacity as the 'Reveal Friendlies' option.
  • The radius on the EMP is increased.
  • The radius on 'Reveal Friendlies' is increased.
  • Command Chat will now speak to all CR4s on the continent.
  • SitReps now report to CR5s.
  • A second bracer is added to the character's uniform.
• Command Rank 5 (CR5):
  • CR5s have the ability to perform 'Global' Broadcasts to every player on every planet on the server. Additionally they can 'Global' to individual continents, including the Sanctuaries.
  • CR5 Command Chat is 'Global', meaning that CR5s can communicate with all CR5s regardless of location.
  • The radius, coverage area and damage of the Orbital Strike are increased.
  • The radius of the EMP, 'Reveal Friendlies' and 'Reveal Enemies' are increased.
  • SitReps report directly to CR5s, with the heading 'Situation Report'.
  • A Communications Pack is added to the uniform of the character. Commonly referred to as 'The Backpack'.

Organization

While players can experience the game solo, the best way to succeed in PlanetSide is to join a squad. A squad is an ad hoc group of up to ten players led by a squad leader. Two or three squads can form a platoon, for a maximum group of thirty players. Benefits of being in a squad include the sharing of experience (resulting in a speedy rise in Battle Rank) and the results gained from working as a team.

Like most online games, a player can create or join an outfit, PlanetSide's implementation of a clan. Whereas a squad is a temporary group, an outfit persists even if all members are off-line. Outfits are managed through a panel in-game, allowing players to be promoted/demoted. Outfits have eight possible ranks, with the top four being officer ranks, allowing members to invite and kick players to and from the outfit. Outfits can range in membership from ten (the minimum number required to form an outfit) to an infinite number. (The largest outfits have upwards of 600 members).

Updates

As of 2004, the game is actively supported by Sony Online Entertainment. New content and patches are released about once per month, usually focused around an in-game community event. Like other online games, the PlanetSide developers allow access to a 'Test Server' which hosts the next proposed build of the game for users to test and troubleshoot before it is pushed to the 'Live' Servers.

Core Combat

On October 27, 2003, SOE released Core Combat, the first and only true expansion for PlanetSide. Originally, the expansion created six new 'cavern' areas, each of which took on the characteristics of the continents which lay above them. (This was changed in later patches. The caverns now operate on a timer with two open and four closed at any given time, with random links to planet/continents.) Also introduced were new Ancient Technology (AT) weapons and vehicles. In order to use these weapons, vehicles and new game spaces, one was required to purchase the expansion.

Also included was the new 'Module Benefit System'. This system encouraged players to travel down to the caverns to retrieve modules that could be installed in surface bases, granting them special abilities such as 'Pain Fields', Advanced Base Shielding and the ability to purchase AT weapons and vehicles from surface bases.

The Bending

On August 14, 2004, possibly due to experiments with Ancient Technology, the planet Auraxis has undergone a process known as The Bending, and has been reconstructed as a system of smaller planets scattered throughout the cosmos. These planets are still linked by the original warpgate system. One of the main islands of Auraxis has been destroyed and replaced by a series of small 'Battle Islands'.

Aftershock

On October 18, 2004 SOE released "PlanetSide: Aftershock". While some refer to Aftershock as the second expansion, in actuality it is merely PlanetSide and Core Combat repackaged together, using a new build of the game that introduced Battle Frame Robotics (BFRs). These are essentially large, heavily armed walking vehicles not dissimilar to those found in BattleTech:Technology.

Proposed Expansions

While nothing has been set in stone, several proposed expansions are regularly discussed on the PlanetSide forums. The most likely step is a 'space' themed expansion utilizing Orbital Platforms and the technology associated with the High-Altitude Re-entry Transport (HART) Buildings found in the Imperial Sanctuaries.

Vehicles

Currently the game contains 27 vehicles.

Terran Republic (TR) ground vehicles

• Prowler (3 seat medium tank)
• Marauder (3 seat buggy)
• Raider (multi machine gun amphibious APC)

New Conglomerate (NC) ground vehicles

• Vanguard (2 seat medium tank)
• Enforcer (2 seat AV buggy)
• Thunderer (amphibic APC with relatively high AV)

Vanu Sovereignty (VS) ground vehicles

• Magrider (medium AV hover tank)
• Thresher (2 seat fast hover buggy)
• Aurora (amphibic APC with relatively high AI splash area)

Common Pool ground vehicles

• Wraith (unarmed cloakable atv)
• Basilisk (machine gun atv)
• Fury (rocket atv)
• Lightning (1 seat light AI tank)
• Deliverer (5 seat amphibic Armoured personnel carrier)
• Sunderer (light artillery and APC)
• Harasser (2 seat stealth machine gun buggy)
• Skyguard (2 seat AA buggy)
• ANT (unarmed harvester)
• AMS (unarmed mobile infantry spawn location)

Common Pool air vehicles

• Mosquito (stealth scout, AI and dog-fight aircraft)
• Reaver (ground attack aircraft)
• Galaxy (dropship for infantry, MAX units and light vehicles)
• Liberator (3 seat bomber)
• Lodestar (heavy vehicle transport and ground repair station)

Core Combat ground vehicles

• Switchblade (deployable hover atv)
• Router (teleporter)
• Flail (long range heavy artillery)

System Requirements

These are the minimum system requirements, as listed from the packaging:

• Windows XP, 2000, ME or 98
• 1.0Ghz processor
• 512MB RAM
• 64MB video card
• Internet Connection

Much criticism has been made regarding PlanetSide's system resource consumption. The game uses, on average, over 450mb of RAM while running. The game is considered a system hog. This being said, even with the minimum specs met, most gamers agree that the program is unplayable. Recommended system specs are as follows:

• 2.0Ghz processor or better
• 1GB RAM or better
• 128MB Video Card or better
• High-Speed Internet Connection

External links

• The official PlanetSide website (http://www.planetside.com/)
• PlanetsideMovies.com Home to player-created movies using PlanetSide. (http://www.planetsidemovies.com/)
• Planetside-Universe.com Planetside Universe (fansite) (http://www.planetside-universe.com/)
• Planetside Italia The Italian Planetside Fan Site. (http://www.mmorpg.it/planetside/)
• Open Directory Project (http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Shooter/Massive_Multiplayer_Online/PlanetSide/)