PlanetSide (video game)

Did You Know?

• PlanetSide was a runner-up for Computer Games Magazine's list of the 10 best games of 2003, and won the magazine's 'Best Technology' award.
• The game's only expansion, Core Combat, was released six months after the original game and received a mediocre response.
• PlanetSide once held the record for most players in an online FPS battle with 600 players, later surpassed by PlanetSide 2.

Plot

After exploring through a deep space wormhole, the Terran Republic, a highly centralized oligarchic galactic government that had ruled humanity for a thousand years, discovered a single habitable planet named Auraxis. The planet already possessed native, highly developed flora. Expeditions were sent to colonize it, and colonists soon discovered the remains and technology of a lost alien species called the Vanu. This technology was so complex and powerful that it allowed rapid colonization of ten continents, creation of power sources and vehicles, and the development of rebirthing technology that could deconstruct and reconstruct human bodies. This nanotechnology enabled fast transportation and, later, resurrection of dead workers, granting immortality. The power of this technology was acknowledged, but humanity had barely scratched its surface. The discovery that the planet itself was an artificial construction of the Ancients reinforced the realization that Vanu technology would irrevocably change humanity.

Factions

The Terran Republic is an authoritarian and collectivist state that aims to reopen the wormhole to reunite humanity and restore peace. Its public oligarchy, the Overwatch, consists of officials and Ministries who regulate society based on expertise and collective goals. The Republic holds that authority is humanity’s shield, and that true freedom without guidance leads to suffering. It views Vanu technology as a chaotic threat to its righteous order, using it only reluctantly in war. The Republic believes the Vanu went extinct by misusing their own artifacts, and fears the Sovereignty will cause similar destruction. Its weapons feature high rates of fire and heavy ammunition use.

Gameplay

Gameplay took place on the ground and in the air across desert, mountains, forests, and swamps, with factions attempting to capture facilities while denying them to enemies. Players control their character from a first-person perspective, with an optional third-person mode. PlanetSide featured an experience system with three categories: Battle Experience from eliminating enemies and capturing bases, Support Experience from assist kills, and Command Experience from leading successful base captures. Battle and Support Experience contributed to Battle Rank, granting access to different equipment, implants, or appearance upgrades. Command Experience allowed use of team-oriented abilities. A fan-made recreation called PlanetSide Forever began development shortly before the official shutdown.