PlanetSide
Encyclopedia
PlanetSide is a massively-multiplayer online first-person-shooter computer game
published by Sony Online Entertainment
and released on May 20, 2003.
PlanetSide chronicles the efforts of three factions as they fight for territorial control over ten different continents on the planet Auraxis. Players take on the role of individual soldiers fighting for one of the three factions within the game, and can specialize in various fields such as combat vehicle
crewman, infantry
, invisible
infiltrator
or a variety of combat support roles such as combat medic
or combat engineer. The game is played primarily in a first person
perspective, with the option of third-person.
Unlike most shooting games, in which small-scale matches take place in essentially an instanced map
, PlanetSide battles can involve hundreds of players in a single fight. PlanetSide battles concern control over territory and strategic points, and can cause repercussions to all three factions. To date, PlanetSide remains one of the few MMOFPS games ever created.
, the "Terran Republic", a highly centralized oligarchic galactic government which had unconditionally ruled humanity for the past thousand years, discovered a single habitable planet. Not only was this planet suitable for the sustenance of life, but it also already possessed many native, highly developed, and staggeringly familiar flora. The Science Institute named this planet Auraxis. Taking a keen interest in this aberration, the Republic quickly sent expeditions through the wormhole to explore and colonize the planet. Shortly after arriving, the colonists discovered the remains and technology of a lost and ancient alien species - the Vanu (or Ancients). This technology proved to be so complex and powerful as to barely be conceivable to human minds, involving levels of energy previously thought to be physically unquantifiable. This allowed for the quick colonization of the ten continents of Auraxis, the creation of power sources and vehicles for the use of the colonists and, most importantly, it facilitated the development of rebirthing technology. This nanotechnology allowed the Terrans 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, revealing a startling new possibility: immortality. Needless to say, the incredible power (and value) of this technology was systemically acknowledged, and despite the enormity of the advances made due to the study of the technology, it was also recognized that humanity had not yet even scratched the surface of any future possibilities. Later on, the discovery that the planet itself had been an artificial construction of the Ancients further served to solidify the realization that, if left unchecked, Vanu technology would forever and irrevocably change humanity and its future.
Shortly after the rebirthing technology was discovered, the wormhole collapsed, cutting the colony off from the Mother Republic and preventing the return of Vanu technology for proper examination. The Republic authorities took measures to hide this fact, while desperately exhausting all theoretical options for re-establishing the traversability of the wormhole. Meanwhile, as widespread usage of the technology grew, the Republic began to fear the potential repercussions of allowing so much power to be shifted so quickly into the hands of so many people. Namely, it feared that the rebirthing technology and the potential impunity to death, disease, and pain it afforded would cause massive philosophical shifts amongst the isolated population, thus pulling out one leg of the tripod that had sustained the Republic for a millennium: that of deterrence. More generally, the military feared that if utilization of the technology continued to spread, that the other two bases might come away as well: a populace armed with practically god-like power would have very little need of a strong authoritarian body to provide structure and purpose to their lives. Based on these trepidations, the Republic began to restrict usage of the new technologies, and halted all further research and development involving the Ancient Tech.
It was too late, however, and their concerns began to materialize earlier than they had expected. As research diminished, so too did hopes of reopening the wormhole. As news of this began to escape the scientific community, general dissension set in. Amongst the populace, a great resultant of the loss of faith in the capability of the Republic (which had always presented itself as infallible) was a split in their loyalties. Two distinct groups emerged: the loyalists and the separatists. The separatists argued that the recent behavior of the Republic was full of obvious knee-jerk moves and over-reactive mistakes. Claiming that the Republic knew its end was at hand, the separatists advocated breaking away and forming a new society, now that their would-be "oppressors" were isolated and without aid. The loyalists countered that the Republic had never been abusive (a claim hotly debated) and had always looked out for its own, and that the Terran people at least owed them continued loyalty on that point alone. Meanwhile, in the intellectual circles and among the scientific establishment, there had long been the feeling that the Republic was ill at-ease with the possibilities of the New Science, and a movement had begun to sequester and conceal as many of the Vanu artifacts as could be feasibly obtained without overt notice.
As the Terran demographic continued to polarize, these movements finally came to fruition as the predecessors of the "Vanu Sovereignty" made their exodus and took with them the research and artifacts they had managed to stockpile over the Auraxian years. Encouraged by this, the separatists seceded, seizing a number of military stockpiles and procuring a small arsenal of military assets: they called themselves the "New Conglomerate". In a backlash to this, the Republic declared these two factions outlawed, announcing their intentions to reunify with them at all costs. Shortly after this, war broke out amongst the Terrans of Auraxis.
perspective. This gives combat a more direct role and emphasizes skill.
Most Battle Ranks give you a certification point which can then be spent on certifications, while each Command Rank unlocks a special ability accessed via an item called a "Command Uplink Device (CUD)". Certifications can be used to unlock new weapons or vehicles you can use on the battlefield, thus enhancing a character's flexibility.
Like most online games, a player can create or join a clan
, which is called an Outfit in PlanetSide. 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 two (the minimum number required to form an outfit is ten players) to an infinite number, the largest outfits have over 400 members. Sometimes these large outfits recruit by inviting random players, generally causing the outfit to have a poor reputation. The largest outfits in the history of the game have approached and sometimes exceeded 1000 members. In 2006 an "Outfit Wars" event was launched for competition solely between outfits on each server.
Combat
Vehicular
Support
, although due to a reduced development staff the release of new content is less frequent compared to 2003–2004. New patches are released once every 3–4 months and are usually focused around an in-game community event. The number of active PlanetSide subscriptions worldwide is not provided by Sony Online Entertainment, but is estimated to be around 20,000 players compared to late 2003, when subscriptions peaked at around 75,000 players.
The Black Ops, released around Halloween 2007, are a separate organization on Auraxis not affiliated with any of the three empires. Since 2008, Members of the Black Ops are selected by random in-game. Once in Black Ops, players' health is raised to 1000, their stamina is raised to 500, and they are allowed to use any weapon in the game, including a special melee weapon the "Fusion Blade". Members are restricted to standard or reinforced armor and cannot communicate or team with any other faction. Black Ops are always assimilated on "old" Oshur, with all bases neutral, indicating Black Ops controlled bases.
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
published by Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
and released on May 20, 2003.
PlanetSide chronicles the efforts of three factions as they fight for territorial control over ten different continents on the planet Auraxis. Players take on the role of individual soldiers fighting for one of the three factions within the game, and can specialize in various fields such as combat vehicle
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
crewman, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, invisible
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
infiltrator
Infiltration tactics
In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small, lightly equipped infantry forces attacking enemy rear areas while bypassing enemy front line strongpoints and isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons.-Development during World War I:...
or a variety of combat support roles such as combat medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
or combat engineer. The game is played primarily in a first person
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective, with the option of third-person.
Unlike most shooting games, in which small-scale matches take place in essentially an instanced map
Instance dungeon
In massively multiplayer online games, an instance is a special area, typically a dungeon, that generates a new copy of the location for each group, or for certain number of players, that enters the area. Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique, addresses several problems...
, PlanetSide battles can involve hundreds of players in a single fight. PlanetSide battles concern control over territory and strategic points, and can cause repercussions to all three factions. To date, PlanetSide remains one of the few MMOFPS games ever created.
Plot
After exploring through a deep space wormholeWormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
, the "Terran Republic", a highly centralized oligarchic galactic government which had unconditionally ruled humanity for the past thousand years, discovered a single habitable planet. Not only was this planet suitable for the sustenance of life, but it also already possessed many native, highly developed, and staggeringly familiar flora. The Science Institute named this planet Auraxis. Taking a keen interest in this aberration, the Republic quickly sent expeditions through the wormhole to explore and colonize the planet. Shortly after arriving, the colonists discovered the remains and technology of a lost and ancient alien species - the Vanu (or Ancients). This technology proved to be so complex and powerful as to barely be conceivable to human minds, involving levels of energy previously thought to be physically unquantifiable. This allowed for the quick colonization of the ten continents of Auraxis, the creation of power sources and vehicles for the use of the colonists and, most importantly, it facilitated the development of rebirthing technology. This nanotechnology allowed the Terrans 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, revealing a startling new possibility: immortality. Needless to say, the incredible power (and value) of this technology was systemically acknowledged, and despite the enormity of the advances made due to the study of the technology, it was also recognized that humanity had not yet even scratched the surface of any future possibilities. Later on, the discovery that the planet itself had been an artificial construction of the Ancients further served to solidify the realization that, if left unchecked, Vanu technology would forever and irrevocably change humanity and its future.
Shortly after the rebirthing technology was discovered, the wormhole collapsed, cutting the colony off from the Mother Republic and preventing the return of Vanu technology for proper examination. The Republic authorities took measures to hide this fact, while desperately exhausting all theoretical options for re-establishing the traversability of the wormhole. Meanwhile, as widespread usage of the technology grew, the Republic began to fear the potential repercussions of allowing so much power to be shifted so quickly into the hands of so many people. Namely, it feared that the rebirthing technology and the potential impunity to death, disease, and pain it afforded would cause massive philosophical shifts amongst the isolated population, thus pulling out one leg of the tripod that had sustained the Republic for a millennium: that of deterrence. More generally, the military feared that if utilization of the technology continued to spread, that the other two bases might come away as well: a populace armed with practically god-like power would have very little need of a strong authoritarian body to provide structure and purpose to their lives. Based on these trepidations, the Republic began to restrict usage of the new technologies, and halted all further research and development involving the Ancient Tech.
It was too late, however, and their concerns began to materialize earlier than they had expected. As research diminished, so too did hopes of reopening the wormhole. As news of this began to escape the scientific community, general dissension set in. Amongst the populace, a great resultant of the loss of faith in the capability of the Republic (which had always presented itself as infallible) was a split in their loyalties. Two distinct groups emerged: the loyalists and the separatists. The separatists argued that the recent behavior of the Republic was full of obvious knee-jerk moves and over-reactive mistakes. Claiming that the Republic knew its end was at hand, the separatists advocated breaking away and forming a new society, now that their would-be "oppressors" were isolated and without aid. The loyalists countered that the Republic had never been abusive (a claim hotly debated) and had always looked out for its own, and that the Terran people at least owed them continued loyalty on that point alone. Meanwhile, in the intellectual circles and among the scientific establishment, there had long been the feeling that the Republic was ill at-ease with the possibilities of the New Science, and a movement had begun to sequester and conceal as many of the Vanu artifacts as could be feasibly obtained without overt notice.
As the Terran demographic continued to polarize, these movements finally came to fruition as the predecessors of the "Vanu Sovereignty" made their exodus and took with them the research and artifacts they had managed to stockpile over the Auraxian years. Encouraged by this, the separatists seceded, seizing a number of military stockpiles and procuring a small arsenal of military assets: they called themselves the "New Conglomerate". In a backlash to this, the Republic declared these two factions outlawed, announcing their intentions to reunify with them at all costs. Shortly after this, war broke out amongst the Terrans of Auraxis.
Factions
- The Terran Republic (TR), a conservative, authoritarian, collectivist nation who strive to regain contact with the homeworld and reunite the warring factions. Their leadership is a public oligarchy known as the Overwatch, composed of various representative officials and their associated Ministries, who regulate allotted portions of society in accordance with their own expertise and the collective will towards favourable outcomes. They believe that authority is the bastion that protects humanity and that in a truly free society, with no Big BrotherBig Brother (1984)Big Brother is a fictional character in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is the enigmatic dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state taken to its utmost logical consequence – where the ruling Party wields total power for its own sake over the inhabitants.In the society that Orwell...
to guide and watch over citizens, misery and suffering would quickly be visited to all. Furthermore, they regard the Vanu technology as dangerous and disruptive, a chaotic force threatening the stability of their righteous order, and only begrudgingly do they utilise it in warfare. Their vision of the future is one of peace restored through their benevolent rule, and humanity reunited by the reopening of the wormhole. They stand by the view that the Vanu went extinct by meddling with power on the orders of magnitude which was to be found in their artifacts and technologies, and they fear groups such as the Sovereignty will drive humanity to a similar fate, causing as much damage to reality as possible along the way. Their ordinance is characterised by its high rate of fire and correspondingly great ammunition consumption.
- The New Conglomerate (NC), a separatist faction determined to remain free of the controlling and domineering Republic, as well as to liberate the rest of humanity from the Republic, whether or not they share the Conglomerate's theories. Unlike the authoritarian and technocratic TR and VS governments, the NC are fighting for democracy, freedom, and human rights. As a rebel group, their leadership lies with the Revolutionary Command, a visible co-operative of military experts and leaders who direct the liberation efforts as a whole. They feel that any form of control is oppression and that a miserable free man is better off than a contented slave. Consequently, they view the Vanu technology as a potential tool of control, and the Vanu Sovereignty as technocratic tyrants, would-be dictators like the Republic, only under the banner of science and probably much worse. Their view of the future is one of freedom and self-government, where every man elects his own path and flourishes in what ways he sees fit. They rely on ponderous vehicles and slow-firing heavy weaponry, foregoing mobility and tactical flexibility for heavy armour and superior firepower. As their name suggests, the New Conglomerate is a diverse collection of forces that have banded-together (but have little trust of one another): ordinary citizens drawn into the conflict, various rebel groups that were previously autonomous, expatriate Terran and Vanu soldiers, and the Expeditionary Force (“XForce”) of the Royal House of Auraxis (the rightful heirs to the Vanu throne, forced into exile, the sole possessors of a working wormhole). The NC's democratic philosophy is often their achilles heel militarily, as they lack the iron-fisted leadership structure of the TR and VS. From the New Conglomerate's point of view, however, theirs is the only moral and just cause.
- The Vanu Sovereignty (VS), a loose transhumanistTranshumanismTranshumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
cult of academics, intellectuals, and technology worshippers who believe that human destiny lies in the further development and exploitation of the alien technology. Their leadership is the clandestine Sovereignty Council, the composition of which is unknown without itself and the existence of which is obscured to those outside the Sovereignty. They see the Republic as pedantic and outmoded, a used-up idea and restriction on the continuing ascendancy of the species through the synthesis of man and machine. They also see the New Conglomerate as a savage, ochlocratic band of thugs who have repackaged old mistakes in new dressings and are desperately afraid of new concepts which they cannot grasp, and the future these promise to the far-sighted. Their view of the future is one of scientific perfection and purity: they believe that the Vanu used the power of their advanced technologies to transcend their physical limitations and the mundane world, ascending to a superior state of being, and ultimately, a higher plane of existence. Scientists and intellectuals through-and-through, they see this path as an enlightened ascension and hold the Ancients up as a shining example for mankind to follow. Hopefully and eagerly they envision humanity imitating this metamorphosis, firstly through the enhancement of the human condition via "hypertech" (foreseeable technological breakthroughs which have not yet quite arrived), and eventually, by the replacement of human beings altogether; from there, not even they can imagine yet. They are most reliant on alien science and technology, and often more than compensate for their shortcomings through the superiority of their engineering, utilising mind-bending physics, high-energy arrays, and other exotic weaponry to defend themselves.
Gameplay
At any one time, the PlanetSide server hosts potentially thousands of players in a variety of landscapes, from the war on foot to the air, across desert, mountains, forests and swamps. The goal is simple: each faction must attempt to capture as many facilities as possible on the surface of the planet while denying them to their enemies. There are many strategies and opportunities that skilled players can utilize in order to direct combat operations. The player controls his or her chosen character from a first-personFirst person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective. This gives combat a more direct role and emphasizes skill.
Character progression
While a first person shooter at heart, PlanetSide does have an experience/leveling system. Earned experience is divided into three categories: Battle Experience, Support Experience, and Command Experience. Battle Experience is gained from elimination of enemy soldiers, the capture of base facilities, and exploring and interacting with the game world. Support Experience is earned through "Assist" kills: after aiding another player, the first player gains a percentage of experience the other player gains through kills. Command Experience is gained from leading a squad or platoon in a successful base capture. Functionally, Battle Experience and Support Experience are identical, both contributing towards Battle Rank, which leads to benefits such as the ability to use different equipment, implants, or appearance upgrades. Accumulated Command Experience lets the player use several team-oriented abilities. Currently, the maximum Battle Rank is set to 40, while the maximum Command Rank is set to 5. Players who attain Battle Rank 40 are granted every certification in the game.Most Battle Ranks give you a certification point which can then be spent on certifications, while each Command Rank unlocks a special ability accessed via an item called a "Command Uplink Device (CUD)". Certifications can be used to unlock new weapons or vehicles you can use on the battlefield, thus enhancing a character's flexibility.
Vehicles
PlanetSide contains 38 vehicles, ranging from interceptor aircraft to battle tanks to Battle Frames (introduced with PlanetSide: Aftershock). No one player is able to access all 38 vehicles normally, as many of them are empire-specific meaning that only members of a certain empire can acquire them via a vehicle terminal. Players that have invested certification points in the Hacking tree are able to "jack" enemy vehicles for their own empire's use. Some staple and basic vehicles are available as Common Pool vehicles, meaning that any soldier can acquire them, assuming they have the proper certification to do so. Vehicles play a vital role in PlanetSide, and an experienced pilot or gunner of even one strategic vehicle can often turn the tide of a battle.Weapons
As of July 2008, there are 28 weapons available in PlanetSide. Weapons are grouped and accessed the same way as vehicles are — using the empire-specific and common pool accessibility to keep gameplay balanced.Organization
While a player 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 a clan
Clan (computer gaming)
In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is an organised group of players that regularly play together in a particular multiplayer games. These games range from groups of a few friends to 1000-person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members. The lifespan of a clan...
, which is called an Outfit in PlanetSide. 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 two (the minimum number required to form an outfit is ten players) to an infinite number, the largest outfits have over 400 members. Sometimes these large outfits recruit by inviting random players, generally causing the outfit to have a poor reputation. The largest outfits in the history of the game have approached and sometimes exceeded 1000 members. In 2006 an "Outfit Wars" event was launched for competition solely between outfits on each server.
Combat roles
PlanetSide offers a variety of roles for players to choose from. The certification system allows for a divergence from "Class" systems of other games and lets players customize their role for their own playstyle. Most players will find themselves in a specialized combat role with support.Combat
- Sidearms (including pistols and a powered melee dagger)
- Medium Assault (including medium-range assault rifles, combat shotguns)
- Heavy Assault (including a Chaingun, Powered Shotgun, and the Vanu Lasher)
- Sniping
- Anti-Vehicular (including guided rockets, heat seeking rockets and directed energy rifles)
- Special Assault (Grenade-Launcher, Mini Rocket Launcher, Anti-Sniper, and Flame Thrower)
- Reinforced Exosuit (Heavier infantry armor with extra inventory space and an additional weapon slot)
- MAX Units (Special suits of armor with integrated Anti-Air, Anti-Infantry, and Anti-Vehicle weapons)
Vehicular
- Four-Wheel ATV's (Cloaking, Anti-Personnel, Anti-Vehicular)
- Buggies
- Medium Tanks
- Main Battle Tanks
- Air Assault (Scout, Anti-Vehicular, Anti-Air)
- Air Support (Personnel Dropship, Vehicle Carrier, Bomber, Cloaked Dropship)
- Battle Frame Robotics (Mechanized weapons platforms)
Support
- Cloaking (Sneaking behind enemy lines)
- Hacking (Taking enemy strongholds, stealing vehicles, infecting bases with viruses)
- Medical (Heal yourself and others, revive others (advanced))
- Engineering (Repair vehicles, armor, and upgrade base components, base defenses, as well as combat engineering)
Updates
, the game is actively supported by Sony Online EntertainmentSony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
, although due to a reduced development staff the release of new content is less frequent compared to 2003–2004. New patches are released once every 3–4 months and are usually focused around an in-game community event. The number of active PlanetSide subscriptions worldwide is not provided by Sony Online Entertainment, but is estimated to be around 20,000 players compared to late 2003, when subscriptions peaked at around 75,000 players.
Core Combat
On October 27, 2003, SOE released Core Combat, the only true expansion for PlanetSide.- Six new massive underground war zones ranging from volcanic lava flows to ice caverns.
- New Ancient-technology vehicles and weapons which can be used by all Empires
- Head-to-Head Urban style combat in subterranean cities
- Unique alien complexes to explore and conquer
- Ancient technology can be used by all Empires to upgrade existing surface level facilities
- A new Module Benefit System, granting special abilities to the player's faction
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, Oshur, has been destroyed and replaced by a series of small 'Battle Islands'.Aftershock
On October 18, 2004 SOE released PlanetSide: Aftershock, PlanetSide bundled with Core Combat using a new build of the game. Aftershock introduced Battle Frame Robotics (BFRs), large, heavily-armed walking vehicles similar to those found in BattleTech.PlanetSide Reserves
From March 24, 2006 to March 24, 2007 SOE launched the PlanetSide Reserves program. The program allowed anyone to download the game and play for free. All characters in the Reserves were limited to Battle Rank 6 and Command Rank 2, as well as other restrictions. Players were able to convert to a paying account at any time. As of August 1, 2007 the game developers are discussing whether or not to bring back the PlanetSide Reserves program to renew interest in their game. As part of the launch of PlanetSide Reserves, all paying accounts were upgraded to include all Aftershock content. The Reserves program ended sometime prior to December 10, 2008, and is not currently available as of 2010. The 14 day trials have been reinstated.Black Ops
Black Ops were first field tested in July 2007 at the SOE Fan Fair by the attendees who were there for Planetside. Due to the Black Ops not being fully complete they were considered part of the Vanu Sovereignty. Those who participated in the field test were given the Fusion Blade as a permanent feature for their characters.The Black Ops, released around Halloween 2007, are a separate organization on Auraxis not affiliated with any of the three empires. Since 2008, Members of the Black Ops are selected by random in-game. Once in Black Ops, players' health is raised to 1000, their stamina is raised to 500, and they are allowed to use any weapon in the game, including a special melee weapon the "Fusion Blade". Members are restricted to standard or reinforced armor and cannot communicate or team with any other faction. Black Ops are always assimilated on "old" Oshur, with all bases neutral, indicating Black Ops controlled bases.
Original servers
- Johari (Western United StatesWestern United States.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
) - Markov (Western United States)
- Konried (Eastern United StatesEastern United StatesThe Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
) - Emerald (Eastern United States)
- Werner (EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) - Jackson (Europe)