Planet 1138

Planet 1138, a map based on Jupiter's starships, has been released, and it's shaping up to be a unique new addition to the PlanetSide series.

"This kind of creativity is the heart and soul of our long-standing franchise, and the biggest thing to emerge from the PlanetSide team is the enormous scale of the maps that PlanetSide uses to help it stand apart from other, more traditional FPSs," said producer Konde.

"There are so many different types of areas of play within PlanetSide, from ground to air battles. PlanetSide has a whole series of unique locations, from a desert-based metropolis called Sagan to a star base that represents a dynamic landscape for which we now have the most creativity," said Alexander Dickson, product manager at PlanetSide.

"PlanetSide 2 offers a vast arsenal of weapons, vehicles, vehicles, and weapons to choose from, with dynamic battlefields and highly destructible environments that ensure a different play style each time you play.

"We can't wait for players to experience PlanetSide 2's thrilling gameplay, whether they're on land or air, and see the fight erupt in the epic scale that will shake the face of PlanetSide 1 forever."

Free-to-play multiplayer combat-like PlanetSide 2 will also include a persistent character progression system that allows players to earn new skills for their weapons, vehicles, and abilities. Players will be able to upgrade their soldier, purchase equipment, and abilities as they progress through the game.

"You will be able to spend experience points earned in-game that will enable you to unlock new skills as you continue to level up," the announcement post said. "That means that you'll be able to stack bonuses that are unique to you, regardless of your current weapon class."

The game's executive producer, Victor Kislyi, explained the multiplayer in greater detail on PlanetSide 2's new "Classical Progression System." This is a new system designed to help you get to grips with the game's four major pillars: skill, weapon, equipment, and utility.

"The top three classes in the game are Heavy, Medic, and Assault. Each of these classes is geared toward healing, [which] gives you the advantage in the heat of combat," Kislyi explained. "And there are two main types of classes in PlanetSide 2: DPS and Tank. The Tank is balanced toward their class preference, and the Medic is geared toward their class preference."

Kislyi went on to say that other classes will appear in the sequel, as well. These include all-new mechanized flying units and a variety of non-player-class neutral vehicles. However, Kislyi stressed that these classes will not be exclusive to any class, since they'll all also be in PlanetSide 2.

"In terms of classes, we decided to separate one of our four classes, and we're not restricted to a class. All three classes are available in the game. So all of them are from other factions, so for instance we will let you choose any of the six classes. And that's what we've decided to do.

The Tank will be able to fly but it's more geared towards the more individual, heroic, or base-attack role. So the DPS will have a ranged weapon, while the more combat-oriented tanks will be able to gain and use heavy artillery, while the repair tanks can equip a machine gun.

Finally, the recon class will be more of a healer than a pilot, which is something that DSO isn't currently exploring. "All of the classes are tuned to play the most well when it comes to surviving, so there are no extra healing power spells or heavy armor abilities to worry about," Mattias said.

For more details, check out our previous coverage of DSO's upcoming multiplayer games. We've also had a look at DSO's latest action-strategy games, EverQuest and PlanetSide 2.

The most impressive thing about the 5-player system in EverQuest 2 is that it will let players join two separate groups of players, "guilds," that are adventuring together or competing in large-scale battles. This means that you'll be able to play with up to three other people at any given time, and each of the game's 12 factions will have their own unique strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited. What kind of gameplay options do you think the game will offer? We've just gone over the details on four of the game's races.

Guilds are always a massive thing, and in EverQuest 2, players can take the battles online and run into battles head-on or fight from up close.

The races in EverQuest 2 will also be equipped with numerous "factions," which are advanced versions of professions and clans. These clans will be able to specialize in certain skill and specializations, such as heavy armor or a heavy armor class.