Re: Defiance is back again (again)

On Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:53:49 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

I vaguely recall that "Defiance" was, at released, often compared to
"Planetside", and it suffered from not quite being that game.
"Planetside" was in many ways the first MMO first-person shooter (as
opposed to games like "Battlefield 1942", whose worlds were reset
after every match) and there hadn't been anything that matched it even
in 2013. "Defiance" was seen as a possible successor to the 2003
game... but its combat was seen as inferior, as was its
smaller-feeling world (for instance, "Planetside" had three distinct
sides, whereas "Defiance" only had two). The TV show that it was
connected to was also disappointing in quality, and many felt its
attachment to the show as holding back the game.

My dear, dear Planetside. My favourite online PVP game *ever*

I had a Terran Republic character on the Emerald server which I played
exclusively for years. Then I created a TR character on Werner, my
'home' server and also dabbled with New Conglomerate and Vanu
Sovereignty characters. I was  always a TR soldier first and foremost
and despite being in Europe, my main server was always the NA server
(Emerald).

I played Planetside 1 from 2004 until it closed down in 2016. It was a
brilliant game set a persistent world. I would log off far later than
I should each night and then check the world status during the day
whilst at work. When I'd settled my family down and spent some time
with Mrs Rob in the evenings, I would do it all over again. I did that
for years and years, often spending 12+ hours in game (idling in
Sanctuary when I needed to attend to something) at times on weekends
or days off.

I think in some ways "Defiance" was seen as attempting to appeal to
mainstream audiences, as opposed to the more hard-core gamer which
played "Planetside", and since it was the latter which tended to talk
about it online, it didn't get very favorable press.

I always though of Defiance as being closer to Tabula Rasa than
Planetside. That was another game that I really liked that shut down.
I moved over to Tabula Rasa when the Flagship Studios version of
Hellgate: London closed down. A few months later Tabula Rasa also
closed down which was a double whammy for me.

My gaming consisted manly of HGL and Planetside back in those days and
then Planetside and Tabula Rasa for a short while.

I did play Planetside 2 on and off for a couple of years, but it was
(and still is) a Battlefield game with a Planetside skin. An
understandable progression for the time, but still irksome for
Planetside veterans.

A Planetside 3 or similar is being hinted at for the future.

https://massivelyop.com/2025/03/27/we-like-to-make-really-big-games-john-smedley-teases-distinct-possibility-by-namedropping-planetside-2-devs/

 

It's nice to see it getting a revival, although I'd be happier if the
server code had been released so it could get broader preservation.
I'm not interested in the game itself, but I hate to see old games
disappear.

It probably won't have a long life, but, you're right. It is nice to
see it back again!

--
Rob