MMO Preview

We’re looking to have 2,000 people on a server. In a single map.” Those are some of the first words from Executive Producer Josh Hackney the minute I sit down at a Planetside 2 console for a preview during PAX Prime. A bold and daunting claim, especially for an MMOFPS that is still in a very tightly closed beta, but one that should be opening up within the next few months. Then again, based on scale alone, having 2,000 players in one persistent game doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

When I recently sat down for a hands-on session with representatives from the general management team for Lucent Heart, I wasn't expecting such a detailed exploration of what the game had to offer. The email with the information for our test characters specifically mentioned a so-called “dance system” – but little else could be expected by such a simplistic email message alone. Needless to say, I was in for a surprise or six and then some, as I was greeted by the most unique take on the MMORPG genre that I've ever seen yet.