Another issue that I have with the gameplay of Planetside is the lag. Most lag that players encounter during a Planetside play session is server lag, not system lag. It is possible for doors to not open at all. Sometimes, you get stuck in the respawn tubes (although Sony is currently working on a patch for this problem). I don�t recommend playing this game on anything below a cable modem. Sony recommends a broadband connection, and requires a 56K connection. Are you kidding me? This game lags on DSL. If you are a 56K user who is planning on purchasing Planetside, be advised that the game can really lag in some areas with a lot of action. You can expect to see a lot of server packet messages and you could even go LD (link dead) from time to time.
Graphics
Planetside looks simply amazing if you have the hardware to run it. That goes for almost any game, and in the case of Planetside, I recommend a PC with a lot of horsepower. To fully appreciate Planetside�s visuals, you should make sure you�ve got a cutting-edge graphics card with a fast processor. With Planetside�s large environments, it doesn�t hurt to have 768 MB of RAM or more. (Initially, I played the game with 256 MB. Big mistake; the lag made my eyes bleed. Get at least 512 MB.) Once you have a PC with great specs, you can enjoy the visuals in high resolution with all of the graphical settings as high as they can go.
The outdoor sections of Planetside look completely surreal. Continents have terrain that range from rolling, green hills to jagged glaciers. You will see dry deserts and large mountains lined with trees. There is even a large volcano with multiple bases around its caldera. Although the trees are copied throughout nearly every continent, they are placed differently, and some continents will not have the same type of tree. Forseral�s trees are generally taller than those on other continents and they like to cluster together to create large forests. Solsar has strange looking trees that resemble spikes. They look alien, and I think that is exactly the design approach that Sony�s team was trying to achieve. The vegetation on these continents can get really thick, and some continents have mushrooms, flowers and other kinds of eye candy. The bottom line is, no two continents look alike, and each one is equally eye-pleasing.
The weather effects will astound; some more than others. Snow looks the best, as it falls in close range and long range. I can�t say I was intimidated by the rain effects, which are basically thin lines falling from the sky, but the clouds from which they originate are dark and ominous. Probably the best graphical element is the giant dust storms which occur in desert continents such as Oshur. Not only do they look beautiful when you see them, but they also affect visibility relentlessly. During dust storms, combat is completely different because you can�t hear very well because of the roar, and it is unfeasible to see more than a few yards in front of you.
If I were to make any complaints about the graphical charm of Planetside, it�s that bases look too similar. I know, each type of base has a different layout, and each type features a different location for the control console and respawn tubes. But the textures used to make each facility are reused for each base. All the corridors look boring and confined; each stairway looks the same; too many repeating medical and weapon terminals. I realize that it takes a lot of effort to create such astonishing worlds, and details had to be sacrificed here and there. That is why I have faith in Sony to spruce up the facility designs a little bit in the future. Hopefully they will be given a little more life and they will be a little more enjoyable to be in.
Sounds
It�s impossible for me to not complain in this category. The good news is Planetside�s weapons sound good, mostly. The vehicles sound believable and convey the sounds of war to your home audio setup. Basically, you get a lot out of the sound package in Planetside; however I just can�t shake the fact that there could definitely be more to the sounds.
The voice macros are enjoyable to use. Whenever you need something, or want to just say hello to the soldiers at the sanctuary, you can press a combination of keys to bring up a command that your character says. These voice macros were created by Sony, and your character will actually speak to say something such as �Hi there� or �Defend our Spawn Tubes.� Not every character says everything like the others, so you may hear something like �Greetings� instead of �Well met.� The voices also sound differently, and obviously female characters have female voices. These voice macros come in use during combat because it is easily to press a couple of buttons to receive medical attention, or to give an order. The problem is memorizing these commands, but it is very simple after just a couple of weeks.
When it comes to weapon sounds, Planetside can be a mixed bag. The vanguard�s missile rounds sound very realistic when compared to actual tanks used in combat here in the real world. The weapon sounds are authentic and vary between different guns and ammunition types. For example, the Vanu Sovereignty�s pistol (the Beamer) fires slower and the sounds are deeper when in regular fire mode. Switching to secondary fire delivers a faster fire and higher-pitched sounds. The Terran Republic�s mini chaingun sounds very intimidating! It can be daunting to hear the sound of its recoil just when you think you are alone in an enemy base. The only concern I have is with the Gauss Shotgun. It isn�t justified to even call it a shotgun, as it fires exceedingly fast; similar to an assault rifle. The weapon sounds really annoying too, although it is a weapon that I prefer to most others in the game for its versatility and accuracy.
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