After some kind of  bizarre self-inflicted mental kung-fu, I seem to have accidentally tricked myself into resubbing to PlanetSide for at least one month, possibly more. I take the general point that it isn't our fault as consumers if a product doesn't do well - it does indeed need to be something that people actually want to play. Despite that, I quite fancied a go anyway.

Logged in to immediately receive my Four Year Veteran Merit, again proving what a loyal *chortle* customer *snicker* I have been all that time! I also logged in to find that my old Main Character, a TR Sniper/Support Monkey on Werner, made up approximately 1/6th of the entire Terran Republic which was quite a shock. This would have be midweek European Primetime (7pm UK / 8pm EU, ish) and really was an eye opener. Werner (the EU server) really does seem dead for all intents and purposes. It's a game where there is only PvP so player density is everything and clearly at some point in the past the remainder of the dwindling population of Werner decided more or less en masse to reroll on Gemini, the sole US server.

Seems there was talk of a final server merge, removing Werner entirely, but that Dev Communication was dated March this year and doesn't look to have been followed up on. It doesn't seem clear if PlanetSide even has devs at this stage but to be frank, at this point they could simply switch Werner off and no-one would notice. A shame as that is where my Character With All The Certs is, so it's back to boot camp for me! I've dredged up a lowbie BR7 Vanu grunt who apparently is a Veteran of Emerald, predating Gemini and also is a Four Year Veteran. The lies just keep piling up!

An enjoyable first few flings. I'd not forgotten much and still suck at aiming. I'm still in my early usual phase where I experiment with all sorts of different certifications until inevitably settling in all the Support Certs (Engineering, Combat Engineering, Fortification Engineering) and running around lots with the gluegun. Did dabble with the Lasher (VS Heavy Assault) a bit, but considering there's a 156 page (count them!) thread on how overpowered the thing is, the fact that I was running around for a whole night with one and still coming out with negative Kills/Deaths suggests that I should probably stick to my strengths; namely setting up immense minefields and sentry turrets half an hour before the enemy even arrives, and leeching support XP off of people who can actually shoot straight, by repairing their armour lots. I've gone with Lightning as my 'getting about' choice, which is a fun, if fragile, one-man tank that can splat infantry and harry most vehicles; about as survivable as the MAX suits, but packs more of a punch.

Once on the right server, and taking care to go to the right bases, the fighting is as chaotic as ever it was and it was nice to be back even if I wasn't helping a great deal personally. Generally, I can't stand (and am not very good at) PvP and I couldn't work out why PlanetSide continued to appeal so much. I think its the giant adventure playground of it all. You can play it all very seriously, getting all shoutey on Command Broadcasts when people aren't following Sound Tactical Orders and many do, but taking a step back it does all seem to be a great big game of paintball only without any of the downsides; steamed up goggles, wet and muddy forest, sedentary lifestyle making prolonged sprinting difficult and of course, the whole physical pain thing. Also, 100 paintballs costs about the same as a whole month of PS, during which time even the most inept will likely get off 100 shots before being killed! I get annoyed when I'm killed, of course and am generally a bad loser in most PvP, but overall I find myself giggling quite a lot at the absolute anarchy of the average PS base assault, and the sheer variations of the moment to moment fighting.

Tanks circle, lobbing shells with wild abandon while buggies and quad-bikes weave recklessly around them, dodging shells and hoping not to hit mines and towering at the back, giant robot suits erratically stomp about, balanced between panic and glee. Snipers line each ridge like carnival ducks, sending streaks of orange lancing all over the shop while huddled troopers try to take or hold the walls and overhead, aircraft sweep through, taking targets of opportunity where they can before the anti-air troops pop them like balloons. Crazed AMS drivers make heroic charges through it all and into the courtyards, only to have laser bolts from outer space annihilate them like vindictive rain.

And in the middle of it all, brandishing a gluegun, giggling like a loon and spamming 'I'm Repairing Our Turrets!', is me, shell-shocked in several senses of the word. Think I'll stick with it for a few months, dipping in when the mood strikes and the moment allows, and who knows, maybe even earn my way back to BR23 before the whole thing vanishes for good, as it is likely to do one month soon...