PlanetSide 2 Preview
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PlanetSide 2 is big on customisation. Higby describes a few potential changes players can make to their loadouts. (You can unlock anything from transmissions for your tank that allow you to go up hills faster, to squad leadership, a cool branch that lets your squad respawn directly on you in the battle.)
Each weapon and vehicle has its own skill tree, with stages along it unlocked through experience. But branches aren't solid upgrades. Instead, they'll be variants of the base model weaker armour making for a faster tank, or a larger clip at the expense of stopping power. Matt uses the Cycler assault rifle as his example, explaining how the Mk. 1, 2, 3 and 4 versions vary slightly in characteristics, but that key to this concept of '˜sidegrades' is balance. (If you're accurate and want to be fighting people from longer range, you'll take the Mk. 3. It's balanced against other models one that's more spray and pray, for example so you're not getting an actual power advantage.)
Earning the experience points to unlock new toys is a matter of time. Higby describes the mechanic as being similar to EVE Online's: players can queue skills to train while they're not playing, but there's a bonus for those who can spend more time on Auraxis. (The hardcore guy that's on for 12 hours a day will train skills a bit faster. If you're actively playing, attacking and defending objectives, you get a small bonus to that offline skill system.)
