Massively http://www.massively.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://www.massively.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/the-firing-line-world-of-warplanes-producer-talks-matchmaking/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/the-firing-line-world-of-warplanes-producer-talks-matchmaking/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/the-firing-line-world-of-warplanes-producer-talks-matchmaking/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - World of Warplanes producer interview
Last week I talked a bit about a couple of flight sim shooters coming soon to a PC near you. One of them is World of Warplanes, the followup title to Wargaming.net's ubiquitous World of Tanks hit.

The World War II action MMO masters are slipping the surly bonds of earth with a new lobby-based battler that's currently flying through the early phases of its global alpha test. I had a few burning questions for the devs, including specifics on the matchmaking system, progression, and the possibility of historical scenarios. Producer Anton Sitnikau was gracious enough to answer those and more, so head past the break to see what he had to say.

Continue reading The Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression

MassivelyThe Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anton-sitnikauexclusivef2pfeaturedfpsfree-to-playhistoricalinterviewinterviewsmassively-exclusivematchmakingmmofpsopinionplaneplanespvptflthe-firing-linethird-person-shootertpswarwargaming.netwargaming.net-matchmakingwarplanewarplanesworld-of-warplanesworld-of-warplanes-interviewworld-of-warplanes-matchmakingworld-of-warplanes-producer-interviewwowpwowp-interviewwowp-matchmakingFri, 18 May 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/the-firing-line-16th-century-fragging-edition/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/the-firing-line-16th-century-fragging-edition/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/the-firing-line-16th-century-fragging-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Image
What do War Thunder, World of Warplanes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Tribes: Ascend have in common? Not a whole lot aside from their respective appearances in this week's edition of The Firing Line.

Won't you join me after the cut for a rundown on some recent and notable online shooter news? If you're feeling particularly ornery, you can point and laugh at the fact that I'm still not in the War Thunder beta.

Continue reading The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition

MassivelyThe Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - Hands on with Firefall's beta
I'm dying on the beautiful beach outside Firefall's starter town. As I lay bleeding from a hundred holes and generally making a mess of my shiny new bumble bee-colored battleframe, my avatar collapses to the sand and says the funniest thing I've heard in a while.

"Grandpa!"

This is delivered in his best rural Georgia twang, and it lessens the sting of my latest newbie move. The whole scene is Firefall in a nutshell: It's fun, frustrating, and funny all at once.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfeaturedfirefallfirefall-betafirefall-first-impressionsfirefall-hands-onfirefall-impressionsfiring-linefirst-person-shooterfpsfree-to-playimpressionsis-firefall-an-mmommo-shootermmofpsopinionpvpred-5red-5-studiossci-fishootertflthe-firing-linethird-person-shootertpswarFri, 04 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/27/the-firing-line-five-reasons-to-love-tribes-ascend/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/27/the-firing-line-five-reasons-to-love-tribes-ascend/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/27/the-firing-line-five-reasons-to-love-tribes-ascend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend
Oh, Tribes: Ascend, if only you were an MMO.

Actually, wait a minute. When I think on it, if Hi-Rez Studios' new free-to-play sci-fi shooter were an MMO, I probably wouldn't like it as much. There's something to be said for frequent updates and instant gameplay gratification, and Tribes provides those things (and more) in spades.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - World of Tanks anniversary retrospective
We've been hearing about World of Tanks for so long that it seems crazy to think the title is just now celebrating its first anniversary. Sure enough, though, Wargaming.net's lobby-based multiplayer title is barely a year old. Well, OK. It's almost two years old if you count its summer 2010 beta release, which we won't since the title up there says first anniversary.

Anyhow, what's even scarier than the passage of time is the fact that World of Tanks (and the company behind it) is showing no signs of slowing down.

Continue reading The Firing Line: World of Tanks first-anniversary retrospective

MassivelyThe Firing Line: World of Tanks first-anniversary retrospective originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - Shooter news roundup
Dude, there was a ton of big shooter news this week!

I mean, this isn't terribly unusual, particularly since the genre is expanding at a rapid rate, but when I've got to cut interesting items out of this column for length reasons, you know it's been an eventful few days.

Join me after the break for a recap on everything from Firefall to Defiance to John Romero and beyond.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Firefall, Defiance, John Romero, and more

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Firefall, Defiance, John Romero, and more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - Can you hate EVE and love DUST?
Hoo boy, CCP and EVE Online.

Wait, what? Isn't this Massively's shooter column? Well, yes, yes it is, and if you weren't already aware, CCP has made a shooter called DUST 514 set in the EVE universe. I bring this up for two reasons. One, I'm really looking forward to the game (as I might have mentioned last time). Two, CCP has taken some lumps in the PR department over the past couple of weeks primarily because of its annual alcohol-fueled sausage-fest.

I'm not going to rehash cyber-bully scandals today, but since e-thug players will undoubtedly have some sort of DUST presence, and since DUST shares certain unforgiving gameplay tenets with its sister title, should those of you who love sandbox shooters but hate EVE Online even bother with the game?

Continue reading The Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST?

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - DUST 514 Fanfest 2012 highlights
Oh man, this back and forth between PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 is going to be the death of me. I feel like I'm cheating on one game every time I get excited about the other, but I just can't help it since both titles are drawing a bead on my personal sweet spot.

This week's Firing Line is all DUST all the time, thanks to the massive info dump at last weekend's Fanfest 2012 event. I didn't get to go to Iceland for the hands-on, unfortunately, but I did log into PlayStation Home for the keynote livestream (which is archived after the cut in case you missed it).

And I'll go ahead and beg your forgiveness for my fanboy breathlessness in advance this week. I've been an EVE Online player for a number of years now, so I'm already enamored of both the DUST universe and CCP's propensity for sandbox mechanics. What I didn't know prior to Fanfest, though, was just how deep the rabbit hole's going to go.

Continue reading The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition

MassivelyThe Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Tribes Ascend Soldier utility pack giveaway
Like Tribes: Ascend? Like the Soldier class? If you answered yes to those questions, Massively and The Firing Line have an exclusive giveaway that you're going to love. We've teamed up with Hi-Rez Studios to bring you the Soldier utility pack, which is an upgrade item that grants an additional grenade slot and additional health (don't worry, balance fans; your Soldier avatar will sacrifice a bit of his energy pool when the pack is equipped).

How can I get my hands on this fine item, you ask?

It's as easy as clicking on the giveaway button after the break. After you've secured your code, boot up your Tribes client and select "extras" from the in-game menu followed by "redeem promotion." Enter your code in the box and then click over to your Soldier class to swap out your new pack!

Continue reading The Firing Line Exclusive: Tribes Ascend utility pack giveaway

MassivelyThe Firing Line Exclusive: Tribes Ascend utility pack giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - news roundup edition
Welcome back to The Firing Line, shooter fans. I'm still recovering from Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 demo last week (as well as CCP's reveals regarding DUST 514 gameplay footage and impending beta dates).

Life goes on, though, and there are plenty of interesting tidbits to talk about with regard to our favorite genre. Won't you join me after the break for a recap?

Continue reading The Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - GDC 2012 header
This week I was fortunate enough to chat up the developers on the two biggest MMOFPS titles of the year. Exactly what year that is remains to be seen, and after hearing Sony Online Entertainment use the word "alpha" quite a lot, I suspect that PlanetSide 2 may slip into 2013. And that's not a bad thing at all, by the way.

CCP's DUST 514, on the other hand, is surely coming in 2012. The devs will be doling out some long-awaited hands-on time with EVE's precocious little brother at Fanfest in a couple of weeks, and while DUST and PS2 share similar core gameplay, their target audiences (and the general feeling I get from each game) are completely different.

Continue reading GDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux

MassivelyGDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - GDC 2012 Hi-Rez Interview, Tribes release date
It's been a crazy week at GDC, and though I've already gotten the skinny on both PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514, there's more on the way when it comes to online shooter news. Yesterday morning I headed over to the Hi-Rez Studios booth on the main show floor, where COO Todd Harris had some exciting news to share with fans of the firm's Tribes: Ascend title.

The free-to-play shooter will officially launch on April 12th, and Hi-Rez has also released a new parody trailer that pays homage to Dead Island and shows off the perils of the dreaded "llama capture" (if you're a Tribes newb, just know that speed equals survival when it comes to flag-grabs).

Join me after the cut for some Tribes-related chit-chat as well news of new content on the way for Global Agenda.

Continue reading GDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris

MassivelyGDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line - Tribes open beta edition
Skiing! Jetpacks! Pew pew!

Yes, kids, Tribes: Ascend is officially in open beta, and that means you no longer have an excuse. Hi-Rez Studios threw open the doors this morning, and despite the fact that the game's closed beta exceeded all expectations and hosted over 300,000 players since its November kickoff, there's always room for more.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to a special interview edition of The Firing Line, folks. True MMOFPS titles are few and far between these days, though 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for the genre thanks to games like PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, and possibly even Firefall. There's another massive FPS on its way, too, and even though it hasn't had quite as much press coverage as the aforementioned titles, 3000AD's Line of Defense project is worth a look.

Join me after the break for a conversation with lead designer Derek Smart as he talks about what makes the game massive as well as what sets it apart from its competitors.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Derek Smart on Line of Defense

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Derek Smart on Line of Defense originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3000-ad3000adalganoncertificatesderek-smartderek-smart-interviewexclusivef2pfeaturedfiring-linefpsfree-to-playgame-designgame-mechanisinterviewline-of-defensemassively-exclusivemmo-shootermmofpspvpquestquest-onlineshooterthe-firing-linethe-firing-line-interviewsFri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Global Agenda year two retrospective]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/02/03/the-firing-line-global-agenda-year-two-retrospective/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/03/the-firing-line-global-agenda-year-two-retrospective/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/03/the-firing-line-global-agenda-year-two-retrospective/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - Global Agenda turns two
You! Yeah, you! You still haven't played Global Agenda, have you? I know, I know, you're going to get around to it, it's on your list, blah blah and etc. While you've been dilly-dallying about, Hi-Rez Studios' sci-fi shooter has gone and turned two years old!

That's OK, though, because the game has more options, more content, and more pew-pew than at any time in its history, and thanks to a gaggle of anniversary events, now is the perfect time to saddle up.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Global Agenda year two retrospective

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Global Agenda year two retrospective originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversaryf2pfeaturedfiring-linefree-agentfree-to-playglobal-agendahi-rezhi-rez-studiosmmo-shootermmotpsopinionpatchesrecursive-colonyretrospectivesci-fithe-firing-linethird-person-shootertwo-year-anniversaryupdatesyes-it-is-an-mmoFri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/02/02/the-firing-line-extra-tribes-todd-harris-on-class-customizatio/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/02/the-firing-line-extra-tribes-todd-harris-on-class-customizatio/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/02/the-firing-line-extra-tribes-todd-harris-on-class-customizatio/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tribes Ascend - Blood Eagle vs. Diamond Sword rock, paper, scissors
Today's a big day for fans of Tribes: Ascend, and it's also a big day for Hi-Rez Studios, the Atlanta-based indie firm behind the upcoming online shooter.

You see, today is patch day, and while that's not terribly unusual (Hi-Rez has updated the Tribes beta client early and often since the start of closed testing last November), the latest tweak is a bit of fan service that will likely bring smiles to the faces of franchise die-hards waiting in the wings to see what becomes of their baby.

Continue reading The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay

MassivelyThe Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blood-eagleclass-customizationclassesdiamond-swordexclusivefeaturedfiring-linefpsgame-mechanicsgameplayhi-rezhi-rez-studiosinterviewloadoutsmmo-shooteronline-shootersci-fishazbotshooterskiingthe-firing-linethe-firing-line-extratodd-harristribestribes-ascenduiui-upgradeThu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/01/27/the-firing-line-newsplosion-edition/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/27/the-firing-line-newsplosion-edition/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/27/the-firing-line-newsplosion-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - zomg it's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. header
Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line.

Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Newsplosion edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crytekf2pfeaturedfiring-linefpsfree-to-playgaijingaijin-entertainmentgamersfirstghost-reconghost-recon-onlinejesse-knappmatt-higbymmo-shootermmofpsmmotpsnews-roundupnewsplosiononline-shooteropinionplanetside-2roundupshootersoeSony-Online-Entertainmentstalkerstalker-onlinetaikodomthe-firing-linethird-person-shootertom-clancys-ghost-reconubisoftwar-thunder-world-of-planeswarfacewargaming.networld-of-planesworld-of-warplanesFri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: What ever happened to that game?]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/01/20/the-firing-line-what-ever-happened-to-that-game/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/20/the-firing-line-what-ever-happened-to-that-game/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/20/the-firing-line-what-ever-happened-to-that-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - Repulse soldier header
Online shooters are a dime a dozen these days. Heck, so are MMOs. I can't get up from my computer chair for five minutes without missing some sort of PR blast about the latest, greatest gift to gamingkind.

It's easy to lose track of all these titles, and it's even easier when some of said titles are fairly niche to begin with. In this week's edition of The Firing Line, I'm going to figure out something to write about until I get into the PlanetSide 2 beta. Er, I mean, I'm going to do a little detective work in an attempt to figure out what happened to a few of the MMO shooters that have dropped off my radar.

Continue reading The Firing Line: What ever happened to that game?

MassivelyThe Firing Line: What ever happened to that game? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aeria-gamesbattleground-europecornered-ratcornered-rat-softwareduplex-systemsface-of-mankindfeaturedfpsgamersfirstgenesis-adhi-rezhi-rez-studioshoplon-infotainmentijjimmo-shootermmofpsnexeonopinionrepulsesandboxsci-fishootertaikodomtribestribes-universeworld-war-2-onlineww2olFri, 20 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/01/13/the-firing-line-thousand-player-dogfights-and-more-planetside-2/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/13/the-firing-line-thousand-player-dogfights-and-more-planetside-2/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/13/the-firing-line-thousand-player-dogfights-and-more-planetside-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - PlanetSide 2 reaver
Welcome back to The Firing Line, boys and girls. Last week I talked at length about PlanetSide 2, and despite the fact that I'm apparently unqualified to do so according to some folks, I'm going to do it again this week.

How do ya like them apples?

Anyhow, that's not all I'm going to talk about, as a couple of other online shooters made news over the last seven days. Most of you know that I can't pass up the opportunity to mention Tribes: Ascend, and oh yeah, would you believe there's an aerial combat game that supports 1,000-player dogfights?

Continue reading The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1000-player-dogfightair-combatair-warcosplaycrystal-grazianofeaturedfirefallfiring-linefpshi-rezhi-rez-studioslee-rehermanmasangmasang-softmmo-shootermmofpsopinionplanetside-2ps2red-5red-5-studiossci-fishootersoeSony-Online-Entertainmentthe-firing-linetop-gun-onlinetribestribes-ascendvideoFri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/01/06/the-firing-line-the-pleasures-and-pitfalls-of-planetside-2/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/06/the-firing-line-the-pleasures-and-pitfalls-of-planetside-2/http://www.massively.com/2012/01/06/the-firing-line-the-pleasures-and-pitfalls-of-planetside-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Firing Line - PlanetSide 2 trooper opens fire
My time in PlanetSide was a blur. It's also a ways back in the rear view mirror, and I've played so many MMOs in the interim that I can't even remember exactly when it was. The game originally shipped in May of 2003, and I was entrenched in Star Wars Galaxies from its June 2003 launch going forward. That would put my six week (de)tour with the Terran Republic somewhere circa 2004, maybe? I forget.

The point I'm getting around to, though, is that regardless of hazy dates, PlanetSide stands out as one of those seminal MMO experiences that showcased the possibility inherent in this particular genre. The upcoming reboot, then, should be pretty spectacular and deserving of some fanboi adulation, right?

Well, yes and no.

Continue reading The Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2

MassivelyThe Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auraxisbase-controlbasesfeaturedfiring-lineforgelightforgelight-enginefpsgame-mechanicsmission-systemmmo-shootermmofpsopen-worldopinionpersistencepersistent-warplanetsideplanetside-2planetside2player-contentplayer-generated-contentplayer-generated-missionsplayer-missionsresource-controlsandboxsci-fishootersoeSony-Online-Entertainmentspeculationterritory-controlthe-firing-lineFri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST