Comic book writer Marv Wolfman is taking a cue from his superhero stories to team up forces once again with a powerful ally -- in this case, Sony Online Entertainment. The writer, who last worked on DC Universe Online, has now returned to the studio to flesh out the backstory for the upcoming PlanetSide 2.
Wolfman is in charge of writing a series of fictional episodes depicting the life and history of the people of Auraxis and the rising war between the three factions of the game. He's pretty jazzed about the opportunity: "I'm thrilled to be working with SOE again. Not only do I get to take elements from the original PlanetSide and further develop an extensive backstory that can help players more fully understand this incredible new world, but even better, I get to create dozens of individual characters that I hope will help bring alive the story of PlanetSide 2 for the entire player community."
In a dev diary, Creative Director Matthew Higby stresses that it's important to have not just a solid game but a believable world in which that game can take place. "Beyond grounding the design of the world, the story gives meaning to who the people fighting on it are, how they got there, their motivations and what their conflict signifies," Higby writes.
The first of these episodes will be released on the PlanetSide 2 site later this week.
Reader Comments (6)
Posted: Oct 11th 2011 2:10PM Space Cobra said
Wolfman just seems like such a neat guy. He's worked for Marvel and DC. Did the most favorite iteration of Teen Titans, made books, and has done tons of other things, in gaming, in TV, and in literature.
If I could, I'd like to get a chance to buy him some dinner and pepper him with all sorts of questions about his past and his view on things. He seems to just really enjoy his work and the enthusiasm shows, like here.
If I could, I'd like to get a chance to buy him some dinner and pepper him with all sorts of questions about his past and his view on things. He seems to just really enjoy his work and the enthusiasm shows, like here.
Posted: Oct 11th 2011 2:16PM cald said
I don't want to be chicken little, but if you're worried about backstory and NPCs in Planetside you're doing it wrong. We went from fighting over a planet to fighting over planetoids, and the only difference was that the lattice changed.
Get the gameplay right, and people won't care why they're playing the game. You're in a squad or platoon, there's a Galaxy overhead, an ANT that needs to be refueled, and a base to take. Who cares about Captain Tightpants, Major Problem, or General Error? The whole point of MMO's is that WE, the players, become those personalities. Whatever backstory you write is going to pale compared to the stories Planetside 1 vets have about "back in the day", or ever Planetside 2 players "last week, we did this and it was AWESOME!."
My point is that it's not needed. Create the environment, give us the sandbox, make sure the mechanics work, balance the weaponry and the systems and then let us have at. We'll provide the backstory, the characters, and the politics.
Get the gameplay right, and people won't care why they're playing the game. You're in a squad or platoon, there's a Galaxy overhead, an ANT that needs to be refueled, and a base to take. Who cares about Captain Tightpants, Major Problem, or General Error? The whole point of MMO's is that WE, the players, become those personalities. Whatever backstory you write is going to pale compared to the stories Planetside 1 vets have about "back in the day", or ever Planetside 2 players "last week, we did this and it was AWESOME!."
My point is that it's not needed. Create the environment, give us the sandbox, make sure the mechanics work, balance the weaponry and the systems and then let us have at. We'll provide the backstory, the characters, and the politics.
Posted: Oct 11th 2011 3:19PM JuliusSeizure said
@cald
Okay, but does it really hurt anything? I'm certain some people will appreciate it, even if you don't, so if they gain something and you don't lose anything, that's a net gain.
Now, unclench.
Reply
Okay, but does it really hurt anything? I'm certain some people will appreciate it, even if you don't, so if they gain something and you don't lose anything, that's a net gain.
Now, unclench.
Posted: Oct 11th 2011 2:19PM Davevis93 said
Seems like SOE might actually be putting some money into promoting Planetside for once. I eagerly look forward to these episodes, as while the it was always a game, having a cool back story definitely helped me with roleplaying what type of character I would be for the day/week. Whether it be a cold-hearted TR sniper putting down "dissidents" or a assault rifle toting gung-ho "freedom fighter".
Posted: Oct 11th 2011 11:44PM champagon said
please SOE don't ruin the NEW planetside like you did the OLD planetside -.-







