History Videogame / PlanetSide

* FollowTheLeader: The gunplay in ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' is very similar to ''[[Videogame/{{Battlefield3}} Battlefield 3]]'', although granted it is vastly superior to the gunplay in the first ''[=PlanetSide=]''. It also does vehicle suspension similar to ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield3}} Battlefield 3]]''--in the grim darkness of the far future, [[SchizoTech there is no vehicle suspension]]: every vehicle handles (aside from the Sunderer, which has [[TheFifties 1950s]] Cadillac suspension) like the wheels are welded onto the bodywork, creating a bone-shattering ride which makes driver-mounted weapons on the Flash utterly pointless when driving faster than 15 km/h. Even tanks suffer from it, especially the Prowler due its shape; it's very wide and very short, allowing it to smash into basically every bump on the road.

* DualModeUnit: The Terran Republic's Prowler main battle tank in ''[=PS2=]'' is moderately armored, fast, and kitted out with a pair of [=120mm=] cannons. Its primarily "Utility" ability is Anchored Mode, which causes its wheels to deploy pitons into the ground, locking it in place, and [[MoreDakka ramping up its dakka potential to a whole new level]] - when maxed out, Anchored Mode increases the Prowler's rate of fire by 48%, reduces reload time by 48% and its projectile velocity is increased to 30%, allowing it to blast vehicles from a kilometer out with its rapid fire Armor-Piercing cannon or [[AntiAir swat aircraft out of the sky when parked on a hill]], or [[InstantDeathRadius murder all infantry within half a mile]] when kitted out with the High Explosive cannons. The TR's [[PoweredArmor MAX armor]] in both games has Lockdown, which like the tank, anchors the MAX into the ground with thigh-mounted pitons, while [[MoreDakka increasing its rate of fire and reload speed]]. In the original game, the MAX was designed around Lockdown--it had terrible DPS unless it was locked down, but became pin-point accurate and could out-DPS every other MAX when it was locked down. ''[=PS2=]'''s Lockdown is less powerful in exchange for the MAX being more useful when not locked down.

* The '''Terran Republic (TR)''', or [[TheRemnant what's left of them]] on Auraxis, remain loyal to TheEmpire: Their ultimate goal is to re-establish the wormhole and bring the planet back under Terran control. Their weapons and vehicles follow the MoreDakka school of design, spewing bullets/shells at high rates of fire and with great accuracy but at relatively low damage per shot. They also possess the fastest vehicles. [[http://web.archive.org/web/20060210080448/http://www.terranrepublic.com/ Website]]

* The '''Vanu Sovereignty (VS)''' are a [[MachineWorship cult]] of scientists and other intellectuals who embrace [[{{Precursor}} Vanu]] technology to a much greater extent than the other factions, hoping to eventually AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence as they believe the Vanu themselves did. {{Energy Weapon}}s are their specialty, often with the unique ability to fire in standard or armor-piercing modes using the same ammo. Their vehicles are relatively fragile, but have hover drives that allow them to strafe and scoot across bodies of water to attack from unexpected angles. [[http://web.archive.org/web/20060105170210/http://www.vanusovereignty.com/ Website]]

At its core ''[=PlanetSide=]'' is a skill-oriented FPS with a "territory capture" style of gameplay, featuring a large variety of weapons, vehicles, and special abilities. However, it involves much more strategy and teamwork than a typical shooter, and is noticeably slower-paced. One reason for this is the scale: There are ten contested continents, each of which is a single zone (no instancing!) about 200 square miles in size and capable of hosting up to 133 players ''per faction'', making for a maximum of 500. To stay organized, players can form impromptu "squads" of up to 10 or "platoons" of up to 30, and the more permanent "outfits" (equivalent to guilds/clans) can be indefinitely large and have their own ranks and command hierarchy.

In 2005, as player numbers continued to decline, [[ExecutiveMeddling SOE added in-game advertising]] to ''[=PlanetSide=]'', without reducing or removing the existing $15-per-month subscription fee. Despite ostensibly doing this because the game could no longer survive on subscription income alone, the move caused many a head-scratch: As a sci-fi game set thousands of years in the future on a just-discovered planet completely cut off from society, [=PlanetSide=] was probably the worst possible candidate for in-game advertising to begin with. However, the ads (which have since been removed) apparently did provide enough revenue to allow the dev team to continue fixing balance issues and adding the occasional new weapon or vehicle to the game.

''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' was launched for the PC on Nov 20, 2012. It will also be ported onto the PlayStation4. It features much faster-paced combat than the original, typically compared to ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield3}} Battlefield 3]]''. There are less continents and they are overall smaller, but are much more "dense", with more areas to contest compared to the original game. The do-it-yourself loadouts of yore (which lead to [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome everyone carrying the exact same loadout]]) have been replaced by a distinct class system - Medics, Engineers, Light (and Heavy) Assault, et cetera.

* AwesomePersonnelCarrier: The Sunderer (a.k.a. "Bangbus") vehicles, massive trucks bristling with guns, equipped with a rechargeable {{EMP}} blast, and capable of transporting heavy armor. They're also the only vehicles with a horn, making them sound a lot like an eighteen-wheeler as they crash straight through your base's shielding.
** The lightweight Deliverer family of [=APCs=] are close. While they lack the ridiculous armor, [=EMP=] blast, and [=MAX=] slots of the Sunderer vehicles, they have higher mobility and are amphibious (an ability otherwise found only on the VS-exclusive hover vehicles and hard-to-obtain Ancient Tech vehicles).
** The sequel's Sunderer has more hit points than a tank, and doesn't have the cripplingly weak rear armor. Even when fighting front to front, a Sunderer with only one gunner on the default heavy machinegun has a good chance of winning a one on one fight with the Lightning light tank - both gunners, and it'll win against a Main Battle Tank that doesn't have a secondary gunner.
* AwesomeButImpractical: The Scorpion Special Assault missile / grenade / flak launcher ''thing'', which fires a missile which explodes in midair and showers the area below it in deadly shrapnel. The weapon requires players to press right mouse to lock a range for missile detonation, but the missile will explode at ''that'' range you set, not at the point you set - meaning if you lock the range at a hill below you, then aim towards the horizon (so the shrapnel has enough dispersion), the missile will gracefully sail towards the enemy, and then blow up in midair before it reaches the enemy because the hypotenuse of your range-lock aim is longer than the horizontal aim. You need trigonometry to use this weapon at long range.
** The Phoenix Rocket Launcher that the NC has in Planetside 2 has a camera-guided missile that can be controlled in mid-flight. Unfortunately, it has very limited range, low damage, and the person firing it is a sitting duck while controlling the missile.

* BeamSpam: The Vanu Sovereignty infantry are basically walking laser raves. Though any large battle will look like this from a distance due to EveryBulletIsATracer, nothing is quite as disorienting for the first time as approaching a VS base under cover of dark, suddenly to find thousands of strobing purple and cyan neon-like rays blasting at you from every doorway, window, and catwalk, leading to a rain of brightly glowing multicoloured sparks as bits of the scenery vapourise around you.

** The 150mm cannon on the New Conglomerate's Vanguard tank can one-shot many lightly-armored vehicles. Hitting the ground anywhere near infantry will often instagib them, or at least leave them badly hurting.

* BubblegloopSwamp: Hossin is full of waterlogged swamps with ''massive'' trees. The Extinction battle island is basically the same, but smaller and a bitch to navigate.
* CallBack: Even though by ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' each empire has its own set of taunts, they're all reported in chat spam using the classic Planetside taunt of "Your best is my worst!"
* CarFu: In the early days of ''[=PS1=]'', heavy vehicles were frighteningly effective at mowing down entire squads of infantry; this was especially popular in the Vanu Sovereignty's strafe-capable hover-tank, the Magrider, which earned it the nickname "Magmower". In ''[=PS2=]'', tanks are not slowed down by running over infantry, so it's easy to plow through dozens of troopers and kill them all without even firing the main guns. In fact, this is even rewarded with a "Roadkill bonus".

* CyberPunkIsTechno: The Vanu Sovereignty in ''[=PS2=]'' drops their otherworldly music from ''1'' in favor of ''Music/DaftPunk''-esque techno.

* DarkIsNotEvil: The Republic in ''2''. While they retain their sinister red gas masked infantry, they are no longer an oppressive totalitarian regime but an actual real republic that have been forced into drastic measures by circumstances.

** [[GunshipRescue Galaxy]] [[ItsRainingMen "Paratroopers"]]
** [[MoreDakka Galaxy Gunship]]
** {{Drop Pod}}

*** In Planetside 2:
** The Liberator makes a comeback as a gunship, armed with four gatling guns or powerful artillery.

* DiegeticInterface: Non-treaded vehicles in ''Planetside 2'' have most of their status (speed, health, etc) listed on actual 3D displays in the cockpit. Tanks lack the displays and instead use a standard HUD, though each tank has a unique themed HUD.

* DilatingDoor: Ancient Vanu facilities in the caverns feature large, round doors which vanish when approached, then re-materialize a few seconds later. Human facilities feature the standard sci-fi doors which split along their center and slide to the sides. Tech Plant vehicle bay doors slide into the ground. ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' lacks any doors (except in the tutorial), instead using force fields.

** ''2'' allows all soldiers the use of any vehicle or class, but different infantry/vehicle weapons, character improvements (such as improved repair speed), and alternate abilities requires you to spent certification points. You can specialize in your preferred vehicle role, but you're not completely barred from anything else.
* DoNotRunWithAGun: Holding a weapon significantly reduces the player's mobility, so you have to holster it when traveling long distances. Also, forfeiting mobility by taking a kneeled stance will ''greatly'' increase weapon accuracy, so don't even think about using some weapons while moving or standing! In ''[=PS2=]'', one cannot holster their weapon, but the "Sprint" button will cause you to run and lower their weapon. Once the player stops running, it takes a couple moments for accuracy to recover to normal.

* DualModeUnit: The Terran Republic's Prowler main battle tank in ''[=PS2=]'' is moderately armored, fast, and kitted out with a pair of 120mm cannons. Its primarily "Utility" ability is Anchored Mode, which causes its wheels to deploy pitons into the ground, locking it in place, and [[MoreDakka ramping up its dakka potential to a whole new level]] - when maxed out, Anchored Mode increases the Prowler's rate of fire by 48%, reduces reload time by 48% and its projectile velocity is increased to 30%, allowing it to blast vehicles from a kilometer out with its rapid fire Armor-Piercing cannon or [[AntiAir swat aircraft out of the sky when parked on a hill]], or [[InstantDeathRadius murder all infantry within half a mile]] when kitted out with the High Explosive cannons. The TR's [[PoweredArmor MAX armor]] in both games has Lockdown, which like the tank, anchors the MAX into the ground with thigh-mounted pitons, while [[MoreDakka increasing its rate of fire and reload speed]]. In the original game, the MAX was designed around Lockdown - it had terrible DPS unless it was locked down, but became pin-point accurate and could out-DPS every other MAX when it was locked down. ''[=PS2=]'''s Lockdown is less powerful in exchange for the MAX being more useful when not locked down.

* FollowTheLeader: The gunplay in ''Planetside 2'' is very similar to ''Videogame/BattleField3'', although granted it is vastly superior to the gunplay in the first ''Planetside''. It also does vehicle suspension similar to ''Battlefield 3'' - in the grim darkness of the far future, [[SchizoTech there is no vehicle suspension]] - every vehicle handles (aside from the Sunderer, which has [[TheFifties 1950s]] Cadillac suspension) like the wheels are welded onto the bodywork, creating a bone-shattering ride which makes driver-mounted weapons on the Flash utterly pointless when driving faster than 15 km/h. Even tanks suffer from it, especially the Prowler due its shape; it's very wide and very short, allowing it to smash into basically every bump on the road.

* {{Freemium}}: The "Reserves" program in ''[=PS1=]'' ran for a year. Anyone could register for an account and play the game, but they were restricted to Battle Rank 6 and Command Rank 1, which severely limited what they could do on each character - forcing them into CripplingOverspecialization or making them a MasterOfNone. [[HumongousMecha Battle Frame Robotics]] was totally out of reach for Reserve players.
** ''[=PS2=]'' is totally free to play, but "Members" get $5.00 worth of Station Cash per month, up to 50% XP and resources boost, 4x passive cert gain (2 certs per hour rather than one every other hour), earlier access to some cosmetic items and higher priority in server/continent queues, for down from $14.99 a month. Membership scales with time subscribed - a 1 month member only gets a 10% XP boost, while the 6 month Auraxium member gets the full 50% XP boost.

* FunWithAcronyms: Beside the BFR and the MAX, there's the worker ANT, the all-in-one engineer tool ACE, BANK, TRAP and probably a few more.

** The Mini Chaingun has the BRRT (Ballistic Rapid Refire Toggle), previously called the FART (Fast Action Refire Trigger) - which speeds up the MCG's rate of fire while [[WrittenSoundEffect imitating the noise the MCG makes with its name]].

* GasMaskMooks: Terran Republic REXO armor uses a gas mask helmet in ''Planetside 1''. In ''Planetside 2'', the Composite Helmet cosmetic armor for Terran players gives them a sharply sloping gas mask that covers all of their face below their goggles. The Dreadnought helmet gives them a full-on gas mask [[http://i.imgur.com/iOY45m1.jpg reminiscent]] of a ''Film/StarWars'' Stormtrooper helmet.

** ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' -- The Terran Republic saved humanity from a generation of total warfare, climatic and environmental destruction, and likely extinction to create a mixed-economy socialist utopia on Earth - on the fleet to Auraxis, however, the Republican government becomes increasingly authoritarian and martial in hopes of curbing insurrectionary violence among the strandees (which is either sensible or reactionary, depending on your perspective). The New Conglomerate was a cartel founded by industry leaders and their paid mercenaries to pressure the Republic to relax industrial and commercial regulations, and was later joined by libertarians and others who see the Terran Republic and its culture of planetary/species-statehood as the irrelevant premodern legacy of a world that no longer needs to be saved (a view which might either be described as modern and radical or a naïve rehash of mistaken old ideologies). The Vanu Sovereignty in [=PlanetSide=] 2 really step up the MachineWorship act; not only do they obsess over the alien technology and what humanity could seek to become through reverse engineering it (a prospect either horrifying or visionary, depending on perspective), but some of them even claim to have experienced quasi-mystical, transcendental, or else merely life-altering states of consciousness associated with physically touching certain artefacts, with Vanu being the name they give to these altered states of consciousness (which is either plain craziness, or possible evidence of some poorly understood interaction between the technology and the human nervous system).

* GunAccessories: Like ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'', ''Planetside 2'' has a large amount of customization for your weapons. Laser sights, alternate foregrips, silencers, compensators, flash supressors, bigger magazines, and alternate sights are available on many weapons. Some weapons can take alternate ammo types, such as shotguns being able to use slug or buckshot ammo, and a few weapons can mount other weapons on them, such as the assault rifles being able to carry a single-shot shotgun, high explosive grenade or smoke launcher.

* HumongousMecha: [=BFRs=], introduced in the ''Aftershock'' update. Ostensibly an acronym for "[=BattleFrame=] Robotics", but everyone knows it really stands for "Big F--ing Robots".

* InstantDeathRadius: New Conglomerate [=MAXes=] can use fully automatic assault shotguns - and one on each arm. Two shots is enough to kill any infantry within a few meters, and anyone further away can just be hosed down with hundreds of buckshot pellets. Terran Republic Prowler tanks likewise are infantry murder machines, especially when loaded with the anchored mode and high-explosive cannons. One blast from its dual cannons is enough to almost kill any infantry, while the second shot is basically guaranteed to kill them.

* ItsRainingMen: The HART Shuttle allows you to land nearly anywhere on a continent via orbital drop pod, while the Galaxy heavy air transport allows up to a dozen troopers to eject simultaneously onto an objective.

** While the Beamer received an upgrade for Planetside 2, it remains the second weakest in damage per shot out of all the pistols, and the only weaker pistol, the Terran Repeater, has a considerably higher damage output anyway due to its three-round burst shooting and much higher rate of fire.

* LightningBruiser: The Prowler in ''[=PS2=]'' is the fastest main battle tank tank, can climb like a mountain goat, and packs a pair of powerful cannons that eats infantry alive. The Lightning single-person tank also applies- while not quite as durable as a heavy tank, it can still do heavy damage to unwary larger tanks that are too slow to react to the Lightning flanking around to their weak rear armor.

** As of Game Update 04, the Flash. It can be outfitted with a front-facing grenade launcher that is extremely effective against both infantry and tanks. It also has a back seat where any infantry weapon can be fired from, including rocket launchers that have no trouble downing aircraft and tanks in a handful of hits, fire semi auto, or be charged for massive damage. Without upgrades it moves at 70KMH, and is amongst the best handling vehicles while being small, cheap to give stealth upgrades, and can mount a radar that reveals every enemy for a hundred meters.

* LostColony: Auraxis in ''[=PS2=]'' becomes one of these - 300,000 men and women were sent on a fleet of 200 ships through a wormhole that appears every 98 years, but the wormhole abruptly collapsed after only 40,000 people made it through, stranding them on the other side for a hundred years. Fighting broke out on the ships as they searched for over a year to find a planet they could colonize.

** At least until recently when the devs announced Operation: Make Faster Game which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. They have released a handful of videos on their youtube channel discussing some of the issues and hiccups they're hoping to address.

* QuickMelee: Present in ''[=PS2=]''. Pressing the middle mouse button or T will make you whip out an empire-specific knife inhumanly fast and slash it at the enemy - two slashes is a kill against everything but MAX and Heavy Assault (with their shields on). [=MAXes=] bludgeon targets in front of them with their arms to the same effect. Averted in ''[=PS1=]'', where melee requires you to switch to the knife, and the knife's powered mode (chainsaw, magnetic cutting, plasma cutting) made it *incredibly* loud, making it more or less a [[CherryTapping humiliation weapon]]. Slash attacks without the powered mode were very weak.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: The Terran Republic in ''1'' has black and red armor, and are controlled by an [[TheEmpire oppressive oligarchy]]. ''2'' drops most of the black paint in favor of gray (at least on the infantry) and makes the Republic an [[TheFederation actual Republic]]. In fact, a Terran Republic speech in the second game condemns the idea of fascism and oligarchy and proceeds to accuse the New Conglomerate of supporting such ideals.

* RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth: ''Planetside 2'' has all the foot soldiers equipped with a regenerating, ''Halo''-style shield. Health is damaged directly when the shield is down, and does not regenerate unless healed by a medic (or a medic activating his healing aura on himself). MAX suits do not have any shields, and only have armor - meaning that they can only be "healed" by an engineer.

** In ''Planetside 2'', the Advanced Mobile Station can be equipped on the Sunderer transport vehicle- while lacking a cloaking device, it makes up for it by being one of the most durable vehicles in the game, second only to the Galaxy air transport craft.
* ResurrectiveImmortality: The ancient Vanu respawning system. When a person walks through a Warpgate, they are "matrixed" into the machinery inside Auraxis. When the person is killed, they will be rebuilt - in the backstory, it caused quite a shock when a Terran commander executed a rogue pilot for flying into a warpgate - the next day, he found the pilot sitting under a tree on a different continent.

* RiskStyleMap: While Planetside used a lattice-type system of bases being linked by simple lines regardless of location (sometimes leading to surprisingly tactically valuable bases in otherwise useless areas), Planetside 2 uses a mix of this and a tabletop-style hexagonal adjacency system. Although as of [=GU9=] Indar has been converted back to a lattice system and the other continents are due to be converted to improve the battle flow.

* ShouldersOfDoom: Terran MAX and Heavy Assault infantry in ''[=PS2=]'' have enormous shoulder guards when outfitted with the Composite Armor cosmetic.

* SniperScopeSway: Present in ''[=PS2=]'' with scopes above 6x magnification. Holding the sprint button while looking down the sights allows the player to hold their breath.

* {{Stripperiffic}}: Thoroughly [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in both [=PS1=] and [=PS2=], though especially noticeably in 2 with its vastly improved graphics. In both games, male and female character models have nearly identical combat armor- and in [=PS1=], with only slight model differences limited to those necessary to accommodate the different average torso proportions of males and females - slightly more V-shaped in men, with broader chest and shoulders relative to waist and hips, and slightly more X-shaped in women, with broader hips and chest relative to waist. While females retain the same outfits as males in 2, they are considerably more curvy compared to their PS1 counterparts due to the updated graphics and a mid-beta model change- especially noticeable on the Vanu Sovereignty troops and their [[LatexSpaceSuit near-skintight suits]].
** Said suits are worn by both VS females [[StupidSexyFlanders and males]]. For both of the other factions, though, it's identical combat fatigues all the way. That and, in all three factions, [[PoweredArmor Mechanized Assault Exo-Suits]] come in only one size and shape[[note]][[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/images/12/may/ps20.jpg I dare you! I double dare you, motherfucker! Ask me to make you a sandwich one more goddamn time!]][[/note]].

** [=NC=] Vanguard: Has the most armor and an accurate, powerful cannon, but is also the slowest.
** [=TR=] Prowler: Maximum firepower when fully-crewed, with dual rapid-fire cannons ''and'' a machine gun turret.
** [=VS=] Magrider: This agile amphibious HoverTank can ''strafe'', and has a precision railgun as the main cannon.

* TrailersAlwaysLie: Let's just say the CGI trailer for ''2'' has little to no bearing on actual gameplay and leave it at that.

* TheEmpire: The Terran Republic in ''1'' is an oppressive, totalitarian oligarchy that has kept peace on Earth for a thousand years with an iron fist.
* TheFederation: The Terran Republic in ''2'' is much LighterAndSofter than the original game, instead being more of a socialistic, fairly free society. However, the isolated [[TheRemnant Auraxis remnant]] was pushed into [[FascistsBedTime extreme measures]] to conserve supplies, leading to the discontent that effectively created the New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty.

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized

* WeaponOfPeace: The Liberator. In ''Planetside 1'', it's a high-altitude carpet bomber. In ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'', it's a giant gunship with high-explosive anti-tank cannons or quad Gatling guns, as well as an anti-air rear gunner seat to defend from pesky air superiority fighters and a primary recoil-less cannon gun that can be upgraded into a chaingun that absolutely ''shreds'' ground vehicles.

* DilatingDoor: Ancient Vanu facilities in the caverns feature large, round doors which vanish when approached, then re-materialize a few seconds later. Human facilities feature the standard sci-fi doors which split along their center and slide to the sides. Tech Plant vehicle bay doors slide into the ground. ''Planetside 2'' lacks any doors (except in the tutorial), instead using forcefields.

* TheEngineer: Engineering is a common certification, especially among higher-leveled players with cert points to spare. Engineers can repair soldiers' armor and vehicles with the basic certification. Further certifications (Combat Engineer) allow the engineer to place high explosive mines, automated turrets, sensors, and manually detonated explosives. ''Further'' certifications past Combat Engineering allow the engineers to place tank traps, large manually operated turrets, stealth field generators, upgrade base Phalanx turrets with anti-tank 100mm high explosive cannons or anti-air flak cannons, and upgrade stealth field generators to restore ammo.

* EverybodyHatesMathematics: In-game. The Scorpion weapon system in ''Planetside 1'' requires trigonometry to even deal damage (aside from blind luck), and as such, it's almost totally ignored. Flail artillery is similar, since its target painter doesn't account for elevation and simply aiming at the marker won't do.

* EveryBulletIsATracer: Almost all weapons have tracers color-coded per faction. Vanu Sovereignty tracers are blue (purple for their lasers), New Conglomerate tracers are yellow, and Terran Republic tracers are red. Some weapons like the anti-tank weaponry just have smoke trails, and the 10mm revolvers have an extremely fast-moving bullet that's almost impossible to see.

* FollowTheLeader: The gunplay in ''Planetside 2'' is very similar to ''Videogame/BattleField3'', although granted it is vastly superior to the gunplay in the first ''Planetside''. It also does vehicle suspension similar to ''Battlefield 3'' - in the grim darkness of the far future, [[SchizoTech there is no vehicle suspension]] - every vehicle handles (aside from the Sunderer, which has [[TheFifties 1950s]] Cadillac suspension) like the wheels are welded onto the bodywork, creating a bone-shattering ride which makes driver-mounted weapons on the Flash utterly pointless when driving faster than 15kph. Even tanks suffer from it, especially the Prowler due its shape; it's very wide and very short, allowing it to smash into basically every bump on the road.

* HighlyConspicuousUniform: All the Empires are guilty of this. The Terran Republic has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/images/e/ec/TRRexoArmors2.jpg bright red and black uniforms]], the Vanu Sovereignty has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/index.php?title=Image:VS_Rexos.jpg shiny purple and green]] armor, and the New Conglomerate has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/images/5/54/NCRexoArmors.jpg neon yellow and blue]]. ''PlanetSide 2'' tones down the colors on the uniforms, but the red stripes and goggles of the TR, arctic camouflage of the NC, and cyan TronLines of the VS still stand out.

* QuickMelee: Present in ''[=PS2=]''. Pressing the middle mouse button or T will make you whip out an empire-specific knife inhumanly fast and slash it at the enemy - two slashes is a kill against everything but MAX and Heavy Assault (with their shields on). MAXes bludgeon targets in front of them with their arms to the same effect. Averted in ''[=PS1=]'', where melee requires you to switch to the knife, and the knife's powered mode (chainsaw, magnetic cutting, plasma cutting) made it *incredibly* loud, making it more or less a [[CherryTapping humiliation weapon]]. Slash attacks without the powered mode were very weak.

* JetPack: The Vanu Sovereignty MAX suits have a built in jet pack in [=PlanetSide=] 1. In [=PS2=], the Light Assault player class has access to a jetpack that can be upgraded for better fuel consumption and regeneration time, or switched out for a more situational jetpack that has greatly decreased vertical gain but lets players 'drift' great distances.

* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: New Conglomerate and Terran Republic weapons follow this. The Conglomerate uses a lot of [[{{MagneticWeapons}} railguns]] and shotguns, whereas the Terrans just rely on regular guns [[{{MoreDakka}} shooting a ton of bullets everywhere.]]
* LaResistance: The New Conglomerate in ''1'' is the "good" faction, dedicated to opposing the Terran Republic's tyranny and opposing the Vanu Sovereignty because of their fear of Ancient Vanu technology. They are significantly more gray in ''2''.

** As of GU08, the Harasser buggy is this as well. While the mounted gun is now given to the passenger instead of the driver, said gun can be replaced with the more powerful variants normally found on Sunderers and main battle tanks, and the vehicle's rear rumble seat is large enough to carry a player in a MAX suit for even more firepower. The Harasser is also more heavily armored than the Flash (although it can still be damaged by light infantry weaponry), and can hit faster speeds without investing in upgrades to do so.

** ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' -- The Terran Republic saved humanity from a generation of total warfare, climatic and environmental destruction, and likely extinction to create a mixed-economy socialist utopia on Earth - on the fleet to Auraxis, however, the Republican government becomes increasingly authoritarian and martial in hopes of curbing insurrectionary violence among the strandees (which is either sensible or reactionary, depending on your perspective). The New Conglomerate was a cartel founded by industry leaders and their paid mercenaries to pressure the Republic to relax industrial and commercial regulations, and was later joined by libertarians and others who see the Terran Republic and its culture of planetary/species-statehood as the irrelevant premodern legacy of a world that no longer needs to be saved (a view which might either be described as modern and radical or a naïve rehash of mistaken old ideologies). The Vanu Sovereignty in [=PlanetSide=] 2 really step up the MachineCult act; not only do they obsess over the alien technology and what humanity could seek to become through reverse engineering it (a prospect either horrifying or visionary, depending on perspective), but some of them even claim to have experienced quasi-mystical, transcendental, or else merely life-altering states of consciousness associated with physically touching certain artefacts, with Vanu being the name they give to these altered states of consciousness (which is either plain craziness, or possible evidence of some poorly understood interaction between the technology and the human nervous system).

* GlassCannon: The empire-specific fighters (ESFs) in ''2''. They have the [[FragileSpeedster highest speed of any vehicles in the game]] and enough potential firepower to pose a serious threat to ground and air targets alike. They also have less health than any other vehicle save the Flash ATV, and unlike most are vulnerable to small arms fire. A well-aimed tank shell or unguided rocket can swat a fighter instantly.

** ''Planetside 2'''s skybox has an enormous gas giant with an Earth-like moon. Night time has red and blue nebula in the sky and, on Esamir, beautiful aurora borealis.

* CarFu: In the early days of [=PS1=], heavy vehicles were frighteningly effective at mowing down entire squads of infantry; this was especially popular in the Vanu Sovereignty's strafe-capable hover-tank, the Magrider, which earned it the nickname "Magmower". In [=PS2=], tanks are not slowed down by running over infantry, so it's easy to plow through dozens of troopers and kill them all without even firing the main guns. In fact, this is even rewarded with a "Roadkill bonus".
* CargoCult: In [=PS2=], the Vanu Sovereignty regard the aliens they named themselves after with [[{{Precursors}} Precursor-like]] reverence, and actually worship the [[LostTechnology technology they left behind]]. There's a few implications that the artifacts might be [[ArtifactOfDoom brainwashing them and driving them]] [[ScaryDogmaticAliens to spread their creed to the other humans on Auraxis]].

* CallBack: Even though by Planetside 2 each empire has its own set of taunts, they're all reported in chat spam using the classic Planetside taunt of "Your best is my worst!"

[=PlanetSide=] is an MMOFPS ([[{{MMORPG}} Massively Multiplayer Online]] FirstPersonShooter) developed by Sony Online Entertainment and released in 2003. It is likely the second true MMOFPS ever to be released, after ''VideoGame/WorldWarIIOnline'' (2001), and is remarkably still online to this day, despite its vanishingly small market share relative to the overall MMO space.

At its core [=PlanetSide=] is a skill-oriented FPS with a "territory capture" style of gameplay, featuring a large variety of weapons, vehicles, and special abilities. However, it involves much more strategy and teamwork than a typical shooter, and is noticeably slower-paced. One reason for this is the scale: There are ten contested continents, each of which is a single zone (no instancing!) about 200 square miles in size and capable of hosting up to 133 players ''per faction'', making for a maximum of 500. To stay organized, players can form impromptu "squads" of up to 10 or "platoons" of up to 30, and the more permanent "outfits" (equivalent to guilds/clans) can be indefinitely large and have their own ranks and command hierarchy.

Shortly after [=PlanetSide=]'s release and surprisingly good reception, SOE angled for a cash-in with the game's first and only expansion pack, ''Core Combat''. It introduced several subterranean battle zones, filled with strange crystalline structures and hopelessly confusing networks of ziplines. Capturing cavern facilities would reward your faction with "modules" that could be installed into bases on the surface, providing access to new Ancient Tech weapons and vehicles as well as some other useful benefits. While the new toys were nice, the caverns themselves were universally derided as horribly-designed combat spaces, with the end result that they were (and still are) eerily deserted most of the time.

The purchasable product was subsequently renamed ''[=PlanetSide=]: Aftershock'' and now included Core Combat, making it no longer possible to buy the vanilla, expansion-less [=PlanetSide=]. In 2006, as part of a limited free-play "Reserves" promotion to renew interest in the game, any pre-Aftershock holdouts who still didn't have Core Combat were given it for free. This effectively removed Core Combat's status as an "expansion", making it just another part of the game.

In 2005, as player numbers continued to decline, [[ExecutiveMeddling SOE added in-game advertising]] to [=PlanetSide=], without reducing or removing the existing $15-per-month subscription fee. Despite ostensibly doing this because the game could no longer survive on subscription income alone, the move caused many a head-scratch: As a sci-fi game set thousands of years in the future on a just-discovered planet completely cut off from society, [=PlanetSide=] was probably the worst possible candidate for in-game advertising to begin with. However, the ads (which have since been removed) apparently did provide enough revenue to allow the dev team to continue fixing balance issues and adding the occasional new weapon or vehicle to the game.

In 2011, [[http://www.planetside2.com/ PlanetSide 2]] was announced. It's more of a modern remake of [=PlanetSide=] than a sequel, and effectively {{Retcon}}s away everything from Core Combat onward: Auraxis remains in one piece, with no confusing caverns or HumongousMecha whatsoever. Additionally, [[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/08/planetside-2-free-to-play-beta-this-year/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29 it's going to be free-to-play]]. ''[=PS2=]'' significantly Retcons the previous game - the Terran Republic no longer kick puppies, the New Conglomerate isn't so nice any more, and the Vanu Sovereignty are [[MachineWorship fanatical zealouts]].

Planetside 2 was launched for the PC on Nov 20, 2012. It will also be ported onto the PlayStation4. It features much faster-paced combat than the original, typically compared to ''Battlefield 3''. There are less continents and they are overall smaller, but are much more "dense", with more areas to contest compared to the original game. The do-it-yourself loadouts of yore (which lead to [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome everyone carrying the exact same loadout]]) have been replaced by a distinct class system - Medics, Engineers, Light (and Heavy) Assault, et cetera.

** The [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/images/3/38/Bolt_driver.jpg Bolt Driver]]. It's basically a plain old sniper rifle that shoots bullets that are [[NoKillLikeOverkill at least an inch diameter, and 8 inches long.]]

The sequel also features the "Player Studio", allowing players to create content (currently only hats, camouflage, and hood ornaments, though it's slowly being expanded) and sell it in-game for a profit (provided it's approved by SOE) ala ''Videogame/TeamFortress2'''s Mannconomy

On May 21st, 2013, the developers awarded anyone who had ever played Planetside or Planetside 2 a free 6 month subscription to the first game, [[NetworkToTheRescue in preparation for Planetside going free to play.]]

On May 21st, 2013, the developers awarded anyone who had ever played Planetside or Planetside 2 a free 6 month subscription to the first game, [[NetworkToTheRescue in preparation for Planetside going free to play.]]

Planetside 2 was launched for the PC on Nov 20, 2012. It will also be ported onto the PlayStation4. It features much faster-paced combat than the original, typically compared to ''Battlefield 3''. There are less continents and they are overall smaller, but are much more "dense", with more areas to contest compared to the original game. The do-it-yourself loadouts of yore (which lead to [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome everyone carrying the exact same loadout]]) have been replaced by a distinct class system - Medics, Engineers, Light (and Heavy) Assault, et cetera.

[[caption-width-right:350:The [[MegaCorp New]] [[LaResistance Conglomerate]], the [[TheRemnant Terran]] [[TheEmpire Republic]], and the [[{{Precursor}} Vanu]] [[MachineWorship Sovereignty.]]]]

* AbnormalAmmo -- The Vanu Sovereignty favors plasma and laser-based weaponry, which are reloaded with batteries. In the case of their pump-action shotguns in the sequel, they are reloaded with what appears to be Energizer AA-batteries.
* ActionBomb -- Aircraft abandoned mid-flight will fall to the ground and explode, killing anyone nearby. While many people don't bother thinking about this when using aircraft as a transport, [[DifficultButAwesome some do aim for groups of enemy soldiers when ejecting]].
* AlienGeometries -- The cavern facilities and the Ancient Tech weapons/vehicles.

* AlienSky -- All of the continents have different suns and most of them have this odd, jet-stream nebula looking thing floating in the sky. Some continents (Amerish?) have ''massive'' gas giants or stars next to them, and the flavor text describes their eventual fall into the sun, or the atmosphere being burned away.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey -- The New Conglomerate in the first game are definitely the "good" faction, with their bad traits being [[MildlyMilitary poor leadership]], which stands in contrast to the [[MachineWorship fanatical Vanu Sovereignty]] and the [[TheEmpire totalitarian Terran Republic]]. Averted in the second game, where the NC is backed by not-so-nice [[MegaCorp monolithic corporations]] and a variety of discontents, while simultaneously the Terran Republic was made "good", but the [[LostColony Auraxis remnants]] are going through troubling times]], and the Vanu Sovereignty have ramped up their [[MachineWorship crazy technology religion]] to the next level.
* AlternativeCalendar -- The Vanu Sovereignty measure time in "After Wormhole"
* ANaziByAnyOtherName -- In the first game, in addition to their [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver color scheme]], the Terran Republic's genocidal intolerance of "deviance" and their propaganda on the matter smacked very heavily of the Third Reich. This aspect was dropped in the second game's reboot, but the infamous TR Outfit The Enclave was openly white supremacist in ideology and accusations were leveled at their leadership for being Nazi sympathizers. The accuracy of the accusations is ultimately unknown, but almost no one, not even their TR comrades, were sorry to see The Enclave break up.
* ApocalypseHow -- The Bending even resulted in tens of thousands of asteroids raining down on every continent as the planet broke up, crushing any poor sod dumb enough to go outside.

* AwesomePersonnelCarrier -- The Sunderer (a.k.a. "Bangbus") vehicles, massive trucks bristling with guns, equipped with a rechargeable {{EMP}} blast, and capable of transporting heavy armor. They're also the only vehicles with a horn, making them sound a lot like an eighteen-wheeler as they crash straight through your base's shielding.

* AwesomeButImpractical -- The Scorpion Special Assault missile / grenade / flak launcher ''thing'', which fires a missile which explodes in midair and showers the area below it in deadly shrapnel. The weapon requires players to press right mouse to lock a range for missile detonation, but the missile will explode at ''that'' range you set, not at the point you set - meaning if you lock the range at a hill below you, then aim towards the horizon (so the shrapnel has enough dispersion), the missile will gracefully sail towards the enemy, and then blow up in midair before it reaches the enemy because the hypotenuse of your range-lock aim is longer than the horizontal aim. You need trigonometry to use this weapon at long range.

* BeamSpam -- The Vanu Sovereignty infantry are basically walking laser raves. Though any large battle will look like this from a distance due to EveryBulletIsATracer, nothing is quite as disorienting for the first time as approaching a VS base under cover of dark, suddenly to find thousands of strobing purple and cyan neon-like rays blasting at you from every doorway, window, and catwalk, leading to a rain of brightly glowing multicoloured sparks as bits of the scenery vapourise around you.
* BigBadassRig -- The Sunderer
* {{BFG}} -- Anything mounted on a [[HumongousMecha BFR]] would probably qualify, but if you're talking about man-portable weaponry, the Biggest and Frackingest of them all is the New Conglomerate's heavy assault weapon, the Jackhammer. It's an enormous ''triple-barreled'' shotgun with a secondary mode that fires all three barrels at once; catch one of those in close quarters, and they'll be scraping you off the wall with a spatula.

* {{BFS}} -- The Black Ops' katana.
* BoringButPractical -- The Suppressor SMG. While it lacks the high-capacity magazines, stopping power, and flair of the empire-specific assault rifles, it's absurdly accurate, very compact, very effective at killing [=MAXes=], can be used by anyone regardless of certifications, and it uses the most common ammo in the game.

* BlackBox -- Ancient Vanu technology.
* BrightIsNotGood -- The New Conglomerate has bright yellow and blue armor, and the Vanu Sovereignty has purple and teal armor. But while the former is a [[GreyAndGrayMorality gray]] factions in both games, the latter operated entirely on BlueAndOrangeMorality.
* BubblegloopSwamp -- Hossin is full of waterlogged swamps with ''massive'' trees. The Extinction battle island is basically the same, but smaller and a bitch to navigate.
* CallBack -- Even though by Planetside 2 each empire has its own set of taunts, they're all reported in chat spam using the classic Planetside taunt of "Your best is my worst!"
* CarFu -- In the early days of [=PS1=], heavy vehicles were frighteningly effective at mowing down entire squads of infantry; this was especially popular in the Vanu Sovereignty's strafe-capable hover-tank, the Magrider, which earned it the nickname "Magmower". In [=PS2=], tanks are not slowed down by running over infantry, so it's easy to plow through dozens of troopers and kill them all without even firing the main guns. In fact, this is even rewarded with a "Roadkill bonus".
* CargoCult -- In [=PS2=], the Vanu Sovereignty regard the aliens they named themselves after with [[PreCursors Precursor-like]] reverence, and actually worship the [[LostTechnology technology they left behind]]. There's a few implications that the artifacts might be [[ArtifactOfDoom brainwashing them and driving them]] [[ScaryDogmaticAliens to spread their creed to the other humans on Auraxis]].
* ChainsawGood -- The Terran Republic in both games has the Chain Blade, a knife with a built-in chainsaw blade.
* CombatMedic -- One of the most common certifications. The basic Medic certification allows you to heal yourself and teammates, while the Advanced Medic certification allows you to revive dead soldiers on the spot and speeds up your healing rate.

* CommissarCap -- Terran Republic players in ''[=PS2=]'' can buy a high-brimmed commissar cap ([[TheGogglesDoNothing complete with goggles]]) and a golden eagle. As a bonus, Terran players unlock the "Commissar" title at rank 76.
* ColorCodedArmies -- Yellow/blue for the NC, red/black for the TR, purple/teal for the VS, and black/green for the Black Ops. All armor and vehicles are color-coded, and the first color of each of these pairs is also used for that faction's [[EveryBulletIsATracer tracers]].
** Inexplicably, jacking a vehicle from an opposing faction will instantly flip its paint job to reflect the new owner. Though since the game features Friendly Fire, the consequences of ''not'' doing so could be disastrous.
* CoolBike -- The Flash ATV. Cheapest way to get around without having to redeploy and can be upgraded to have a machine gun. A recent update to ''[=PS2=]'' upgraded it to a 2-man vehicle by adding a rumble seat, along with an optional cloaking device.
* CoolPlane -- The most obvious would be the Galaxy Gunship. With the armor and armaments of ''several tanks'', it's a flying horror for anyone who's standing on the ground.
* CrewOfOne -- Some vehicles are like this, but most require both a driver and one or more gunners to operate effectively. Changing positions can only be done while a vehicle is stopped/landed and requires you to exit the vehicle and enter it through another door or hatch, so you can't pull this trope with a vehicle that wasn't designed for it.

* CrouchAndProne -- Crouching gives you all of the listed benefits. Some weapons (such as sniper rifles and the VS anti-vehicle laser) ''require'' the player to crouch because of their otherwise poor accuracy.

* DarkerAndEdgier -- The art style of ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'' is much more gritty and realistic (in a modern war sort of sense) for the Terran and Conglomerate tech. The Vanu Sovereignty were originally as bright and flashy as ever, with the justification that everything they produce is bleeding edge new, and visually designed to remind you of just how newfangled it is. The Conglomerate, who were essentially the "good guys" of the first game, are much more [[GreyAndGrayMorality gray]]. Later on in the game's life, the color scheme for Vanu Sovereignty foot soldiers was made much darker overall with less flamboyant colors, making the trope apply even more.
* DarkIsNotEvil -- The Republic in ''2''. While they retain their sinister red gas masked infantry, they are no longer an oppressive totalitarian regime but an actual real republic that have been forced into drastic measures by circumstances.
* DeathFromAbove -- Let's count:

* DiegeticInterface -- Non-treaded vehicles in ''Planetside 2'' have most of their status (speed, health, etc) listed on actual 3D displays in the cockpit. Tanks lack the displays and instead use a standard HUD, though each tank has a unique themed HUD.
* DiagonalSpeedBoost -- The Magrider can move faster by engaging both the standard throttle and the strafe, then rotating the tank - the speed boost allows the otherwise slow tank to keep up with a Prowler in ''[=PS2=]''. All aircraft in ''[=PS2=]'' move faster when the nose is tilted down (or sideways) and the vertical lift thruster is engaged.
* DilatingDoor -- Ancient Vanu facilities in the caverns feature large, round doors which vanish when approached, then re-materialize a few seconds later. Human facilities feature the standard sci-fi doors which split along their center and slide to the sides. Tech Plant vehicle bay doors slide into the ground. ''Planetside 2'' lacks any doors (except in the tutorial), instead using forcefields.
* DoAnythingSoldier -- [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] A soldier can only use things he's certified in. Certifications are purchased with points earned by [[CharacterLevel leveling up]] on the battlefield (though unlike many [=MMOGs=], points can be redistributed with relative ease, with only a six-hour timer between decertifications). Maximum-leveled soldiers are granted all certifications, but still can't fulfill any role in one moment because of the inventory restrictions on the various armor types.

* DoNotRunWithAGun -- Holding a weapon significantly reduces the player's mobility, so you have to holster it when traveling long distances. Also, forfeiting mobility by taking a kneeled stance will ''greatly'' increase weapon accuracy, so don't even think about using some weapons while moving or standing! In ''[=PS2=]'', one cannot holster their weapon, but the "Sprint" button will cause you to run and lower their weapon. Once the player stops running, it takes a couple moments for accuracy to recover to normal.
* DropPod -- One of several ways for players to enter the battlefield.
* DualModeUnit -- The Terran Republic's Prowler main battle tank in ''[=PS2=]'' is moderately armored, fast, and kitted out with a pair of 120mm cannons. Its primarily "Utility" ability is Anchored Mode, which causes its wheels to deploy pitons into the ground, locking it in place, and [[MoreDakka ramping up its dakka potential to a whole new level]] - when maxed out, Anchored Mode increases the Prowler's rate of fire by 48%, reduces reload time by 48% and its projectile velocity is increased to 30%, allowing it to blast vehicles from a kilometer out with its rapid fire Armor-Piercing cannon or [[AntiAir swat aircraft out of the sky when parked on a hill]], or [[InstantDeathRadius murder all infantry within half a mile]] when kitted out with the High Explosive cannons. The TR's [[PoweredArmor MAX armor]] in both games has Lockdown, which like the tank, anchors the MAX into the ground with thigh-mounted pitons, while [[MoreDakka increasing its rate of fire and reload speed]]. In the original game, the MAX was designed around Lockdown - it had terrible DPS unless it was locked down, but became pin-point accurate and could out-DPS every other MAX when it was locked down. ''[=PS2=]'''s Lockdown is less powerful in exchange for the MAX being more useful when not locked down.
* {{Dystopia}} -- The Terran Republic in ''[=PS1=]'' was an authoritarian, USSR-esque dystopia, where everyone's movements and constantly tracked and rebellion or unrest dealt with via weaponry. In ''[=PS2=]'', the Terran Republic is mostly benevolent, but on the fleet heading to Auraxis and on Auraxis itself, the Terran authorities became much more authoritarian as rebellion broke out due to a lack of supplies.
* EldritchLocation -- The Caverns are full of giant crystals composed of growing nanites.
* {{EMP}} -- Generated by jammer grenades and certain vehicles:

* EliteArmy -- The Black Ops. There are only a few of them, the faction is invite only, their soldiers have 1000 hp (10x more than regular players) and can use any weapon or vehicle in the game.
* EnemyExchangeProgram -- In ''[=PS1=]'', capturing both of an empire's home continents allows your empire to build their vehicles.
* {{Energy Weapon}}s -- The Vanu Sovereignty's arsenal. Expect lots of "PEW PEW PEW" when they're around. [[LostTechnology Ancient Tech]] weapons take it [[PureEnergy a little too far]].
* TheEngineer -- Engineering is a common certification, especially among higher-leveled players with cert points to spare. Engineers can repair soldiers' armor and vehicles with the basic certification. Further certifications (Combat Engineer) allow the engineer to place high explosive mines, automated turrets, sensors, and manually detonated explosives. ''Further'' certifications past Combat Engineering allow the engineers to place tank traps, large manually operated turrets, stealth field generators, upgrade base Phalanx turrets with anti-tank 100mm high explosive cannons or anti-air flak cannons, and upgrade stealth field generators to restore ammo.

* EverybodyHatesMathematics -- In-game. The Scorpion weapon system in ''Planetside 1'' requires trigonometry to even deal damage (aside from blind luck), and as such, it's almost totally ignored. Flail artillery is similar, since its target painter doesn't account for elevation and simply aiming at the marker won't do.

* EveryBulletIsATracer -- Almost all weapons have tracers color-coded per faction. Vanu Sovereignty tracers are blue (purple for their lasers), New Conglomerate tracers are yellow, and Terran Republic tracers are red. Some weapons like the anti-tank weaponry just have smoke trails, and the 10mm revolvers have an extremely fast-moving bullet that's almost impossible to see.
* EverythingFades -- Items and ownerless vehicles that are left hanging around for a while are "deconstructed" by the Auraxian nanomachines, collapsing into a glowing puddle that quickly fades away. This also happens to the "loot backpacks" dropped by dead soldiers, so you have to be quick if you want to steal some extra ammo.
* FanNickname -- The above-mentioned "Magmower" is one of many; some are persistent ("Bangbus" as a nickname for the Sunderer heavy ground transport), others are temporary ("Lagsher" to refer to the Lasher heavy infantry weapon, on account of the framerate drops its projectiles once caused).
** One of the most persistent ones are nicknames for the three factions - NC are {{Smurfs}}, TR are [[SesameStreet Elmos]] and VS are [[BarneyAndFriends Barneys]].
* FascistsBedTime -- The isolated remnant of the Terran Republic in ''[=PS2=]'' creates a curfew on the colonization ships and on Auraxis itself, to try and curb the growing rebellion.
* TheFederation -- The New Conglomerate in ''[=PS1=]'', and The Terran Republic pretends to be this. In ''[=PS2=]'', the Terran Republic is an ''actual'' Federation, whereas the New Conglomerate is ruled by {{Mega Corp}}s.
* FightingForAHomeland -- The New Conglomerate.
* FiveManBand

* FollowTheLeader -- The gunplay in ''Planetside 2'' is very similar to ''Videogame/BattleField3'', although granted it is vastly superior to the gunplay in the first ''Planetside''. It also does vehicle suspension similar to ''Battlefield 3'' - in the grim darkness of the far future, [[SchizoTech there is no vehicle suspension]] - every vehicle handles (aside from the Sunderer, which has [[TheFifties 1950s]] Cadillac suspension) like the wheels are welded onto the bodywork, creating a bone-shattering ride which makes driver-mounted weapons on the Flash utterly pointless when driving faster than 15kph. Even tanks suffer from it, especially the Prowler due its shape; it's very wide and very short, allowing it to smash into basically every bump on the road.
* ForeverWar -- The whole premise of the game. Practical immortality and unlimited weaponry will do that.
* ForScience Pretty much the Vanu Sovereignty's entire reason for fighting.
* FragileSpeedster -- The Vanu Sovereignty hover vehicles, which sacrifice armor for amphibious and strafing capabilities. The Agile armor for infantry also follows this: It allows faster running than the Reinforced armor, but has less inventory space and fewer armor points.
** In 2 following a few updates [[CoolPlane ESF's]] became these due the power and increased prevailance of flak and [=G2A=] missiles, although a good pilot can evade these long enough to take out an MBT with rocketpods.
* {{Freemium}} -- The "Reserves" program in ''[=PS1=]'' ran for a year. Anyone could register for an account and play the game, but they were restricted to Battle Rank 6 and Command Rank 1, which severely limited what they could do on each character - forcing them into CripplingOverspecialization or making them a MasterOfNone. [[HumongousMecha Battle Frame Robotics]] was totally out of reach for Reserve players.

* FrickinLaserBeams -- The Vanu Sovereignty's Lancer, a shoulder-mounted laser cannon, is probably the most feared anti-tank weapon in the game, due to its pinpoint accuracy and zero travel time (as compared to projectile weapons). Can only be topped by their BFR-mounted Continuous Laser that slices through infantry with ease.
* FunWithAcronyms -- Beside the BFR and the MAX, there's the worker ANT, the all-in-one engineer tool ACE, BANK, TRAP and probably a few more.

* FutureCopter -- All air vehicles are VTOL for the sake of user-friendliness, from the one-man Wasp interceptor to the humongous Galaxy and Lodestar dropships, and even more terrifying Galaxy Gunship.
* FutureSpandex -- The futuristic Vanu Sovereignty infantry in ''[=PS2=]'' all wear spandex, with armor panels on their upper body. [[StupidSexyFlanders It is body-tight regardless of gender]].
* GasMaskMooks -- Terran Republic REXO armor uses a gas mask helmet in ''Planetside 1''. In ''Planetside 2'', the Composite Helmet cosmetic armor for Terran players gives them a sharply sloping gas mask that covers all of their face below their goggles. The Dreadnought helmet gives them a full-on gas mask [[http://i.imgur.com/iOY45m1.jpg reminiscent]] of a ''Film/StarWars'' Storm Trooper helmet.
* GatlingGood -- The Terran Republic's Mini-Chaingun lives off this; it's a handheld [[{{MoreDakka}} bullet spammer]]. In ''[=PS2=]'', several of the Terran Republic's unique vehicle weapons are Gatling guns, with the Mini-Chaingun returning as an empire-specific heavy weapon. The Mosquito light aircraft can use two different types of rotary cannons for a primary nosegun, and players can also mount a large Vulcan minigun as a secondary weapon on their ''Prowler heavy tank''.

* GeneralRipper -- In-game. Most Command Rank 5 players will happily call down an orbital strike down on their own faction's army just to kill that [[DisproportionateRetribution one enemy cloaker who killed him.]]
* GenerationShips -- The Terran Republic launched several generation ships before they discovered how to force wormholes to stay open; however, contact was eventually lost and the ships were lost to Earth, presumably destroyed.

* GrenadeLauncher -- The Thumper grenade launcher, which uses a rotating cylinder drum, and can be loaded with a variety of grenade types (fragmentation, [[{{KillItWithFire}} plasma]], [[{{EMP}} jammer]]).

* GreyAndGrayMorality -- None of the sides are particularly good or evil. The Terran Republic maintained peace for a thousand years and colonized the stars at the cost of personal freedom, the New Conglomerate are idealistic but are essentially unorganized, and the Vanu Sovereignty want to further mankind's technological understanding, possibly at the cost of your humanity.

* GreenHillZone -- Forseral, Amerish, Ascension, Cyssor, and parts of Hossin.
* GunAccessories -- Like ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'', ''Planetside 2'' has a large amount of customization for your weapons. Laser sights, alternate foregrips, silencers, compensators, flash supressors, bigger magazines, and alternate sights are available on many weapons. Some weapons can take alternate ammo types, such as shotguns being able to use slug or buckshot ammo, and a few weapons can mount other weapons on them, such as the assault rifles being able to carry a single-shot shotgun, high explosive grenade or smoke launcher.
* GunsAkimbo -- Terran Republic [=MAXes=] in ''[=PS1=]'' carry a large gun in each hand. In ''[=PS2=]'', all factions can dual-wield on their MAX suits, allowing players to mix-and-match armaments, such as carrying a flak cannon in the left arm and a Gatling gun in the other.
* HandCannon -- The Nanite Systems Commissioner and Underboss revolvers in ''[=PS2=]''. Aside from being ''ridiculously'' oversized, the former can kill Infiltrator classes in a single headshot, and any non-MAX class in one headshot and a body shot.
* HaveANiceDeath -- Suicide or death by falling in Planetside 2 results in a laughing skull icon with "Suicide: Stop killing yourself." written underneath it.
* HeyItsThatVoice -- [[Creator/CristinaValenzuela Noel/Riven]] is now part of the Terran Republic Marines!
* HumongousMecha -- [=BFRs=], introduced in the ''Aftershock'' update. Ostensibly an acronym for "[=BattleFrame=] Robotics", but everyone knows it really stands for "Big F--ing Robots".
* HighlyConspicuousUniform -- All the Empires are guilty of this. The Terran Republic has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/images/e/ec/TRRexoArmors2.jpg bright red and black uniforms]], the Vanu Sovereignty has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/index.php?title=Image:VS_Rexos.jpg shiny purple and green]] armor, and the New Conglomerate has [[http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/images/5/54/NCRexoArmors.jpg neon yellow and blue]]. ''PlanetSide 2'' tones down the colors on the uniforms, but the red stripes and goggles of the TR, arctic camouflage of the NC, and cyan TronLines of the VS still stand out.

* HollywoodHacking -- Hacking is performed with a special device, which you point at the console and hold down the button until everything's done. A more advanced version of the device allows players to be TheCracker and inject viruses into enemy systems.

* InstantDeathRadius -- New Conglomerate [=MAXes=] can use fully automatic assault shotguns - and one on each arm. Two shots is enough to kill any infantry within a few meters, and anyone further away can just be hosed down with hundreds of buckshot pellets. Terran Republic Prowler tanks likewise are infantry murder machines, especially when loaded with the anchored mode and high-explosive cannons. One blast from its dual cannons is enough to almost kill any infantry, while the second shot is basically guaranteed to kill them.
* InvisibilityCloak -- The Infiltrator suit, which renders the wearer invisible with the push of a button (perfectly, as long as you hold still - moving makes it less effective). It never runs out of juice, but provides zero armor points and almost no inventory space.

* InWorkingOrder -- Ancient Tech factories. Justified, however, by being made with self-repairing {{Nanotechnology}} and hidden inside hazardous crystal caverns.
* ItsRainingMen -- The HART Shuttle allows you to land nearly anywhere on a continent via orbital drop pod, while the Galaxy heavy air transport allows up to a dozen troopers to eject simultaneously onto an objective.
* JetPack -- The Vanu Sovereignty MAX suits have a built in jet pack in Planetside 1. In PS2, the Light Assault player class has access to a jetpack that can be upgraded for better fuel consumption and regeneration time, or switched out for a more situational jetpack that has greatly decreased vertical gain but lets players 'drift' great distances.
* [[JokeCharacter Joke Weapon]] The Beamer was infamous for doing next to no damage; players would describe it as purple flashlight.

* KillSat -- The orbital strike, available to players with the highest Command Ranks, can net a ''lot'' of kills if used in the right moment.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter -- New Conglomerate and Terran Republic weapons follow this. The Conglomerate uses a lot of [[{{MagneticWeapons}} railguns]] and shotguns, whereas the Terrans just rely on regular guns [[{{MoreDakka}} shooting a ton of bullets everywhere.]]
* LaResistance -- The New Conglomerate in ''1'' is the "good" faction, dedicated to opposing the Terran Republic's tyranny and opposing the Vanu Sovereignty because of their fear of Ancient Vanu technology. They are significantly more gray in ''2''.

* LastStand -- A [[GoodBadBugs one-time glitch]] caused [[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/09/05/planetside-the-1/ one of the most epic all-player last stands in MMO history]].

* LightningBruiser -- The Prowler in ''[=PS2=]'' is the fastest main battle tank tank, can climb like a mountain goat, and packs a pair of powerful cannons that eats infantry alive. The Lightning single-person tank also applies- while not quite as durable as a heavy tank, it can still do heavy damage to unwary larger tanks that are too slow to react to the Lightning flanking around to their weak rear armor.

* LostColony -- Auraxis in ''[=PS2=]'' becomes one of these - 300,000 men and women were sent on a fleet of 200 ships through a wormhole that appears every 98 years, but the wormhole abruptly collapsed after only 40,000 people made it through, stranding them on the other side for a hundred years. Fighting broke out on the ships as they searched for over a year to find a planet they could colonize.
* LostTechnology -- The Ancient Tech arsenal.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe -- The New Conglomerate MAX can equip the "Aegis", a riot-shield shaped forcefield projected out of the right arm of the MAX. Totally invulnerable, but the MAX is unable to shoot while wielding it, and it doesn't cover the sides or rear. The NC Vanguard tank can activate an energy shield which makes them total invulnerable for up to 7 seconds. The Engineer's MANA Anti-infantry turret likewise has a small riot-shield forcefield to protect the user's upper body from frontal attacks, but it annoyingly lacks a shield to [[BoomHeadshot protect the head]].
* MachineWorship -- The Vanu Sovereignty is composed of scientist and zealots that both study and effectively worship Ancient Vanu technology.
* MacrossMissileMassacre -- the Terran Republic rocket launcher fires a 5 missile salvo which are individual weak but do more damage overall than both the NC and VS rocket launchers. Because of it's versatility (it can target both aircraft and vehicles), pretty much ''every'' Terran heavy assault carries either the Striker or a dumbfire missile. Woe betide any Reaver or Scythe pilot trying to strafe TR advances without having flares equipped, because in about three seconds they'll have a hundred angry missiles chasing them.
* MagikarpPower

* MagneticWeapons -- The New Conglomerate uses a combination of standard bullets and railguns - their bullets are fired with gunpowder, and are accelerated down the barrel by magnets, which gives their weapons a very distinctive note.
* MasterOfAll -- Nanite Systems primary weaponry combines some of the best features of the three empire's weapons - they have 5 extra bullets per magazine (compared to the Terran Republic's ten), have a small cone-of-fire like New Conglomerate's {{Magnetic Weapon}}s, and has the tiny recoil typical of Vanu Sovereignty's plasma weaponry. When combined with NS weapons firing noises blending in with the ''enemy's'' NS weaponry, and NS weaponry unlocking across all characters when bought with [[AllegedlyFreeGame Station Cash]], they are often the best weaponry - only outclassed in very specific situations (usually extreme range).
* TheMaze -- The Caverns. Navigation is almost impossible except by ziplines, which zig and zag across the caverns. Did I mention that the Caverns tend to be ''vertical''? With the chance that a random player could pop out of a building and blast you to bits?
* MegaCorp -- The New Conglomerate in ''[=PS2=]'' is backed by large corporations that want to be free of the socialistic Terran Republic. Nanite Systems is a neutral megacorp which produces weapons (such as the [=NS11=]), equipment, and vehicles (such as the Lightning), which are sold to all three empires.
* MeleeATrois -- Fights on hot continents often have three factions fighting over the same base; usually with one empire defending, and two other empires attacking from either direction. Bonus points when one empire is attacking from the front door... and the other empire from the back door.
* MightyGlacier -- The New Conglomerate's vehicle designs.
* MildlyMilitary -- Being a MMOFPS, players will outright ignore the "orders" of players with high Command Ranks. It doesn't help when the commanders [[MissionControlIsOffItsMeds start yelling at each other over global command chat.]]
* MoreDakka -- The Terran Republic's weapon designs emphasize putting as much lead as possible into the air with the highest accuracy possible with as many bullets crammed into the magazine as possible. If you use a Terran weapon, expect a huge magazine and laser-beam accuracy.

* MultipleLifeBars -- ''Planetside 1'' has 2 life bars (or 3, with an implant) for its soldiers. Armor varies by the suit worn by the player, and absorbs some of the damage of incoming fire. Health is self-explanatory. With the Personal Shield implant, you could fuel a shield using your stamina, effectively giving you a third life bar. Vehicles had only one health bar by default, but certain facilities would charge up a "Shield" health bar on the vehicle when inside the facility's sphere of influence. ''Planetside 2'' drops the armor and stamina system in favor of RegeneratingShieldsStaticHealth for its foot soldiers- equal amounts of shields and health for all classes except the Infiltrator who has less health, and the Heavy Assault class, who can activate an overshield ability that essentially functions as a third health bar. Vehicles and MAX suits have one health bar, but can be repaired by friendly Engineers.
* MultiTrackDrifting -- The Lightning in ''[=PS2=]'' can both drift and do sweet powerslides - The Rival chassis allows it to drift, while the Racer chassis allows it to do powerslides.
* {{Nerf}} Expect the flavour of the month weapon/vehicle to be nerfed with the main Game Updates. Of note is the [[TankGoodness Magrider]] which lost a lot of its climbing and strafing effectiveness and [[DeathFromAbove Rocketpods]] which had the AOE and damage reduced and the entire platform turned into a FragileSpeedster.
* {{Nanomachines}} -- "Nanites" fuel the war effort: They build the weapons, tanks, buildings, and the soldiers themselves. When objects are damaged beyond repair, they're deconstructed by the nanites.
* NiceHat -- Terran players have access to a CommissarCap, while New Conglomerate players can get a kepi ([[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the Confederacy cap]])
* NitroBoost -- The Flash and Harasser in ''[=PS2=]'' can equip a turbo booster, which will catapult them forward at ridiculous speeds for a very short amount of time, then regenerate. The booster seems to work almost like a rocket strapped to the back - a Flash or Harasser that ramps off a hill can engage its booster in mid-air to go soaring across the terrain.

* NonCombatEXP -- Recharging a base's generator with a [=ANT=] vehicle will grant you Battle Experience Points for every half second the generator is being charged, until the generator is fully charged or your [=ANT=] runs out of energy. Players commanding squads get Command Experience Points when their squad takes over a base, regardless of what the commander was doing - either in combat, or simply giving orders.
* ObviousBeta -- ''[=PS2=]'' launched with a plethora of bugs. The game launched very poorly optimized unless you were on a very specific type of computer (Intel [=I5=] processor with a Geforce graphics card) - players who had even more powerful systems but had AMD processors often suffered from terrible performance. Other major bugs appeared throughout beta and early release, such as players falling through the world, or the game not rendering enemies mere meters from you. While many gamebreaking bugs have since been fixed, the game remains questionably stable for many players, and optimization issues have been mostly ignored.

* OneManArmy -- The Black Ops soldiers, who have ten times the health of a regular soldier and can use any weapon.
* OurWeaponsWillBeBoxyInTheFuture -- The New Conglomerate do not believe in the concept of "the curve". The only non-straight lines on pretty much ''any'' of their equipment is found on their helmets and on the banana magazine on some of their rifles.
* PaletteSwap -- In ''[=PS1=]'', your armor is "upgraded" at certain ranks. What this does is change the color of your armor, to make you more distinct. Conglomerate players fear their battle rank 14 upgrade, where they get neon yellow armor that stands out even more than their ''regular'' armor.

* PlanetTerra -- The Terran Republic.
* PortalNetwork -- The Terran Republic in the first game possesses the ability to forcibly enlarge naturally occurring wormholes, opening them up for travel - though they lack the ability to create wormholes or direct where they go. As such, Auraxis became totally cut off from humanity when the wormhole abruptly closed. In-game, the continents (and after the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Bending]], planets) are connected via a series of warpgates, which deconstruct objects passing through them, while the destination warpgate re-assembles said objects.
* PowerFloats -- The VS faction-specific tank and light transport are hover vehicles, [[FragileSpeedster getting an edge in agility and terrain passability at the cost of armor]].
* PowerGlows -- In ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'', ''everything'' that belongs to the VS.
* PoweredArmor -- The MAX (Mechanized Assault eXoskeleton) suits. Slow and clunky, but heavily armored and ''really'' good at their designated role (each faction has Anti-Infantry, Anti-Vehicle, and Anti-Air variants). The Terran MAX in both games can deploy anchors into the ground to [[MoreDakka greatly increase their rate of fire]] and reload speed, the NC MAX gets an energy shield (an all-encompassing bubble shield in [=PS1=], and a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe riot-shield]] in [=PS2=]), and the VS get a mobility enhancer (Jump jets in [=PS1=], ZOE "[[TheBerserker berserk]]" in [=PS2=] which increases damage done, damage taken, and run speed )
* {{Precursors}} -- The Vanu. Nothing whatsoever is known about them, aside from the fact that they're definitely not around anymore, and their technology is orders of magnitude more advanced than anything humanity has ever seen.
* PrivateMilitaryContractors -- The New Conglomerate was founded by {{Mega Corp}}s, mercenaries, and miners. The Terran Republic ''had'' mercenaries, but they were all executed for treason.
* QuickMelee -- Present in ''[=PS2=]''. Pressing the middle mouse button or T will make you whip out an empire-specific knife inhumanly fast and slash it at the enemy - two slashes is a kill against everything but MAX and Heavy Assault (with their shields on). MAXes bludgeon targets in front of them with their arms to the same effect. Averted in ''[=PS1=]'', where melee requires you to switch to the knife, and the knife's powered mode (chainsaw, magnetic cutting, plasma cutting) made it *incredibly* loud, making it more or less a [[CherryTapping humiliation weapon]]. Slash attacks without the powered mode were very weak.

* RedsWithRockets -- The Terran Republic, from the obsession with the color red to the propaganda style; some weapons also resemble RealLife Soviet equipment.
* RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth: ''Planetside 2'' has all the foot soldiers equipped with a regenerating, ''Halo''-style shield. Health is damaged directly when the shield is down, and does not regenerate unless healed by a medic (or a medic activating his healing aura on himself). [=MAX=] suits do not have any shields, and only have armor - meaning that they can only be "healed" by an engineer.
* RespawnPoint -- The [=AMS=] is a mobile respawn point with a powerful cloaking device.

* ResurrectiveImmortality -- The ancient Vanu respawning system. When a person walks through a Warpgate, they are "matrixed" into the machinery inside Auraxis. When the person is killed, they will be rebuilt - in the backstory, it caused quite a shock when a Terran commander executed a rogue pilot for flying into a warpgate - the next day, he found the pilot sitting under a tree on a different continent.
* RetCon -- ''[=PS2=]'' rewrites most of the back story. Instead of being an authoritarian, USSR-esque state, the Terran Republic is more or less benevolent. The New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty formed before they even arrived at Auraxius, and the worhmole that deposited them there is a naturally occuring event every 100 years rather than artificially opened.
* RevolversAreJustBetter -- The faction-specific 10mm revolvers are powerful and ammo-effective, making them the weapon of choice for infiltrators. The NS revolvers in the second game qualify as well, doing much more damage than any of the other, empire-specific handguns.
* RiskStyleMap -- While Planetside used a lattice-type system of bases being linked by simple lines regardless of location (sometimes leading to surprisingly tactically valuable bases in otherwise useless areas), Planetside 2 uses a mix of this and a tabletop-style hexagonal adjacency system. Although as of GU9 Indar has been converted back to a lattice system and the other continents are due to be converted to improve the battle flow.
* ShiftingSandLand -- Desolation, Ishundar, and Solsar. Ishundar is more of the "rocky and full of dead trees" variety, complete with gulleys scattered around the continent which are vehicle death traps.

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter -- The New Conglomerate's approach to firearms ([[MundaneMadeAwesome shotgun pistol!]]) and HumongousMecha weaponry.

* ShouldersOfDoom -- Terran MAX and Heavy Assault infantry in ''[=PS2=]'' have enormous shoulder guards when outfitted with the Composite Armor cosmetic.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld -- Ceryshen, Nexus, and Esamir are all covered in snow, and Ceryshen takes forever to get around due to it being mostly vertical, forcing you to loop around long paths to reach a base that's close in a straight line.
* SprintShoes -- The Surge implant, which puts an extra spring in your step at the cost of burning away your stamina while active. [[PoweredArmor MAX suits]] and [[HumongousMecha BFRs]] have "run mode", which is basically a go-faster button that prevents you from shooting or strafing.
* SniperRifle -- The Bolt Driver, and the relatively useless Heavy Scout Rifle. The Bolt Driver can take down unarmored infantry in one shot. The Heavy Scout Rifle, on the other hand, has a ten shot magazine, and does far less damage.
* SniperScopeSway -- Present in ''[=PS2=]'' with scopes above 6x magnification. Holding the sprint button while looking down the sights allows the player to hold their breath.
* StickyBomb -- The Engineer class in ''[=PS2=]'' can unlock Sticky Grenades, which stick to players and have a relatively long fuse, allowing you to toss one onto an enemy and watch in glee as he runs back towards his allies without realizing there's a grenade stuck to his face.
* {{Stripperiffic}} -- Thoroughly {{Averted}} in both [=PS1=] and [=PS2=], though especially noticeably in 2 with its vastly improved graphics. In both games, male and female character models have nearly identical combat armor- and in [=PS1=], with only slight model differences limited to those necessary to accommodate the different average torso proportions of males and females - slightly more V-shaped in men, with broader chest and shoulders relative to waist and hips, and slightly more X-shaped in women, with broader hips and chest relative to waist. While females retain the same outfits as males in 2, they are considerably more curvy compared to their PS1 counterparts due to the updated graphics and a mid-beta model change- especially noticeable on the Vanu Sovereignty troops and their [[LatexSpaceSuit near-skintight suits]].

* SupernaturalIsPurple -- The Vanu Sovereignty, obsessed with the nearly magical qualities of Ancient Vanu tech, paint all their equipment in bright purple.
* TankGoodness -- Faction-specific tanks:

* TrailersAlwaysLie -- Let's just say the CGI trailer for ''2'' has little to no bearing on actual gameplay and leave it at that.
* TranshumanTreachery -- The Vanu Sovereignty has been "touched" by Ancient Vanu artifacts. They then [[JoinOrDie decide that disbelievers should die]] in a storm of plasma fire.
* TheEmpire -- The Terran Republic in ''1'' is an oppressive, totalitarian oligarchy that has kept peace on Earth for a thousand years with an iron fist.
* TheFederation -- The Terran Republic in ''2'' is much LighterAndSofter than the original game, instead being more of a socialistic, fairly free society. However, the isolated [[TheRemnant Auraxis remnant]] was pushed into [[FascistsBedTime extreme measures]] to conserve supplies, leading to the discontent that effectively created the New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt -- The days leading up to The Bending were increasingly filled with random earthquakes and giant meteors raining from the skies, doing Massive Damage to any player or vehicle unfortunate enough to be smashed beneath one. In the final moments, the meteors grew so frequent that one could hardly take two steps outside without being pancaked.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill -- [[OneHitKill One-shotting]] a full Galaxy transport while it's taking off will yield you a ''lot'' of experience by killing everyone onboard. And a lot of respawn timers for your enemies.

* TheRemnant -- The [[TheEmpire Terran Republic]] we see (and play as) in ''PlanetSide'' is the tiny portion of the Terran military that was stranded alongside everyone else when the [[LostColony wormhole to Auraxis abruptly closed]]. In ''Planetside 2'', they're the military command that took over the Auraxis colony fleet after much of it was damaged or destroyed passing through the Auraxis wormhole. Despite being separated from their command, the Terran Republic is still a powerful force that equals the [[MegaCorp New Conglomerate]] and [[MachineCult Vanu Sovereignty]] in strength.

* TooAwesomeToUse -- Super-medkits/stimpacks/repair packs granted during holiday events in ''[=PlanetSide=] 1''. You could get as many as you wanted and stuff them into your locker, but once used, it's gone forever (or until the next event). Super-stim packs, being the only item in the game that could regenerate stamina, were definitely too awesome to use.
* TronLines -- Lumifiber trim allows players to deck out their vehicles and infantry with glowing, faction-colored tron lines. The lumifiber can be turned on and off with a button.
* UndergroundLevel -- The Caverns.

* UniversalDriversLicense -- [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] You need the proper certifications first, like most other weapons and equipment; see DoAnythingSoldier above. Played straight in ''[=PS2=]'', where any player can drive any non-locked vehicle (from their own faction) without certifications, though they will need to use cert points to specialize in each vehicle to use them at their max potential.
* UnorthodoxReload -- In the sequel, the ''Commisioner'' and ''Underboss'' revolvers have a strange sort of twin half-cylinder drum that fans out to either side, to be loaded with three-round speed-loaders, then clicks back together.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment -- In the first game, MAX suits, melee weapon, and heavy engineer turrets cannot be used by enemy empires, though weapons could be looted from corpses and vehicles could be hacked (or constructed if the player's empire controls the home continents of an enemy empire). The second game plays it straight - players cannot loot the dead and cannot hack vehicles. The only shared equipment between empires are the Nanite Systems weapons, base turrets, and a few vehicles.
* V8EngineNoises -- The Skyguard anti-air buggy has what sounds like a V8 engine, which stands in stark contrast to the other buggies that sound like crappy 4-bangers
* WeaponOfPeace -- The Liberator. In ''Planetside 1'', it's a high-altitude carpet bomber. In ''[=PlanetSide=] 2'', it's a giant gunship with high-explosive anti-tank cannons or quad Gatling guns, as well as an anti-air rear gunner seat to defend from pesky air superiority fighters and a primary recoil-less cannon gun that can be upgraded into a chaingun that absolutely ''shreds'' ground vehicles.
* WeHaveReserves -- Because of the respawning technology, commanders tend to order (or at least [[MildlyMilitary attempt to]]) the waves of unaffiliated players to throw themselves at base defenses. Taken up to eleven during the Reserves - the reserve (free to play, low level) players were typically regarded as cannon fodder for the elite units.
* WeWillNotHavePocketsInTheFuture -- Vanu Sovereignty armor in ''[=PS2=]'' lacks pockets, courtesy of their [[FutureSpandex spandex]] - only their engineer has any sort of junk storage, as their engineer armor wears what is essentially [[http://i.imgur.com/Agm3UlJ.jpg metal suspenders]]. Averted by Terran and New Conglomerate armor, which feature loads of pockets, supplemented by utility belts on engineers and medics.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters -- The New Conglomerate, naturally.
* ZergRush -- In the absence of organizational influences, throwing massive amounts of uncoordinated infantry at a target is a common strategy. It has a good chance of working if the defenders aren't dug in too deep, but if two opposing Zerg Rushes collide, they will fight to a stalemate until one side gets their act together.

[[caption-width-right:350:The New Conglomerate, the Terran Republic, and the Vanu Sovereignty.]]

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: The Terran MAX in ''[=PS2=]'' gets [[http://i.imgur.com/kc3n5xt.png glowing red eyes]] on almost all of its helmets. The TR's Advanced Combat Helmet, Judicator helmet, and Spectre helmet likewise get on the doominess.

* The Phoenix Rocket Launcher that the NC has in Planetside 2 has a camera-guided missile that can be controlled in mid-flight. Unfortunately, it has very limited range, low damage, and the person firing it is a sitting duck while controlling the missile.

* {{EMP}} -- Generated by jammer grenades and certain vehicles. The game being set in a futuristic world, these are AwesomeYetPractical:

* AwesomeYetPractical:
** The Terran [[GatlingGood Mini Chaingun]]. It is the most accurate of all of the unique Heavy Assault weapons, allowing it to be used outdoors unlike the other weapons - players can simply sidestep to avoid Lasher bolts, and they'll laugh at a player trying to attack from a range greater than 3 feet with the Jackhammer. The MCG also has a ''massive'' magazine, allowing you to simply hold down the trigger indoors and wave the gun around wildly to hit things. Hilariously, in [=PS2=], it's also the ''single most accurate gun in the game''. The first bullet has zero spread, and very little bullet drop, allowing MCG users to snipe players from ridiculous distances using short bursts. It's also very controllable even when holding down the trigger, provided you've shouldered the weapon - though its power comes at the cost of having a wind-up time - it starts out firing slow before ramping up to its max firing rate, giving it poor DPS in one-on-one fights.
** IR/NV scopes in the second game. Despite the NecessaryDrawback of reducing your sight range while in use, they light up potential targets that you might otherwise miss due to darkness or cover and can be cheaply obtained for most guns and vehicles. On the other hand, when it's bright, players will appear the same color as the background, [[FailedASpotCheck which can cause you to miss an enemy standing right in front of you]].

* HeyItsThatVoice -- [[Creator/CristinaValenzuela Riven]] is now part of the Terran Republic Marines!

Planetside 2 was launched for the PC on Nov 20, 2012. It will also be ported onto the PlayStation4. It features much faster-paced combat than the original, typically compared to ''Battlefield 3''. There are less continents and they are overall smaller, but are much more "dense", with more areas to contest compared to the original game. The do-it-yourself loadouts of yore (which lead to [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome everyone carrying the exact same loadout]]) have been replaced by a distinct class system - Medics, Engineers, Light (and Heavy) Assault, et cetera.

[[redirect:PlanetSide]]