Earlier this evening we held a House of Commons Developer Chat with the developer team from Planetside. Many questions were asked and answered such as:

Sprite - *Noyjitat* First off, I'm very excited to see ps stratics chat returning. My first question is: "Will new merits be placed ingame for the new types of CE"?
EnricoPallazzo - New Merits --- You betcha! We will have basic additions to the merits for these new items and some will be consumed within the current merits.
EnricoPallazzo - ...but we will most definitely be adding new merits (one that I'm afraid of breaking a current merit system right now, but I'll let testing check on that one personally) :)

To read the full log, please go here. And we hope to see you at our next Planetside Developer Chat; Check back here for that upcoming date!

Early this morning we discovered that an attacker had placed malicious code on our sites that may pose a security threat for some users. The code exploited a vulnerability in Internet Explorer and attempted to install the Downloader.Delf.11.AZ trojan.

We have removed the offending code and as of this moment our sites are completely safe. It should be noted that this warning applies only to our web content and not the forums, which were never compromised. Additionally, users of non-IE browsers should not be affected.

If you have visited our sites within the past 48 hours using Internet Explorer we encourage you to run a virus scan using your preferred anti-virus software or a free web based scanner.

Please feel free to contact tech@stratics.com if you have any further questions, comments or concerns.

On Thursday, November 30, 2006 at 10:00 am PST (11:00 am MST, 12:00 noon CST, 1:00 pm EST), the forums will be coming down for an update. The estimated down time is 1 hour.

Tune in to the Ninth Official SOE Podcast. We hope you all enjoy the latest installment of our podcast series. Make sure to let us know how you like it! You can fire off an email to us at feedback@soe.sony.com or head over to the Show Notes and give us your comments. You can download the MP3 file directly or subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the button listed below. We have high and low bandwidth versions of the podcast available.

High-Bandwidth |

Low-Bandwidth |

Greetings,

This is a reminder that cheating or hacking PlanetSide's game-play in any manner is not permitted.

You may not attempt to interfere with, hack into, or decipher any transmissions to or from the servers running PlanetSide.

You may not exploit any bug in PlanetSide and you will not communicate the existence of any such exploitable bug (including bugs that grant the user unnatural or unintended benefits in game), either directly or through public posting, to any other user of PlanetSide. You will promptly report any such bug via the in-game "bug" reporting function.

You may not use any known or unknown "exploits" (actions that grant the user unintended or unnatural benefits in game or that are otherwise contrary to the spirit of the game or what the developers intended) and you will not communicate the existence of any such exploit, either directly or through public posting, to any other user of PlanetSide. You will promptly report any exploits via the in-game reporting function.

You may not use any third party software to modify the Software to change Game play. View the full PLANETSIDE® USER AGREEMENT AND SOFTWARE LICENSE that you agree to adhere to before each game session.

In addition, you are not permitted to share links or information about cheating or hacking on the PlanetSide Official Forums or anywhere else. View the PlanetSide Forums Rules of Conduct for more information.

View the full Game Rules of Conduct.

If you observe someone that you believe is hacking, you can assist us in the matter by reporting them to Customer Service. Here's How to Report Hackers!

The PlanetSide Team

Tech and Account Phone support will be unavailable on Thursday November 23rd and Friday November 24th in observance of the US Thanksgiving holiday.

Chat support will be available during its normal time Monday through Friday 10am through 7pm PST at station.sony.com/chat.

Email support is always available at station.sony.com/email.

Our Self-help knowledgebase is also available at station.sony.com/kb with answers to your questions.

Phone support will return on Monday November 27th at its normal hours Monday through Friday 10am through 7pm PST.

Tech and Account Phone support will be unavailable on Thursday November 23rd and Friday November 24th in observance of the holiday.

Chat support will be available during its normal time Monday through Friday 10am through 7pm PST at station.sony.com/chat.

Email support is always available at station.sony.com/email.

Our Self-help knowledgebase is also available at station.sony.com/kb with answers to your questions.

Phone support will return on Monday November 27th at its normal hours Monday through Friday 10am through 7pm PST.

Beginning today, Monday, November 20, you can download EverQuest II, EverQuest, PlanetSide, and The Matrix Online at no cost with your T-Mobile HotSpot subscription! There are two packages available to subscribers.

Gaming Pack Offer
T-mobile offers new subscribers to their HotSpot service the ability to download EQ, EQII, PS, and MxO at no cost and play for up to 30 days for free.

Gamer on the Go Offer
T-mobile will allow subscribers of any SOE subscription based PC game to use their HotSpot service to play SOE games for $4.99/month (does not include SOE subscription price)

You can visit the T-Mobile HotSpot website for more information on the promotion and the SOE Station website for information on games and game keys.

Congratulations to the winners of PlanetSide's Pumpkin Challenge – INKwithN and hellfish. Click here to view more information about the challenge.

This global communication is a collection of messages uploaded by the community members throughout the week. Today's log features some war journal entries. Here is today's log…

Playstyle comparison based on experience - log entry by Community Member EiJi

Advanced MAX Certification - log entry by Community Member Casbah

Cave Timers - log entry by Community Member Snappy

Supertanks - log entry by Community Member Vashner

The range on NC AA - log entry by Community Member Custador001

Looking for an Outfit? Recruiting new members? Then head over to the Outfit Recruiting and Enlistment message board.

Tune in to the Seventh Official SOE Podcast. We hope you all enjoy the latest installment of our podcast series. Make sure to let us know how you like it! You can fire off an email to us at feedback@soe.sony.com or head over to the Show Notes and give us your comments.

You can download the MP3 file directly or subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the button listed below. We have high and low bandwidth versions of the podcast available.

High-Bandwidth | Low-Bandwidth |

Hello,

We will be upgrading one of our primary web servers this weekend and this will require some limited downtime. This maintenance is scheduled to begin early on Saturday, November 4th, 2006. We will do our best to keep the downtime to a minimum.

This upgrade is intended to improve stability, performance and security for our primary web server.

Please join us for a World of Warcraft Trading Card Game House of Commons event on Thursday, September 7th at 2:30PST in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 orwhichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net port 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here.

You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the JavaHomepage.

General chat relating to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game will take place before, during, and after the chat in room #worldofwarcraft. We hope to see you there!

Stratics and Sony Online Entertainment are pleased to be able to offer you an opportunity to try The Matrix Online for free for ten days! This free trial offer will provide for you an opportunity to try out this great game and it could not be easier to do so. All you need to do is complete a simple form and you’ll receive your trial license, then you will be sent to download the file. It is as easy as that!

What is The Matrix Online?
The Matrix Online is the future of the Matrix, picking up right where the trilogy left off. The revolution is over, but within the Matrix a secret war still rages – a war of control between the machines, the Exiles, and the people of Zion. Join the continuing storyline of The Matrix where you decide who to oppose and what to believe. Only your courage and perseverance can protect the legacy of Neo’s sacrifice. Jack in!

To get your free 10-day trial of The Matrix Online, visit this page and follow the instructions!

[ Jack in and enter the Matrix now! ]

The Golden Cogs, Stratics' annual E3 awards, return for their second year in the mix! This year we've pulled one of our awards, Best Sound, and added Most Innovative, Best Franchise, Best Original, Best Hardware, and Best Development Tool.

What we want to know is what do you think? We would love to hear your feedback regarding our selections for this year's Golden Cog awards.

Do you feel we have made a wrong choice for any particular award? Do you have your own opinion as to who should have won the Best Gameplay award or Best of Show? Then please feel free to let us know!

We have created a forum thread for our readers (you!) to offer their feedback. Please join in and offer your ideas and opinions, we'd love to hear from you!

Hey everybody! Welcome to Hero's Journey on Stratics!

Stratics Exclusive

My name's Stephanie aka "Rowan", and if you've ever read an article or press release about Hero's Journey, chances are that if I didn't write it, I had some part in writing or editing it. Allegedly it's because I write perty and spel gud, but I think it's just Eric and Mike trying to keep me busy so I have less time to play with matches.

Oh beloved, slender matches, with your sweet, sulfuric perfume and --

Uh. Right. Back to the letter! We're real happy to be back here on Stratics. I say "back" because about a zillion years ago, when we first took a whack at Hero's Journey, we had a Stratics site. Times, hairstyles, and 3-D engines have changed, and all to the better. The better, I say!

This iteration of Hero's Journey is all about "less tedium, more fun". We're working hard to build a game that'll satisfy the roleplayers, the PvP addicts, the collectors, the explorers, the socialisers, and the lone wolves. Simutronics Corporation has 18 years of experience building massively multiplayer games, and some might say we know a thing or two about what makes MMO communities friggin' awesome.

Stratics Exclusive

Currently, the Simutronics team of programmers, artists, and ninja coders are gearing up for E3, where we'll be offering up a heapin' helpin' of the first ever freeform Hero's Journey demo. People will be able to explore five exciting locales (Riverhaven, Mistwood Hollow, Swampmoss Bog, Arek-Tek's Crypt, and Squire's Bluff Quarry) and beat up the native deviant population to their heart's content. Or until someone knocks them off of their chair at the kiosk. Whichever comes first!

We're excited because the demo is going to provide a first-ever glimpse at some of what's been driving the Hero's Journey design since day one. It's not the finished game, of course, but like any good appetizer, it'll give users a reason to stick around for the main course.

In weeks to come, we'll be discussing some of our E3 "reveals", which I'd talk about now -- except I can't. Because they haven't been revealed. And my boss would kill me. With a plush penguin. In the conservatory.

In the meantime, won't you please help yourselves to some lovely screenshots and the forums? We're so glad to be back, and we're pleased as punch that you're here to join us as we storm the gates of the gaming industry.

Once more into the breach, dear heroes!

Stephanie Shaver
Lead Designer, Hero's Journey

Library: Every single Hero's Journey article and piece of multimedia is cataloged and filed here! The History of Hero's Journey: A guide to the past of Hero's Journey. Exclusive Screenshots: Check out our three exclusive screenshots (including an E3 2006 teaser!) Forums: Join the Hero's Journey Stratics community on the day that it all begins! Beta Contest: This contest, and your ticket to beta, is Coming SoonTM!

Stratics Exclusive

I'll also be meeting with Simutronics on Wednesday, May 10 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) so make sure to check back then, and through the duration of E3, for my reports!

In the meantime, head on over to Hero's Journey Stratics and let your education begin!

Nelson K. Thachuk
Hero's Journey Stratics
Portal Manager

Keep your eyes peeled to E3 Stratics because the coverage promptly begins Tuesday, May 9, and it will be coming hard and fast!

Sony Online game Planetside is launching a fantastic new plan to bring new players in, and to make the game more player friendly!

Subscription Free - "Fodder Program" New Players will be able to create a new account and and play for free for a period of 12 months. The new account will have limitations on the BattleRank (+ or - BR8) and the CommandRank (+ or - CR2). Essentially, new players will be able to have access to any part of the game but they will be limited on the diversity of their arsenal. Time Frame – We are shooting for February 14th for Launch.

New Player Training Simultaneously to be launched with the Subscription Free service, we will be changing the UI for all new characters. One of the complaints that we receive frequently is that when you enter the game, there isn’t an easy learning curve and transition into battle. We’re going to change that in hopes of getting new players/characters into battle within a couple minutes of entering the game at the same time teaching them how to play. You may or may have not noticed that we have implemented 2 new saved favorites just recently to equip new players with a load-out much quicker.

Blast into PlanetSide Promotion I’m sure you have all noticed the increase of population the past week. The main reason is that we opened over 300,000 closed accounts and granted 30 days of free play if they log into the account before February 28, 2006. So contact your old squad members and find out what is holding them up if they’re dragging their feet.

Developer Enrico Pallazzo outlined the rest of the program for the game in this thread on the PS official forums.