First major PlanetSide 2 update rebalances infantry and vehicle weaponry, adds horns

SOE's immense MMOFPS/tank traffic jam simulator PlanetSide 2 received its first major Game Update today which rolled out an arsenal of balancing tweaks, bug fixes, and new weapons. Also, horns. Futuristic multi-faction combat has finally caught up to the 20th century.

In the airspace, the Rocket Pods attachment—bane of footsoldiers across Auraxis—received a reduction in effective blast radius. Damage for other air weaponry such as the Galaxy transport's machine gun emplacements and Liberator AP30 Shredder took various changes such as a decreased damage fall-off as their projectiles travel long distances.

Liberator pilots will also notice the tail gun of their mid-sized aircraft moved to the back of the wing instead of its previous position underneath. The original spot provided less-than-perfect firing angles for covering your six and fending off foes swooping from above.

Tank projectile direct damage also got buffed, making each army's rolling thunder that much more dangerous during assaults. You'll be happy to note infantry can still withstand a shell shot directly to the sternum, thank you very much.

Another huge change: Tech Plants—a typical arena for drawn-out stalemates and explosive spam-fests—now include two destructible shield generators placed outside the main building. This is a wonderful affirmation of SOE's attention to keeping the fight flowing while staying a firm hand on balance, as Tech Plant caps should progress much faster now while providing defenders and attackers additional objectives.

Oh, and you're now able to create multiple characters on the same server. Read up on the rest of the patch notes on PlanetSide 2's official forums . If words wane your patience, check out this player-made gallery of the verdant Amerish continent on Ultra settings.

Omri Petitte is a former PC Gamer associate editor and long-time freelance writer covering news and reviews. If you spot his name, it probably means you're reading about some kind of first-person shooter. Why yes, he would like to talk to you about Battlefield. Do you have a few days?