We hope this message finds you well and that you’re enjoying the latest updates to Auraxis. Today, we want to provide you with some insight on the process of creating new armor sets in PlanetSide 2 by giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Legion of the Crows armors! We also have an update on two major projects we’ve been working on: the upcoming server merge and the infiltrator class rework.
Server Merge Progress
The server merge is a significant undertaking aimed at improving player population balance, reducing queue times, and enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While we’ve made substantial progress, the complexity of merging server data, ensuring character and progression integrity, and optimizing server performance has required more time than initially anticipated.
We understand that many of you are eager to see this change implemented, and we share your excitement. However, we want to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. Rest assured, we’re working diligently to address all technical challenges and will keep you updated as we move closer to the rollout.
Infiltrator Rework Update
The infiltrator rework is another project that has demanded more attention than we originally planned. Our goal is to refine the class’s role, balance its abilities, and introduce new mechanics that make infiltrators more dynamic and engaging to play. However, during internal testing, we identified several areas that need further iteration to meet our quality standards and your expectations.
We believe it’s crucial to take the time to get this right. The infiltrator class is a cornerstone of PlanetSide 2’s gameplay, and we want to ensure that any changes we make enhance the experience for both infiltrator players and those who face them on the battlefield.
LEGION OF THE CROWS
We are preparing a new Armor and Helmet set for the New Conglomerate sub faction LEGION OF THE CROWS. This set was hinted at last year with the Legion of the Crows Decal, Banner, and Banner Frame.
-<THE BACKSTORY (LORE)
The Legion of the Crows was originally founded in the early days of the Terran Republic as an advocacy group, helping veterans reacclimate to civilian life after the war.
Over time, its purpose expanded, drawing in civilian firearms enthusiasts and private security firms.
Even before the outbreak of the Old War, the Crows were among the first to resist the Republic’s martial law, seeing it as an overreach of power.
When the New Conglomerate declared its independence, the Legion was already prepared for the fight.
For them, this war was never about ideology, it was about the thrill of battle and the promise of a hefty paycheck. They serve no master beyond their own ambition, yet despite their disdain for blind loyalty, they remain close to their NC allies, at least when interests align.
Some say the Crows are more than just mercenaries, that their eyes are set on something beyond the battlefield. Whispers of unusual stockpiles and clandestine operations follow them, but if you ask a Crow, they’ll just smile and change the subject.
THE ART
While designing the set, we take a look at the Lore in order to pull the most important keywords that will help us in concepting the set, like Faction, Sub faction, Crow, and Corporate Mercenaries. The elements that should be most recognizable are: Faction, Mercenary, and Crow. The thought process behind the keywords is to work with them in mind and convey the story to the players by using the most important bits of that story.
As the assets are being used for a mercenary, the design calls for a much more “personal item” feel rather than standardized military equipment.
Helmet
The general shape of the helmet is infused with symbolism and reminiscent of a bird's head. Elements incorporated into design include: the beak, nares, wings, feather shapes, opto-mechanical “eyes,” and the bird's tail on the back of the head.
The biggest surfaces of the helmet calotte are left clean for the purpose of applying camouflage. The curved shapes are supported by the accented elements, in our case yellow strips as we use secondary faction colors for accents, while keeping the primary colors for bigger surfaces. It can be challenging designing assets that require having a color as part of their design (in this case it is the crow’s black colors), while also having to display faction colors and camouflage, thus we will need a camo in dark color to complement this set.
Armors
When designing an armor set, we take into account all of the classes, where each one of them should be visually different, read well and convey their purpose with the aid of a main unique element that will help with class visual distinction. The overall shape, colors and accessories allow us to convey a message about its faction and mercenary purpose. For symbolism we are using segments reminiscent of a crow’s leg skin pattern, as well as wing/feather like elements.
We are creating not one “Legion of the Crows” armor but five, as well as unique skinning for all of them. Additionally, we have five female versions which use a different body base, (along with infiltrator class which also uses a different body base as well).
The Heavy Assault class is the first one we focus on. Reasoning for this is that it has the most elements and is the bulkiest one in its role of the front-line soldier, which gives us an opportunity to detract from that design when creating other classes (except Infiltrator). We do this in order to visually tie all of the classes together and optimize development time. As a main unique element, it features an energy generator used to power shields or Nanite Mesh.
The Light Assault class, in contrast to the Heavy Assault, has its focus on mobility and features less of the protective parts. The patterns reminiscent of those of a crow’s leg skin are more prominent, and its unique element (Jump Jet) is adorned with wings.
The Combat Medic is the only class that uses white colored elements to establish its purpose, and its unique element is a Medical backpack and holster for the Medical Applicator.
The Engineer class is versatile in both Offensive and Defensive encounters, as such it features more protective elements in comparison to other classes, with only the Heavy Assault topping it. Its unique element is a generator used for powering one of its many available assets at disposal, and calibration tools on the Nano-Armor Kit holster.
The Infiltrator class, being focused on stealth, has the sleekest silhouette, with a cloaking device as its unique element. This class has a unique body base, which means reusability of elements presented in the Heavy Assault is not a viable option.
After concepts are done, we move to 3D, skinning and implementation, respectfully. It is worth mentioning that a concept, as being in its essence a 2D image, does not fully translate when put into 3D, in this case adjustments and changes take place until we are satisfied with the final outcome.
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse behind the curtains of the art department!
What’s Next?
We know that delays can be frustrating, and we deeply appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to deliver these updates. Moving forward, we’ll provide regular progress reports through developer blogs, social media, and community updates. Your feedback will continue to play a vital role in shaping these changes, so please keep sharing your thoughts with us.
Thank you for your unwavering support and passion for PlanetSide 2. We’re committed to making Auraxis the best it can be, and we’re excited to share more with you soon.
Stay tuned, and we’ll see you on the battlefield!
Best regards,
The PlanetSide 2 Team
