1. Getting Started

The Getting Started section covers PlanetSide installation, account creation and Launchpad options.

• Place CD in CD-Rom. The PlanetSide installation menu should automatically launch. Select INSTALL and follow the onscreen instructions.
• If the installation menu does not appear, double click on the My Computer icon to browse to your CD-Rom drive and double-click on Setup.exe.
• Windows 2000/XP users must be logged in as the system administrator to install the software.
• PlanetSide requires DirectX 8.0. If the installer detects that you don't have DirectX 8.0 installed on your computer, it can automatically install the update for you.
• Before running the game, you may need to update your video card and sound card drivers to the most recently released versions. Visit the manufacturers' Web sites to find the proper downloads.
• There is a readme file in the PlanetSide directory (default C:\Program Files\Sony\PlanetSide) that contains updated information about the game. You are highly encouraged to read this file as it contains any changes to PlanetSide after the manual was written.

System requirements may change over time, and you may need to upgrade your current system (or obtain a new system) to play the Game.

Double-click on the PlanetSide icon or select PlanetSide Launcher from Start ->Programs ->PlanetSide.

You will be presented with the license agreement for PlanetSide. Please read it to understand the terms of use and click "I agree." Following this you will be presented with the Login Screen. See the section below for more information about the Login Screen.

Your Station Username is used to manage any subscriptions to the various products that Sony Online Entertainment offers, such as PlanetSide or EverQuest. If you already have a Station Username, click Continue. If you don't, you must click Register at this time to create one. Your account may be accessed at any time by visiting the web at http://www.station.sony.com and clicking the My Account link in the upper right.

• Register 
• For new Station members who need to create a Station Username
• Continue
• For those that already have a Station Username

Enter your information in the appropriate fields. Note that your Station Username has nothing to do with the name that you wish to give to your character in PlanetSide. The Station Username is only used to manage your Station Account.

When creating a new account, choose a password that NO ONE will know. Account security is the responsibility of the account holder.

Please note that PlanetSide accounts are not to be shared. Each family member is to have their own account. The exception to this is that a parent may purchase an account for a child's use (age 13 or older), in which case the parent may not use that account.

Please refer to the End User License Agreement (EULA)  for a detailed description of policies regarding account sharing. Please be sure to let us know if your email address changes in the future by changing your account information at http://www.station.sony.com.

When you log into PlanetSide for the very first time, you will be prompted to enter the Account Key that is printed on the CD sleeve.

After successfully entering the Account Key, you will then be presented with the various subscription methods that you may use to play PlanetSide.

PlanetSide requires a monthly fee to play, so you will need to enter a valid credit card number or use a prepaid Game Card to play PlanetSide. After any initial subscription period included with the game, your credit card will be charged or your Game Card debited following the end of this period.

*Screenshots depicted in this manual may vary from the actual in-game screens. Please review the readme file in the PlanetSide directory for updated information.

Station Username: Enter your Station Username. Station Usernames are used to manage your subscriptions to the other various products Sony Online Entertainment offers, such as PlanetSide or EverQuest. If you do not yet have a UserName, see the New Account button below.

Station Password: Enter your Station Password here.

News: You can find the latest news about PlanetSide by clicking this button.

My Account: This is where you can manage your Station Username account.

New Account: Used to create a new Station Username and register your PlanetSide if you have not already done so.

Sign-in: Click this or hit Enter after entering your Station UserName and Password to continue the login process.

This screen will contain many of the same options as the Login Screen, with extra options available only after you have signed in.

News: You can find the latest news about PlanetSide by clicking this button.

Chat: Chat with other players in the Official PlanetSide IRC channel.

My Account: This is where you can manage your Station Username account.

Edit Subscription: Used to manage your Subscription and payment methods for PlanetSide.

Quick Planet(Server)Select pulldown: Use this to quickly access any server (World) that you may already have characters on. Then use the Quick Character select pull-down menu (described below) to quickly access a particular character from the selected server*.

Quick Character Select pulldown*: Use this to quick-launch the game with the selected character.

Play button: Click this after auto patch procedure finishes to launch the game.

Training button: Clicking this will start the offline training portions of PlanetSide. These modules will teach you much of the knowledge you'll need in order to be successful in the game.

Note that that the first time you connect to the game, you will not be able to use either of the Quick Launch Pull Down menus because you haven't created a character yet.