Many people enjoy Planetside. It is not however, Tribes. And in the same vein, the people who played the original version of T2, didn't see it as Tribes. There were many Diablo and C&C clones that were very similar in design, but they failed critically and commercially because they failed to capture that magic, that spirit that made fans of the original players.
To those who never experienced Tribes 1, Tribes 2 is the best game on the planet. After Tribes 1, T2 is the only game that offers team play, jet packs, deployables and multiple roles that can be chosen mid-game. Of course those without a history with the brand will find it attractive. If you didn't play Half-Life you might be convinced that Unreal was the best shooter ever, but the view would lack any real perspective. Similarly, unless you were able to glean the true magic of Tribes - gameplay that evolved right along with your skill level - then you would not miss it in Tribes 2.
The competitive community took Tribes beyond team combat with jetpacks and discovered that holy grail of gaming - the game you can play forever. The one you never get tired of because it changes as you change. That's what's missing in T2. The game is already stagnant because once you get really good at the game you reach the end of progression. Of course if you're not that good, the game still holds appeal. But to argue that it's as good as its predecessor by listing maps and strategies denies a deeper understanding that comes from playing for 5 years.
It's tantamount to arguing about a TV set with a repairman. He tells you not to buy it because it's crappy. You say it's Huge! has 199 channels, widgets, gadgets, and beautiful color. He shakes his head and walks away, because he knows the tube in the pretty toy will burn out in a year. And that's why it's not worth it.
T1 was fun for both the experts and the neophite. T2 is only fun for neophites. That's the distinction. With this new Tribes we hope to return the depth of the original so that it once again serves both well.
By the way, KineticPoet is based in Canberra, Australia with the rest of the Irrational team. For in person meetings, you're better positioned from New Zealand than the rest of us. But he's easy enough to get in touch with in IRC on irc.dynamix.com or by posting direct questions to him on some of the many community sites like www.tribalwar.com, www.teamwarfare.com, and www.bittah.com
This is another element that points to the success of Vengeance. As developers we have very close ties to the community, and have an established two-way dialogue with the fans. The people on the project are brilliant and talented, and it doesn't take more than a couple of minutes conversing with them to realize that they understand your concerns and have already thought of ways to address them. It's a great feeling to once again be quite hopeful about Tribes.