BFRs (Big Freaking Robots) were not added to Planetside 2 for several reasons:
- Balance Issues: BFRs were considered challenging to balance in the game. In Planetside 1, they were initially unstoppable, and after nerfs, they became generally useless or annoying. Balancing them between being strong, agile, and having firepower was a challenge.
- Game Design Conflicts: The Flight Variants of BFRs broke basic game design by having a combination of strength, firepower, and agility. Balancing a mech in a combined arms game was problematic, and they didn’t fit well with other non-mech elements.
- Community Opposition: BFRs were introduced later in the original Planetside, and their addition shook up the established status quo and metagame. Many players opposed them, and some even considered them as contributing to the downfall of Planetside 1.
- Conceptual Challenges: While the concept of big stompy mechs is appealing, integrating them into a game with other vehicles and elements proved to be difficult. The challenge was in defining their role without making them just another tank or an unbalanced addition to the game.
These reasons collectively led to the decision not to include BFRs in Planetside 2. The developers and community seemed to agree that they were not a suitable addition to the game’s ecosystem.
You can find more detailed discussions on this topic in the following sources: