archifikoss
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Posts posted by archifikoss
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What "substantial game play advantages" would those be? A horse that's no better than any other horse (but just happens to be white)? A race that has different racial bonuses that aren't significantly better than any others?
It is if it's an
!Sorry for that, I'm a horrible immature person
Anyway in all seriousness it's not about gameplay advantages (though the Imperials racial bonuses seem pretty spiffy for a sword and board character)... It's about putting a much loved race behind a paywall for no other reason than an extra buck (or twenty). Yeah maybe TOR did this with the Cathar... But IIRC it had already implemented the Cartel market, and subs can eventually get access without paying extra CC if they save up for a few months. TESO supposedly had subs to avoid this sort of thing, and while it may not be a clear advantage, it's still a very questionable decision IMO.
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I've noticed this in a lot of MMOs and frankly i find it very annoying. BW took it directly from WoW I guess, though I wouldn't be surprised if this design predates WoW.
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My sub is ending too, sadly. I do like TOR but I get that same feeling I would get with WoW... Play with enthusiasm and joy for a few days or weeks, then get a weird sinking feeling every time I log in, and eventually effectively waste my last month because I can't bring myself to log on (I use pre paid cards). GSF was enough for me to play quite regularly for close to 3 months, but the past month nothing
It's not the game, it's me and I know it. WoW style games just aren't for me except in short spurts - and I refuse to play this game as anything other than a subscriber even though I very well could.
I'm pretty sure I'll be back to check out the housing when it's implemented, or for a GSF fix. And I do hope the game continues to go strong with as many of the players as possible having a blast
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I was hoping ESO would replace LOTRO as my fantasy sword & board fix, and pre-ordered The Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Edition for the PC from Gamestop the day they became available. But unless some significant changes are made by launch - like allowing turn L&R to be mapped to the keyboard, leaving mouselook for PoV/camera swing - I'll probably prospect it on EBay.
Funny, because the camera being tied to mouse look is a selling point for me. I feel more connected to my character with a system like TESO where you don't have to hold a mouse button to turn. Different strokes and all that
My problem with the combat system is not the concept (which is more to my taste than "traditional" MMO combat, again because WoW-like combat makes me feel disconnected from my character), but the execution. The less than stellar animations are partly responsible, and there is a lack of weight and smoothness to it. I like how it works, with no autoattack, active dodging and blocking, power attacks plus a small hotbar of easily accessible abilities - but it feels unpolished and undercooked. And I doubt this is something that will change the further I get into the game.
I do like the potential for solo "end game" though with the other two continents opening up in "veteran mode" or whatever, and the fact that we can still "level" our characters past level cap. I can't stand traditional MMO end-game with its focus shifting directly to gear (so effectively all character progression stops) and all the good stuff exclusively needing a group. What we know of for ESO is far more to my liking. Though I do hope there is enough good small and large group content for people who love to group.
As for the game going f2p - I am 100% sure it will happen, and as I've said before I wouldn't be surprised if it were the plan from the start. Make a quick buck with box sales and subs, then jump on the f2p bandwagon. I'm not saying it is like that, it's just a suspicion of mine.
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Interestingly enough, I have not seen a single post from any of the people that I was thinking about when I made this thread.
They have stated, plenty of times, that "ESO is going to show the world that MMO's doesn't need to be cash-grabs, they can be sub-based and don't need cash shops" and here we are. With a cash shop in ESO.
And not a peep from them.
Very interesting.
Elder Scrolls is looking more and more like one big cash grab IMO. An enjoyable and fun one (I liked what I saw in the weekend betas), but a cash grab nonetheless. I believe that the actual developers take pride in their vision and do want to create a great game, but at the end of the day it is the execs that will do the talking.
I'm not saying that the game should be a charity, Bethesda/Zenimax are businesses and their goal is to make money. I just wish that they prove to follow a "profit via perfection" rather than a "perfection via profit" route. In other words I wish their primary driving force proves to be to create a game that will rake in profit by its quality, not because of its design. Though I am afraid this will not be the case
I hope I'm proven wrong. -
What is a cash grab game?
I think he means that the game intends to go for a burst CPS (cash per second) build rather than sustained
He's inferring that it's one of those games that will try to make as much money as possible short term with box sales, cash shop, pay walls plus the obligatory sub. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already their plan to go f2p within a year or whatever, and are using subs as merely another pay wall rather than as a vessel to actually provide the "enhanced experience that wouldn't be possible without subs" that they were touting when they announced the payment scheme.
I wouldn't put it past the execs of an MMO company to do that irrespective of the actual developers intentions.
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Loved the video of the docking procedure, it seems very immersive. Easy enough not to be too tiresome yet kind of involving, like a fun minigame almost. I can't wait for Elite
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Oh look, ESO will have a cash shop too...
Old news mate
It's the sub that pushes me away from that game personally. I enjoyed it when I tried it, in fact more than the other MMOs I've played or tried, but it still doesn't warrant a sub.
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Mass Effect 2 was great too, more polished gameplay wise for the most part, and yeah Omega was awesome... But I liked it less because it felt too streamlined... Mako replaced by planet scanning (I actually liked that crazy bouncing tank!), more linear feel, too streamlined inventory and the ammo system dropped it a notch in my eyes. The problem was that it tried to fix some of the more questionable features of the first game by oversimplifying and heavily streamlining rather than simply tuning down and tweaking (like the looting and inventory systems).
That's not to say that didn't love the game of course, I played through it a number of times
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Video gaming is like golf, or needlepoint, or fishing ... it's a hobby. Some take to a hobby passionately enough to devote an extraordinary amount of time to becoming good at it. There is no harm in that. At least until those who become blindly obsessed persistently try ramming their level of obsession down other people's throats while attempting to paint it as the norm. To that degree I agree with you in that anything done to blind excess, where it becomes a territorial addiction (like stalking forums) as opposed to an engrossing pastime is more than a waste of time. It's a sign of scrambled squash.
Quite true. Anything taken to extremes really is not good. And I do respect the "hardcore" gamers for their dedication to their hobby, as long as they carry themselves with dignity and treat other gamers with respect.
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I'm really looking forward to trying them. One of the most important things for me is story.
They are really good games. ME1 especially is probably my favorite Bioware game.
I am actually kind of excited about DA:I. It seems like Bioware is moving out of their comfort zone with it and trying something new to them... We'll see.
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Ideas like these, as great as they are, are from a different gaming era, one I look back on with much nostalgia.
I love day/night cycles in games... They really make a game world feel alive. In WoW every month on an RP server some Alliance guilds would organize a moonrise event every month, a few players had actually written their own poetry for this. Horde players were welcome too. There was always a very cozy feeling about these events. This kind of RP would not have been possible if the game didn't have day/night cycles. And it's one of the few things I actually miss in that game.
I know they will never be implemented in TOR, even though one of Star Wars' most memorable moments relied on a (twin) sunset... And it's quite saddening. IMO the whole snapshot in time thing was just an excuse because BW wasn't capable of pulling this off properly back then. Their world design always left something to be desired - their gameworlds always felt more like elaborate movie sets than living breathing worlds. I guess it's too late to do now, and even if it were done it wouldn't actually add anything to the game at this point apart from immersion - and definitely wouldn't bring in more money.
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What on earth are you talking about? if someone is a "hardcore raider" then theyre a hardcore raider, your delusions wont change that. If someone is a hardcore ufc fighter it doesn't mean theres no such thing as a hardcore mmo player.
Peoples petty jealousness of people for the time or dedication they put into a video game is really sad.
I think his point is that gaming by its nature is a casual activity, meant to be a distraction from RL worries and something to do in ones free time. Hence he finds "hardcore gaming" to be a contradiction in terms, at least according to his definition of the word.
I both agree and disagree with him. I don't think sitting on ones bum staring at a screen for hours on end is a hardcore activity (it's fun and relaxing for a while but also in my opinion a waste of time when done in excess considering how much life has to offer), but I also can't help but admire hardcore players dedication, especially when they manage to make an actual living out of it even for a little while. I enjoy watching longplays and discussing games too, and dedicated gamers are really the only ones I can turn to for those things.
When it comes down to it, people do as they please. No one here has the right to belittle others for their habits, whether it's "casuals" boasting that they "have a life", or "hardcores" disparaging "noobs and bads".
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I am big TES fan, and I greatly enjoy MMORPGs that try something different (like The Secret World).
TESO disappointed me on both counts. It felt as if they took Skyrim, picked out all the worst parts of it, and made a new game out of those.
For me the main problem of this otherwise rather fun and immersive game is that it doesn't feel that much like Skyrim, and also doesn't feel much like an MMO. I wrote this in my impressions on the previous page. It's as if the game is confused about what it wants to be. It does take the best of both worlds but in a somewhat undercooked way. As I said I don't find it sloppy or bland, but it lacks flair and distinctiveness - it could be any fantasy world, it just happens to be in Tamriel.
We did play a rather old build though I believe. Some of my gripes may have been addressed (e.g. they apparently added collision to PvE). The starter islands are now avoidable, and many people say that the game opens up and improves a great deal after the starter isles. So maybe my above complaint is only applicable for the specific content I played. I don't know how far you got, but if you did not leave the beginning areas either maybe you'll be happier later, I just don't know.
We'll eventually find out I guess
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nice bait!
I'm pretty sure that the very hardcore fans of WoW-style MMOs will dislike TESO. And I have the feeling that many diehard ES fans will be disappointed. I was personally very pleasantly surprised by it, and lots of the people in the beta seemed to be enjoying it. I'm sure that short-term it will be very successful, but in the long term... I'm not so sure, it will depend on the end game (something I personally don't care about but it's understandably critical to most hardcore MMOers).
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I'm also very keen on Elite: Dangerous. I am more thrilled about Star Citizen TBH since it's closer to what I want from a space game but I am definitely picking up E: D, I can't wait!
I think most space fans will be playing - or at least trying - both games, plus Roberts and Braben have supported each other in their games so it's more of a healthy, friendly competition between the two anyway. We're really lucky, two awesome space games await us!
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LONG post of beta impressions incoming!
I finally got my grubby paws on the beta, and now that I've played I don't understand why the game gets so much hate. OK sure it has issues but all in all it's a lot of fun. It's the first time in a while that I've gotten so immersed in a game world.
Character creation was very solid, but I couldn't create "myself" unfortunately (which I often do for male characters).
I have mixed feelings about the graphics .The characters and animations feel rather dated. This gave me an impression of lower than expected production values. Still the beauty of the game world makes up for the characters - it is absolutely gorgeous. My most outstanding "wow this is just breathtaking" moment was in the end of my time in the beta, standing on that statue on Companion's point (name?) in the Nord starter island at in-game sunset. It was actually majestic.
I never bother much with sound but nothing stood out in a bad way for me here. Music was pretty nice too.
UI was nice for a Skyrim fan like me. No usual MMO clutter, you can actually focus on the game rather than the menus. Big plus for me. And the lack of a minimap makes it all the more immersive, the compass is enough for me.
Questing was fun. The quests could be considered pretty good RPG fare and are a cut above usual MMO crap. Our characters are silent (ES style) but all the NPCs are voiced have at least a sentence to say (important for immersion). Questing is comparable to SWTOR, with SWTOR getting points for PC voice acting and choice and ESO getting points for a more direct and less cinematic feel.
The class and leveling system are interesting. It seems to offer a lot of freedom in creating interesting builds. I prefer this to the usual WoW approach. And the more action-oriented combat style could actually make the holy trinity enjoyable for once. However...
Combat again left me with mixed feelings. I like the concept and find it much closer to my taste than the usual hard targeting hotbar MMO stuff (which I dislike for a number of reasons), but its execution is questionable. I love that we have to aim at our enemies, I love the active blocking and dodging and I actually like the no cooldown approach. BUT: It feels a bit clunky and rather weightless, and at times unresponsive. This would be less of an annoyance in a WoW style game but here with the simpler, more straightforward combat plus the need to actually look at your screen more than your UI it is a problem. Also, bows and staff combat feels even less weighted than melee. I believe they are adding collision for PvE so that should help somewhat.
Exploration is probably the most fun aspect of the game. Going off the beaten path you can find side quests, skyshards, chests, or simply interesting little nooks and crannies in the world. The beauty of the gameworld only adds to the joy of exploring. I found that the fun way to play this game (at least the little I progressed in the beta) was not following the quest lines religiously but just wandering off in its general direction and doing whatever you may come across.
I did not try PvP, but I liked the little I saw of the crafting - it actually looks interesting.
My main problem with the game is that it seems to be undecided on what it actually is - an MMO or an Elder Scrolls RPG. It doesn't feel too much like an ES game, and it doesn't feel much like an MMO either. It is neither bland nor uninspired, but there is a certain lack of flair and distinctiveness to it.
In closing, I'd like to say that I had fun and enjoyed this, it is much more to my liking than traditional MMOs and believe it's definitely worth the purchase, however I'm not convinced it's worth a subscription (for the record I don't like subs, and the only reason I resubbed here was as a token of appreciation for GSF). This day and age I don't consider any game to be worth 15 euro a month though so that's just me.
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Neither will anyone else, for very long.
"Beefy hardware requirements." Always a good sign for a mass market computer game.
I know...
At least I have the dogfighting module to look forward to in April to sharpen my trigger finger.I'm not 100% sure I'd call SC mass market actually bran. It is primarily aimed at what is now a rather niche audience (I don't think many people are interested in space sims) - and CR always made games that pushed technical boundaries. This is no exception. He did say he'd like as many people as possible to play of course (he's a businessman after all as well as a hardcore gamer), but he doesn't seem prepared to compromise his vision to cater to the average mass gamer.
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My pub toon uses a decently upgraded Nova. I love that little ship. My imp has his Sting.
I haven't played in a while TBH (I've burned out and need a break), but I can't play anything other than a scout (both types)... The others just feel too sluggish after my Nova and Sting.
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Been there, done that
You're not alone. Except I am not really a fan of online games with a few exceptions, I know how you feel.At some point in life you just burn out. It can be temporary or permanent, but it happens. I sometimes spend months "detoxing" from games, but eventually I get the urge to play again. I never really lose interest - I watch longplays, browse forums and even jot down my own ideas for games - but I take breaks from actually playing.
Also, it may just be a "dead" period for you, types of games you like may just not be on the radar at this point in time. I'm pretty excited about Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous and Kingdom Come: Deliverance currently (it will take a while until they're out), and mildly interested in Elder Scrolls Online. So it's a good time for me at least!
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Happy birthday
BTW, when my many twenty-something friends asked me about two years and a month ago "how does it feel to be 30?", my reply was "same as 29", we're anything but old in our 20s, 30s and (I hope) 40s
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All well and good...
...but the game engine can't support all this. Hence why everything is "walled off". Far more open world such as Alderraan and Corelia slow most to a crawl and they have the most detailed and open landscapes in the game.
I get your frustrations but unless they do something about the engine, none of this would happen.
"It's technically complicated and would require far too many resources."
Maybe it could be possible to have completely separate zones on the same planet though, accessible through different landing zones? They wouldn't even need to be adjacent and communicate.
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The best use of body type 4 is rolling uphill into cover.
In all seriousness, I don't like male 3. It looks unnatural, too much like a comic book hero, inflated rather than naturally muscular and big. Type 1 is far too skinny and the head looks disproportionately large. BT 2 and 4 are the only ones I use because they look less unnatural, 2 is kind of closer to my own body (I'd say I'm between 1 and 2) and 4 looks better for a buff character... I regularly see professional weightlifters where I train and they're closer to BT4 than BT3.
ESO Review... not looking good.
in Off-Topic
Posted
IMO there is no such thing as "legitimate" end game. Also, the opposing faction exploration approach TESO has is not like rolling an alt (it's more like a "new game +" mode), and is not the only end game activity. I believe there are some max level public dungeons, not to mention veteran modes for the already existing ones. And they also have adventure zones for large groups, though that is shrouded in mystery. Plus, you can continue "leveling" past max level (I think they have veteran levels or something) and you can still develop your untrained skills. All this is much more to my liking to traditional raiding + gear grinding, which to me is as appealing as a lathe to the crotch.
Otherwise I do agree with your post. It's worth the purchase, but I'm not sure yet if it's worth the sub. Maybe if the combat felt a bit more polished and the game had a more solid identity.