I just finished maxing my skills on the trial island...

the_trout

I just finished maxing my skills on the trial island. I thought this was a really well done game. There are several features for me that distinguish it form the more mainstream MMO.

Skill based leveling. As and ex SWG (pre CU) player I found this totally refreshing. The ability to be whatever I want whenever I want just plain kicks ass. In the more traditional arch-type lvl based systems I usually play a support type such as a  healer or buffer but sometimes i want to get out of that role and dps or tank. With skill based leveling I don't have to have an alt character to enjoy the other aspects of the game. IMO a skill based system also makes grouping easier since most everyone can fill multiple roles.

Crafting / Harvesting. The ability for me to make items to my specifications is another thing I have not seen since SWG. the fluctuation in the quality of resources within a tier allow for greater diversity in the crafted items. For example, while hide can be used to make boots, hideA will give a dodge modifier while hideB will give a parry modifier and hideC will give greater poison resists. In addition by using "crafting skills" you are able to add custom stats to an item, ie. +hp or +power ect... For anyone who plays MMO's for the crafting aspect, this game is miles ahead of the mainstream titles.

Graphics / UI. While the graphics look somewhat dated in comparison to newer games like LotR or Vanguard they are still very well done. I thought the use of vibrant colors in the game world were awesome. The animations, both in combat and rested, are top notch as is the use of particle effects. The water is simply the best I've ever seen. The UI is very clean and unobtrusive which is the way I like it. Less is more in my book.

Game play / Combat. While its really no different than all the others (push button to execute skill) I found the pace of combat to be somewhat slower. This gave me the feeling of less "button mashing" and lent itself toward a more tactical approach. What really intrigued me was that the actually skills themselves are customizable. For example, a basic Root skill may have a range or 25m and a cast time of 2 sec. You can modify it so that it has a range of 30m but a cast time of 2.5 sec. I'm not aware of another game where you can do this.

Concept / IP. Like many of you, I'm burned out on elves and dwarves and the high fantasy setting in general. Ryzom offers a unique world with it's own back story and lore in a setting that is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy. I found it to be comfortably familiar yet intriguingly different. You can use swords and magic and guns. I'm of the opinion that an original idea is inherently better than licensing an existing IP. Owning the IP give the development team unlimited control over the content and allows them to act in the best interest of the game without the over site of a third party who is more concerned with the integrity of the IP that the success of the game.

Community / Support. In the week that I played casually there were no less than 4 live events, I believe they were player driven with CSR support. In this same timespan I personally saw 3 CSR's just hanging out helping new players and they were very active in chat. What I did not see in that week was a single whining, immature, degrading or epeen related comment in chat. I have no doubt that the player community in Ryzom is the best that I have ever seen. I applaud them.

However... I can see where this game is never going to be a big player in the marketplace. It's complexed. Far, far more complexed than mainstream games. Players new to the genre would have a very difficult time. This is a sandbox style game. It's my understanding that outside of the newbie island content is all player driven, no quests. While the veteran MMO player may find this refreshing, the newbie or casual player is going to struggle to find a reason to play. Most people want some lvl of handholding and direction. This game offers very little of that. I did have a few technical problems. I had issues with sound, sometimes it would load up but have no sound, other times it would be fine. I also had some intermittent lag where I would get an on screen msg. saying to hold please or something to that effect. 

In conclusion, If I was an MMO dev, I would be seriously looking at the features that this game offers and try to make a game similar to it with some updated "creature comforts" such as tweaks to the ui or added voice overs. I would add a few more quests that help lead you around the world and add to the lore/back story without making this a quest driven game. I would highly recommend this game to the veteran MMO player who is looking for something truly different. I would defiantly recommend it to all the old SWG vets looking for a similar game. I would not recommend it to a new MMO player or to a player who is looking for the traditional lvl based game in a new skin. Also if you are someone who wants predefined goals (quests) this is not the game for you. This is a game for the self motivated.

Gilgameesh

Hello

i found your post very well balanced and smart, you have found exactly the beauty and the beast of Ryzom. This is a wonderful game that more than others goes near to the concept of a virtual world instead of just a game.

I cannot add much on what you have said, i agree for the most.

What is really great in this game, altough the graphic engine is old but still awesome, is the apparent AI of the mobs around. I never found an ecosystem so vivid and 'wild' in any mmo played. It's not as the radiant ai of oblivion, but still is miles higher than all the other mmo out the market. Without AI there is no beautiful world, perfect graphics, magnificent effects that can give the 'environment' that special feeling that you will find in Ryzom. You mentioned Lotro, well i tried it few days, found the graphics, ofc, awesome and really realistic but, at the end, when I went exploring I didn't found any 'heart', any depth in it. Why? because the ecosystem was the usual one, you can find in all other mmo, such as EQ2: animals don't interact, they just walk around doing nothing, npc doing nothing, even not moving at all.

I agree with you also in the fact that new players have a hard time at beginning, because of the sandbox nature of the game, For what I know, GF is working on quests to alleviate this problem, also revamping the Encyclopedia rites, that were the quests originally designed and never finished by the devs.

Finally, for what I know there are many ex-SWG preCU refugee in Ryzom, so you are right recommending it as many of them already found the Light

Hope you'll find good motivation to leave Silan and meet all of us crazy homins that love something different

 

0over0

It's definitely a good game for the right player and I was glad the game was saved by a new company coming in. Hopefully it will continue to grow.

MaDSaM

I agree, a very good review. Fair and not biassed in any way like some you read from said "New Style Players".

It is correct that GF is going to put in more "Quest" Contend soon, up to lvl 100 first and later more for higher levels.

I agree with this concept, for it is for exactly those reasons you stated.

Another thing is, connection and Servers are normaly extremely stable and I think I can still count the realy massive Servercrashes in my 3 years of play on two hands.

Last week  sadly was one of these times, as the had patched a few things that for some reason or other destabilized the Servers.

But they´re working on figuring out what caused it and will correct it ASAP.

As long as this will take, the game is back to "usual", so to say. It works just fine and stable

 

CU

MaDSaM

AtysTrader

A very nice review indeed.

I just want to add that this game kinda shapes the community that inhabits it because "wrong" kind of people simply don't fit and leave it at some point... What we get is one of the best communities in all MMORPGS out there - the friendliest, most intelligent and most mature one I have seen - that's for sure.

Tons of people on the quest to help the newb, tons of people to give you a hand while levelling no matter what race or faction you belong to.

A great social game! Most old-timers keep coming back mainly because there is no other game with a community like that of ryzom

 

 

 

pluzoid

you know all i see when i used to play starwars galaxies (before nge, simular sandbox game) was people complaining about the lack of content.

To me lack of content is a better trade off to freedom within the game. Like wow is the opposite to SoR. Wow is simplistic, to the point of boredom and fast learning, has lots of content, but no way to access it all unless you make several characters. Wow also has a large variety of quests. Sounds good until your making your 4th char and you end up doing the same quests that take you to the same place over and over, feeling like a sheep, cuz lets face it the xp is better from missions. Crafting wise, everythings the same, only difference is selling two identical items is the price...

Ryzom is on the other side of the spectrum, one char is all you really need to be able to do most if not all the proffesions you want (proffesions isnt the right word, but cant think of one :P). kill when you want, where you want. Make standard crafted items for a little cash, or go hardcore, and get tonnes of mats of the best quality and make your money there. Or just whack monsters on the head and sell there body parts lol. why be  a barn yard chicken when you can be free ranged 

Now one mmo's that tried to change from sandbox to cookie cutter was Starwars galaxies, its a classic example, that different games are liked because they are different.  But SOE liked wow so much there New Game Ehancements basically turned the game into a poor version of wow.

Now I'd hate history to repeat itself, but if people cant learn to love what they have instead of pining over what they dont, I could see history repeating itself.

Do you like vanilla ice-cream more than chocolate? i like chocolate more, doesnt mean i want the vanilla ice cream to become chocolate ice cream, because then there would be no vinilla and no distinction between the two.

ok crazy man says bye

MaDSaM

As a friend of mine put it a few days ago:

Quote:

"Ryzom makes you think about what you do. I´ve played WoW for far longer than Ryzom, but after visiting this World and not being able to play both for a while now (due to a move) I´d rather return to Ryzom. Just because I like to think about what I do and I´m sick of being led by the hand by a game."

Unquote.

And I agree with her wholehartedly!

I don´t think that GF will transform the Game into another WoW. Those Ex-Nevraxians in Paris won´t permit that IMHO.

Even if GF in Karlsruhe would try to put some kind of pressure on them, wich I´m sure they won´t do

I know these guys *waves to Phelan, RFWDA, Hastings, Meistervampir and all the others*

 

CU

MaDSaM

Sasi

Thanks for your honest and well considered review. The two official reviews on MMORPG.com are well out of date now, and this is a good refresher.

Regarding your mention of SWG, my guild started in SWG and after it went down the wrong path came to Ryzom en masse. Still going strong here years later.

This is definitely a game for those who want to do more thinking, though I'd say that it's a great first MMO for older players like me. (It's my first and only, I've tried a couple of others and came running back right away.)

I'd like to add a little about the game play and skills. Any character can learn any skill, and most people learn from most or all skill areas, varying what they work on as mood dictates. The actions you can do are as customizable as the crafts - which is important and takes a bit of effort to understand. You can certainly start with "pre-packaged" actions which you get from the trainer NPCs, but as you learn how the system works you begin to tweak them, to combine them, and eventually to just make your own. I've long since quit using any actions that I didn't build myself, and find that I'm constantly adjusting them to fit whatever I'm trying to do.

Lydon

Very nice review!

daeandor

The customizable actions and content are just plain awesome in SoR.  I also really liked how the environment interacted with players and other NPC's and fauna.  I really wish I had been into the game as a whole as I no longer play.  Great community with lots of helpers and wonderful people.  Sadly, I just never fell in love with it and it eventually fell off my hardrive during a computer upgrade and I never renewed or re-installed.

Great game for someone who has time to socialize, likes crafting, doesn't mind grinding periodically, and wants a sandbox game.  If you are someone who must be "the best" or cannot create your own fun in a sandbox, do not play this game, it will frustrate you.