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Why play PotBS over Voyage Century?
brihtwulf
Member UncommonPosts: 975
On comparing the features of the two games, I have a hard time finding a reason to pay $15 a month for this game when Voyage Century is free.
1. PotBS has slightly better graphics. Their shots of open sea and character avatars are slightly better than VC, but not in a significant way. The character faces and heads in PotBS look rather ugly from all I've seen so far.
2. Both games offer adventuring, exploration, trade, and piracy. The combat is nearly identical, due to the "point cannons at enemy and fire" form of attacking. There is nothing really unique offered.
3. Both games have a limited off-ship experience. The devs of PotBS have even stated in an interview that the original concept and design didn't even include on-shore avatars and actions. The ports were simply a menu interface.
Personally, I think they should go with a free-to-play model. But this won't fly with SOE and may not be enough to recoup the costs of development (all 5 years of it!!!). With all the time they have put into this game, it should be taking nautical MMOs and multiplayer combat to another level. It fails to do so. The high seas graphics offer a "prettier" view, but there is little esle to make this game desirable over it's F2P counterpart.
What do the rest of you think? Is it better than VC, in a significant way as to merit the monthly subscription fee?
Comments
actually potbs is better in many respects, better interface, better combat , better setup. everything is better. Voyage which i tried is something like POTC from disney but in a better stance, that game was horrible. Finally they have a free MMO sure, but you want to perks (items), then you pay. Instead of paying for monthly they get you buy paying for items, just like gold farmers. no thnx.
"The monster created isn't by the company that makes the game, it's by the fans that make it something it never was"
1) try immensily better, but i couldn't care what the graphics looked like it is gameplay that is important and the graphics are good enough for me.
2) Im pretty sure pirates of the burning sea does it much better with their combat system, they are aiming for the same thing but one out performs the other, just like the fps genre
3) Yeah but the focus of this game is ship to ship fighting, so you dont really need land based combat just so you can say oh look we have land based combat, theres no reason they cant expand to that later though.
Theres alot more that makes them stand out, voyage century is the same as all the other free to play mmos, it is a crap game and you get exactly what you pay for.
Pirates of the burning sea doesn't look like it is going to fall in to that boat i have ownly seen positive reviews and comments about it so far, of course the same can be said about lord of the rings which was even more boring than guild wars was.
So ill wait and see, but i am still 100% sure that any game is better than voyage century even lord of the rings is.
Edit oh and if this game had the same payment models as voyage century or any other korean type game i wouldn't go anywhere near it.
This might not sound to good. And i am sorry for saying this FLS guys
But i have a friend that was in POTBS beta , and he left it to play Voyage Century ...
What ever that means ,
and what were his reasons he didnt say because of NDA
All I can say is: try VCO, it's free to download and free to play, so you can get a feel for that game yourself. VCO is indeed very identical to PotBS, but I found it had some major (game breaking) problems. All I know is: I'm going for PotBS, after seeing and playing the stress test this weekend.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
90% of the "players" in VCO don't speak english and/or are bots. At least that's what I got from it the month and a half I played it.
The best thing VCO has going for it is that it is free. Other than that, PotBS is better.
Funny, the ship battles don't look like that in any of the videos released.
Apply lemon juice and candle flame here to reveal secret message.
Each to their own I guess. For me, a game is more than controls and graphics. VCO has some major flaws in end game play which turned me off.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
While I won't extensivly slate PotBS (which I have played) I must defend VCO from claims that is the same as all other free aisian MMOs.
It is nothing like the fantasy grind farms you see coming out of Korea constantly. Yeah you get what you pay for, you can see shine and polish missing from where the game was obviously made on a shoe string budget. But the content they offer on said budget is amazing, and the cash shop does not ruin the experience enough to justify failure.
I can't honestly compare the two due to the price difference, but I will say that neither game can hold my interest long enough for me to want to spend money on it. But since one of them is free, I have nothing to lose.
Because VCO is a bot-infested suckfest that has an items mall? And the GMs/devs couldn't spring for a copy of Rosetta Stone English.
It is free, and there's something to be said for that....but does anyone remember the virus found in the installation file being distributed a few months back?
Honestly, this is like trying to compare apples to monkeys or something. If you prefer to play the free game, that's wonderful. But don't think you're comparing similar type games when choosing whether to pay for other.
Has anyone even played both of these games side by side? Or are we just going off assumptions made by screenshots and videos???
Don't be terrorized! You're more likely to die of a car accident, drowning, fire, or murder! More people die every year from prescription drugs than terrorism LOL!
At first, I thought that this was someone shilling for VC again. My first question to you would probably be, have you ever actually played Voyage Century for any length of time? Every sane person I know who has actually tried the game promptly deleted it. But sure, why pay money for a game with quality designers who have worked on many different MMO projects when you could play a half-assed, broken English version with incredibly poor game play for free?
I see your point!
also in VCO you have to lvl up your ship, there is no choice of what kind of ship you would like. Like i would perfer a corvette over a 104 gun or w.e. In VCO you will end up with a ship with alot of guns.
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
There was a stress test this weekend.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Ok here it goes my first post here. Voyage century has the worst most broken guild system, also the community is horrible. The gms will not ban scammers or people who bot as long as they buy Item Mall stuff. Also its boring after a couple weeks so if ur going to play one play POTBS.
The bit about the water is absurd. The combat is nothing like Sid Meier's pirates. I have to wonder if you've ever played it.
Actually the combat is EXACTLY like Sid Meier's Pirates and that question would be thrown back at you. There is no differance between the two except one thing, the top down view vs the isometric view. Graphics etc are different but the mechanics of wind and controls of the ship are exactly the same. So while I still like POTBS, the first post was correct. Why you would argue this is beyond me.
"The monster created isn't by the company that makes the game, it's by the fans that make it something it never was"
[quote] But this won't fly with SOE[/quote]
SOE has not control over these types of things... all they are is a publisher. They have no decision making power when it comes to the game itself. If you havn't (not saying you havn't) read Rusty's post concerning their decision to go with SOE, I highly suggest you read it. SOE is just a platform, nothing more.
As for the free to play (until you want to be competitive and purchase items), you can have it, for my reasons below:
1. Graphics are 100% better.
2. Gameply IS better. Just because some areas are similar doesn't mean they are the same.
3. Yes avatars were stapled on, but they have spent along time stapling. Plus even as the boys at FLS say, the game will continue to improve and grow. Your free to play MMO will not grow in these terms.
4. Have you been to the FLS forums? The community is top notch, and the developers are truly one of a kind.
If I came off sound like a fan boi, it was not my intention. FLS just has their stuff together.
BigE
1. SMP, while a lot of fun, is an arcade game. That means that the combat is very quick and clicky. Ours isn't. While the open sea has accelerated movement so you can get between islands in a reasonable amount of time, when in COMBAT ship speeds and handling are much more realistic than SMP.
2. In our game position matters. Ships have 4 different armor facings, as well as internal structure and which side you hit the ship from *matter*. Fore and aft is much weaker than the sides, so "raking from stem to stern" is a valid tactic.
3. Ships sail differently at different angles to the wind, some ships are better upwind than others, so knowing your ships characteristics (and your enemies) changes your tactics.
4. In our game you have skills. Different classes have different ones, but they can do things like increasing your reload speed (flogging!), double shotting, targetting the rudder to disable turning, intimidate to lower the enemies moral, and many many others. SMP has none. Just "fire".
5. While SMP has multiple shot types, our game has much more realistic modelling of what those shot types do. Each type has different ranges based on your canons, and does different amounts of damage to hull, sails and rigging, and crew. So if you're trying to prevent an enemies' escape, you can dismast them with chain or bar shot, and then use canister or grape to whittle the crew down before you board.
6. Oh yeah. Missions. We have those. And they don't involve chasing the same ship all over the caribbean multiple times. So there is something else to do other than just sink the opposing ship or board it for loot. Running blockades, capturing escaped ships, recovering lost or stolen loot, destroying forts, exploring smuggler's caves, missing nobles, spurned lovers, career rivals. You know. Story.
7. PVP. Ship combat against another *player* isn't even an option in SMP.
I could go on, but I think I've made the point. I *loved* Sid Meir's Pirates. But that's not the game we made, or were trying to make. And to say they're the same on anything more than a superficial level (they both have pirates!) is kind of absurd.
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
I am pre ordering POTBS and I will agree with you on 1 thing about the water. POTBS has some terrible water, it needs more raw ocean movement with generated waves and stuff that at least can make it look real, all that smooth open ocean is a BIG turnoff.
I love POTBS for everything else though and think they did the game right. Interactions on land fighting everything is very good. The game also will mostly be controlled by a group of people who care about the customer and won't let the game turn into a BOT-FEST like Voyage Century has become. Why play a game that has all bots and not so caring customer services? Sure that is free but what do you get from it?
I rather pay monthly and get all my content in upgrades, monthly updates then to buy items that you never know if they will make more upgrades and be done with it. How boring is VCO, it is extremely boring the way it is and it's community.
POTBS all the way baby and lets hope a POTBS staff member reads my comments on concerning the water, generated more waves and raw power. Take a ship ride to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans and see that the ocean isn't calm at all. Please add more realistic water, thanks!
Ouch! Who threw that fish!
Yes, ....Rick... for heaven sakes.
IMPROVE THE WATER!!!!
1. SMP, while a lot of fun, is an arcade game. That means that the combat is very quick and clicky. Ours isn't. While the open sea has accelerated movement so you can get between islands in a reasonable amount of time, when in COMBAT ship speeds and handling are much more realistic than SMP.
2. In our game position matters. Ships have 4 different armor facings, as well as internal structure and which side you hit the ship from *matter*. Fore and aft is much weaker than the sides, so "raking from stem to stern" is a valid tactic.
3. Ships sail differently at different angles to the wind, some ships are better upwind than others, so knowing your ships characteristics (and your enemies) changes your tactics.
4. In our game you have skills. Different classes have different ones, but they can do things like increasing your reload speed (flogging!), double shotting, targetting the rudder to disable turning, intimidate to lower the enemies moral, and many many others. SMP has none. Just "fire".
5. While SMP has multiple shot types, our game has much more realistic modelling of what those shot types do. Each type has different ranges based on your canons, and does different amounts of damage to hull, sails and rigging, and crew. So if you're trying to prevent an enemies' escape, you can dismast them with chain or bar shot, and then use canister or grape to whittle the crew down before you board.
6. Oh yeah. Missions. We have those. And they don't involve chasing the same ship all over the caribbean multiple times. So there is something else to do other than just sink the opposing ship or board it for loot. Running blockades, capturing escaped ships, recovering lost or stolen loot, destroying forts, exploring smuggler's caves, missing nobles, spurned lovers, career rivals. You know. Story.
7. PVP. Ship combat against another *player* isn't even an option in SMP.
I could go on, but I think I've made the point. I *loved* Sid Meir's Pirates. But that's not the game we made, or were trying to make. And to say they're the same on anything more than a superficial level (they both have pirates!) is kind of absurd.
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
1. Agree, but alas the mechanics are the same2. Position matter in Sid Myers, if you didn't want to get sunk you did your best not to get broadside and went for the aft or stern.
3. I should have not said "Exactly" the same but "very close"
4. I was assuming most would figure this is an MMO vs a single player game, so eh I look for the intellect of most posters to figure things out without writing every little example or difference, but what you say is a given in the difference.
5. While again I agree here, so did Sid, just change shot type and then you could knock out the sails and board the enemy.
6. There was more then chasing one ship, fort seizing was in Sid as well as others. So this is a nil point
7. Sid was a single player game yours is an MMO, another point I figured someone with a brain would realize. No insult intended just making a point about not pointing out all the obvious
We both could take the points about allot of things that this game and another can be compared, you can do the same thing with daoc vs forgotten realms or other comparisons to other titles. My bad for using the word EXACTLY in my statement. I should have said, DARN CLOSE. Sense you know I was in your stress test I can tell you that I enjoyed it very much and look forward to your game coming out. However I still believe the ship combat while fun, is missing something, got me what that something is, but to me it feels to much like SMP in allot of ways, does not make that a bad thing as SMP was a blast and heck your details and animations are top notch in the ship area, but still it feels pretty much the same, took me 1 min to figure out the mechanics.
Finally I hate to hear this when I did, but many said, “Oh you just need a bigger ship and play more so when you get there you will see a big difference and it won’t feel so arcade-ish. It was done this way so the learning curve wouldn’t be so harsh for a new player”. While I appreciate that you’re making the start simple for the starting player. The part I dread is the “well play more and it will be better”. I seen this same statement when LOTRO came out, all the fans go, “just play it longer it gets better”. Why does it seem now there is a trend to make games so easy at the start that we don’t see the “real” game till later in play? I think this is becoming a horrible trend, but alas I am not the developer of these games and it is, in the end my opinion. In LOTRO I played passed the supposed “low” point in the game were it gets better. It did to some degrees but in others it was what the start of the game was. While I believe different ships will show a better physics in your game along with the talents a player builds up, I still think it will be the same cat and mouse play in the end. Nothing wrong with it, I still found the starting of the game fun, but still I think it’s mechanics are the same in the end when comparing the two games. NOT EXACTLY BUT DARN CLOSE
"The monster created isn't by the company that makes the game, it's by the fans that make it something it never was"
I'm not sure where all the water negativity is coming from... in instanced combat the water looks pretty good to me (which you can see in screenshots). I wouldn't mind seeing some high seas and more bad weather, but that's a feature request moreso than a graphic improvement.
I will admit however that the open seas water leaves a little to be desired. I notice a distinct texture pattern to the water on the open seas that isn't recognizable in combat screenshots.
Hello, I'm am a Hardcore gamer/mmorpg'er, I've played or beta'ed almost every mmo in the last 5-6 years. Including Voyage Century, and the PotBS stress test.
I liked VC and was enjoining it for a few months, until I ran out of quest to do, or got confused on where to get the next one. I'm a quest oriented player. =p I did play awhile in a open ended style of game play. I got bored pretty quit.
The graphics in VC were surprisingly good. The UI and controls need work. Pretty limited character creation. And okay, yes,... the game play is similar to PotBS.
Considering as little time we had to play the Pirates of the Burning Sea stress test, I had fun. I really didn't get that far in game, (lvl 7 and 1st ship corvette) because of the expected server flip-flopping up and down.
Also my game client started crashing on the last day for some weird reason. ( I know its a beta.)
But what I did get to try out was VERY nice, much, much nicer than VC. The towns didn't feel oversized like they do in most mmos. Not talking about the restate space they occupy but the height of buildings, doors, and such. Gives you the feeling your 'there'.
Quests that I tried, I had no problem finding, and executing! (even though short) Swashbuckling was similar to VC ground combat. Character creation was very good. I find it funny that PotBS offers the Jack Sparrow look for your toon, but PotCO does not. I am also a Pirates of Caribbean Online beta tester. (Just one word: UGH!! Thinking of un-installing it))
Graphics for PotBS are good. Good enough for my Geforce 5700 LE 128 MB anyways! =p And PIII 800 MHz 512 MB computer. Everything set on low, so is was not THAT pretty. I had decent frame rates, and no lag that I noticed. (15+ fps Thats better than some other games, but playable. Better than PotCO, around 2 - 4 fps, and the graphics just plain suck)) I have experienced some bad lag in VC.
If I had really one bad thing to say about PotBS, it would be that the swashbuckling quests were extremely short. Thats not so bad, it can be fixed.
Some guy said I shouldn't be able to run PotBS at all on my computer, but it did! Which to me is always a plus!!
I'd pay 15$ a month! PotBS just has more polish to it!