Wildstar is pretty cool and all, but...

Cymdai

....I can't shake off the "been there, done that" feel that I'm getting with this game already.... and I'm only level 12

 

The art style is neat, the way they tell the storyline is entertaining, and the animations in this game are legitimately top notch. I'm also all about the devs sense of humor which I think is incredibly fresh compared to nearly every other MMO released in the last few years. I caught myself laughing at the game for the first time. After playing FFXIV, that was definitely a long-forgotten feeling.

But after playing around for a few hours, I just can't shake the feels. There's a few of them, too.

1) I've been there, done that before. Standard style MMO combat with the occasional dodge, tab targeting, etc

2) The fact that there's a lot of free to play MMO's that offer many of the same things as WS does.

3) The questionable long-term appeal of the game. I'm about 10 hours in, and nothing has "grabbed me" persay.

 

For those of you who are a bit farther along, can you offer some additional insight? Perhaps I'm missing some of the best features still?

CrazKanuk

I think that one of the biggest features this is supposed to introduce is content that isn't a faceroll. 

 

Honestly, I haven't played enough to really say that they hit the mark on it or not, but it should be interesting to see if that's the case. 

 

Overall, though, no, you're probably not far enough along to really know anything like that yet. Errr, maybe you have access to a dungeon by then? Maybe? 

Foobarx

You should be getting a "been there, done that" feeling in Wildstar...  it isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to bring the wheel back.

 

If you're not into 40-man raids, you're basically going to skip the whole reason Wildstar was created.

 

Tsuru

The problem is, that what a lot of MMO players are looking for when coming into this game. "Something new". Wildstar has never claimed to having anything "new". Wildstar is a game that takes a lot of features that are done well and mixes them together to create one awesome game. Housing, combat system, paths, raiding, dungeons, pvp, crafting. While yes generally most games have all these things, but wildstar has these things solidified and coming out at release, rather then months down the road, and they are done right. They've already promised monthly updates, with at least a new expansions worth of content coming throughout the monthly updates. 

Everyone just needs to come into wildstar with a fresh mind and think, "Does this game have everything I want in a MMO, does it have the features i look for in a MMO?". If yes, you will enjoy playing it. 

Herase

That felling is not surprising, this game is a straight themepark game, it's not trying to be anything revolutionary, it's taking great parts of many games and placing it into one with it's own spin on things.  You may find a lot of F2P with A few aspects, but you might not find one with everything and have much depth to it. might agree might not

To me the first few levels are the training zones, back to basics, for those who are not used to these type of games, because they got to start somewhere right? So for players wh have been playing for several years now, this part will seem absolute bollocks, but once the game progresses, you gain more abilities, explore more of the world, things will start to challenge you, eventually leading you up to the harder much more serious content. 

 

Kristoffer2k3k

I had the same thoughts until i tried my first dungeon. I was blown away about how much fun I had.

Moar61

I tried it, really disliked it, but didn't suspect I would enjoy it anyways from what I knew and seen. On the other hand, my brother was a huuuge WoW fan for years, I figured a more traditional mmo player would love it so I told him about it, he came away with the same thought as OP: been there, done that. 

My distaste for it stems from the art style and the UI. I left mmo's because I was sick of them, ESO got me back in, and I didn't realize how much of a difference that ES style UI made for me. Not all these small text bubbles and layers of ui on the screen. It made a big difference for me.

Eir_S

Originally posted by Kristoffer2k3k
I had the same thoughts until i tried my first dungeon. I was blown away about how much fun I had.

I've been on vacation for a week and just got back, and I see that it's in full swing with open beta now.  I really did have a feeling similar to OP's but I LOVE dungeons, so I should give them a shot.  I just hated the starting zones, rolling alts would be harder for me than in a game like WoW or GW2.  So much more running and talking than necessary.

Still, if the ONLY thing I like about the game is the dungeon-play and there are only a handful of them, I simply won't pay for the box and sub.

Kaladin

It is well documented that the game doesn't get it's appeal to mmo vets until you can do battleground, adventures, and dungeons (6, 15, 20 respectively).

Carbine has definitely delivered on their promise of difficult content.  Their opening dungeons do not roll over for you whatsoever.  In fact, at appropriate gear levels and if most of the group is new, they are very challenging.

The housing system is quite interesting and decently in depth for those that are interested.

As for what it brings that is new, the only completely new thing I know of is the ability to summon raid bosses that your guild has killed to your warplot to fight FOR you.  Warplots being the build-it-yourself PvP fortress.

I have tried many a MMO in betas, and Wildstar has more content that is out the gate at launch than just about any other.  There are a lot of distractions while leveling, i'll be the first to admit.  But is that really a bad thing?  Story items, and path activities are a decent break from the questing.

Do an adventure and/or dungeon before writing it off.  If you still don't find that "hook", that's fine, but then you'll at least know what the game is about more than most people that stopped playing.  At least you'll have a better opinion than most of those "never got off the arkship" people.

xpsync

The big problem is an mmo is an mmo, there is no reinventing, there are far too many mmo's as well. pick your favorite coating and live with it at this point.

ESO, sure so many hate it, i love it for a few reason and one is it's my flavor i love ESO chit and i'm so desperate for an mmo to explore in that i accept ESO's little exploring and am happy with what i've been given.

"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."

Riftstar

I'm enjoying Wildstar. It's a break from reality that doesn't take itself seriously. As for ESO, couldn't stand it. It was boring for me (cancelled yesterday), but your mileage may vary. Just play something fun and stop worrying about whether or not it's the most unique snowflake. Tabula Rasa was pretty cool and unique and it went nowhere.

 

Asleep

Originally posted by Cymdai

1) I've been there, done that before. Standard style MMO combat with the occasional dodge, tab targeting, etc

 For those of you who are a bit farther along, can you offer some additional insight? Perhaps I'm missing some of the best features still?

In my last post in some other thread I was a bit more mysterious, but after playing a bunch last night and having this same issue again and again, I see now that, its important to just get it out there.

This isn't the same ole combat system where you tab target and occasionally dodge, in fact I'd argue you never have to target or dodge for like the first 40 levels. I repeat, if you are doing it right you are not dodging. There is exceptions of course but for the most part you interrupt, burst, then if you don't have another interrupt or the thing isn't dead then I guess you can dodge.

All you have to do is use your interrupt when they cast a telegraph. I know it seems simple, I know you might think oh thats kinda shallow to design around, but the fact is, its far more deep than anything created before it. Simply put if you get that interrupt off and cancel the cast before it finishes you will get a Moment of Opportunity (HP bar turns purple) allowing you to deal like 50% more damage to the mob, now if you do this, and plan your burst, things just melt, and you start to cruise.  Your statement above in 1. is so spot on to what I have seen people doing, then automatically complaining about pace and how it feels boring. But in fact you get to min max every mob you fight.

The whole game is designed around this. And its awesome, I might be skeptical if it was something I felt that was over used to a detriment something thrown in for a whim, but its just not, see the evolution of this design is super fleshed out, with the addition of Interrupt armor (IA). So you might be in a dungeon and fighting 2 mobs, at first glance you will notice they have a lot of HP for mobs in level 20 dungeon and they hit very hard, while dpsing them you might notice the shaman casting rejuvenate which heals both of the mobs you are fighting-  a keen gamer might have noticed while questing, mobs (in the open world) main heal spell is Rejuvenate- you may have even interrupted it before. On this one though it will take 2 interrupts to actually cancel the cast the bonus for doing so also speeds up the kill cause it will go purple (MoO), so you must coordinate or know before hand to have more than one person interrupt there, but you can aslo do one better, since the other mob uses an ability called Hack and Slash (also seen in the open world while leveling), which isn't that bad to dodge, but you can MoO him and speed it up even more. So in this spot you will want to make sure you have enough for both, and can meet the IA reqs. May seem simple, I know, its just an example to show on even a trash pull its important, now say you are a progression guild doing vets to gear up(in quest greens), its likely you will end up needing to very precisely cause MoOs on bosses/trash to get threw them at all.

I know that was drawn out, but I wanted to give a very basic run down of why these are soo important to the game design. Its everywhere, and it only gets crazier and crazier, there is a raid boss where you have 16 of the 20 people involved in a wipe or interrupt their own individual target. if they interrupt 2 with all the cones well, you know. And with the NO battle Rez you can see how such player responsibility can get intense.

The point is this small thing is the key to this game, and its an interactivity that is not only very important but makes the game way more fun, solo and in groups. They go deeper than I have explained but I wanted to get a post out here, that was very clear- if people chose to read through it.

Last but not least- Everyone gets an interrupt, and everyone uses them. Srsly EVERYONE

rvhausen

Originally posted by Cymdai

1) I've been there, done that before. Standard style MMO combat with the occasional dodge, tab targeting, etc

 

Tab targeting?  Almost all abilities have a specific area of effect, so it doesn't really matter who you've got highlighted, rather which direction you're facing and how far away you are.

I'm surprised you were able to get away with only the occasional dodge.  Even at level 12 I recall having to move around quite a bit (though this tends to vary a bit by class).  At higher levels you should find yourself needing to move around a lot more.  Some people like the constant action, some get tired of it (I'm somewhere in the middle).

mayito7777

I played for couple of days and I will not be playing this game, in first place the distance between quest giver and quest area is atrocious  TBH not for  all the quests, the sense of 100 quests drop at you that overwhelm any new  players trying to re-learn or first time coming across this game. The crafting system is a mess, in many games you get your crafting from the get go in the introduction area.

The  selection to click and talk to NPC is very buggy because NPCs are piled up on top of each other, the lack of announcements of  a Boss fight. While doing quests inside the ship there were some serious misscomunication specially with the area quests on the right lower corner inside the box those quest that are not listed anywhere else.

sgel

Originally posted by mayito7777

I played for couple of days and I will not be playing this game, in first place the distance between quest giver and quest area is atrocious  TBH not for  all the quests, the sense of 100 quests drop at you that overwhelm any new  players trying to re-learn or first time coming across this game. The crafting system is a mess, in many games you get your crafting from the get go in the introduction area.

The  selection to click and talk to NPC is very buggy because NPCs are piled up on top of each other, the lack of announcements of  a Boss fight. While doing quests inside the ship there were some serious misscomunication specially with the area quests on the right lower corner inside the box those quest that are not listed anywhere else.

What on earth are you talking about?

mayito7777

About Widstar, if you dont know what I am talking about why you bother posting?

 

I dont agree also to pay a monthly fee after spending $60-80 for the game. This game only will cater to certain type of players but if they want to be solvent they need to make these game F2P

Bladestrom

No they don't, il happily pay a sub after paying £34 quid, it's no different to buying a little something out of the cash shop each month to support the game I am playing.

Bladestrom

Btw of you don't enjoy a game, being free to play does not make it more fun.

mayito7777

What  do you all think that WoW the game that is the master of all games dropped the 40 main raid? Because does not work. You will never going to get 40 players to fill the quota, maybe in the first couple of months, but after a while, gimme a break, it is freaking hard to get a 5 main raid.

Bladestrom

I spent a couple years raiding 40 man, and the player base was much smaller then.

Bladestrom

It was chicken and egg, communities needed to form to run 40 man, and those were the best days from a social point of view. Now there is no social aspect and bliz brought in smaller raids - no coincidence.

However you should ask yourself why blizzard are going to 30 man - another coincidence?

Unknown

I agree completely. I mean this game has the potential to be really good, but they are not making the brand new badass innovative game.

I will not be purchasing it, but still gonna keep an eye on it to see where it progress to.

mayito7777

I hope it works for you, I dont see it working, why? because it has been proven that the attention span of players nowaday only last few months, in 4-6 months you will not be able to find players to fill the raid, as in WoW if you are not ubber geared you cannot enter the raid, the same problem of WoW. But if you want to believe in fantasy be my guest

Salute

So far so good.

The last 3 days about 35-40 ppl of my game community deserted ESO and started WS. I m not saying this to criticese ESO or whatever else but i m happy many ppl i know will gather in this game. Many friends are also coming from Rift and WoW and we already planning 20/40 man raiding.

It feels already like the good old days

Bladestrom

I simply believe in enjoying a game and when I stop enjoying it I will stop playing. That's not fantasy that's reality. wow raiding is a mess because it pandered to Laziness e.g. a strategy of continually making a game easier). Put it this way the wildstar devs have said that they won't do this, and the obvious outcome is that progress slows but skill continually rises - you think this is a bad strategy?? Good luck to them and pah to doomsayers I say ( the destroyer of games!)

As I said though if I stop enjoying it, making it f2p won't suddenly make it fun.

darkrain21

Wildstars 40 mans will not be for everyone Carbine has stated this time and time again that they believe raiding is for the people who truly enjoy it and wish to put the time and effort into it. There will be plenty to do for everyone else who cant ben in the first wave of clears or even the second but the community who is looking forward to it is large enough to were 40 mans wont be hard to fill.