5 Things I like (And 5 I Don't) About The Magic: Legends Open Beta | MMORPG.com

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5 Things I like (And 5 I Don't) About The Magic: Legends Open Beta | MMORPG.com

Mitch has been checking out the Magic: Legends beta for the past few days and has some thoughts. Check out 5 things he likes from the beta, and 5 he doesn't.

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garylian

You may like the fast travel system, but the functionality of it is poor at best, idiotic at worst. If a player uses fast travel and doesn't move off the fast travel pad, other players cannot use that fast travel location. The player's green circle representation will block all other users from using the map's fast travel function. Why the game designers decided we needed to know that some random player is standing at a particular spot is beyond me. If we aren't grouped, I don't want to see them on a map. And don't teleport them directly onto the pad, so it won't block the function.

Seriously, if you've played hours, how did you NOT see this, or hear people every few minutes saying "Get off the damn fast travel pad!" in chat?

Wizardry

5 things i like...That i am not playing this crap
5 things i don't like 
#1 -#5 Another lazy arpg design.

I am so sick of developers just looking for something to monetize instead of actually making a game they could be proud of.This is just WOTC trying to further monetize the MTG brand with yet another real bad effort of a game.

Don't get me wrong,if some developer actually made a AAA game and just so happen to use the genre title of ARPG fine i would give it props but it seems EVERY single developer thinks arpg=crappy Diablo and that includes POE.
The letters ARPG simple adds ACTION on top of RPG,well there has been NO RPG added to this genre and the term ACTION doesn't have to mean SPAM.

Scott_Jeslis

I'm with you Mitch as I have a level 17 Geomancer. I pretty much agree with all you have here. Booster Packs don't bother me, it's like Magic: The Gathering :-)

Another dislike I have is I'd like to be able to lock the mini-map in "North at top" mode. I've gotten confused more than once navigating the mini-map with the full screen one.

Another dislike is that there are so many map sections with very few to no mobs. Is this a sparse issue or just life with multi-players in a semi-open world game?

tihi85

I am amazed that you found 5 things that you like about the game =p

Iselin

3 things I don't like:

1. Soft launch disguised as "beta." "Please don't be harsh or review us. It's only beta, shucks." Same shit they did with Neverwinter. I's their MO.
2. Loot boxes with core game play things in there. And you thought EA was bad with SW: Battlefront.
3. Some kind of deck building was inevitable but randomized skills you can use while you fight? In an ARPG? Really? Deck building for acquiring skills through some RNG system would have done the trick (but knowing them monetized and in loot crates also) but RNG for which skills you use while fighting. That's just ridiculous.

Anything else it has, even if good, was just pre-emptively made irrelevant by those 3 things.

Splattr

garylian said:

You may like the fast travel system, but the functionality of it is poor at best, idiotic at worst. If a player uses fast travel and doesn't move off the fast travel pad, other players cannot use that fast travel location. The player's green circle representation will block all other users from using the map's fast travel function. Why the game designers decided we needed to know that some random player is standing at a particular spot is beyond me. If we aren't grouped, I don't want to see them on a map. And don't teleport them directly onto the pad, so it won't block the function.



Seriously, if you've played hours, how did you NOT see this, or hear people every few minutes saying "Get off the damn fast travel pad!" in chat?

I did see that. It is a silly mistake that they should fix. It isn't something that would stop me from playing the game though.

Gorwe

Oh, shit! I should try Legends, but I'm all in Warhammer(now in RoR). It's a good time, but I could always use less skulls. I am not edge enough.

(Warhammer could definitely learn quite a few things from Innistrad imo)

Splattr

Scott_Jeslis said:

I'm with you Mitch as I have a level 17 Geomancer. I pretty much agree with all you have here. Booster Packs don't bother me, it's like Magic: The Gathering :-)



Another dislike I have is I'd like to be able to lock the mini-map in "North at top" mode. I've gotten confused more than once navigating the mini-map with the full screen one.



Another dislike is that there are so many map sections with very few to no mobs. Is this a sparse issue or just life with multi-players in a semi-open world game?

I completely agree with you about locking the map in North orientation. I had that as its own dislike and was going to add it under the wonky control issues but I guess I didn't.

Bloodaxes

I instantly dismissed it assuming it was another click to move type of game. Since it offers multiple options for movement, I'll see how it progresses and maybe give it a try in the future.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

FrodoFragins

apparently it plays better with a controller - but until they fix overheating issues I wouldn't suggest playing it without a temp monitor

Nilden

Iselin said:

3 things I don't like:

1. Soft launch disguised as "beta." "Please don't be harsh or review us. It's only beta, shucks." Same shit they did with Neverwinter. I's their MO.
2. Loot boxes with core game play things in there. And you thought EA was bad with SW: Battlefront.
3. Some kind of deck building was inevitable but randomized skills you can use while you fight? In an ARPG? Really? Deck building for acquiring skills through some RNG system would have done the trick (but knowing them monetized and in loot crates also) but RNG for which skills you use while fighting. That's just ridiculous.

Anything else it has, even if good, was just pre-emptively made irrelevant by those 3 things.

Maybe some people are just really basic and they will play it because it's Magic: The Gathering and the only thing holding this up and letting them milk people is the IP. That or they will play anything new.

If this was some generic ARPG with the things you listed it would be DOA.

Personally this looks like garbage and I like M:TG. 

magentowizard

I found the game boring and repetitive. Disliked how I couldn't move the view and was locked so I couldn't look up. The game is basically go here kill a bunch of creatures and turn in your quest. I started just running past mobs to get from point A to B and back.

You can tell this game is made for mobile and this is a pay to win game. They just let us play on desktop. I am going to pass on this game, such a disappointment. Hope the new Diablo doesn't turn into this.

deniter

Wizardry said:

5 things i like...That i am not playing this crap
5 things i don't like 
#1 -#5 Another lazy arpg design.

I am so sick of developers just looking for something to monetize instead of actually making a game they could be proud of.This is just WOTC trying to further monetize the MTG brand with yet another real bad effort of a game.

Don't get me wrong,if some developer actually made a AAA game and just so happen to use the genre title of ARPG fine i would give it props but it seems EVERY single developer thinks arpg=crappy Diablo and that includes POE.
The letters ARPG simple adds ACTION on top of RPG,well there has been NO RPG added to this genre and the term ACTION doesn't have to mean SPAM.

Several hundreds times this!

There is an ARPG of Magic the Gathering made by Microprose in 1997. If you can't get even close to the quality of that don't even try.

Utinni

FrodoFragins said:

apparently it plays better with a controller - but until they fix overheating issues I wouldn't suggest playing it without a temp monitor

I was hitting 80c and wondering if this was an issue other were having. That's probably the hottest my cpu has ever hit so I was super confused since the graphics are the same as mobile games.

Splattr

magentowizard said:

I found the game boring and repetitive. Disliked how I couldn't move the view and was locked so I couldn't look up. The game is basically go here kill a bunch of creatures and turn in your quest. I started just running past mobs to get from point A to B and back.



You can tell this game is made for mobile and this is a pay to win game. They just let us play on desktop. I am going to pass on this game, such a disappointment. Hope the new Diablo doesn't turn into this.

Go here kill a bunch of mobs and turn in your quests. Isn't that pretty much every arpg? I must have played every diablo game and path of exile incorrectly if there was more than that to them.

FrodoFragins

Utinni said:

FrodoFragins said:

apparently it plays better with a controller - but until they fix overheating issues I wouldn't suggest playing it without a temp monitor

I was hitting 80c and wondering if this was an issue other were having. That's probably the hottest my cpu has ever hit so I was super confused since the graphics are the same as mobile games.

It's apparently common on even high end machines - it's a serious issue that shouldn't have made it to this open beta. And yeah, the graphics are pretty pathetic for 2021.

RemyVorender

After playing for a couple hours, my favorite part of Magic Legends is how easy it was to uninstall it from my computer.

iicecube

Those that are still playing are just streamers or there nothing for them to play.
This 2 groups are the one that dont really invest into cash shop, so perfect world doesnt know what true players really wanna after-all.

BruceYee

I think it's safe to say that this is Genshin's 'Impact' on PC gaming.

When you open loot boxes/crates/packs to obtain characters that you build in a game it's gacha.

When you buy items with real money to increase power instantly in an online multiplayer game it's P2W.

Gacha + P2W = Gacha P2W

Seeing as how poorly optimized the game is after that 1 year delay makes me think that entire time they were reworking monetization systems after being 'inspired' by Genshin Impact.

Why would they even release a game with such bad performance if they actually cared about the main part of the game which is gameplay. My guess is cause all they care about is the cash shop and wanted to gauge how much they'd potentially make from the cash shop + don't care if your system burns up.

I added up the total of every person that spent money on packs from that thread their forum and it is in the very low thousands. I multiplied that number by 50 and it is still in the relatively low thousands. Even if the numbers people are posting may seem high the total combined barely covers one or two(at most) developer paycheck for a year.

The sum amounts of money people were willing to spend in one sitting on packs IS troubling though cause it sends a clear message that potential whaling may be possible and that is a terrible norm to set for western games like this if Cryptic decides to continue down this same direction of packs for characters.

The people currently spending money should know that in many mobile gacha games better characters come later so them dropping lots of money for Dimir Assassin just trying to be the cool kids when the devs know they have better stuff down the line may not be the best investment. If these spenders are doing it for that gambling fix then by all means carry on, I understand.

IMO Genshin Impact made so much money cause it's cutesy anime with female players and anime loving young boys. Magic fans are neckbearders just go look at all the streamers for it on Twitch.. It may be hard to comprehend for some but many games only end up being successful due to a large portion of their playerbase being females willing to spend money. I don't recall seeing a woman ever streaming Magic and have never played in person vs a woman and I've been playing Magic since 95'. Not saying they aren't out there and that the lore of Magic isn't appealing to them or anything but in my experience it's almost always nerdy dudes... myself included of course.

Slapshot1188

5 "thinks" ehh?

lotrlore

Slapshot1188 said:

5 "thinks" ehh?

I swear I fixed that. Thanks for pointing it back out, lol.

Quizzical

Iselin said:

1. Soft launch disguised as "beta." "Please don't be harsh or review us. It's only beta, shucks." Same shit they did with Neverwinter. I's their MO.

If you dislike that, then don't play the game yet.  If you want a polished game and developers warn you that theirs isn't yet, then you should believe them.

Iselin

Quizzical said:

Iselin said:

1. Soft launch disguised as "beta." "Please don't be harsh or review us. It's only beta, shucks." Same shit they did with Neverwinter. I's their MO.

If you dislike that, then don't play the game yet.  If you want a polished game and developers warn you that theirs isn't yet, then you should believe them.

You're missing the inherent dishonesty of that practice. I'm more tolerant of bugs than most people - it has nothing to do with polish.

It's the sleaze inherent in their practice of "soft launching" as a putative "beta" complete with full on cash shop and loot boxes, that makes a mockery of honest betas by honest developers.

I believe you yourself ran into some sleaze with ESO's pricing and created a multi page thread ranting about it a couple years back. You perceived their confusing language about what was and wasn't included with different options as deceptive sleaze.

I don't remember characterizing your remarks as a complaint about the cost of the game because that would have been missing the whole point of your rant, wouldn't it?

Quizzical

Torval said:

Quizzical said:

Iselin said:

1. Soft launch disguised as "beta." "Please don't be harsh or review us. It's only beta, shucks." Same shit they did with Neverwinter. I's their MO.

If you dislike that, then don't play the game yet.  If you want a polished game and developers warn you that theirs isn't yet, then you should believe them.

Then the character data should be wiped and most importantly they shouldn't be taking in money as if it were released. You can dismiss Iselin's criticism so lightly if you want, but it doesn't work for me. The practice is disgusting to me, to say it as politely as possible.

This is exactly what they did with Neverwinter only they cranked the predatory monetization up a notch post release, so it actually got worse. Full disclosure: I played in alpha, beta, and post release. Neverwinter is a really neat game ruined by aggressive and predatory monetization.

Some things can't be tested properly until players take it seriously, and they won't if they know a wipe is coming.  Whatever comes immediately after the last global wipe intrinsically has to be a testing phase of some sort, and you expect to find some problems that you need to solve.

I don't think it makes much difference whether you want to call that an open beta, a soft launch, a full launch that just happens to be a mess, or something else.  But I do think that it's good for developers to have a way to say, now we've fixed the problems and the game is ready to go.  Pulling the beta label off is a way to do that.