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Second look Im 1% less disgruntled
Razorback
Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 5,253
Well the last couple of mini patches etc, combined with some tweaking of .ini files has at least made the game playable for me which is a start. Just for the record though.... Im running a 64x2/4200 with 4gb RAM and 2 XFX 7900 GT's, shes no slouch, but I cant get major detail settings above 30% or its slideshow time.
Be that as it may.... its early days and performance and bugs are not my beef with this title.
So I continued to play my wolfthingy necro the last few nights and just like AnarchyArt told me, the game does get better. The quests are a tiny bit more fun and the lore is a tiny bit more interesting.
I will say that the more I play it, the more I like it. Im by no means sold and there would have to be major, major improvements to the basic things promised in the hype for me to even consider playing come retail. For example the "initial wow factor". I was reading an article on Gamespy where they were asking the devs about this and the devs responded that they had tried to make every starting point for every race in a way that makes the new player pass by some feature of landscape or something that makes them stop and go "wow". Well that hasnt happend once for me yet... in fact the exact opposite.... I look at everything I have seen so far and go "yawn" Thats just one example of the missed opportunity I have been harping about.
But Im going to keep plugging away till release because I desperately want to like it. Who knows it might grow on me yet.
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
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"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
Comments
I think you've hit the nail on the head.
My biggest beef with the game at the moment is that it doesn't strike the newb with its awesomeness. It gets better little by little, and then unfolds in an amazing way.
Too bad, it's a little late for an overhaul of the first 15 levels or so to provide a 'oooh aaaah' newb experience, I think it may lose some people that would have otherwise enjoyed it.
They had two theories for this:
1. smaller carrots, more often - this means that if you are gonna end on a big carrot, you gotta start on a baby carrot, and it may be a little too small, that 1% larger carrot is a slow curve.
2. easy learning curve - here they didn't want to overwhelm new players and wanted to make mechanics intuitive for old veterans, unfortunately some old veterans look saw this as a rehash of old ideas and cried foul. The mechanics become more indepth through gameplay too.
These are good theories, unfortunately, some folks need an instant 'wow' and wanted to see something new and innovative at level one, this is what I think is at the core of the bashing.
Nice part is, it keeps getting better.
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
I find it odd that the quality of the locations varies so much. It's not very good for the continuity of the game. Even the quests seem to have a bad "flow" to them...
Also, I have to say I run on a slower rig than Razorback's and don't have any problems...but then again, this game doesn't seem to make sense when it comes to performance...
I do have to agree with the lack of the "WOW!" factor. I don't think you should have to wait 10-15 levels before you find the game exciting/enjoyable. I really think it should get you right off the bat. A lot of people will start with a bad taste in their mouth...
Again I chime in... please excuse me, but it's nice to see a constructive discussion starting...
Well, I will say that the starting areas have gotten better with each pass, so unfortunatly the newer ones re better, but buggy for a bit. I'm a Galaxies Refugee, so maybe I'm happy with a Melon, but I really like the experiences. I really to feel "WOW" at most starting areas, but not because of the sights. For me it's the play and variety.
Honestly, if you review your processes with most tools, you'll see that the feedback portion of the Client Chadow really effects the games performance. This won't be an issue at launch, but it now. Using the Tweek Guides really does help. The three main things that effected my rig were Volumetric Clouds, Viewing Distance & reducing most sliders to around 33% at most.
I don't think it's waiting until a certian LVL to be "WOW"ed, as much as it's the adventures in front of you. The Kojan Human/Half Elf WOW'ed me due to the variety and "searching" feel of them, but the Raki/Wood Elf WOW'ed me with the first major City, Cail Bra'el.
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
LOL No doubt. Started as a gnome, cool enough. Got to Mekalia, super freakin' cool. Best gnome town ever. Left town for .....what the....why I am I suddenly on the beach in Southern California? Where did all those palm trees come from....maybe if my gnome had a hawaiian shirt.....
Qalia isn't my favorite by any stretch.... the gnome library and the gulch are super fun though.
Everything else has been awesome, and I agree, Kojan rocks. Tomb of Tsarn....very nice.
Finally a constructive post with Negatives and Positives! I am glad you are starting to enjoy the game a little more Razorback. I think in a lot of cases people get to Lvl 4 - 6 and write the game off but it draws you in slowly which I find more immersive than just being smacked in the head with it (subjective of course). As far as the starting locations go, I didnt like Qalia either but I guess, again, that's really down to the preference of the player. Patches are coming at a furious rate now, presumably because launch is imminent. I'm still fairly confident this is going to be a great game, as long as they keep the maintenance going.
PS : I wonder how long b4 someone shows up and derails this thread
No, just no.
Windows will balance threads across both cores because it is a multithreaded program. Single threaded programs will only use a single core, but will recieve a speed boost by virtue of that processor has fewer threads (since windows has split the threading across 2 cores).
An application designed to multithread will receieve and even greater bonus due to having access to both corse and windows balancing them as needed. A dual core system is still not as fast as a dual CPU system, but significantly cheaper.
Edit: don't want to derail, but his comp isn't the issue barring it is properly setup.
I liked what WoW did and after you make your toon, your treated to a nice fly over of the starting area and nice voice over telling you about the race you choose, the reason for being alive and some lore of the game and the whole alliance v horde thing.
Here are some of the intro sequences to WoW. Realy does set the scene IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRFLqNpX6c&NR - Tauren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgAzPAIICdA - night elf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxDyP6y-7iY - human
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKRAgtKAWzY -troll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1JwPbKOn58 - Dwarfs
/me directs your attention to the appropriate forum for WoW players!
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/category/102
kthxbye
/me directs your attention to the appropriate forum for WoW players!
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/category/102
kthxbye
Well im sorry for offering my thoughts on the subject and showing how I think VG could help players at the start. Dont play EvE by any chance do you?that is just one example of why SOE needs to let Sigil finish developing the game before shoving it out the door. I have seen a few really nice things in the early stages then right next to them will be something which looks or performs like it is something from a third rate indy game.
The starting quest for the Orc area is a good example. Nice location and but it could be used better, the quest to free a slave should be higher up the chain because the slavers should be aggro mobs. Kind of stupid that the slavers just let you kill one of them who is standing 3 feet away take a key from him then walk down the gangplank with one of their slaves. A waste of a nice setting because having mobs aggro the player on the first or second quest would be bad design.
Another example of this would be the druid lightning spell. Beautiful spell effect that is ruined by letting the nice little cloud follow the mob like a puppy on a leash for 5 or 10 seconds. Either have the cloud dissipate immediately after the lightning bolt or un tether it from the mob.
Lot's of little thing like that just ruin the game for me in the first hour or two, and I have never enjoyed a game in the long term that I did not enjoy for the first evening of play. They will probably fix most of the things that irritate me, but I have to wonder WTF have they been doing the last couple of years and how and why this stuff was not fixed earlier. I came in during early beta 3 so I know complaints about such were on the boards then, I can only assume that the testers were complaing before I got there.
I will come back and give it a look see in six or eight months when trhe 10 day free trial offfer shows up in my inbox, I refuse to pay for a half finished game. As long as people still do, SOE will just keep pushing them out the door early.
edit - Sharkypal telling players to find another game really helps this one doesn't it? Every one that posts a negative comment is not a troll. However if enough people move on and this one will have the population of SWG and the Matrix.
I miss DAoC
Your erroneous definition of Troll = Anyone who doesn't agree with your endless Vanguard bashing and negativity. And while your at it, if you hate Vanguard so much, go away, there is traffic needs playing in!
Take a page out of your own book.
/sigh
Why is it that many many times I've seen this statement about this game...."The game does'nt start until level X (the X being level 20 is the most mentioned)"
Every time I see this statement, to me it does'nt bode well for the game. "The Hook" has been mentioned many many times and if you don't grab a new player by the gonads within the first few levels he may not give the game a fair shake.
Remember when everyone used to say that the "Real game" in Everquest did'nt start 'til 60?
/boggle
Never be afraid of choices. More choices are always good things.
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
No, just no.
Windows will balance threads across both cores because it is a multithreaded program. Single threaded programs will only use a single core, but will recieve a speed boost by virtue of that processor has fewer threads (since windows has split the threading across 2 cores).
An application designed to multithread will receieve and even greater bonus due to having access to both corse and windows balancing them as needed. A dual core system is still not as fast as a dual CPU system, but significantly cheaper.
Edit: don't want to derail, but his comp isn't the issue barring it is properly setup.
not well playing games it doesent lol they will tell you what ever you want to hear to sell stuff nowdays and 4 gigs is a no no in any bulders book
My guildie's rig can run it at High Quality for regular play. He runs a Dual PCIe SLi machine, and says the dual cards runs it like water.
And EQ2 looks NOTHING like this: This is on Balanced on my older rig...
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
I'm really enjoying the game so far. I've tried many of the starting areas and they are not consistent with each other in regards to the amount of quests and the quality of quest reward. You can tell that different teams have been assigned to different starting areas. Some look a lot more done than others. This is not a major issue for me and over time this sort of thing will be worked out.
What is impressing me most right now is the amount of patching that is going on and the number of things changing with each patch. These guys are working their tails off. This game definetly needs work and Sigil isn't pretending otherwise. Performance is a major issue right now and I anticipate they will get that straightened out at some point. As others have pointed out the animations could use some more work as well.
The game play is good for me. I'm still trying to figure out which class I want to play come retail. I really love what they have done with healers in this game. They are not healbots by any stretch.
Unlike some of you all I happen to love Qalia. It will be my home for sure. I love the desert,the sea, and palm trees. I look forward to purchasing my first camel in the next day or two. You don't have to play for a month in this game to get a mount. You just need the coin.
I also love the Dark Elf starting area. It has a sort of "Land of the Lost" feel to it. Almost preshistoric.
The games is vast and is loaded with upside. They have an experienced team with good financial backing working on the game. I'm going to stick with it for a while at least.