Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
I am looking for a new MMO! (again)
I might even settle for a MUDs or an overgrown multiplayer game...here are a few VERY important thing if I am to spent too much time in a gameworld:
- Raid-free experience, either a server, or just because the game is that great. By raid-free I mean I miss no Ubah l33t improvement that a grouper may appreciate. (Think of City of Villains/Heroes and a few PvP centric games).
- PvP-free experience...again PvP may be present or not in the game, as long as there are no rewards which would make me better at PvE-grouping, it would be cool. (Think of EverQuest 1 & 2...almost of CoH/V if you would put shivans and nukes outside these PvP zones)
- Reflexs/Coodinations must be irrelevant...think of Everquest, WoW...or at the limit, quite borderline, think of City of Villains/Heroes.
- Nerfs-free...once it is MINE, you never take it back! Anyway, I pooh on this ability and now it stinck of me, just leave it to me! I don't care if new servers would see nerfs applied, but what I learn and play, it is MINE 4EVAH!!! Think of most offlines games with no support, they are superior to MMOs on this aspect.
- Logical progression. Although I prefer to group than to solo, I must see the progression as logical and evolving. At level 1 it may be hard for me to take on 2 minions my level, but at level 10 I can take 2 minions of my level + 1 lieuntant...and at level 50 I could take 20 minions my level + some lieutnenants and bosses. Think of City of Heroes/Villains, especially pre-nerfs.
The game might be in developpment, I would stalk it! :P But I cannot make compromises on any of these points. It doesn't has to be a level/class game, but it sure work fine it it is. I also prefer Medieval-fantasy, but it doesn't has to be. Customisations and hybrids "classes" are welcome even if not necessary, it is fun to see someone been half-half combo, see that combo is not bad, yet has quite a few flaws (has all the best stuff from both halfs, but can only buff a few persons, not whole group, poor recharge so it can't be used that often, yet it is devastating damage just as much as if a wizard cast it...and so on) I don't talk about tradeskills, don't like them much, but a little...and I can cope with them even if they take too much place...but rather not have too many of these...least I start hating them like raiding/PvP. Raiding/PvP could get uber loot, as long as they are earnable in PvE-grouping as well...or that they are uber by giving specific bonuses I don't care for (+200% vs raid boss/player for example, don't mind that).
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Comments
Have you tired Tabula Rasa? Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I think it kinda meets your description. I don't believe there's any raiding and while it does have PvP, I don't think, you really get anything out of PvP that you can't get out of PvE. It's maybe a little twitch, but not really. Once you get in and start playing it's very much like any other MMO in that you target something and start blasting. It's not really equipment oriented either. Pretty much the same weapons you use at low levels you'll be using later, they just do more damage. I don't think anyone can promise you things won't get nerfed in any game. You're going to simply have to take your chances there I think.
I'll admit that I only played the beta and only made it about 10 levels into the game, so I really can't speak for the game too much. But the big knocks on the game seemed to be the things that you have implied are not big with you, like the fact there's no end game and the fact that all the weapons are so similar and such. Maybe the game has changed since I've played it. Anyone currently playing TR that cares to comment?
Guild Wars could work, however nerfs and buffes are quite common to keep the meta (the builds everyone in GvG, the "highest" form of PvP play) from becoming locked in one place.
Rarely have I seen a GW balance that didn't make sense or seem excessive. The only thing I can think of was IWAY and that needed to be changed it was getting silly.
Plus the significance of balance is radically different in GW since you do a build on a per instance basis not a per character basis.
I mean I have at least 10 different builds I like to run on my Ranger. And those are 90% ranger only skill builds to. So its not even throwing in seconary class highly specialzied builds like say a touch ranger (Ranger/necro vampiric skill hp draining build) or something.
Lastly the PvP/PvE tension is much less in GW since many of the principles apply to both. Some tactics are less viable in PvP that are viable in PvE, but for the most part ridiculous artifical dichotomies like aggro tanking are not instituted. And AI is actively made to be as close to human actions as is reasonably possible.
So in to summarize I don't think GW balance really can be equated to most other MMORPGs. Its simply a different animal due to multiple things. But I will say when it comes to skill and powers the GW team is the best bar-none. Both at making and maintaining them. They have interesting mechanics no one else does and the their balancing is often subtle and effective. Of course all balancing is controversial.
To expound more on GW for the OP's requirements and not specifically about balancing and nerfs.
1) There are no raids. Groups are for 8 people.
2) PvP gives no rewards you cannot obtain in PvE. In fact PvE gives PvE specific skills and fluff that are only obtainable in PvE. Some PvE specific skill are either special environmental things that make no sense in PvP. Like Turning into a gigantic worm with special Wurm only skills. Or are faction related skills that are a bit more powerful than they should be for PvP balancing, ie. about elite level without being marked as elite.
3) reflexes are only particularly important if you need to do interrupts or counters. Otherwise you simply need enough timing and enegery management to pull off a decent skill chain. This can be fast paced, but does not require true reaction time, usually.
4) nothing is nerf free. Sometimes there are just bad ideas. GW nerfed touch rangers I believe. And frankly they were right to do so. Although you can still be a fairly decent touch ranger. Anet usually is very reasonable about adjustments and prefers to preserve all builds players come up with. Plus almost all players use multiple builds on any one character and if they aren't frankly they suck. So these adjustments sting less.
5) GW is pretty amazing when it comes to this. It more about smart builds and using things right than level. But level and having gotten the right skills is important to. The difference can be staggering. However it is also highly situational which is also part of the fun. Some builds can do amazing things but die in a heart beat when they run into enchantment breaking. When you get a good build down for the right situation you can solo stuff that could wipe an entire group. But usually that build only works that way for a few certain situations or only for a small amount of time.
I have an assassin build that I used to solo a boss + 20 guys. The thing is this build actually worked better the more guys there were but only worked for 20 seconds. Fortunately as an Assassin with short range teleporting I could retreat and try again until the reactive AoE damage killed the boss.
In GW its more about purpose and the strategy of your build. YOu can make a running build and run through some crazy stuff that would kill entire groups. But you won't kill anything just survive. You can makea build that outputs crazy damage for 5 seconds or takes everything almost any group could throw at you for 20 seconds. But you will never have all those together. And if you meet your builds nemesis you may die really fast if its overly specialized.
You can't just walk around like you are the baddest mofo around, but you can strategially put a serious can of whoop-ass on impressive things. Its about building smart and knowing the terrain and counters etc. I believe people have even soloed Shiro (end boss) in Factions.
Thanks for the answers.
I already try Tabula Rasa and it was too fast for me. I wasn't able to be good.
I would reconsider GW, the PvP was what scarred me away in the first place. As to the nerfs, past nerfs don't affect me as I never experience that game of old, and if you say they are reasonable, they are less likely to adds any nerf now...so I would prolly buy it and try it then.
Big thanks, cause GW wasn't on my list of options...now I have homeworks to do.
What version of GW would you be recommendating?
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Nightfall for the Heroes and the hard mode instances.
try lineage 2, tantra or wyd global...
message me if ever you play one of them..
lineage2 = grind... if your really a hard core gamer, you need to try this...
tantra = if you like PVP this is a game for you ^^ everyday there's a war ^^
wyd global = has auto attack feature.. so no need for bot or third party program ^^
I really like you Anofalye we used to have some good arguments/discussions at CoH/V forum here back in the day heh. Your list is quite reasonable.
I think first you should look at Guild Wars. The character custimization cant touch CoH/V but its still good. You'd like the freedom though. Like I tried to tell you a few months ago, you can be very creative with your builds. I took some really wild combos into both PVE/PVP and excperienced success
Like CoH/V, Guild Wars also uses instances heavily. But I liked how they take you through a story.
The PVE was very enjoyable. I took multiple avatars through prophecies campaigns.
They have some high end PVE content that you can do- but not required. unlocking new armor, at least in prophecies, only meant you 'looked' better and more fancy.
PM me if you buy my friend and I were thinking bout trying to complete GW: Factions one of these days. We're currently juggling a few coop RPGs and Burnout Paradise though....
Btw another reason I think you'd like GW- even if you hit max level you can still benefit from grouping casually on the same avatar. You can keep earning XP even at cap to unlock new skills.
The journey never has to end, -ever-
What is great, all skills are unlocked on one toon. I know you dont care much for PVP, but I know you sometimes engage in it. So GW is great for a little casual pvping. Just turn off the taunts from the enemy team.
The PVP is a lot diff from City of Heroes though. There isnt great vertical movement in GW like you have in CoH/V. CoH is a really unique animal in that aspect