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What exactly is Spellborn?
Vesavius
Member RarePosts: 7,908
Now, I want this game to succeed, if only to encourage more indie devs to get involved in the genre and give it the shot in the arm it so badly needs, but I have worries.
This isnt a troll, this is an honest attempt to get some clarification and lay some hard doubts to rest.
- Is it group or solo orientated? I have had a chat with some on the official boards about this, and they tell me this game is soloable, but the lore will bring people together to play it as groups. Is this still true? Was it true in the first? I honestly do not think the world needs a solo anti-social consentual PvP quest grinder... Will this game reward co-op play in any way?
- Is the crafting still more like a collect and hand in quest then 'real' crafting as seen in games like EQ2 etc? I remember, a long while ago, being under the impression that you simply went to a NPC, got a container, filled it with the (collected) ingredients, and then handed it back to him to gain the item... Is this still the case? If so, this sounds a LOT like EQ2's Collection system, whch of course exists alongside that game's real craft system. Is this impression correct?
- Is Itemisation (or lack of) still a big selling point for the devs of this game? Reading the FAQ and, again, talking to some on the official boards a while ago, it seems to me that although physical appearence wont be defined by stated equipent, (invisible) Sigils will just take the place of seen gear. They will be dropped, quested, traded it seems... just like normal gear in other games... there will be common and rares ones it seems also... jusk like normal gear in other games... So they are it seems, in everything but name, normal gear. Is this right still? Why are people saying this game hasnt got itemisation in it, when Sigils are obviously just that?
- Do Sigils still have minimum effect on the character's stats, as I have heard some say? If so, then why am I going to be motivated to collect them and use them? If the item/ Sigil motivator is taken from a MMORPG such as this, then what is being put in it's place? Are the devs relying on Lore alone to motivate me to play and stay with the game in the long term?
- Will the rarest of the components for crafting Sigils etc still come from the PvP zones? Will this force me to PvP, even if I do not choose to in order to get the best gear, if I want that of course?
- Is this game a challange? What is it's core demographic? Is it 8-80, keeping the game as ez mode and non fail penalised as possible to allow for the widest possible player base for the largest possible return? Or is it for gamers that prefer a learning curve, fail penalty, and challenge?
- Are there support classes in this game, such as buffers and healers? Or are all the classes self dependent with a little of everything, but all done in a slightly different way? Is there CC in TCoS? To put it short, are the classes defined, and is zerg play encouraged, or not?
Like I say, I love the look of TCoS, and will always try and support indie devs, but is TCoS just a budget WAR/ AoC in terms of gameplay?
Like I say, not looking for a fight, just a little insight 
Comments
I think the bigger question is what exactly the purpose of PvP is supposed to be in this game. Is it Arena-style? Is it Battlegrounds style? I think it's pretty obvious that it's not sandbox style, since the game is not designed for it at all. I haven't seen a single feature in this game that makes it sound fun, and the sole reason most people are interested in trying it is, like vesavius said above, "it's not gear based."
If that's the case, what makes it different from your standard FPS game? If it is in fact gear-based after all, then what was the point of them flaunting and touting "it's not gear based" all these years if they were lying the whole time?
This is not intended as a troll but I really think this game is going to die before it's even released.
Aye you guys have some good questions there that i was looking for answers on.
I have a couple friends who are thinking along with me about checking this game out BUT what about the PVP one of them is so dead set against pvp it would stop him from playing i know.
Now i understand there is some pvp areas on each server which i have no problem with but i hear its in the gathering areas which you will need to go to that will kill it for my 2 buddies i know this but it might be the way it is.
But anyway mostly just looking for some answers like the posters above me .
Also i have been playing eq2 for just about 4 years now( just recently quit tho) and i really like the monthly game updates to spice the game up some will this game have any of that ?
First all of this information can be found on the main site and in the forums.
1. There is confirmed Group and solo content. and a FFA pvp server has also been confirmed for release.
2. you are right crafting is just selling junk loot.
3 and 4. yeah they do offer minimal stat bonuses but that small boost could make a huge difference with the combat system like it is. The whole idea of combat in the game pvp or pve is based on picking the right skill for the situation and being able to hit your target with a twitch based system. itemazation would tottally ruin the stratagey and in turn the fun of combat. so the small difference in stats would make a difference but not enough to actually take the human skill element out of the combat system.
5. no idea
6. seeing as all dungouns rely on equal parts puzzle solveing and monster bashing they are said to offer quite a challenge. and watching some ai videos of NPC's useing tanks to block you and getting rooted it looks like it could offer some pretty unique challenges aswell. probably not an EQ1 lose all your loot to a big rat type of a challenge though.
7. full class break down on the website.
hoped this helped
That is an awful lot of questions. I prefer to take those one at a time.
We are facing the problem that this game is still in closed beta, so we must rely on what the devs say is their intention. However, they did not tell us more than that the game will have both group and solo content. Anything else being said, also on the official boards, is pure speculation. So there is no answer to this question yet, except that we will have to experience this for ourselves when the game releases. Or trust the experiences of other players when the beta becomes open.
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Delanor
I would not compare it to the EQ2 collection system. The thing about crafting is that there are no crafting professions in this game.
Crafting in this game is a 3-4 tier process.
First you will need a recipee. Recipees can be gotten in several ways. They can be looted from mobs. Some can be bought from vendors. Some are quest rewards. And last but not least, you can loot broken items from defeated mobs, bring those to a crafter and he will give you a recipee to make that item for it. (And you can trade recipees, of course).
This mechanism allows for a variety in rareness of recipees and in ways to get hold of them.
The recipee tells you what you need to make the item. So the next step is collecting the ingredients. Collecting is done by killing mobs, by mining and by harvesting. Or trading.
When you got the ingedients, you return to the Forge and there the crafter will make you the item on showing the recipee and giving him the ingredients.
In the case of armour the last step will be to dye your armour in the colours you prefer.
In the case of weapons you will add Sigil stones to your new weapon.
You can use the item yourself or sell it to other players.
Whether or not you think that is real crafting is a matter of opinion. I think it is. You are free to think otherwise, but the above is a pretty accurate description.
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Delanor
Because people, you included, are confused. Itemisation is not a selling point for the devs. The fact that you will be able to wear (dress to impress) what you want without being hindered by the stats of your gear is. So they use the Sigils to seperate stats from the gear.
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Delanor
That is two questions.
It is not that Sigil's will have a minimal effect. It is that Sigils will not be very effective in gaining the upper hand in fighting other players, mainly because those players will have Sigils too. There is a post about this in the stickies of this forum. Sigils will improve your effectiveness in certain areas but not in all. So players will have to select Sigils that fit their play style best. However, a player with Sigils will probably be a greater foe than a player without any Sigils, but still player skill will be able to overcome that to some extend. It remains to be seen to what extend.
Now the second question. What developers want you to do is to have fun. No doubt you know better what that is than any dev for yourself. What they give to keep yourself busy with is indeed a rich lore and quest system (take for example the special trainers), but also PvP, Arena fights, Shard conquest for expansions and world events. We will have to see how it all works out though.
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Delanor
You cannot craft Sigils. And it has never been said that the best ingredients will be found in PvP zones exclusively, but they will have better drop rates there.
Because Sigils are not crafted you will not be forced to enter those PvP areas to be able to compete with others, but when good looks and showing off to others are important to you, you might be tempted to go there or else buy it from those who do go there. So it is not about the best gear in the traditional sense, but about best looking gear. As far as we know at least.
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Delanor
Yes. (Sorry, could not quite follow the rest of your question).
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Delanor
A game that might of been a succes but became a laughing stock
There are no support classes in this game, but you can assume supportive roles in groups with some classes better than others.
There is no CC in TCoS in the traditional sense. You can slow down opponents but never fully cripple them. You can silence casters, but nothing will stop them from switching to ranged or melee attacks.
Yes, the classes are defined, but I do not follow your question about zerg play being encouraged in that context.
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Delanor
You fail at not being trollish here.
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Delanor
You fail at not being trollish here.
BUT he succeds on being trollish there - uhmm ....right.
It's probably similar as CoH/CoV, in that equipment (enhancements in CoX or sigils in TCoS) does matter, but that it doesn't determine the way you look. A big complaint in many rpgs has always been that everyone ends up looking the same, because most people go with cookiecutter setups. Separating the looks and stat enhancement of characters solves that.
For your other questions, the game is still under NDA (and I couldn't answer any of your questions anyway cause I'm not in beta
), but there already is some information out that will partly answer some more of your questions. I think the wiki collects most of this information:
spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
" Lots of instancing" in this game according to developers. I hate instancing.
No idea where you got that from ....
Read the following article: http://www.spellborndock.nl/newspage.php
"The duplication of a zone in case of a too high population, is that still relevant?
No, no longer. With our new network coding we have tested with 1200 persons in Hawksmouth without running into any big problems. This makes the duplication of zones no longer necessary. The only concern we have is at release when a huge amount of players starts playing the game at the same time in the event that Spellborn will be very popular. Those will be players who bought the retail box, players without a box but with a subscription and players on a free to play account. We are still discussing how to handle all those people and there are still many options open. It is a kind of puzzle, since it will be difficult to calculate the presence of people at release."
New additions/ questions in red, just in case anyone wanders by and wants to give them a shot for me :P
There are no support classes in this game, but you can assume supportive roles in groups with some classes better than others.
There is no CC in TCoS in the traditional sense. You can slow down opponents but never fully cripple them. You can silence casters, but nothing will stop them from switching to ranged or melee attacks.
Yes, the classes are defined, but I do not follow your question about zerg play being encouraged in that context.
No, zerg play comes when the character roles are NOT defined, not the other way round
Defined roles are great for strategic play, imo, beiged out generic adventurers where everyone can do a little of eveything, designed and built to solo solo solo, arnt....
You cannot craft Sigils. And it has never been said that the best ingredients will be found in PvP zones exclusively, but they will have better drop rates there.
Because Sigils are not crafted you will not be forced to enter those PvP areas to be able to compete with others, but when good looks and showing off to others are important to you, you might be tempted to go there or else buy it from those who do go there. So it is not about the best gear in the traditional sense, but about best looking gear. As far as we know at least.
But surely Sigils are 'gear'?
Yep, I know they are invisible and you get to choose your outfit, and I get the slotting of them into abilities and weapons and whatnot.
But to suggest Sigils are not 'gear' seems a little oblique... especially when they seem to fill the same motivational role as traditional visible gear.
The name seems different, but the role they play seems exactly the same?
If they are not powerforful, then they won't motivate. If they arnt influential enough to be desirable, then why are people gonna want, fight, struggle for them? Why are they gonna feel elated when they win them?
Either Sigils are potent enough to make us want them, or they arnt.
If they arnt, then this game, imo, is in serious trouble in the long term... Whats gonna sustain our addicition? Good lore? yeah, right...
And if PvPers are gonna have the best Sigils (because they drop faster in PvP zones and they will have to reach saturation point before any spare ones filter down onto the open market), then surely the content will be geared towards these guys in order to stop them cruising through it? This surely will mean that the PvE people will be forced into PvP in order to achieve that content?
If Sigils are powerful, then they are indeed just standard gear. Just invisible standard gear.
If you see my point?
Remember how I said their message on who the game is for is muddled? Well that and the fact you are asking this question should tell you their marketing is inept. Don't think too hard about it. Just see if the game is good and tell your friends if you end up liking it.
You make too many unfounded assumptions, but apart from that I do see what you mean.
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Delanor
Yay! I got my Closed Beta invite a couple of hours ago. I'm looking forward to trying it out and seeing how things are myself. I have high expectations so far.
congrats
New additions/ questions in red, just in case anyone wanders by and wants to give them a shot for me :P
I have a new one!
Will there be clothing in game that is made from rares, or that you have to quest for? Will any be lvl dependent? Will we all have access to all clothes from day 1, on the character gen screen? Or will we have to buy them, at the least, from vendors?
Are we gonna see people on extended quest lines for hawaiin print shirts?
1. Solo vs Group - Specifics have yet to be released, since everyone is still bound by the NDA. However, based on the detail in the lore as you have said, I think most people will be brought together to complete group goals, rather than skipping them. Of course, you're going to have some people skip stuff to rush to the end like always.
2. Crafting - You pretty much nailed it. I don't have specifics on this either, but from what they have released to us, you take a broken item to an NPC who then gives you the required ingredients to "fix" it, and when you bring them back he gives you the new item (for a fee).
3. Items - The game will have limited itemization, but not in the same sense as the games we're used to. Sigils are what give your character bonuses, but if you suck at combat (remember, it plays similarly to an FPS) it won't do you any good to have the best ones. Other items such as robes and helmets and armor are just for looks.
4. Sigils - Again, we don't know to what degree these things will affect your ability. They are saying that its just a slight advantage, but often times they state that its a slight advantage to have rare ones over not-so-rare, so it could be that sigils are essential, but you don't necessarily need the latest and greatest. The game still relies heavily on skill regardless.
5. Sigil Crafting - Can't answer that one for ya. It has been stated that resources can be gathered in PvP zones, but to what degree and all that is unclear. It could be possible that the majority are in PvP zones, but it could be fairly even.
6. Challenge - The combat system means it will definitely have a strategic element to it. As far as ez-mode, we don't know yet.
7. Classes - While its been stated that no class has a defined role, if you take a look at the skills available to them, you can see that each class still has a certain niche. Each class is more suited to a specific goal, even though they have the ability to dabble in many areas of combat. Keep in mind that you can take the skills of the different archtypes as well (eventually), which can blur the lines between roles even further. For example, if you take the Trickster (a gadget using rogue), and give him the caster archtype, then he will have a small array of magic skills as well. It gets complicated, but its hard to know specifics without being able to play.
8. Voice Chat - I'm not sure on this one. Haven't heard any news for or against it. I'm sure it could be integrated eventually if it is not already. Personally I feel voice chat breaks immersion, so I could care less.
9. Auction House - I've been told that there are auction houses.
10. Advertising - I'm sure they're going to step it up soon. Open beta is just around the corner, since release is exactly 1 month away. We'll just have to see what happens.
11. Clothing - We can assume there will be rare clothings, and stuff from quests as well, but thats just assuming. I don't know if they'll be level dependent, since they don't have stats it might not be necessary. Time will tell.