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My First Impressions from beta
admriker444
Member Posts: 1,526
Okay, I've only played for 2 days (16 HOURS) total, however I will give an initial assessment to the game. I wont go into details as im under NDA. So Ill just make comparisons to other games...
The following have been edited since our fanboy here complained that I was breaking NDA...sorry i cant be at all specific while he can.
Graphics - Reminds me of SWG only not quite as good. COH has been compared to this game a lot so ill make a direct comparison, COH has them beat...smoother graphics, better depiction of details. SCORE - 5/10
Character Creation - Not as good as COH (will anything ever be) but almost as good as SWG. I'd rank it 3rd on my mmorpg list just ahead of EQ2. SCORE - 7/10
Combat - Easily the strength of the game, nothing really compares although the graphics do take away from the experience. SCORE 9/10
User Interface - Reminds me of WoW, kinda unsophisticated and havent seen a way to customiz it. In eq2 one can move stuff around to make viewing better, I wont say more on the subject. SCORE - 3/10
Tutorial - Better than EQ2, you dont feel like a 2 yr old doing it and yet immersive. SCORE - 7/10
Crafting - Basically non-existent, at least WoW sorta tries. Tutorial didnt cover anything about this area either. I assume this score will improve a bit once I level some more and figure out how to best utilize things. I wont go into details again. SCORE 1/10
Socialization - Basically non-existent. In my opinion this makes it very hard for me to call this game a mmorpg at all. The only place i ever saw anyone even chatting was near phone booths. There's no real place for players to gather, ie. auction house in IF, or cantina in SWG. A real weakness. SCORE 1/10
Overall Gameplay - Kinda hard to say at this point since content is not in the game. This part is what will separate role players from others who want content handed to them. For someone like me, I prefer a mixture leaning towards it being spoon fed to me. Dont get me wrong, Im an old-school role player however I dont see it being big in this game. The game style plays like a classic Tekken type fight game which is nice. However Im guessing will bring in the wrong kinda player for role playing.
A lot of comparisons have been made to COH. They are sorta right in that comparison. One one hand, the game plays very similiar to COH, right down to... (edited sorry cant continue). Storyline s what will separate the two but is that enough ? It might be with added things like housing, crafting, socializing hangouts but on its own its not.
Overall SCORE - 4/10
Granted Ill continue to play throughout beta and give the game a chance to improve. However there is much room for improvement and frankly they need to add stuff (which would mean changing the core of the game) to make this a viable game. In my opinion the comparisons to COH arent really fair, to COH at this time.
Comments
Actually -- I retract my comments. Keep your first impression. If people want to be sheep, let them be sheep. All I will say is simply -- as a much more experienced and avid tester, this is false and inaccurate. Thanks.
Uh no.. I discuss gameplay that I can read in a variety of interviews/previews/dev chat logs/GM features/community site features. You make statements about things from YOUR perspective. Of course a little bit of my own opinion helps mold what I am saying so that its not just a regurgitation of what is being read. But you are making critical claims.
Crafting being non-existant, they have so many different features on crafting, that proves it is QUITE existant. And if you've been on QA recently...well then you should know by now.
The most disgusting comment is the graphics, its one to say you don't find them visually appealing but you literally grade them as lower than two other games whos' respective engines are MUCH less powerful. City of Heroes is purposely a low poly engine so that it can maintain smoothness with all the particle flying about from powers.
Star Wars Galaxies is a nice engine, but it is a bit older now. LithTech 3.0 is entirely DX9, and Monolith is very well known for designing excellent proprietary engines. I shouldn't have to explain it, we have a slew of screenshots right here on this board. Can you go to that thread, view all that and say its ugly? They aren't editted. Many are beta tester shots. You've not possessed enough time in the game to explore the different aesthetics present in the game so I'm relatively sure thats not what youre commenting about, but on the sheer specifics of the engine itself. (If you're trying to say the game is ugly because you experienced only the SLUMS [aka purposely ugly], then you're definitely way out of line)
You should not criticize things you cannot back up. An opinion is entirely wasted unless it provides an arguement to back it up. So what use is their to providing first impressions that lack detail? Besides simply to slander the game.
Why don't you post thi exact thing on the beta boards and see your response? As opposed to here where you know you can only lure me out. You've succeeded. I bit your bait and now im pissed, are you happy?
I have to agree with Sygmas
This is pretty darn close to NDA no no
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
Well then would you delete this thread then En1gma? It's not fair to us who are at least trying to hold back. It's only going to cause flames.
My purpose here isnt to "bait" you. Dont flatter yourself, Im not here to annoy you. I simply posted because I think its important to see different opinions. All I see on this forum so far is your posts which glorify the game to no end.
So despite my 3 friends' advice, all whom played beta I tried it based on your enthusiasim. I still will try to give the game a chance but I stick by my review.
And yes I still think the graphics werent all that grand. The sophistication of a graphics engine doesnt mean it translates into good graphics. Im not commenting on the lighting or desired affect, those were fine. I just found them a little dated in quality. And I have a powerful system so its not me. Im running an AMD 64 3500+ cpu overclocked, 1 gig ram corsair extreme 3500 also overclocked, ati 9800 pro overclocked 256mr ram card, soundblaster audigy2 platinum, sata 150 10,000 rpm cheetah hard drive, etc. I cranked the settings to max, and sorry to say I wasnt imressed. I wasnt expecting half-life 2 quality, but I didnt even see it besting COH.
You need an eye exam then. Thats all I can say. I showed that lobby screenshot to my friend who is an avid player of WoW and he wasnt sure if it was a movie still or the game. I think that says enough, I don't even have to argue the graphics of the game. Thats silly, anyone can see my screenshot thread and make up their own mind. I was also under the impression it wasnt a review but a 'first impression' -- guess I caught you in a lie there didn't I?
And of course you were baiting me. I'm one of the only people making the effort to keep this game alive in a community pre-dominantly interested in fantasy MMORPGS. I don't glorify the game -- I try to provide info for OTHERS to make up their own minds. Also any semblance of hype is quite acceptable for games not released yet. Just because im not on WBs PR department (I should be though I guess :P) doesn't mean I have no right to try and garner exposure for a game I endorse with my wallet. All I have done on this board is dispell ignorant commentary by providing solid arguements to counter what I feel are ignorant criticisms on the game, as well as provide a wealth of info for those who are interested but lack the motivation to go out and seek this information themselves.
I do this aggressively -- but thats my personality and I feel no guilt for it. I've provided screenshots, links to pertinent information, on the game, my own explanations on information that is currently public. I'm sure I've slipped up a little bit here and there and might hav dropped tiny bits of info I shouldn't have, but it is kind of hard sometimes to recall if you heard this or that on the beta boards or somewhere public. I try my best and I simply have always been a fan of Monoliths work and I'd like to see people at least give this game a chance. If I can make a bit of a difference here, its good enough for me.
just hold on..i need to get a consensus from my collegues.
...it's not a blatant NDA violation per say where he shows screenshots and describes various skills and mission scenarios, it is pretty close to describing some parts of the game.
Just keep it as is and if it needs to be changed Ill PM you, Admriker
end the meantime can both of you guys hug each other?
....sorta like how Neo hugs Trinity in Zion?
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
yup thanks
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
Ok, gotta thow my two cents in now. I have been lurking for a while on the MxO board here and now want to just expree my opinions. First off, played MMOs for many years now, various ones, no need to go into details. Bottom line is whether its MxO or another MMO, I have seen this disturbing trend for a while now. That is people writing off and trashing MMOs before they even come out or are finished. Yes, I know, the people that do this are beta testers or know beta testers, etc, etc... and they just want to "warn" the public of the MMO before it comes out and not to waste their money. The problem is this, alpha, beta and all the prelaunch periods of an MMO are not meant to be there for people to pcik it apart and put it down and kill the game before its even launched. The whole point of testing has been lost on this latest breed of "critics".
People need to realize these beta tests are for the customers and the companies. The testers, many of whom are doing it for the right reason, are there to help the company make the product as good as possible and provide CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and feedback. Even to the point of helping recreate the MMO to some degrees. This percentage of testers and know it alls that do nothing but find out about the game and then proceed to tear it apart and say how much it sucks is helping noone. They are not helping the customers or the companies. Who are they to say what is good and what is not and what people will like and what they will not.
Bottom line, if these critics and MMO fans as a whole truly want to see more MMOs and more innovative MMOs, they need to get off their high virtual horses and help the companies, not put them down. Instead of wasting the time in a test putting the company down, they should be reporting issues, submitting ideas and trying to improve the game. This recent spike in MMOs being produced is going to go away very soon if all the companies are faced with everytime they try to put out a product is another onslaught of naysayers and critics whose only interest is in seeing how bad the game is going to be before it even comes out. The MMO community needs to help the companies, not flame them to death before they even get off the ground.
As for sygmas, of course he comes off fanboyish and loses it sometimes, but what do you expect from someone who most probably feels like he is standing alone here at these boards, deflecting barrage after barrage of criticism of an MMO that has a lot of potential and is not even out yet or fully finished. MxO is one of many titles which has tons of potential in its genre, but as usual, if enough negative people who only seem to want to destroy the MMO community and its games (instead of working together to help make them what people want ) have their way, it will never have a chance to be as good as it could be.
Incidentally, I just preordered Matrix today. I unfortunately will not be able to login for a few days to experience the game yet, but I can't wait for the chance. This will be my first sci-fi MMO and it took a lot of research and time for me to be drawn in. Ultimately, I chose this because of what I think is fun, not what some naysayer tells me what should be fun. So remember sygmas, take a breath and fight the good fight, but realize that some will never understand and only want to bring things down. They don't want to help solve the problems, just cause them. And for everyone else who is not yet jaded, keep an open mind and be part of the solution.
Radio Free Zion rock on, see ya on the other side of the rabbit hole......
Aedros
~Greatness~
Currently Playing:
Nothing
Thank you a lot for those words Aedros. You hit the nail right on the head on how I feel about the entire situation. As I tell everyone -- I'd be glad to help you become accustomed to the game, when you do actually get to log in. I encourage you to contact me if you need any help, or just would like to game with someone. (We are being pwiped somewhat soon, and so I will be a noob again. It's as good an opportunity as any to really get to play with any newcomers.)
I wasn't aware it said anywhere on this thread thats all you do O_o. Perhaps you should look at any of my other threads (particularly Gameplay Basics?) and educate yourself a little, and then come up with some discussion.
But in summary -- no that is /not/ all you do in The Matrix Online.
As Aedos has pointed out the critical remarks about this game have been ignorant, and thats why I respond to them and 'fight the good fight' as he put it. There is no way you could be posting here being legitimately critical about the game without breaking the NDA. Because to make an arguement you need to back it up, and the only way to back it up is with information that is not available to the public. So its contradictory to say you could provide criticism HERE. On the beta boards, yes, but not here. Not yet at least. When the NDA drops its free game. I do feel you are blind because I simply can not honestly comprehend how you are not impressed. Besides the fact you've only seen the Slums, I woudln't be impressed if I walked into the projects either.... ( I live in NY)
Those screenshots are not editted, many are beta tester shots and look actually /worse/ than the in game environment. Theres no point in screenshots if they aren't a valid form of depicting a games graphics. If no one felt confident they could depict a games graphics appropriately, they would never be shown except for PR reasons.
What about the fan videos? You think those looked ugly too? They arent screenshots.
And to your response to Aedos, we had a stress test in october it wasnt 95% complete then. They are simply trying to evaluate the hardware capabilities.
Also thanks for making assumptions about my community. 99% of us aren't demo-ing the game. There are lots and lots of hard working dilligent testers, that do this simply because they love the game. And if they don't test it well and plan on playing at launch its only their fault for not helping to improve it before it costs them anything.
No one lives in The Matrix thus housing is not appropriate. But there are plans for personal constructs (public info, quote Toby Raigani) which would be like psuedo-housing.
I cannot get into specifics but when the new patch comes in, your comment about lack of reason to gather and/or socialize will be moot. Crafting is as sophisticated as it needs to be, its not trying to be SWG, but it is a bit more than standard. I'm sure you'd know though mr 16 hours. And it doesn't need to change to be a good MMO. Many are enjoying it and many people find it quite interesting. You have a fixed idea on what every MMO should be in order to be an MMO. Thats like saying every single player game in a specific genre needs exact ingredients in order to qualify as a MMO. The point isn't even me disputing that, its the fact you think that it doesn't include these 'ingredients' when it so obviously does. They are spoken of quite openly in many previews and other public articles of information. You somehow seem to have let it all fly over your head.
Sygmas- thanks for the invite and offer, hope to see you soon in the Matrix
Ad- totally understand the points you were making, at the same time, I was using Matrix as the pertinent example here, not the be all end all. I understand MxO is in beta, but that still doesn't mean that any perceived flaws and issues still cannot be resolved and made better. Anarchy Online I think is one example of a game that became much better with age thanks to a faithful customer base and patience and time and money to be able to implement the changes and help the game evolve. Again, that is only my opinion. Ultimately, I understand it is a matter of time and money invested, but the sheer vast amount of negativity that has gradually surfaced in the MMO community is a sad and disturbing trend and I hope it can turn around before MMOs become scarce. Lets face it, the faster paced this world gets, the less attention span everyone has and the less time these is truly enjot RPing and MMOs for a lot of people and the only chance for the MMOs to survive is to get those people to believe that if they sit down for more than 5 minutes at a time, they will find some interesting virtual experiences, some escape from everyday life, fuel for the imagination......
Aedros
Yep totally right Aedros, I alwys submit petitions encouraging the devs of MXO to make sure the first few minutes of the game experience to a newbie is as unconfusing, and yet as exciting as possible. (Hard to balance these two, becuase you want to show the player lots of neat things to excite them, yet you dont want to confuse them, which is a direct result of being overwhelmed with new things like that)
People just have a seriously short attention span, and couple that with the rampant cynicism going around these days in every facet of life. It is really hard to get people to really stick to a MMO which involves a lot more time than a little 16 hour play window :P
I come from the same SWG experience as you do Admiriker but MXO hasnt had that same effect on me. I've been a SW fan since I was a little boy and I waited for SWG for over 2 years, and have been waiting for it to be a STAR WARS game since launch, until I finally gave it up in December of 04. So I have just as much reason as you to be 'jaded' about things. But I cannot understand what you dislike thus far, I wish you'd discuss it with me privately so I could understand the specifics.
EDIT: RE: "Text story content" this isnt a typical MMO where its just 'text story content'. Quite a bit different here, and quite a bit not currently in beta. (Not even the whole mega city is available to my knowledge)
Story is presented as follows within The Matrix Online:
Cinematics, short movies released every couple of weeks or so.
Missions, where clues and revelations turn up.
Gameplay, where one encounters rumors and changes to the environment that reflect the story (including word puzzles in graffiti, advertising signs, and elsewhere).
The Sentinel, a newspaper that's readable whenever you click on a vending machine in the City. (Through The Sentinel, which is written by clueless "Bluepills," and therefore a muddled version of what's really going on, you can click a hidden link to find the straight skinny in synopsis form).
"Paul Chadwick - Yes, mostly in the Cinematics, but occasionally, lucky players in the right place will see events unfold in the environment itself. We have a street magician/cult leader character whose periodic sidewalk sermons will be of interest. He has a definite agenda for the Redpills of Zion. And what I will here call the weather crisis is something everybody will live through."
"Paul Chadwick - The story will trickle out to everybody through the four modes described above. But fanatic mission-takers will get the goods first. A lot of missions are investigations, but even when they aren't, they'll present clues to the mysteries posed by the cinematics.
The missions often grow out of how the various organizations (Zion, the Machines, the Merovingian, and others) react to events in the cinematics. For example, two organizations might want to punish the culprit of a misdeed, a third protect him.
I urge players to chat and share information. These MMORPGs are social constructs, and rumors and favor-trading are a big part of their charm.
"
~Greatness~
Currently Playing:
Nothing