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Yes, It's Worth Your Money (Extensive Summary from Beta)
Valquiss
Member Posts: 37
I've resisted registering for this board for years, if only because the last thing I need is one more gaming-related login. But I did so just to give my views on DCUO, so take that for what it's worth.
I went into beta rather skeptical about DCUO but lacking a game I could enjoy. I was also just burned by the FFXIV awfulness and clearly needed a game to take that off my mind. DCUO was and is that game.
Now I've heard it all before and I'm sure you can find it on almost any game-related discussion. I'll run through the FAQ on almost all of the "not worth my money" points, before returning to why I believe it is:
Q. Why should I trust Sony? I've been burned before and they ruined [whatever game - probably Star Wars].
A. Because every gaming company with a track record to speak of has some bad history. If you can't get over it I won't blame you, but you'll steadily restrict yourself to only those companies who've never done anything of consequence before with that attitude, and see how well you do with that.
Q. Why should I pay for a game that has less content than established games?
A. Because it's new and different. Those who look at new MMOs appreciate the fun of playing something at the start and seeing it grow. If that isn't you that's fine - play an established MMO and check back on DCUO later. But don't compare the content of a game that's just launched to a game that's built up over years. It's unrealistic.
Q. Why should I pay for a game when there are free games on the market? Why should I pay a subscription? Why should I pay for ... oh screw it. We know by now there are some gamers out there who complain about paying for ANYTHING.
A. Because when a product is good you pay for it. If $50 plus a monthly subscription is a lot of money for you I can respect that. We all live on some budget or other. But if you have money to spend on entertainment, and you want a game you can play for many hours each week, this is great value. Skip a movie once in a while. So if you just don't have the money that's fine. If you resent being asked to pay, well, learn to live with inferior products and stop demanding that the world be free all the damn time. Some of us like to pay for something better.
Q. Won't the game be F2P soon anyway?
A. No, I quite sincerely believe it will not be.
Q. What if it doesn't kill WoW?
A. Who the hell cares if it kills WoW? WoW is welcome to live a long and medicore life as far as I'm concerned. This game fills a different niche.
Right, now that that's all said, here's why DCUO is worth your money:
Combat is more fluid, more interesting, and more cinematic than any MMO I've ever seen. It does look and feel like you are playing a single-player arcade game, except that you aren't.
The two current cities (Gotham and Metropolis) feel appropriately sprawling and epic. They are not instanced. Some content is instanced, yes, but not the world. They are also gorgeous.
Play is challenging but not over the top. I'd say about a 6 out of 10, possibly going to 7 at end game. Anyone who is good at MMOs will find it interesting but not a second job. Those who can't handle it ... well, there will always be some percentage of the player base that can't play well. Sucks for them. But the game certainly isn't too challenging for most gamers, and I think it hits a good level.
Most content can be played in 30 minute sections, give or take. Long play sessions are certainly possible but not required. All the same, some tasks feel appropriately significant.
PvP is extremely varied and interesting in implementation. I say this as a non-PvPer. It caught me when I was least expecting it.
Voice-acting is fantastic, content is well done, and the entire world is just pretty and compelling.
Here, for balance, are some areas that are lacking:
The UI is not ideal. It isn't laggy, it's just a bit cumbersome to use. Chat is the biggest problem. Not borked by any means, just not that good.
Content may run dry too quickly. The game is meant to be played at level cap, but it's an open question of how replayable the content is at that point, and how fast they can roll out more.
Powersets and character creation options are currently limited. It's a fact of life with new games, but it's still true.
Major rebalancing of powers occurred very late into beta and this is alarming.
Opportunities to customize (for those who like playing with Avatar dolls almost more than playing the game) may not be sufficient to meet the image in your head.
Group dynamics and combat design, while innovative, have not entirely broken from MMO conventions (healer, tank, etc.). While I remain skeptical regarding how possible it is to ever break from this (because it's naturalness supercedes game design) I acknowledge this as a frequent criticism.
So in summary, why it's worth your money:
It's hella fun in the immediate term, and fairly well polished. Balance may not be ideal, but the core is very very strong. And it's friggin pretty.
You can play through at least twice and have very unique experiences - as hero and villain.
It has some genuinely original elements and enough of the standard to remain recognizable.
You will remember playing it fondly and won't regret the time spent.
That's really what it comes down to. It's fun (at least for now) and memorable. Will you still be playing your uber hero or villain five years from now? Who the hell knows - I'd never venture an opinion. But I know for sure I'm not playing any other game from five years ago right now either. Games come and go. You're lucky to get a few weeks from your average single-player game. So why demand that a game last years before you're willing to plunk down the coin? Spreading the cost of the subscription over the span in time, you'll get 4-5 months of content for what it would take to pay for two boxes and no subscription fee. And you'll enjoy it.
If people just stopped thinking of a MMO as a major life investment things would be much clearer. This isn't a car we're talking about where buyer's regret is a serious problem. It's just a game. And a good one. Good enough that it would be a shame to miss it, and good enough that Sony deserves some support for charting new territory.
Hope that's helpful to some. As a player, I do very much hope that they find a good balance of powers and the game leads a long long life. I hope that I'll still be playing the characters I love five or ten years from now, as I always do in a new MMO. But if I'm not, so be it. I know at least I won't regret paying for a good game even if it doesn't last.
Comments
An excellent summary, this should put those trolls in their place.
Nice post, I agree with you, sadly this won't put the trolls back under the bridge, but who cares about them fun fun fun it will be on Tuesday
"All expectation leads to suffering" Buhhda
I like the game and have preordered it, but I think their community awareness is close to the worst ive seen, they didnt answer any of the many important questions asked on beta forums.
They often promised to return with an answer but never did, and in their videos they keep addressing things that are not relevant and been answered before.
I like the game, I believe its gonna be fun, but SOE needs to wake up soon and start realising that if they want success they shouldnt leave their community in the dark like they have so far.
I participated in the beta and did have some fun with it, but do I feel it's worth my $ after getting my hands on it and digging in deep? No.
I see no long term investment there, underneath all the flashiness it's just the same played out mmo. Once you get past the amazement of flying/climbing/speeding around the world. there's not much else that feels new there, at most I could only see myself playing it for about a month.
Didn't even continue to play the beta up until it closed, it quickly became one of those games to jump into from time to time for some cheap thrills and then logout for a few days.
But that's just my opinion, anyone who's already played it has already formed theirs too, so no ammount of faq will change that. Some people see the game in a positive light and others negative, most of us in the negative catagory are just expressing their thoughts on the subject the same as you are, not trolling.
Yeah, +1 to this and no argument from me. I wasn't sure where to fit that into my summary. I don't expect answers to everything, but relevant information relating to launch is lacking and that's a massive pain. We still don't know server names for launch. =(
Anyway, not a deal breaker for me because it isn't like I spend much time worrying about this stuff once a game launches. But it has been annoying.
Fair enough. I wasn't the one to say anything about putting trolls in their place and didn't intend that. I certainly didn't want to point at anyone in particular as a troll.
Prior to any game's launch it does seem as though the troll brigade assembles to say all the same old things. Doom! It's going F2P in a week! More Doom! But that doesn't mean people aren't able to offer intelligent criticisms or express why the game doesn't suit them. People need to hear those opinions also.
Agree with alot of what you said in the OP. I have preordered also, just wanted to add a few things...
My biggest problem with the game ( I believe you mentioned in the OP also), is the lack of powersets. That imo is the single biggest problem atm. That will drive a crapload of CoH CO players away. Not only the lack of powersets, but the lack of a "holy crap that was cool" feel to just about any power in the game. CoH was awesome because of the replayability it had/has. Archtypes played and felt different. You could make alt after alt and almost never have the same feel to a character. CO was great because of the complete freedom you had creating a toon to your liking powerwise. DCUO has neither of these aspects. That imo will be the downfall if anything imo. There just isn't that much depth to the character advancement in DCUO... Yet.
I am getting the game because I love superhero games and have played the other two on the market already. Plus after playing eq2 for about 6 years off and on I know one thing that is true about SoE. And that one thing is what makes good MMOs and keep you playing.... They know how to dangle the carrot. Like it or not MMOs are about chasing things. Goals you can make for your character and completing it. Once you reach that goal another must be in place for you to chase or the game will dry up.
Don't get me wrong though, gameplay is a major part in a good MMO but that goes without saying.
Except that the CoH we're talking about is... what... almost 6 years old and they add more power sets or at least expand the availability of powersets every six months or so with every new "issue". And CO, you CAN choose any power from any set so long as you meet the requirements but most of the time if you DO, you gimp/nerf yourself, and you KNOW it. You FEEL less powerful because you picked the cool power not the RIGHT power. And I don't mean just in PVP or whatever, cos I don't PVP, I mean when you die again and again on a quest or in a zone because its difficulty is set up for someone who has picked the "right" powers. They'll add more costume pieces. They'll add more power sets. WoW made more classes/races and more class-race combos. CoH added more powersets. There'll be more zones and maybe even the level cap will go up. Obviously, after such awful events like APB, we can't be sure of anything, but with SOE and DC/WB not going anywhere, I think we can be somewhat assured that we'll see some of this stuff come to pass.
I preordered. I'll be there on launch day with my Superman Mentored Meta-Hero. It'll be AUSTRALIAN launch day of course, the 20th. So you'll all probably have at least ONE lvl 30 by then.
Don't get my wrong I do like the game, was just pointing out the part I disliked the most. I was in CoH at launch, I know how many powersets there were and that they added some later. My point still stands on that... There were a hell of a lot more powerset combos at launch in CoH than there is in DCUO. My main point wasnt really to diss DCUO, but was a simple comparison and that many people from those two hero games will probably be giving DC a shot. And that (6 power sets) alone is one reason I think alot of people will dislike it. I know they are adding more, that some just couldnt make it in time. That's beside the point really, there will only be 6 at launch.
The powers in champions is a balance issue inside the game and you KNOW it. Gimp yourself sure, however the powers ARE there.
I do agree with the OP tho, the game will be worth the money...
This is actually an important factor for me. You see, the last two MMOs I picked up were CO and APB, both of which were equally disappointing to me, since people always kept making stuff up about how the developers would soon add a lot of new powers and costume sets (or, in the case of APB, unlock "the full game" at launch). Promises that in each case turned out to be bullshit.
So my question, do we know anything specific about SOE's plans to add new content? I heard that DCUO's powersets and customization options were a little underwhelming when compared to other superhero-MMOs, but I also heard that they would add a lot of stuff. How sure is that, when is it coming and what is "a lot"?
I'm really interested in this game, but I don't want to end up with yet another MMO that fails to satisfy my craving for new content.
Probably not. I still don't think it's worth $15 a month. It's certainly worth the box price...but I don't see it being played for more than the initial month.
However, opinions abound and people will continue to get all bent out of shape about people having opinions that differ from their own.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
I feel outside the ring after reading this. I agree with everything that OP said, and sadly, I cannot preorder the game considering I have to save for something very large right now. I feel like i'm going to miss a lot. I played in the beta everyday until it closed. It makes me sad that I won't be around for the release.
The game isn't going to disappear. Save your money, buy whatever it is you need to buy and then afterwards get into DCUO. Even put yourself in a holding pattern with Champions Online for free in Feb.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Since the OP brought up "value", a game has to go very far imo to justify top box price, plus +$15/mo and cash shop. And if you think that the cash shop is going to contain "strictly cosmetic items", all I can say is look at the other SOE games and see catagorically that it is not the case. Might be here at the very begining, so as not to turn people off immediately, but it will change soon enough.
A Smed doesn't change his spots.
Were I interested in this game at all, I would wait, for the box price to come down or until it is cheap on Steam. Plus it gives SOE a while to finish the game and fix the bugs on the customers' sub fees that are not yours.
And as a side note, why are threads like this and many of the supporting posts from single digit history posters?
According to SOE's promised release schedule content updates will be monthly with major updates from what I recall every 3 months. The monthly updates are purportedly set in stone, don't quote me on the major updates though.
To the OP, I think its a rather fair overview. There is still much for people to argue and complain about, so while you did make some excellent points, its unlikely it will change many of the most critical respondents opinions.
I will be seeing everyone tuesday, or at least, I'll be seeing those on the PvP server.
Meh...played the beta and did not find this game to be that super great. Not a bad game, just not something I am going to pay $50+monthly fee for. Maybe when it goes f2p.
"Cosmetic items". Is that, like, having microtransactions for new costume parts in addition to paying a monthly fee?
Alright, thanks!
Great review.
I think you missed something IMHO. If you are a big fan of the fighting games like Street Fighter, Tekken, or Mortal Combat, you will really like this game. The impression I get from the game is a console fighter with some MMO and leveling thrown in to give you the desire to play for more abilities anot not just winning against all opponents.
Oustside of that, the review was fairly good. I will not be picking it up because I am not a big fan of those types of games any more. It does lack some depth at this point ( most freshly released games do ) and I will be keeping an eye on it to see where it goes. Lots of potential here.
OBTW, I still do not understand why these Super Hero MMO will not put in vehicles? What is so hard about that????????
Say hello, To the things you've left behind. They are more a part of your life now that you can't touch them.
Can't speak for everyone, but in my case, as stated in my original post, there's simply nothing prior that motivated me to bother participating in these forums.
As a theory, I'd suggest that people who participate here in volume are often extremely jaded and negative about their games. Those of us who enjoy playing more than critiquing games - especially more mature gamers with limited time - would rather just play.
I've consistently noted that the only games that get regular positive attention around here are games that don't yet exist. Folks can easily praise a few vague statements that speak to their desire for the next magical game that will somehow make it all feel like the first time. But as soon as a game produces anything material the flaming starts in earnest. It's one of the reasons why, while I'll gladly consult community opinion, I resist putting too much faith in it.
I'll monitor this thread from personal interest and then probably go away again. If you choose to discount my opinion for lack of posting history I won't fault you. I might do the same in other contexts. But really, I'm just some guy who came to give his honest opinon. Older experienced gamer, professional job, and what I view as realistic expectations. In case anyone is interested.
Brilliant response. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the section that was the most amazingly appropriate part, given the source of your inspiration.
They used to say "Never trust anyone over 30."
Perhaps, in this venue, a more appropriate slogan would be "Never trust anyone with a post count over 300."
In any event, I understand many of your points about DCUO, but do think that the lack of content (and the pacing of the game being too fast), weak character customization options, sparse powerset choices, and omission of alternate activities will be a problem with player retention.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
don't worry about the nay sayer's, lot's of them here, but also a good number of positive people in general, As bad as the trolling and flaming is on this site, there is an equal amount of positive and interesting posters, don't let the elitist I have 500 post asses sway you from expressing your opinions, It's people like you and many others that actually attempt to make a good community board, and more often than not just stop posting because of the the flaming and general asshole nature of a select few.
I am more interested in posts from people like you who have something interesting to say, than some of the idiots who have XXX+ posts who say nothing but crap about everything.
"All expectation leads to suffering" Buhhda
I just want to reiterate that the game is pretty, and Unreal should do more MMOs because it runs smoothly even on crappy computers. The voice acting is amazing. I won't spoil it, but Harley Quinn is my fav!
Yeah, I've been a member of MMORPG for a long time, and really never had any reason to post on it.. not that I do now, beyond boredom. Playing WoW, always had a WoW dedicated place to post, be it guild forums or something like WoWhead. DCUO doesn't have that yet, at least not for me, so have tossed out a few posts here, for those that might be still on the fence. I agree with the subject of the thread.. at least it's worth my money, as it's the only MMO I've spent money on in six or more years that didn't have Warcraft in it's title.
Going from thinking I'd hate it, the beta now has me wishing Tuesday would come faster..
I just played this in beta and wasn't impressed to be honest, sure the combat is less target based and rather fast. That's great, good for you, but the game itself is just as repetitive (if not more) than any other MMO. I had more fun playing FFXIV, and that's not saying much. Again not trolling, just personal honest experience of the game. I played for about 3 days straight trying to get into it, we all know I want a good super hero MMO to happen again, but this just wasn't it for me. It could of been that Circe's voice was also very annoying, all that lip smacking really killed me. Oh, but it did have voice acting, that was a definite plus, no matter how corny it is. Nonetheless this might appeal to some people, just not me. I'm just waiting for someone to break the mold of "go here, kill that, go here, gather that." It's boring...
I'm glad you enjoyed it though, as for me, I'll be waiting for something else, possibly GW2.
The six power sets was something that worried me as well when I went to make by first character on the Beta, I started it up and was like.. "Hmm.. so I can't make..." ..but I trudged on, and started to realize a few things..
By the time I was done, out pvping, I really only used three powers from my own power set, as you also have the Iconic powers to choose from (Some rally great ones) as well as attacks you can unlock in your travel type. (Ex. Superspeed can create whirlwinds and other such thing, Flight can dive bomb etc). So it turned out that while initially the Six power sets did seem limited, once I get into it all, there really was a lot more to pick from than you see on the surface.
You'll most likely want to make a character of each travel type to see what you can get from them, to know which you like the best in that regard, before settling in.. Superspeed has a really nifty regeneration power for example as well.
As far as the release of new content goes.. who knows, no one can honestly say what the future holds.. but that's for every MMO and not just DCUO, not going to let the fear of 'will I see something in a month' stop me from getting, what I've found to be a very fun game to play.
Take care.