Seems to me, given alot of the language in the review, this isn't an "8", it's an "8, IF..."
IF they fix social
IF they provide plenty of montly content.
IF, IF, IF...
After all, an MMO that lacks most of the traditional MMO offerings should have added SOMETHING in their absence. When I played in beta, I didn't see such things.
I'll give the author credit... at least he didn't use the word, "potential".
But I don't buy an 8 for a second, and I think, in a few months, the author will come around to my way of thinking. In terms of overrating, IMO this is the Champions Online review all over again.
Completely agree. I find a score of 8 to be overly generous. Compared to half of the true MMORPGs out there, DCUO is just a DC version of Champions Online/CoH. Boring, no persistent world and again..boring. I personally didn't find it fun at all.
I would love to see the demographics of male vs female gamers in DCUO.
Can I ask what you think it is? My guess would be heavily male dominated based on the lack of certain things and the heavy action/combat/PvP focus along with my own experiences with games like CoD where killing is the main goal. You must have some idea (feeling) with that comment - would you share it?
I would say the reasons to resub are there for those that enjoy the system. People consistently still play games like Halo, and buy DLC and Map packs even though the core game play doesn't change. Some would likely pay monthly if there was a fee required (as most do - actually - pay monthly as xbox live isn't free).
While you require something different to keep you playing, not everyone does, and while there are things like races, investigations, feats, and of course the combat and combat related content to keep players interested, its not meant to appeal to everyone.
In my eyes, a good score for a game that is fun transcends the amount of time played across an undetermined amount of time. What it really boils down to is that your satisfaction of the game outweighs the costs you are paying for it. For you, it may not, while others it apparently does.
The idea of longevity, or the games survival, that has no bearing on what the game is right now, and what players would experience when logging in right now. I have every reason to believe that many players that start up the client and log in will find enjoyment in this game, and while it may not be lasting enjoyment of 6 months, I think it may be enjoyment enough to revisit the game multiple times per year. If DCUO accomplishes bringing players back just a few times a year, I think they'll accomplish more than most games released over the past 6 years.
DC Universe is a weird one for me. Pretty much everything about the game is sub-par when compared to other MMOGs but for some reason I am still enjoying the game a whole lot. The only two things about the game that I would say excel beyond other games does not even affect actual game-play. Having equipment styles go into a fashion menu so you can use that look even without having the item anymore is pretty cool and I like getting new story lines for DC characters.
Other than those two things I can not think of any part of the game that is on par or superior to other MMOGs but I still keep logging in everyday and having fun.
I would love to see the demographics of male vs female gamers in DCUO.
Can I ask what you think it is? My guess would be heavily male dominated based on the lack of certain things and the heavy action/combat/PvP focus along with my own experiences with games like CoD where killing is the main goal. You must have some idea (feeling) with that comment - would you share it?
Because, like you, I think that it's probably a very male oriented thing. As you said, with the action combat and emphasis on PvP, it appears to be a given.
My husband loves the idea of DCUO though he's not into MMOs. If he ever did play one, this would be it. He's totally the superhero type, grew up reading DC and Marvel comics, collects figurines, etc.
Me? While I played in the beta and liked it well enough, but it just wasn't my thing. Super heroes don't do much for me. I liked Archie comics. :P I dutifully go to all the Batman and Spiderman movies and indulge my guy with his superhero thing but I draw the line at my gaming life, I guess.
I'd just be curious to see the ratio of males to females. I'd guess 80-20. Of course, that -does- fit the overall demographic for online gaming (excluding social gaming, of course) so it's all good.
The idea of longevity, or the games survival, that has no bearing on what the game is right now, and what players would experience when logging in right now. I have every reason to believe that many players that start up the client and log in will find enjoyment in this game, and while it may not be lasting enjoyment of 6 months, I think it may be enjoyment enough to revisit the game multiple times per year. If DCUO accomplishes bringing players back just a few times a year, I think they'll accomplish more than most games released over the past 6 years.
I can see your point in that. I also see in that same point why social features are weak/broken/non-existent. If people are playing 1 month out of every 3-6, a stable community is gonna be pretty unlikely even with 100% functional social tools.
I've had suspicions ever since beta that they built this game to go F2P once they've gotten all the sub and box revenue they could get. Starting to think more and more confidently that that's the plan. That isn't a bad thing, IMO; I love LotRO and the switch to F2P brought mostly positive things, as I've seen it. But almost everything about it, from the short levelling process to the "energy drinks"... it's got me seeing a roadmap for a very swift conversion.
You know, I don't have an issue with a person having an opinion. What annoys me most about people that get paid to actually write reviews is that when you are not completely honest and upfront with your scoring(and many do not read reviews they just see a number that is posted) compared to your words you wrote about a games short comings...that is a form of dishonesty. It misleads players to think they are getting a "great" game!
Did any of you play AC2? It's chat servers were flacky. In the end after months of this it helped kill AC2. This game not only has chat issues it seems, but it's UI is unresponsive and there are many bugs(reviewers own words), and yet he tosses all these issues(some sound more than just annoyances - they actually sound really bad) and says...game is fun so I give it an 8.
If that is the case a game like CoH should have scored a 10! It had none of these issues. It launched almost flawlessly. It had not chat issues, or UI issues, and had as I recall but maybe, maybe half a dozen bugs...none game breaking. Yet MMORPG gave it an 8.3 back in the day. Funny that.
See I have no issue with peoples opinions. If the guy wants to give it an 8. Give it an 8, but back that 8 up with more than it is just it's fun. I find Rift fun, but I would not call it great. I use to find WoW fun, but I would ahve never called it great.
I guess my other issue is, it seems some people just don't give a crap about quality any more. If a game like DCUO can garner an 8 with all it's problems it sends a message to developers that - "Hey...look at the score MMORPG.com gave us! An 8! We did a banging job. Well done boys and girls. Time for a vacation. " Not!
This also means other game designers will see this and go. Awesome. We can deliver our own game replete with bad game design, faulty chat, and UI's and gamers will not care.
Yep....good job. Thanks for the review.
I just want to point out that when we hand a writer an assignment of a review it is completely up to them how they will score and write about this game. Part of their job is not to look up scores of past reviews to make sure things "par" up. Jon I am sure reads them over to make sure there are not any glaring issues...but for the most part you end up with one persons take on the game. We don't have a big "review machine" that generates these so one done 4 years ago or even 4 months ago by another writer will not really line up side by side.
I tried DCUO and personally did not really take to it, I know that many of the team have been playing it since early beta and love it to death. To each is own and while a reviewer will try their best to be objective - I think their personal feelings about a game will always shine through to a degree. I see this reading reviews anywhere online.
Thanks for the feedback Teala - as a semi-frequent reader of your blog I respect your opinions ;-)
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.
I'm playing and enjoying the game. That said, without major updates and PvP exploit fixes, I'll burn through it quickly and be back to other games.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
I've been playing since launch, have three characters at the level cap, and I'm still having a blast.
With the exception of exploits used in PvP and the gawdawful chat system, most of the hiccups I've encountered barely qualify as irritating, much less game-breaking. And I'm hard pressed to imagine most (if not all) won't be addressed and corrected toot sweet.
One big caveat: if you're looking for EQ, UO, or pre-whatever SWG, keep looking. This ain't it, and for some of us, that's precisely why it shines.
Actually the last paragraph explains why he gave the game an 8... he says despite its flaws it's the most fun he's had in years. It's an opinion folks, treat it as such.
Oh, I think he's sincere in that opinion, don't get me wrong. I just don't think he'll see that number 8 a few months from now.
If you can see into the future, and know that he does not think it is an 8-game anymore in two months, does this mean that the chat and auction house is still not working properly in 2 months? Or missing some other fixes? I'd like to know, if you truly have this info! (no pun, just curious) *raises both eyebrows*
A good review. But I would have scored it a 7 tho. When you look at the Cons, they really do weight rather heavy on the Pro's.
For a company like SOE who brought us EQ2, there is simply no excuse for the current UI and Chat interface they deployed in DCUO for PC users. No excuse AT ALL!
And so far there has been ZERO communication from SOE if they ever gonna address it nor when they gonna address it.
The current sorry state of the whole chat interface makes PC users just not willing to team up nor making Alerts any fun excersise at all! As people do not communicate nor play their role. Everyone just does their own thing solo, even in Alerts.
It really hurts the community and community feel overall ingame.
And sadly, it's already showing, as it wasn't even 2 weeks after launch and the 2 EU servers that were queue'ing and always full during primetime are already down to Medium during primetime.
SOE really need to get their heads out of their arses and communicate and tell us they gonna fix the horrid UI and Chat interface for PC users! Or this game is gonna bomb fast and not many will be around anymore after the first month is up.
I agree. But there is so much ego and red tape in the mmorpg industry that a desire for profits > an innate drive toward rational common sense. Yet, they lose profits by ignoring common sense and like most companies have made the most crucial initial mistake a company can make:
Cause their customers to lose faith due to a lack of communication. Bugs are tough - and we as players are willing to work through them. But if Sony is on a Vanguard Saga of Heroes - SWG time frame - then we are all going to suffer. And oh look - is that Rifts on the horizon?
Good wording. I have played many MMO's and have found most of them (even the AAA titles) garbage. I got board of WoW, I hated Aion, Lineage 2 was one of the worse games I've played. I've been waiting for a game that shattered the mold and this seems like a good start.
I haven't played the game mself yet, but I am interested in trying it. There are other games coming out that also look very good. I'll wait a couple months and see if the shine is still on this game before I try it though.
Based on your own cons this game is not great. It garners a score of like 6.5 to 7 at best. But an 8 and you guys call it great? Really? ::sigh::
/sigh
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/01/26/dc-universe-online-review/ gave it 88% an said much the same as mmorp.com .Games fun .Havent loged in yet an had a poor session.But i dont play it like Eq1 or other mmos i play either.Their spot on the negatives.As well as the positive.Yes it deserves a 8ish score.Whats keeping it from geting higher is the social /chat an some bugs.
Maybe if it had stolen its name from a ip it be great then?Or attacked wow?It is what it is. If its not for you thats fine .But the bugs are not near as bad as say CO launch .Only one i seen so far is a map one that doesnt show loc of next mission you have in que.
I see your /sigh an raise you a /shrug
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard, The Tower of the Elephant (1933)
A good review. But I would have scored it a 7 tho. When you look at the Cons, they really do weight rather heavy on the Pro's.
For a company like SOE who brought us EQ2, there is simply no excuse for the current UI and Chat interface they deployed in DCUO for PC users. No excuse AT ALL!
And so far there has been ZERO communication from SOE if they ever gonna address it nor when they gonna address it.
The current sorry state of the whole chat interface makes PC users just not willing to team up nor making Alerts any fun excersise at all! As people do not communicate nor play their role. Everyone just does their own thing solo, even in Alerts.
It really hurts the community and community feel overall ingame.
And sadly, it's already showing, as it wasn't even 2 weeks after launch and the 2 EU servers that were queue'ing and always full during primetime are already down to Medium during primetime.
SOE really need to get their heads out of their arses and communicate and tell us they gonna fix the horrid UI and Chat interface for PC users! Or this game is gonna bomb fast and not many will be around anymore after the first month is up.
Exactly. $OE needs to prioritize the issues to be tackled and communicate with the players. I know that the horribler UI was my major issue with DCUO when I beta tested. Not having an Auction House or working chat in game at launch was really not acceptable either. Now it sounds like bugs and exploits are taking their toll. If an MMO will be staying in the shallow end of the MMORPG pool , then it should have been released in much better shape. 'Fun' combat can only carry the very real problems for so long.
If this is indeed an opinion piece, then it should be declared as such. This is an 'official' mmorpg.com review that should be focused much more on the 'facts' of the game than allowing the subjective views (fun) determine a final rating, especially subjective views from a writer who has already wrtten multiple positive 'opinions' on the very same game for quite some time. While I can understand the imporatnace of an over all impression, maybe a more distanced, objective staff writer may have been a better choice to do a formal DCUO review? Just asking.
I tried the game on a buddy key from my roommate, played to lvl 20 in 4 days....that right there bugged me, WAY to fast to get to lvl cap
You hit the cap alright, but you dont have all the feats, there's lot in unlocking all the feats maxing out your char.
I thought one of the reasons getting to 30 was intentional to be faster to appeal more of the alt-crowd which is not so small. Also to get to end game I think, but that again would require a bit more variation and vastness to the end game
in all honesty id MUCH rather to a gear grind at end game rather than a "feat" grind. At least with gear I have something "tangible" that I feel like I earned. DCUO feels WAY too much like a single player console game to me, sorry.
"Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said…’I’m too drunk to taste this chicken." - Ricky Bobby
ahhh for some reason it didnt take ANY of what I wrote on my last post, stupid website...
ANYWAY, alts aside (and I think thats a POOR reason for a game to be developed with a static leveling curve) the game just feels WAY too much like a single player concole game, I cant count the times I grouped getting to 20 on one hand, and I think that hand would only need one finger...and Im pretty sure the grouping was more of a social thing, not required to complete content...
"Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said…’I’m too drunk to taste this chicken." - Ricky Bobby
Im sorry, but this game was a total and complete waste of money. I have never felt so robbed by a game developer as I did by my decision to buy DCUO.
Your review was more than generaous and your rating is so incredibly unfound that it only leads me to believe this review was paid for by SOE.
Maybe its time you guys stop being so obvious about who you really work for and go back to working for the gamers with the original format of fair, impartial, and unbiased reviews.
If you did this game would be lucky to pull a 5 as it sits.
Well, since I'm a very social gamer, the issues with chat and grouping would really annoy me. Re. the 8/10 score, I'm interpreting that as a personal fun factor rating. I'm glad Bill enjoyed it, and I'm sure others would as well. The parts of the game that are spotty or broken though, are parts that I tend to value highly in an MMO. These issues, plus the box price, plus the sub fee based on SOE following through with additional content make this a pass for me at the moment. Also, if information about PvP bugs and exploits is accurate those need to be a high priority fix for the devs imo.
If Bill enjoyed the combat and other factors enough to give it a rating of 8/10 then good for him and I won’t try and suggest that rating is wrong.
However, ironically the very things that Bill seemed to enjoy, the fast pace console style combat and controls and the PVP focus are the very things that keeps me away from the game.
Instead of reading all that prose, I can boil it down in a nutshell.
The game is initially fun as hell, but you will use all the content in the game probably in about 3 weeks. As we all know SOE will probably get some new content that failed to make the release out soon, but that will soon taper off and we will see paid expansions soon.
The game has problems, it needs UI help, the chat system is abysmal, the guild system does not have a reason to exist.
It is a typical FPS, designed for about a months play. Asking for a subscription to this game is ludicrous!
Giving it an 8 is a travesty because we need to hold MMO developers accountable for having content in a game. For that I am highly disappointed in the MMORPG staff.
An 8 is too high for me. I'd give it a low 6. Its fun for awhile, but its flaws quickly became crystal clear and I just couldn't overlook them. The horrible UI, borked chat, the often frustrating targeting, lack of a clear explaination of what powers/skills actually did, limited character customization, repetitive button mashing combat and the seeming lack of content made the decision not to continue playing easy. All of what I mentioned made any "fun" I might have had with the game secondary to its problems. If they were to go the F2P route like LOTRO did, I would probably keep playing. As it stands now, for me its just not worth paying a sub fee.
Is a man not entitled to the herp of his derp?
Remember, I live in a world where juggalos and yugioh players are real things.
Cause their customers to lose faith due to a lack of communication. Bugs are tough - and we as players are willing to work through them. But if Sony is on a Vanguard Saga of Heroes - SWG time frame - then we are all going to suffer. And oh look - is that Rifts on the horizon?
I think your concerns regarding SOE are legitimate, but I don't think DCUO and Rift are vying for the same audience. That would be akin to suggesting Miley Cyrus and Kanye West are competing in the same markets. Sure, I imagine there's *some* crossover... but not enough to really worry about.
Comments
Completely agree. I find a score of 8 to be overly generous. Compared to half of the true MMORPGs out there, DCUO is just a DC version of Champions Online/CoH. Boring, no persistent world and again..boring. I personally didn't find it fun at all.
Can I ask what you think it is? My guess would be heavily male dominated based on the lack of certain things and the heavy action/combat/PvP focus along with my own experiences with games like CoD where killing is the main goal. You must have some idea (feeling) with that comment - would you share it?
I would say the reasons to resub are there for those that enjoy the system. People consistently still play games like Halo, and buy DLC and Map packs even though the core game play doesn't change. Some would likely pay monthly if there was a fee required (as most do - actually - pay monthly as xbox live isn't free).
While you require something different to keep you playing, not everyone does, and while there are things like races, investigations, feats, and of course the combat and combat related content to keep players interested, its not meant to appeal to everyone.
In my eyes, a good score for a game that is fun transcends the amount of time played across an undetermined amount of time. What it really boils down to is that your satisfaction of the game outweighs the costs you are paying for it. For you, it may not, while others it apparently does.
The idea of longevity, or the games survival, that has no bearing on what the game is right now, and what players would experience when logging in right now. I have every reason to believe that many players that start up the client and log in will find enjoyment in this game, and while it may not be lasting enjoyment of 6 months, I think it may be enjoyment enough to revisit the game multiple times per year. If DCUO accomplishes bringing players back just a few times a year, I think they'll accomplish more than most games released over the past 6 years.
I agree with the score, but the main thing to me is the promised monthly content.
I have a feeling though that this promised content will not be grand, but perhaps "updates" to the game, that they will claim is "monthly content".
Like an auction house or what not.
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
An 8 for this shallow game? I will be laughing when this game fails due to lack of content in 3-4 months and mmorpg.com gives it such high ratings.
My gaming blog
DC Universe is a weird one for me. Pretty much everything about the game is sub-par when compared to other MMOGs but for some reason I am still enjoying the game a whole lot. The only two things about the game that I would say excel beyond other games does not even affect actual game-play. Having equipment styles go into a fashion menu so you can use that look even without having the item anymore is pretty cool and I like getting new story lines for DC characters.
Other than those two things I can not think of any part of the game that is on par or superior to other MMOGs but I still keep logging in everyday and having fun.
Because, like you, I think that it's probably a very male oriented thing. As you said, with the action combat and emphasis on PvP, it appears to be a given.
My husband loves the idea of DCUO though he's not into MMOs. If he ever did play one, this would be it. He's totally the superhero type, grew up reading DC and Marvel comics, collects figurines, etc.
Me? While I played in the beta and liked it well enough, but it just wasn't my thing. Super heroes don't do much for me. I liked Archie comics. :P I dutifully go to all the Batman and Spiderman movies and indulge my guy with his superhero thing but I draw the line at my gaming life, I guess.
I'd just be curious to see the ratio of males to females. I'd guess 80-20. Of course, that -does- fit the overall demographic for online gaming (excluding social gaming, of course) so it's all good.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well written review, even the parts I didn't agree with. But it's a sound review for sure.
I can see your point in that. I also see in that same point why social features are weak/broken/non-existent. If people are playing 1 month out of every 3-6, a stable community is gonna be pretty unlikely even with 100% functional social tools.
I've had suspicions ever since beta that they built this game to go F2P once they've gotten all the sub and box revenue they could get. Starting to think more and more confidently that that's the plan. That isn't a bad thing, IMO; I love LotRO and the switch to F2P brought mostly positive things, as I've seen it. But almost everything about it, from the short levelling process to the "energy drinks"... it's got me seeing a roadmap for a very swift conversion.
I just want to point out that when we hand a writer an assignment of a review it is completely up to them how they will score and write about this game. Part of their job is not to look up scores of past reviews to make sure things "par" up. Jon I am sure reads them over to make sure there are not any glaring issues...but for the most part you end up with one persons take on the game. We don't have a big "review machine" that generates these so one done 4 years ago or even 4 months ago by another writer will not really line up side by side.
I tried DCUO and personally did not really take to it, I know that many of the team have been playing it since early beta and love it to death. To each is own and while a reviewer will try their best to be objective - I think their personal feelings about a game will always shine through to a degree. I see this reading reviews anywhere online.
Thanks for the feedback Teala - as a semi-frequent reader of your blog I respect your opinions ;-)
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.
I'm playing and enjoying the game. That said, without major updates and PvP exploit fixes, I'll burn through it quickly and be back to other games.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
I think the review was spot on.
I've been playing since launch, have three characters at the level cap, and I'm still having a blast.
With the exception of exploits used in PvP and the gawdawful chat system, most of the hiccups I've encountered barely qualify as irritating, much less game-breaking. And I'm hard pressed to imagine most (if not all) won't be addressed and corrected toot sweet.
One big caveat: if you're looking for EQ, UO, or pre-whatever SWG, keep looking. This ain't it, and for some of us, that's precisely why it shines.
If you can see into the future, and know that he does not think it is an 8-game anymore in two months, does this mean that the chat and auction house is still not working properly in 2 months? Or missing some other fixes? I'd like to know, if you truly have this info! (no pun, just curious) *raises both eyebrows*
I agree. But there is so much ego and red tape in the mmorpg industry that a desire for profits > an innate drive toward rational common sense. Yet, they lose profits by ignoring common sense and like most companies have made the most crucial initial mistake a company can make:
Cause their customers to lose faith due to a lack of communication. Bugs are tough - and we as players are willing to work through them. But if Sony is on a Vanguard Saga of Heroes - SWG time frame - then we are all going to suffer. And oh look - is that Rifts on the horizon?
Good wording. I have played many MMO's and have found most of them (even the AAA titles) garbage. I got board of WoW, I hated Aion, Lineage 2 was one of the worse games I've played. I've been waiting for a game that shattered the mold and this seems like a good start.
I haven't played the game mself yet, but I am interested in trying it. There are other games coming out that also look very good. I'll wait a couple months and see if the shine is still on this game before I try it though.
/sigh
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/01/26/dc-universe-online-review/ gave it 88% an said much the same as mmorp.com .Games fun .Havent loged in yet an had a poor session.But i dont play it like Eq1 or other mmos i play either.Their spot on the negatives.As well as the positive.Yes it deserves a 8ish score.Whats keeping it from geting higher is the social /chat an some bugs.
Maybe if it had stolen its name from a ip it be great then?Or attacked wow?It is what it is. If its not for you thats fine .But the bugs are not near as bad as say CO launch .Only one i seen so far is a map one that doesnt show loc of next mission you have in que.
I see your /sigh an raise you a /shrug
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard, The Tower of the Elephant (1933)
Exactly. $OE needs to prioritize the issues to be tackled and communicate with the players. I know that the horribler UI was my major issue with DCUO when I beta tested. Not having an Auction House or working chat in game at launch was really not acceptable either. Now it sounds like bugs and exploits are taking their toll. If an MMO will be staying in the shallow end of the MMORPG pool , then it should have been released in much better shape. 'Fun' combat can only carry the very real problems for so long.
If this is indeed an opinion piece, then it should be declared as such. This is an 'official' mmorpg.com review that should be focused much more on the 'facts' of the game than allowing the subjective views (fun) determine a final rating, especially subjective views from a writer who has already wrtten multiple positive 'opinions' on the very same game for quite some time. While I can understand the imporatnace of an over all impression, maybe a more distanced, objective staff writer may have been a better choice to do a formal DCUO review? Just asking.
ahhh for some reason it didnt take ANY of what I wrote on my last post, stupid website...
ANYWAY, alts aside (and I think thats a POOR reason for a game to be developed with a static leveling curve) the game just feels WAY too much like a single player concole game, I cant count the times I grouped getting to 20 on one hand, and I think that hand would only need one finger...and Im pretty sure the grouping was more of a social thing, not required to complete content...
Im sorry, but this game was a total and complete waste of money. I have never felt so robbed by a game developer as I did by my decision to buy DCUO.
Your review was more than generaous and your rating is so incredibly unfound that it only leads me to believe this review was paid for by SOE.
Maybe its time you guys stop being so obvious about who you really work for and go back to working for the gamers with the original format of fair, impartial, and unbiased reviews.
If you did this game would be lucky to pull a 5 as it sits.
Well, since I'm a very social gamer, the issues with chat and grouping would really annoy me. Re. the 8/10 score, I'm interpreting that as a personal fun factor rating. I'm glad Bill enjoyed it, and I'm sure others would as well. The parts of the game that are spotty or broken though, are parts that I tend to value highly in an MMO. These issues, plus the box price, plus the sub fee based on SOE following through with additional content make this a pass for me at the moment. Also, if information about PvP bugs and exploits is accurate those need to be a high priority fix for the devs imo.
If Bill enjoyed the combat and other factors enough to give it a rating of 8/10 then good for him and I won’t try and suggest that rating is wrong.
However, ironically the very things that Bill seemed to enjoy, the fast pace console style combat and controls and the PVP focus are the very things that keeps me away from the game.
Instead of reading all that prose, I can boil it down in a nutshell.
The game is initially fun as hell, but you will use all the content in the game probably in about 3 weeks. As we all know SOE will probably get some new content that failed to make the release out soon, but that will soon taper off and we will see paid expansions soon.
The game has problems, it needs UI help, the chat system is abysmal, the guild system does not have a reason to exist.
It is a typical FPS, designed for about a months play. Asking for a subscription to this game is ludicrous!
Giving it an 8 is a travesty because we need to hold MMO developers accountable for having content in a game. For that I am highly disappointed in the MMORPG staff.
An 8 is too high for me. I'd give it a low 6. Its fun for awhile, but its flaws quickly became crystal clear and I just couldn't overlook them. The horrible UI, borked chat, the often frustrating targeting, lack of a clear explaination of what powers/skills actually did, limited character customization, repetitive button mashing combat and the seeming lack of content made the decision not to continue playing easy. All of what I mentioned made any "fun" I might have had with the game secondary to its problems. If they were to go the F2P route like LOTRO did, I would probably keep playing. As it stands now, for me its just not worth paying a sub fee.
Is a man not entitled to the herp of his derp?
Remember, I live in a world where juggalos and yugioh players are real things.
I think your concerns regarding SOE are legitimate, but I don't think DCUO and Rift are vying for the same audience. That would be akin to suggesting Miley Cyrus and Kanye West are competing in the same markets. Sure, I imagine there's *some* crossover... but not enough to really worry about.