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Looking for a honest opinion of the game
Edward_K
Member Posts: 69
As the title states, I'm looking for an honest opinion on the game. To explain what I mean, if anyone thinks the game is perfect then I dont even want to hear what you have to say. No game is perfect, and anyone who thinks that is blinded by their own fandom. I'm looking for an opinion that acknowledges both the good and bad aspects of the game and weighs the two. What do you like? What do you dislike? Do you see the things you dislike being improved? Thanks for your thoughts!
Comments
unless you're a raging DC fanboy I suggest you stay away. I played from the last beta up until about a week ago & I can tell you that the combat is extremely fun & the game runs really smooth. However you won't get jacksh*t for support from SOE. They have what they call "in game support" which just takes you to their website where you can fill out a ticket & not actually get in game support. I see a lot of people crying about lack of content but I felt there was plenty of content but keep in mind I played on a pvp server & typically pvp is enough content to satisfy me in most games.
There's only 2 zones, Gotham & Metropolis which sounds small but the zones are actually quite large & I've found myself spending entire days just flying around looking for Investigations(easter eggs that build up to give you more skill points). There's 2 major flaws with this game: 1- the community, they are awful. they are the epitome of everything that is wrong with the mmo genre today. people afk'ing in pvp matches, using hacks & exploits like crazy, mediocre players who are puffing their chests out trying to boast that they're good & phrases like "umadbro" getting thrown around like it was 3 years ago.
The 2nd thing wrong is SOE's lack of support. They do not understand game balance, they do not act quickly enough & they do not punish those who exploit. It might sound crazy but there was a very well known exploit going around & instead of hotfixing it they let it run for a good 4 weeks which allowed all of those exploiters to solo 5man alerts, duo 8man raids & destroy entore teams in pvp. So with that of course those a-holes got all the purple gears on their toons. When the exploit fix finally came only a handful of those exploiters got punished. Many of them left because they couldn't find new hacks to use & couldn't compete & then there's those who are still in game playing to this day even myself & many others sent in multiple frapsed vids of these people blatantly exploiting.
With all of this the honest players are pretty much fed up with SOE's inability to act & are leaving the game. When I played last week for the last time I flew around both zones & couldn't find anyone to fight & the official forums are full of people talking about the servers being low pop or begging for server mergers or talking about rerolling to a more populated server. They could still turn it around but I feel it'll get a lot worse before it gets better & not many people have any faith left in SOE at all.
My personal pros and cons
-Combat system is fast and fun. Balance is not perfect, but nothing that a few tweaks can't fix. Partly this is due to things like movement, blocking, breaking blockers, etc. being available on all classes. I really enjoy the open world PvP.
- BUT - there have been rampant exploits. Many but not all have been fixed. Most involve cancelling animations.
- ALSO - there is little reason to PvP beyond gear, and PvE gear is sometimes better anyway. No areas to control for more than the moment. No enemy bases to attack.
-Graphics are nice. Runs smooth on high settings. I have been really surprised it runs well on my decent but not great laptop.
- BUT - comapred to CoX and CO the character customization is weak. Note that you shouldn't judge DCU character customization but what you can do when you start the game. You get many 'styles' along the way. Still, with 4 level 30s myself, many with many style feats, it is severly lacking compared to CO and CoX. Just body type for instance, you have only three body types - compare that to the intense slider possibilities in CO and ability to even run on all fours.
-Leveling is fast but end game is a gear grind. That may be pros or cons for you, I'm kinda neutral, but there is a lot of discussion on the official forums so I figured it it worth mentioning.
-There is plenty of content to level, but then you repeat some of the same missions over and over. I'm not terribly concerned about that, since the game is so new. If there are slow about content updates, in 6 months or a year, that will be a big issue.
-There really are not enough power selections to make a huge swath of comic book based super heroes. I think they'll add more later, but compared to CO and COX, you are locked into a realtively small number of types of super powers.
-You are locked into weapon attacks much of the time. Seems like half the super heroes/villains use guns in this game. In my opinion, there should be more options to use your power type powers as weapons. There is handblaster which projects the type of animation associated with your power set, it is a hybrid melee ranged. There is also martial arts and brawling where you can go bare handed. But there is no full ranged non-weapon based set.
-UI is subpar. Targetting is subpar. Its like the illegitmate child of third person shooter and a tabbed targetter. I can work around it, and it doesn't hurt my game play, but I am spoiled by much better systems in ....lets see...every MMO and F/TPS (except FFXVI.)
-Social tools, league chat, etc. seem broken half the time. I might be wrong, haven't tested too much, but I'm not the only one of that opinion.
"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
Hello,
I personally do like the game. Leveling is fast but I do enjoy that because I have such little time to play so it makes me feel like I do accomplish something. With that said though I do have a few level 30's and I am in a decent RP league on Virtue and Vice.
It is pretty fun, only thing I do not enjoy is the community, I can log in sometimes and not see a single person for quite a while/ see no one chatting at all. Also for some reason those whom role play think they should just stand around the superman statue and chat the entire time instead of doing stuff like duos, raids etc..While I understand the need to RP and chat but also if you are roleplaying a super hero shouldn't you be going out doing super hero stuff? Just saying...
Also I do feel the game shouldn't of been released yet. I still face bugs I faced in beta testing. This frustrates me to no end. Now I am paying monthly for a game I do enjoy but still seems to be in beta testing. Some of the collections/investigations don't even have voice actors yet to describe the item..while that is a little thing several big things are missing still too. For one you can literally get stuck under stuff due to graphics bug with super speed. Also a few of the quest are broken. As in you can try and try and do them but it just don't count on your quest log. In particular a quest in the Faust arc in Gotham.
I do like a lot of things. I like the voice acting, what is in there. I also enjoy the large zones make you feel like you are in a comic book. Going to iconic locations etc. Also the quest are pretty fun, the first couple times, but get repetitive after a couple characters. The game needs more quest variety based on mentors instead of just 3 unique quest..The quest they do have I do feel are well written and do seem comic book plot like, sometimes a bit over the top but hey its comic book game.
Animations aren't bad but I do get annoyed when mouths don't move correctly when people speak during cut scenes, IE the first one with Superman..Also the lack of high-res textures on PC suck. I find playing older games tend to have better looking buildings etc than this. Could just be me though I guess but I know it isn't my video card. Nvidia Geforce GTS 450..
People whine about the outfits/customization of character. While I do hate only having 3 body modles and the large male one looks all big and bulky like the hulk or something, outfit wise the game is pretty good. Yes you only get a small selection (not even really that small) at character creation but as you play you pick up different styles etc. I have a few awesome looking characters. You also get random items from what they call the vault that add to styles. Sometimes fan t-shirts/hoodies, sometimes transformation things. I have a character that turns into a manhunter and a character that turns into a demon.. quite fun really..especially for RP purposes..
Overall, I enjoy the game and have fun with it, but it needs work and Sony/DC need to get on the ball and actually complete the game instead of worrying about special Valentines day crap. I'd rather see bugs fixed then content update anyday.
Dustin
I make no secret of the fact I really enjoy the game but recognise there it has a ways to go-
Positives
The game is a beautiful realisation of the IP, if you like DC comics or the cartoons or comics in general then it makes you feel a part of that style world like no other game single or multiplayer.
The combat is responsive and fast paced, there is a greater degree of response to player skill than most other mmo's though it is not comparable with single player fighting games for obvious reasons. There is a tangible level of involvement in combat that makes it a lot of fun.
The levelling process to 30 is rapid and well presented, some terrific stories and voice acting the presentation as a whole is really well done and convincing.
Customisation is good by most standards thought less than either CoH or CO if you have played them - the compensation in DCUO is that you constantly gain items and styles making your appearence as dynamic and varied as you could ever want. While the numbers of powers seems low there is real diversity and variety in how they play.
Graphically and technoligically the game looks and plays very well, I play on US servers from the UK and experience minimal lag and havent encountered any technoligical issues in the 2 months playing......which is remarkable for such a young mmo.
Negatives
The UI is not as intuitive or responsive as you would expect given the quality elsewhere, the fact that you can't point and click in the world, isn't so much a problem as a factor you have to be prepared to adapt to.
Targetting.....is dreadful, you can't cycle targets you have to wobble your view till the person you want is highlighted and then lock it quickly or its gone.
The chat interface was dreadful and is now just about adequet...but certainly needs more work. Voice chat is implemented but only in a rudimentary way but imo voice chat is the bane of all decent immersion so I ignore it and can't comment further.
Although you will breeze quickly to the max level....infact that repetitive mmo grind is just around the corner as you have another 40 odd Feat points to gain.....I like the fact that you don't 'have' to get these, you can be roughly effective without them but its a form of sub levelling that most will pursue.
The leveling experience is mostly a solo affair, the endgame is mostly a group affair - that may not be an issue for you but it is an odd change that folks like me, who love to solo, find a bit of a culture shock - they may try to break me, but I will not fall so easily.
There has been a raft of significant exploits and bugs in PvP recently, the devs have responded but it can never be quick enough - combat and pvp are so much fun in DCUO the impact of these can be significant - no idea when or if this will ever cease to be a serious problem but all I can say is it happened before it will happen again in dcuo and elsewhere..
A massive influx of players on release prompted them to expand the number of servers and that has spread the longer term population out more thinly than it should.....the population is already showing signs of recovery imo but there are quiet times on many servers - if you opt in I suggest a bit of research as to the best one to roll on.
Its an SoE game and subject to their policing and communication....... so draconian and minimalist.
There may be more but thats the basics off the top of my head......overall I find the uniquely (for an mmo) immersive and involving gameplay more than outweighs the larger number of negatives. More than any other mmo the word 'fun' appears in reviews and comments and I think it is a curiously undervalued element - it may not occupy you endlessly but it will reward you in entertainment far more than you expect in an mmo. It is also worth noting the game is young, it was released early like every other recent mmo and as such the volume of content is lower than you might wish....but there have been much worse relases of late and at the very least what there is is sufficiently fun for multiple passes and is getting an update at roughly monthly intervals.
Its fun as hell, fast paced, you dont just sit in your chair and watch your character auto attack, you control it, you dodge, roll and move out of stuff to stay alive.
There is a grind to it but not only is the grind fast and easy but its optional. I played a bit "hardcore" for the first couple weeks and then just slowed it down mostly due to the repetetiveness.
There is tons of content, the content can fill up a day easily but it doesnt take long to do it, you can do every dungeon and daily mission in a day and if you do them every day yes youll get bored after a month.
Right now the game is perfect for casual playing. Once it has a couple years of content (if it gets there) it should be pretty incredible.
It is really cool running into your favorite heroes and villains and fighting alongside them. Its also cool seeing all the really badass awesome costumes players put together.
In case you havent been watching news of mmo's there are quite a lot of games coming out that will have combat similar to DCUO's.
Jeremiah 8:21 I weep for the hurt of my people; I stand amazed, silent, dumb with grief.
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That is very good news, because I'd struggle to go back to the traditional click and wait style, the DCUO combat is just so much involving.
monstermmo
which games are those with similar combat as DCUO. I want to try them.
btw, I have tried vindictus but they have me doing the same instances over and over quicker than DCUO did LOL
Granrey i know what you mean about Vindictus but trust me if you enjoy the gameplay give it a shot and try to get further. It gets really really really cool and like i said if you already enjoy the gameplay you should enjoy the rest.
As far as games with combat similar to DCUO this is the idea i get from watching videos ok, i dont know how close the combat is exactly. Look into Raiderz and Tera. Im sure theres either others i dont know about, or just that im forgetting at the moment.
Jeremiah 8:21 I weep for the hurt of my people; I stand amazed, silent, dumb with grief.
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If you like console style combat with lots of combos to memorize, then you'll like this game. If you don't mind content being more repetitive and less of a virtual world than most MMOs, then you will like this game. If you don't mind a distinct lack in character creation customization with very strict and narrowly focused classes, then you will like this game. If you don't mind an interface that cannot be customized to your taste and being locked into mouse look mode with no ability to play in mouse pointer mode during combat, then you will like this game. If you prefer gamepads, you will like this game.
If you perfer more choice and a greater variety in gameplay, I would suggest trying City of Heroes or Champions Online instead.
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
Choice in Champions Online is entirely superficial and real variety pretty much non existent, no other game manages to offer so many options yet then ensures none of them make one iota of difference. imo It's as lite in content as DCUO, if not moreso, has some appalingly linear AI, dreadful mission layout, zero atmosphere or conviction in its theme and is often laggy despite its simplistic look, the only positive is its free to try, so why not I guess, but its difficult to imagine it appealing to anyone save the most anal of avatar lovers.
City of Heroes does offer more variety than either game albeit in a more sedate and traditional manner, it's certainly worth a look if DCUO isn't to your taste.
I like it. I played in the beta, and then for a month at launch. It's buggy, but fun. I'm gonna go back to it in the summer when I have more time.
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
Ask again in three-six months. In my opinion, the game has a strong core that is burdened by an inadequate amount of content and extremely poor management.
When you get to 30, which doesn't take very long, you have the following options:
Solo challenge instances - Level 30 versions of instances you did on the way to 30;
Duo instances - Level 30 versions of instances you did on the way to 30 scaled for two people;
Hard Mode Alerts - Level 30 versions of instances you did on the way to 30 (see a pattern);
Raids - The only completely new and original content at 30;
The Catwoman solo instance.
There are also feats and collectibles to discover, but that isn't content.
Most people gave you a pretty good run down on the pros and cons, whatever little tidbits I agree with more or less isn't really worth going into here, if you've read this far, you've got a decent idea what to expect. But if we were having coffee at a cafe and you sat down and asked me if I'd recommend you pick up this game, my answer would have to be a reluctant no.
The why of it. SOE. I will make no secret of my contempt and dislike of SOE. They have the dubious honor of turning to crap every game they've picked up and hosted, every last one of them. EQ2 would be dust and history if not for its die hard community IMO, and one game after another, they've boned into oblivion. And though this is a bit dramatic, I weep at what was done to DCUO.
The game is a blast, even with some issues. If it got decent cash to address the bugs, keep up the monthly updates of which there doesn't have to be a huge involved raid each time, just enough to keep things going on a smaller scale with a bigger update like every 6 months or so, it'd be fine. I've been playing MMOs since UO (yes I'm a old fart) and not once have I had as much fun in a dungeon or raid as I have in DCUO's Alerts/Raids...when they were still queing. Tonight was my last night in the game, I spent 5 hours playing, not one alert triggered (instances that play like dungeons).
But SOE is doing their typical arrogant bending over of their consumer and it truly boggles me, how they can repeatedly make the same mistakes with different games. I'm beginning to think that Sony as a whole, is keeping SOE around as a tax right off, though its seriously embarassing to their brand name if you ask me. I know how this sounds, and I know that the wise reaction is to take what follows next with a grain of salt, but honestly, if it says SOE on it I will not ever touch it again. This is strike 3 for me, EQ was 1, SWG was #2, and I dodged them clear up till DCO came out knowing they're going to take the money and bone the player. DCO because of the names of Warner Brothers and DC I thought for sure would have enough presence and muscle to keep them in line. Nope...I sit with egg on my face for having let them con me a 3rd time. It is however, the last.
What you will find is that the game regardless of its mechanics or content, will not be playable for the most part because of population issues. There simply aren't enough players on any given server to be able to do much of anything. Guilds do exist, and they do manage some degree of activity, but its bad enough that they're breaking apart just the same. This game is headed to the exact same spot as Matrix Online and Vanguard is, the graveyard, and that is a crying shame as they did so many things so well. The voice acting, the art work, its a game with a ton of potential, boned beyond redemption by the most incompetent management team you can imagine. I swear its being run by chimpanzee's in suits its that glaringly mismanaged.
But hey, if you got the money, what I suggest you do is buy the PS3 version, not because I think that population set has got to be better, but the game was designed primarily with consoles in mind and maybe enough console owners are stickign it out to where you can get a decent return on your $50. If not, at least you can return it to a Gamestop for some return towards something else.
Even peace may be purchased at too high a price, and the only time you are completely safe is when you lie in the grave.
Couple of things on the PS3 point:
1) the graphics performance is generally considered to be much worse than on the PC because of memory limitations.
2) you cannot return the PS3 game for trade-in credit because of the account key being consumed.
I enjoy the combat mechanics, the skill system is not epic but it does its job.
I enjoy the missions in the game but the endgame will have you grinding till your mind starts to crack.
I enjoy the feat system, it makes it fun to go back through content trying to achieve every single one of them but for a few feats you need friends who can remember where they fought the Joker or where they fought lex luthor or where they fought circe to complete them which is a bummer.
I enjoy the collections, running around the city and different instances finding every single one of them is quite fun.
I don't like the pvp. I played legends pvp and didn't like it.
Conclusion, buy it, play it till you hit 30, enjoy the level 30 game for the first few weeks, try out pvp and then quit when you're bored.
This is not a game.
The game is a refreshing change from the same ole combat system like LOTRO, or WoW.
It is more of a action combat MMO with plenty of open world encounters.
DCUO makes a great open world PVP game with plenty of PVE to enjoy.
Graphics are top notch. Runs very nice for me. Servers don't give me a issue.
You don't have ten thousand powers at once, but you must be smart in your selection. There are many ways to skill out. It is sort of like Guild Wars in this sense. You can only have a limited amount of powers active. Which I like. I like needing to play smart in those limits.
PVE servers have a flag system where you can flag yourself attackable to rivals. I LOVE this, as it makes for plenty open world PVP on PVE servers.
Powers are fun. I love interacting with the world. Smashing a firetruck on one enemy then throwing it at another is always a riot.
It was said the game was inspired by Ultimate Hulk. I can see that. Just don't come looking for WoW clone #847575 because DCUO is MUCH different in play style. It is more about player skill then gear.
Aside from the clicky combat, what does DCU do that isn't an exact clone of what every other fantasy mmo is doing right now?
Almost everything in DCU plays exactly like wow clone #847575 aside from the mass clicking.
Well the combat is a good 50% of any mmo so being different is not to be undersold. However the principle reason I enjoy DCUO when other mmo's tend to leave me cold is the conviction it has in its IP - again something not to be undersold, too many studios just do the minimum, the quests may be fun but they are rarely relvent, involving or even vague consistent with the IP, walls of text or dialogue that in no way convey the theme or spirit of the genre, game features that are shoehorned awkwardly into your journey without thought or rationale.... DCUO is actually the opposite, the IP and theme come first and everything you do draws you into that IP and makes you feel important and feel involved. These 2 factors elevate everything else considerably imo and thats why it can be fun even when some of the more traditional mmo failing show themselves.
DCUO is what it says on the tin, DC universe is a key to its appeal and no other IP in games (to date) has had such respect shown it - but that is an important consideration, if you just want a-n-other mmo or and traditional experience a' la WoW - this isn't going to appeal. But if you want an engaging involving and immersive game and have any interest in DC either comincs or cartoons - you will have a blast.
"If you like console style combat with lots of combos to memorize, then you'll like this game. If you don't mind content being more repetitive and less of a virtual world than most MMOs, then you will like this game. If you don't mind a distinct lack in character creation customization with very strict and narrowly focused classes, then you will like this game. If you don't mind an interface that cannot be customized to your taste and being locked into mouse look mode with no ability to play in mouse pointer mode during combat, then you will like this game. If you prefer gamepads, you will like this game."
What this guy said. Not every style will appeal to every player.
Character customization and GUI are real important to me, and pretty much assured me that I would pass on DCUO. Being more a fan of independent comics, the DC connection is not a huge draw. I don't care for clicky, combo ridden combat, and don't use a controller. The game played fast and loose with genre convention. It handled ingame communication poorly. Those are a bunch of reasons I left after beta, and am pretty un-interested in the game.
For me, it's one of those games I would probably not play if it were available free.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
To say if the game is good or not is a matter of choice and what play style you are looking for.
For me DCUO is a great game. Sure it has a few down parts and may not be as good as some out there, but the "get in and have fun factor" is right up there. I think one of the major downfalls of the game right off is that it is also a PS3 game as well. I think this will and does hurt the game on the PC side. If this did not have the PS3 tied to it I think this could be a much better game.
If you look at the other Superhero mmo's out there you can see where DC is better and also not as good. Sure it does not have the number of choices that COH has, but COH has dated graphics. Champions is not bad but seems to lack the feel that DC has (I think it is because we know the DC universe and not many know the Champions one).
I have played both COH and Champions and think that DC is a much better game than these ones.
One thing that I would like to mention is that unlike most MMO's out there you are not stuck in your class choice. If you choose to be a healer you can still do DPS and solo quite easy. I know a lot of games the healers are the squishies.
The game may limit you to 2 areas of Gotham and Metropolis but the over all size of both maps will keep you busy looking at it all. One thing I did like was that things seemed to have a purpose to why it was there and buildings are not just there to be there.
I think no matter what and even if all you did was the inital 30 days that came with the game, I think you will find it was worth it. heck the opening cinematic on a nice screen is almost worth the cost ... Sweet movie.
Enjoy the game
The only "bad" thing about the game for me after getting use to the controls on PC (but it isn't hard), was that it takes no time to bust through the game. On Spring Break, I bought the game, got maxed level hero and started doing daiies after only 2 days. It's fun, but you can go through all the quests very quickly. I got my villian to 20 the next day - the max level is 30.
I absolutely believe that the reason they haven't (and probably won't) offer an open free trial of this game is because you can "finish" it WAY before 14 days are over.
I didn't have any memorable bugs with DCUO, but queue times were very long and sometimes I couldn't even get into anything - even when picking random (all - any) for many hours. As much as I adore EQ2, I have a passionate dislike for SOE and their treatment of bugs and how they are vampires of their communities money. I was completely shocked to see no Station Cash Marketplace in DCUO...yet.
I think that the game costs too much for the amount of content, but you can have up to 16 characters and the beginnings are different based on who you pick as your mentor - after the initial tutoral quest. So, making alts quickly adds extra interest to people who enjoy that sort of thing. Regardless, it's still too much money.
I really did enjoy the game. I just wish that I could have gotten it for less that 50 bucks. Graphics aside, it's about a 20-30 dollar game.
About Champions - it was pretty fun in beta and launch (after their launch issues) but it's all kinds of screwy and odd now with their F2P system. It's almost a completely different game - for the worse.
QFT
This! If you dont completely enjoy playing your char, youll end up very bored because of the constantly repeating instances. Not that repeating instances is a bad thing but it seriously gets annoying after a while when you want to fight enemies that are different and use different tactics. Also it gets boring even faster if youre not totaly in love with how you play your character
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I wish I loved DC Universe Online, but instead I just like it. It's got a lot going for it -- a great license, some superb voice actors, a lot of well-crafted settings, fast action-based combat, and an entire market of people who, so far, have barely been exposed to the MMO genre. It's an important game for MMO developers who for years have been claiming that their title will be multiplatform, only to let that claim sink quietly into obscurity in the months after it is released on the PC. The fact that Sony Online Entertainment has launched an MMO on the PS3, especially in unison with the PC version, is impressive. DCUO is far from a bad game; there are indeed times when it shines fantastically with the potential for greatness, but its many faults, most minor but some quite large, ensure that it never reaches those heights.
Even peace may be purchased at too high a price, and the only time you are completely safe is when you lie in the grave.
I find it amusing that you mention how repetitive the game is, and then compare it to CoH/CoV.... If you would have played atleast 1 character from lvl 1-50 in city of heroes you would know it's the most repetitive mmo out there. While you are correct and the customization in CO and CoH/CoV is much more detailed than DCUO .... I would MUCH rather repeat the quests/missions in DCUO than the ones I repeated over and over in CoH (and yes since going rogue came out.)