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My first impression...
Please read all the way through. It will make sense 
First off, I want to ask a couple of questions for those who are more experienced in PO than I.
1. Why do the bots' legs move so fast? It's comical.
2. How active is large scale PVP? Is there anything on the beta isles that's worth colonizing? Is colonization possible?
Alright, so I decided to check out PO being an '07 EVE vet, I've heard great things about it. When I logged in I was immediately skeptical. The character avatars look like a flash-based game, the landscape is a tad barren, and I can't wrap my head around why there are so many "spider" like bots. They're sort of awkward looking and a little goofy.
Then I saw the UI. Familiar. A tad clunky but functional.
The graphic quality isn't what you normally see for newly released games - the engine seems ... archaic.
Then I started to look at the Extensions (skills). Dropped some points in and took off on some tutorial missions. Basically these are very simple "familiarity" focused objectives to get your feet wet.
Over the course of the missions, you learn how to get the most out of your UI, learn combat, learn industrial (mining, production), and the general facets of the game. And who doesn't love a little extra cash hanging around.
I kept an eye on some of the chat rooms available. Saw some tips and tricks from other players and, as familiar as alot of this game is to me being an EVE player, I found myself strangely intrigued.
I felt ... refreshed.
Then it hit me. After exploring through the game some more I realized this was some of the strongest, highest quality, promising groundwork for a game that I am sure will be an incredible universe.
Put the "new game wobbles" aside, they are few and far between. They don't render anything unplayable, but looking deeper into how it all fits together will yield an invigorating infatuation with the Perpetuum universe.
Lastly, the DEV support. There are DEVs and GMs in the official channels responding and discussing with the playerbase. They have a server cap hangup at the moment - fair enough; thats good news - but they are on top of keeping the community informed and supported in their efforts. I am very impressed by the quality of personnel Perpetuum has behind it.
They will continue fixing bugs, adding bots and roles, adding extensions, adding player-run facets (stations/outposts, corporation markets, visual and audio upgrades, landmass, ad infinitum. They have a rock solid foundation - the rest is just going to be amazing.
If you want to get in on the start of something truly expansive and epic, pick up Perpetuum Online. The community and playerbase has MULTIPLIED in the last 2 weeks so much so the servers need to be adjusted (big time).
Pros:
- Framework in place for amazing depth
- Impressive Developer and GM support and involvement with playerbase
- Only $10 USD/mo
- Growing faster than the servers can handle
- Intriguing and mysterious
- Persistant single-shard server
- Skill training system second to none
- Ambiance and music is fantastic in my opinion
Cons:
- A little rough around the edges, BUT...
- The best things are worth waiting for and anything worth doing is worth doing right.
Have patience. The future is beaming with PO.
EVE Online player since 2007.
"Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
- Oliver Goldsmith
Comments
Yeah, that pretty much sums up my experience. I think I seem to enjoy the gfx a little more than most...but I do admit they need some attention. Textures are super low rez and performance on my system is nowhere near where it should be for a game like this.
That said, it is a very young game with very dedicated and responsive devs, and a shitload of potential.
Oh, and I've read that they will soon implement terraforming...definitely something that belongs on the Pro list.
AH! Absolutely. That's probably the most ambitious and innovative thing I've heard about it yet.
Manipulating the planet itself. Can you get any more hands-on with the gameworld than that?
EVE Online player since 2007.
"Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
- Oliver Goldsmith
Hang in there and welcome.
To answer one of the OP's questions, large scale (read 100 vs. 100) combat exists and actually functions pretty well. The um, 'sovernty' rules are still a bit basic and the DEV's are working on more things to fight over, but for now combat is fun. We have seen many smaller, better lead groups beat up on larger blobs and the DEV's are constantly working on ideas to combat the zerg. There is an 'interference' rule that makes it harder to lock targets if you're around too many friendly bots and bots that explode in a PvP zone cause damage. Also aoe damage like artillary is on the way.
Great times are ahead if you can hang in there just a bit while this current bug is worked out. Honestly the game was quite release-worthy at the beginning of the year and it's been a refreshing change from the crap that was offered in 2010.
Im impressed game is kinda basic at the moment but the devs etc are on and active helping all the time. Even had one private message me asking if had any questions pretty impressive for a small company. Gameplay is fun. Graphics are ok nothing awsome game engine should run faster then it does.
going to add this game to my "want to play list"
any idea on the specs required to play..
My current comp sucks.. going to be upgrading in a few months
System requirements
Minimum configuration
2 GHz processor
1.5 GB RAM
DirectX 9-class ATI or NVIDIA 3D graphics card
Windows XP/Vista/7
Internet connection
2GB free hard disk space
Recommended configuration
2 GHz multi-core processor
2 GB RAM
DirectX 10-class ATI or NVIDIA 3D graphics card
Windows XP/Vista/7
Broadband internet connection
2GB free hard disk space
Game was a little choppy (graphics) at first. I updated graphic card game runs smooth now.
Ambitious, for sure, innovative, no, see Xyson and the challenges letting players manipulate the game world presents.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Play this game now for 2 weeks and subed allready 2 accounts. 1 for mining the other for PvP. I realy like the game a lot. Pretty complex the whole thing.
The community is great and the Devs do a awsome job!
The colours have always seemed dusky and flat to me, im sure this isnt how its meant to come across.
If you have an NVIDIA card (Im sure there must be an equivelent ATI setting) look for 'digital vibrance' setting make a profile for PO and just increase the vibrance a tad (not too much) makes a hell of a difference
I agree with the framework being very promising.
I never played Eve for more than a week, it was very intimidating and im not really a sandboxer, this, I dont know, feels different. Perhaps its because it doesnt have the same, 'legend' to it because its just starting out or there isnt that 'vastness' of open space, everything is in a more comprehensable scale.
I picked now to start the trial, because I've heard all the buzz about people migrating from eve in wake of the MT fiasco, so i figured now was probably my best bet for a new player experience. I couldn't play for 2 days due to the server issues, but was refreshed at the response from the devs, admitting fault for the code and compensating for lost time (even trials!).
The tutorials are very handy for someone like me who hasnt had a whole lot of eve experience, although they could be worded a bit better (I couldnt figure out how to advance the mining section because I didnt know there were seperate mining scanner "ammo" types /shrug)
I did a few of the tutorial missions, pretty fun, especially as im discovering new UI functionalities on my own, discovering features of the world, like those "highways" that make your robot run faster, finding kernals for researching seems addictive too. . I definately want to give production a go at some point.
Graphics aint the best, but thats forgivable given its indy origins.
Im only a day in, so I cant say if I'd keep playing, like I said im not usually a sandbox player, but If i like it, any I can swing the sub cost of ToR and this, I definatly want to keep playing.
It's true that it has great potential and I love the fact that you share your skill points across all characters not just 1 character on 1 account (unlike EVE Online). The thing I love the most is the support that the developers give, they chat with the player base on a regular basis and answer all the questions and are seriously a really good bunch of people.
I wish them all the best and I will join the game and subscribe at some point but not just yet. Why? I'm just not a patient man, I can't wait until the rough edges are cleared. I really wish for them to even surpass EVE Online because it is a really good idea and Like I said has great potential.
I watched a review video showing some of the starter character choices regarding Eps or something with lots of other choices bound into it like 3x military then 3x industrial then something else and plus a whole heap of other weird signs which were choices as well. And was heavily warned you can completely mess up your character at launch has all this been simplified?