The thing that surprised me the most was how engrossed I have become in the story. I love me a good story in a game, but after I played SWTOR, I just didn't think an MMO story could draw me in. Boy was I wrong. It feels like I am back in my CIV 1 days, but instead of "just one more turn" it's now "one more quest to advance the story." Then last night, I did my first run of the Polaris dungeon and was blown away at how much fun that was. It wasn't easy, but between the atmosphere and puzzling out what each mob had to do, it was so much fun.
There are still flaws in the system, but there are with all MMOs I have played. But this is the first one where the story was one of the strongest aspects of the game and it has kept me coming back and wanting more.
I've played everything under the Sun, and I am completely blown away. The combat seems eh at first, but as you go along and build your APs it gets a lot better. This game is really solid, and I haven't been hooked on a game, staying up until 4AM for a long time. Searching the clues and working with your guild is great, too, because we're playing before 800 sites come out to search. So far I've had to break out my Bible, an Edgar Allan Poe story, and more to solve quests. The questing is SUCH an improvement over other games. You can play for hours and feel like you are making progression and not feel worn out. This game is a MUST, and unlike anything out there. Our entire guild of 50 players is hooked, and most of us have forgotten with the initials GW2 mean.
funny how bioware spends 300,000,000 dollars to make the first immersive story based MMO with voice acting and they still had quests that were "I lost my eight power generators in the ice cavern. Can you retrieve them for me?". (also not to mention intentionally corny dialogue, because its star wars!)
then underdog TSW sweeps in from out of nowhere and pretty much puts TOR to shame in the story/quest writing/voice acting department.
the actual game definitely needs a lot of polish, but it's still incredibly refreshing to play after all the failed 'wow killers' (which ironically were all vanilla wow clones)
Well maybe more 200,000,000 but still even TSW cutsene looks better and more realisic, especially the hand gestures
the question system is simply the best I've ever seen in a mmo
it's so good, that I am sometimes a bit disapointed if I don't have to do tons of research XD
I feel the same way I love the investigation missions, I just wish there were more of them!
Originally posted by Deewe
Originally posted by Asamof
funny how bioware spends 300,000,000 dollars to make the first immersive story based MMO with voice acting and they still had quests that were "I lost my eight power generators in the ice cavern. Can you retrieve them for me?". (also not to mention intentionally corny dialogue, because its star wars!)
then underdog TSW sweeps in from out of nowhere and pretty much puts TOR to shame in the story/quest writing/voice acting department.
the actual game definitely needs a lot of polish, but it's still incredibly refreshing to play after all the failed 'wow killers' (which ironically were all vanilla wow clones)
Well maybe more 200,000,000 but still even TSW cutsene looks better and more realisic, especially the hand gestures
Oh, I don't know...I thought Lord Zash (SWToR) was pretty natural with her dance moves in my cutscene
funny how bioware spends 300,000,000 dollars to make the first immersive story based MMO with voice acting and they still had quests that were "I lost my eight power generators in the ice cavern. Can you retrieve them for me?". (also not to mention intentionally corny dialogue, because its star wars!)
then underdog TSW sweeps in from out of nowhere and pretty much puts TOR to shame in the story/quest writing/voice acting department.
the actual game definitely needs a lot of polish, but it's still incredibly refreshing to play after all the failed 'wow killers' (which ironically were all vanilla wow clones)
Well maybe more 200,000,000 but still even TSW cutsene looks better and more realisic, especially the hand gestures
haha ya thats sooo true. Seemed like SWTOR had like 3 different hand gestures and it just cycled through them during cut scenes.
I wonder if we'll be able to re-tweak our character creation customization when they add more options (in August according to this article). Really not an alt-strong game so this better be the case.
Funcom has stated everyone will get 1 free make-over.
Still not sold, but it's getting to the point where I almost feel like I have to apologize for it. Everyone seems absolutely blown away by a Funcom product, just like they were for Age of Conan. I still maintain, to this exact date, level 1-20 in Age of Conan was the best MMO experience I've ever had.
The game was just flat out unfinished after that point.
Are the extremely positive reactions this game is getting now just people reacting to the first 1/4th of the game again, or has Funcom *really* stepped up its game this time and polished 100% of the content, rather than the first quarter of it?
I don't know, but I'm too skeptical to find out. If this game is holding steady about 2-3 months in, or even growing, then I'll bite the bullet. Until then, I don't feel like investing my time into a subscription MMORPG that falls flat at the 20th hour, like every other MMORPG Funcom has ever released.
Still not sold, but it's getting to the point where I almost feel like I have to apologize for it. Everyone seems absolutely blown away by a Funcom product, just like they were for Age of Conan. I still maintain, to this exact date, level 1-20 in Age of Conan was the best MMO experience I've ever had.
The game was just flat out unfinished after that point.
Are the extremely positive reactions this game is getting now just people reacting to the first 1/4th of the game again, or has Funcom *really* stepped up its game this time and polished 100% of the content, rather than the first quarter of it?
I don't know, but I'm too skeptical to find out. If this game is holding steady about 2-3 months in, or even growing, then I'll bite the bullet. Until then, I don't feel like investing my time into a subscription MMORPG that falls flat at the 20th hour, like every other MMORPG Funcom has ever released.
Well the story and interesting quests hold up to the last area, as in, the quality doesn't really drop (imo).
Instances are quite fun, not the best there is, but far from being a borefest. Even if you ran through them multiple times, if you're not on your toes as a DPS and the abysmally low HP you have if full DPS geared you die (well if you're ranged it's easier, I run melee so yeh, run Forrest, run).
As for it lastning a really long time...dunno, I'd say no with the current content. It's still quite easy to level and skip content (which is the better part of the game) and people already whine. I'd say, this is one MMO that needs to be taken easy to be appreciated (and I usually level asap in other MMOs+skip as much as I can, not a good idea here).
I'd recommend at least 1 mont sub to anyone that plays MMOs extensively, if you're not cash strapped that is, it's a fun experience.
Nice to see mostly good comments so far, only played about 20 minutes so far and felt bit overwhelmed but now that i have the box and manual(i think reading manuals are fun, maybe i am odd ) hope i get some time to enjoy the game.
What surprised me is that I have this feeling of not being in a hurry. I can go back to the starter area and help a friend who just started. I can do the same quests and get AP and SP from them.
With this game I can take my time, replay some parts if I want to, I can join some of the quests my friends are further along with. I have no need for alts (and believe me that is a big change as I am a true altoholic).
I do love the questing - I do listen the cinematics, and I just love how the NPCs have attitude and personality. One called me a parasite yesterday lol.
Oh and what surprised me as well as I thought only women were after the fashion in games, that so many of my cabal friends - males - are checking up on outfits and really putting thought on their choices and using the in-game store and shops to buy some fancy clothes
I totally agree. The fact that you can take your time exploring, and return to areas you may not have completed on your first pass yet still be rewarded is pretty damned cool.
I think the other thing I'm enjoying about questing is the sheer randomness of "incidental" quests that appear as you explore: A corpse holding a cell phone with a cryptic message about an incomplete mission-- a note pinned to a wall with some barely legible handwritten message that serves as a clue for some nearby relic/treasure/hidden passage-- an abandoned garage sale with a book of voodoo spells-- the list goes on and on.
Once I hit Egypt, and started roaming the town and the desert, the amount of random items, clues, notes, maps, etc. grew exponentially. Being a total sucker for exploration, this has been the first time I've felt truly rewarded for aimlessly wandering around in a MMORPG, and I LOVE it!
And the amount of problem-solving some of these quest require... WOW!!! I could go into specifics about certain quests and the amount of actual research they entail, but I don't want to spoil anything. The amount of thought that was put into the various puzzles, codes, clues, actual real-world references, and how their subject matter somehow all manages to tie in to the overall theme and lore of The Secret World is just astounding.
1. Surprised it released with THAT combat system in place.
2. Surprised it released with THAT combat system in place.
3. Surprised it released with THAT combat system in place.
4. Surprised it released with THAT combat system in place.
5. Surprised it released with THAT combat system in place.
1. Suprised that's the only thing you care about while playing an MMORPG
2. Suprised that's the only thing you care about while playing an MMORPG
3. Suprised that's the only thing you care about while playing an MMORPG
4. Suprised that's the only thing you care about while playing an MMORPG
5. Suprised that's the only thing you care about while playing an MMORPG
6. When i want the best combat systems, i don't look for them in MMORPGs
Agreed. I have heard complaints about the combat system from exactly one person. There have been efforts to bring MMO combat in line with FPS or single player RPG's. Tabula Rasa, Fallen Earth, and Tera to name a few. If you are an elitest are aren't thrilled by the compromise of tactical positioning, active dodging, the need to move around in combat (If you don't have to keep moving, you are too powerful for the mobs you are fighting...go find some higher level content), directional strikes (you don't stick to targets and if you aren't facing and in range, you miss) collumns, conal, aoe radius, and aoe targeted attacks, then go play Team Fortress 2.
The same could be said about the pvp. It's not the best, and it's clear that the game wasn't built around pvp, but rather pve-centric. The fact that it has pvp at all shows promise. They have given us what equates to a wonderful single-player game as good as any non-mmo, and allowed us to play with any other subscribers. Rudimentary battlegrounds offer a chance to murder some other factions, which is a plus on top of standard gameplay. The persistent world pvp reminds me of RFO or Dark age of Camelot (DaoC PvP warzones Should be a goal for Funcom here). I'd personally like to see an open-world PVP server like they had in Age of Conan, with changeable instances to escape Cabal hoards and Uber griefers. I'd reroll on a PvP server right now if it was an option. The persistent zone pvp rewards are too fleeting. It would be nice to jump into the zone, capture a control point, then be able to jump back into the pve areas to enjoy the fruits of our labor. As it stands, we keep the bonus until the next faction comes along and takes it back...which is usually about 3 minutes after you capture it.
This is not a PvP game, so don't whine about the PvP.
This is not an FPS or a single-player game where combat is spectacular and perfect. The combat system is a great compromise between what we're used to and what we'd like to see, and frankly, I'm impressed with it. I've been playing MMO's since they first came out, PvE and PvP (always PvP if available), and I'm very happy with it, as is 99% of the playerbase. It's not going to change, so if you don't like it, move along...these are not the droids you are looking for.
MMO's are a balance between systems. A single player game can have jaw-dropping graphics and rich atmospheric detail. MOBA's and FPS's can have adrenaline fueled combat that is unparalled. When you throw together a massive volume of players and a huge game world (TSW's total game area is small compared to other MMO's, and especially games who have been adding content for years), you can't have any one thing be perfect, and you'll never make a player happy who is looking for one specific thing in an MMO be as good as a game that specializes in one thing. What TSW was able to do better than any other MMO so far (but still not as good as a single-player game) was the questing. It's amazing, and not for the feeble-minded. Also a huge nod to the character development system (not entirely unique, but so many different ways to build!). No longer locked into a cookie-cutter mold we find in the MMO's fit for 10 year-olds (no offense kids).
This game is already a success in my opinion. I know I will run out of content in the first month or two, but time can only make this game better.
Comments
the question system is simply the best I've ever seen in a mmo
it's so good, that I am sometimes a bit disapointed if I don't have to do tons of research XD
The thing that surprised me the most was how engrossed I have become in the story. I love me a good story in a game, but after I played SWTOR, I just didn't think an MMO story could draw me in. Boy was I wrong. It feels like I am back in my CIV 1 days, but instead of "just one more turn" it's now "one more quest to advance the story." Then last night, I did my first run of the Polaris dungeon and was blown away at how much fun that was. It wasn't easy, but between the atmosphere and puzzling out what each mob had to do, it was so much fun.
There are still flaws in the system, but there are with all MMOs I have played. But this is the first one where the story was one of the strongest aspects of the game and it has kept me coming back and wanting more.
After reading through this thread I've sat back and thought, "hell if those are the only things wrong with it--it's golden."
I've played everything under the Sun, and I am completely blown away. The combat seems eh at first, but as you go along and build your APs it gets a lot better. This game is really solid, and I haven't been hooked on a game, staying up until 4AM for a long time. Searching the clues and working with your guild is great, too, because we're playing before 800 sites come out to search. So far I've had to break out my Bible, an Edgar Allan Poe story, and more to solve quests. The questing is SUCH an improvement over other games. You can play for hours and feel like you are making progression and not feel worn out. This game is a MUST, and unlike anything out there. Our entire guild of 50 players is hooked, and most of us have forgotten with the initials GW2 mean.
Well maybe more 200,000,000 but still even TSW cutsene looks better and more realisic, especially the hand gestures
Oh, I don't know...I thought Lord Zash (SWToR) was pretty natural with her dance moves in my cutscene
haha ya thats sooo true. Seemed like SWTOR had like 3 different hand gestures and it just cycled through them during cut scenes.
Sweet!
Still not sold, but it's getting to the point where I almost feel like I have to apologize for it. Everyone seems absolutely blown away by a Funcom product, just like they were for Age of Conan. I still maintain, to this exact date, level 1-20 in Age of Conan was the best MMO experience I've ever had.
The game was just flat out unfinished after that point.
Are the extremely positive reactions this game is getting now just people reacting to the first 1/4th of the game again, or has Funcom *really* stepped up its game this time and polished 100% of the content, rather than the first quarter of it?
I don't know, but I'm too skeptical to find out. If this game is holding steady about 2-3 months in, or even growing, then I'll bite the bullet. Until then, I don't feel like investing my time into a subscription MMORPG that falls flat at the 20th hour, like every other MMORPG Funcom has ever released.
Well the story and interesting quests hold up to the last area, as in, the quality doesn't really drop (imo).
Instances are quite fun, not the best there is, but far from being a borefest. Even if you ran through them multiple times, if you're not on your toes as a DPS and the abysmally low HP you have if full DPS geared you die (well if you're ranged it's easier, I run melee so yeh, run Forrest, run).
As for it lastning a really long time...dunno, I'd say no with the current content. It's still quite easy to level and skip content (which is the better part of the game) and people already whine. I'd say, this is one MMO that needs to be taken easy to be appreciated (and I usually level asap in other MMOs+skip as much as I can, not a good idea here).
I'd recommend at least 1 mont sub to anyone that plays MMOs extensively, if you're not cash strapped that is, it's a fun experience.
Nice to see mostly good comments so far, only played about 20 minutes so far and felt bit overwhelmed but now that i have the box and manual(i think reading manuals are fun, maybe i am odd ) hope i get some time to enjoy the game.
I totally agree. The fact that you can take your time exploring, and return to areas you may not have completed on your first pass yet still be rewarded is pretty damned cool.
I think the other thing I'm enjoying about questing is the sheer randomness of "incidental" quests that appear as you explore: A corpse holding a cell phone with a cryptic message about an incomplete mission-- a note pinned to a wall with some barely legible handwritten message that serves as a clue for some nearby relic/treasure/hidden passage-- an abandoned garage sale with a book of voodoo spells-- the list goes on and on.
Once I hit Egypt, and started roaming the town and the desert, the amount of random items, clues, notes, maps, etc. grew exponentially. Being a total sucker for exploration, this has been the first time I've felt truly rewarded for aimlessly wandering around in a MMORPG, and I LOVE it!
And the amount of problem-solving some of these quest require... WOW!!! I could go into specifics about certain quests and the amount of actual research they entail, but I don't want to spoil anything. The amount of thought that was put into the various puzzles, codes, clues, actual real-world references, and how their subject matter somehow all manages to tie in to the overall theme and lore of The Secret World is just astounding.
Agreed. I have heard complaints about the combat system from exactly one person. There have been efforts to bring MMO combat in line with FPS or single player RPG's. Tabula Rasa, Fallen Earth, and Tera to name a few. If you are an elitest are aren't thrilled by the compromise of tactical positioning, active dodging, the need to move around in combat (If you don't have to keep moving, you are too powerful for the mobs you are fighting...go find some higher level content), directional strikes (you don't stick to targets and if you aren't facing and in range, you miss) collumns, conal, aoe radius, and aoe targeted attacks, then go play Team Fortress 2.
The same could be said about the pvp. It's not the best, and it's clear that the game wasn't built around pvp, but rather pve-centric. The fact that it has pvp at all shows promise. They have given us what equates to a wonderful single-player game as good as any non-mmo, and allowed us to play with any other subscribers. Rudimentary battlegrounds offer a chance to murder some other factions, which is a plus on top of standard gameplay. The persistent world pvp reminds me of RFO or Dark age of Camelot (DaoC PvP warzones Should be a goal for Funcom here). I'd personally like to see an open-world PVP server like they had in Age of Conan, with changeable instances to escape Cabal hoards and Uber griefers. I'd reroll on a PvP server right now if it was an option. The persistent zone pvp rewards are too fleeting. It would be nice to jump into the zone, capture a control point, then be able to jump back into the pve areas to enjoy the fruits of our labor. As it stands, we keep the bonus until the next faction comes along and takes it back...which is usually about 3 minutes after you capture it.
This is not a PvP game, so don't whine about the PvP.
This is not an FPS or a single-player game where combat is spectacular and perfect. The combat system is a great compromise between what we're used to and what we'd like to see, and frankly, I'm impressed with it. I've been playing MMO's since they first came out, PvE and PvP (always PvP if available), and I'm very happy with it, as is 99% of the playerbase. It's not going to change, so if you don't like it, move along...these are not the droids you are looking for.
MMO's are a balance between systems. A single player game can have jaw-dropping graphics and rich atmospheric detail. MOBA's and FPS's can have adrenaline fueled combat that is unparalled. When you throw together a massive volume of players and a huge game world (TSW's total game area is small compared to other MMO's, and especially games who have been adding content for years), you can't have any one thing be perfect, and you'll never make a player happy who is looking for one specific thing in an MMO be as good as a game that specializes in one thing. What TSW was able to do better than any other MMO so far (but still not as good as a single-player game) was the questing. It's amazing, and not for the feeble-minded. Also a huge nod to the character development system (not entirely unique, but so many different ways to build!). No longer locked into a cookie-cutter mold we find in the MMO's fit for 10 year-olds (no offense kids).
This game is already a success in my opinion. I know I will run out of content in the first month or two, but time can only make this game better.