What I'm hearing here is a person who is used to the level of detail a "themepark" MMO can afford to place into it vs. the "sandbox" reality of this game. You won't find quality cut scenes, videos or voice overs in a sandbox. The graphics will look decent but not state-of-the-art. The interface will feel clunky - IE no grid lines to go by when placing farm plants, etc. These are all elements of a "sandbox" game.
I think the fault lies with the game though. It was introduced as a "sandbox" a couple years back when people started to take notice. What the version we now have has morphed into is more like a themepark-sandbox crossover. The foundation of this game is built on a sandbox model but then they went and added themepark elements like quests, levels, class-based skills which don't really blend well with the original foundation of the game.
I would say it is 50/50 themepark/sandbox. People who says it is a "themepark at it's core" aren't playing the actual game, they are leveling. I know leveling is part of the game...hence 50% of the game is themepark. Level 50 is 100% sandbox. You craft, you farm, you get into different kinds of PvP action. You can murder people and go to prison, craft ships, build a home, fight a worldboss, do a dungeon, trade run. Sounds like a good time to me personally. I thought ESO would be like this, but was sorely mistaken.
Now Playing: Bless / Summoners War Looking forward to: Crowfall / Lost Ark / Black Desert Mobile
I love Trion, and I'm all for playing games with some 'eastern' flare, but playing this felt clunky, vapid, and, for lack of a better word...free--Which it is, I know, but wow...
Are the starting areas just that bad? Is the interface awesome once you get over how garish everything looks?
I have a feeling the hype-monster is out of control on this one--in no way does it feel like playing, say, A Realm Reborn, or WIldstar, or even ESO, even in their beta stages.
I hope I'm wrong, since I want Trion to get rich like they deserve for giving us Rift back in the day, but this didn't grab me...at all.
Anyway, meh. Just my opinion.
When i 1st try AA i didnt had a good impression on starting areas, but i had read about the game and want to see more.
But i didnt find those starting areas that bad, just ok and i can leave with ok things in games if they dont take to long.
If you keep that feeling after leaving the starting area, nothing start to grab your attention (combat or non-combat features) then maybe you really dont like the game imo.
I like Jabas... maybe it's his avatar... maybe it's his outgoing personality... but you kind of have to say to yourself, this guy is someone you'd like to run into sometime in game just to say "Hi!"
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I would say it is 50/50 themepark/sandbox. People who says it is a "themepark at it's core" aren't playing the actual game, they are leveling. I know leveling is part of the game...hence 50% of the game is themepark. Level 50 is 100% sandbox. You craft, you farm, you get into different kinds of PvP action. You can murder people and go to prison, craft ships, build a home, fight a worldboss, do a dungeon, trade run. Sounds like a good time to me personally. I thought ESO would be like this, but was sorely mistaken.
Looking forward to: Crowfall / Lost Ark / Black Desert Mobile
I like Jabas... maybe it's his avatar... maybe it's his outgoing personality... but you kind of have to say to yourself, this guy is someone you'd like to run into sometime in game just to say "Hi!"