Kevin I like your review, and you point out some well thought out points. Many I saw while you played while watching the live feed. The review is higher than mine, and I see comments here much on what is coming or might get fixed. The thing is, this is the state of things now, thus a review of that, good job.
I agree on alot of points, combat, a dead target and 3 seconds later the skill damage/effect pops. Abilities not all working right, and unbalanced in many ways I felt. Jump and run not up to par. Broke quests, interruption by others is quests, pvp basically a zerg to run in circles, bugs in chat. Though can be played solo, problems in areas of breaking quest groups by single player instance sections.
Maybe you didn't make it all the way to end game, where I felt more problems, you covered most that had more to come in some of these problem areas.
Many of these things get straighten out, I for one think the game rating can go up a good amount. As it is, and what is playable at the moment, a good review.
Looking at the forums, has definitely gone some directions I was concerned with. Largest viewed posts I am seeing are, whats at end game? Fan boys that know nothing of this yet, are in argument with those that have reached this and grinding, or find something else. Grinding drop rates are now starting to be realized.
Pvp, talks of zerg, or some views of the one shots, and they haven't even seen the heavy one shot stuff yet with purple signets. Maybe this is why so few signet drops, fan boys who in a few weeks will find themselves there will likely change there toon.
State of the game has been announced, and maybe a few hopeful things there. With things as they are now, 20 more days to first part, still has me wondering.
You guys do realize this is a live stream of game play right. That won't be on again for about 4 hours. Top of page is archived feeds of past several days, that you can view.
This is the draw back of many trying to get that deck build first thing. Its much better getting the abilities you need to move on, than saving up to get the 50 pointers you end up not wanting or using.
This is a good point, and quite minor to many I have seen.
With all types of players racing around having fun killing stuff, there is quite a few situations like this that can entirely restart a quest over for ya, by indirect involvement from others.
Just think how it will get when some start doing it on purpose repeatedly?
Yes, some inconsistencies, some do up date as a group, others not.
The breaking of groups for solo parts was also disgusted quite alot. Pros and cons, some beak the flow of group play, while others felt more important to keep, preventing power leveling or getting to far ahead of yourself verses your abilities. Alot of frustrations in this area for many.
There has been heated arguments on the subject before of kill stealing. In over all game play it is no lost to a player that got the initial hit on the npc, so it only is help in destroying enemies by a second player. Some argued they hated it and others not.
There are faults in the system though in the sense of grieving. Stats in the outer tier under misc., give hate and no hate stats. This can easily be used to aggro a group, and run it to another player, and hit the minus hate stats to change target.
Steve is about to enter Egypt, there is some problems here as well, in grieving. The main mission requires doing certain steps to complete that phase. Another player can stand around and watch all those steps take place, and when its at its last step, jump in and get the update, leaving initial player to start over.
On another note, I was really hoping this would go in a different direction, but reading forums I have to say I am a bit disappointed in being somewhat right in concerns of pvp domination. One server is working at combining forces to stop the zerg of Templar's. I really can't believe I am seeing this already in a weeks time. I wouldn't even know where to start for a solution for this. Wanting something in the game to try to advocate pvp is understandable, having it effect all players, a downfall, especially when over powered.
Before much of this got going I posted some questions that should be answered. These questions I already know the answers. The last three days of beta, I did the entire main mission to its end, as well as rank 9 or so in a faction. Starting from scratch after a wipe, but with available upgrade 10 weapons. Technically up to this last wipe we are and were under nda, but after this point we are free to speak. So some that think anything negative coming out is just trolls, might consider we have been tied and bound up to about this point speaking about beta.
I personally loved alot of the game, but enough issues that especially at this point in knowledge has made me stay away. A two fold situation, what time will tell foreseen problems, to what is actually there here and now.
I think many players coming in will enjoy the game in its first phases, if that's a week or two, to slow pace for a few months. If I jumped in the game right now, that would maybe be a week for me.
This is where the questions need to be addressed. After you have done the main mission, worked up through Fangs, then what, a week, month?
This is where there needs to be something more. Are you going to just work pvp? Just do dungeons, elites, nightmare?
PVP as I consider it, is back to a familiar aoc seen. World domination giving double item stats in such things as hit and dodge. I wonder if this will follow pace as in AOC and one group/faction end up fully controlling it? Are you going to go slow paced, so that one group, also will have the signet buffs on top of this to compete with as well?
Item drops were absolutely terrible, when it comes to this area. Seeing never a signet for a major talisman, and such rare drops in head and weapon, would make this a disaster. Functioning dungeon items very buggy, as well as these items not slotted for signets, nor lower level items below 10, even much better blue ones. The upgrade for these signets takes 10 to make a blue, and 10 blue to make a pink, where is all that storage space? So really what is there in that months time? Grind, grind, and not even dungeons if you want the signet perks? Faction, pvp gear, not sure on them, I didn't test those, most I ever saw though was rank 9 and not slotted.
So these are the questions, where much of the early stuff is not even falling in this picture. Yes a few bugs, graphics and such, but it becomes alot bigger picture later on. When you see you have finally got what abilities left that work, to make great sinergies etc. Then you come to the end game stuff, and find 90% of the builds have npc's to fight with no removable buffs such as any hinders and impairs. All npc's for signets, in camp and lairs. Now the few left combo builds, are even more eliminated, as you look at all the worthless abilities such as remove buffs and such through your selection.
So time may tell if a faction will be dominate, and everyone wanting buffs just starts climbing on board. Until then, grind grind grind?
I feel some in depth questions should maybe be addressed.
AO and AOC history has left a bitter trail for many.
TSW is launching with a much better start, not every other quest broke or some of the past history problems. Can it be played solo, yes. Its designed more for grouping, and benefits to this. The no character class, leaves options to play inter mixed class skills. A large variety of rigs can play the game, many will require latest video card drivers.
The questions: Are these abilities, balanced and working with each other. Are there enough choices in these balances to choose through out the classes to combine the perks of several working together. Are there liable builds to survive with freedom of choice of play style. Are timers and cool downs in sink to combat of single target enemies and mobs both.
This is a combined pve and pvp mmo.
IS there a AOC pound on rock, high end pvp gear and buffs, to control the entire game state by a single group?
Is pve being directly affected to whatever happens with pvp.
On other hand is pvp have the means and goals to play and enjoy, with equal terms, or previously overpowered groups of buffs and gear.
Is there end game content?
The time frame before reaching the end game wall?
Maybe not answerable things at this point, but soon to be found.
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