If you really want to know a good perception on the game, grab a soda and sit down with me for this wild ride.
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This game requires a pretty darn good system to play. If you are a hardcore gamer, this shouldn't be a problem. But, if you're new, you've got some upgrading to do. I am running the game on Balanced (between high detail and performance), which really brings the world out in a great way. The sky is amazing, the water is great, the detail of the lands are awsome. That said, here is my system: AMD 2.0Ghz Processor, 2GB of PC3200 RAM, and a Nvidia 7800GT. How is it like being in the Adventure sphere? Qalia Perspective.
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Amazing, to put it lightly. Though I spent time in Iraq and hated every moment in the desert, I love the desert in a Fantasy sense. I really like Qalia and have spent around 28 levels of time there as a Dark Elf Cleric in beta and am now a 17th level Dark Elf Cleric.
The world, in general, is a pretty big place. Qalia is pretty darn big, but not as big as Thestra. The good thing about Qalia is that you don't need to spend a lot of time dodging mountains. While you are adventuring, you can easily go from your starting city, to camps outside of the city, to other small villages, to large cities, etc. They have really utilized the space well on Qalia and you hardly feel like you are running a marathon just to get to point A to point B.
There are a ton of quests to complete. Before I hit level 13, I had about 100 quests under my belt. What about the grind?
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Yes, it's there. But a grind is what you make of it. I mean, it doesn't feel like a grind to me because I love adventuring to new places. I grab a group or I travel solo to a region to explore it. That normally leads to a good amount of experience by just kills and the quests that are in the region. So, if it is a grind to you, it'll take awhile to level up.
Is combat really that difficult?
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Combat is what you make of it. If you enjoy mashing your same Direct Damage spell, over and over again, then of course it's not going to be that difficult. But, with that said, you're not likely to destroy anything that is way above your level either. It does take some coordination and understanding of your spells to fight effectively. Because of my understanding of my spell sets, I use 11 different spells during a fight with a creature that is 2 - 4 levels higher then my level. So if you don't want that challenge and you want to fight the same level, below your level, mob, that'd be on the easy side of the house.
Can I solo?
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Yes. Is it going to take you longer to level? Yes. Are there a lot of creatures to solo? Yes. I played 14 levels so far as a cleric doing a lot of solo content. Soloable mobs are all over the place and there are a lot of soloable quests that you can complete. If you understand your spells and your abilities, you'll be able to solo around just fine. How is the Crafting Sphere?
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I know a lot of people that have been sitting at those workbenches, working their tails off as a crafter. Being a really good crafter takes time, patience and dedication to what you're doing. The button mashing is remixed a little in Vanguard. They've put in what is called, "Action Points". These determine your ability to make a specific grade item and if you spend all of your action points before your crafting session is over, your crafting session is done and you'll need to start again.
You'll never fully avoid the 'button mashing' theory, and it's in Vanguard. Some people say its boring, some people like it. I think it's something you need to keep attention too and sometimes it gets frustrating, but I'm still doing it. Come on, ships! Houses that arn't instanced? Sounds awsome to me!
How is the Diplomacy Sphere?
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Same with crafting, I've seen a lot of people dedicate their time to Diplomacy and not even touch the Adventure sphere yet. Diplomacy is pretty fun. You get to learn about your race and it's role in Telon and you get to attempt to swaggle a lot of NPCs. You have your own special items that are pretty sweet and in the later game, diplomats are going to be pretty interesting to have in your groups. I can see this Diplomacy thing going really far.
If you want to learn about Telon, your race and how to pursuade a guard to give you juicy information, you just might like Diplomacy!
How is the world? Does it feel alive?
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Well, when I visited Aghram and found the Sutan and all eight of his wives, I thought something was definitely alive. The world does feel alive to me, but it also lacks in some areas. The sky looks amazing, the NPC's love to wonder around, there are several types of creatures all over the place. You can sense the wind blowing by all of the trees swaying. While you're harvesting, your screen shakes to simulate the cutting down of a tree. When it's done, it falls!!! Or while your harvesting a rock, the rock shakes! The big area that it lacks is some of the animations, but I don't take notice to it too often.
Is this game for me?
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My Girlfriend is no hardcore mmo gamer, by any means. I gave her a trial key and she was instantly hooked. If she liked it, i'm sure that you are likely to enjoy what you see as well.
If you still have any specific questions, jump onto AIM and messege me at aim marine. I'll be happy to answer any questions. See you in Telon!