Where to now?
By
Bloodspeaker,
Posted on: 2012-09-02 19:30 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
TSW, Rift, DDO. Pretty happy overall. Rift is doing some really interesting player-housing like stuff for their expansion, and in general they are the best company to deal with I've encountered.
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I think I can comment on LOTRO, since I played it non-stop from 2007 to 2011, and I have two lifetime subscriptions.|
Originally Posted by Eldagore
the weopon crafting bit where you make your own legacy sword or whatever(I forget what they called it officially) was 100% my idea. I should probably go try the system out to see if they implemented it correctly or not at the least.
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The weapon crafting bit you mention, they call it "legendary weapons" is one of the couple things I disliked in this game. I would say it was a brilliant idea, but poorly implemented.
First, it is a grind to level these weapons. Second, they become obsolete every time the level cap is raised, so you have to find a new one and start the grind again. Not to mention that the best only drop in end-game raids, so you have to raid if you want one.
Now on the game itself. I am not going back to it, I am going to try TSW.
LOTRO is not a bad game, I got hooked for 5 years. It is just that I eventually got burnt out. I will come back to this.
Following are a few unorganized thoughts on LOTRO:
- It is free to play, so you can try it without risking much. Their free to play is in my opinion better implemented than in CoH. You can do much more without spending a penny.
- Character customization is not as good as CoH, but at least not everybody looks the same, because they have cosmetic slots in which you can drop a variety of different costumes.
- you can solo to level cap, but it is fun to group.
- There are a huge number of quests and areas . You can level several different characters without seeing all the game. So it addresses altitis. Unfortunately, if you like to group, the early areas are a bit empty. People tend to be concentrated in end-game areas.
- The game can be beautiful. This is the only game in which I actually stopped in awe, in some places, just to watch the landscape.
- In the early years, the community was great, just as good as CoH. It is still full of friendly and mature people. But around the time the game went free to play, some ex-WOW players moved in, with the attending immaturity and loot focus. They are not numerous, but if you find yourself in a kinship (i.e. Supergroup) with some of them, my advice would be to find another kinship.
I will close by explained how I burnt out. In the end-game, there is not much to do except raiding. There is some PvP, but it is extremely limited. There is even less PvP in LOTRO than in CoH. The game focus is PvE. PvP takes places in only one area. On the other hand it is fun, and the PvP crowd is friendly and good natured, unlike in many other games.
Since the only thing I had left to do was to raid, I ended up joining a raiding kinship. This is where the game became more like a job than a game. The raids are difficult and cannot be done without top gear. Every time there was a new release, I had to grind the new non-raid instances to get the best new gear they dropped. Then it was 2 raids a week, every week.
Raids are fun but not when they become an obligation. My advice would be to be very cautious about the kinship you join. Unless you are into end-game raiding, and prepared to devote a considerable amount of time to this activity, join a generalist kinship that raids a bit, but does not take raids seriously. Else burnout is unavoidable.
Secret World, Arcadia server when it comes to MMORGP's for me - I've been playing it for a while. The presence of both linear and non-linear quests where you actually have to think is a nice change of pace to the spoon-fed stuff other games feature today. The way you can focus on one character and progress for a long, long time if you branch out in the different trees also appeals to me. Lots and lots of achievements too, of course. While the PvP is fairly tilted in favour of one faction on my server of choice, the open zone is fairly fun at the moment.
Other than that? Battlefield 3, hoping they won't screw up BF4 with another console-port, Borderlands (2?), Killing Floor... And some single player stuff.
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That's a brilliant take on it Heraclea.... Love it! |
Originally Posted by Heraclea
I've started playing Secret World. Funcom as a business has serious problems, but they stand by their games. Anarchy Online is still up.
My usual characters don't really fit into the game world, so I've made adjustments. |
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Thats unfortunate. It was not intended to be a grind, the weapon itself was supposed to grow at a fair pace to keep up with your character. It wasnt supposed to be a job of itself. I based it on Tolkien style lore when I proposed it, the weapons in the books were obviously of high quality, and some had some hint of magical ability. However, the swords and such were named and famous because of the deeds that were done with them, the feats performed by the wielder. hence the weapon XP, though I havent played yet to see how that was put in. It almost sounds like they put it in and made it a new timesink instead of being a system woven into normal gameplay. |
Originally Posted by NoireLune
I think I can comment on LOTRO, since I played it non-stop from 2007 to 2011, and I have two lifetime subscriptions.
The weapon crafting bit you mention, they call it "legendary weapons" is one of the couple things I disliked in this game. I would say it was a brilliant idea, but poorly implemented. First, it is a grind to level these weapons. Second, they become obsolete every time the level cap is raised, so you have to find a new one and start the grind again. Not to mention that the best only drop in end-game raids, so you have to raid if you want one. |
Also, there was not supposed to be a lvl cap, at least not so much as one coded onto the weapon. There were just supposed to be a general set of max stats, high enough to put them above drop stuff easily, and in this case when a lvl cap was raised the max stats could have simply been adjusted accordingly and the weapons could have gained more room to grow. Maybe the system got put in as it is to allow for some kind of allowance for the trade system, which would be nonsense also- as if Gimli would trade his ax.
I downloaded it last night, I think I will at least go check out the current form of the game before i judge it to harshly, as I said last I played was in early closed beta.
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It's been download hell for me for a couple of weeks...
CO wasn't too bad, but I just can't get past the look of the game.
I didn't "get" DCUO with all the clicking and the dizzy spells from moving the screen every time I touched my mouse.
Tera suffered from the same sickness-inducing controls which is a shame because it looks very pretty.
SWTOR is the only game I've played for a decent amount of time. The story arcs seem well thought out and immersive, but I'm doing a LOT of running back & forth. Doubt it'll get played past the "free" 15 mark.
I've joined up at WarZ, and am looking with interest at the RP possibilities on private servers, as it could be very cool in a properly managed environment. There seem to be a lot of PvPers who are stating their intent to go round shooting people though, so I imagine I'll be avoiding the generic public servers once I've got the hang of how it plays.
So for me - it's probably back to NWN/NWN2. I've got both games so playing on other servers is free and there are some really good homegrown worlds out there. It's D&D, but at least I understand it, and some of the RP servers are particularly good. Can't beat a decent DM'd quest for a proper tabletop experience.
-H
I am on The Secret World now. I like it a lot, while at the same time I have a creeping feeling I won't be staying around forever.
In terms of atmosphere, it's tops. I love that it's not a typical fantasy MMO. The character creation is just okay (and wow is the in-game shopping interface terrible).
On the really negative side, IMO, while puzzles are fine in theory, puzzles within an MMO atmosphere mean running over huge expanses of physical space at a very slow rate, and constantly fighting off enemies. I have died dozens of times not because fights are really hard but because I am so frequently chased down by enemies while just trying to get from place to place without stopping to pull each enemy individually and spend 45 seconds to kill them one by one.
I thought the first zone was very well done for the most part. The zombies are spaced out enough that you can (mostly) avoid them. The second zone has enemies all over the place and constantly sends you through them, and its the SAME enemies over and over and over. The game really needs to branch out more IMO.
There are a few major highlights. There was one mission where I got sent into a parking garage. The lights go out, plunging me into darkness, with the only light available coming from a headlamp. I confess I'm a nervous person in general, but the first time a zombie popped out from behind a parked car in the darkness and lassoed by character I jumped about 50 fifty feet.
The "puzzle" missions themselves can be really hit or miss. I mostly end up skipping them because I find the solutions WAAAAY too obscure and often counter intuitive. For example, in one, I was given an object in my inventory and vague instructions that said I needed to "decode" it. I was somehow supposed to know that to do this, I needed to first double click another object in my inventory (which contains about 70 items which are almost impossible to tell apart). Moreover, this object was in my inventory from a previous quest. I did enjoy games like Maniac Mansion back in the day but The Secret World is just all over the place in terms of what is fair game to include in the "puzzle." If the puzzle at least gave you some basic parameters (items in your inventory, for example) they would be much more satisfying. The terrible, terrible inventory management system makes anything involving items really difficult to manage and it's often not even clear that a mission has provided you with an object.
The Secret World is also really big on instant death mechanics. Holy crap. I have lost count of the number of missions where with no telegraphing whatsoever, I have been one shot by touching an electrified object, or (in one case) a boss with a 4000 HP attack that I'm supposed to use line of sight to dodge. How do you find out you need to line of sight it to progress? You have to either cheat and read ahead of time, or die to it. A few of the puzzles are better, but there are so many that rely on those sorts of cheap mechanics. It's not so much about the fact that they instantly kill me, as the fact that in this "puzzle based" game, there is no hint given that you will instantly until you encounter it (for example, the boss with the instant death attack just plays a purple cloud animation before it goes off, and I only found out what it was and how to avoid it because of the message boards).
The game does show a lot of promise. I just hope it lasts long enough to really expand.
I've actually dusted off Skyrim myself with the new DLC's. I still play other games but there's really NOTHING like COH out there. I can't really get into the aesthetic of CO even with the "lines" turned "off" (which doesn't really change much imo). DCUO/Tera controls are just uncomfortable. I'd have to be as nimble with my fingers as a lady who likes ladies to excel at that game and frankly that's just not appealing to me.
I'm holding out hope for Archeage. Yea it'll probably end up being just another grinder, but the views I've seen from it are breath taking and I like some of the concepts they have going on. Unfortunately that game is some time off.
Another hopeful is Elder Scrolls Online. If they can give me Skyrim in MMO form, and by that I mean that level of graphics, physics, questing, I won't be able to stop myself from buying it. Though I hope the controls/UI is more like traditional MMO's. I think the idea of trying to be "different" by making your entire way of interacting with the world so alien from other MMO's is a mistake (*cough*Tera*cough*). I'm not saying you have to be a clone but to get butts in the door there has to be some sense of familiarity and ease of entry.
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I have played Champions Online and it is a pretty decent game but that was back in beta (never played it beyond that). Had COX never existed I would broughtly have spent 8 years there. But after this I'm kind of super heroed out and I grew up on D&D so that is out too I'm thinking for going to Star Trek Online as they have there own mission creator. With all that said I'll be here to the bitter end!
Catreena
"Why can't the villains ever hide out in the old abandon catnip factory?"
Rome total war mods for me. Love that game.
Maybe a new PC and give DCU and Champions Online a try. Maybe no MMO's or awhile or ever, hard to say.
Well for me....If its truly not possible to play still....
Then well in one day I willbe playing Borderlands 2...its not a big mmorpg like city of heroes but still fun.
I still play start trek online and champions online and jade dynasty with an occasional dc universe online....and an occasion Lunia Online......
Plus I have a bunch of games i never have finished that I got from places like Steam and such....
It seams according to the RAPTR group I am an Elite player(Translation: Plays alot of games alot)....
(If anyone is interested in what it is: its something that combines information from steam and xbox live and playstation online and rates you and gives rewards for playing games alot....and allows you to stay in contact with all those groups at the same time...also combines facebook, and twitter and AIM and a bunch of other stuff into it as well. My reasoning for even trying it and using it is becasue i wanted to get the nifty captains pet unlock from it for my star trek online account)
I have become very picky when it comes to online games....so because city of heroes spoiled me with so many good things....i tend to stay away from alot of games because i feel like they just plain fail....gotten real good at pointing out their flaws too....which ticks off alot of players who like those other games.
I'm playing Champions again, and really loving it.
Its very unpolished, and easy to get lost. Its easy to get put off.
For example, there is an Exit button to leave a mission map once you're finished, but its hidden in the "Crime Computer" interface.
The Crime Computer is something you really find for yourself, and without it you can get a bit lost without any missions or contacts to level up with.
The teaming interface comes with zero explanation. One time I logged out because I couldn't figure out any other way to leave a team. (Right click on your portrait? Of course!) I'm still in the process of figuring out the equivalent of PUG-ing over there.
But, its a very fun superhero simulator. It doesn't have some of the things that make CoH great, and has far less content to play through, especially on the way to level 15. But it has some cool things that CoH didn't have, and the freeform power selection is really nice. I'm currently running four very distinct characters, all of whom feel effective and do what they were meant to.
I'd highly recommend it to anyone who came to CoH because they loved superheroes.
SWTOR...
Yes, it's largely gear driven...(sigh)...yes, it's a typical Tank/DPS/Healer type game where there really isn't much of a hybrid type...(with the exception of PVP apparently). Very solofriendly though...I haven't grouped but likely 2 times in maybe a week...mostly for heroic missions (which do not require, but encourage really...multiple party members)...and most of those can be done with 2 people...some are hard enough to get 3-4.
Though, I do like, how Dragon Age type origin stories, and individual plots were implemented by BioWare...so that no 2 classes play the same story through...which does add replay value.
I am not 100% happy with it...but...maybe...80-85%?
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Tried CO and after 30 minutes uninstalled it. Might try it again but not likely. DCUO is okay and I am tempted to pay for the light pack to become a Green Lantern. Character creation in both is a bit restrictive but then again I am F2P and do not know if that changes for paying customers.
SWTOR: good for soloing or teaming, interesting story and adventures to have. Having played KOTOR 1 and 2 I was already used to how characters would be made and how costumes change as you obtain new gear. Very gear driven, but still fun to play.
Tried Secret World, they are now speculating about going F2P.
Waiting for more info on Marvel and Transformers Universe.
Hmmmm was thinking of quiting MMOs but Secret World looks interesting may have to give it a try at some point
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They were allowing trial downloads this past weekend, not sure if they still are. They are also contemplating F2P.
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Originally Posted by Chill_Arrow_EU
Hmmmm was thinking of quiting MMOs but Secret World looks interesting may have to give it a try at some point
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The ad for trial download was still up today. It's an interesting and good game except for the travel speeds, but us CoHers are all spoiled on that front. |
Originally Posted by Nericus
They were allowing trial downloads this past weekend, not sure if they still are. They are also contemplating F2P.
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Not to mention we are pretty spoiled when it comes to character creation in COH and all the options we get. |
Originally Posted by Shadey_NA
The ad for trial download was still up today. It's an interesting and good game except for the travel speeds, but us CoHers are all spoiled on that front.
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CO, DCUO are so restrictive, Secret World was okay and SWTOR depends on the gear you get.
I'm heading to WOW for two reasons:
1. It runs well on my machine
2. With 10,000,000 players and a new expansion next week it's not going to go away any time soon.
I will (reluctantly) continue Aion ftp because my best friend just won't let go of it. That's basically just Saturday mornings and they'll never see another dime from me again. If it weren't for my friend I'd already have quit. I gave up character progression as of Aug 31st. From here out I'll just be sucking bandwidth until they close that down as well. I expect that to happen soon.
I might be trying Champions Online to play with a friend from COH as he recommends it. I'm not sure yet, it'll depend if it runs on my machine.
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That's community speculation - there has been nothing from TSW devs to say they're going F2P except that that functionality is available to them through their billing system. I don't think you'll see TSW go F2P for a while yet.
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Originally Posted by Nericus
They are also contemplating F2P.
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Champions Online is less restrictive than City of Heroes in terms of character creation, if you subscribe. Want an invulnerable tank with a psychic blast and pet robot? Go for it!|
Originally Posted by Nericus
Not to mention we are pretty spoiled when it comes to character creation in COH and all the options we get.
CO, DCUO are so restrictive, Secret World was okay and SWTOR depends on the gear you get. |
On free-to-play you're limited to archetypes with pre-selected powers that unlock at each level, but on a paid account you're selecting whatever powers you want.
Obviously, it still makes sense to try the free-to-play first, just to see if you like the game mechanics/can stand the cartoony look and so on. But I'd hate to see people dismiss the game purely on this count.
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Originally Posted by Dr Harmony
Champions Online is less restrictive than City of Heroes in terms of character creation, if you subscribe. Want an invulnerable tank with a psychic blast and pet robot? Go for it!
On free-to-play you're limited to archetypes with pre-selected powers that unlock at each level, but on a paid account you're selecting whatever powers you want. Obviously, it still makes sense to try the free-to-play first, just to see if you like the game mechanics/can stand the cartoony look and so on. But I'd hate to see people dismiss the game purely on this count. |
Agreed, once I figured out how to create a freaking DINOSAUR MASTERMIND, I was hooked.
Plus the game graphics have to be tweaked a little, the default settings are HORRIBLE! But I got some help from some friendly folks in game on tweaking. Upping the graphics and removing the "black comic book outline" go a long way. I get where they were going though, they wanted the look of the game to match the old champion pen and paper books.
I'm enjoying Champions a lot more than I thought. I've never been a Dragon/Fantasy type of game player. And I played the old school Champions Pen and Paper back in the day, so this game works out just fine for me.
The toon creator is a lot more versatile than COH's, and you can create just about anything.
*hint join the "COX" channel if you decide to play. Lot's of help and friendly COH'rs there.
My level 50 Dominators:
Madame Mindbender 50 Mind/Energy
Fly Agaric 50 Plant/Thorn
Nate Nitro 50 Fire/Psi
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If, and only if, which is probably just a matter of when, but I'm not giving up yet, CoH goes dark I may give CO another try based on what you've said here.|
Originally Posted by RiverOcean
Agreed, once I figured out how to create a freaking DINOSAUR MASTERMIND, I was hooked.
Plus the game graphics have to be tweaked a little, the default settings are HORRIBLE! But I got some help from some friendly folks in game on tweaking. Upping the graphics and removing the "black comic book outline" go a long way. I get where they were going though, they wanted the look of the game to match the old champion pen and paper books. I'm enjoying Champions a lot more than I thought. I've never been a Dragon/Fantasy type of game player. And I played the old school Champions Pen and Paper back in the day, so this game works out just fine for me. The toon creator is a lot more versatile than COH's, and you can create just about anything. *hint join the "COX" channel if you decide to play. Lot's of help and friendly COH'rs there. |
Might also give DCUO another shot... and there's also Marvel Heroes that will be in limited Beta come October...
Won't be going to any game that isn't Super Heroes, though.
I am going to Lord of the Rings Online. It's biggest strength is the community. They are dedicated to the game and the community is similar to CoH in its spirit.
Good luck to you all, wherever you end up.
I've started playing Secret World. Funcom as a business has serious problems, but they stand by their games. Anarchy Online is still up.
My usual characters don't really fit into the game world, so I've made adjustments.
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