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Future MMO Prospects - Printable Version

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RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-12-2014

(05-12-2014, 07:24 PM)Ildur Wrote: Pft! Best music for videogames is in Bstion.

(05-12-2014, 04:58 PM)Ignacius Wrote: I guess I'm a bit more impressed with the character creation than I thought I'd be.  With all the complaints about bodies and sliders, they've got a bunch for the face so you can get some customization there.  Honestly, I think they'll end up with body sliders eventually since they already have them in the less important face area.  I can't say I was completely disappointed, though.  Maybe it's because of how low everyone made my expectations.

The sliders actually don't do much. You can crank them all the way to the minimum or the maximum and some parts will barely move. And then you have only one slider for the mouth, mouth size, that also changes the size of your jaw along with it.
And once you consider that most faces are pretty unique looking (it's not so noticeable on humans and aurin, but on everyone else it kind of is), you end up with a lot of very easily recognizable clones with slightly different features. And maybe wider noses.

And yes, the game is terribly optimized. I thought they'd optimize before open beta, but apparently they want the first impressions of the game to be "This game is not very well optimized".

Housing in Wildstar is pretty neat. You get a FREE plot of land at level 14, and then you can dump money on it to personalize it. Each plot has a designated area for the house proper and then a bunch of 'slots' where you can place other, non-housy things. Like a garden, or a mine, or a crashed meteorite because it's cool. I think building the smallest house costs like 1 gold (which isn't much) while the biggest costs 3 platinum (and you need level 30ish or something). But most of the expenses come from furnishing the place and filling the slots. You can get furniture via quest rewards, random drops, buying them directly from your house, other players or one of the crafting professions (architecture).
You can place things pretty much wherever you want, even floating in the air. Though the UI for moving furniture is pretty bad and fills your screen with a big window (the 'crate' where all your furniture is stored at) that you can't hide nor close because that spits you out of the edit mode.
Overall it's pretty neat, but it's a huge gold sink. I don't think you can furnish it like you want until you are at least at cap. Unless you don't mind going bankrupt.

One thing that bother me a lot in Wildstar is...actually, there's two things: repair bills, which seem way too expensive, specially if you run dungeons a lot for gear; and mobs with instant knockdowns/stuns. Though the last one has been tweaked greatly by making those mobs weaker...or at least the ones that used to wreck me over and over again.
Really?  I thought the sliders did too much.  Hell, the chin length slider on humans can turn you into Natasha Fatale.  So it's definitely more than I was expecting.  In fact, I thought it was a bit much.  Eye spacing slider is a little rich; I really don't need to turn my character into a chameleon.  One thing I am disappointed about is the color palette choice.  Of all the things, that and body sliders would be my complaints.  I wanted to have neon colored hair (my reasons are my own).  I can't knock the game's customization that much, though.  Considering people made it sound like it had WoW-level character customization, I was pleasantly surprised.  It's not the best I've ever seen, but it's definitely more than adequate, especially given their art direction.

I'm also wondering about faulting their optimization; I use a custom rig.  Still, you'd think things would be working a little smoother by this point.  But who knows?  Maybe open beta is when they decided to start measuring hardware rates so they knew how short to draw the distance.  Since money's too tight to afford a new video card to go with the rest of my computer, I guess I'll have to hope they optimize really well.  Crossfiring a pair of new cards in my rig would set me back a pretty decent chunk of change.

Housing sounds good.  Nice to have something to sink money into that doesn't cost a lot to get off the ground.  We'll see how it turns out.  I'm getting close to 14 on my warrior.  Any word on whether you can invite people into your house or if it's FFXI level (just for you)?

I haven't noticed a repair bill problem; I'm not hard up for money yet.  I haven't run across a lot of instant stuns or knockbacks yet, though I can't imagine knockbacks would be too much of an issue considering the pace of the game.  PVP might make that a different beast, but I've had a lot of fun rolling around in PVE making sure the peoples are in the blue cones and that I'm not in the red cones.  Then again, we'll see what the later game brings.  Stacking interrupts sounds like hell.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-12-2014

(05-12-2014, 08:25 PM)Naunet Wrote:
(05-12-2014, 06:35 PM)Ignacius Wrote: Oh yeah?  How do you feel about.... THIS TRACK!

Meh, not really feeling it. xD

This on the other hand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8YqPjckIY

And pretty much all of this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vqi1EuaiSo&list=PLB4C108EB21B891B3
I guess tastes differ.  Your fantasy music isn't like my fantasy music.  This is what gets my blood going for a fantasy game!  ArcheAge music makes me sleepy.

[youtube]0L_iOnLNt9M[/youtube]

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Zyrusticae - 05-12-2014

Music is just one of those things that's ridiculously subject to taste, like most kinds of art. Just like how some folks can't stand anything even remotely influenced by traditional Japanese animation while others (like myself) are actively repulsed by a lot of traditional American animation.

Speaking of music, listening to more of Wildstar's stuff, it's actually kind of weird how incongruous it is with the game's more comedic tone. I mean, if you listen to the track that plays at 9:24:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyW1oABtnew#t=564

It really sounds like it belongs to an entirely different game. Very odd. Cool, but odd. Hmmm.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Clover - 05-13-2014

Forget about Black Desert and any other upcoming game. You want something truly different? Don't miss AZERA.

[Image: attachment.php?attachmentid=106&d=1396081466&stc=1]

(This video is a must watch).
[youtube]qcuNBwJ0NvY[/youtube]

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-13-2014

(05-12-2014, 11:51 PM)Zyrusticae Wrote: Music is just one of those things that's ridiculously subject to taste, like most kinds of art. Just like how some folks can't stand anything even remotely influenced by traditional Japanese animation while others (like myself) are actively repulsed by a lot of traditional American animation.

Speaking of music, listening to more of Wildstar's stuff, it's actually kind of weird how incongruous it is with the game's more comedic tone. I mean, if you listen to the track that plays at 9:24:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyW1oABtnew#t=564

It really sounds like it belongs to an entirely different game. Very odd. Cool, but odd. Hmmm.

I think, to be fair, the game isn't really a comedy.  It's an action game that doesn't take itself too seriously.  I'd almost describe the tone as very much like one of the older PS1 or N64 3d platformers from back in the day, or an early afternoon cartoon from the heyday of Cartoon Network.  Or maybe one of those action movies in the 80s or 90s.  It's not a comedic story or a parody; playing the exiles story...


Show Content


Things like that give the game an overall serious tone.  It's just that it isn't quite so serious as most games, so the story as I've understood it is played a lot like an action movie.  Serious things happen, but people can still drop one-liners and there are moments of comic effect that take the piss out of itself.  If there's one thing that really attracts me to the game, it's that tone.  I was kind of worried that there'd be a lot of zany comic action.  Instead, I'm literally exploding things with a sword sometimes.

Which is HILARIOUS, but not necessarily comedy.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 08:31 AM)Clover Wrote: Forget about Black Desert and any other upcoming game. You want something truly different? Don't miss AZERA.

[Image: 002.jpg]

(This video is a must watch).
[youtube]qcuNBwJ0NvY[/youtube]

Could you be a bit more descriptive?  The video doesn't make it look that much different than what I'd expect from an MMORPG these days, especially a Korean one.  Is the difference in the mechanics?

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ildur - 05-13-2014

Losing internet for half a day is not fun in this time and age.

Anyway: the problem with (instant) knockdowns and stuns in Wildstar's mobs is that they last for a fair bit and are always followed up by a heavy hitting attack that you cannot dodge (for you are stunned/knocked down). So you can kiss goodbye to half your health. And that's with a heavily armored class.
I haven't run much into that problem anymore, though, mostly because it looks like things are dying much faster (probably a buff to engineers' damage, I imagine). I should let myself get stunned to see if they changed anything else.

That Azera thingy reminds me a lot to Tera. I think even their title font is similar.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 08:59 AM)Ildur Wrote: Losing internet for half a day is not fun in this time and age.

Anyway: the problem with (instant) knockdowns and stuns in Wildstar's mobs is that they last for a fair bit and are always followed up by a heavy hitting attack that you cannot dodge (for you are stunned/knocked down). So you can kiss goodbye to half your health. And that's with a heavily armored class.
I haven't run much into that problem anymore, though, mostly because it looks like things are dying much faster (probably a buff to engineers' damage, I imagine). I should let myself get stunned to see if they changed anything else.

That Azera thingy reminds me a lot to Tera. I think even their title font is similar.

XD  What's great is that I imagine some game designer for Carbine suddenly started crying, knowing how often his creation would be killed by a stun/heavy-attack (the way I've been doing it on my warrior!) and he just gave the same thing to his character.  Tears streaming down his face, he screams at the imaginary players who will spend their hours killing his creation, "LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARDS!"

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Clover - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 08:45 AM)Ignacius Wrote:
(05-13-2014, 08:31 AM)Clover Wrote: Forget about Black Desert and any other upcoming game. You want something truly different? Don't miss AZERA.

[Image: 002.jpg]

(This video is a must watch).
[youtube]qcuNBwJ0NvY[/youtube]

Could you be a bit more descriptive?  The video doesn't make it look that much different than what I'd expect from an MMORPG these days, especially a Korean one.  Is the difference in the mechanics?
No, sorry, I was being sarcastic. That game is a huge copy of Tera, with bits taken from Aion as well. The video is interesting because you can see elins. People who played Tera will know right away; you only have to take a look at the game's name and font used ^^;
It's so blatant I don't even know what Bluehole studio is doing while other Korean company rip their contents.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Naunet - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 08:31 AM)Clover Wrote: Forget about Black Desert and any other upcoming game. You want something truly different? Don't miss AZERA.

I saw stuff about that last week and could not stop laughing.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Twinflame - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 11:02 AM)Clover Wrote: It's so blatant I don't even know what Bluehole studio is doing while other Korean company rip their contents.

Most likely Bluehole is actually one of the companies behind the project and is looking forward to collecting money for selling the exact same MMO to the same target audience twice. I predict that Azera will be sold at a full box price, charge a sub, go P2W and then F2P within a year, same as Tera did.


(05-13-2014, 08:42 AM)Ignacius Wrote: Things like that give the game an overall serious tone.  It's just that it isn't quite so serious as most games, so the story as I've understood it is played a lot like an action movie.  Serious things happen, but people can still drop one-liners and there are moments of comic effect that take the piss out of itself.  If there's one thing that really attracts me to the game, it's that tone.  I was kind of worried that there'd be a lot of zany comic action.  Instead, I'm literally exploding things with a sword sometimes.

Which is HILARIOUS, but not necessarily comedy.

A lot of the humor in the game is very dark. Like the hilarious ways that Chua talk about eating people and then their silly one-liners when you kill them for it. Just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it isn't mature, and people who are nostalgic for that era of animation and gaming (90s platformers, Titan A.E., Treasure Planet) are going to feel very comfortable and satisfied with the tone. Whereas people who prefer anime aren't going to know wtf they're looking at (although they could totally watch some Outlaw Star and come pretty close on a few episodes).

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 11:02 AM)Clover Wrote:
(05-13-2014, 08:45 AM)Ignacius Wrote:
(05-13-2014, 08:31 AM)Clover Wrote: Forget about Black Desert and any other upcoming game. You want something truly different? Don't miss AZERA.

[Image: 002.jpg]

(This video is a must watch).
[youtube]qcuNBwJ0NvY[/youtube]

Could you be a bit more descriptive?  The video doesn't make it look that much different than what I'd expect from an MMORPG these days, especially a Korean one.  Is the difference in the mechanics?
No, sorry, I was being sarcastic. That game is a huge copy of Tera, with bits taken from Aion as well. The video is interesting because you can see elins. People who played Tera will know right away; you only have to take a look at the game's name and font used ^^;
It's so blatant I don't even know what Bluehole studio is doing while other Korean company rip their contents.
My bad.  I actually have had so many conversations about MMORPGs with people who seem to develop bulletproof love for games that are derivative or not very good in objective criticism (not really here, people here seem to care a bit more) so my first reaction to that is that people aren't being sarcastic, they're being real.

That, and I never played Tera.  I've just seen enough MMORPGs to know what they look like now.

When you think about it, it's almost shocking that people would make MMORPGs so derivative of another game.  MMORPGs, by definition, tend to involve a lot of time investment, so people aren't going to leave an MMO for one or two features that will be added in their game in the future.  They also take so much money to develop and maintain, each should be a flagship franchise.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - TheLastCandle - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 12:07 PM)Ignacius Wrote: My bad.  I actually have had so many conversations about MMORPGs with people who seem to develop bulletproof love for games that are derivative or not very good in objective criticism (not really here, people here seem to care a bit more) so my first reaction to that is that people aren't being sarcastic, they're being real.

That, and I never played Tera.  I've just seen enough MMORPGs to know what they look like now.

When you think about it, it's almost shocking that people would make MMORPGs so derivative of another game.  MMORPGs, by definition, tend to involve a lot of time investment, so people aren't going to leave an MMO for one or two features that will be added in their game in the future.  They also take so much money to develop and maintain, each should be a flagship franchise.

You'd be surprised. From what I've seen in various communities, there seems to be a subset of MMO "nomads" who are constantly moving on to the next New Shiny Game, whatever that happens to be, regardless of the game's originality. As baffling as it may be, they're out there.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - Ignacius - 05-13-2014

(05-13-2014, 01:19 PM)TheLastCandle Wrote:
(05-13-2014, 12:07 PM)Ignacius Wrote: My bad.  I actually have had so many conversations about MMORPGs with people who seem to develop bulletproof love for games that are derivative or not very good in objective criticism (not really here, people here seem to care a bit more) so my first reaction to that is that people aren't being sarcastic, they're being real.

That, and I never played Tera.  I've just seen enough MMORPGs to know what they look like now.

When you think about it, it's almost shocking that people would make MMORPGs so derivative of another game.  MMORPGs, by definition, tend to involve a lot of time investment, so people aren't going to leave an MMO for one or two features that will be added in their game in the future.  They also take so much money to develop and maintain, each should be a flagship franchise.

You'd be surprised. From what I've seen in various communities, there seems to be a subset of MMO "nomads" who are constantly moving on to the next New Shiny Game, whatever that happens to be, regardless of the game's originality. As baffling as it may be, they're out there.

That is baffling.  Maybe I'm too far behind the times; I only just took on another game other than WoW last year.  All I know now is that as much as I thought I played WoW because I'm stodgy.  What I've learned is that I played because there really aren't any better games out there a decade later.

Actually, I'm kind of interested to see how FFXIV and Wildstar play out over time.  I don't know that they're better yet, but WoW may finally be so antiquated that it will finally die of attrition.

Not that I haven't already pre-ordered Warlords to see what they're doing.  It's still Blizzard.  It's just a little disappointing that we haven't gotten anything that's 100% upfront better than World of Warcraft in ten years.  I mean, Doom 3 released that year.  FFXI got the Chains of Promathia expansion that year.  FABLE released that year.  I mean, all credit to Blizzard for being a great developer, but in ten years, if we haven't had a better game, that's as damning an indictment of the industry as we could ever have.

RE: Future MMO Prospects - synaesthetic - 05-14-2014

MMO "nomads" are the second single most significant reason why free-to-play/pay-to-win titles are completely dominating the market.

If people stuck to one MMO for years like they used to, these wouldn't exist and subscription games would be a lot more common.

(The other most significant reason why F2P is taking over is WoW, because most of the people who prefer subscription games are playing it, or playing XIV).