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Post by trencher on Aug 20, 2007 19:23:30 GMT
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Post by Turwhitt on Aug 21, 2007 9:43:19 GMT
There are certain things about this game which seem very forward-looking, but others which are generic and unimagininative. The mission structure seems good, but once again we are stuck with just one class (albeit with various branches). Why can't another MMO give us a proper skill system again, where you can pick and choose between elements of a career? And i can't find anything which suggests there will be player housing, guild cities and a player-driven economy.
I can't help but think that MMOs in general have actually taken a few steps backward in the last few years. I blame WoW. They made so much money off a dumbed-down game that every developer wants to cash in by dumbing down their games. There really is a gap in the market for a complex, deep MMO.
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Post by trencher on Aug 21, 2007 13:19:10 GMT
I agree there. Once something as big as WoW comes out it seems like developers are only willing to take incremental design changes instead of great leaps. Still I am hoping that with Richard Garriot at the helm of this particular MMO that it will have some surprises. I imagine that larger studios will no longer take too many chances with MMOs since they are now seen as blockbuster material and are getting bankrolled for a lot of money. I think the potential MMO that you are wishing for Turwhitt will be made by a smaller company in the future that is looking for a niche market to fill. However, I wonder if a larger company could not make a scalable MMO that could be as complex or simple as the user wanted with rich rewards in gameplay for those that chose the deeper, more complex game. Check out this BBC article, not quite related to the thought above: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6951918.stm
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Blue Leader
TLC Fleet Member
Scirocco Esposito
Posts: 225
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Post by Blue Leader on Aug 21, 2007 22:27:32 GMT
Unfortunately Tabula Rasa is a very generic game. The thrid-person shooter element is interesting, but other than that it's nothing different. It's a rather disappointing game. Yeah, I'm in beta.
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Post by Turwhitt on Aug 22, 2007 9:40:46 GMT
The TPS element makes me more concerned for it. I tried Face of Mankind recently, and it was just stupid. People strafe-jumping around and shooting each other. Reminded me of why i grew to hate Quake and such things. It's all to do with who has 18 fingers and has played for 28 hours a day during the school holidays while mummy brings you pizzas twice a day.
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Blue Leader
TLC Fleet Member
Scirocco Esposito
Posts: 225
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Post by Blue Leader on Aug 22, 2007 11:26:06 GMT
At least in TR, jumping doesn't do a whole lot for you. It'll let you jump over some obsticles, but it's not really going to allow you to dodge fire (unless the person you're fighting has really, really, really bad aim). There really is no way to always dodge fire. You can duck behind rocks and such to make hitting you harder, but you can still be hit. The only way to dodge fire is to break the line of sight with your enemy, which would mean running behind a solid object like a building or a drop-ship. Or, of course, there's always the innate "dodge" ability that will let a shot randomly miss you from time to time.
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Post by Turwhitt on Aug 22, 2007 13:06:39 GMT
Surely though, with twitch games, you will be better in a battle if you are constantly moving (and by that i don't mean running between cover or ducking behind obstacles, i mean just literally moving back and forth so someone can't keep their mouse on you easily)? This is what i can't stand, the spasmodic, unnatural avatar movement which twitch games promote...
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Post by trencher on Aug 22, 2007 14:19:10 GMT
That is what I liked about Red Orchestra. It caused you to duck and look around corners much more instead of Ramboing. In essence, the style of the game made the players behave more realistically.
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Blue Leader
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Scirocco Esposito
Posts: 225
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Post by Blue Leader on Aug 28, 2007 1:11:37 GMT
Surely though, with twitch games, you will be better in a battle if you are constantly moving (and by that i don't mean running between cover or ducking behind obstacles, i mean just literally moving back and forth so someone can't keep their mouse on you easily)? This is what i can't stand, the spasmodic, unnatural avatar movement which twitch games promote... The avatars and NPCs seem to have a fairly large hit box, so really all you have to do is aim in their general area and fire. In Tabula Rasa you're not going to see a lot of that frantic running around, basically because the system simply doesn't allow it. The overall controls feel a lot like NGE Star Wars Galaxies, but with a better shooter element... and a better line of sight and collision detecting.
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Post by steevodeevo on Sept 13, 2007 18:51:53 GMT
I think you've all put me off it. Back to LOTRO. By the way I feel it in my water that POTBS will go open beta soon, what with all the SOE hype suddenly on the forums. First one in form The Loose Cannons. Should we list here on our forums our future in-game character names so the first on in can search for the rest of us?
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Blue Leader
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Scirocco Esposito
Posts: 225
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Post by Blue Leader on Sept 18, 2007 1:03:08 GMT
Believe me, you're not missing much. Tabula Rasa is, sadly, nothing specia. But unfortuantely it's the only other sci-fi MMO (besides SWG) that's out or coming out soon. At least I can't think of any others... And yeah, listing character names sounds fine to me. Scirocco Esposito be me.
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Post by steevodeevo on Sept 18, 2007 9:08:46 GMT
I wanted it to be good, what with it being Garriott's return. Maybe if its supported they will get it to where it needs to be over time. I'm sure it will get a big following with Lord British (nee General British) name all over it.
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Post by Turwhitt on Sept 18, 2007 10:06:49 GMT
it's the only other sci-fi MMO (besides SWG) that's out or coming out soon. At least I can't think of any others.... EVE (visually beautiful but sucks your life away!) Face of Mankind (Bastard child of FPS and MMO - utter shite) Matrix Online (A bit boring) Probably more. Come on SWG Emu, hurry up!!
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Post by steevodeevo on Sept 18, 2007 13:00:02 GMT
SWG Emu? is that the player take-over of SWG? I'm lvl 48 in LOTRO and really loving it.
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Post by Turwhitt on Sept 19, 2007 10:32:26 GMT
Yes, SWG Emu is a contributions-based server emulator. From the tests i've seen so far it's better coded than the original server software. They reckon it'll be available in a couple of months. Then people will run free servers, and hopefully we can all agree on one or two servers, so that there will be a good population. There are some very professional-sounding servers being run.
I do like LotRO, it's very pretty, but i am starting to feel the lack of depth. Sometimes i wish i had never started SWG, because it was so deep that every other MMO just seems shallow in comparison. I'm lvl 47, and i can't see myself playing much after 50. There just doesn't seem to be anything to do other than fighting and raiding. The crafting is crap, TBH, there is no player or guild housing, no player-run cities, no opportunity to change your character by trying a different mix of careers.....
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Post by trencher on Sept 19, 2007 23:11:48 GMT
I just started playing Team Fortress 2 beta/prerelease yesterday. Tons of fun. It feels like a lovingly crafted game with a great sense of humor. They have really improved the balance issues from the original Team Fortress (mainly by getting rid of grenades). Actually canceled my LOTRO account - I just never really played it all that much. Bit of a housecleaning on the old hard drive.
Anyhoo - my Steam ID is Trencher.
Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day, maties! Ar!
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Post by Turwhitt on Sept 20, 2007 10:27:01 GMT
Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day, maties! Ar! Aye, and to ye, ye black-hearted sea-dog.
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Post by steevodeevo on Sept 28, 2007 18:18:44 GMT
ooh Cancelled LotRO eek!
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Post by Turwhitt on Oct 3, 2007 8:26:02 GMT
You did?
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Post by steevodeevo on Oct 3, 2007 17:39:10 GMT
Not me no Trench.
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