Will I like this game?

Krehator

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

Buffalo NY

18 Apr 2005 at 10:18 - 1
I currently play Start Wars Galaxies but getting very tired of it. I'll try to explain my likes and dislikes and hopefully you all can lend some advice to me if this game is gonna be something I will like.

Things I hate about SWG:

- Customer support is the pits! No integrity at all.
- No balance between casual players and hard core players.
- Too many safety players that never want to risk dying.
- Everyone has the uber gear, thus much the other requipment is worthless.
- Everyone uses the same combination of specials and abilities.
- Little balance between professions.
- The world does not play a part in combat. Weather has no effect, time of day, ect.
- No PvP only areas. It's hard to believe there is a war going on.
- Missions and quests are BORING. They never change.
- Strict skill trees. I prefer floating skills that you can just grab.
- A hybrid crafter/combat template is just as uber as a full combat template.
- Battles last 10 seconds. A few shots and everyone is dead. No tacitcs involved. Just slam some F keys and it's over.
- Only one character per server. Totally cheap.


Things I like to have:

- Being part of a guild and a community of friends.
- Being able to solo or group up.
- Owning your own house and customizing it. (I'm a pack rat)
- Running a business, crafting items, harvesting, and selling through vendors.
- Big battles with a tactical feel. Battles that can last a while.
- Having more than one character per server.
- Being able to select idividual skills, not just being stuck in a profession tree because you want one part of the profession.

I like to PvP, PvE, craft and harvest. I like to have the option of travelling in non-PvP areas or PvP only areas. Having a home is a big thing for me. I want to be immersed into the game world and having a house makes it feel more real. Same thing with guild towns. I love to craft but I enjoy the option of having a vendor so I don't have to stand around doing business in person, World of Warcraft sucks in this department. I like a complex economy.

From what I hear the GW skill system is similar to MTG where you get so many skills to take into battle with you. I'm an MTG fan and this type of play seems very positive! The outcome of a battle should be determined by the skill of the player NOT just becaus he/she plays for 14 hours a day and has every uber peice of gear in the game.

So.... is GW my type of game?

Zeppelin

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

Houses Of The Holy

W/N

18 Apr 2005 at 10:42 - 2
Things you dislike:
- No balance between casual players and hard core players.
Casual gamers can take down hard core players with the right strategies.

- No PvP only areas. It's hard to believe there is a war going on.
There are seperate PvE and Pvp areas.

- Battles last 10 seconds. A few shots and everyone is dead. No tacitcs involved. Just slam some F keys and it's over.
Most PvP's I've been in have been lengthy battles. At least minutes, and possibly hours depending on the composition of the teams.

- Only one character per server. Totally cheap.
Right now you can have 4 in GW. They may change that at some point.

Things you like:
- Being part of a guild and a community of friends.
Guilds play a big part in this game, and teamwork in needed for many quests/battles.

- Being able to solo or group up.
Going solo is very difficult in some areas, especially later in the game. I myself prefer solo alot of the time. Very difficult to do so in some areas, but it's just that much more of a challenge.

- Owning your own house and customizing it. (I'm a pack rat)
Your guild can own it's own guild hall, but I don't think you get a house.

- Running a business, crafting items, harvesting, and selling through vendors.
This area may leave you wanting more. As of now, they haven't incorporated much of this. You find items and "salvage" them into crafting items. Then you use crafting items to make your armor. Or you can sell the items to vendors or players, rather than craft.

- Being able to select idividual skills, not just being stuck in a profession tree because you want one part of the profession.
In GW, you get a primary profession and a secondary profession if you choose to do so. For the most part you have to stick with skills withink those 2 trees, although there are quite a few choices.

Overall, if you truly believe that skill should triumph over hours played, and enjoy strategy/strategic battles, then I think you would really like this game. It may be missing some of your most sought after attributes, but overall sounds like you'd probably enjoy it.

Krehator

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

Buffalo NY

18 Apr 2005 at 11:20 - 3
The main reason for houses outside of the decor is storage space. I have a lot of storage houses in SWG because I like to collect loads of stuff. How does storage/inventory work? Is it pretty meager? If I can buy or earn more storage space then housing isn't important.

Sell to vendors or players? So you sell stuff to NPC vendors or do you mean like a bazaar system with one cental bartering location. WoW uses this system and I don't favor it. Having individual owned shops is something I liked because the SWG bazaar is too limited on price caps, ect. However if there is one centralized location in GW I can deal with that as long as it's not too limited.

As far as needing a team for many quests, it's okay as long as individual level doesn't limit ability to join a group. WoW is like that and it sux. Higher levels just refuse or can't group up with lower levels.

You think they're going to take away the 4 character per server limit? I'd like to atleast have two per server.

My main problem with getting stuck in skill trees is that, in SWG to get a special skill, you are forced to take a bunch of useless skills in that branch. I'd prefer to just purchase or earn that individual skill that I want. Having to take a major tree to allow that is fine but I don't like to get stuck in branches that are 4 tiers deep. I'll have to investigate the skill trees in the game. The website doesn't offer much info on this or I haven't found it.

Customer service now... heheheh Do these devs actually seem like they listen to the needs and desires of the players? SWG devs are motivated only by profit. They'll put anything into a game or take it out just to make an extra buck. My #1 reason for wanting to leave SWG is poor customer support and satisfaction.


Thanks for the advice!

Harvey Blade

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2005

Hoboken, NJ

The Forged Legion

Me/W

18 Apr 2005 at 15:56 - 4
Quote:
The main reason for houses outside of the decor is storage space. I have a lot of storage houses in SWG because I like to collect loads of stuff. How does storage/inventory work? Is it pretty meager? If I can buy or earn more storage space then housing isn't important.
You get a backpack to start. You can then buy 3 additional containers (5 slots each, upgradable to 10 for two of them, I think) as well as a storage 'vault' that commutes between characters.
Quote:
Sell to vendors or players? So you sell stuff to NPC vendors or do you mean like a bazaar system with one cental bartering location. WoW uses this system and I don't favor it. Having individual owned shops is something I liked because the SWG bazaar is too limited on price caps, ect. However if there is one centralized location in GW I can deal with that as long as it's not too limited.
You break down items you find with a salvage kit. You can then take the components (granite, iron, wood, etc.) to a crafter npc who can make iems out of them. You can also sell the components to merchant npcs or other players. The last I saw there was no centralized 'market' and you could not own anything like a shop, you just stood on a corner and anounced (in the new trade chat channel) that you were selling or buying. Another thing, you can't use armor crafted by other players, its customized to them, so you won't succeed at selling it to anyone.
Quote:
As far as needing a team for many quests, it's okay as long as individual level doesn't limit ability to join a group. WoW is like that and it sux. Higher levels just refuse or can't group up with lower levels.
No group/level restrictions that I know of, but if you go into pvp at low levels be prepared to get whipped.
Quote:
You think they're going to take away the 4 character per server limit? I'd like to atleast have two per server.
Its staying 4 for now, it might go up someday in the future, but don't get your hopes up.
Quote:
My main problem with getting stuck in skill trees is that, in SWG to get a special skill, you are forced to take a bunch of useless skills in that branch. I'd prefer to just purchase or earn that individual skill that I want. Having to take a major tree to allow that is fine but I don't like to get stuck in branches that are 4 tiers deep. I'll have to investigate the skill trees in the game. The website doesn't offer much info on this or I haven't found it.
You can learn any skill from your two professions. Some skills require that you or your target be afflicted by some status to be effective, but the skills do not otherwise have prerequisites.
Quote:
Customer service now... heheheh Do these devs actually seem like they listen to the needs and desires of the players? SWG devs are motivated only by profit. They'll put anything into a game or take it out just to make an extra buck. My #1 reason for wanting to leave SWG is poor customer support and satisfaction.
So far, the customer service has been absolutely excellent. I wouldn't blame them if it drops off a little when the game goes live, lots more people to deal with, but I don't expect it to become a problem. The devs have demonstrated real concern for their players and their game.

Olias

Banned

Join Date: Apr 2005

18 Apr 2005 at 15:57 - 5
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krehator
The main reason for houses outside of the decor is storage space. I have a lot of storage houses in SWG because I like to collect loads of stuff. How does storage/inventory work? Is it pretty meager? If I can buy or earn more storage space then housing isn't important.

=====
This I'm not sure of, since I don't have a guildhouse, but you can have 4 bags, I think, and a personal vault, but you won't be storing too much in them.
=====

Sell to vendors or players? So you sell stuff to NPC vendors or do you mean like a bazaar system with one cental bartering location. WoW uses this system and I don't favor it. Having individual owned shops is something I liked because the SWG bazaar is too limited on price caps, ect. However if there is one centralized location in GW I can deal with that as long as it's not too limited.

==
No centralized place, and unless there is something in the guildhouse, you can't have your own shop, you just have to yell in the area you're in to sell something to other players.
==

As far as needing a team for many quests, it's okay as long as individual level doesn't limit ability to join a group. WoW is like that and it sux. Higher levels just refuse or can't group up with lower levels.

===
I think the only way levels will come into account is if you go into an area that is quite a few levels above you. You probably will die too often and get aggroed on alot. That is the big reason for people not grouping like that in WoW.. if I'm level 20 and go into an area with level 50s, the mobs are going to go after me first and I'll die before the other players can help me.
===

You think they're going to take away the 4 character per server limit? I'd like to atleast have two per server.

==
From what I understand, there is only 1 server in the entire game, unless that's changed.

==

My main problem with getting stuck in skill trees is that, in SWG to get a special skill, you are forced to take a bunch of useless skills in that branch. I'd prefer to just purchase or earn that individual skill that I want. Having to take a major tree to allow that is fine but I don't like to get stuck in branches that are 4 tiers deep. I'll have to investigate the skill trees in the game. The website doesn't offer much info on this or I haven't found it.


==
I think you should be fine here, because it does seem like there are no pre-requisites for any spells, except for being high enough level to get them.
==

Customer service now... heheheh Do these devs actually seem like they listen to the needs and desires of the players? SWG devs are motivated only by profit. They'll put anything into a game or take it out just to make an extra buck. My #1 reason for wanting to leave SWG is poor customer support and satisfaction.

==
Well, since there is no monthly fee, they can't be driven only by money to do updates, except for the major ones that will come out on expansions you'll have to buy.
==

Thanks for the advice!
Those are just what I've been able to come up with during my limited play.

MindBullets

MindBullets

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

SLC, Utah

18 Apr 2005 at 17:39 - 6
Asking if you'd like this game is like asking me if you'd look good in a dress...I have no idea.

There have been numerous posts by people asking the same question, in all honesty you can't compare it to any games currently available.

My psychic abilities are a bit debilitated right now so I'm unable to get a clear reading to see if this game fits you...hehe.
Just messing with you.

It's a great game with great potential to be very, very fun.

Mind

Krehator

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

Buffalo NY

19 Apr 2005 at 20:53 - 7
I don't understand how they're going to survive without a monthly subscription. If the game sales don't go well then they won't be able to support the overhead. Customer support will degrade, network infastructure will suffer, ect..

I understand the expansions will bring in revenue but that's going to depend on how expensive they are and how often they come out. If they release one every quarter at $50 a pop.......that would be more expensive than monthly subscriptions of most games.

You're also stuck playing the game for 3-4 months even if it sucks, just to get your monies worth ($10-15 per month).

I'll have to do some in-depth research and listen to the grapevine for a few months before I buy it.

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

19 Apr 2005 at 21:04 - 8
new chapters equal in content to the entire original game are scheduled for 2 per year

cost will be comparable to a top tier game of its quality (figure 50 US)

obviously they have done their homework on the cash flow and found it a sound proposition

Unrealer

Unrealer

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

19 Apr 2005 at 21:10 - 9
well, u really missed your chance on that 5$ preorder so u can play beta weekends, to try out the game.

Dav

Dav

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

College Station, TX

19 Apr 2005 at 21:48 - 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loviatar
new chapters equal in content to the entire original game are scheduled for 2 per year

cost will be comparable to a top tier game of its quality (figure 50 US)

obviously they have done their homework on the cash flow and found it a sound proposition
My impresion of the FAQs have shown: Expansions released every 6 to 9 months, and the cost of expansions comparable to other games, so 30 dollars or so. The top tier game cost of 50 dollars was only for the initial game.

βlitzkrieg

βlitzkrieg

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2005

New Zealand

The Obsidian Kings

Me/N

19 Apr 2005 at 21:54 - 11
It's rather hard not to like GW, nevermind be addicted

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

19 Apr 2005 at 22:07 - 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dav
My impresion of the FAQs have shown: Expansions released every 6 to 9 months, and the cost of expansions comparable to other games, so 30 dollars or so. The top tier game cost of 50 dollars was only for the initial game.
wrong

Guild Wars will be priced at a comparable cost to other first-tier PC games. The subsequent chapters of Guild Wars will also be comparably priced in relation to other games.

these are new *CHAPTERS* not expansions priced at a steep discount for an add on

Ossain

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2005

19 Apr 2005 at 22:57 - 13
In my humble opinion the best way to to put it so far is think Neverwinter Nights on steriods. You meet up with friends in the towns and then get your own instances for hunting in. The missions/quests are the best I've seen yet, though like most people have said you can't really compare this to other MMORPGs, it's just so completely different. The missions/quests you do make you feel like you are doing something, not go out, kill x number of these, and bring back y number of pelts..etc..etc...

Most games claim to have quests that effect the world, but trust me, if you decide to buy it, after you finish the Pre-Chapter you will really come to understand what World Changing events are

So basically, I would recommend this to you. From what you asked and what I have seen in the BWE's I think you would like it. Only two things I want to see added are a player involved crafting system, and maybe private rooms in the guild halls for individuals.