Sooo...impressions =) (Careful, huge wall of text)

So I have been trying the game for about 4 weeks now, and I have increased my monthly payment plan slightly last week, not only to get to yet another pledge-level, but also because I do believe that the game really does deserve a chance and could be great.

I personally don't think that a steam-review would make sense (the game being in alpha etc), and I do disagree with parts of what dallas said before he locked the thread by darkstarr asking for reviews on Steam. When writing about not asking people for negative reviews, he mentions the game being unfinished and in alpha-state. Well, of course in that case, negative reviews might be unfair. However, I do think that positive reviews could be considered "unfair" as well, because if there are things I love about the current state of the alpha, how am I supposed to know those won't be gone in the next release or by the time they come out. What I mean is, if I e.g. like how well augmented plate works for defense and grinding tons of mob, and I mention that this is quite a nice feature, what if that is totally changed next release because it was considered "not balanced" or something? I simply don't know, and I feel that the alpha state makes not only negative reviews a bad idea, I also don't think that there should be positive reviews as even the things people like might change.

I wanted to start by sayign that, as I wanted to post some impressions here, instead of doing a steam-review. Mind you, it's just impressions, I am not trying to do a complete and balanced review or give a rating to a game in alpha.

Another disclaimer: I am no game-designer or tech-specialist. Also, I know I still lack a LOT of information and insight. I constantly learn new things, there are things I haven't tried out, so some of you will prolly roll your eyes on some of my observations and thoughts, yet maybe by this, I do represent a certain percentage of potential players who approach the game in a similar way, with a similar background.

*** This will prolly end in a wall of text ***

There are quite a few things I haven't tried yet. I mainly play by myself. Currently, my char is a level 36 melee sword n board-fighter in heavy armour. Other than visiting a house that was kindly borrowed to me by another player, I have spent most of my time in the Vale so far... another reason why this will be a mere collection of random impressions, not a thorough and well-informed review on all the features.

* Graphics *
I do like them, I really do. I like the lighting effects, the way places like Owls Head look when the sun is low, the reflections etc. I am well aware that there are games with much better graphics, yet I do think that the game should be useable even on a non-gaming rig in order to allow more players to play without a way too high "hardware treshold".
I do like the atmosphere and detail in many of the places, and even those graphics I am not too fond of... well, there are improvements in the works, and those look nice as well. After playing MMOs with a lot of rather rough or low-qual or cartoony graphics, I care more about atmosphere and vibe than graphical details anyway, and in that aspect, the game does fine IMO.

* Performance *

I am a bit unsure here. I do get some lag-spikes occasionally, and yesterday, I went into a basement which looked like a huge banquet hall in Kingsport (not sure whether it was an "NPC room" or a player-created one *blush*) and suddenly experienced some serious FPS-issues as well. This never happened as badly as in that place, so most of the time, things are fine.
I am not a fan of the loading screens, and some of them are really quite long, especially in Ardoris. While there might be big changes in the next releases, I also wonder whether this can be fixed once more items and details are added even if there are improvements to the engine?

* Sound *

I do like the music so far. It's not exaggerated, and quite atmospheric. When it comes to sound FX, like monster sounds, there still is a lot of work that needs to be done of course, as they are very repetitive etc, but I am sure this will get improved.

* The combat system *
This appears to be one of the most polarizing aspects of the game, and I think I do understand why. It might seem illogical or much too random. However, I do like the combat system, maybe because it's quite unlike other systems. Many of you might consider that a silly reason, I know.
To me, there ARE tactical elements to that system. I use a custom set mostly, with a mix of all my abilities (blades, heavy armour, some death magic), and there are quite a few situations where I don't use certain spells, while using others that come up immediately.
Regarding the logic of it all, I do think of it like "OK, you fight an opponent, and sometimes, you have the opportunity to use a special ability. Like, the opponent makes a stupid move, allowing you to stab a certain way, or leaves you enough room to do a double swing or whatever, or gives you a second to breathe to allow you to cast a spell".
So to me, this combat system is totally ok. It's not a totally game-changer or the most creative ever, but it's a nice change after years of static action bars and same ol rotations, even though of course there are other,more creative systems.

* Crafting *

I do like it. I haven't tried to "grind" it, as in crafting certain things dozens of times in a row. I can imagine that in that case, a "queue" might be nice, or the ability to e.g. put 10 chunks of coal, smelting tongs, an ingot mold and the ore onto the table and craft 10 ingots instead of dragging them onto the table one by one (if this IS possible and I missed how to do this, I apologize!).
Maybe a "repeat" button like in UO, or the option to put a certain amount on the table would make it easier. I don't expect to craft 5 ingots as fast as one, so it could take as long as crafting five individual ones, but without dragging and shift clicking the ingredients separately.
I do like the experimentation-factor, the idea that you cqan mix, say, a copper hilt with an iron blade etc.
I have no idea whether I will ever need to craft, I dunno, 20 swords in a row, so the "drag ingredients for one item" might be totally fine in the long run.
I do like finding new recipes, and gathering all the ingredients and crafting a certain item feels slightly more like an achievement than it does by opening some craft window, clicking a button and letting the game take the ingredients out of your bags automatically.

* Gathering *

Big dislike. To stand in a forest filled with trees, having to look for one particular one which glimmers in order to chop wood, to me, kinda kills immersion. Same with ore, which I find very hard to find. I know that it shouldn't be too easy, as in chopping 200 logs in 4 minutes or gathering a ton of ore quickly, but I would appreciate a "failure system", where you can chop/prospect any tree/rock with a chance to get ore or a log. It would feel both more immersive and more active to me. Also, some players have suggested some very cool ideas on how to improve this, so I hope this gets changed.

* AI *
Not really a fan. I wish the archers (example) would switch to a melee weapon when in range for too long. It's quite annoying that they run 3 steps, stand there, you approach, they run three steps, not even shooting. Just feels very... annoying.
Same for groups of 2 mobs, where one suddenly runs away without being damaged, or one waiting to attack until the other is dead. I like that mobs don't notice you easily when they have their back turned on you, but seeing wolves stand in place, looking to one side, not noticing you until you walk in front of them (as in, they don't notice you and turn their head or anything) is kinda... weird. Dunno if I am making sense here.

* Leveling *
I don*t mind the grind much, never have. I also expect there to be big changes, for example regarding mobs that give you higher XP for when you pass levels 40 or 60. I dread the thought of trying to level more only with the mobs in Deep Ravenswood at, I dunno, 1.8K max?
I might prefer a system like in UO (skills and stats instead of levels), but the devs chose to use a level-system with skill points, and so I accept that, it will not keep me from liking the game. It's more of a safe route, I guess, and I know its hard to please everyone.

* QUests*
I like the whole system. No "!" or "?" or quest marker is a nice breath of fresh air. Sure, sometimes one might feel tempted to look up the solution to a quest on the web, but so far, I have resisted and figured out where to go and what to do by myself... or found the solution by accident.
I haven't seen too many "moral conflicts" yet, but I do kinda regret about the quest in the market where you badmouth that farmer and her products =)

* Immersion *
Here I am kinda torn. I do like the atmosphere a lot, even in this early alpha state where like all the villagers and guards look alike, where there are so many "Jack the Lamplighters". I do like the atmosphere, I find some of the places very immersive and beautiful, and I do feel like there is that "Lord British flavour" to be felt in many places.
Other than the lackluster AI and the gathering-thing I mentioned above, what kinda is odd to me is the steampunk-element. I of course remember the nutty style-mixes in the early ultimas or even parts of Uo. I also know that UO2 was supposed to mix medieval and industrial flavors.
However, it still feels odd to walk around in plate armour with a sword, in a fantasy world and then see generators, a Tesla-tower and electric fences.

I reckon this will all be put into context by the story. I also know that the term "Fantasy" implies that there is tons of freedom and you can easily mix modern and old styles etc. Also, I am sure some will appreciate that this mix is less "cookie cutter" than plain "Tolkien-esque" medieval-type fantasy. And of course, technically, we are talking about a game where you fight (and loot) skeletons and liches by throwing fire and all kinds of magic, so how could electrical power be out of place?
Of course, it even makes kinda sense if we talk about people from other worlds heading to another one. LIke, if the Avatar remembered inventions from his home world, he could have tried to "rebuild" them on Sosaria if he had had the time in Ultima =)
However, I am not totally convinced by the steampunk tophats, the tesla-tower and the whole mix BUT I am quite interested to learn about their background, and let the story grab me and convnce me that this kinda makes sense.. looking forward to learning more about this!

* The community *
Usually, a dev or game company can't really be blamed or commended for the player-community. They can be blamed if they don't punish or even encourage really bad behaviour (I could name an example, but I don't wanna badmouth another game here).
However, this is about impressions and so far, I feel quite comfortable in this community. People are very nice and helpful. There of course are some bad apples, like guys who jump in on kills, people who try to ruin someones day in all kinds of way, but I guess there is no MMO without these kinda people...and that they are one ingredient of quite an interesting mix =)
I do enjoy reading the discussions here, learn a lot, and have seen some wonderful suggestions.

* Overall *

There are things I am not a fan of. Many of most can be blamed on the alpha-state, but not all of them. However, I am perfectly aware that you can't ever satisfy everyone. I really want to like this game and see it grow more, and am more than willing to support it in the future with the payment plan and hopefully being a helpful player who can make the first steps into the game-world easier for others.

Even though it's quite unlike Ultima or UO or whatever, it (to ME, YMMV) has that certain magic to it...a certain atmosphere I immediately felt at home with, not only the title, some ankhs and the appearances of LB.

I very much look forward to the upcoming additions and changes, to exploring more of the world, making new friends, adventuring with others. There are things that bother me, but I think there never was a game where I liked each and every aspect. Right now, to me, the pros outweigh the cons, and the game does look very promising.
I hope for the best, I want to thank both the devs and my fellow players for what has been accomplished already, and I look forward to the next releases and the official release... I will be there =)

 

Everyone is different, of course, but in my case I see this game as a solid foundation on which I can build role playing, fan fiction, a small in-game business and a whole lot of social interaction with fellow guild members, common interest groups such as the NBTT and other players in general. To me, those aspects will be the "real" game.

 

Womby, I agree! I didn't mention future predictions or my expectations or wishes as in "sandboxy vs. themepark" or anything like that. I do like the foundation a lot, and I do think that the things you mentioned will work quite well in this game! I mentioned it before, but when I first read about UO back in the late 90s, I was totally amazed by the idea that you could choose your path (not only class or something), like sticking to being a vendor/crafter/trader or fighter or whatever.

 

If you double-click on the icon of the recipe, and you have all the ingredients, all the ingredients (including tools) will be added to the bench. So you double-click the recipe, click CRAFT, double-click the recipe (which doubles also as a "Take all" from previous crafting), click CRAFT, etc. No dragging needed, once you learn or discover a recipe.

I may be wild guessing (and I am!), but I think this is the framework put in place for the stealth subtree and moon magic. So we see part of a behavior, without the actual "player part" being in yet.

That's one of the GREAT things I love of the char wipes. The chance we have to experiment and start over. First time with Morgan and Myra, I was so eager to "be helpful to everyone", I accepted blindly and light-heartedly his request for lying and badmouthing the farmer. Then I killed her brother, because, hey, he asked it! Turned out Myra hated me with a passion, and I reminded what the Virtues are for - doing the Right Thing, thinking in advance the consequences of your free actions.

So, the next wipe, I flipped the bird to the fish seller, and left Myron alive, and now Myra greets me every time. And I'm an happy panda!

They annoy me too. But I learned they're there for a reason: they are the living experiment of an NPC with a duty and some control points (keep the lights alight during night, and turn them off in daylight) to test an AI without pre-assigned movement patterns, but instead a set of "rules of conduct" to follow.

Once you realize WHY they're there, I'm sure you will spend time annoying them and switching lights on and off only the see them come back and fix your own mess!

The steampunk hat is a small gift to Steam users. That's its rationale, and a nice one, when you think about Valve, Steam, Steam logo and their literal meaning.

The Tesla tower is functional to the idea that in a land of such danger and magic, you cannot keep critters at bay with puny walls of armies of guards. An healthy dose of electrocution should prevent trouble inside larger cities...

Join a guild, especially an active one. Participate in events, even silly ones - like fishing gatherings when there's no fishing skill yet! Get to know who's who. The playstyles, the "famous" players. The involved ones - guild leaders, host managers, knowledgeable scholars, notorious scoundrels. The game will change from night to day, and suddenly you'll realize there's a whole new world, made by players, even larger than the one made by Lord British.

 

Katrin, thanks so much for your reply!
See? I said I constantly learn something new and haven't figured everything out yet, thanks so much for the advice on crafting, I will try this next time I'm in game!

Regarding the steampunk-comment... It's not actually about the top hat in particular, I just listed that as an example of the steampunk style being mixed with the more medieval type style that seems to make up the majority of the game. =) I didn't even think about the "fence to keep critters and criminals out" part, thank you!

 

I agree that a lot of work needs to be done and with quite a few things in the original post. The one thing that really stands out to me is the resource gathering, UO had a great system for miners and lumberjacks, why can't we have something similar to that here, with better wood and ore in higher level areas?

If you get a few people gathering in a zone you can go ages seeing only stumps with nothing to cut down despite being in a forest, its pretty frustrating as it stands now.

 

I agree, the gathering in UO was much better to me as well. I was sad to see you can't mine just anywhere or chop any tree, just look for the very few sparkly nodes There's a lot I see potential in this game though, I'm hopeful it turns out to be a good Mmorpg that I can stick with for years, like the very few previous mmo's I loved.

 

If you are finding that all the trees are chopped down before you get to them, you might like to switch to single player online for resource gathering.

 

I understand that may work but I also may want to collect some while I am out hunting with my nephew while he is online. We used to just gather the resources we wanted while we played as normal in almost other MMO games, including UO.

Why even bother putting resource nodes in MP mode if the answer to farming resources lies in SP mode?

To me they are too sparse, not always highlighted well and in most cases farmed by someone else already, that's a balance issue that needs fixing, not a workaround. I mean there is no mini-map with resource icons on it - I like that its more realistic, but only being able to chop 1 out of 50 trees if someone else has not chopped it already pushed the immersion dial back in the other direction.

 

Eric, I really enjoyed reading your 'wall of text'. Thank you for taking the time to write it up. I also appreciated your level headedness and saw your 'eye to the future' of what will be coming in game. You are another terrific addition to this community
and I agree with Katrin about either joining a guild or at least joining in on some of the silly side of the community. Sometimes I do go the all alone route, but I always enjoy spending fun time when someone takes my hand and gives me a shove.

 

Like joining a fishing event when the fishing skill itself is not even coded!

 

Thanks so much, everyone, for the feedback and additional thoughts! And thanks so much for your kind words, majoria70, I really do appreciate that!