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[General Article] Neverwinter: Thoughts from Beta Weekend 2
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
With the second Neverwinter beta weekend behind us, we've got some thoughts to share about the Good, the Bad and the Wait and See. Check out our thoughts before joining the conversation in the comments.
The first thing I noticed this weekend was that the tutorial was new, or at least partially. Now, instead of being thrust into the middle of an attack on Neverwinter, you find yourself crash-landed on the shores of the city, just outside the gates. Right off the bat, this is a better experience, because instead of being solo in an instance, you’re in an open world. It’ll definitely help a new user realize that Neverwinter, while compartmentalized into various zones and instances, is an MMO all the same. It also has a bit more dramatic flare, with a story leading you through to the same major bridge encounter, albeit tweaked a bit so that you fight the two bosses at once instead of separately.
Read more of Bill Murphy's Neverwinter: Thoughts from Beta Weekend 2.
Comments
Though I didn't get to play as much as I wanted, I also had a great time playing this weekend.
I tried the Control Wizard, and liked it for the most part, though I'm always more of a melee character player in most games.
I'm very interested in how well the Foundry is put together, and the tools that are available.
Very fun game so far, though.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
The game is still fun, the foundry is producing some excellent player created content which was a MUST for this game. The idea that an MMO can get new, good content EVERY SINGLE DAY is just amazing...though I must say, I really really do hope they rethink the idea of rooting the Control Wizard in place while casting.
As a clothie, the Wizard is squishy, and its his job to control mobs and thus pulls aggro very easily, having to port around contiunally made playing in a group, on hard mode rather craptastic. I may choose not to play this class which does kinda suck because I always play a Wizard type class as a main. I can only hope the Drow that comes with Founder is fun to play otherwise I may get stuck playing a Cleric main which I dont really want to do.
I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson
I actually had much more fun this weekend than during the last beta weekend, even though the quest line was repetitive. I really look forward to getting my hands on the Foundry and seeing more user generated content.
I also agree that something is not quite right with the Control Wizard. I don't necessarily care that I can't move while casting spells, but then some of my "control" has to be just that. I would give up a little "soloability" to turn Frozen into "Freeze and Park". The same is true Entangling Force. I would give up damage for duration.
Dont let it worry you. People took to asking for group in the areas the quests were in and not in the main part of the city. I didnt start "seeing" it until I hit level 20. Most people dont even know about the group options with most of the quests that allow you to set a difficulty level...once they do, most people are going to want to group even for basic quests.
I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson
The game is a lot of fun, but feels shallow at the same time. Which I think is what the writer is hinting at. Sure you can play for a few weeks, get to 60 and enjoy the theme-park. After that though, any alts will experience the same linear progression and story line. The only saving grace can be the foundry and things like that only last so long as the foundry community stays interested in providing quality content.
It's a fun game, a simple game, but fun. Will it last? I don't see that being a problem it will have a smaller player base and be a niche game for those wanting an almost arcade like experience with a D&D setting.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the new nickle and diming apsect of the Identifcation Scrolls being taken off the vendors for in-game silver and is now purchased at 800 Astral Diamonds each.
So spend Astral Diamonds, hope for an ID scroll to drop, wait for some free ones from your X level lockbox, or don't identify items.
Making players buy Zen and convert it into Astral Diamonds to buy Identify Scrolls that are basic game functionality is a pretty jerk move.
Everything in the game costs Astral Diamonds, from customizing armor (making my 20 chain tunic look like another chain tunic cost over 14,000 Astral Diamonds) to mounts, to training companions, to doing just about everything is a nickle and diming experience I've never encountered before.
Also kinda sucky that you have to buy resurrection scrolls from lack of any rez spell in the game so far..
They should be making things we WANT to buy, not HAVE to buy.
Which seems to be fine for games like Camelot Unchained where the developer himself says he is targetting a small audience that loved his vastly limited DaoC game design...only difference is that Neverwinter isnt being made with those limitations abandonded by the genre and so is targetting a larger audience and will have a content amount limited only by the players imagination thanks to the foundry.
I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson
Or instead of buying zen people will just use the massive amounts of AD they get just from freaking standing at a fire every hour...lol, I had almost 30k AD just from that, not including the rewards from doing the events rewarding AD and the higher your level is the easier it becomes to get them.
As for the resurrection scrolls...this is D&D, the ability to resurrect has always been restricted and hard to come by...if you want quick easy ressurrections, D&D isnt for you, nor should it be.
I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson
I also agree about what you said on the control wizard.
Played one up to lvl 12, and I rarely felt like I had control in fights. The ray of frost took too long freeze for just a one second effect and too little damage.
The lack of an at-will or encounter AoE control abilty was also felt. They get one AoE damage encounter power, but it is only a moderate damage over time, centered on one enemy and goes away if that enemy dies, and didn't seem to offer any control.
The CW might get better with more levels, but by lvl 12 a class should feel like it has the tools for its role, and the CW just doesn't feel like it does. Definitely needs a buff.
I got a rogue to lvl 40 before the weekend was out, and in the last dungeon there were 2 CW's around lvl 36. They both had a daily that created a black hole. It pulled in all enemies around it and sucked them into the air then burst for some final damage. It was pretty freaking epic!
In a group, CW's do not need to kite, just move from the occational attack thrown at you.
I agree with you that the CW felt a bit underpowered and not really a controller, that is until I reached lvl 20 and decided after reading my abilities and feats to specialise only in ice. OMG!! what a difference, I have rarely played a class in any MMO that truely felt like a controller. Solo use the skills right and u can control masses of mobs and take them out pretty easily but ina group you are amazing. I played with a Rogue most of the beta and once I was past lvl20 we both hardly took any damage and destroyed groups and bossses in no time.
Best thing to do as with any AAA MMO worth anything is to read your skills look at your traits and try to work out what will work best for the style you want to play and above all dont just stand about button mashing and hoping for the best.
This game is not typical D&D it is more hybrid version of D&D game, and YES most of the things in game must be bought that makes this game expensive if you want full comodity. If i have to spend more then 13 euros a month to get basic things every other MMO have then i call that game B2W or just very expensive game to play.
You cant bring hard core D&D rules in a MMO cause most ppl will give up. Dont think that ppl behind this game are making game for fans of D&D only.
Simple, if you die in dungeon and i cant rez you or I have to spend real money to be able to do it has nothing with D&D rules it is just dumb so they can GTFO with the game no matter that i like it.
Character customization was bad: For Cryptic, usually one of the best in the field, it was pathetic. As an example, every male tiefling has the same set of horns, and essentially the same tail. While I can understand charging in-game currency for dyes and such, your character features should be far more adaptible at character creation.
I was told in game that the leveling rate and drop rate had been massaged for the beta. Any experianced beta players here have an opinion on this?
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
I thought the leveling was faster this weekend than in the last beta weekend, but I don't know if that is actually true.
In any event, I think leveling should be a little slower than it was, after Level 10.
The Tiefling design has more to do with it being 4th ed D&D. In, 4th tieflings are a true race and all bore the same basic horns, reddish skin and tail. It's not that same as in 3rd Ed, where there was a vast array of physical characteristics.
I see people complain about the Identify scrolls, but have you checked the forums? The devs already responded to this and in a positive way. They've actually responded to a TON of things, including the 2-finger salute on the CW and continue to do so.
This game is in no way perfect, but the devs are listening and making pretty dramatic changes from beta to beta. This includes the zen prices, AD amounts, scrolls, spells, etc.
If they can continue at this same clip beyond release then it could be a great game. Add in all the "Woops" items people were picking up which included the Sorcerer and Great Weapon class items and I have some hopes for the game. Even if my 12yr old ends up playing it over me, as long as it has an audience that will make it last.
Like WHAT?!?
You have said nothing to actually back up what you are saying, just spewing out uneducated opinions...
P.S. buying a flipping bag is not P2W...buying a sword of melt your faceoff is P2W.
Yes, you can...and they are. If not being able to rez is too hard for you, its ok, some of us like the idea of no chance for rez zergs and having to use actual skill to stay alive and be successful. There are a ton of hand holding MMOs out there already.
Or its D&D and you just dont like it and are acting like a child over it...last time I checked no D&D booklet talked about resurrections as being a normal, everyday thing, in a world where adventurers acted like they were gods becuase there was a cleric in the group that would just rez them if anything bad happened.
I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson
Death is absolutely normal in NW due to how Clerics don't heal anywhere near enough to keep someone alive.
Death in NW also means a 5-15 minute run back to your group, depending on if you died in an instance or the trash between you in the open world.
While no resurrection is an annoyance in an MMO, it's more the astral diamond thing that annoys me. EVERYTHING costs astral diamonds. I would rather pay a sub and just play the game, but I can calculate paying more than $15 a month if you play a lot.
It turned me off to NW altogether, cancelling my pre-order.