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[Review] Neverwinter: An Astral Diamond in the Rough

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Comments

  • evilastroevilastro Member Posts: 4,270
    Originally posted by wordiz

    Kill priority should usually be weakest to strongest. This idea goes all the way back to original D&D and the old school console rpgs. The point is to keep the fewest amount of mobs at any time alive, for obvious reasons. Fewer opponents = less damage and better odds. Sometimes certain mobs are an immediate threat for some reason or another and that's pretty much the only time to break kill priority, unless a certain boss strat or extra evil little trash pack requires something else.

    You are wrong and right about CW's. You're right that they make an excellent AOE DPS, BUT, having played a CW through all the content and being pretty active with one in PVP, I can tell you that they also make excellent single target DPS in PVP. On top of that, some of the Castle Never bossfights pretty much require a CW playing a CC role. Believe it or not, the PVP gear set gives crazy CD bonuses and also charges your daily crazy fast, meaning: black hole, steal time, aoe, rinse and repeat. It's a pretty interesting sight to behold. >: )

    But yeah, dude talking about kill priority knows what he's talking about, in the exception of some boss fights in the game. Kill priority is a law as old as MMO time and will speed you through 80% of content in modern MMOs. There are instances in Neverwinter where you can see the game was actually designed around this. (Little brain things with the evil stuns are both a high risk target and the lowest HP target in any engagement.)

    Again, showing your inexperience with the game. The adds don't stop coming, so you need to burn the name as quick as possible, while still controlling the number of adds. Chances are you wont keep up with adds unless you are overgeared for an encounter, so its better to have a rogue on the name at all times, also acting as the tank to keep the name and its AEs away from the main group.

    Any CC you do as a CW is just secondary, and not really necessary. I use Time Steal because it does AE damage, the short stun is just a bonus, same with the single target stun on Ice Spike. The only real CC you need is Arcane Singularity to keep the mobs together to burn them down faster. And yes, my CW has finished Castle Never too. The single target damage by slotting Rays is good, doubly so in PvP where it debuffs the opponents damage by 30% as well as making them take 30% more damage, but this doesn't really compare to Rogue DPS. Generally the CW will just stay on adds unless its an easy burn fight where you are going to burn a boss rather than worry about adds. Typically for fights we are overgeared for anyway (basically any T2 except Castle Never on my CW).

    At no point will the rogue ever need to get off the name in any dungeon though. Unless your wizards are bad and try to CC instead of AE DPS, like the above posters think they are supposed to.  

  • SuperPanekiSuperPaneki Member Posts: 62
    My final verdict 6. One point above the average because it's free. Zen shop is ruining Cryptic Studios.
  • AyulinAyulin Member Posts: 334

    Originally posted by Lydon



    So PvP is "woefully lacking," crafting is an "odd-beast/not a visceral experience" and character customization "falls down" in parts, but the game scores 9 for gameplay? Wow is all I can say.

    Yeah, the review seemed a bit off-balance and overly praising to me, emphasizing the good, glossing over the negative, and practically ignoring the very negative.

    To me, it reads like so many reviews which are written to meet a pre-determined score. They knew what they wanted the final score to be, so they just had to write a review that would make it "fit". And, they do so with the open promise of increasing it further in the future "if" PWE/Cryptic adjust some of the problems with it".

    So, it's a game they would have given a "much higher score" (per the review), but couldn't because of issues they rather downplayed, but couldn't ignore entirely, considering how major those issues have been. So, keeping in mind that it's only 3 points to a perfect 10, I'm guessing they really want to give it a 9, but couldn't without making their bias completely obvious.

    But that's okay, because they clearly leave a window open to bump that score higher down the road. Would that be foreshadowing?


     

  • PanzerbasePanzerbase Member Posts: 423

    Please we all know full well the reviews are based on advertising revenue, people aren't go to slam games when their paycheck depends on it. 

    The game is garbage, time to move on. 

  • RocSekRocSek Member UncommonPosts: 59

    I read the review and based my score on the same criteria. My rating for the game is a 6 IMO.

    Social aspect, Zen market pricing and longevity were lower but everything else was about spot on.

    Social/Longevity - I soloed the entire game and never had a reason to step into a group to play the game. I'm sitting at 60 and have a GS of 8800 and thats without ever having to step foot into a T1 dungeon.  I just used the AD I acquired on the way to 60.  This dosen't bode well for the social aspect or longevity.

    The only thing I purchased from the Zen market is 1 bank spot and 1 bag. Everything is just to high price. If things were priced at a more reasonable level, even though I wont be playing this game long I would have probably spent more money on it.

    I think its a good game and the combat is a lot of fun, but nothing more than a single player game.

    All I heard was... "Well aren't you just a little lolly pop triple dipped in psycho."

  • JDogg126JDogg126 Member UncommonPosts: 44

    Let's be realistic.  The game is still in beta even though it's actually a "live" game that is collecting revenue for Cryptic and PWE.  I don't know how much longer it will take to complete the necessary polish, bug fixes, and content needed for the official "release".  In many ways it's very close and in others you really would rather seem them get it right than get it quick.  It's a fun game to play as is but once you've spent enough time with it you'll be longing for them to get some of the betaness ironed out.

    It's fair to criticize the cost of the game because while it's F2P and you really don't need to pay anything to play, you really will want (demand) certain items that Cryptic has chosen to monetize that games with a traditional subscription just give you.  I don't see how anyone wins an argument about business models because we know some people won't play P2P games because of the subscription and some people won't play F2P because of the cash shops.  Ultimately it's a business offering a gaming service and if anyone was in their shoes they would need to develop a financial strategy that will support the ability to deliver the service.  It's much harder to do than it is to criticize.  I think most people just want a fun game and they don't care if it's F2P or a peanutbutter sandwich.  I personally don't think the cost to play Neverwinter is any more than the cost to play subscription games so long as you are keen to give yourself a $10-15 budget per month.  That said it will absolutely punish impatience, min/maxing, and gamblers.

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,820
    This is astonishing the game is getting a Review when it is still in BETA? What is going on?
  • Tindale111Tindale111 Member UncommonPosts: 276
    I am really enjoying this game but 9 for gameplay seriously !! I assume top mark would be 10 and I don't think any game could get that theres always room for improvement you have already pointed out some of its faults in pvp but didn't mention the fact the game is very linear and if the elder scrolls ,eqnext wildstar etc has better gameplay will they get a 10 maybe start a scale out of 20 would give a better picture I do agree tho with your overall of 7 and totally agree a game isn't beta if they are charging for stuff in cashshop after all they cant do a wipe and to be fair they have said they wont everyones entitled to their opinions mine would be gameplay 14 out of 20 :) and I know people hate it so I wont put lol
  • DoogiehowserDoogiehowser Member Posts: 1,873
    Originally posted by Axewielderx
    Originally posted by SBFord
    I wonder how much NW paid to get this OK review. Surprisingly when they gave Scarlet blade a 2, all the ads on this site disappeared. NW's are still up so they must march on whistling a happy tune so they get their paychecks.

    This is such a tiresome argument for a review with which you do not agree. Come take a look at my bank account if you think otherwise.  

    For the record: Social scored a 5 not a 7. 

     

     

    Perhaps, but I did note you failed to respond to my response. Guess it is hard to argue with plain FACTS.

    Lol..FACTS!! i don't think you know what it really means. And yes i am agree with SBFord..this is such a cliche reason to dislike a review which you obviously disagreed with.

    "The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
    -Jesse Schell

    "Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
    -Luke McKinney

    image

  • evilastroevilastro Member Posts: 4,270
    Originally posted by Torvaldr

    The DC righteousness debuff is still too strong.  DC's also had much better damage output before righteousness.  Now they kill the slowest and still have meager heals.

    I use pots quite a bit on my cleric now at 37.  The demons just eat through my armour like it's not even there.  It is the same experience with the Drow at 60 though - a cleric can't handle too many adds and their kiting sucks.  Chains is a horrible root (at like 3 seconds) and until you get a little past 45 it's rough.

    I do fine if I only pull 1 - 3 non-minion types.  I can handle tons of minions if I have DP built up and can aoe them, but if I get more than 3 non-minion (you know the type with actual HP and armour) then it's really tough.

    The problem is that in some areas there are so many roamers and the clerics kill so slow that by the time I finish off a large area I'm out of DP, my cooldowns are on, and all the mobs are respawning.

    The real answer is to upgrade to blues, but the idea of farming dungeons over and over doesn't excite me and I'm not wasting a couple hundred grand in AD just for a mid-level armour upgrade.  The game really pushes players to do certain things (grind dungeons, spend AD at the armour merchants, etc) in order have a smooth experience.  Running in greens is a bitch.

    I levelled all the way to 60 in mostly greens. I would say its probably the skills you are using. At your level you should have gotten Forgemasters Flame by now. If you use that while you are in divine mode you get a really high power heal over time in an AE from the mob.  That was more than enough to keep me and my tank companion topped up.

  • mindw0rkmindw0rk Member UncommonPosts: 1,356
    The game doesnt deserve more then 5/10. I had hard time finding at least something to like about it. 
  • Athena_StarfireAthena_Starfire Member UncommonPosts: 213
    The Foundry needs A LOT of work if they plan to keep authours. Better Incentives to play UGC Content. At the moment its painful as hell to do much of anything and the time it take to reload a map for checking is ridiculous.
  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726

    This is not a very good review, too many important drawbacks are glossed over.  Get someone who can tell it like it is, not someone that sugar coats everything.

    Anyone that attempts to say this game is truely free is delusional.  All you have to do is look at how powerful runes are and how they are constructed.  If you like to pvp, expect to lay out some serious cash to be competitive.

    This is a pay-to-win game.  The cash shop alone brings it down to a 5 at best.

    This is one of those games that will be a ghost town within a year of release.  Look what a bad cash shop did to allods.

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,820
    So is the game still in officially in Beta or are posters saying it is as they think so much needs to be fixed?
  • blohm86blohm86 Member Posts: 43

    This is by far the biggest dissapointment since Dark and Light;

     

    Repetative gameplay

    AH is not an option, its a REQUIREMENT


    • Combat is CLUNKY

    • Healing is CLUNKY

    • Tanking is BROKEN

    • People play like INFANTS

    • General behavior is appalling, way to many kiddies

    • Graphics are 2008

    • Companions, OOOOOOH dont get me started on that crap

     

    The game is an embarrasment, nothing else.

  • WraithoneWraithone Member RarePosts: 3,806
    A fair review.  I've played since the start of open beta.  I have a level 57 Great Weapon Fighter, and a level 16 Trickster Rogue.  Both are fun, but for different reasons.  But you might have mentioned that currently people with GWF's are being kicked from dungeon runs, because some hysterics claim they are "useless".  Which is silly, because a well played GWF is really nasty when dealing with packs of mobs.  They also have better survivability that the CW. Cryptic needs to address this before it gets even further out of control.
    "If you can't kill it, don't make it mad."
  • IndigoAKIndigoAK Member Posts: 3

    Perfect World was the worst thing to ever happen to Cryptic.

    The prices in Star Trek Online are the same way.  And then there's how the XP boosts are part of the main UI, on your screen all the time, so it's always sitting there reminding you that if you want to level up faster you can spend money to do so.  Oh, and how about the fact that Star Trek Online's main website now includes some Vulcan woman dressed like a skank on it instead of the original macho Starfleet guy (he was just as bad for different reasons).

  • furbansfurbans Member UncommonPosts: 968
    Originally posted by Scot
    This is astonishing the game is getting a Review when it is still in BETA? What is going on?

    Because it's not in "beta" but in launch.  Other MMOs have released with the same equivalent completion (end-game not added yet, numerous bugs need fixing, server load not fully tweaked out yet, ect ect).  Cryptic and PWI are all too ready to accept money so they slapped on "open beta" onto a normal release and "release" on a major patch that other MMOs do that add significant fixes and end game content like the first raid for many.

    They can call it "open beta" all they want but the public will see it as it truely is, a release.  The fact that they will not refund founders pack when a game "is still in beta" alone makes it a release.

  • scrittyscritty Member Posts: 89
    Soon as I realised it was a twitch combat game I was out. I'm too old to compete in twitch games.
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,820
    Originally posted by furbans
    Originally posted by Scot
    This is astonishing the game is getting a Review when it is still in BETA? What is going on?

    Because it's not in "beta" but in launch.  Other MMOs have released with the same equivalent completion (end-game not added yet, numerous bugs need fixing, server load not fully tweaked out yet, ect ect).  Cryptic and PWI are all too ready to accept money so they slapped on "open beta" onto a normal release and "release" on a major patch that other MMOs do that add significant fixes and end game content like the first raid for many.

    They can call it "open beta" all they want but the public will see it as it truely is, a release.  The fact that they will not refund founders pack when a game "is still in beta" alone makes it a release.

    This sort of nonsense makes NW a good candidate for that list of worst MMO's of 2013 so far. Does not matter how good or bad the game is, when you piss around the players that much and move the goal posts on what beta and launch mean, this is just bad for the MMO industry. It makes players think that MMO's cannot be trusted.

  • hatboxhatbox Member UncommonPosts: 45

    Originally posted by JeroKane

    Originally posted by Torvaldr

    Originally posted by JeroKane



    Originally posted by rodingo



    I would say it's a fair score of the game, considering it's still in "beta".  I know, I know.   I think in time Cryptic will eventually make some good improvements to the game like in STO, and if you look at the low points in the review you can see it's very doable.  I think the Neverwinter we see now will be greatly improved in 6 months or so.  The good thing?  You don't have to keep a sub current to check in on the game every now and again.

     It is NOT beta! No matter how PWE and Cryptic try to say this and keep jumping up and Down! It is NOT!

    The moment you start taking people's Money, Your game is LIVE! PERIOD!

    Because you say so?  I say it's in beta.  There, I win until you post, "no it's not".  Neither one of us get to decide that.  You can decide not to participate, but you don't get to decide what the state of the software is in or what it's called.

     Because I work in the IT myself for over 14 years. Been playing games since a kid (so for over 25 years now).

    When a software Product is in Beta you don't ask Money from Your customers nor take it, until the Product is actually ready for release!

    This Whole Open Beta farce is just standard practice With a lot of craptastic F2P Companies and like I said... most of them keep their F2P games in Open Beta indefinitely until it's shut Down.

    The only reason they do this, is to cover their arses and able to get away with everything, hiding behind the beta excuse. Pure and simple!

    All decent Game studios who do a "proper" Open Beta actually use it as a beta to improve the game (usually it's only stress testing in this phase), don't charge Money nor take it via a cash shop. Release a final patch before release and wipe all the servers clean and then Proper launch the game With a clean slate.

    But hey.... indeed who I am I right..... I Guess when Cryptic tells you to jump, you jump. Good Luck.

    OR, if you spent money on the packs, for the crap game. You do a charge reversal, uninstall and walk away. They will spam the daylights out of your email. (Between both of us we have over 100 most of which came in under 48 hrs) Same email, over and over. Telling us we're banned. *oh no!* Funny you can't get them to answer you BEFORE. But do a Peter Pan out of their crap game and take your 670.00, with you. Then you get SPAM. Classy.

  • hatboxhatbox Member UncommonPosts: 45

    Originally posted by Scot

    This is astonishing the game is getting a Review when it is still in BETA? What is going on?

     

    Games are NOT in Beta the minute they start taking Real money from anyone. They sort of lose that whole Beta shine, don't you think?  That's just their attempt at being slippery. Just further gives them a dirty, carnival barker feel. Here to take your money. Soon to blow  out of town. Nasty.

  • YrthWyndAndFyreYrthWyndAndFyre Member UncommonPosts: 9

    I much agree across the board.  I can live with most of it, but when I finally made a foray into the Zen market, I was floored.  A penny a point for Zen isn't much - pretty much standard fare, but the Zen Market prices are astronomical.

    Frankly, I ponied up $50 for Zen before I found out how worthless it is.  Now they've lost a customer.  I don't like being ripped off. 

  • Ironman2000Ironman2000 Member UncommonPosts: 310

    You can tell companions to Stay, Protect or attack in the game??

    "Speaking of companions, why is there no ability to control them in battle beyond “stay, protect, or attack”? It would be nice to have a better element of control over their behavior and attacks, choosing spells, for example."

    How in the heck do you tell them to ATTACK, PROTECT or STAY??  I have been looking for a way to do this?

  • rakattrakatt Member UncommonPosts: 14

    I tried it about a month ago.  It reminded me of WOW. I played it for a half hour but lost interest.  Since it is still in beta, I've decided to try it again. Perhaps something has changed.

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