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Hands on with three ESO dungeons.

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Comments

  • umcorianumcorian Member UncommonPosts: 519

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

  • lathaanlathaan Member UncommonPosts: 476


    Originally posted by umcorian
    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    aaaaaw :)
    WoW WaS first MmO and invented w0men!!

  • Yeah I have been pretty curious how these synergies work.  They sound a lot more available than LOTRO fellowship moves.  They almost sounded to powerful when I was reading through skill description. 

    Most sound like they are on demand other than a few that proc a certain % of time (usually off some kind of aura or whatever).

  • udonudon Member UncommonPosts: 1,803
    Originally posted by umcorian

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    ESO is a lot of things some better than others but a WoW clone is not one of them.  Not even close.  The game doesn't play like WoW, it isn't paced like WoW and it looks nothing like WoW in any way.

    And I thought the boss mechanics looked closer to TSW than WoW personally.  Not that that's a bad thing as I think TSW dungeons are excellent examples of encounter scripting done right.

  • Crazy_StickCrazy_Stick Member Posts: 1,059

    It depends I guess on what you find acceptable in today's times. The dungeons are linear progressions of crushing a series of mobs up until a boss encounter with a couple of tricks and sometimes a series of such chains. They are not long or grueling for a skilled group early on. The interface and fight mechanics make text chat somewhat worthless and voice chat very useful. In my mind that favors guild runs or dedicated groups of pals rather than potentially painful PUGs a little more than most modern game releases. For now (pre mass forum whining) they are of moderate difficulty for an MMORPG player with some experience. You can see players using off gear in one encounter but that was unwise for the average player as it weakens the character's role abilities.  Yes, gear, class role, trinity like play, are still there.

     

    I guess that's my problem in a way. They are well done and better offerings than say GW2 or NW if not the best of the modern MMORPG class and you can see that here on video. But we have all been there and done that so many times that it comes across as generic or bland, offering nothing new to the play experience, even with synergies and ultimate powers. If you are happy with well enough done typical you will like it but if you want something different at this point in your player career then you may be underwhelmed.  It is what it is...

  • Mackaveli44Mackaveli44 Member RarePosts: 708
    Originally posted by azzamasin
    Originally posted by Arataki
    Originally posted by Damedius
    Originally posted by azzamasin
    Glad this was posted.  Hopefully the information about Adventure Zones is forthcoming because I'll be honest as a Dungeon Delver and explorer predominant player this video got me excited.  Unfortunately It means I'll have to slog through so many levels of uninspiring and generic questing and horrible starter zones that last 4-5 hours too long.

    I don't think all starter zones are equal.

    I think one everyone is complaining about is the Daggerfall Covenant one. I could be wrong though.

    Personally I think it must have been the Ebonheart Pact one.

    Ebonheart was ok. Aldmeri was atrocious and Daggerfall was passable.

    Ebonheart was ok

    Aldmeri was probably the best

    Daggerfall was ok

    Again, these are all opinions but I wouldnt say Aldmeri was "atrocious".  What was atrocious about it?  You were on a decently large size island with great scenary, story and gameplay.  Did you venture out at all and explore?  Many people dont realize that this game is about Adventure.  Go wonder around and youll be amazed at what you find.  I can say that on the Ebonheart side(Side I played the most) when I would go out and just run around, I'd find random mobs praying starting a little event that wasnt anywhere else, or some random NPC hidden in some random area that you wouldnt find unless you ran around exploring who gave you an item, or gave you a quest or spawned a named monster, or wave events.  They arent kidding when they say run around and explore.  

    I think most mmo players nowadays are so set in their ways of just "go go go" mentality there everything is rushed and they dont take the time to see what the game offers.

    Take them for what they are, starter islands. The starter island is STORY driven to introduce you to the world and to what the hell is going on.  Its not supposed to be insanely good or where a vast majority of their resources have gone into.  Look at Age of Conan. Great starter island, post starter island was atrocious.   I'd rather have ok starter experience and fantastic post starter island experience that builds up the higher you go and that is how ESO is.

  • udonudon Member UncommonPosts: 1,803
    Originally posted by Iselin
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by Mackaveli44
    Originally posted by AndrewGoat

    Fun? I heard, according to the know it all media and forum goers, that this game can't be fun. I mean, look at all the unfun in that video. How far they have to run. Man, those horses are so expensive. They clearly also had to have all 4 people be Imperials for those boss fights. Man, what an unfun game. This game will tank being so unfun.

     

    :)

    The media didnt have enough time with the game.  1-10 is not any sign of how the game starts to become post 15ish.  I cant say much cause of the NDA but I will say this, the media did NOT have sufficient time to make a sound judgment call on the game.  It gets stronger and stronger the more you play it.  On top of that, most media people are paid from sources to be bias in some ways so dont judge a media preview all that much.  Its all BS.  Again, they had inadaquate time with the game. 

    I only played to level 14 but it was easy to see how the games mechanics where really starting to ramp up.  ESO is a game that gains steam slowly and combined with a snail pace leveling speed compared to modern MMO's I can see where so many of the negative comments from people who only played the first 10 levels or so come from.  But has any modern TES game been any different?  I mean if you where level 10 in a hour it just wouldn't have the pacing of a Elder Scrolls game.  They are suppose to start slow and build over time rather than just wiz your though the first 20 levels in a couple hours.

    I can only imagine that higher levels gain at about the same pace so while early levels come slower than you would expect later levels will be faster evening out the experience much more lineally.  That's not a bad thing in my mind.

    Luckily the game is not about leveling-up, it's about skilling-up. And if you got to level 14, you would have had access to ~ 7 skill-ups from shards (~ 21 of them by the time you finish the second zone) if you took the time to find them, and 4 or 5 from quests and dungeons. Not to mention the ones you would have gotten in Cyrodiil as well.

     

    I think that's one thing most previewers missed: forget the levels, it's all about the skill points.

    Yea that was probably about right.  I spent more points than I probably should have early on in crafting to get the shiny crafting nodes and hirelings that send me mats in the mail once a day.  

     

  • ariestearieste Member UncommonPosts: 3,309
    Originally posted by BBPD766

    This is a coherent answer. And it was CLEARLY spelled out in the original post. Perhaps you should actually READ before you reply.  By NOT having mobs in the SAME PLACE OVER AND OVER and doing the SAME types of damage to you / fighting you the SAME WAY so that they are predictable OVER AND OVER AND OVER each time you play it. How many times does it need to be said?

    I still don't see your reference for which game you saw these dungeons in that you considered "fun".    What specific MMO are you talking about?

     

    I've played several games that randomize mobs, mob abilities and layouts in dungeons.  Although i very much like the concept,  I didn't find any of them to be more challenging than well-designed pre-scripted dungeons that don't change.

     

    I'm sorry if i keep missing your answer, but maybe instead of being difficult, you can just clearly repeat it for me.  In what MMO do YOU find dungeons that you consider "fun" and "challenging" and that you are able to do more than 200 times without getting bored?   

     

    "I’d rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."

    - Raph Koster

    Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
    Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall
    Currently Playing: ESO

  • DrDwarfDrDwarf Member Posts: 475
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    ESO is a lot of things some better than others but a WoW clone is not one of them.  Not even close.  The game doesn't play like WoW, it isn't paced like WoW and it looks nothing like WoW in any way.

    And I thought the boss mechanics looked closer to TSW than WoW personally.  Not that that's a bad thing as I think TSW dungeons are excellent examples of encounter scripting done right.

    One of the first things that struck me about this video was how desperate the developers seem to have been to get a wide variety of boss mechanics in there with a bit of variety between the 3 dungeons.

    None of it is original from what I can see but I am not one of these people that cares if something is copied from somewhere else or not.. as long as it is good enough.

    I have never played an MMO that people said was a wow clone,  that turned out to be one, to me.  

    If there was a wow clone out there they would have to charge a $2 or two less than wow on a monthly sub and they would be laughing all the way to the bank, at least in terms of turnover.

    The more interesting question is, is ESO an MMORPG ?

    As for people saying innovation si dead, I suppose it depends what timescale you are looking at ?

    There have been large changes in what MMORPGs have done.  

    The most obvious being a move to satisfy solo players, F2P, PVP, Quest presentation mechanics, graphics and a seemingly endless march to the bottom in terms of requiring players to genuinely work at character development and protecting players from others via tougher rules on anything other than goody two shoes standard play.

     

     

     

  • AzzrasAzzras Member UncommonPosts: 407
    Originally posted by DrDwarf
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    ESO is a lot of things some better than others but a WoW clone is not one of them.  Not even close.  The game doesn't play like WoW, it isn't paced like WoW and it looks nothing like WoW in any way.

    And I thought the boss mechanics looked closer to TSW than WoW personally.  Not that that's a bad thing as I think TSW dungeons are excellent examples of encounter scripting done right.

    One of the first things that struck me about this video was how desperate the developers seem to have been to get a wide variety of boss mechanics in there with a bit of variety between the 3 dungeons.

    None of it is original from what I can see but I am not one of these people that cares if something is copied from somewhere else or not.. as long as it is good enough.

    I have never played an MMO that people said was a wow clone,  that turned out to be one, to me.  

    If there was a wow clone out there they would have to charge a $2 or two less than wow on a monthly sub and they would be laughing all the way to the bank, at least in terms of turnover.

    The more interesting question is, is ESO an MMORPG ?

     

     

    To your question, I think this will depend on your definition of Massive Multiplayer.

    Online it will be.

    RPG it will be.

    Massive Multiplayer, we shall see.

    image
  • azzamasinazzamasin Member UncommonPosts: 3,105
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    ESO is a lot of things some better than others but a WoW clone is not one of them.  Not even close.  The game doesn't play like WoW, it isn't paced like WoW and it looks nothing like WoW in any way.

    And I thought the boss mechanics looked closer to TSW than WoW personally.  Not that that's a bad thing as I think TSW dungeons are excellent examples of encounter scripting done right.

    Not trying to defend him but those were some pretty WoW'esque style encounters.  I personally would prefer a more Asheron's Call style dungeoneering but alas I'll probably never live to see it come to fruition.

    Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!

    Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!

    Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!

    image

  • umcorianumcorian Member UncommonPosts: 519
    Originally posted by DrDwarf
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    I turned that video into a drinking game and took a shot every time the following happened:

    1. I recognized an ability that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    2. A boss mechanic that's 95% lifted from WoW.

    Made it 4:30 minutes in and passed out. 

    ESO is a lot of things some better than others but a WoW clone is not one of them.  Not even close.  The game doesn't play like WoW, it isn't paced like WoW and it looks nothing like WoW in any way.

    And I thought the boss mechanics looked closer to TSW than WoW personally.  Not that that's a bad thing as I think TSW dungeons are excellent examples of encounter scripting done right.

    One of the first things that struck me about this video was how desperate the developers seem to have been to get a wide variety of boss mechanics in there with a bit of variety between the 3 dungeons.

    None of it is original from what I can see but I am not one of these people that cares if something is copied from somewhere else or not.. as long as it is good enough.

    I have never played an MMO that people said was a wow clone,  that turned out to be one, to me.  

    If there was a wow clone out there they would have to charge a $2 or two less than wow on a monthly sub and they would be laughing all the way to the bank, at least in terms of turnover.

    The more interesting question is, is ESO an MMORPG ?

     

     

     

    It was kinda hard to reply to the first guy, as he more or less just said: "I think you're completely wrong" and didn't list any specifics (to be fair, NDA nonsense makes it hard to get specific)

    But I'll say when AoC, WAR and LOTRO released WoW-Clone style games, I didn't mind as much. They were the first big budget games to come after WoW that tried to capitalize on it. To be fair, LOTRO *was* stellar... and I judged AoC and WAR more for its buggy/unfinished content than WoW-similarities. 

    Then came the next-next generation. Aion, Rift... I'm sure you can name a few more. Couldn't even get Max level characters. It was just getting old.

    Then came SWTOR, Neverwinter, GW2... all changing a tiny bit, but ultimately not straying far from the WoW-Ideas.  Stayed with each for a couple of weeks, then got bored. It's the same game I've played for 8-9 years with a slight, insubstantial twist. 

    Some columnists have mentioned F2P burnout... I honestly think it's Genre Burnout at this point. So many gamers are just tired of the same game that came out 10 years ago and want someone to actually remake the wheel. It may be a harsh, unfair request... but God, after 10 years, hasn't someone come up with an idea for a new wheel yet? 

  • udonudon Member UncommonPosts: 1,803
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

  • AldersAlders Member RarePosts: 2,207
    Originally posted by Tamanous
    Originally posted by Alders

    4-man party size.  Kill it with fire!

    When will these companies learn?

    Guess I need to ask then:

     

    Why will players of mmos learn that all mmos are different?

     

    ESO's pve game geared toward solo and small group encounters to closer reflect on their single player games. It isn't a raid game although there will be raid encounters and of course large scale pvp.

     

    Not all mmos need to be the same nor automatically be exactly like mmos that came before them. Hopefully when information about raid level encounters come out it will please many who want larger group sizes. Even then it sounds like forming a group is only required when deciding to take on tough encounters as most will be open zone/dungeons where it isn't required to be in a large group to initially enter.

     

    There will be other EQ style games to come if that is what some players want. Always good to have variety.

     

    That's fine and dandy, but smaller group sizes are almost always going to be bad.  My comment was directed towards smaller sizes creating a need for more groups which in turn require more tanks and more healers.  Those roles are typically in short supply to begin with.

    Small group sizes are absolutely fantastic for a set group of 4 friends.  That's not what MMO's are to me though.  You end up excluding players which is not good for a new community.

  • AratakiArataki Member UncommonPosts: 239
    Originally posted by umcorian

    For one, you opened with personal attacks by calling me a troll initially. Let's not get stupid here. 

    For two: Mine wasn't a personal attack. That was a general "you"... and even if it wasn't, I don't even think you'd tell me WoW was an EQ Clone... would you? If you did take that personally, I apologize. That wasn't the intention. 

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation isn't dead. 

    Players insist on trying to beat the crap out of it though.

    There is a difference between innovation and being unique. Going from 20+ abilties on multiple hotbars with rotation based mechanics to active dodging >10 abiltiies reactionary combat is innovation.

    Cutscenes for quests instead of text boxes is innovation.

    A tank is a tank is a tank...except in games where they don't have to be, by either fluid design, build choice or class swapping is innovation.

    And the ever present, don't fix what isn't broken. No need to reinvent the wheel. And only so much one can do with the current game technology. Promising engines in development though.

    You have games that put forward an idea. A test run. See if players like it before they dump money on expanding it.

    It's gets called a gimmick. Something else is vaguely similar so it's not NEWW!!!! Or, my favorite, "Doesn't have AH/Dungeon Finder/Mini map/Raids/PvP!? It's 2011/12/13/14! It's standard!"

    In which players themselves stifle new directions a game could go in. You wouldn't believe the amount of whining about the lack of an Auction House during the beta weekends. A "standard" feature. All MMOs had to have one. Yet ESO doesn't. Guild stores instead. A real economic incentive to hold a keep.

    Innovation isn't dead.

    Players do insist on beating the crap out of it though.

  • umcorianumcorian Member UncommonPosts: 519
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

    I would say Rift, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR, et al... didn't really try to do new things. They just took the WoW cash cow and tried a difficult color bell around its neck. 

    Rift's bell was... Rifts that randomly appear and give you incentives to take a break from WoW style questing.

    SWTOR's bell was to replace WoW style quest blocks with voice dialogue, add a few extra options... but still ultimately keep WoW style questing.

    GW2 was their much vaunted "make everyone the healer!" concept and, rather than click on NPCs with "!s" over their heads, you go to areas marked with Hearts rather than "!s."

    Ultimately, it's the same game... with just a slightly different bell and whistle in its delivery.

    What I call innovation is the kind of thinking that made UO/EQ out of games like King's Quest or Castlevania or whatever their inspirations were... for those that don't wanna give WoW/Blizzard any credit. Fine by me - I'm no Blizzard fanboy. But something special happened at the start of this genre, and all that's happened in at least 10 years is a different kind of stagnation with every new MMO that comes out.

  • botrytisbotrytis Member RarePosts: 3,363

    LOL - GW1 and GW2 were about skill not gearing up and most people, on this forum, laughed that those games. ESO, the darling that can do no wrong is in BETA, and all these forum members are now fawning after the same thing that they scoffed at in GW1/GW2. It is hysterical and very hypocritical.

     

    Nothing in those dungeons is remotely new or exciting - a rehash of the same ol' WoW stuff.


  • udonudon Member UncommonPosts: 1,803
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

    I would say Rift, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR, et al... didn't really try to do new things. They just took the WoW cash cow and tried a difficult color bell around its neck. 

    Rift's bell was... Rifts that randomly appear and give you incentives to take a break from WoW style questing.

    SWTOR's bell was to replace WoW style quest blocks with voice dialogue, add a few extra options... but still ultimately keep WoW style question.

    GW2 was their much vaunted "make everyone the healer!" concept and, rather than click on NPCs with "!s" over their heads, you go to areas marked with Hearts rather than "!s."

    Ultimately, it's the same game... with just a slightly different bell and whistle in its delivery.

    What I call innovation is the kind of thinking that made UO/EQ out of games like King's Quest or Castlevania or whatever their inspirations were... for those that don't wanna give WoW/Blizzard any credit. Fine by me - I'm no Blizzard fanboy. But something special happened at the start of this genre, and all that's happened in at least 10 years is a different kind of stagnation with every new MMO that comes out.

    As I said it depends how you look at it.

    Rift introduced the idea of multiple roles per class or at least mainstreamed it.  We take the idea of being able to do more than one role for granted in todays games but back before Rift it was common that the answer to that request was "roll a alt"  Also they modernized dynamic PVE content on a much larger scale.

    TSW really brought the idea of story telling to the forefront of the game pushing a lot of more traditional MMO mechanics to the background.  They also completely removed the concept of class restricting what role you can play.

    AOC modernized the idea of action based MMO

    Neverwinter tried to take player created content to the next level

    SWTOR tried to push story even farther by creating whole quest lines tied to your class and introduced the idea of companions who at least in theory would level along side you.

    And the list go on and on.  I do admit in a lot of cases you could probably point to previous projects where these things where done but in my mind at least these are the games that really managed to make a splash on the market with their respective features.  In some cases you might agree these are good features or bad features but innovation doesn't require you to like what happening just recognize that it is.

  • umcorianumcorian Member UncommonPosts: 519
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

    I would say Rift, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR, et al... didn't really try to do new things. They just took the WoW cash cow and tried a difficult color bell around its neck. 

    Rift's bell was... Rifts that randomly appear and give you incentives to take a break from WoW style questing.

    SWTOR's bell was to replace WoW style quest blocks with voice dialogue, add a few extra options... but still ultimately keep WoW style question.

    GW2 was their much vaunted "make everyone the healer!" concept and, rather than click on NPCs with "!s" over their heads, you go to areas marked with Hearts rather than "!s."

    Ultimately, it's the same game... with just a slightly different bell and whistle in its delivery.

    What I call innovation is the kind of thinking that made UO/EQ out of games like King's Quest or Castlevania or whatever their inspirations were... for those that don't wanna give WoW/Blizzard any credit. Fine by me - I'm no Blizzard fanboy. But something special happened at the start of this genre, and all that's happened in at least 10 years is a different kind of stagnation with every new MMO that comes out.

    As I said it depends how you look at it.

    Rift introduced the idea of multiple roles per class or at least mainstreamed it.  We take the idea of being able to do more than one role for granted in todays games but back before Rift it was common that the answer to that request was "roll a alt"  Also they modernized dynamic PVE content on a much larger scale.

    TSW really brought the idea of story telling to the forefront of the game pushing a lot of more traditional MMO mechanics to the background.  They also completely removed the concept of class restricting what role you can play.

    AOC modernized the idea of action based MMO

    Neverwinter tried to take player created content to the next level

    SWTOR tried to push story even farther by creating whole quest lines tied to your class and introduced the idea of companions who at least in theory would level along side you.

    And the list go on and on.  I do admit in a lot of cases you could probably point to previous projects where these things where done but in my mind at least these are the games that really managed to make a splash on the market with their respective features.  In some cases you might agree these are good features or bad features but innovation doesn't require you to like what happening just recognize that it is.

    I think we ultimately have different standards on what counts for innovation, and - to be fair - I think yours is more accurate. Yes, games have innovated since WoW. All those innovations are upon the same WoW model.

    I'm just personally getting sick of model... and, for me, what a game needs to do to truly interest me are no longer the minor innovations you've described. If it's the same model, I'm just not interested anymore.  Not after nearly 15 years, since EQ invented the 3d MMO Theme Park Genre and WoW took it to the level we just can't seem to get beyond. 

    Someone please, design me a new wheel. WoW proved the genre is profitable... 10 years later, we are still releasing games that are 80-85% WoW. What gives? 

     

  • udonudon Member UncommonPosts: 1,803
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

    I would say Rift, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR, et al... didn't really try to do new things. They just took the WoW cash cow and tried a difficult color bell around its neck. 

    Rift's bell was... Rifts that randomly appear and give you incentives to take a break from WoW style questing.

    SWTOR's bell was to replace WoW style quest blocks with voice dialogue, add a few extra options... but still ultimately keep WoW style question.

    GW2 was their much vaunted "make everyone the healer!" concept and, rather than click on NPCs with "!s" over their heads, you go to areas marked with Hearts rather than "!s."

    Ultimately, it's the same game... with just a slightly different bell and whistle in its delivery.

    What I call innovation is the kind of thinking that made UO/EQ out of games like King's Quest or Castlevania or whatever their inspirations were... for those that don't wanna give WoW/Blizzard any credit. Fine by me - I'm no Blizzard fanboy. But something special happened at the start of this genre, and all that's happened in at least 10 years is a different kind of stagnation with every new MMO that comes out.

    As I said it depends how you look at it.

    Rift introduced the idea of multiple roles per class or at least mainstreamed it.  We take the idea of being able to do more than one role for granted in todays games but back before Rift it was common that the answer to that request was "roll a alt"  Also they modernized dynamic PVE content on a much larger scale.

    TSW really brought the idea of story telling to the forefront of the game pushing a lot of more traditional MMO mechanics to the background.  They also completely removed the concept of class restricting what role you can play.

    AOC modernized the idea of action based MMO

    Neverwinter tried to take player created content to the next level

    SWTOR tried to push story even farther by creating whole quest lines tied to your class and introduced the idea of companions who at least in theory would level along side you.

    And the list go on and on.  I do admit in a lot of cases you could probably point to previous projects where these things where done but in my mind at least these are the games that really managed to make a splash on the market with their respective features.  In some cases you might agree these are good features or bad features but innovation doesn't require you to like what happening just recognize that it is.

    I think we ultimately have different standards on what counts for innovation, and - to be fair - I think yours is more accurate. Yes, games have innovated since WoW. All those are innovations upon the same WoW model.

    I'm just personally getting sick of model... and, for me, the standard of what I'm willing to play has gone up. If it's the same model, I'm just not interested. Not after nearly 15 years, since EQ invented the 3d MMO Theme Park Genre and WoW took it to the level we just can't seem to get beyond. 

    Someone please, design me a new wheel. 

    What you want is a revolution to the MMO genre not a innovation.  It's hard to see that happening with how modern development projects and money work but there is alway hope someone will pull it off.  EQN is saying the right things but at this point I have heard the right things so many times from past developers that I'll believe it when I see it.

  • rygard49rygard49 Member UncommonPosts: 973
    Originally posted by botrytis

    LOL - GW1 and GW2 were about skill not gearing up and most people, on this forum, laughed that those games. ESO, the darling that can do no wrong is in BETA, and all these forum members are now fawning after the same thing that they scoffed at in GW1/GW2. It is hysterical and very hypocritical.

     

    Nothing in those dungeons is remotely new or exciting - a rehash of the same ol' WoW stuff.

    I don't know how you can jokingly call ESO 'the darling that can do no wrong', considering all of the hate both on these boards and in what seems like a majority of the preview articles.

    I thought synergies were pretty cool, at least I haven't seen those done before (to my goldfish memory). Mages using bows? Tanks wearing cloth? Not a whole lot in those dungeons may have been new, but come on it wasn't even a bit exciting?

  • AratakiArataki Member UncommonPosts: 239
    Originally posted by botrytis

    LOL - GW1 and GW2 were about skill not gearing up and most people, on this forum, laughed that those games. ESO, the darling that can do no wrong is in BETA, and all these forum members are now fawning after the same thing that they scoffed at in GW1/GW2. It is hysterical and very hypocritical.

     

    Nothing in those dungeons is remotely new or exciting - a rehash of the same ol' WoW stuff.

    I wasn't aware WoW relied on CC for tanking. Then again I don't play WoW, learn something new everyday.

    And you've got selective memory, I remember these forums singing GW1 and 2's praises until the fact that you weren't locked out of fights at first so you could zerg, small WvW with keep flipping and server hopping and the fact that every skill you had capped at lvl 10 and you had 70 more levels to go got them. And I've never heard the complaint that GW2 dungeons were just like WoW.

    So what are you saying? GW2 dungeons that aren't like WoWs is what ESO copied but now ESO's is like WoWs? Is that seriously your argument right here?

    And do no wrong? Have you been under a forum rock?

  • umcorianumcorian Member UncommonPosts: 519
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian
    Originally posted by udon
    Originally posted by umcorian

    My point is it seems innovation is just dead in this genre and it saddens me. 

    Innovation didn't end with WoW.  You might not like some of the directions the industry has taken and I know in many cases I don't but we have seen a constant stream of it since  that game came out.  Games like Rift, TSW, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR etc. have all tried to do new things.  Even WoW has evolved their original game play mechanics over time.

    ESO isn't a revolutionary new concept in MMO's but I think it does qualify as innovative in many ways at least as far as MMO's are concerned.  It tries to marriage what is probably one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in modern times with a MMO.  It's not a marriage made in heaven by any means but that's not to say it's a horrible outcome either.  Honestly we won't truly know how this whole things works out until a few months after release as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions right now that I don't think anyone can answer even those people beta testing high level content.

    I would say Rift, AOC, Neverwinter, SWTOR, et al... didn't really try to do new things. They just took the WoW cash cow and tried a difficult color bell around its neck. 

    Rift's bell was... Rifts that randomly appear and give you incentives to take a break from WoW style questing.

    SWTOR's bell was to replace WoW style quest blocks with voice dialogue, add a few extra options... but still ultimately keep WoW style question.

    GW2 was their much vaunted "make everyone the healer!" concept and, rather than click on NPCs with "!s" over their heads, you go to areas marked with Hearts rather than "!s."

    Ultimately, it's the same game... with just a slightly different bell and whistle in its delivery.

    What I call innovation is the kind of thinking that made UO/EQ out of games like King's Quest or Castlevania or whatever their inspirations were... for those that don't wanna give WoW/Blizzard any credit. Fine by me - I'm no Blizzard fanboy. But something special happened at the start of this genre, and all that's happened in at least 10 years is a different kind of stagnation with every new MMO that comes out.

    As I said it depends how you look at it.

    Rift introduced the idea of multiple roles per class or at least mainstreamed it.  We take the idea of being able to do more than one role for granted in todays games but back before Rift it was common that the answer to that request was "roll a alt"  Also they modernized dynamic PVE content on a much larger scale.

    TSW really brought the idea of story telling to the forefront of the game pushing a lot of more traditional MMO mechanics to the background.  They also completely removed the concept of class restricting what role you can play.

    AOC modernized the idea of action based MMO

    Neverwinter tried to take player created content to the next level

    SWTOR tried to push story even farther by creating whole quest lines tied to your class and introduced the idea of companions who at least in theory would level along side you.

    And the list go on and on.  I do admit in a lot of cases you could probably point to previous projects where these things where done but in my mind at least these are the games that really managed to make a splash on the market with their respective features.  In some cases you might agree these are good features or bad features but innovation doesn't require you to like what happening just recognize that it is.

    I think we ultimately have different standards on what counts for innovation, and - to be fair - I think yours is more accurate. Yes, games have innovated since WoW. All those are innovations upon the same WoW model.

    I'm just personally getting sick of model... and, for me, the standard of what I'm willing to play has gone up. If it's the same model, I'm just not interested. Not after nearly 15 years, since EQ invented the 3d MMO Theme Park Genre and WoW took it to the level we just can't seem to get beyond. 

    Someone please, design me a new wheel. 

    What you want is a revolution to the MMO genre not a innovation.  It's hard to see that happening with how modern development projects and money work but there is alway hope someone will pull it off.  EQN is saying the right things but at this point I have heard the right things so many times from past developers that I'll believe it when I see it.

    I also have a lot of hope for EQ Next. That's the name attached to the game that made the genre.... if anyone can bring about the next revolution, maybe it's them.

    But this is so true: 

    "but at this point I have heard the right things so many times from past developers"

    That's probably single-handedly why the genre is stagnating. Every MMO that's come out has basically *promised* to revolutionize the genre... when really, all they've done is peddle cheap innovations on a tired model. But people keep buying, just on the hopes they're telling the truth.

    I'm really hoping Sony puts this tired horse down.

    God I'm asking Sony for a miracle. Feels like the set-up to a bad joke. lol

  • tranceauftranceauf Member UncommonPosts: 29

    Animations look so stiff and everyone is hunched over all the time. The encounter mechanics look to easy but then it is low level so i will reserve full judgement till i see end game.  That said I have been burned too many times on mmo's i will wait this one out.  It will either go f2p or at least reduced in price soon enough.

  • goblagobla Member UncommonPosts: 1,412

    It seems very floaty to me. Hits don't really seem to connect while animations seem a tad off.

    Reminds me mostly of GW2 to be honest, action combat more in mechanics than in anything visual which I'd say is just as important.

    Don't mean visuals as in quality graphics, this game looks extremely impressive considering it's a MMO. Rather in things looking like they have some weight, which seems completely lacking. Believable stagger animations on getting hit, weapon swings that look like you're actually swinging a heavy weapon, casting animations that look like you're handling actual force. That kind of thing.

    I'm seeing the combat. But I'm not feeling it.

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