Curious and have questions

Aganazer

I typically don't play a MMOG on release. I have yet to see a MMOG that pleases the majority of the players at release. Even though I was active in the PotBS community prior to release I never did try the game. But now its had time to stew. I am wondering if its ready yet.

1. How would you rate the overall complexity of the game? Is it oversimplified like WoW, or way over the head of the average gamer like D&D Online?
   
    
2. Would the game be interesting and rewarding as a purely PvE game or do I need to PvP to make the most of it?
   
    
3. How well would it work in a small group of 2-3 players? A game like WoW has solo content (too easy) and 5 player instances (too hard). I ask because I always play games with my wife and best friend.
   
    
4. Is the crafting something that you can casually do to pass time or does it require challenge, risk, and adventure?
   
    
5. Is there a free trial?
   
    

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Vetarnias

Originally posted by Aganazer


I typically don't play a MMOG on release. I have yet to see a MMOG that pleases the majority of the players at release. Even though I was active in the PotBS community prior to release I never did try the game. But now its had time to stew. I am wondering if its ready yet.

How would you rate the overall complexity of the game? Is it oversimplified like WoW, or way over the head of the average gamer like D&D Online?

 
Would the game be interesting and rewarding as a purely PvE game or do I need to PvP to make the most of it?

 
How well would it work in a small group of 2-3 players? A game like WoW has solo content (too easy) and 5 player instances (too hard). I ask because I always play games with my wife and best friend.

 
Is the crafting something that you can casually do to pass time or does it require challenge, risk, and adventure?

 
Is there a free trial?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies!

1) Depends on what your point of interest is. Ship combat is very intricate, especially in PvP, but it's quite fun once you master the basics of it. They changed avatar combat after I left, so I can't comment on that.

2) PvE hasn't been the main attraction of this game.  The quests are well-written, but they are more or less based on similar templates.  PvP is interesting if you're in a group.  Also, you'll run into red circles (PvP zones) every once in a while, if other players have created unrest around a port.  Sometimes you might have to go through them to turn in quests, but they vanish if you wait long enough (usually a few days at most). The game will get boring, however, if you don't want to PvP. The port battles are arguably the best part of the game.

3) Small groups should be okay, although in PvP the ideal format is a 6-ship squadron, for reasons of game mechanics. PvE in a group of 3 should be fine.

4) Not really.  You get a fixed amount of labour each day, pegged to a structure, not your own time.  In other words, you can produce 24 hours' worth of labour at one structure by spending 3 minutes pressing a button on auto-repeat.  Based on other accounts, production (which revolves around ships, and nothing else) is mostly done inside of societies (guilds) these days, with no need for the outside market.  Sad, but true.

5) There is.

Unknown

Don't mind me.  I'm just here to buff my post count by agreeing with Vetarnias on all counts.

LynxJSA

Ditto what Vetarnias said, and here's the trial link:

 

http://www.burningsea.com/pages/trialKeys/