The Agency of FAIL. 'Espionage MMORPG' to lame MMOFPS...

DeaconX

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-the-agency/700230

Utter crap is what this looks like now.  Seems like a persistent shooter.  It's gone from an espionage mmorpg you can play from whatever perspective that was supposed to have all these cool features, to an FPS?

 

I donno... looks pretty fail to me now.  I used to be interested, being a fan of the espionage genre but not anymore

kaiser3282

Sorry, but are you seriously complaining that its no longer an RPG because its controlled like a FPS and it doesnt play like every other MMORPG out there with the EQ/WoW playstyle of hotbar mashing and crap? Maybe nobody bothered telling you, but the controls do not determine RPG status. It's got all of the makings of an MMORPG, only with FPS combat style, and its not the first to do it. Would you argue that Darkfall and MO arent MMORPGs because of their playstyle?

godeda24

I'm gonna have to agree that didn't look like an MMO it had small areas with nothing but gunfights. They didn't show anything relating to spies it looks nothing like what we were shown a year ago.

GTwander

This was a persistant shooter back when I first heard of it. If you saw the old vids of gunfights in both first and third person and expected that to be the atypical hotbat formula, then I think you've been jaded this entire time. Besides, that recon skill "wall hack" looks pretty cool.

godeda24

Originally posted by GTwander

This was a persistant shooter back when I first heard of it. If you saw the old vids of gunfights in both first and third person and expected that to be the atypical hotbat formula, then I think you've been jaded this entire time. Besides, that recon skill "wall hack" looks pretty cool.

Yeah but if you look at gameplay vids from a year ago alot of them revolved around being a spy. Which I was hoping to see more on but instead we got a vid of a budget title FPS.

jusomdude

I thought of this game as a FPS ever since I heard of it. Even the icon for the game on this site shows a chick carrying a huge gun.

 

An online Metal Gear or something just wouldn't work.

coldsky01

They certainly refined the game from two years ago. Although you shouldn't really jump to conclusions, what they showed in that video was the PvP portion of the game. So of course it's going be like a typical FPS style of play. As others have stated The Agency is also an FPS (with TPS along side) from the beginning: check here (from two years ago). They haven't shown what the current state of  the PvE (RPG) side of the game is like yet, but they mentioned on Massively.com that they still have the element of "you are what you wear" in the game. So I think the Espionage element is still there.

Elikal

Originally posted by DeaconX

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-the-agency/700230

Utter crap is what this looks like now.  Seems like a persistent shooter.  It's gone from an espionage mmorpg you can play from whatever perspective that was supposed to have all these cool features, to an FPS?

 

I donno... looks pretty fail to me now.  I used to be interested, being a fan of the espionage genre but not anymore

Oof, that was really a letdown. I agree with you. I too did expect something more of an RPG and less of a mere shooter. Where did all the mystery and story go, we had seen in the old videos? I expected the long silence was no good signal. But this video is outright abhorrent.

IMVPO this will make the game quite superflous. Most folks who like that kind of shooter play TF2 or whatever is trendy in this scene today. Again one of those absurd business decisions SOE is so "famous" for. The original idea sounded really cool, but this... a FPS? WTF?

DeaconX

Originally posted by Elikal

Originally posted by DeaconX

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-the-agency/700230

Utter crap is what this looks like now.  Seems like a persistent shooter.  It's gone from an espionage mmorpg you can play from whatever perspective that was supposed to have all these cool features, to an FPS?

 

I donno... looks pretty fail to me now.  I used to be interested, being a fan of the espionage genre but not anymore

Oof, that was really a letdown. I agree with you. I too did expect something more of an RPG and less of a mere shooter. Where did all the mystery and story go, we had seen in the old videos? I expected the long silence was no good signal. But this video is outright abhorrent.

IMVPO this will make the game quite superflous. Most folks who like that kind of shooter play TF2 or whatever is trendy in this scene today. Again one of those absurd business decisions SOE is so "famous" for. The original idea sounded really cool, but this... a FPS? WTF?

Agreed.  It was the mystique and spy genre stuff that had me interested the most.  The James Bond meets Mission Impossible stuff.  I don't see how an FPS shooter can convey all the wicked spy stuff that was supposed to be happening.  Ah well... MAYBE it's better than it looks but I've learned that with SOE, that is rarely the case...

GTwander

Are you people actually suggesting that a shooter can't be an RPG or keep the espionage elements (that are no doubt there, but just not being shown outright)?

 

You do realise that just because APB and Global Agenda were personal letdowns for you, it shouldn't make you assume the same from everything else to come? What about Earthrise and the upcoming Fallout MMOs? They are going to be shooters, and last I checked Fallen Earth had it's flaws, but the RPG aspects weren't it - it was the PvP.

mmoguy43

I must say that I completely disagree with the OP and this game looks pretty slick. I'd much rather play something like this with first person and cover than something like Global Agenda. Is it just me or doesn't it seem like the Shadowrun FPS but a different setting?

coldsky01

How come everyone is ignoring the fact that the current new videos of The Agency is just the PvP portion of the game? Wait for new videos of the PvE side to come out who knows when.

Hopscotch73

Originally posted by coldsky01

How come everyone is ignoring the fact that the current new videos of The Agency is just the PvP portion of the game? Wait for new videos of the PvE side to come out who knows when.

^^ This, they said they were showing exclusively PvP content at E3, in the dev interview he said that you got to choose your style of play, espionage or shooter. I'd say the espionage side of things is more PvE.

They're targeting MMO players and FPS players.... who knows whether it's a blend that'll work, but the E3 stuff was all aimed at the FPS-ers. Persumably they'll get back to talking about PvE at some stage.

Elikal

Originally posted by DeaconX

Originally posted by Elikal

Originally posted by DeaconX

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-the-agency/700230

Utter crap is what this looks like now.  Seems like a persistent shooter.  It's gone from an espionage mmorpg you can play from whatever perspective that was supposed to have all these cool features, to an FPS?

 

I donno... looks pretty fail to me now.  I used to be interested, being a fan of the espionage genre but not anymore

Oof, that was really a letdown. I agree with you. I too did expect something more of an RPG and less of a mere shooter. Where did all the mystery and story go, we had seen in the old videos? I expected the long silence was no good signal. But this video is outright abhorrent.

IMVPO this will make the game quite superflous. Most folks who like that kind of shooter play TF2 or whatever is trendy in this scene today. Again one of those absurd business decisions SOE is so "famous" for. The original idea sounded really cool, but this... a FPS? WTF?

Agreed.  It was the mystique and spy genre stuff that had me interested the most.  The James Bond meets Mission Impossible stuff.  I don't see how an FPS shooter can convey all the wicked spy stuff that was supposed to be happening.  Ah well... MAYBE it's better than it looks but I've learned that with SOE, that is rarely the case...

I game of this genre I loved was NOLF (No one lives forever); it had this wonderful 1950ies charm. ^^

I wish they had made more games of NOLF.

Tekaelon

Very disapointed. The original vidoes showed a game that had a unique look and feel. To bad marketing took over and turned it into something that counter strike, and MW 2 do much much beter.

 

FAIL

 

Daffid011

Even the PVE videos show way to many grenades, rocket launchers and heavy weaponry all the while running through streets and houses of major cities blowing the ever living shit out of anything that moved.  To me that doesn't really convey a feeling of espionage.    It feels more like a modern urban warfare game. 

The pvp didn't look to bad.  Not sure about all the special abilities though.  Especially as they can only be used when you equip certain gloves, hats or whatever.  Maybe it will work out. 

Elikal

Originally posted by Daffid011

Even the PVE videos show way to many grenades, rocket launchers and heavy weaponry all the while running through streets and houses of major cities blowing the ever living shit out of anything that moved.  To me that doesn't really convey a feeling of espionage.    It feels more like a modern urban warfare game. 

The pvp didn't look to bad.  Not sure about all the special abilities though.  Especially as they can only be used when you equip certain gloves, hats or whatever.  Maybe it will work out. 

Well said. For me the essence of a spy is, that he kills NOT, because he is not seen! Or does some quick assasination. He doesnt run around with grenade launchers! Who has changed this new design? Johnny English?

It looked kinda cool in the old previews, really Bond-esque, but THIS is SO superfluous!

Oh... it's a SONY!