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I'm in alpha and....
I'm sad to say that I'm underwhelmed.
But it's key to note that much of that is about me and how I'm exhausted with the MMO genre in general. Also, with each new MMO - they seem to all have their own improvements to the genre that I find myself missing in others.
ArcheAge has an absolutely fantastic feature-set, let me put that out there right now. The amount of stuff you can do is simply amazing and finally seems like an evolution of the old Ultima Online concept that I used to consider the core of the MMO genre.
That has all but faded with the way themeparks completely dominate the genre, and though AA is clearly not a pure sandbox, it's enough of a sandbox to keep that part of me occupied, if I liked the rest of the game.
Sadly, the themepark aspect of AA is extremely underwhelming, and I'm finding the questing dull and uninspired. I despise the way mobs are all over the place - but don't seem to do anything except stand around or walk in very limited patterns. I know it's par for the course for sandboxes - but it takes me out of the game.
Another thing I find very disappointing is the lack of open world dungeons. This game would have been the perfect version of Vanguard - except that it seems to have nothing interesting to find in the open world. Sure, you can find resources to harvest and the occasional rare spawn, but that's about it. What good is an open world without meaningful exploration?
Then there's the art style and overall atmosphere - which I find nauseatingly upbeat and juvenile. I'm not a fan of dark, dark, dark either - as I prefer a balance of moods and atmosphere. But if I'm going to take a world seriously, it has to have compelling lore and plausible characters populating it. Lord of the Rings Online had a fantastic world, for instance.
I'm a big fan of PvP - but this game seems set up to be all about group PvP. I'm not anti-social - but I often prefer to play alone, and I don't enjoy feeling forced to group to enjoy the game. Now, I haven't played it enough to be sure - and it's mostly based on the design that I've been researching. But it doesn't seem like any solo PvP player would be of use and since it's not full loot - there's really nothing much to gain as an incentive. You can loot packs of resources, I guess - but I'd lose that in a second in such a group oriented environment.
Then there's the engine itself, which while clearly capable - is just not working for me when it comes to player created content. Due to the unpredictable nature of player content - the engine has to load it moments before you're upon it, which creates massive pop-ups all over the place. This is jarring and not at all immersive. One advantage of Ultima Online was the tilebased 2D image approach, which meant everything was in memory and rarely "popped up" as such.
The world design is also lacking, based on the ~7-8 areas I've seen so far. Not enough to set them apart - and they seem way too empty and sparsely populated with unique content. The towns are underwhelming and even the biggest ones seem almost pointless except as quest/crafting hubs.
I could go on and I know this is coming off as very negative. I'm sorry about that, and I can only re-iterate what I said at first, that I'm probably just tired of the genre in general.
It has the basic structure of an AMAZING MMO - but the actual content is very, very underwhelming.
If I'm going to live in a world - which, to me, is the ultimate desire to have in an MMO, the world itself has to be compelling.
AA is just not, sorry.
Comments
inb4fanbois.
All I have to say dude is.....losing $150 is a tough way to find out you don't like a game.
As for solo PvP i often find myself playing alone in pvp areas and have to roam solo; but the game is surely focused on mass PvP.
I can confirm this.
Solo PvP is absolutely no problem.
Just visit the first PvP zone and gank every player without a guild
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!!!
Is that surprising for a sandpark?
What about finding those exploration coins or spots to do unsafe farming or set up a base?
I'm guessing most people find that a strong positive.
Given that everyone wants to play 3D games and not 2D, what sandbox would you say has a better engine?
Isn't the whole point of the "sparse content" to allow players to fill it up themselves?
I have to agree with dandurin.
Personally, I am happy with the exploration part, I've managed to hide and grow crops in the wild, I've managed to move between areas over the mountains (using my glider) or over waters and hills and in doing so I've shortened travel times enormously and I've yet to find an area where I can't go/jump to etc. I also enjoy finding "wild" crops/trees and I've recently got a "Treasure Map" (no idea what that is, I think i need a special object to find out) I'm looking forward to discover.
I have not seen 7-8 areas, only about 5-6 but I have to say that they make sense and the climate (which is important for farming) and the looks of the areas change gradually. It doesn't bother me that the areas are sparsely populated as I can already see that most of the housing/farming areas are full or next to full and if they get more players they will need to provide space for them, so in the end it will end up overly populated.
I have no idea about PvP but I am already in a guild which is willing to protect its own players, especially if they are undertaking more of the farmer/trader role. That does not mean they will zerg, only that they will provide guards if needed.
The quests are ok, nothing special (I still wonder what "special" would be exactly) but they do a decent job of explaining and introducing the player to different concepts and parts of the game. Or at least they did for me as I've found things a bit overwhelming in the beginning because I wanted to pretty much do everything at once and starting immediately:)
If I would have to use a word for this game it WOULD be "compelling" and I have yet to discover a lot more (I assume good AND bad which is fine by me).
Thank you for the replies.
As for paying 150$ - well, I was curious and I knew I was taking a shot. I don't think they're obligated to provide me with the perfect game - and I have no issue taking that chance, as I had the money available and I haven't ruled out playing it entirely. I'm not sure why shame would be part of the picture, and I'm not the kind of person who goes around feeling ashamed very often.
Surprised that the themepark is weak? No, but how is that relevant. The point is that it's not good - not that I expected it to be good.
I HOPED it would be good, but I had no expectations as such.
Sounds cool that solo PvP is doable to some of you - though I'd probably have to look at more long-term feedback to feel secure in that way.
As for the Rift events, that's true - I had no idea such a thing existed in the game. That said, I grew tired of them very quickly in Rift - and I don't consider them compelling content, really.
Surprised? No, what's your point?
Exploration coins and unsafe farming areas don't sound particularly appealing to me.
Why is it relevant what sandbox has a better engine? I'm talking about AA - not another fictional game.
As for the point of sparse content, I have no idea. I do, however, know that I don't find sparse content interesting - and I don't find endless rows of player houses and farms interesting content to explore.
I feel you DKLond, years and years of waiting. I didn't have to spend any money fortunately for myself to find out but I was really sad when I finally looked at my brother and was like "wtf are we doing man?"
Just didn't stir me inside at all. I've went over this like a 100 times on AA forums and here so im kind of not in the mood to type out an essay trying to explain myself against a torrent of fanboys why i don't like it so im just going to say "whatever rocks your boat"
Just that I wouldn't expect it to have strong themepark elements when they are clearly an afterthought and largely used as tutorials for the sandbox features.
Fair enough. But surely they fall under the "meaningful exploration" category that you said an open world needs.
My point is just that it seems you are condemning the entire 3D sandbox genre.
Your individual takeaways are as valid as anyone else's, I just sense you are conflicted about whether you really are looking for a "Sandbox" experience.
What you should say is that " Its not " .. for you. because it is for me .
I'm not claiming my opinion is worth more or less than any other opinion out there.
But I think it's very appropriate to talk about opinions and the reasons behind them on a public forum, dedicated to the subject at hand.
As for being conflicted, I doubt there's a single player in the entire world who knows exactly what he or she wants. I have a pretty good idea of the kind of content I like, and the kind of MMO that would appeal to me.
ArcheAge actually has a LOT of the structure necessary to appeal to me, it's just that I don't think the execution of the "park" is good at all - and I'm not interested in a pure sandbox. When I first heard about how ArcheAge would combine themepark and sandbox design into one, I was very excited. But, as I said, the execution is very far from what I would have wanted.
As for the ideal MMO, there's no such thing. I have lots of ideas for how such a game would play, but I don't think we'll be see anything like it for many years - if at all.
That would be redundant. My entire post is obviously subjective - and I'm very happy other people are enjoying it. I'm not the sort of person who derives pleasure from the misery of other people.
DKLond, I respect your opinion and perspective. Since you did pay for the $150 pack, I hope you will consider stopping by again after a few months has passed.
if not, that's ok too. Best wishes and I hope you find a MMO home
Kind and reasonable words, thank you
I'll be sure to check out the game from time to time, and I'm always checking out new MMOs. Maybe one day I'll find one that can get me to stay, but if not - that's ok. There's always going to be singleplayer games - and there's this thing called real life I probably should pay more attention to.
Understood. Btw can you send me your account info since you won't be needing it anymore?
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
Once I'm certain I'm not going to play it - I'd have no issue giving my account away, but I'd probably have to give priority to people close to me
If anyone else cares I have had a waaaay different feeling then the OP. I think its great and I have played everything. This game is way better then your average mmorpg. People are lying, jaded or jilted if they say anything else. If anyone ever refers to UO in their thread they are a jaded lover that needs to get over their highschool sweetheart.
One trick that I have learned that under any circumstance, NEVER expect a sandbox. Even if they are selling the biggest sandbox ever. Don't expect it. Be surprised by it if there is any.
I haven't played it as much as most in alpha, it seems - but if you have specific questions, I'll gladly try to answer them.
This is the key sentence from the OP. All the guys that wanna be down on the game will ignore this though in order to seize on the chance to criticise for fun.
If someone recognises that they are burnt out on MMORPGs then I am a bit confused why they would have thought they would enjoy playing another.
I burned out a while back and what I did was to stop MMORPGs for a good long time. AA is my 'come back' game and I am finding it amazing.
OP, take a break, play something else, DO something else. There is no point trudging on in a genre you don't enjoy right now, spreading negativity to to others.
I wouldn't normally say it, but in this case the state of your 'whelmed' can be put 100% down to you and not the title. You are burnt out.
First of all, I don't understand why people confuse expectations with hope.
I don't always try out games because I actually expect them to be the game for me. Since I have a job that pays ok - I have absolutely no problem spending it on a shot like this. My time has always been more valuable than money - and as long as I can put food on the table and have a roof over my head, I don't really care what my money pays for.
No, as much as I understand your conclusion - it's not exclusively about being burned out on the genre.
For instance, I've enjoyed ESO a lot more - and I still like that game even if it's FAR from ideal. This is ironic, because the design structure is pretty far from my ideal MMO concept. Still, the lore and the quests are quite compelling to me.
When I talk about the MMO genre, it's more a general kind of traditional design I'm talking about. My problem with ArcheAge has to do with it being extremely traditional in certain key areas - where I was HOPING (not expecting) for more.
But, it's very true that me having played MMOs since 1997 and games since 1981 has created a certain fatigue when it comes to the traditional.