Take a look in these two threads. They are the honest opinions of players that the people in this thread didn't want you to see.
Think about that.
And both threads, started by the same person, were locked by the moderator for trolling and trying to start fights. The second was started after the lock-down of the first, so the OP clearly wasn't ready to let his vendetta just drop.
Take a look in these two threads. They are the honest opinions of players that the people in this thread didn't want you to see.
Think about that.
It's mostly just one person who apparently had a mad-on for TSW and really, really doesn't want people playing it for some reason.
If you're going to play TSW, play it for the stories, and the challenge of leveling/gearing your character. Picking the right skill combinations, getting enough materials to craft the gear or to buy the gear, etc.
I said I wouldn't tell anyone their opinion is wrong.
But this is a matter of fact. There were at least 50 people who posted their problems with TSW.
Your post here and posts in that thread strongly hints that you are unwilling to accept that the game has problems and people legitimately dislike it.
Then you haven't read all of my posts. But then, I don't have any expectation that you or anyone else would read all of my posts. I don't even read all of my posts.
Saying TSW has issues is like saying that wind can be annoying when it blows dirt around. I mean, really, what MMORPG doesn't have issues? What MMORPG doesn't have features that some people don't like? What MMORPG doesn't have bugs? What MMORPG doesn't have some sort of developer imposed limits? What MMORPG doesn't have people who legitimately dislike it? None of them.
There is a difference between knowing other people have a different opinion than yourself and accepting other peoples' opinions as valid. I am accepting of the idea that people don't like TSW (or any game). Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Originally posted by clumsytoes44 If you send me a email address, i can get a trial key for tsw for ya, and you can decide for yourself. My ign's are clumsyfingers, clumsy-fingers, and bunglefoot if you need help or have question's i'll do my best to answer and help you.
Cheers, I bought the game recently but haven't had a chance to play it yet. People seem to talk about the game in the past tense a lot so I wondered if it was too late to start out with.
If you haven't started yet, I would suggest waiting until you can devote a couple of evenings to it. That way, you can be sure to complete the 30 Mission challenge. The reward is 1200 bonus points to spend at the in-game store; that's enough for a DLC pack, most full outfits or several pieces of clothing.
Another tip: you fight better with 2 weapons, and the initial weapon selection area just gives you one. But you can just go back inside to pick up a different one; the second one won't come with free abilities like the first, but you can spend the AP you got training with the first one to buy an ability to use the second. Or you can just proceed to the newbie area (Solomon Island). The first mission you take there will give you a new upgraded weapon, either a replacement for the first one or a different one. There are also simple crafting missions at the police station (make any weapon) and fortuneteller (Chaos weapon).
Take a look in these two threads. They are the honest opinions of players that the people in this thread didn't want you to see.
Think about that.
And both threads, started by the same person, were locked by the moderator for trolling and trying to start fights. The second was started after the lock-down of the first, so the OP clearly wasn't ready to let his vendetta just drop.
6. Quests that require use of brain (investigations)
7. Non-combat quests (sabotage)
8. Gear only takes you so far - playing skill and decent decks are necessary
9. Game treats you as if you have an IQ higher than 12
10. Clothing completely separate from gear; complete freedom to make your own look
11. Fun events (going on this weekend)
12. Best Halloween events period.
13. The game is actually challenging, but not over the top difficult
14. Best cut scenes and NPCs, hands down
Number 9 is the reason I play and support the game again. After GW2s dumbing down and now SWToRs trait overhaul I am really fed up with mmorpgs.
It's refreshing to play a game where I can't go afk during combat, my gear won't carry me, and trash mobs will rip me a new one if I don't pay attention. Also, the community is pretty awesome with lots of player run events. The last time I've experienced those was in SWG.
Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
My line in the sand is any post that tries to convert opinion to "fact." Opinions, positive and negative are fine, but when belief becomes The Truth, you're way deep into Troll territory.
Edit: the list above is completely subjective and my opinion. Have no problem at all if folks disagree with it.
Originally posted by Athisar Is it a good game to start now? Or is it a bit too late?
And both threads, started by the same person, were locked by the moderator for trolling and trying to start fights. The second was started after the lock-down of the first, so the OP clearly wasn't ready to let his vendetta just drop.
Here you go Athisar judge for yourself
"At this point, there seem to be more posts calling each other out than there are actually trying to discuss the thread topic. The discussion appears to have run its course if all there's left is slinging insults and personal attacks."
That's what the mod said. If you read the threads you can see exactly who caused the threads to be locked.
From where I sit it was pretty clear that the fanboys didn't want anyone talking about why TSW failed. Par for the course.
There is a difference between knowing other people have a different opinion than yourself and accepting other peoples' opinions as valid. I am accepting of the idea that people don't like TSW (or any game). Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
I am certain there's a word for people who poke and prod until they get the answers they want or the person they are talking to blows up.
Net, Net, I have to thank you and the other posters in this thread. I had a question "What killed The Secret World ?"
Just how can a game that gets such ratings and rave reviews do so poorly ?
It's mind boggling of course.
The people who participated in those threads honestly and offered their experience truly have my thanks. All the problems you listed and voted on in the poll provided insight if not the conclusion. What you do take away from the overall tone is that the game doesn't grab people and doesn't live up to the promises it makes or implies.
Combat is promoted as wonderful, in actuality most people found it Meh
Storytelling is billed as revolutionary, actually it's like a book that makes you read a page many times before you get to the next.
Graphics are touted as wonderful, true enough but you can't see them and have performance on most people's systems.
The problem with TSW is that the game is not for everyone.
1) If you run through quests in MMORPGs by skipping every cutscene and reading guides from the internet if you are having difficulties. The game is not for you.
2) If you look up the "BEST class" or "BEST build" from the interwebs and don't like to create your own. The game is not for you.
3) If you don't enjoy difficulty and getting owned in PvE . The game is not for you.
4) If you want to play completely free without paying for the content packs/dlcs the game is not for you although the game does provide you hefty amounts of content with just the 5$ you pay for the launch edition. However you will be missing most of the endgame.
5) If you don't enjoy the social aspect in creating parties and raids for dungeons/lairs the game is not for you although you can experience a lot from the game by only playing solo and never talking to anyone but again you will be missing the endgame.
**ENDGAME = Grinding for tokens/gear/ability enchants solo and in groups from scenarios, dungeons and raids with varying lockouts from 18 hours to 66 hours (raids) and multiple difficulties (novice/normal/elite/nightmare). Plenty of stuff to achieve and ways to improve your character.**
There is a difference between knowing other people have a different opinion than yourself and accepting other peoples' opinions as valid. I am accepting of the idea that people don't like TSW (or any game). Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
I am certain there's a word for people who poke and prod until they get the answers they want or the person they are talking to blows up.
Net, Net, I have to thank you and the other posters in this thread. I had a question "What killed The Secret World ?"
Just how can a game that gets such ratings and rave reviews do so poorly ?
It's mind boggling of course.
The people who participated in those threads honestly and offered their experience truly have my thanks. All the problems you listed and voted on in the poll provided insight if not the conclusion. What you do take away from the overall tone is that the game doesn't grab people and doesn't live up to the promises it makes or implies.
Combat is promoted as wonderful, in actuality most people found it Meh
Storytelling is billed as revolutionary, actually it's like a book that makes you read a page many times before you get to the next.
Graphics are touted as wonderful, true enough but you can't see them and have performance on most people's systems.
Etc Etc Etc.
Failure to manage expectations
I think your conclusion is incomplete. Failure to manage expectations is certainly a problem TSW has. I saw them build up hype for updates to the game that either weren't delivered in a timely fashion (Tokyo nearly a year late) or had long term die hard players dropping the game like a hot potato (PvP/ Scenarios). So imho it's certainly "A" problem. Pulling people in with a false expectation certainly doesn't score you points with your customer.
I just can't see how it is "THE" problem. Without far better numbers I don't think anyone is going to get definitive answers to the question of "why did the secret world fall flat ?"
The problem with TSW is that the game is not for everyone.
1) If you run through quests in MMORPGs by skipping every cutscene and reading guides from the internet if you are having difficulties. The game is not for you.
2) If you look up the "BEST class" or "BEST build" from the interwebs and don't like to create your own. The game is not for you.
3) If you don't enjoy difficulty and getting owned in PvE . The game is not for you.
4) If you want to play completely free without paying for the content packs/dlcs the game is not for you although the game does provide you hefty amounts of content with just the 5$ you pay for the launch edition. However you will be missing most of the endgame.
5) If you don't enjoy the social aspect in creating parties and raids for dungeons/lairs the game is not for you although you can experience a lot from the game by only playing solo and never talking to anyone but again you will be missing the endgame.
**ENDGAME = Grinding for tokens/gear/ability enchants solo and in groups from scenarios, dungeons and raids with varying lockouts from 18 hours to 66 hours (raids) and multiple difficulties (novice/normal/elite/nightmare). Plenty of stuff to achieve and ways to improve your character.**
I don't know what game you are talking about but it really isn't TSW.
Counterpoints to put yours in context.
1. If you enjoy seeing the same cutscene 50-100 times TSW may be for you.
2. If you enjoy making bad builds, data entry, or decompiling the game you may be the devs target build crafter. You may be their ultimate target audience if you enjoy making cookie cutter builds based around 3 out of 525 abilities.
3. If you still believe that tab targeted MMO combat where you can just outgear the enemies can be called difficult, TSW may be for you.
4. If you don't care about spending your money and time on a game that goes 9 months between new issues TSW may be for you.
5. If you want a game that actively gets in the way of social interaction and drives people to use outside services TSW may be for you.
So your opinions aren't wrong but what they describe is also rather incomplete. The description of theory crafting is very horrific. If you expect to have any social interaction or participate in raids, your build will have to meet levels of performance or the group will give you the boot very quickly. In order to gain that level of performance be it healer or dps you will be reduced to focusing on elemental force or elemental manifestations. That's it you will be reduced to a build 5, consumer, filler, big consumer rotation for totems you will need a machine that doesn't stutter when the game starts drawing the placement reticles.
TBF Funcom has an option to not use the targeting reticles, the problem is it doesn't work properly and hasn't since launch.
There is a difference between knowing other people have a different opinion than yourself and accepting other peoples' opinions as valid. I am accepting of the idea that people don't like TSW (or any game). Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
I am certain there's a word for people who poke and prod until they get the answers they want or the person they are talking to blows up.
Net, Net, I have to thank you and the other posters in this thread. I had a question "What killed The Secret World ?"
Just how can a game that gets such ratings and rave reviews do so poorly ?
It's mind boggling of course.
The people who participated in those threads honestly and offered their experience truly have my thanks. All the problems you listed and voted on in the poll provided insight if not the conclusion. What you do take away from the overall tone is that the game doesn't grab people and doesn't live up to the promises it makes or implies.
Combat is promoted as wonderful, in actuality most people found it Meh
Storytelling is billed as revolutionary, actually it's like a book that makes you read a page many times before you get to the next.
Graphics are touted as wonderful, true enough but you can't see them and have performance on most people's systems.
Etc Etc Etc.
Failure to manage expectations
This is actually what I'm talking about. Wonderful example actually.
Combat: You are promoting opinions as general truths about the game. Some people like the combat, some people don't.
Story Telling: You're not even bothering to promote other peoples' opinions. You're just stating an opinion as if it's actually a fact about the game.
Graphics: Same thing, you're just stating an opinion as if it's actually a fact about the game.
Given that you are presenting opinions, you're only presenting the negative ones as valid.
You are also trying to restart a thread in this one that was locked.
Presenting opinions about a game as facts: Check
Presenting little or no objective information: Check
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
The problem with TSW is that the game is not for everyone.
1) If you run through quests in MMORPGs by skipping every cutscene and reading guides from the internet if you are having difficulties. The game is not for you.
2) If you look up the "BEST class" or "BEST build" from the interwebs and don't like to create your own. The game is not for you.
3) If you don't enjoy difficulty and getting owned in PvE . The game is not for you.
4) If you want to play completely free without paying for the content packs/dlcs the game is not for you although the game does provide you hefty amounts of content with just the 5$ you pay for the launch edition. However you will be missing most of the endgame.
5) If you don't enjoy the social aspect in creating parties and raids for dungeons/lairs the game is not for you although you can experience a lot from the game by only playing solo and never talking to anyone but again you will be missing the endgame.
**ENDGAME = Grinding for tokens/gear/ability enchants solo and in groups from scenarios, dungeons and raids with varying lockouts from 18 hours to 66 hours (raids) and multiple difficulties (novice/normal/elite/nightmare). Plenty of stuff to achieve and ways to improve your character.**
I don't know what game you are talking about but it really isn't TSW.
Counterpoints to put yours in context.
1. If you enjoy seeing the same cutscene 50-100 times TSW may be for you.
2. If you enjoy making bad builds, data entry, or decompiling the game you may be the devs target build crafter. You may be their ultimate target audience if you enjoy making cookie cutter builds based around 3 out of 525 abilities.
3. If you still believe that tab targeted MMO combat where you can just outgear the enemies can be called difficult, TSW may be for you.
4. If you don't care about spending your money and time on a game that goes 9 months between new issues TSW may be for you.
5. If you want a game that actively gets in the way of social interaction and drives people to use outside services TSW may be for you.
So your opinions aren't wrong but what they describe is also rather incomplete. The description of theory crafting is very horrific. If you expect to have any social interaction or participate in raids, your build will have to meet levels of performance or the group will give you the boot very quickly. In order to gain that level of performance be it healer or dps you will be reduced to focusing on elemental force or elemental manifestations. That's it you will be reduced to a build 5, consumer, filler, big consumer rotation for totems you will need a machine that doesn't stutter when the game starts drawing the placement reticles.
TBF Funcom has an option to not use the targeting reticles, the problem is it doesn't work properly and hasn't since launch.
You should cut back on gaming sir.
TSW is actually a fun game if you don't take it as seriously as "Another_Fan"
bought the complete pack with all Issues a couple of months ago, also got Tokyio which is a fantastic place. Got it on steam I´m enjoying it very much, they are doing great events too
I envy those of you that find value and enjoyment in this game. Sadly, my time in beta with it was the quickest out of any MMO I've ever either beta tested or played at launch. One hour is all it took. And looking several months post launch, and now a few years...for me it was the right one. It has the absolute worst combat system in the MMO market and unless you are a sandbox MMO, combat is nearly everything. Rift and WoW have better combat. At least the animations in WoW are fluid and responsive. Not to mention you use more than two abilities. I watched several videos of gameplay...everyone had the same machine gun that fired three rounds. Most people then switched to a mechete of sorts when the mob got close. It was just that....3 rounds, mechette, back and forth.
And Im not a WoW fanboy. I don't even play WoW, partially because its combat is too slow...and Im here saying WoW has better combat that TSW.
But again, envy to you guys that enjoy it because the them of the game is like no other. Wish it would have been made better. I would love to get into a paranormal MMO with an actual fear factor. The sounds and ambience look great.
I envy those of you that find value and enjoyment in this game. Sadly, my time in beta with it was the quickest out of any MMO I've ever either beta tested or played at launch. One hour is all it took. And looking several months post launch, and now a few years...for me it was the right one. It has the absolute worst combat system in the MMO market and unless you are a sandbox MMO, combat is nearly everything. Rift and WoW have better combat. At least the animations in WoW are fluid and responsive. Not to mention you use more than two abilities. I watched several videos of gameplay...everyone had the same machine gun that fired three rounds. Most people then switched to a mechete of sorts when the mob got close. It was just that....3 rounds, mechette, back and forth.
And Im not a WoW fanboy. I don't even play WoW, partially because its combat is too slow...and Im here saying WoW has better combat that TSW.
But again, envy to you guys that enjoy it because the them of the game is like no other. Wish it would have been made better. I would love to get into a paranormal MMO with an actual fear factor. The sounds and ambience look great.
This mirrors a lot of what I think about the game. I feel like I should like this game, but if I had to choose between this game and say, WoW, or this game and plenty of single player games, I'm going to choose the other option. They have gotten the load times down so the game isn't a burden to play, but that's apparently not enough.
I think the quests are good, better than most, and the pace of progression seems fine. The environments and general theme of the game seems really cool too. The graphics, while not the best, are not bad. Certainly "good enough". Strafing left or right looks pretty weird, but it's something I can get over.
I am reluctant to even bring this up, but for me, it really comes down to the combat. With RPG combat, games can tweak two difficulty factors. Either setting up the character for combat can take time, or the combat itself can require a lot of paying attention. TSW chose to do both. Players have to select skill combinations to be effective, along with gear, as well as combat that is designed to be a challenge. It's too much. For someone (like me) who wants to focus on the quests and the stories, finding out you've borked your character with AP/SP selections is a real disappointment. The subject matter of the game doesn't seem to be something with a broad appeal, and the combat mechanics just reinforce this.
That said, given that Funcom is refocusing on mid-tier gaming and multi-platform stuff, maybe it's OK that TSW isn't going to have a broad appeal. For people who want challenging content and game play, TSW provides it. The reasons I don't like the game more (combat) seem to be reasons that other people really like the game. *shrug*
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
TSW is a game that I like to play. I do understand why some don't like it as I have friends who played this game and didn't like it for the reasons mentioned. This is true of most games. What is concerning to me is when someone obsessively goes out of their way to single one game out, over and over again. This suggest more than a dislike for a game. Perhaps an agenda against the game or maybe some kind of mental issue. There are many other potential considerations but my point is what is the goal? If it was to stop people from playing I would say the opposite is true. These threads have generated more interest in TSW than anything else. The number of members in the mmorpg cabal is much more than anyone anticipated in part due to the consistent mention of TSW. I spoke with a few cabal mates and they confirmed this exact point. If that was the point, than mission accomplished. If not, perhaps it's time to consider another method.
1. I can lose myself in the skill wheel for hours trying to find a new build to concoct.
2. Despite what others who have not played the game all that much might say, there are ALOT of viable builds. There are a handful of passives that are way more useful than others, but you can pretty much put any weapon combo together to build a very viable build. Currently Im Fists/Chaos DPS and it's working really well...Was Hammer/Chaos tank as well. I prefer Chaos for whatever reason, but there are Hammer/Shotgun, Blade/Rifle, Elementalism...etc etc...list goes on.
3. I can lose myself in the skill wheel for hours trying to find a new build to concoct.
4. You could read up on a dungeon strat and still be lost when you get there
5. Quests are top notch...can't be beat. The cut scenes and characters in the game are bar-none. Each character you encounter has a very unique style to them that matches their location
6. The mobs are challenging, especially in transylvania and require a bit of thinking
7. You'll never have just 1 build once you get about 3/4 of the way through the game...you'll want a few builds that do specific things and counter specific enemy buffs/defenses.
8. Like the others have said, the devs know you are an intelligent life form and treat you that way.
Originally posted by sumdumguy1 ... What is concerning to me is when someone obsessively goes out of their way to single one game out, over and over again. This suggest more than a dislike for a game. Perhaps an agenda against the game or maybe some kind of mental issue...
Yep, Funcom tends to cause that to people for some reason
There's a dude over the AoC subforum, who resurfaces every year to post an "n+1 years" thread about how awful AoC is. Mindboggling that there are people out there spending years from their life with an agenda against video games
(but who knows? maybe there's money in it somewhere? No such thing as bad adverts, as they used to say...)
Not to mention you use more than two abilities. I watched several videos of gameplay...everyone had the same machine gun that fired three rounds. Most people then switched to a mechete of sorts when the mob got close. It was just that....3 rounds, mechette, back and forth.
I really really don't see the point of this complaint... Anyone who decided to start with an assault rifle got the same starter model gun, so? Any noob character with (the same) AR is firing a 3 round burst. Yes, it's called "Safety Off", the very first AR ability you get when you choose to start with an assault rifle. And yes, most people like to use a melee weapon to fight at melee range, and a blade is a popular choice. What is your point?
I really like the setting and idea behind TSW, and I'd love to enjoy it, but the gameplay just isnt good enough for me to enjoy the game so much that I actually want to log in. Needs better character creator, more fluid and "solid" combat, better animations and visual effects (most of the special/spell effects are very bad, a big problem that Rift also has imo, playing a spell caster often feels like you are tossing around match-sticks or simply just ugly/bad/lame spells).
Edit; Also forgot to mention the stupid looking static caster pose, it's somehow incredibly off-putting to me.
Comments
And both threads, started by the same person, were locked by the moderator for trolling and trying to start fights. The second was started after the lock-down of the first, so the OP clearly wasn't ready to let his vendetta just drop.
Then you haven't read all of my posts. But then, I don't have any expectation that you or anyone else would read all of my posts. I don't even read all of my posts.
Saying TSW has issues is like saying that wind can be annoying when it blows dirt around. I mean, really, what MMORPG doesn't have issues? What MMORPG doesn't have features that some people don't like? What MMORPG doesn't have bugs? What MMORPG doesn't have some sort of developer imposed limits? What MMORPG doesn't have people who legitimately dislike it? None of them.
There is a difference between knowing other people have a different opinion than yourself and accepting other peoples' opinions as valid. I am accepting of the idea that people don't like TSW (or any game). Games are, after all, really just a collection of preferences. Where I start to reply and poke people is when they have decided that I must agree with their opinion about TSW (or any game). Where I start to reply and poke people is when they decide that objective information about TSW (or any game) is irrelevant.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
If you haven't started yet, I would suggest waiting until you can devote a couple of evenings to it. That way, you can be sure to complete the 30 Mission challenge. The reward is 1200 bonus points to spend at the in-game store; that's enough for a DLC pack, most full outfits or several pieces of clothing.
Another tip: you fight better with 2 weapons, and the initial weapon selection area just gives you one. But you can just go back inside to pick up a different one; the second one won't come with free abilities like the first, but you can spend the AP you got training with the first one to buy an ability to use the second. Or you can just proceed to the newbie area (Solomon Island). The first mission you take there will give you a new upgraded weapon, either a replacement for the first one or a different one. There are also simple crafting missions at the police station (make any weapon) and fortuneteller (Chaos weapon).
This. Mods made it clear.
Number 9 is the reason I play and support the game again. After GW2s dumbing down and now SWToRs trait overhaul I am really fed up with mmorpgs.
It's refreshing to play a game where I can't go afk during combat, my gear won't carry me, and trash mobs will rip me a new one if I don't pay attention. Also, the community is pretty awesome with lots of player run events. The last time I've experienced those was in SWG.
My line in the sand is any post that tries to convert opinion to "fact." Opinions, positive and negative are fine, but when belief becomes The Truth, you're way deep into Troll territory.
Edit: the list above is completely subjective and my opinion. Have no problem at all if folks disagree with it.
Here you go Athisar judge for yourself
"At this point, there seem to be more posts calling each other out than there are actually trying to discuss the thread topic. The discussion appears to have run its course if all there's left is slinging insults and personal attacks."
That's what the mod said. If you read the threads you can see exactly who caused the threads to be locked.
From where I sit it was pretty clear that the fanboys didn't want anyone talking about why TSW failed. Par for the course.
I am certain there's a word for people who poke and prod until they get the answers they want or the person they are talking to blows up.
Net, Net, I have to thank you and the other posters in this thread. I had a question "What killed The Secret World ?"
Just how can a game that gets such ratings and rave reviews do so poorly ?
It's mind boggling of course.
The people who participated in those threads honestly and offered their experience truly have my thanks. All the problems you listed and voted on in the poll provided insight if not the conclusion. What you do take away from the overall tone is that the game doesn't grab people and doesn't live up to the promises it makes or implies.
Combat is promoted as wonderful, in actuality most people found it Meh
Storytelling is billed as revolutionary, actually it's like a book that makes you read a page many times before you get to the next.
Graphics are touted as wonderful, true enough but you can't see them and have performance on most people's systems.
Etc Etc Etc.
Failure to manage expectations
The problem with TSW is that the game is not for everyone.
1) If you run through quests in MMORPGs by skipping every cutscene and reading guides from the internet if you are having difficulties. The game is not for you.
2) If you look up the "BEST class" or "BEST build" from the interwebs and don't like to create your own. The game is not for you.
3) If you don't enjoy difficulty and getting owned in PvE . The game is not for you.
4) If you want to play completely free without paying for the content packs/dlcs the game is not for you although the game does provide you hefty amounts of content with just the 5$ you pay for the launch edition. However you will be missing most of the endgame.
5) If you don't enjoy the social aspect in creating parties and raids for dungeons/lairs the game is not for you although you can experience a lot from the game by only playing solo and never talking to anyone but again you will be missing the endgame.
**ENDGAME = Grinding for tokens/gear/ability enchants solo and in groups from scenarios, dungeons and raids with varying lockouts from 18 hours to 66 hours (raids) and multiple difficulties (novice/normal/elite/nightmare). Plenty of stuff to achieve and ways to improve your character.**
I think your conclusion is incomplete. Failure to manage expectations is certainly a problem TSW has. I saw them build up hype for updates to the game that either weren't delivered in a timely fashion (Tokyo nearly a year late) or had long term die hard players dropping the game like a hot potato (PvP/ Scenarios). So imho it's certainly "A" problem. Pulling people in with a false expectation certainly doesn't score you points with your customer.
I just can't see how it is "THE" problem. Without far better numbers I don't think anyone is going to get definitive answers to the question of "why did the secret world fall flat ?"
I don't know what game you are talking about but it really isn't TSW.
Counterpoints to put yours in context.
1. If you enjoy seeing the same cutscene 50-100 times TSW may be for you.
2. If you enjoy making bad builds, data entry, or decompiling the game you may be the devs target build crafter. You may be their ultimate target audience if you enjoy making cookie cutter builds based around 3 out of 525 abilities.
3. If you still believe that tab targeted MMO combat where you can just outgear the enemies can be called difficult, TSW may be for you.
4. If you don't care about spending your money and time on a game that goes 9 months between new issues TSW may be for you.
5. If you want a game that actively gets in the way of social interaction and drives people to use outside services TSW may be for you.
So your opinions aren't wrong but what they describe is also rather incomplete. The description of theory crafting is very horrific. If you expect to have any social interaction or participate in raids, your build will have to meet levels of performance or the group will give you the boot very quickly. In order to gain that level of performance be it healer or dps you will be reduced to focusing on elemental force or elemental manifestations. That's it you will be reduced to a build 5, consumer, filler, big consumer rotation for totems you will need a machine that doesn't stutter when the game starts drawing the placement reticles.
TBF Funcom has an option to not use the targeting reticles, the problem is it doesn't work properly and hasn't since launch.
This is actually what I'm talking about. Wonderful example actually.
Combat: You are promoting opinions as general truths about the game. Some people like the combat, some people don't.
Story Telling: You're not even bothering to promote other peoples' opinions. You're just stating an opinion as if it's actually a fact about the game.
Graphics: Same thing, you're just stating an opinion as if it's actually a fact about the game.
Given that you are presenting opinions, you're only presenting the negative ones as valid.
You are also trying to restart a thread in this one that was locked.
Presenting opinions about a game as facts: Check
Presenting little or no objective information: Check
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
You should cut back on gaming sir.
TSW is actually a fun game if you don't take it as seriously as "Another_Fan"
I envy those of you that find value and enjoyment in this game. Sadly, my time in beta with it was the quickest out of any MMO I've ever either beta tested or played at launch. One hour is all it took. And looking several months post launch, and now a few years...for me it was the right one. It has the absolute worst combat system in the MMO market and unless you are a sandbox MMO, combat is nearly everything. Rift and WoW have better combat. At least the animations in WoW are fluid and responsive. Not to mention you use more than two abilities. I watched several videos of gameplay...everyone had the same machine gun that fired three rounds. Most people then switched to a mechete of sorts when the mob got close. It was just that....3 rounds, mechette, back and forth.
And Im not a WoW fanboy. I don't even play WoW, partially because its combat is too slow...and Im here saying WoW has better combat that TSW.
But again, envy to you guys that enjoy it because the them of the game is like no other. Wish it would have been made better. I would love to get into a paranormal MMO with an actual fear factor. The sounds and ambience look great.
This mirrors a lot of what I think about the game. I feel like I should like this game, but if I had to choose between this game and say, WoW, or this game and plenty of single player games, I'm going to choose the other option. They have gotten the load times down so the game isn't a burden to play, but that's apparently not enough.
I think the quests are good, better than most, and the pace of progression seems fine. The environments and general theme of the game seems really cool too. The graphics, while not the best, are not bad. Certainly "good enough". Strafing left or right looks pretty weird, but it's something I can get over.
I am reluctant to even bring this up, but for me, it really comes down to the combat. With RPG combat, games can tweak two difficulty factors. Either setting up the character for combat can take time, or the combat itself can require a lot of paying attention. TSW chose to do both. Players have to select skill combinations to be effective, along with gear, as well as combat that is designed to be a challenge. It's too much. For someone (like me) who wants to focus on the quests and the stories, finding out you've borked your character with AP/SP selections is a real disappointment. The subject matter of the game doesn't seem to be something with a broad appeal, and the combat mechanics just reinforce this.
That said, given that Funcom is refocusing on mid-tier gaming and multi-platform stuff, maybe it's OK that TSW isn't going to have a broad appeal. For people who want challenging content and game play, TSW provides it. The reasons I don't like the game more (combat) seem to be reasons that other people really like the game. *shrug*
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
I have to agree also.
The main reasons I play TSW are:
1. I can lose myself in the skill wheel for hours trying to find a new build to concoct.
2. Despite what others who have not played the game all that much might say, there are ALOT of viable builds. There are a handful of passives that are way more useful than others, but you can pretty much put any weapon combo together to build a very viable build. Currently Im Fists/Chaos DPS and it's working really well...Was Hammer/Chaos tank as well. I prefer Chaos for whatever reason, but there are Hammer/Shotgun, Blade/Rifle, Elementalism...etc etc...list goes on.
3. I can lose myself in the skill wheel for hours trying to find a new build to concoct.
4. You could read up on a dungeon strat and still be lost when you get there
5. Quests are top notch...can't be beat. The cut scenes and characters in the game are bar-none. Each character you encounter has a very unique style to them that matches their location
6. The mobs are challenging, especially in transylvania and require a bit of thinking
7. You'll never have just 1 build once you get about 3/4 of the way through the game...you'll want a few builds that do specific things and counter specific enemy buffs/defenses.
8. Like the others have said, the devs know you are an intelligent life form and treat you that way.
Yep, Funcom tends to cause that to people for some reason
There's a dude over the AoC subforum, who resurfaces every year to post an "n+1 years" thread about how awful AoC is. Mindboggling that there are people out there spending years from their life with an agenda against video games
(but who knows? maybe there's money in it somewhere? No such thing as bad adverts, as they used to say...)
I really really don't see the point of this complaint... Anyone who decided to start with an assault rifle got the same starter model gun, so? Any noob character with (the same) AR is firing a 3 round burst. Yes, it's called "Safety Off", the very first AR ability you get when you choose to start with an assault rifle. And yes, most people like to use a melee weapon to fight at melee range, and a blade is a popular choice. What is your point?
I really like the setting and idea behind TSW, and I'd love to enjoy it, but the gameplay just isnt good enough for me to enjoy the game so much that I actually want to log in. Needs better character creator, more fluid and "solid" combat, better animations and visual effects (most of the special/spell effects are very bad, a big problem that Rift also has imo, playing a spell caster often feels like you are tossing around match-sticks or simply just ugly/bad/lame spells).
Edit; Also forgot to mention the stupid looking static caster pose, it's somehow incredibly off-putting to me.
This. Especially #2. Best trailer ever (imo)
My vote would go for this one
http://youtu.be/4A4i12-yhAA