you are mistaken on a great many things. From the FAQ:
When is Pathfinder Online coming out?
We are planning to begin Alpha testing in the 2nd Quarter of 2014.
We are planning to begin Early Enrollment in the 3rd Quarter of 2014.
Open Enrollment is scheduled for early in 2016.
Where on earth you get the idea will launch in 2 weeks is anyone's guess!
You also seem to be mistaking EE (early enrollment) with the more common 'Early Access' or 'Head start'.
From the Kickstarter page:
...an invite to become an Early Enrollee in the Beta...Patrons at this level will be invited to join Early Enrollment in the order that they pledged this level. The first 2,000 will be invited into month number one of Early Enrollment. Once we have reached 2,000 patrons at this level, the next 2,000 will get invites to month two, with the next 2,000 getting invites for month three and so on through the ninth month of Early Enrollment.
So EE IS beta (at best) access.
You have no grounds for complaint beyond your own inability to read and understand what you are buying.
There wont be a server reset, there is a monthly subscription. You can call it launch, or you can call it a beta, but that doesn't stop the fact that you have to pay a monthly subscription on the game.
Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
At the start of Early Enrollment, we will have implemented the Minimum Viable Product. And it is extremely minimum. This is what you would see if you looked at a traditional MMO 3 years or so before it was readied for "release".
Our theory is that there are enough people who want to engage with the game at this stage to allow us to self-fund the remainder of development. In a world where MMOs have millions of launch customers and hundreds of thousands of monthly subscribers, we're looking to gather about 10-20k people into that initial community of supporters.
The downside is that the game is a long way from what you typically see in a "released" game.
The upside is that players can, and are, and will, actually have a meaningful impact on the design of the game. Because they're participating so early in the game's development, their input matters in a way that suggestions from people playing classically released games never will.
If you want a more complete, more polished game, all you have to do is wait. We are planning on hitting a level of polish and features in Q1 of 2016 comparable to other games of a similar size and scope. That would be a more reasonable point to evaluate things like graphics and UI elements compared to the other similar games in the market.
Some people really want this experience. They've dreamed of having real input into the way an MMO was created. They want to see their hard work in theorycrafting and systems analysis actually make a difference. For those people, the cost is reasonable.
Some people are uncomfortable with products at a preliminary stage of development and they don't want to play a game that early in it's development. That's ok too.
If you want to be part of something new and exciting and challenging, we'd love to have you join us. And if you need a more polished, more complete product, we'll see you in 2016!
If you want to see the current state of the game today, you can purchase Open Enrollment on our website for $35, which will grant immediate access to the Alpha Test (and will give you access to the live game when Open Enrollment begins in 2016).
I tried alpha and tbh was quite disappointed, sure there are bug and the like but that is to be expected, it is alpha. Also to be expected is that Early Enrollment is also a ongoing alpha and they never tried to hide this. BTW EE is like a "head start you get with founder packs " for other games as there will be no wipe unless something major happens.
The game has potential but it also has some things which I find a big turn off. Some things I do not like:
~ ranged attacks are rooted
~ no run toggle you need to hold down shift or watnot to "sprint"
~ current aggro mechanics result in a leash like behavior
~ IA is very very stupid
~ missing very basic controls that we tend to take for granted in most mmos (in FS cant alt tab without game crashing and things of this nature)
~ crafting is frakking boring and has huge huge craft times
~ skills and their progression are not very intuitive
~ they way skills and gear works is confusing for newbies. For example you get the skill frost ray but need a wand to actually use it then when you finally get frost ray 2 you think woot damage upgrade but nada because you need a +1 wand to use frost ray 2, the same thing with armor and armor feats/skills etc etc.
There's a plethora of other things but I don't really feel like writing and essay on it. lol
I mean the game has some potential unfortunately the people making the game are listening to a select few "heavy weights" in there forums which is leading and will lead to more asinine directions mechanics wise.
TBH I cannot believe people would pay a sub for this as it is now.
At this point I can say I like how it has an open world and though the graphics are meh they could be worse and I hear they may upgrade them but only far far down the line.
All your concerns would be greatly mitigated by joining an active group ( the Landrush listing of guilds on Goblinworks site is a good starting point), Where the people with more experience could tell you the basics, and eventually impart the nuances of this unique and interesting system of skills, gear, and achievements.
e.g. Run toggle is the 'r' key. Ranged got rooted for alpha but will not remain rooted. Gaining a level in crafting halves the time to make a craft. Keybinds can be customized by editing a file, it's simple to do. etc.
Give it a try with an organized gorup ; )
TL/DR; Alpha is a time of everyone working together to make a game, charging in alone is going to require a huge appetite for frustration.
Reading the posts here makes me believe most of the posters did not read the information on the Kickstarter, have not kept up on the game forums, and probably have not played. Ryan Dancey and the rest of the develop and design team have been very upfront and open about what to expect and when to expect it. Graphics is in and functional, but is expected to get better over time, just like they said. The combat system is in and is expected to get better over time, just like they said. And strangely enough, the crafting system is in and will get better over time, again, just like they said. And they guys in the shop are on the forums all the time posting replies and providing dada, and crowdforging things that need community discussion. (...just like they said they would....that bears repeating.)
The game is in an Alpha stage, and will go into a period called "Early Enrollment" where players who have bought in to the game get to support their chosen settlements, develop their characters, help the design and development team prioritize implementation of certain features (the fourth race, Gnomes, was a crowdforged decision, as Humans, Dwarves and Elves are in now). The Early Enrollment period is expected to last somewhere around 16-18 months until "Open Enrollment" begins (Spring or Summer of 2016) - essentially the retail availability of the game.
I am playing for the community I have found. EVE was fun, and I really liked the training system, but the community there was toxic, and there were few consequences for bad player behavior. Ryan and company have set an expectation of actions having consequences with a reputation system (kill randomly and lose access to settlement training, or have a bounty placed on your head), but there are many ways to actively engage in PvP using settlement warfare, faction warfare, raiding parties, and many others. Outright grifing will not be tolerated and griefers will be kicked and/or banned. Naming conventions will be maintained and those using obscene or vulgar names will be forced to change their names, and in some cases banned when found. Goblinworks has stated they will not tolerate such things, and that is supported by the current community. It is designed to be a PG-13 game, not a pornographic murder simulator so many become.
As far as graphics go, yes, it is a little bumpy, but they stated as much, and is has improved in recent patches and will continue to improve. There are many beautiful games out there, like Destiny and Wildstar that supposedly have outstanding graphics. Sadly, they don't have a population, but if you want to stand around alone in beautiful scenery, there are many games available. If you want complex gameplay and a good gaming community come play Pathfinder Online. Many of the tools are not in yet (settlement construction, company and faction feuding, dungeon adventures) but the basics are in and you can gain skill as the game develops.
(NOTE: To sprint, just hit "R" or "Ctrl". Both are toggles to walk/sprint. Engage the players on General Chat and you can learn a lot.)
I am myself a very very disappointed backer of the first hour, with 1600$ worth of money in the game. I just gave my two accounts, because of the very people posting here. You can't criticise the game without the flames of legions of fanboys.
I invested in a sandbox game without grinding. I end up with a game in which you are limited by XP over time like EvE, which is fine, but you are ALSO limited by grinding of mobs like any Theme Park.
Do you intend to only play for PvP ? Sorry, not gonna happen, you can't gain skill without farming hundreds of mobs.
Wow.... you're judging the game because you can't tab between user name and password? You're whining about not having multi-million dollar graphics on a $1.5 million budget? You obviously don't belong in the game. On behalf of the PFO community, good bye and good riddance.
I love the game. Its not MVP yet- Settlement and Company tech needs to get added. But the astounding rate at which these things are being developed and dropped into the game make me feel very good about spending my $100 on Beta (EE). Add the wonderful community on top of the degree of potential this game has (and is quickly realizing with each passing week), and I say bravo to the GW staff. The game is a success waiting to happen, and happening is only a matter of time.
Copperfield, attacking another player in town right next to the Thornguards is about the dumbest thing you could have done to start your game off. Its not the game's fault (nor the developers) if you made a poor gameplay decision from the first moment you stepped into the world.
The developers have been very clear about a few things: PvP will be meaningful (so don't attack the first person you see) and the Thornguards are vicious- they never forget and never forgive.
Copperfield, you attacked a Town Guard which is why they killed you and kept killing you.
We plan to add some warnings so that players are told things like "if you attack the Town Guard, they'll hunt you down and kill you" so you can make an informed choice about your actions before you take them. I'm sorry you didn't know not to kill Town Guards as a new character - I'm sure it will be a common mistake which is why we need to create a warning.
Caveat: I am told that my opinion here is of no value because this is the first MMO with which I've really been involved (having left the three others I tried within a couple of hours out of sheer boredom). So it's possible that my opinions are worthless and I'm only enjoying the Alpha and seeing potential in my understanding of the developers plans because I don't know any better.
YMMV
Technically, you accused me of forgetting to mention that I "neglected to mention the caveat that you are angry and bitter personne", and I told you that you forgot to mention that you actually never played any MMO.
You are aware that people can verify by themselves ?
You are trying to look like a victim, even though you are the one who went on personal attacks. But people can directly go in the concerned thread, and see for themselves that I was just merely responding to your aggression.
Anyway, no reason to flood about our personal exchanges on an other website.
To be fair, you can PvP and gain a good many Achievements, just not Adventure Achievements. That means, that you can gain kills with your specific weapons for gates/pre-reqs.
Now, I shall give you all my opinion, a sound one that takes in the Pros and Cons.
Cons -
Graphics - Subpar, but they have 1-2 years to fix it.
Combat - Subpar, a bit stale, but things haven't been implemented like ammo, stamina drain for armor, and changes in speed.
Reputation System - Too Costly if you screw up, or even if you kill someone, hinders PvP.
No Sanction PvP - None at the moment, so you can screw yourself, but with War of Towers coming, as well as feuds being implemented (guild vs guild) it should be interesting.
AI - The AI is terrible in this game.
Pros -
Huge World - Huge Open world similar to Original Darkfall, makes you feel like you are really going some where.
Gathering/Refining/Crafting - I feel this system is robust, thousands of recipes to make armor, weapons, implements, consumables all player made. The que system where you just make something and walk away I like, because I can go do other stuff and come back later.
Settlements - They aren't fully implemented, but it is nice to have some where to call home with my company. A bit sparse, but we have a good many buildings that all function.
Skill/Feat/Training System - Experience gain over time is good, I really like it, as well as the skill/feat/ability trees. It can be a little confusing, but with smarter tool tips and a better tutorial the current system is just right.
PvE - Escalations are really fun, cool questing, and love doing something to spawn a boss fight.
Now after saying all of this: This is Alpha, it is rough as most are, but EE is essentially a paid Beta, why am I willing to pay for this? Because I believe in the potential of the game, I want to earn some XP, and I want my decisions to start to matter, as well as finally play with a group of people I like.
I am looking forward to: Formations (Mass Combat and Transportation), Full Settlements (Creating your own from scratch) PoIs (Points of Interests like Hamlets or Buildings), Outposts (Gather Bulk Resources for Building), Sieges (Settlement vs Settlement Warfare), Feuds (Guild vs Guild Warfare), and Dedication Bonus (Bonus for putting a lot into a single Role)
Now after saying all of this: This is Alpha, it is rough as most are, but EE is essentially a paid Beta, why am I willing to pay for this? Because I believe in the potential of the game, I want to earn some XP, and I want my decisions to start to matter, as well as finally play with a group of people I like.
Hep Cheatle,
Man, I want to emphasise on " I want to earn some XP ". You do remember that when I said that I didn't consider the game to be good for now, but that I would pay a subscription because I didn't want to be behind on XP, Ryan literarily insulted me and basically accused me of being a power obsessed player ?
When a game sold off as "original" and "inspiring" use bought modular graphics and data to make a prototype and sell that as something new and inspiring you know something is wrong and to be perfectly frank anyone that bought into this title never did much digging to figure those things out. Sorry, but this is one of those, "GL hope whatever you do get to play is fun, for that is the game you are playing as is". Bold statement sure, but actions speak louder then any words, sorry even the website looks like it was done by some kid in a basement.
"The monster created isn't by the company that makes the game, it's by the fans that make it something it never was"
Comments
There wont be a server reset, there is a monthly subscription. You can call it launch, or you can call it a beta, but that doesn't stop the fact that you have to pay a monthly subscription on the game.
What...people haven't learned from AA early access, they still paying for alpha???
...Welp you get what you paid for.....
I think in the end the question is this:
Is an Early Enrollment experience right for you?
At the start of Early Enrollment, we will have implemented the Minimum Viable Product. And it is extremely minimum. This is what you would see if you looked at a traditional MMO 3 years or so before it was readied for "release".
Our theory is that there are enough people who want to engage with the game at this stage to allow us to self-fund the remainder of development. In a world where MMOs have millions of launch customers and hundreds of thousands of monthly subscribers, we're looking to gather about 10-20k people into that initial community of supporters.
The downside is that the game is a long way from what you typically see in a "released" game.
The upside is that players can, and are, and will, actually have a meaningful impact on the design of the game. Because they're participating so early in the game's development, their input matters in a way that suggestions from people playing classically released games never will.
If you want a more complete, more polished game, all you have to do is wait. We are planning on hitting a level of polish and features in Q1 of 2016 comparable to other games of a similar size and scope. That would be a more reasonable point to evaluate things like graphics and UI elements compared to the other similar games in the market.
Some people really want this experience. They've dreamed of having real input into the way an MMO was created. They want to see their hard work in theorycrafting and systems analysis actually make a difference. For those people, the cost is reasonable.
Some people are uncomfortable with products at a preliminary stage of development and they don't want to play a game that early in it's development. That's ok too.
If you want to be part of something new and exciting and challenging, we'd love to have you join us. And if you need a more polished, more complete product, we'll see you in 2016!
If you want to see the current state of the game today, you can purchase Open Enrollment on our website for $35, which will grant immediate access to the Alpha Test (and will give you access to the live game when Open Enrollment begins in 2016).
RyanD
Goblinworks CEO
All your concerns would be greatly mitigated by joining an active group ( the Landrush listing of guilds on Goblinworks site is a good starting point), Where the people with more experience could tell you the basics, and eventually impart the nuances of this unique and interesting system of skills, gear, and achievements.
e.g. Run toggle is the 'r' key. Ranged got rooted for alpha but will not remain rooted. Gaining a level in crafting halves the time to make a craft. Keybinds can be customized by editing a file, it's simple to do. etc.
Give it a try with an organized gorup ; )
TL/DR; Alpha is a time of everyone working together to make a game, charging in alone is going to require a huge appetite for frustration.
Reading the posts here makes me believe most of the posters did not read the information on the Kickstarter, have not kept up on the game forums, and probably have not played. Ryan Dancey and the rest of the develop and design team have been very upfront and open about what to expect and when to expect it. Graphics is in and functional, but is expected to get better over time, just like they said. The combat system is in and is expected to get better over time, just like they said. And strangely enough, the crafting system is in and will get better over time, again, just like they said. And they guys in the shop are on the forums all the time posting replies and providing dada, and crowdforging things that need community discussion. (...just like they said they would....that bears repeating.)
The game is in an Alpha stage, and will go into a period called "Early Enrollment" where players who have bought in to the game get to support their chosen settlements, develop their characters, help the design and development team prioritize implementation of certain features (the fourth race, Gnomes, was a crowdforged decision, as Humans, Dwarves and Elves are in now). The Early Enrollment period is expected to last somewhere around 16-18 months until "Open Enrollment" begins (Spring or Summer of 2016) - essentially the retail availability of the game.
I am playing for the community I have found. EVE was fun, and I really liked the training system, but the community there was toxic, and there were few consequences for bad player behavior. Ryan and company have set an expectation of actions having consequences with a reputation system (kill randomly and lose access to settlement training, or have a bounty placed on your head), but there are many ways to actively engage in PvP using settlement warfare, faction warfare, raiding parties, and many others. Outright grifing will not be tolerated and griefers will be kicked and/or banned. Naming conventions will be maintained and those using obscene or vulgar names will be forced to change their names, and in some cases banned when found. Goblinworks has stated they will not tolerate such things, and that is supported by the current community. It is designed to be a PG-13 game, not a pornographic murder simulator so many become.
As far as graphics go, yes, it is a little bumpy, but they stated as much, and is has improved in recent patches and will continue to improve. There are many beautiful games out there, like Destiny and Wildstar that supposedly have outstanding graphics. Sadly, they don't have a population, but if you want to stand around alone in beautiful scenery, there are many games available. If you want complex gameplay and a good gaming community come play Pathfinder Online. Many of the tools are not in yet (settlement construction, company and faction feuding, dungeon adventures) but the basics are in and you can gain skill as the game develops.
(NOTE: To sprint, just hit "R" or "Ctrl". Both are toggles to walk/sprint. Engage the players on General Chat and you can learn a lot.)
Hello,
Just so you know, a lot of defenders of this game in this thread are just fanboys specifically coming on MORPG.com for propaganda. How can I say that ? Well, just go look here http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rlds?Interesting-Thread-at-MMORPGcom or here http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rbmd&page=1?A-Request-of-the-Community !
I am myself a very very disappointed backer of the first hour, with 1600$ worth of money in the game. I just gave my two accounts, because of the very people posting here. You can't criticise the game without the flames of legions of fanboys.
I invested in a sandbox game without grinding. I end up with a game in which you are limited by XP over time like EvE, which is fine, but you are ALSO limited by grinding of mobs like any Theme Park.
Do you intend to only play for PvP ? Sorry, not gonna happen, you can't gain skill without farming hundreds of mobs.
Fanboys around, will tell you that I am exaggerating and lying. Well, don't take my word, look for yourselves : http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rjlx?Constructive-Criticism
my experience with this alpha was not so good..
I tried.. and wanted exlpore some world..
made a char.. spawned into the world..
attacked some dude there and got spawned killed by npc guards
everytime i respawned 6/7 guards were attacking me.. tried to run away tho.. didn't work out..
deinstalled..
i will try again tho.. if the game is in a better state
Wow.... you're judging the game because you can't tab between user name and password? You're whining about not having multi-million dollar graphics on a $1.5 million budget? You obviously don't belong in the game. On behalf of the PFO community, good bye and good riddance.
I love the game. Its not MVP yet- Settlement and Company tech needs to get added. But the astounding rate at which these things are being developed and dropped into the game make me feel very good about spending my $100 on Beta (EE). Add the wonderful community on top of the degree of potential this game has (and is quickly realizing with each passing week), and I say bravo to the GW staff. The game is a success waiting to happen, and happening is only a matter of time.
Copperfield, attacking another player in town right next to the Thornguards is about the dumbest thing you could have done to start your game off. Its not the game's fault (nor the developers) if you made a poor gameplay decision from the first moment you stepped into the world.
The developers have been very clear about a few things: PvP will be meaningful (so don't attack the first person you see) and the Thornguards are vicious- they never forget and never forgive.
Question is who got knifed in the back.
Copperfield, you attacked a Town Guard which is why they killed you and kept killing you.
We plan to add some warnings so that players are told things like "if you attack the Town Guard, they'll hunt you down and kill you" so you can make an informed choice about your actions before you take them. I'm sorry you didn't know not to kill Town Guards as a new character - I'm sure it will be a common mistake which is why we need to create a warning.
Technically, you accused me of forgetting to mention that I "neglected to mention the caveat that you are angry and bitter personne", and I told you that you forgot to mention that you actually never played any MMO.
You are aware that people can verify by themselves ?
You are trying to look like a victim, even though you are the one who went on personal attacks. But people can directly go in the concerned thread, and see for themselves that I was just merely responding to your aggression.
Anyway, no reason to flood about our personal exchanges on an other website.
To be fair, you can PvP and gain a good many Achievements, just not Adventure Achievements. That means, that you can gain kills with your specific weapons for gates/pre-reqs.
Now, I shall give you all my opinion, a sound one that takes in the Pros and Cons.
Cons -
Graphics - Subpar, but they have 1-2 years to fix it.
Combat - Subpar, a bit stale, but things haven't been implemented like ammo, stamina drain for armor, and changes in speed.
Reputation System - Too Costly if you screw up, or even if you kill someone, hinders PvP.
No Sanction PvP - None at the moment, so you can screw yourself, but with War of Towers coming, as well as feuds being implemented (guild vs guild) it should be interesting.
AI - The AI is terrible in this game.
Pros -
Huge World - Huge Open world similar to Original Darkfall, makes you feel like you are really going some where.
Gathering/Refining/Crafting - I feel this system is robust, thousands of recipes to make armor, weapons, implements, consumables all player made. The que system where you just make something and walk away I like, because I can go do other stuff and come back later.
Settlements - They aren't fully implemented, but it is nice to have some where to call home with my company. A bit sparse, but we have a good many buildings that all function.
Skill/Feat/Training System - Experience gain over time is good, I really like it, as well as the skill/feat/ability trees. It can be a little confusing, but with smarter tool tips and a better tutorial the current system is just right.
PvE - Escalations are really fun, cool questing, and love doing something to spawn a boss fight.
Now after saying all of this: This is Alpha, it is rough as most are, but EE is essentially a paid Beta, why am I willing to pay for this? Because I believe in the potential of the game, I want to earn some XP, and I want my decisions to start to matter, as well as finally play with a group of people I like.
I am looking forward to: Formations (Mass Combat and Transportation), Full Settlements (Creating your own from scratch) PoIs (Points of Interests like Hamlets or Buildings), Outposts (Gather Bulk Resources for Building), Sieges (Settlement vs Settlement Warfare), Feuds (Guild vs Guild Warfare), and Dedication Bonus (Bonus for putting a lot into a single Role)
Hep Cheatle,
Man, I want to emphasise on " I want to earn some XP ". You do remember that when I said that I didn't consider the game to be good for now, but that I would pay a subscription because I didn't want to be behind on XP, Ryan literarily insulted me and basically accused me of being a power obsessed player ?
"The monster created isn't by the company that makes the game, it's by the fans that make it something it never was"