Somehow ALL quests in Blue Mountains are either hard or every hard! Despite the fact I made ALL Kingsmouth quests and the Savage Coast quests even TWICE!
Is there anyone who has a really strong built, ideally involving either Sword + AR or Sword + Ele? I am SOOOO tired of endless rows of death.
And PLEASE not some halfassed experts. Only advise from people who really know what they say. I will make one more try, so that last try MUST work, proven by calculation experts not hearsay wisdom.
Blades/AR is one of the strongest combinations in the game currently. Elementalism is extremely powerful as well.
I sure hope you didn't check the forums, see that people were posting that Blade/AR and Ele were OP, and then try to build off that knowledge in the hope that you would be able to skate through the content. Bad idea.
You need to take a look at the way you have built your character and adjust. Blue Mountains is a significant ramp up in difficulty, however, if you're having serious issues then something is obviously wrong. Despite the increased difficulty you should not be roadblocked at Blue Mountains by any means, and the fact that you are leads me to believe the issues is entirely your build (or possibly your build and a combination of your gear, which I cannot see, so I cannot make an informed assessment to try and assist you further).
I was a closed beta participant from the first phase of invites right until early access, and I still take time out of my day to contribute on TestLive. You don't get much more informed than I am.
The bottom line is that plenty of players are soloing through Blue Mountains without any problem, and enjoy the challenge of doing so. The fact that you are not is greatly indicative of an issue with your character, not the game as a whole.
Combat is kinda lame, but the game is still awesome imo, im having fun playing it, right now I'm playing while waiting for GW2 yes, but the more I play the more I question... Am I really gonna be done when GW2 comes out? Only time will tell! I do wonder if I will come back after GW2 launch...
Combat is kinda lame, but the game is still awesome imo, im having fun playing it, right now I'm playing while waiting for GW2 yes, but the more I play the more I question... Am I really gonna be done when GW2 comes out? Only time will tell! I do wonder if I will come back after GW2 launch...
I am in the same boat. I love TSW and so far from the two BWEs I have been in for GW2, I love it as well. One saving grace is that GW2 does not have the monthly sub, so I can justify playing both.
Is there anyone who has a really strong built, ideally involving either Sword + AR or Sword + Ele? I am SOOOO tired of endless rows of death.
And PLEASE not some halfassed experts. Only advise from people who really know what they say. I will make one more try, so that last try MUST work, proven by calculation experts not hearsay wisdom.
Read Yokai's guide to AR + blades. This is a very experienced player who has several guides for TSW. I'm not saying you need to copy his exact build (would take you a while anyway since he has several outer wheel passive abilites from 3 different weapons... Shotgun 12 Gouge is a beauty though) but read what he has to say about his choices and why he made them.
This should give you some insight into the complexities of designing a good deck with rational synergies.
I am also playing AR/Rifle and following his spec fairly closely but I've taken a break from that to level Ele + blood. The reason I did this is because I wanted to have a solid ranged DPS spec for dungeons.
When people say that AR is the highest DPS heal spec, you have to take that in context. I.e. it sucks balls compared to a real non-healing DPS spec. The DPS in Blades + AR comes almost totally from blades actives (with some nice bonuses from AR and Shotgun passives) so it's a melee DPS build.
Funny thing though... I've been running around with my Ele/Blood build mowing things down. Then I got a Templar Faction mission where I have to pursue a templar thief who stole something. Whne I finally caught up to him and the Illuminati and Dragon guys whp also wanted the artifact, I had my ass handed to me in short order using Ele/Blood... Switched to Blades/AR after respawn and I mowed all 3 down no-sweat with a full health bar most of the fight.
Blades + AR is a helluva spec. Don't give up on it, just improve it.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
Is there anyone who has a really strong built, ideally involving either Sword + AR or Sword + Ele? I am SOOOO tired of endless rows of death.
And PLEASE not some halfassed experts. Only advise from people who really know what they say. I will make one more try, so that last try MUST work, proven by calculation experts not hearsay wisdom.
Read Yokai's guide to AR + blades. This is a very experienced player who has several guides for TSW. I'm not saying you need to copy his exact build (would take you a while anyway since he has several outer wheel passive abilites from 3 different weapons... Shotgun 12 Gouge is a beauty though) but read what he has to say about his choices and why he made them.
This should give you some insight into the complexities of designing a good deck with rational synergies.
I am also playing AR/Rifle and following his spec fairly closely but I've taken a break from that to level Ele + blood. The reason I did this is because I wanted to have a solid ranged DPS spec for dungeons.
When people say that AR is the highest DPS heal spec, you have to take that in context. I.e. it sucks balls compared to a real non-healing DPS spec. The DPS in Blades + AR comes almost totally from blades actives (with some nice bonuses from AR and Shotgun passives) so it's a melee DPS build.
Funny thing though... I've been running around with my Ele/Blood build mowing things down. Then I got a Templar Faction mission where I have to pursue a templar thief who stole something. Whne I finally caught up to him and the Illuminati and Dragon guys whp also wanted the artifact, I had my ass handed to me in short order using Ele/Blood... Switched to Blades/AR after respawn and I mowed all 3 down no-sweat with a full health bar most of the fight.
Blades + AR is a helluva spec. Don't give up on it, just improve it.
This is the biggest problem with the skill/deck system atm. There are very few truly viable builds and if you don't use the FotM build, you really suffer for it. There are a number of builds with high levels of synergy that still suck. In too many cases, building the synergies gives you very little benefit beyond a more random mix of "most powerful skills" unlocked and available.
The game needs massive skill rebalancing, hopefully beefing up the underpowered skills and synergies, rather than nerfing the relatively OP'd builds, because the game is clearly balanced around people using the most uber FotM build they can find.
Somehow ALL quests in Blue Mountains are either hard or every hard! Despite the fact I made ALL Kingsmouth quests and the Savage Coast quests even TWICE!
Is there anyone who has a really strong built, ideally involving either Sword + AR or Sword + Ele? I am SOOOO tired of endless rows of death.
And PLEASE not some halfassed experts. Only advise from people who really know what they say. I will make one more try, so that last try MUST work, proven by calculation experts not hearsay wisdom.
Blades/AR is one of the strongest combinations in the game currently. Elementalism is extremely powerful as well.
I sure hope you didn't check the forums, see that people were posting that Blade/AR and Ele were OP, and then try to build off that knowledge in the hope that you would be able to skate through the content. Bad idea.
You need to take a look at the way you have built your character and adjust. Blue Mountains is a significant ramp up in difficulty, however, if you're having serious issues then something is obviously wrong. Despite the increased difficulty you should not be roadblocked at Blue Mountains by any means, and the fact that you are leads me to believe the issues is entirely your build (or possibly your build and a combination of your gear, which I cannot see, so I cannot make an informed assessment to try and assist you further).
I was a closed beta participant from the first phase of invites right until early access, and I still take time out of my day to contribute on TestLive. You don't get much more informed than I am.
The bottom line is that plenty of players are soloing through Blue Mountains without any problem, and enjoy the challenge of doing so. The fact that you are not is greatly indicative of an issue with your character, not the game as a whole.
I don't get this post.
You acknowledge that there are builds that are much more capable than others, then you say that you shouldn't just try to copy established, powerful builds, but rather find your own, only to then say that if you are having problems, your build is wrong!
Sadly, the proper thing to do is to follow a guide that highlights a currently acknowledged high powered build, so that you can tackle content successfully, then spend any excess AP on experimental builds, many of which will seem to have great synergy on paper, but will still greatly underperform the current FotM builds.
Skill balance is horrible in the game. Unfortunately, the problem isn't a few OP builds, since content seems to be balanced for those OP builds. The problem is the other 99.5% of builds, obtainable by the time you reach Blue Mountains on a single play through, that are just not able to handle the content, no matter how synergistic they may be.
A hard lesson for me has been the discovery that many synergistic builds are based on skills who's base numbers are so low that even with full synergy you don't get a pay off for the synergy in line with the effort or on par with the few high powered builds.
It's great for hard core theorycrafters who like being able to find one build in 10,000 that blows the rest away, but it's bad for the rest of us who don't like to play games with cookie cutter, FotM builds.
It takes a long time to unlock the faction decks, I hope they are all viable once you get there, because if even the Funcom built decks have a high fail ratio, then there will be no greater indication of how FUBAR skill balance is in TSW.
Speculation and make-believe, that's about how I would sum up your post. I don't think the game is anywhere near explored enough to come to the conclusions you're pushing. It may be that you're right, that it will end up with a select few builds that are much stronger than everything else - but we just don't know yet. Wathcing meta-games develop, you would know that that kind of development takes time and effort from a lot of people. To sit judge over the combination and synergy of more than 500 skills is premature.
To your second point, I don't think it's a problem that you need an efficient build in order to be an efficient player. To me, 'play as you like' doesn't mean that you should be able to pick any 14 skills at random and be just as viable as everyone else? That sounds extraordinarily naive in my ears, possible even intentionally so.
Only a few OP builds able to do the content? I really don't recognize that. I've mixed and matched on my own and have never felt that I had no chance against what I was up against. Sometimes I have had to adopt, as is part of the developers plan for the world, that you can't just power through with 'your' build, but that you must be flexible and develop your character, but what of it?
And lets say that you're right - that some builds will be found to be OP and to blow all others out of the water. Well, we'll go through the same process as every other MMO ever has. Balancing and tweaking and nerfing and buffing. It is inevitable, as I see it.
This is the biggest problem with the skill/deck system atm. There are very few truly viable builds and if you don't use the FotM build, you really suffer for it. There are a number of builds with high levels of synergy that still suck. In too many cases, building the synergies gives you very little benefit beyond a more random mix of "most powerful skills" unlocked and available.
The game needs massive skill rebalancing, hopefully beefing up the underpowered skills and synergies, rather than nerfing the relatively OP'd builds, because the game is clearly balanced around people using the most uber FotM build they can find.
Well if you were in the closed beta (I wasn't) I suppose you'd have strong opinions on what needs buffing and what doesn't. It happens in every MMO once people settle in and get to know the system really well.
I don't know what FotM has to do with AR + blades or Yokai's build--and he has several in other posts. Maybe I'm just too new to know better but the system looks like a lot of fun to explore, mix and match. And so far the stuff I'm putting together myself seems to be working... shrug.
That's not to say that I'm above getting to a point in an MMO where I know a class or a particular set of skills better than the devs do (or so I think anyway.) When that happens, yeah, I throw terms like "FotM", "nerf" and "buff" around. That's my "MMO critic" mode. With TSW I'm blissfully ignorant about the inevitable closed beta board arguments on what needed a buff and what didn't, the winners and the losers.
Lucky me, I get to just play and enjoy the game.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
I played probably every big MMO there is. I played computer games since C64 days, I made maps on chequered paper and journal entries on paper, and I played computer games in days when they were *really* difficult.
Difference is: then was then and now is now. I changed. My patience is now that I am in my advanced age of 41, less. I still want to think, puzzle, combine and try out. But I do *not* want certain levels of frustration, and as one compatriot here pointed out: as I see it Funcom is here in real danger to lose a majority of it's players soon. I know and totally respect that some people like exactly that difficulty. That's ok. When I was 20, I liked that too. But now I have an adult life, and I game less for proving myself, I play to relax. And while I was totally ready to go back to a previous zone and repeat it COMPLETELY one time to alter my skill-set, and I was trying out 20-30 combinations, that is as far as my patience goes. A game must welcome me. It must adapt to my playstyle and my wishes, I do not want a sort of "education" game which forces me to look after optimal built guides. I want a game where I with my level of intelligence can within a reasonable time of study and experiment can come up with a built that allows me a fluid experience.
Atm TSW does NOT allow that. And imvpo I think that is a flaw. I did reasonable amounts of study, experimentation and trying out stuff into it, and at a certain point a game just has to work. A game needs a certain natural flow. And TSW just doesn't have this flow. There were just many places in Blue Mountain area where the mobs respawned faster than I could kill then. Period. And trust me, when you try 30 builts with your QL5-6 gear, that is as good as it gets.
Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
compared to all these other MMOs I listed games combat looks fine to me
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Elikal, you're not the first one to be frustrated by blue mountains, that's fir sure. If it is any consolation, Egypt opens up again. You may wan't to go to the first zone in Egypt for now, at some places it is easier than Blue Mountains.
If you have any patience for reading still, there is also this great guide (and great site):
I've seen several people say that combat is lame, but I've not seen a post elaborate on it. What about it is so shockingly bad in comparison to the other tab target MMOs? All of these games are button mashers, so I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean. I started mashing macro's in FFXI in 2004. I still mash buttons now.
What is an example of a game that does combat well?
Elikal, you're not the first one to be frustrated by blue mountains, that's fir sure. If it is any consolation, Egypt opens up again. You may wan't to go to the first zone in Egypt for now, at some places it is easier than Blue Mountains.
If you have any patience for reading still, there is also this great guide (and great site):
I never made any FotM built. But I am seriously considering. I am tired of reading and studying. I read those skills and combined them as best as I could, but it led to nothing. So I really would remake a built that is proven to be OP.
I've seen several people say that combat is lame, but I've not seen a post elaborate on it. What about it is so shockingly bad in comparison to the other tab target MMOs? All of these games are button mashers, so I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean. I started mashing macro's in FFXI in 2004. I still mash buttons now.
What is an example of a game that does combat well?
Lotro
Champions Online
Age of Conan (melee, NOT magic!)
Rift
WOW (say what you want)
GW2 (as far as I played, it was similar action-y and still managable)
SWG post-CU and pre-NGE (skill based)
EQ2 in it's later years
Those had good combat systems, even if all had different systems, they worked. They were right with the difficulty compared to the mobs.
TSW is not.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
I played probably every big MMO there is. I played computer games since C64 days, I made maps on chequered paper and journal entries on paper, and I played computer games in days when they were *really* difficult.
Difference is: then was then and now is now. I changed. My patience is now that I am in my advanced age of 41, less. I still want to think, puzzle, combine and try out. But I do *not* want certain levels of frustration, and as one compatriot here pointed out: as I see it Funcom is here in real danger to lose a majority of it's players soon. I know and totally respect that some people like exactly that difficulty. That's ok. When I was 20, I liked that too. But now I have an adult life, and I game less for proving myself, I play to relax. And while I was totally ready to go back to a previous zone and repeat it COMPLETELY one time to alter my skill-set, and I was trying out 20-30 combinations, that is as far as my patience goes. A game must welcome me. It must adapt to my playstyle and my wishes, I do not want a sort of "education" game which forces me to look after optimal built guides. I want a game where I with my level of intelligence can within a reasonable time of study and experiment can come up with a built that allows me a fluid experience.
Atm TSW does NOT allow that. And imvpo I think that is a flaw. I did reasonable amounts of study, experimentation and trying out stuff into it, and at a certain point a game just has to work. A game needs a certain natural flow. And TSW just doesn't have this flow. There were just many places in Blue Mountain area where the mobs respawned faster than I could kill then. Period. And trust me, when you try 30 builts with your QL5-6 gear, that is as good as it gets.
Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period.
I think you just need to realize that this game is made for a niche market, and it's one you're obviously not fond of. I've seen your post on the official forums about this, and it seemed like the majority who responded like the way the game is, including myself.
There's nothing to be in denial about. It's obvious this game was created to fill the void in the mmo world, for those of us that like complex, thought provoking character development and gameplay. If you want something casual that caters to your admitted lack of patience and a hand-holding experience, you have 100s of games to choose from. That isn't the case for the rest of us.
Elikal, you're not the first one to be frustrated by blue mountains, that's fir sure. If it is any consolation, Egypt opens up again. You may wan't to go to the first zone in Egypt for now, at some places it is easier than Blue Mountains.
If you have any patience for reading still, there is also this great guide (and great site):
I never made any FotM built. But I am seriously considering. I am tired of reading and studying. I read those skills and combined them as best as I could, but it led to nothing. So I really would remake a built that is proven to be OP.
Well, the tl;dr of the site I linked is: It'sreally important to keep your talismans up to date. That is, it isn't enough for the weapons to be QL 5/6. Yeah, but otherwise, skip the area for now and come back and laugh at the punity of the mobs when you've progressed ^^
Originally posted by ShakyMo Lol at rift and lotro is good combat
Is that your problem with tsw, you can't stand on the spot spamming your macro button while watching tv?
seems like that's a lot of peoples issue I guess
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Man, I hate to say it but I think it just might be his gameplay. We've all been told to get better at one point or another. That might be what you need to do bro.
Are you a clicker and/or a key turner? I was at one point.
I played probably every big MMO there is. I played computer games since C64 days, I made maps on chequered paper and journal entries on paper, and I played computer games in days when they were *really* difficult.
Difference is: then was then and now is now. I changed. My patience is now that I am in my advanced age of 41, less. I still want to think, puzzle, combine and try out. But I do *not* want certain levels of frustration, and as one compatriot here pointed out: as I see it Funcom is here in real danger to lose a majority of it's players soon. I know and totally respect that some people like exactly that difficulty. That's ok. When I was 20, I liked that too. But now I have an adult life, and I game less for proving myself, I play to relax. And while I was totally ready to go back to a previous zone and repeat it COMPLETELY one time to alter my skill-set, and I was trying out 20-30 combinations, that is as far as my patience goes. A game must welcome me. It must adapt to my playstyle and my wishes, I do not want a sort of "education" game which forces me to look after optimal built guides. I want a game where I with my level of intelligence can within a reasonable time of study and experiment can come up with a built that allows me a fluid experience.
Atm TSW does NOT allow that. And imvpo I think that is a flaw. I did reasonable amounts of study, experimentation and trying out stuff into it, and at a certain point a game just has to work. A game needs a certain natural flow. And TSW just doesn't have this flow. There were just many places in Blue Mountain area where the mobs respawned faster than I could kill then. Period. And trust me, when you try 30 builts with your QL5-6 gear, that is as good as it gets.
Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period.
The difference between you and me (other than your youth, lol. Yes, I am older than you and age has zero to do with this) is that I started out on the Atari, although I did have a C-64 as well.
...and that I don't expect MMOs to be what fills my "quicky" game playing time. I have NHL 2012 and a whole pile of single player games for that. Complex systems are still fun for me and that's what I want in an MMO. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll want simple all the time, but I don't right now.
I've played just about every "big" MMO for 12+ years... EQ, AC, DAoC, WOW, SWG, LOTRO, Rift, SWTOR, etc. and I have seen a steady decline in innovation and uniqueness in the genre. Everything is dumbed-down with some artificial difficulty thrown in in the guise of required gear-grinds. TSW feels like a very refreshing change of pace to me and I'm loving it--especially the complexity.
Is it for everyone? I seriously doubt it. I can't stand Eve but tons of people like it. Different strokes and all that...Idon't know why it's so tough for people here to just say "I don't like this" or "It's not for me." Instead I see a lot of hot air and rationalizations blaming gaming systems and design for what is essentially a personal preference.
I mean, look at your post. Your 2nd paragraph tells us that you don't like complex games any more... fair enough. But then you have to end your post with "Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period."
You don't like it therefore it's bad. Is that about it?
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
I have wanted to love this game, but I can't. It's just tedious. The combat is a horrible button mash fest. Everything else is stellar. The atmosphere is perfect, the quests are fine. But the combat is atrocious. AOC was sooo much better in this area. I've gone back to lotro and won't be renewing my sub. I appreciate TSW and what it's trying to be, but I don't have the time or patience for it. Instead of getting better, things just get worse as you progress. Crafting is a pain in the ass instead of something to look forward to. It seems like tedium and repetition are the games replacement for leveling up due to lack of content. Otherwise, a small area takes forever due to really slow advancement and the intention of keeping players in one area as long as possible. On top of that, there is very little reference to secret societies and all that. TOTALLY dissappointed...
Interesting. I love the combat. In fact I will probably stay subbed because I love the combat so much (among other things). The months that I stay with this game will more than make up for you leaving.
On the other hand, I have stopped playing first person shooter games, because all you do is shoot things.... in the first person. Pfft! Way to innovate, game developers. I have also stopped playing Tennis because of the lack of content. All you do is hit the ball back and forth. It's like a repetative racket mash fest. I don't think it will really catch on. I've gone back to jogging in place, since it's free-to-play.
Comments
Is it FTP yet?
Blades/AR is one of the strongest combinations in the game currently. Elementalism is extremely powerful as well.
I sure hope you didn't check the forums, see that people were posting that Blade/AR and Ele were OP, and then try to build off that knowledge in the hope that you would be able to skate through the content. Bad idea.
You need to take a look at the way you have built your character and adjust. Blue Mountains is a significant ramp up in difficulty, however, if you're having serious issues then something is obviously wrong. Despite the increased difficulty you should not be roadblocked at Blue Mountains by any means, and the fact that you are leads me to believe the issues is entirely your build (or possibly your build and a combination of your gear, which I cannot see, so I cannot make an informed assessment to try and assist you further).
I was a closed beta participant from the first phase of invites right until early access, and I still take time out of my day to contribute on TestLive. You don't get much more informed than I am.
The bottom line is that plenty of players are soloing through Blue Mountains without any problem, and enjoy the challenge of doing so. The fact that you are not is greatly indicative of an issue with your character, not the game as a whole.
The only people who think the combat is complex or the game is difficult are those who don't have a good grasp of the mechanics yet.
Combat is kinda lame, but the game is still awesome imo, im having fun playing it, right now I'm playing while waiting for GW2 yes, but the more I play the more I question... Am I really gonna be done when GW2 comes out? Only time will tell! I do wonder if I will come back after GW2 launch...
I am in the same boat. I love TSW and so far from the two BWEs I have been in for GW2, I love it as well. One saving grace is that GW2 does not have the monthly sub, so I can justify playing both.The game is good, but just not finished imho.
Yes, everything gets worse after Kingsmouth.
I am a long-term beta tester, and I wrote up a longer review that you may find here:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/356322/Review-from-longterm-beta-tester.html
Read Yokai's guide to AR + blades. This is a very experienced player who has several guides for TSW. I'm not saying you need to copy his exact build (would take you a while anyway since he has several outer wheel passive abilites from 3 different weapons... Shotgun 12 Gouge is a beauty though) but read what he has to say about his choices and why he made them.
This should give you some insight into the complexities of designing a good deck with rational synergies.
I am also playing AR/Rifle and following his spec fairly closely but I've taken a break from that to level Ele + blood. The reason I did this is because I wanted to have a solid ranged DPS spec for dungeons.
When people say that AR is the highest DPS heal spec, you have to take that in context. I.e. it sucks balls compared to a real non-healing DPS spec. The DPS in Blades + AR comes almost totally from blades actives (with some nice bonuses from AR and Shotgun passives) so it's a melee DPS build.
Funny thing though... I've been running around with my Ele/Blood build mowing things down. Then I got a Templar Faction mission where I have to pursue a templar thief who stole something. Whne I finally caught up to him and the Illuminati and Dragon guys whp also wanted the artifact, I had my ass handed to me in short order using Ele/Blood... Switched to Blades/AR after respawn and I mowed all 3 down no-sweat with a full health bar most of the fight.
Blades + AR is a helluva spec. Don't give up on it, just improve it.
Link to Yokai's Build Page: http://yokaiblog.wikidot.com/yokaibuilds
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
This is the biggest problem with the skill/deck system atm. There are very few truly viable builds and if you don't use the FotM build, you really suffer for it. There are a number of builds with high levels of synergy that still suck. In too many cases, building the synergies gives you very little benefit beyond a more random mix of "most powerful skills" unlocked and available.
The game needs massive skill rebalancing, hopefully beefing up the underpowered skills and synergies, rather than nerfing the relatively OP'd builds, because the game is clearly balanced around people using the most uber FotM build they can find.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
I don't get this post.
You acknowledge that there are builds that are much more capable than others, then you say that you shouldn't just try to copy established, powerful builds, but rather find your own, only to then say that if you are having problems, your build is wrong!
Sadly, the proper thing to do is to follow a guide that highlights a currently acknowledged high powered build, so that you can tackle content successfully, then spend any excess AP on experimental builds, many of which will seem to have great synergy on paper, but will still greatly underperform the current FotM builds.
Skill balance is horrible in the game. Unfortunately, the problem isn't a few OP builds, since content seems to be balanced for those OP builds. The problem is the other 99.5% of builds, obtainable by the time you reach Blue Mountains on a single play through, that are just not able to handle the content, no matter how synergistic they may be.
A hard lesson for me has been the discovery that many synergistic builds are based on skills who's base numbers are so low that even with full synergy you don't get a pay off for the synergy in line with the effort or on par with the few high powered builds.
It's great for hard core theorycrafters who like being able to find one build in 10,000 that blows the rest away, but it's bad for the rest of us who don't like to play games with cookie cutter, FotM builds.
It takes a long time to unlock the faction decks, I hope they are all viable once you get there, because if even the Funcom built decks have a high fail ratio, then there will be no greater indication of how FUBAR skill balance is in TSW.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
Speculation and make-believe, that's about how I would sum up your post. I don't think the game is anywhere near explored enough to come to the conclusions you're pushing. It may be that you're right, that it will end up with a select few builds that are much stronger than everything else - but we just don't know yet. Wathcing meta-games develop, you would know that that kind of development takes time and effort from a lot of people. To sit judge over the combination and synergy of more than 500 skills is premature.
To your second point, I don't think it's a problem that you need an efficient build in order to be an efficient player. To me, 'play as you like' doesn't mean that you should be able to pick any 14 skills at random and be just as viable as everyone else? That sounds extraordinarily naive in my ears, possible even intentionally so.
Only a few OP builds able to do the content? I really don't recognize that. I've mixed and matched on my own and have never felt that I had no chance against what I was up against. Sometimes I have had to adopt, as is part of the developers plan for the world, that you can't just power through with 'your' build, but that you must be flexible and develop your character, but what of it?
And lets say that you're right - that some builds will be found to be OP and to blow all others out of the water. Well, we'll go through the same process as every other MMO ever has. Balancing and tweaking and nerfing and buffing. It is inevitable, as I see it.
*Edit to remove assholedom
Well if you were in the closed beta (I wasn't) I suppose you'd have strong opinions on what needs buffing and what doesn't. It happens in every MMO once people settle in and get to know the system really well.
I don't know what FotM has to do with AR + blades or Yokai's build--and he has several in other posts. Maybe I'm just too new to know better but the system looks like a lot of fun to explore, mix and match. And so far the stuff I'm putting together myself seems to be working... shrug.
That's not to say that I'm above getting to a point in an MMO where I know a class or a particular set of skills better than the devs do (or so I think anyway.) When that happens, yeah, I throw terms like "FotM", "nerf" and "buff" around. That's my "MMO critic" mode. With TSW I'm blissfully ignorant about the inevitable closed beta board arguments on what needed a buff and what didn't, the winners and the losers.
Lucky me, I get to just play and enjoy the game.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
I played probably every big MMO there is. I played computer games since C64 days, I made maps on chequered paper and journal entries on paper, and I played computer games in days when they were *really* difficult.
Difference is: then was then and now is now. I changed. My patience is now that I am in my advanced age of 41, less. I still want to think, puzzle, combine and try out. But I do *not* want certain levels of frustration, and as one compatriot here pointed out: as I see it Funcom is here in real danger to lose a majority of it's players soon. I know and totally respect that some people like exactly that difficulty. That's ok. When I was 20, I liked that too. But now I have an adult life, and I game less for proving myself, I play to relax. And while I was totally ready to go back to a previous zone and repeat it COMPLETELY one time to alter my skill-set, and I was trying out 20-30 combinations, that is as far as my patience goes. A game must welcome me. It must adapt to my playstyle and my wishes, I do not want a sort of "education" game which forces me to look after optimal built guides. I want a game where I with my level of intelligence can within a reasonable time of study and experiment can come up with a built that allows me a fluid experience.
Atm TSW does NOT allow that. And imvpo I think that is a flaw. I did reasonable amounts of study, experimentation and trying out stuff into it, and at a certain point a game just has to work. A game needs a certain natural flow. And TSW just doesn't have this flow. There were just many places in Blue Mountain area where the mobs respawned faster than I could kill then. Period. And trust me, when you try 30 builts with your QL5-6 gear, that is as good as it gets.
Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
here's some MMO combat videos
Vanguard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNpb1vGNbpY&feature=relmfu
LOTRO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Eg7XSKjpKQ&feature=related
Rift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkLZpdFtiOA&feature=related
SWTOR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ptv1lyZECk
TERA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJLGFXkERXo&feature=relmfu
okay now here is my combat video from TSW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvcJ8GRNzI
compared to all these other MMOs I listed games combat looks fine to me
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Elikal, you're not the first one to be frustrated by blue mountains, that's fir sure. If it is any consolation, Egypt opens up again. You may wan't to go to the first zone in Egypt for now, at some places it is easier than Blue Mountains.
If you have any patience for reading still, there is also this great guide (and great site):
http://yokaiblog.wikidot.com/guides:tswfaq#toc6
I've seen several people say that combat is lame, but I've not seen a post elaborate on it. What about it is so shockingly bad in comparison to the other tab target MMOs? All of these games are button mashers, so I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean. I started mashing macro's in FFXI in 2004. I still mash buttons now.
What is an example of a game that does combat well?
I never made any FotM built. But I am seriously considering. I am tired of reading and studying. I read those skills and combined them as best as I could, but it led to nothing. So I really would remake a built that is proven to be OP.
Here are my skills I have unlocked:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h49/Elikal/Image1-5.jpg
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
Lotro
Champions Online
Age of Conan (melee, NOT magic!)
Rift
WOW (say what you want)
GW2 (as far as I played, it was similar action-y and still managable)
SWG post-CU and pre-NGE (skill based)
EQ2 in it's later years
Those had good combat systems, even if all had different systems, they worked. They were right with the difficulty compared to the mobs.
TSW is not.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
I think you just need to realize that this game is made for a niche market, and it's one you're obviously not fond of. I've seen your post on the official forums about this, and it seemed like the majority who responded like the way the game is, including myself.
There's nothing to be in denial about. It's obvious this game was created to fill the void in the mmo world, for those of us that like complex, thought provoking character development and gameplay. If you want something casual that caters to your admitted lack of patience and a hand-holding experience, you have 100s of games to choose from. That isn't the case for the rest of us.
Movement is underrated.
Well, the tl;dr of the site I linked is: It'sreally important to keep your talismans up to date. That is, it isn't enough for the weapons to be QL 5/6. Yeah, but otherwise, skip the area for now and come back and laugh at the punity of the mobs when you've progressed ^^
Is that your problem with tsw, you can't stand on the spot spamming your macro button while watching tv?
seems like that's a lot of peoples issue I guess
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Man, I hate to say it but I think it just might be his gameplay. We've all been told to get better at one point or another. That might be what you need to do bro.
Are you a clicker and/or a key turner? I was at one point.
The difference between you and me (other than your youth, lol. Yes, I am older than you and age has zero to do with this) is that I started out on the Atari, although I did have a C-64 as well.
...and that I don't expect MMOs to be what fills my "quicky" game playing time. I have NHL 2012 and a whole pile of single player games for that. Complex systems are still fun for me and that's what I want in an MMO. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll want simple all the time, but I don't right now.
I've played just about every "big" MMO for 12+ years... EQ, AC, DAoC, WOW, SWG, LOTRO, Rift, SWTOR, etc. and I have seen a steady decline in innovation and uniqueness in the genre. Everything is dumbed-down with some artificial difficulty thrown in in the guise of required gear-grinds. TSW feels like a very refreshing change of pace to me and I'm loving it--especially the complexity.
Is it for everyone? I seriously doubt it. I can't stand Eve but tons of people like it. Different strokes and all that...Idon't know why it's so tough for people here to just say "I don't like this" or "It's not for me." Instead I see a lot of hot air and rationalizations blaming gaming systems and design for what is essentially a personal preference.
I mean, look at your post. Your 2nd paragraph tells us that you don't like complex games any more... fair enough. But then you have to end your post with "Let's just not be in denial. This game has a big issue. Period."
You don't like it therefore it's bad. Is that about it?
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Interesting. I love the combat. In fact I will probably stay subbed because I love the combat so much (among other things). The months that I stay with this game will more than make up for you leaving.
On the other hand, I have stopped playing first person shooter games, because all you do is shoot things.... in the first person. Pfft! Way to innovate, game developers. I have also stopped playing Tennis because of the lack of content. All you do is hit the ball back and forth. It's like a repetative racket mash fest. I don't think it will really catch on. I've gone back to jogging in place, since it's free-to-play.