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Greedfall Impressions: An RPG that Came Out of Nowhere and Is Worth Your Time and Money

An RPG was released this week by a little French studio named Spiders. I had not heard of Spiders, but apparently they have put out at least a couple of games that people genuinely like. Games like Mars: War Logs, and Bound by Flame.

While those games have their fans, I’ve read that at least at release, they were pretty buggy and unrefined. I’m not getting that impression from Greedfall. So far, Greedfall feels like a game from a AAA studio without AAA money. I’ll explain in a bit.

Greedfall is kind of an odd name, but catchy so I guess Spiders’ marketing team knows what they are doing. At first glance, I thought of Amazon’s in progress MMORPG New World. Greedfall has a colonial, medieval look to it. Maybe something you would expect to see in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. I’d have to say that in the beginning, at times I felt like Greedfall was a part of the Assassin’s Creed universe. That impression quickly went away as Greedfall quickly developed an identify of it’s own.

You can play through Greedfall as male or female. The character customization is very good. There are three basic ‘classes’ from which to choose your combat focus. Basically, melee, ranged (guns) and magic user. That is a little simplified, as you can spec other talents, use blades and other side weapons, but you get the drift. I quickly created a magic using protagonist and set off into the game world.

Greedfall’s world feels like a colonial French backdrop, which given it’s pedigree makes sense. The game world is dripping with detail and beautifully done. One thing I love about Greedfall is that the setting feels original and I find exploring the City of Selene to be exciting and fresh.

You don’t start the game with much of an idea of what is going on. The game is somewhat of a mystery RPG and you get pieces of the puzzle as you talk to people in town and complete quests. I won’t spoil anything for you, but will mention that there is some plague like illness going around called the Malichor. The Sick fill the city streets, and bodies litter carts in alleys. Early on you find you are to embark on a journey in hopes of finding a cure.

I’d have to say one of Greedfall’s best attributes is the Bioware RPG level of writing. The writing so far has been outstanding and original. Dialog between characters is top tier quality writing. That would be enough for any RPG fan, but add to that some of the best voice acting I’ve ever heard in gaming, and Spiders has delivered a fantastic experience for story lovers.

Look at this screenshot. The game is just a work of art.

Combat is very much like Assassin’s Creed or other scripted RPGs. While combat feels familiar, it’s not at all a bad thing. Why re-invent the wheel, which can often be frustrating. The game let’s you modify the UI so that you can map keys to your preference, which was greatly appreciated.

There is one gripe I’ve seen in other reviews that I will mention here. It will probably be the first thing that you notice as a player; mouth movement. Facial animation has come a long way in the last 10 years. If you look at interaction and dialog with NPCs in games like Bioware’s Anthem, at times gaming is approaching near cinematic quality when it comes to voice work and humanlike, believable lip movement. Greedfall at times is a little awkward. The tools the studio had to mimic human speech seem a little amateurish compared to what we are becoming accustomed to. The eyes, brow, all other facial features are very well done and convey emotion very well. There is something a little off about the mouth. The characters are far too ‘teethy’, and mouth’s unnaturally wide at times. So if i have a criticism of the game, this would be it. Game breaker? Not even close.

I have yet to set off on the Main questline. I’m enjoying myself too much in the City of Selene running quests that give me more pieces of the puzzle, meeting characters in the game that you later find out are not what you’ve been told. There have already been some great plot twists and I’m early in the game.

I very highly recommend Greedfall to any Dragon Age (or even Assassin’s Creed) fan. I think you will feel right at home here. Even better is the sense of originality that Greedfall holds. The backdrop and story are unique, highly interesting, and motivate you to seek more in the game. It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten sucked into an RPG. You can tell by my blog I have not been much inspired to write about a game in quite awhile.

Spiders is maturing as a studio. I’ve seen arguments from people ‘Oh, I’ll wait for a pricedrop.’ That’s fine, we all have our budgets. I would implore you however, that if you are a big fan of the genre and have the means, to consider supporting the studio at release. I can see Spiders becoming the next Bioware if they have the success and profits to do so.

Yes, at least so far, Greedfall is that good.

Posted by PaganRites | September 15, 2019 | Categories: Game Impressions, Greedfall, RPG, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Shards Online: a new approach to an MMO

High Altitude Game Design

(also Why I Don’t Like World of Warcraft Much Anymore)

I can’t remember where I learned about Shards, but it caught my attention. The thing that really caught my eye was the fact that you could create your own server within their multiverse (for want of a better word). You can make your own rules, your own quest chains, etc. This really appealed to me. And the announcement of their Kickstarter launching hit my email yesterday.

I’ve played World of Warcraft since its vanilla release, i.e. before the first expansion, and frankly, I’m kinda bored with it and have been for a while. They’ve adopted a viewpoint from a class of players that are of the opinion that only end-game raiding and PvP are what the game is good for, and that if you don’t get to max level in the shortest amount of time possible, then there’s no point…

View original post 486 more words

Posted by PaganRites | May 14, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Camelot Unchained: Factions! Concept Art and Character Models

This week has been a good week for Mark Jacob’s return to the MMORPG genre. His company City State Entertainment (CSE) launched their Camelot Unchained (CU) Kickstarter on Tuesday April 2nd, and has raised $867,000 of the $2 million dollar goal (approx. 45% of total needed to fund the game in less than a week).

A good part of the success of the CU Kickstarter is the constant flow of information being offered. Since CU is not too far into development, Jacob’s is somewhat at a disadvantage in that he cannot display any in game assets or gameplay on his Kickstarter homepage. However, CSE is beginning to reveal proposed art direction, and so far it is compelling.

The first Faction to be revealed is the gaelic mythological race, the Tuatha Dé Danann (TDD).

To me, CSE’s take on the TDD look like a cross between Vikings and High Elves. A race of deities as well as race of heroes, they were skilled in art and science, poetry and magic. It is the TDD that inspired the myths and lore of the Fae, or fairies. The TDD are immortal in the sense that they stay young and live forever, unless they are killed (yeah strange immortals that can be killed, I didn’t write this stuff!).

The art is all preliminary and subject to change. I suspect it will be to some degree based on Kickstarter feedback. I do think the TDD are off to a good start.

Male Tuatha De Danann model

The Viking art and models that have been released have been more controversial. To me, the male models look more like elves than Vikings. Somewhat effiminate and in some aspects anime influenced which I don’t like at all. I like the female models and art shown, though maybe slightly more colorful than I would prefer. That’s not to say I don’t like the viking concept art. I just have a different opinion on how the vikings should be represented.

There are fans on both sides. I am confident CSE will listen to feedback and a happy medium can be agreed upon and/or we get to choose between the a more iconic/traditional looking Viking and the more refined looking models. Since there are fans on both sides of the camp, CSE could offer both the traditional look and the more stylized models and ultimately give the player the choice. Choice is always the best option in my opinion.

Looking forward to seeing the Arthurian art reveal and more faction and race concept art as the Kickstarter goes on.

For more information about Camelot Unchained see the Kickstarter here:

-Pagan- aka Maric

Posted by PaganRites | April 6, 2013 | Categories: Camelot Unchained, City State Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG, Mythic Entertainment, Uncategorized | Tags: Camelot Unchained, Dark Age of Camelot, kickstarter, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG | Leave a comment

Camelot Unchained Kickstarter Hits 25% of Goal Day One, Maybe RvR Not So Much A Niche Game

While Mark Jacob’s self inflicted goal of $2 million dollars to fund City State Entertainment’s RvR MMORPG Camelot Unchained is still a long ways away, the team has to be very happy with today’s Kickstarter launch. Hours after the official 12:00 PM ET Kickstarter went live, Camelot Unchained hit the $500 thousand dollar mark, or 25% of the necessary funds to make the game a reality.

CSE’s Mark Jacobs has been very active today. In between interviews, Mark is hitting the gaming forum circuit as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a developer more active in a Kickstarter Comments channel than Mark has been. It is exactly for this reason I like Mark. He is as much a fan of his games as the fans, and his particpation in gaming communities reflects this.

As of this writing Camelot Unchained stands at $522,000 and 3076 backers. I’m sure we’ll see the traditional Kickstarter dip and a race to hit that $2 million goal, but for a first day the electricity in the air surrounding this project has been amazing to experience. As a backer of many Kickstarters, I have to say the presentation is one of the best I’ve seen. While the game is too early in development to showcase gameplay, the concept art and attention to breaking down the multiple pledge tiers is nothing short of outstanding.

You can watch Camelot Unchained’s progress and consider pledging here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/13861848/camelot-unchained

The Official Website can be found here: http://camelotunchained.com/en/

Here are a few interviews which will give you some insight into Mark Jacob’s goals and which ultimately convinced me I just like this guy.

OLDER:

http://www.gamebreaker.tv/video-game-shows/camelot-unchained-interview-mark-jacobs-gb-1/

New:

http://www.gamebreaker.tv/mmorpg/mark-jacobs-interview-kickstarter/

-Pagan- aka Maric

Posted by PaganRites | April 2, 2013 | Categories: Camelot Unchained, City State Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG, Mythic Entertainment, Uncategorized | Tags: Camelot Unchained, Dark Age of Camelot, kickstarter, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG | Leave a comment

Mark Jacobs Returns to Camelot! Or, How Two Kickstarter Projects Took Me on a Nostalgic Trip Back in Time, Part II

“The scout of Albion took refuge behind the great tree. Back to bark, she dared a glance over her left shoulder. Nothing to be seen in the darkness. Again, a quick glance over her right shoulder around the great trunk. There! In the shafts of moonlight she watches a small form sprint deftly from tree to tree. “A lurikeen ranger” she grimaces to herself. He was onto her, making his way closer to her location. Quietly knocking an arrow, she begins the slow drawback of the bowstring. A solid shot might take him out in one hit. The last thing she wanted to do was end up in a drawn out fight with a ranger. Because where there was one Hib, there were four more not far away.” – From the journals of Alaina Blackbow While Ultima Online was my gateway into the MMORPG genre, it was the RvR centric realms of Dark Age of Camelot where I spent the most consecutive years in online gaming. I remember the very first time I launched Dark Age of Camelot, and the Mythic splash screen came up with the brass fanfare that will forever be stuck in my head. I created a character on Palomides and fell in love with the game. Mythic’s Dark Age of Camelot was a step up in difficulty level, and at times unrelentless to the point of being maddening. However the community DAoC fostered was one of the best I’ve been a part of. To this day I miss it, though the game has aged too far for me to return. That’s ok though, why? Because Mythic founder Mark Jacob’s is back with a new RvR centric MMORPG on Kickstarter this week, tentatively titled Camelot Unchained (CU). Jacobs has adamantly stated CU will not be a spiritual successor to DAoC. He has also stated in several interviews that unlike DAoC, CU will have little or no PvE content. While the crafting system sounds like it will be very robust, CU at it’s heart is a PvP game. However, it does sound like for those who wish to be pure crafters, they can primarily play support roles for the people who want to be on the frontlines day in and day out. It also sounds like the game world will be built by the players. Houses, towns, villages, castles? There are alot of unanswered questions but enough has been hinted at that even fans who not not big on PvP can find a role to play in Camelot Unchained.

If CU is not DAoC 2 why am I so excited about it? For one, the races of CU very closely resemble the races which made up the lore rich factions of DAoC. I’m going to make some assumptions here, though I believe them to be safe assumptions. As shown in the teaser, we should expect to see Tuatha De Danann, which can be associated with the Hibernians. The Vikings, who’s lore from which the races of Midgard were derived. And lastly, Camelot, which can be correlated with the races of Albion.

It’s not only the similarity in races that interests me in CU. I am also excited by what Jacob’s has coined Realm Pride (see http://camelotunchained.com/en/foundational-principle-10/ ). Realm Pride in my opinion is very much a carryover from DAoC. I started DAoC fighting for Albion. I had friends playing other factions and though I wanted to join them and possibly see the game from another faction’s perspective, I was never able to commit myself to another character, my allegiance to Albion was so strong. For whatever reason, DAoC instilled this fierce dedication to realm. I have not played an MMORPG since where faction instilled such a sense of pride. In SWTOR I jumped from Rebellion to Empire at will. This would never have happened in DAoC. It just didn’t feel right to do so.

Lastly, I like Mark Jacobs. Like Portalarium’s Richard Garriott, Jacobs has been a controversial figure at times. The ironic thing is I think most of the controversy surrounding Jacobs is because he is so active in the gaming communities that form around his games. When Warhammer Online was in development, Mark was constantly (against his better judgement) on IGN’s Warhammer Online VNboards interacting with the community, answering questions, taking punches, you name it. That might be the reason I most admire Mark Jacobs. The guy is not afraid to admit when he’s made a mistake. When Jacobs has, his fans have let him know it. But Jacobs, unlike some developers doesn’t try to find a scapegoat or use his employees as human shields against the angry mobs.

So yeah, I like Mark Jacobs and I’m going to support Camelot Unchained. I know it’s not Dark Age of Camelot II. However from everything I have read the spirit of DAoC will live in this game. I suspect a lot more information will be forthcoming over the next four weeks as Jacobs and City State Entertainment work to try and get backing for CU. I’m already excited by what little has been revealed. Excited enough that I’ve pulled my longbow out of storage and it’s itching to be used.

Camelot Unchained launches on Kickstarter Tuesday April 2nd 2013. A countdown timer can currently be viewed at http://camelotunchained.com/en/ . You can also read the thirteen Principles that Mark has written for CU.

Good luck with your goal Mark!

-Pagan- aka Maric

Kickstarter is now LIVE: Camelot Unchained Kickstarter

Posted by PaganRites | April 1, 2013 | Categories: Camelot Unchained, City State Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG, Mythic Entertainment, Online Gaming, Uncategorized | Tags: Camelot Unchained, Dark Age of Camelot, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG | 4 Comments

Take My Money! : How Two Kickstarter Projects Took Me on a Nostalgic Trip Back in Time, Part 1

It has been awhile since I’ve written a blog but two recent Kickstarter projects launched by Richard ‘Lord British’ Garriott and Mark Jacobs, formerly of Mythic entertainment, have gotten me very excited. It kills me that both of these project are a year to three years away, but both developers have been very influential to me as a gamer, and in some ways as a person.

I credit PC RPG pioneer Richard Garriott’s Ultima series for getting me into PC gaming way back in the 80s with Exodus: Ultima III. I loved the series until it’s end, even though the last couple of games were severely flawed. Garriott to this day believes that players should be able to progress in a role playing game in any manner they like. If you want to be a blacksmith who never raises a weapon he has forged against another in game, so be it. As a player you may run into situations which makes this extremely tough, but Garriott tries his best to give the player choices. These choices are often based on Virtues, which became prevalent in Ultima IV. It’s the idea of putting virtues and player choice back into PC RPGs that has brought Garriott back with his Kickstarter project Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues.

I remember stepping into Ultima Online for the first time. A generous player caught me soon after my baby feet started to explore outside the city and outfit me with a nice sword and light chain armor. I naively set out down the road out of town. Somehow I made my way down the road unseen by the brigands and thieves which watched for the solo player, and came across a party of ten or so players in battle with a wyvern. Excited, I ran up and, not caring if I died, put a whack or two in. As the wyvern fell I made the terribly immoral choice of looting the corpse prior to the party that had done most of the work. Obviously not remembering the virtues that Garriott had taught me in earlier Ultima games, I set back down the road to town to bank my spoils before someone figured out what was going on and set out for revenge.

The loot I had stolen (yes, stolen, I must be one of the original ninja looters) was actually quite valuable. I wish I had screenshots or stats but the wyvern dropped an excellent sword and some gems or something else that I had no business having on Day One of my life. Ecstatic and minutes from town I could barely contain my glee.

However, karma is a bitch. Just a few screen lengths from walking back into town a roguey player came out of the tree line and chased me down. Not long after I lay dead on the road, stripped of my ill begotten riches, my player made gear and sword, everything gone.

At that point what should have happened in game is the appearance of a huge ‘Welcome to Ultima Online!” banner over corpse. From that day on I was hooked on the MMORPG genre, never to look back.

For this reason I am very excited about Richard Garriott’s return to fantasy RPGs. Garriott and his new company Portalarium have set out to create a hybrid solo/co-op role playing game in the spirit of the classic Ultima games, with a little (or alot, I’m not quite sure yet) of Ultima Online thrown in. While Garriott is somewhat of a controversial figure in gaming these days (see the ‘best developer EVAR!’ flack he took after this interview aired http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/19/richard-garriott-game-designers-suck/ ) his ideas about the state of RPGs intrigue me and I have to agree with his old school philosophies regarding such.

For example, Garriott very much dislikes the WoW model of questing that has become prevalent not only in MMORPGs but many genres of PC gaming. He feels that the yellow exclamation over the head of NPC quest givers and the Quest journal hand holding of players to their destination have killed the true sense of discovery and exploration which used to exist in RPGs. With Shroud of the Avatar Richard Garriott is looking to both pay homage to the old school RPGs many of us grew up with and loved, as well as reinvent the genre.

As of this writing Garriott’s Kickstarter is nearing $1,300,000.00 with approximately 17500 backers. The Kickstarter is in it’s home stretch with six days to go. With fantasy writer Tracy Hickman now taking on writing duties for Shroud of the Avatar, Garriott has a good team in place to bring back the spirit of the Ultima games as well as provide a subscription free co-op online aspect for fans looking for a modern Ultima Online. The more interviews I watch with Garriott, the more convinced I am that he can pull it off.

If you grew up with the Ultima series, or were looking for something different in the PC RPG genre, please consider backing Richard ‘Lord British’ Garriot’s Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/WahMzs

Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter ends Sunday April 7th, 2013.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/portalarium/shroud-of-the-avatar-forsaken-virtues-0/comments

On Tuesday April 2nd, Mark Jacobs of Mythic fame will be Kickstarting a pure RvR MMORPG tentatively titled Camelot Unchained. Mythic is most famous for publishing Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC). One of the most riveting aspects of DAoC was the PvP centric Realm Vs Realm (RvR) combat. Many people also experienced RvR in EA Mythic’s Warhammer Online. Jacob’s project will be the topic of my next blog post. Stay tuned!

-Pagan- (aka Maric)

Posted by PaganRites | March 30, 2013 | Categories: Camelot Unchained, City State Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Mark Jacobs, MMORPG, Online Gaming, Richard Garriott, Shroud of the Avatar Forsaken Virtues, Ultima, Ultima Online | Tags: MMORPG, Mythic, Ultima | 1 Comment

Not All Is Well in The Secret World (and I’m not talking about the game’s themes!)

While I love the conspiracy themed, HP Lovecraft inspired game world Tornquist and Funcom have unleashed in The Secret World, some nagging bugs and facepalm decisions are affecting the enjoyment of many players. Some of the issues plaguing TSW are the run of the mill bugs that every MMORPG suffers at launch. No matter how long a beta cycle, and no matter how many people a developer lets sift through their code, bugs always get through. For example, I remember logging into SWTOR not long after launch and seeing my guild disbanded or members kicked. This was a maddening time and there was nothing we could do but wait for Bioware to release a patch. TSW suffers from bugs that are just as maddening, some of which I will highlight in this post.

First off, Chat. As someone that knows nothing about code (I learned some basic on a TI-99 4a years ago) I would think a chat client in an MMORPG would be one of the more simple elements to incorporate in a game. I guess I’m wrong because here we are two weeks after launch and the chat system is a mess. The game forgets my chat tabs, chat tab channels, and chat tab channel subscriptions. Not only does TSW not remember my settings, but I have to re-establish my chat channels several times a session. Honestly to me this is a minor nuisance, but for people new to the genre or unfamiliar with PC game mechanics, I can see this being a major issue. In an MMORPG, the tools to communicate effectively with others are essential, and currently our tools are inexplicably broken.

Not only are Help and Looking for group channels busted, but so is the guild or Cabal chat. As Comptess pointed out in comments on a prior blog, Cabals rely on in game communication. We orchestrate events in chat, strategize in dungeons, greet and say goodbye to guildies, etc. Not having a reliable chat system makes it much more difficult to foster community, which is probably the most important aspect of an MMORPG. A recent post on the official forums details why chat is experiencing the issues we are having (http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?t=43466) but it sure seems like this should have been caught during open beta weekends.

Which leads me to another issue, Cabal functionality. I have no idea how the current Cabal system made it into live. In our Cabal ‘Government Type’ (I believe we are regarded as a Temple) we have four ranks. In typical guild structure, the top most rank is generally the Guildmaster. The Guildmaster rank has permissions lower ranks do not. For example, they can promote to highest levels, set guild tax rates, apply guild rank permissions, promote and demote, etc.

In TSW we can have three players in the guildmaster position, we have no options to change permissions of lower ranks. The Cabal management system feels as if it was thrown in at the last second just to have something. Luckily we have very trustworthy people in our Cabal because there have been times we accidently ranked someone to rank 4 , and in turn bumped the Cabal lead out. It’s just bizarre the game was released with this system. Again, it does not seem like it would be an incredibly difficult design element to implement.

Next gripe is the banking system. Again there seem to be some ties to our guild structure where some guildies are unable to pull anything out of the guild bank. As a high ranking Officer I can do so, however it seems as if anyone below rank 3 cannot do so. To make things worse, as Cabal lead I have no ability to change permission on ranks to make everyone eligible to withdraw items from the bank. Forehead meet desk.

Neo – Assault rifle – Polaris

Here comes a rant I am going to get some flack for. I think the lack of fall damage hurts immersion. I feel the game badly needs fall damage for several reasons.

TSW is not a handholder in any way, shape or form. So why no fall damage? It does not have to be overtly harsh. But if I jump off a hill that is four stories high to a creek bed below, I expect to take some fall damage.

The game world is one of the most immersive I’ve seen in the genre. However, jumping off the top of a lighthouse to the ground below and not taking a single tick of damage is not in the least bit realistic and two, does not help me feel like there are consequences for doing stupid things.

PvP should definitely have fall damage. Running through Fusang from an enemy, I leap off a building like fucking Neo and escape. Time to go shopping for a black trenchcoat.

Yeah yeah blah blah, magic isn’t real either and I’m shooting bolts and fire out my hands. However I’m not a super hero. As a player fighting all of these supernatural entities, I want to keep the human element to my character. Not taking fall damage makes me feel less human, and that’s a bad thing in this game, given the story Tornquist is weaving in TSW.

By far the biggest gripes I have heard when it comes to The Secret World are broken quests. Early in the game there are at least a couple of high profile quests that have been broken for a good percentage of the population. Most notably Kingsmouth’s brilliant ‘Something Wicked’ and fan favorite ‘The Black House’ in the Savage Coast. Determined players have found various ways to solve these puzzles, however this is really not an acceptable solution (currently if a player can find a way to get invited to another Dimension or instance, it is often possible to complete the quests). While every MMORPG has broken quests, in The Secret World issues such as these are more pronounced. Because TSW is so story driven, and quests often lead players further along in a storyline, roadblocks like broken quests are in the least very frustrating. The most tragic result in my opinion is that many of these quests are some of the best I’ve experienced in the genre, and we are not getting to experience them as intended. These issues are making TSW less enjoyable than it could be.

*As I was writing this post a patch came out which states some of the quests I mentioned should now be fixed. Crossing my fingers this is the case but until I can test I will not edit my post. The patch notes, which are lengthy, can be found here: http://www.thesecretworld.com/news/update_notes_1.0_launch#update_1_0_2

While my prior post was full of glowing praise for Funcom’s new MMORPG, I’m not blind to the nitpicking issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. The Secret World is a brilliant game, but nagging bugs, half implemented systems, and broken quests dull the shine, and that’s a damn shame. We are now at least two patches in and these issues still exist.

Still, I have faith in the developers, and no I’m not crazy! Communication from Ragnar Tornquist has been excellent. It is evident from forum posts and patch notes that Funcom is working diligently to address problems. It’s just a shame these bruises have affected reviews and perceptions about an otherwise great game. It seems that the cross server tech Funcom created is to blame for at least a few of the issues. The functionality is impressive, but I wish we weren’t still testing the tech in live!

Aw what the hell. I blame the Illuminati.

Posted by PaganRites | July 18, 2012 | Categories: Funcom, MMORPG, Online Gaming, Raganr Tornquist, The Secret World, Uncategorized | Tags: #TSW | 2 Comments

The Secret World: How Judging A Game In Beta Almost Cost Me a Great MMO Experience

“As the shore is not sea nor land, like the time between the times where the dawning is not day nor night you are between the worlds….” – Eluveitie

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I’ve gone insane for Funcom’s new MMORPG The Secret World. I’m half ashamed to admit I’ve caught myself fanboyishly peddling the game at every opportunity. It has been a long time since a game has captured me as The Secret World (TSW) has done. I have asked myself if this is just the ‘new relationship’ glow that is so prevalent in gaming. I’m beginning to think not for several reasons. I was invited to closed beta via and Age of Conan promotion in early April 2012. I had been following the game since it was named Cabal, and participated as an active member on the Forums and a few absolutely brilliant related ARGs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game). The conspiracy theme, combined with myth and legend as the driving elements of the story really appealed to me. Throw in one of my favorite game designers, the extremely talented and creative Ragnar Tornquist, and I was convinced that TSW would be a game I could not miss. Then I stepped foot into Beta. I had been playing Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) for almost a year and a half (beta time included). SWTOR is extremely accessible and a game that even MMORPG novices can pick up and play right out of the box. As a modern gamer, I had become accustomed to a certain polish and ease with which I could jump from one game to another without missing a blink. When I loaded up TSW Beta for the first time, my gut told me I was in for a letdown. To say character creation was severely lacking would be a major understatement. As hard as I tried I could not make a male or female character that was even remotely attractive. Even the process of selecting a server and creating a character was mind-bogglingly obtuse. I was aside myself in disbelief. Just 60 or so days from launch, and The Secret World looked like it would benefit from another year in development. Getting past character creation and into the actual meat of the game didn’t do much to alleviate my concerns. The cutscenes seemed amatuer compared to the highly produced, film-like story sequences from SWTOR. It did not help that voice acting was hit and miss. Again, coming from Bioware’s high budget voice acted MMORPG, this game that was supposed to be the saviour and possibly a last chance for Funcom looked dead in the water. Disappointed and disheartened, I found it very difficult to log in and test. It didn’t help that I was full throttle into SWTOR, and I didn’t see anything in The Secret World that was going to coax me away. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’d get an email from Funcom stating a new build was out. Feeling as though I had a responsibility as a tester, I’d log in only to find character creation was the same abysmal system as before. However, I started to see improvements in the core game. Enough improvements that a little spark of hope ignited in me for this game I had followed so many years. For one thing, I decided to just ignore the looks of the avatar and experience the content TSW offered. I immediately noticed that one, TSW was definitely a game for mature audiences (see the Dragon initiation scene). Two, quest writing was worlds beyond anything I had experienced in an MMO, and so well done I wanted to experience more.

As I became more hopeful of the game, basing TSW on it’s merits and not it’s visual appeal (Aesops fable somewhere in there I’m sure!) I started to talk to a circle of friends to gauge interest. Having no intention of leaving SWTOR, I sold TSW to a few as a ‘game we’ll play on the side’ to change it up a bit. A few people in the RMC (www.RepublicMercyCorps) who had also been loosely following the game pre-ordered. This optimism was short lived, as more people were invited and participated in pre-order weekends, there was an air of negativity and dismissal about TSW that overshadowed any positive opinion. Having been around for more MMO launches than I can count, I should have known better than to get enveloped by the jaded gamer banter that permeated Twitter and various gaming forums. However, I started questioning my faith in Tornquist and company to pull it off. At one point, just a week or so before launch I tweeted someone that I felt I had sold a bill of goods. Someone who I respected and now was afraid I’d never be trusted with a gaming opinion again. I went into full damage control:

To @MMOGC June 23rd 2012 days before launch: “I don’t want you buying TSW and hating it. Seeing as how others aren’t liking it, now I’m nervous others won’t. Maybe I’m not picky enough… But I like the writing and the atmosphere. It’s also way complex, and seriously after hours in I am kinda lost. But if you have doubts…cancel.”

Reply @MMOGC: “You know me, I’m not picky either LOL! Kinda funny, because I made it a point to stay away from beta for this game, because I always spoil things for myself that way with games. As long as people I know are still getting it, I can never say no to playing with friends. Who all in RMC/IMC are going to play TSW? Honestly, the only concerns I have now aren’t about the game, but with Funcom and the technical side. I’ve had bad experiences with them.”

Now I’m really worried. She hasn’t even tried the damn thing! Really need to her get in game and give her time to cancel.

Me: “Game has run well for me. See if you can spend some time in game this weekend to make sure its your cup of tea :-)”

24 hours later

MMOGC: “Played TSW tonight, loved it! I think (Mr. MMOGC) liked it even more than I did too.

Me: “Character creation still lacking, but I like the core game, and its unique. Well I feel better now. 🙂

MMOGC: “Seriously, my husband loved it. It was 1am and I was like, it’s time to sleep, and he kept going, no, no let’s finish one more quest!”

When Age of Conan launched I was working as a writer for IGN’s Age of Conan VNBoardVault. I remember vividly the backlash on the Vault forums in regards to people having major issues with AoC’s launch build, especially low frame rates and crashes. So it was with some trepidation that I took a half day off work to be home for TSW’s launch. I had pretty much convinced myself that launch was going to be a disaster. I logged in and was happy to see some improvements to character creation right off the bat. As soon as I stepped into London I coordinated with @MMOGC and another guildie (Eleison) to get @KnightsofMercy, our Cabal up and running. I continued thinking I’d just get through the initiation quests and into Kingsmouth. I mean, I liked the game, but how much was I really going to play it?

Three hours later realized I had been so immersed in the game I was almost late picking up my daughter from daycare. The client was running in gorgeous DX11, smooth as butter, without a hitch. I was blown away. Combat, which I felt was very uninspiring in Beta, was fluid, refined and fun. The topography of the game world, combined with incredible attention to detail in architecture, was some of the best work I had ever seen in any game, ever. Most of all, the quests were unique and thought provoking. The puzzles and sleuthing required to solve many of TSW quests is really what sets the game apart from other MMORPGs. There is an intelligence in the design and a quality of writing I have not seen in the genre before. While first glances make TSW appear to be just another MMO with a horror theme, the reality is the game is much deeper and varied than most of what we have been playing over the last several years. It was then that I realized I had made a huge error in beta. I had judged TSW far too early. I had done a disservice to Funcom as a tester, and almost bypassed what was looking to be one of the best gaming experiences I had had in years.

All the sudden, everyone seemed to be talking about TSW. In my circle of gaming friends, there was a buzz about TSW that I did not see when SWTOR, a much more anticipated MMORPG, had launched. What is going on? It was really incredible to see word of this new niche game spread like wildfire. Our Cabal of five, which is all we really planned to see migrate to TSW from our guild, suddenly had twelve members (we stand currently in high thirties). Over the course of launch week, gaming forums and news sites were buzzing overwhelmingly with positive talk of Funcom’s new MMO. “Wow did you see that house in the Savage Coast or, such and such was an amazing quest!”. Sure there are small nagging bugs and some systems that need to be fleshed out more, but people were generally overlooking these things because the core game design had come out of nowhere and grabbed them. The Secret World was special, and the game was growing not by marketing dollars, but by the even more powerful word of mouth. All my worries had been for naught. TSW, while probably forever to be a niche MMO, looked to be a sleeper hit and success.

Which leads me to one of the main reasons I wanted to write again after probably a year on hiatus. I’m not sure I want to participate in any more Beta tests, as difficult as it will be if I get an offer. I was in SWTOR Beta for approximately a year, starting in a very exclusive group. Here I am 8 eight months after launch and I’m somewhat burned out in a game I still have a lot of love for. I also started playing live by spacebaring through many a cutscene because I had run the content so many times. I think my enjoyment of SWTOR at this juncture would be far greater had I only had a week or two in open beta.

The case for not participating in beta is even stronger when it comes to Funcom’s The Secret World. The game I experienced in Beta just sixty days before launch is like night and day when compared to the live client we are playing now. I have been in more high profile beta tests than I can remember, and I have never seen a game change so drastically for the better in such a short amount of time. Add to this the fun of solving a puzzle for the first time, or experiencing Polaris with new guild members not knowing the dynamics in advance. To have ruined these moments in testing would make a huge difference in enjoying the unique gameplay The Secret World offers. I know someone has to test content, I just don’t think it will be me anymore.

Because of my experience I’m a little worried that many people who played beta and did not like what they saw are going to miss out on what I consider to be a phenomenal MMO experience. In this case, I think Beta did Funcom a disservice and was probably a detriment in some ways. I know the first rule of beta testing is that ‘This is Beta!’. However over the last five years or so most people I know (including myself) judge the final product with their experience in testing. When companies keep beta tests closed up to launch, there is a tendency to believe “They are hiding something”. Somewhere in our gaming culture Beta became less about the testing and more about the test drive. I’m beginning to think companies should revert back to the days of very closed, exclusive beta testing for this reason. I imagine there would be some backlash, but if this became the norm over time, I think it would be better for the business, with one caveat: two weeks prior to release, all NDA should be dropped. This would at least give prospective buyers an idea whether or not they still want to invest in a game.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything and this piece is kind of all over the place. I wanted to include so many more pictures but I don’t want to spoil a single experience for anyone who might play The Secret World now or in the future. TSW is remarkable in many ways. The game went from being ‘”more of the same'”to “where did did this game come from!” for me. So much so that I bought a Lifetime subscription. Even if I do not realize the money I invested, I’m happy with my decision. I very much want to support games that do not take the safe road to profitability. I liken my investment to the few Kickstarters I’ve given money to. I love to see people take a chance at bucking the system, to try something new.

With it’s Mature rating and no handholding nature, Funcom has certainly done this with The Secret World. Ragnar Tornquist has created something he and his team should be extremely proud of. Sure there is a lot of room for improvement, and some major quest blocking bugs that need to be addressed. However, despite these issues the game has me logging in every moment I can, and when I’m not playing I’m thinking about this puzzle or that class build. Our Cabal has grown into a tight knit family faster than I’ve experienced in any MMO. I truly believe this is a testament to the game design of The Secret World. Not often do you see an MMORPG where you can go back to the starter zone as a much more powerful character and get your ass handed to you, let alone send a wave of chills down your spine, or cause your arms to break out in goosebumps. Combining the unmatched atmosphere with one of the best gear systems in the genre, incredible mini raids, and thought provoking questing, places The Secret World in a class all it’s own. So I will continue to promote The Secret World as much as I can. I’m not trying to recoup my Lifetime sub (though that would be a plus). I really think this game is a work of art. I very much want it to succeed and be profitable, so that we see more diversions in the genre from the Blizzard model that so many companies have made the mistake of trying to emulate. The MMORPG world needed a kick is the ass, and Tornquist used steeltoe boots.

Now back to saving humanity.

Posted by PaganRites | July 13, 2012 | Categories: Funcom, MMORPG, Online Gaming, Raganr Tornquist, Ragnar Tornquist, The Secret World | 11 Comments

CCP’s New MMO: White Wolf’s World of Darkness – PERMADEATH? OMG YES!

I know this game is probably at least two years away, but the press release today coming out of CCP’s New Orleans based Grand Masquerade just about made me burst with excitement. If there were any doubts about the direction and goals of CCP’s (of EVE fame) next MMORPG, it looks like they may now be squashed . Sounds to me like CCP is going to keep their World of Darkness a complex one. Even better, and to me more surprising, CCP isn’t going mainstream commercial with their second MMO. The inclusion of the ‘final death’ or Permadeath is a hardcore decision, and one I love! This sounds too perfect. I know a lot of people are not fans of permadeath, but this is really the only way to be true to the tabletop RPG and lore. Here is Massively’s small writeup and more highlights. I’m sure we will see much more as the Grand Masquerade unfolds in New Orleans this week.

“The entire game will take place at night and on one server,and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course.It’s CCP’s desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters’ lives. There’s a very real danger that characters might experience “final death” — permadeath — if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character’s Haven for safety.If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they’ll lose “humanity” points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions.“

I’m hoping that eventually all or most of White Wolf’s races will eventually be included in this game:

Vampires (in at launch, several factions)
Werewolves
Changelings /Fae

It would be great to see CCP incorporate Mage and other WW properties as well. So much potential. I expect that politics will play a great role in this MMO and can’t wait to see more about how this will be handled. /sigh Another waiting game. Think I’ll go into torpor until release.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/

Posted by PaganRites | September 18, 2011 | Categories: MMORPG, Online Gaming, Uncategorized, Vampire: The Masquerade, White Wolf, World of Darkness | Tags: CCP, Vampire: The Masquerade, White Wolf, World of Darkness | 1 Comment

The Secret World Beta Delay Is Not As It Seems

The Beta Delay Is A LIE

The Secret World community is freakin brilliant. I was one of the sheep who bleated their disappointment on August 26th when Funcom announced that signups for their upcoming MMO The Secret (TSW) had been delayed. Fool.

Late afternoon today, a series of tweets from @thedarkplaces began. I immediately started to doubt my naive conclusions. Was the Beta delay a conspiracy? Was the whole Official Funcom statement an elaborate ruse?

http://www.thesecretworld.com/news/secret_war_and_beta_registration_delayed

Was this a faux announcement? A red herring possibly born in the spirit of the secret society based themes of the game?

A quick look on the TSW forums only made me more skeptical. Sure enough, a few brilliant people in the community had started to unravel a mystery based on the non-sensical tweets @thedarkplaces. These people really amaze me. I’m new to ARGs, and extremely intimidated by the ARGs that have transpired over the last year waiting for TSW.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game

I watched in realtime as the following thread interpreted the Twitter feeds, and eventually unlocked a piece of the puzzle towards TSW Beta.
http://www.darkdemonscrygaia.com/showthread.php?t=20587

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like this in the genre. Ragnar Tornquist, TSW’s creator and his team at Funcom have really outdone themselves. I’m really excited to see how this all transpires. One can only hope that after TSW launches, events like this still remain commonplace. You want something to revolutionize the MMO genre? This is it folks.

NOW LET ME IN BETA! Please.