Neverwinter Open Beta

[Grooveriding]

I could really get into another MMO that does something new. Think like WoW at release and for the first three years or so. Everything lately seems to be copying where that game is at today though, and that is getting really bland and lame. Trying to play WoW today is like pulling teeth for me and a game that is going to copy that is a recipe for failure.

Will give this one a go and see how I feel about it.

I would say I have high hopes for Blizzard's upcoming Titan MMO, but after Diablo 3, and the direction that company seems to be going.... I think it's a safe bet it will be a shitty game full of micro-transactions and watered-down infantile content.

 

[DrunkenSano]

When I played the beta, it was very bland. Graphics were a little worse than Lords of the Ring MMO and it felt very similar to that. Also very WoW-like. Nothing spectacular at all that separates it from any other click and grind MMO.

 

[zokudu]

So mind numbingly average. It's a WoW clone, why wouldn't I just go play WoW. Someone needs to do something new in this space. GW2 is still fantastic but everything else since the release of WoW is just a rehash of WoW.

 

[Punter]

The combat is completely different from world of warcraft.

 

[boozie]

Can someone give me a brief explanation of the combat? I read somewhere there is no tab-target/auto-target so is everything like a skill shot? I think my wife would like it if the combat isn't difficult. How can you see health of enemies if it doesn't select them?

 

[SMOGZINN]

How are they intending to monetize this game? Is it pay to win? Or should I say, how it it pay to win?

 

[Red Storm]

These WOW clones are like B-grade straight to DVD movies, not sure why this game is even in development.

 

[lupi]

You target by placing cursor over the mob.

 

[bonkers325]

Can someone give me a brief explanation of the combat? I read somewhere there is no tab-target/auto-target so is everything like a skill shot? I think my wife would like it if the combat isn't difficult. How can you see health of enemies if it doesn't select them?

from the teasers i've seen on youtube, the combat reminds me of something out of Dynasty Warriors. many classes have cleave-style attacks that sweep in front of you, or they have cursor-placed attacks that will just target that area.

 

[SunnyD]

Don't use the torrent download, it is significantly slower than the installer program. I'm not sure if things have changed from beta, but the direct download through the installer was pretty swift when I used it a few weeks back..

I was averaging 25k/sec with the downloader, maxed at 63k/sec. It was happily UPLOADING away capping my DSL though.

 

[Rinaun]

Too much like WoW? Anyone who states that either: nuts, has an axe to grind with cryptic (and therefore hasn't played or is being non-objective), or hasn't played the game. The similarity in game systems ends in the fact that they're both MMOs.

The game is fun, I dig it so far. The main problem now is the queue which didn't really exist during prior beta weekends, i'd give them a bit of time to fix this.

Have you played other MMOs? I'm just so lost as to why you think I'd have an axe to grind when even in official reviews it's getting compared to WoW. I haven't played it personally, but I know several people whom helped test this months ago in alpha/NDA stages, and they 110% agreed it was a quick WoW clone using the D&D/Neverwinter franchise. I never said SOME people wouldn't enjoy it, I just think everyone in the MMO community has had enough of cash-grab MMOs like this. There are some slight differences but questing is the heart of an MMO and if the system is similar to WoW's questing system, that's a large portion of the game. The rest you could equate to the "simpsons did it" theory; everquest and the games before it had already developed instances, etc. TLDR: This game is a ton like WoW.

I disagree. I played it for 20 minutes last night and it feels exactly like WoW. Sure, there are some subtle differences like click to attack instead of auto-attack, slightly different UI. Graphically the game looks good, and feels very professional and solid for a beta, but the game play is essentially identical to world of warcraft and it's numerous clones. You follow the quest treadmill, yawn.

I actually had some hopes that calling it "Dungeons & Dragons" Neverwinter it might actually use the P&P RPG rules as a baseline, but far from it. WTF is this crap with inflated hp numbers that I have 700 hp at level 5? By level 60 it's going to be just as inflated as WoW, where you hit for 231634 damage and have 2345345 hp and everything feels so amazingly epic because the numbers are big... except not. Catering to the lowest possible denominator, no thanks.

It's a shame really. The game engine is nice and smooth, character creation is well developed, but game play is non-existant. It's just an on-rails movie basically, no risk no effort required just follow the quests and do as you are told. At no point did I ever lose more than 10% of my hp, that is how stupidly easy they made it.



I've also been playing Darkfall Unholy Wars. In comparison, DUW is buggy as hell, has terrible graphics, no polish, needs tons of work. Yet it's actually fun because I get to make decisions and things I do actually matter, instead of blindly following along pre-decided quests.

This. this game is just a huge reskin of their STO game. You can even find STO (Star Trek Online) files still left in the D&D build. It's just another cash-grab from Cryptic. I also agree about Darkfall; my clanmates never were so frustrated with a game, yet my clannies still ended up having an amazing time over the months they played it. I really did miss out by not buying it back then and joining them.


Edit: Noticing people either go "it's a wow clone" or say it's nothing like WoW. Guys, just because the combat is different doesn't mean suddenly other blaring similarities that were annoying about wow vanish. Yes, the combat system is cool and it isn't like WoW. That's pretty much the only thing my friend described to me when he tested this months ago because the rest was so much like WoW it wasn't worth mentioning. He also mentioned how retardedly spoonfed easy it was.

 

[sunzt]

I could really get into another MMO that does something new. Think like WoW at release and for the first three years or so. Everything lately seems to be copying where that game is at today though, and that is getting really bland and lame. Trying to play WoW today is like pulling teeth for me and a game that is going to copy that is a recipe for failure.

Will give this one a go and see how I feel about it.

I would say I have high hopes for Blizzard's upcoming Titan MMO, but after Diablo 3, and the direction that company seems to be going.... I think it's a safe bet it will be a shitty game full of micro-transactions and watered-down infantile content.

Look into Age of Wushu (Free to play), but give it some time to learn the system.

 

[clok1966]

Every MMORPG is like any other.. kill/collect/touch XXX and repeat, expecting that to change make the person silly. Your a spaceship, warrior, marine, wizard doing some thing (bullet, sword, fireball, lazer) that takes numbers of a set number for another object till it dies..

Now if its done in a way that entertains, that is the question, and with all forms of entertainment, its seldom 2 people like the same thing, music, movies, sports etc.. so saying ti sucks cuz it like game XXX is also silly.. some people loved game XXX

you want to say why it sucks, explain.. why its good, explain.. as i tried to get in last night 7400 in q, hour later 7200.. i gave up i doubt many (new people)have played it yet unless they have all day to sit and watch the Q.

by the way.. WOW clone is incorrect, as WOW is a clone.. the original is what stuff is cloned off.. so saying WOW clone jut makes you look your a fool. Now point out my spelling mistakes so i can be a fool also.

 

[Red Storm]

They're called WOW clones because WOW is easily the most popular and recognizable MMO out there. All these one and done MMOs that pop up are trying to copy aka clone WOW's financial success.

 

[Grooveriding]

That is true enough. WoW its self is a rip-off of EQ. They took EQ (developers/players literally) removed almost all of the punitive repercussions of that game, cartooned it up and released WoW.

They did it really well too. It made the game a lot easier to approach and progress through while it still maintained some of the traditional hardcore elements of time required or determination to overcome group-oriented tasks. Since then though it's really gone far a-field of that place to being something quite different.

It's so hard to gauge how effective the WoW approach has really been. The game started getting heavily 'casual' and 'dumbed-down' in WoTLK and has continued further down that road since then. The TBC xpac preceding that was really made in the vein that the original WoW was with refinements and improvements. Cataclysm and Pandaria have never seen the subscription levels that TBC saw, and WoTLK is where WoW hit a peak in sub numbers. Any MMO will see attrition though and they can't keep new subs coming in as quickly as they bleed them away.

Makes it difficult to decipher if the ultra-casual, collect pets and do achievements approach is better or not. Did it help to keep sub numbers higher in the face of attrition than they would of been had they not gone that route ? Or would of keeping the game with a more challenging/less accessible design like we saw in the original game and TBC have maintained popularity better ? I tend to think it's the former. They found a new fan base of bored housewives and 12-15 year olds and it was a bigger one, so they went that way, like it or not. I think WoW created a brand new demographic of MMO players and it's bigger than the previous typical demographic was. Whether you feel that is fail or not is irrelevant as that is probably where there is more money and why other companies are trying to rip it off.

It will take something really innovative and fresh to detract from that. Half the reason WoW is still maintaining such success, imo, is not the quality of the game these days (again imo, it's quite lacking compared to the past) but more that it continues to be successful from the momentum it gained when it was a much better game. Those huge sub numbers and the revenue it generated locked in many players to the active community, the time they have invested into the game - and gave Blizzard a pile of cash to keep developing content rapidly and dominating the market.

I think Blizard's next MMO, Titan or whatever it is going to be called, is not going to come near the success of WoW. Definitely do well, but not eclipse the success WoW has seen over its lifespan. I really hope there is a developer out there who can do something fresh because MMOs are a really enjoyable experience with the heavy focus on multiplayer. Guild Wars 2 is the best MMO I've played since WoW: TBC, but man that game just has nothing that really draws you in once the levelling experience is over. RvR is fun for a short while and grinding out cosmetic upgrades is really a bore. A decent MMO needs a solid community and interesting end game, preferably good raiding and rewarding PvP to keep you interested in playing. GW2 did really well up until that point.

 

[KMFJD]

After patching i was able to log in with now wait

 

[aigomorla]

That is true enough. WoW its self is a rip-off of EQ. They took EQ (developers/players literally) removed almost all of the punitive repercussions of that game, cartooned it up and released WoW.

lol.... with that notion then... everything is a rip off Ultima Online.

i still think ALL MMO's have yet to come close to the amount of stuff one can do in ultima online.

"Ultima Online's success resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the game 8 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include "First MMORPG to Reach 100,000 Players", "Longest Running MMORPG", and "First and Only Person to Kill Lord British", which was done by a player named Rainz during a server reset which turned off his invulnerability"

WoW and EQ are still infants compared to Ultima Online.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I'd like something like Darkfall but from a reputable company that looks good and works good. Why is that too much to ask for.
Last beta really wasn't bad, I just found it nearly impossible to die or be challenged.

 

[gothamhunter]

Neverwinter Nights was the very first MMO, actually.

 

[KMFJD]

I'd like something like Darkfall but from a reputable company that looks good and works good. Why is that too much to ask for.
Last beta really wasn't bad, I just found it nearly impossible to die or be challenged.

Original release of Darkfall in the first 3 months was probably my favorite mmo of all time

/so broken yet so much fun because of the risk/reward system

 

[Rinaun]

Original release of Darkfall in the first 3 months was probably my favorite mmo of all time

Yeap. I hear tons of people from Ultima/AOC/DAOC/coolkid mmos say this and I regret not playing it. I remember my clannies telling me they were naked raiding people. Sounded like insane fun.

 

[KMFJD]

Yeap. I hear tons of people from Ultima/AOC/DAOC/coolkid mmos say this and I regret not playing it. I remember my clannies telling me they were naked raiding people. Sounded like insane fun.

First couple of months, just building up your town, exploiting mobs (only way) , everyone rallying to defend your town, good times, seeing people afk training and killing them Hunting that lone resource gatherer knowing he will drop a lot of loot, getting chased by that damn dragon on the southern island for almost an hour, picking up the loot from all the dead players that he killed.....lotsa good times for sure

 

[Larnz]

Neverwinter Nights was the very first MMO, actually.

A) NWN wasn't an MMO... Multiple <> MMO
b) It also came out 3 years after Everquest 1 not to mention ultima online.

 

[gothamhunter]

A) NWN wasn't an MMO... Multiple <> MMO
b) It also came out 3 years after Everquest 1 not to mention ultima online.

No...I'm talking about the MMORPG.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwinter_Nights_(MMORPG)

 

[TidusZ]

That is true enough. WoW its self is a rip-off of EQ. They took EQ (developers/players literally) removed almost all of the punitive repercussions of that game, cartooned it up and released WoW.

They did it really well too. It made the game a lot easier to approach and progress through while it still maintained some of the traditional hardcore elements of time required or determination to overcome group-oriented tasks. Since then though it's really gone far a-field of that place to being something quite different.

It's so hard to gauge how effective the WoW approach has really been. The game started getting heavily 'casual' and 'dumbed-down' in WoTLK and has continued further down that road since then. The TBC xpac preceding that was really made in the vein that the original WoW was with refinements and improvements. Cataclysm and Pandaria have never seen the subscription levels that TBC saw, and WoTLK is where WoW hit a peak in sub numbers. Any MMO will see attrition though and they can't keep new subs coming in as quickly as they bleed them away.

Makes it difficult to decipher if the ultra-casual, collect pets and do achievements approach is better or not. Did it help to keep sub numbers higher in the face of attrition than they would of been had they not gone that route ? Or would of keeping the game with a more challenging/less accessible design like we saw in the original game and TBC have maintained popularity better ? I tend to think it's the former. They found a new fan base of bored housewives and 12-15 year olds and it was a bigger one, so they went that way, like it or not. I think WoW created a brand new demographic of MMO players and it's bigger than the previous typical demographic was. Whether you feel that is fail or not is irrelevant as that is probably where there is more money and why other companies are trying to rip it off.

It will take something really innovative and fresh to detract from that. Half the reason WoW is still maintaining such success, imo, is not the quality of the game these days (again imo, it's quite lacking compared to the past) but more that it continues to be successful from the momentum it gained when it was a much better game. Those huge sub numbers and the revenue it generated locked in many players to the active community, the time they have invested into the game - and gave Blizzard a pile of cash to keep developing content rapidly and dominating the market.

I think Blizard's next MMO, Titan or whatever it is going to be called, is not going to come near the success of WoW. Definitely do well, but not eclipse the success WoW has seen over its lifespan. I really hope there is a developer out there who can do something fresh because MMOs are a really enjoyable experience with the heavy focus on multiplayer. Guild Wars 2 is the best MMO I've played since WoW: TBC, but man that game just has nothing that really draws you in once the levelling experience is over. RvR is fun for a short while and grinding out cosmetic upgrades is really a bore. A decent MMO needs a solid community and interesting end game, preferably good raiding and rewarding PvP to keep you interested in playing. GW2 did really well up until that point.

I usually don't read long posts but this one was good. I have spent a sizeable chunk of my life playing WoW and what you say is accurate. I think the panda expansion is actually pretty good at providing the casuals and hardcores with content, and ultimately the reason I don't play anymore has more to do with my guild breaking up and there not being a comparable guild that doesn't raid 60+ hours a week on progression. Had my guild (cuties only) not broken up I might still be playing because the game itself is still pretty good and still the best MMO.