Rollo talks games. (And Pie)

Just another gamer pretending to know what he's talking about.

Author: Rollotamasi

I am a HUGE Stargate fan.  I own the complete 10 season boxed set.  My desktop background is a concept picture of the Promethus. My cell phone ringtone is the intro theme from the show.  My cell phone text msg alert is the sound of a incoming wormhole.  I am a true Stargate geek and want nothing more then this game to be good but I just don't think it will be.  Even if it is horrible though I will probably still play it simply because it is set in the Stargate world.

I REALLY think they made a mistake with the race class setup.  In my opinion Asgard should NOT be a playable race and the Tokra should should be a actual playable faction / class / race.  Making the Asgard playable would be like making the Ori playable, it just doesn't fit.  Besides, during the time frame the game takes place the Asgard are still busy in their own galaxy fighting the replicators.  In addition when was the last time the asgard were doing something NOT on a ship?  Asgard drones?  Who came up with that idea?  Honestly, I am NOT a lore nazi but I really feel that having a ton of Asgard running around engaging in combat on the ground using flying drones is really going to kill the atomsphere for anyone that is a fan of the show. 

This game SCREAMED for a skill based setup.  You should be able to pick your race and then lvl skills, not a class.  Think about it, there are almost no pure "classes" in the show.  Sam Carter is a great example.  Soldier but also a great scientist.  Daniel Jackson?  Although not the "fighter" Sam is he does a lot more fighting in the last few seasons of the show (Even swaps out his pistol for a P90.)  The tokra fill many rolls.  Scientists, infiltrators, etc.  The stargate universe is perfect for a skill based system or at least a job/subjob type system like they used in FFXI. 

I can't help  feeling this game is going to end up being tabla rasa with a stargate skin.

You know what I'm talking about.  That phrase that people spew because they think it makes them sound like they are "good at the internet".  It has gotten to the point where people think everything is a WoW clone. Tuna salad sandwich? Wow clone.  Offline story driven shooter?  Wow clone.  Well, I feel its time for a little leson.  WoW clone really means quest driven MMORPG and there is a reason that this is the way the industry is.  Actually there is 2 reasons and they are both pretty good.

Reason one. 

The gaming demographic has changed.  The average age of gamers is older then it was before.  The generation of gamers that grew up playing games like EQ and UO aren't kids any more.  They have jobs.  They have families.   However, they still want to game.  The problem is that its hard to play a MMO when you may only have an hour to log on and play.  The old formula just wouldn't anymore.  Log on, spend 30-60 mins looking for a group.  Then spend 20 mins getting to the hunting spot.  Then spend 30 mins finding a replacement when someone has to drop.  Then spend 20 mins waiting for them to get there.  When you only have an hour to play you need to be able togo online and feel like you accomplished something.

Secondly, this is also the reason that harsh death penalties have fallen out of favor.  When a player only has a limited time to play a death penalty where they loose 4 hours worth of progress isn't going to work.  Or, having to make a 20 min run back to your corpse.

Reason two.

The old formula kinda...sucked.  I mean seriously.  Basicly  what MMO's consisted of was putting together a party, going to a spot and pulling mobs for hours on end.  Was that really exciting?  Not to mention party dynamics.  Remember sitting around for hours on end because every group need that ONE class and you couldn't find one?  Was that really fun?

So seriously folks, get off the "omFG wOw clone LOLZ" bandwagon.  Quest based MMO's are here to stay.  Get used to it