Tabula Rasa

I was one of those beta testers to TR a while back that didn't jump on the retail product when it hit the streets.  I'm an older gamer with over 15+ years of gaming experience and I have literally played, tried and beta tested close to 40 MMOGs. 

I went back to TR and I am having a lot of fun.  I'm not one of those  people that is going to worry about what it cost, what it's losing or how much money NC Soft invested in the game - right here, right now I'm having fun with what is currently in the game.  The game was fun right off the bat which I cannot say for a lot of games like EQ2, VG, etc. 

Sure, the game has its warts and I could put together a long list of things that they should/could improve, fix or add - but I won't. 

To me TR is sort of like a  mix of Mass Effect and Quake with an online component.  If the game can survive the launches the Age of Conan, Warhammer Online and another WoW expansion, and given another 6-12 months of polishing it will be a very solid sci-fi mmog.  I doubt that NC Soft will ever let it die because to me that would do more damage to their credibility then any financial loses they may incur supporting the game moving forward. 

I will continue to support TR and I look forward to seeing where they take the game.  But even if the game didn't progress any further then its current state I must admit it is still fun to run around with friends and blast crap, take capture points, etc.

Consider this the "honeymoon period".

As an MMO gamer of around 10 years (started with UO) I can provide a prediction as to how your gaming experience with TR will go. You'll love the game when you first start because it feels a bit like an FPS. You'll especially enjoy the shotgun, 'cos the lack of target locking enhances the FPS feeling considerably, and you'll find it refreshing and new.

However, (I bet you knew that was coming), the shine will start to wear off fairly quickly, and around level 15 you'll start to be frustrated by things like never having to worry about dying, never having to group for instances, being able to kill pretty much anything with the same combination of attacks.

Then, around the mid 20s, you'll start meeting things that spawn from seemingly nowhere and swarm you without warning, knocking you down, being completely immune to certain damage types (I don't care how big a creature is, but shooting it with a rocket launcher should at least hurt it a bit).

Finally, you'll hit level 30 and rejoice at getting your final tier.. you'll play around with them for a while and find out which ones are insanely great, and which ones are virtually useless. Then you'll realise that there's nothing else to look forward to 'til level 50, and (if you choose to slog your way through the lack of content and grind your way there) then you'll also realise that there's nothing to do when you actually get there.

Add in the useless crafting system, the fundamentally flawed cloning system and the lazily-developed "race" choices, and the sad truth is that TR is not a good game. It had potential, but it was badly done. I wish it wasn't the case, 'cos I was really rooting for it to do well but we're now 5 months after release and the game still feels like it's in beta.

In another year or so it may be a game worth playing, but I can't justify paying a subsciption fee for another 12 months of sub-standard gameplay when there are other alternatives available. I'm sure in a couple of months you'll probably feel the same.

Trimethicon, welcome aboard! I agree with you, TR is fun and I have hopes for all the issues it has. Ive been playing for little over a month and it is a blast. You should try the TR stratic boards for info and such, but you probably already new that.

Tefloneddie, did you even read his post? I think Trimethicon probably is aware of the issues with TR, and has the experience to know what to expect from the game.

Originally posted by TeflonEddie

Consider this the "honeymoon period".

As an MMO gamer of around 10 years (started with UO) I can provide a prediction as to how your gaming experience with TR will go. You'll love the game when you first start because it feels a bit like an FPS. You'll especially enjoy the shotgun, 'cos the lack of target locking enhances the FPS feeling considerably, and you'll find it refreshing and new.

However, (I bet you knew that was coming), the shine will start to wear off fairly quickly, and around level 15 you'll start to be frustrated by things like never having to worry about dying, never having to group for instances, being able to kill pretty much anything with the same combination of attacks.

Then, around the mid 20s, you'll start meeting things that spawn from seemingly nowhere and swarm you without warning, knocking you down, being completely immune to certain damage types (I don't care how big a creature is, but shooting it with a rocket launcher should at least hurt it a bit).

Finally, you'll hit level 30 and rejoice at getting your final tier.. you'll play around with them for a while and find out which ones are insanely great, and which ones are virtually useless. Then you'll realise that there's nothing else to look forward to 'til level 50, and (if you choose to slog your way through the lack of content and grind your way there) then you'll also realise that there's nothing to do when you actually get there.

Add in the useless crafting system, the fundamentally flawed cloning system and the lazily-developed "race" choices, and the sad truth is that TR is not a good game. It had potential, but it was badly done. I wish it wasn't the case, 'cos I was really rooting for it to do well but we're now 5 months after release and the game still feels like it's in beta.

In another year or so it may be a game worth playing, but I can't justify paying a subsciption fee for another 12 months of sub-standard gameplay when there are other alternatives available. I'm sure in a couple of months you'll probably feel the same.

 

I'm level 22 and I enjoy mobs spawning out of nowhere actually, well they're drop shipped to your loc in some cases, my friend and I are running around together and we love to get the exp modifier up to 250% to see how long we can keep it there.  Never before, in any mmog, other then maybe the Battlefield series have I experienced the adrenaline rush of a battle like I have in TR.  Its a display of fireworks and explosions, chaos and confusion as you try to either save the base or recapture it.  Its a great feeling to withstand a massive assault and when the smoke clears its just you and a few other players still standing.  Taking down Stalkers is also a blast, as they buckle and explode just before you take them out.   

But what mmog doesn't fall into what you've described?  The basic premise of any mmog is simply kill, loot and level.  Outside of the social mmogs, i.e. Second Life, that is the formula.  And every one of those non-social mmog's fall prey to this very same tedium; from AC - Zu Online.  I'm not sure what mmog you're playing that doesn't have this downside, but please let me know so I can enjoy it as well.

I'm not a big crafter, I did enough arts and crafts from 1st to 5th grade to last me a lifetime, and if there are crafted items that are better then PVE/PVP drops then I usually lean on my guild to help supply them to me in exchange for the mats. 

And even if the game only lasts 3-6 months for me, does it need to be longer then that?  Why must I be married to an mmog for 3+ years, I've done that, its not fun either - it feels like work. 

If you just want to hate on the game I understand that too, I've done it before as well and I think we all feel a sense of bittnerness towards developers for putting out the same old mmogs.  But the bottom line is the game is fun for me, I love the combat, I like the setting and I think the game has incredible long term potential.   

 

Originally posted by Dedthom

Tefloneddie, did you even read his post? I think Trimethicon probably is aware of the issues with TR, and has the experience to know what to expect from the game.

That said, I assume that the reason that he posted this on the TR discussion forum was to invite discussion, and no informed discussion should be all "pro" and no "con".

My "prediction" was in truth more of a biography of the time that I (and various others who started playing TR at release) spent in-game, and though it is by design a negative viewpoint, I don't feel that any point I made was either incorrect or misleading.

I provided the "con" based on my experience of the game having played from the day of release all the way to level 50. If you don't agree with me then that's fine, but I challenge you to say the same once you've played for 4 months+.

I also read where you rushed to level 50 then got bored.  You should probably include that in your responses regarding the game because I think that that will, in most cases, not end well for the gamer rushing to the cap.  Again I ask, and I'm not making excuses for the developers because they're just as much to blame, but what mmog out of the gate had massive amounts of end-game content?  So what happens is you power level your way to the cap then you put down the game, influencing others that the game is bad when in reality their play style may be different then yours.  I dare you find a gamer out there  that hit the level cap of an mmog fresh off release that did stick around for years after doing so?  You claim show me someone still enjoying the game after 4+ months, I challenge you to find someone still enjoying any mmog after hitting the cap weeks after the game came out.  

I think  its important that new players understand the pro's and con's of each mmog - I do a lot of research before I jump into a new mmog.  I weigh both the positive and the negative views and I parse out the fanboy and hater garbage and make a decision accordingly. 

Originally posted by Trimethicon

I also read where you rushed to level 50 then got bored.  You should probably include that in your responses regarding the game because I think that that will, in most cases, not end well for the gamer rushing to the cap.  Again I ask, and I'm not making excuses for the developers because they're just as much to blame, but what mmog out of the gate had massive amounts of end-game content?  So what happens is you power level your way to the cap then you put down the game, influencing others that the game is bad when in reality their play style may be different then yours.  I dare you find a gamer out there  that hit the level cap of an mmog fresh off release that did stick around for years after doing so?  You claim show me someone still enjoying the game after 4+ months, I challenge you to find someone still enjoying any mmog after hitting the cap weeks after the game came out.  

I think  its important that new players understand the pro's and con's of each mmog - I do a lot of research before I jump into a new mmog.  I weigh both the positive and the negative views and I parse out the fanboy and hater garbage and make a decision accordingly. 

the fastest you can get to lvl 50 is 10 days so 4 months is in no way "Power leveling" as you say

we are attempting to tell people the truth the game is very good till lvl 30 then it sucks very bad

and as far as finding someone that hit lvl cap within a short period of time and still enjoys playing it i can show you hundreds i and almost 70 other people have capped toons in AO and have been playing for years also until the nge the same with SWG

TR doesnt have the staying power to go the long run and the upper lvl managment running the show are totaly incompantant (starr long)

so if you dont want people posting conflicting oppinions to what you believe stick to talking to your friends and dont post on public forums

Originally posted by Trimethicon

I also read where you rushed to level 50 then got bored.  You should probably include that in your responses regarding the game because I think that that will, in most cases, not end well for the gamer rushing to the cap.  Again I ask, and I'm not making excuses for the developers because they're just as much to blame, but what mmog out of the gate had massive amounts of end-game content?  So what happens is you power level your way to the cap then you put down the game, influencing others that the game is bad when in reality their play style may be different then yours.  I dare you find a gamer out there  that hit the level cap of an mmog fresh off release that did stick around for years after doing so?  You claim show me someone still enjoying the game after 4+ months, I challenge you to find someone still enjoying any mmog after hitting the cap weeks after the game came out.  

I think  its important that new players understand the pro's and con's of each mmog - I do a lot of research before I jump into a new mmog.  I weigh both the positive and the negative views and I parse out the fanboy and hater garbage and make a decision accordingly. 

I'm a fairly casual gamer and I didn't rush, but in order to get to level 50 I had to grind considerably. Now, don't assume that I did so because I wanted to level quickly; grinding was simply the only option that I had when logging in the game. The lack of mid/high-level content was so extreme that there was literally nothing else that I cou