Regarding the build swapping, you can do it any time you are out of combat. That's what the dev said on the official TSW forums a few days ago.

Regarding TSW and the holy trinity, AoC's classes are much more hybrid than games like WoW. In other words, a healer is more than a heal dispenser and a tank more than a damage soaker.

I bet there are going to be bossfights where a group can improvise and get away with nearly no tanking, others with little healing etc. Since you can change builds between fights, you can finetune builds depending on the fight if needed or wanted.

I'm going to play both this and GW2. That said, I dislike the fact that both will have a cash shop.

GW2 is a B2P, so that's somewhat more understandable... but the gem system is iffy. I don't understand how it's OK that you can practically buy in-game money with real money.  

TSW is P2P... So if its cash shop has a similar system to the gem system, it's gonna be an even bigger turn-off. I can accept  cosmetic stuff and account services, but company-sanctioned RMT is a downer.

About Funcom. Yeah, they kind of suck at launch. And yeah, their support is not very good. Still, I find their MMOs are always at least a breath of fresh air, if not ultimately better than most (to me, at least AO was back then).

Originally posted by pwain

As far as I know the PvP in this game is only a side feature  :(

Not exactly correct - the PvP will be a main part of the game....but not at launch. They have turned down what parts of PvP will be in game when it launches. I do not know the why behind this, but I suspect we will find that out soon enough. It will still have the 3 faction PvP, still have the capturable minigames, and still have at least one persistant goal capture orianted PvP free for all zone. They have stated they plan on double that at least with persistant goal capture type zones around the world. Big plan, might be why they are holding it back at launch. 

Personaly I never have a problem with holding back some content and releasing as the game goes on in free patch/updates. Help keep the game fresh as time goes by. The only time it becaomes an issue is when they launnch with not enough, and dont keep enough coming as time goes by. Demand and supply need to work themselves out right.

Originally posted by Elsabolts

 

Please explain to me why would one want to pay a subscription for several years for them to work the bugs out, i seem to remember 2 other launches with this problem.

 

Because it's still better to play a fun game with bugs than a fully polished game that's boring as shit.  I got 3+ years out of "buggy" AO and 6 month out of "buggy" AoC.  I didn't get more than 2 months play out of either TOR or Rift which were nearly flawless in terms of launch.

It's the quality of the game concept, story and system designt aht matters to me.  Unless it's unplayable, I don't particularly care if they need to work out a few things. 

Originally posted by mrw0lf

It's p2p2w.

 

It's not.  The cash show in TSW is supposed to be similar to the cash shop in the paid version of EQ2.   You can buy cosmetic items that make you prettier, but there is absolutely nothing that gives you a power advantage over a player that hasn't paid.  So while it is P2P, it is NOT P2W, more like P2LG (pay to look good).  

Originally posted by stragen001

Since it would appear GW2 is now Pay 2 Win this has jumped to the top of my most anticipated games list :) 

Still, TSW is going to have a cash shop too, and its being made by Funcom, so im going to be cautious....

I guess it depends what you mean by 'Pay 2 Win'? Seems pretty clear that as of now it is absolutely not. Remains to be seen how FC approach their cash shop, in the past they have not been too offensive.

This sounds rather interesting, but balancing out 500 skills sounds like a nightmare.

Also, you know within days there will be cookie cutter builds posted by the min/maxers. And then in the end people that don't use just the right build don't get in guilds or in the events.

Same song, different verse.

I have no doubt about Funcom making innovative MMORPG, especially sci-fi ones....

They usually came out and did very good job!

However, is the release of the game I worry about.  Funcom had a history of horrible launch!!

Please make it work this time !!

Originally posted by bigsmiff

I am sooo looking forward to this. It has that Supernatural/Grimm feel to it. I know people bash Funcom for AoC's launch, but don't you think they want to avoid that junk this time? I think they have a genuine gem in the making.

From what I hear AO's launch was just as horrid as AoC. So didn't they want to avoid that with AoC then? Wanting and being able to are different things and I don't think they are capable enough to get it right. Years of playing AoC showed me they screw up more then that they get things right.

Originally posted by Connmacart

From what I hear AO's launch was just as horrid as AoC. So didn't they want to avoid that with AoC then? Wanting and being able to are different things and I don't think they are capable enough to get it right. Years of playing AoC showed me they screw up more then that they get things right.

The AO launch was much worse than the AoC launch. If they had done the same with TSW as they did with AoC, it would have launched in April. Those two extra months are for polish, not unfinished features. I played TSW for about 5 hours about 6 weeks back and I didn't encounter any bugs. I think the game will give a fresh breath to the mmo-genre.

Originally posted by IAmMMO
Their engine use has not jump forward by any leaps of bounds though, that engine can't do anything new other than nice eye candy. The feel of an engine come through in games, and I don't really like the feel of this engine of theirs. They've not moved forward in the way SOE has developing forgelight,they're using same old tools with same old limitations as 5 years ago, just more eye candy.

Server side PhysX

Dynamic Lighting in a MMO

Article in the geforce.com: The Secret World: The Most Technologically Advanced MMO To Date

Funcom, like SOE is a four letter word to me. Funcom is still a fly-by-night second rate game developer in my book with niche titles.

With my opinion aside, it still looks very promising. A few sandbox elements and far enough away from WoW, the BS of yesteryear games may not be as prevelant in this one.

TSW and ArcheAge are at the top of my list now.

I have to hand it to FUNCOM. This progression system sounds bloody well thought out. If this works it could fcking change the genre for ever.

Sorry I am so hyped right now :P

It  all sounds nice on paper but its Funcom and that means they will lie , lie and lie again to you because all they want is your box sale money and in return you will get a terrible unfinished product which will not even remotely resemble what they promised you.  Rather than wasting your time following this game, hyping it, buying it, attempting to play it and then quickly quitting it why not simply send Funcom a check. That is all they want just your money. Its simpler and easier to just send them cash that way you you can move on to hyping some other soon to fail game and not waste your time being contioulsy frustrated by Funcoms lies and misrepresentations..

It's funny to see the Anti-Funcom-crowd flaming a game they've never seen on their own. Sure, Funcom did badly with AO and AoC at release, but TSW is using the same and improved engine as AoC and the beta is actually quiet good so far besides the character-animations, which are still a bit awkward.

I'm not saying it's perfect, but TSW won't have the same problems liek AO or AoC at launch. That I can tell you so far.

Lovecraft meets Silent Hill...... how can this game NOT be totaly badass?!

Originally posted by Zippy

It  all sounds nice on paper but its Funcom and that means they will lie , lie and lie again to you because all they want is your box sale money and in return you will get a terrible unfinished product which will not even remotely resemble what they promised you.  Rather than wasting your time following this game, hyping it, buying it, attempting to play it and then quickly quitting it why not simply send Funcom a check. That is all they want just your money. Its simpler and easier to just send them cash that way you you can move on to hyping some other soon to fail game and not waste your time being contioulsy frustrated by Funcoms lies and misrepresentations..

 

After the Box money?? Wouldn't it be much higher risk that ArenaNet and GW2 would go for the box Scam? TSW is after all a subscription based game, so they would depend on you finding the progressionsystem meaningfull. And reading this article, it looks like they might be able to pull that off.

Originally posted by Blackbrrd

Originally posted by Connmacart

From what I hear AO's launch was just as horrid as AoC. So didn't they want to avoid that with AoC then? Wanting and being able to are different things and I don't think they are capable enough to get it right. Years of playing AoC showed me they screw up more then that they get things right.

The AO launch was much worse than the AoC launch. If they had done the same with TSW as they did with AoC, it would have launched in April. Those two extra months are for polish, not unfinished features. I played TSW for about 5 hours about 6 weeks back and I didn't encounter any bugs. I think the game will give a fresh breath to the mmo-genre.

Sounds promising