Pros:

Good graphic

Free(kind of) pvp system

Huge ocean area which you can actually do something on it (sea battle)

Non instanced player housing, although there is little you can do with the house and its only limited in some area thus every houses or farms squeezs up against each other. Sadly there is no room in the entire server to build another house now, ya I mean it, my guildes and I just checked in the past 2 days, you need less than 2 hours to check all the residential area avalible for each side (east or west, you belong to one of them) in the entire world.

Cons:

1.

Little content, only 1 small map for each level range, you follow the main road do some quests then move to the next map,and you are still on the same road, its like watching a highway movie. Most linear map in any MMO ive ever played.Top level players run around everywhere in like 5 days. There are 1/3 maps not released yet though. I believe the third map wont be so linear since it will be all top level zones.

About the map size: there are 3 continent, 2 are released (west and east), you will be mainly playing on one of them depends on which side you blong, each continent belongs to a faction. Around  8 to 10 maps on each continent , if you are riding a horse, which has speed of 9m/s (officially listed in the horse stats window in game), you need about 7 to 15 mins to cross 1 map.

2.

Extremly simplified resource production system, no matter what resource you want to produce, it takes only 3 steps.

   a. Plant the seed( different seed for different resource, eg: seeds for flowers, little pigs for pigs, no difference except the names and graphics), seeds for all resources can be bought from npc vendors.

   b. Decide if you are willing to use a specific item ( water for plant, beans for ducks, etc) to reduce the time needed by 10%,then wait.

   c. Pick up the item.

3.

You need a big enough guild to play the game, and you need to stick with your guildies or friends all the time at higher levels ( I mean all the time, all) basically there is no 1v1, zergs swarming around at high level map  (you cant pvp in low level maps), maybe its because there are too many players and the maps are too small, but its impossible for you to live past 5 mins if you walk there alone, even at 6 am korea time on monday. Remember the game is just in the second week of its OB and not even released yet.

I think the lack of places to build houses and insane mass zerg PvP is due to the high amount of players in limited map area thanks to it being beta.

This same thing happened in TERA  with Guild vs Guild when level cap was 32 and actually made the BETAs my fondest memory of the game, if you spoke Korean you should have tried to get into a big guild for a lot of fun.

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

You sure? I hope so. The way the OP sounded the maps are just as bad as SWTOR's maps :(

Originally posted by vzerov

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

not instanced.. its called zones...

Is it also related to the beta that all places where you can build the houses were taken?

I always wanted to make a house on some distant island. Will it be possible in full release? If it was like the OP described, I would probably pass.

Originally posted by coretex666

Is it also related to the beta that all places where you can build the houses were taken?

I always wanted to make a house on some distant island. Will it be possible in full release? If it was like the OP described, I would probably pass.

a little guide to housing here..  Just read it myself.. now your not free to build anywhere you want there are certain areas on the noe island, then on the PVP island you have a bit mroe freedom if your clan owns that area or wahtever..

http://archeagesource.com/topic/1128-archeage-houses-and-castles-guide/

Originally posted by Biskop
Hm, sounds like the hype train might come to a grinding halt as more and more people actually get to try the game.

why do you say that?

I have not played it yet but i was alweays expecting a mix of a themepark game with elements of a sandbox game.. and from what i can see thats what they have got..

I never really got too hyped up about it really but I am interested and might even give the korean one a go..

Originally posted by Biskop
Hm, sounds like the hype train might come to a grinding halt as more and more people actually get to try the game.

Why? Because of this ones review? Go to real fansite forums and read other peoples reviews/impressions, there are hundreds of people who are enjoying this game more than any other recent MMO, but they preffer not to post here on this trolls nest forum.

But in general, you shouldn't be overhyped with AA, and that applies to all other MMOs the same way!

Originally posted by Biskop
I say that because a lot of people have had this image of AA as The Sandbox Game and The Saviour of MMO gaming, and since the game seems to be basically a linear themepark with limited housing, farming and ships on the side, they're bound to disappointed.

The hype have been growing steadily for years and that usually means a lot of bitterness and QQ when the game fails to meet some people's totally unrealistic expectations.

Its a bad theme park for the first 2 contenent aka the early to mid level area, but we dont know what it will be with the third contenent yet, which contains main top level areas.

I have a few clan mates who played the beta..

We are a darkfall clan and have been for years.. they really enjoyed testing Archeage and a considering we usually only like hardcore PVP games thats saying somthing...

I probally wont end up jumping on one of the korean servers and wait for an english version to come out next year.. but from what  have read and the vids i have watched it seems to be what i was expecting..

Originally posted by vzerov

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

the world is entirely seamless, no loading screens in open world. there is currently a bug though, that causes those loading screens when using boats or ships.

Originally posted by Caldrin

Originally posted by vzerov

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

not instanced.. its called zones...

they are not called zones. zones = instanced.

the correct term is "areas".

Originally posted by coretex666

Is it also related to the beta that all places where you can build the houses were taken?

I always wanted to make a house on some distant island. Will it be possible in full release? If it was like the OP described, I would probably pass.

you can do that already in the open beta, but those islands have to be designated as housing areas, which plenty are. the release of archeage will add 9 new areas, which of course will include more housing areas.

judging a game by its beta phase is never a good idea, wait till it releases in korea, which is today!

Originally posted by Sygris

they are not called zones. zones = instanced.

the correct term is "areas".

 

 

No instances are a totally different thing.. Instances are where there are multiple version of the same area/zone..

Area/zones are what older MMORPGs used..  From what he described this is what it sounded like..

Originally posted by Sygris

Originally posted by vzerov

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

the world is entirely seamless, no loading screens in open world. there is currently a bug though, that causes those loading screens when using boats or ships.

 

Originally posted by Caldrin

Originally posted by vzerov

Originally posted by XAleX360

Really? One of the selling point is supposed to be the game world's huge dimension. There is even supposed to be sailing between isles and continents....

Anyway, the first "map" or continent is supposed to be more theme park than sandbox. The later ones are full sandbox, instead.

3  continents in the world, 2 are released, the "original continent" which is the the third one, and about the same size with the first 2 will be released at 1.16. You can sail between contienets, but its actually semi instanced, you need to load once in the ocean.

My opinion only stands for the first 2 continent though.

not instanced.. its called zones...

they are not called zones. zones = instanced.

the correct term is "areas".

 

Originally posted by coretex666

Is it also related to the beta that all places where you can build the houses were taken?

I always wanted to make a house on some distant island. Will it be possible in full release? If it was like the OP described, I would probably pass.

you can do that already in the open beta, but those islands have to be designated as housing areas, which plenty are. the release of archeage will add 9 new areas, which of course will include more housing areas.

 

 

judging a game by its beta phase is never a good idea, wait till it releases in korea, which is today!

 

 Ok so there will be "more" housing areas. However, there will still be shortage of them? So that you have to hurry to claim your housing spot?

I hope not.

Originally posted by Biskop
I say that because a lot of people have had this image of AA as The Sandbox Game and The Saviour of MMO gaming, and since the game seems to be basically a linear themepark with limited housing, farming and ships on the side, they're bound to disappointed.

The hype have been growing steadily for years and that usually means a lot of bitterness and QQ when the game fails to meet some people's totally unrealistic expectations.

The game is still in development, once all the maps and final content is released, we should judge it at that point.

In its current state IMO, it is still the top game on the market as far as what freedom of choice and options it offers.

Name one other game when it was beta that comes close to what Archeage beta offers.