Originally posted by Ortwig

< shortened :) >

Okay, you're a developer at TSW with a limited staff and a huge set of features on your list and some bugs.  Several of those bugs have been nicely addressed by the mod community, and there are several major things you need to do to deliver new content.  I can completely understand why they'd choose new content and features over a bug.  It'd be nice, but the addons work seamlessly and simply work.  Problem solved -- you are getting your back up over development philosophy and upset that TSW has not made your priority theirs.

Only it's not a 100% solution (got some problems with elite swapping, and on curse there's even a comment of a missing focus and that the support ignored the issue and blamed addons).

But let's assume it's a perfect fix. Then FC should hire / pay Eth and officially implement the solution into the game. Again, it's not some minor cosmetic bug, the whole game is built on the ablity wheel and the frequent deck changes during play. As some opinions in the thread on TSW forum show, it doesn't put a good light on FC that one of their core features is bugged since launch and all they can do about it is directing players to player-made addons...

I agree, #6 is already late so they should focus on that now. But after that we'll have even whips to use on their backs if don't fix the gear management :)

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Originally posted by Ryowulf
There is one race. Just one.

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Yet I can't adjust height/weight.  The character's appearance options are very limited.

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Why does the hair look so awful?

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There are a lot of clothes options or is there? Because they take one style of shirt and add 20 of them with different colors. Why not just let people use dyes?  They do have different styles, but not counting color/patterns there is less there than it would seem.

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Combat animations/sound. When the best even fans can say is "I don't mind them", there is a problem.  Swing a sword, swing a sword at a mob, notice a different? Nope. Close your eyes. Are you hitting a mod? Can't tell.  I have a hammer. A big heavy hammer, but my swing makes it look like a chop-stick.

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I have no real sense of weight or mass

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Mob density. mob chase length, mob agro.  Sooo many mobs in some areas. Why?  You don't want me to explore?

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You have 3 factions, so give players 3 starting zones not one zombie filled city.

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Have falling damage.

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When I sprint, make it look like I am running faster.

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Originally posted by Po_gg

 

I agree, #6 is already late so they should focus on that now. But after that we'll have even whips to use on their backs if don't fix the gear management :)

Can´t wait to see the first ingame footage of the whip in action.. I know already this will be my favourite weapon.

Castlevania style baby!! :D

I´ll go hunt down vampires in Transylvania like a boss.

Originally posted by halfmystic

That really enjoy this game.

 

Which is ashame because I got this sinking feeling that The Secret World is going to go the way of dead MMOs past, which I would just hatehatehate to see.

 

So my question is, why isn't it attracting more of a crowd? Because of the quests? The combat? I understand the UI is kinda screwy but I'm sure the developers noticed this as well and are working on it.

 

 

My biggest issue with the game so far is the lack of inventory sorting. There is NOTHING more dishearting in this game than the fact that my inventory constantly has 200ish items in it and I have to spend close to an hour sortting it all around in my bags and bank.  ( Found  a mod recently that makes this slightly less painful but still, ugh.. )

That and the freakin' chat is buggy still from launch - or is that just me? When I write a long sentence it kinda just goes off the chat screen and breaks the third wall, which is.. so very annoying.

 

The lack of a group finder is also an issue for me but that's up to debate for other people - the faster I can get in a group the better for me. I've yet to run into many trolls in TSW so I really don't believe it would hurt the community.

 

I want to make a suggestions post on their forum but I want more feedback from the MMORPG.com community to see what the game needs, I wanna make a humungous post all about suggestions from every source I can gather. :)

 

Just wanna make a great game better and feedback is the best way!

The first 2 months in the game I absolutely enjoyed the game, the questing was superb and the ambiance of the world was inspiring.  Even though the Combat was not as fluid as I like nor as responsive as GW2's (I had played in the Beta Weekends at the time of TSW's release) I was accpetable of what the game did right.

Fast forward to the endgame and then it lost me.  How can a game so original, so detailed and so fun leveling up revert to an World of Warcraft/Everquest model of endgame running the same dungeons over and over and over ad-naseum to get gear.  If any game was dieing for an innovative and fresh bold face on endgame it was TSW.  Sadly since 99% of an MMO's life is spent at the level cap these days to clone the WoW model was the grosest travesty in my opnion.  They also failed to exclude the one thing that makes a WoW model endgame more appealing to those who havn't the time.  A Dungeon Finder!  Big mistake and IMO one of the reasons why SWTOR failed for me as well. 

IMO a game that features dungeon running to gear up must include some form of dungeon finder system.  GW2 gets away with this due to a lack of meaningful gear to aquire in dungeons off-setting the need to actually run the dungeons.  (as an example I have only ran a handful of heroic dungeons)

Originally posted by FromHell

Originally posted by Doogiehowser
Character creation was the biggest let down.  There are only couple of decent faces you can come up with but then you realise that in desperate attempt to nor look like an ape...majority of people end up looking exactly the same.

yeah. As you can clearly see, everyone looks exactly the same.. lol.

 

I don´t know what kind of agenda some people are running here, but it doesn´t work very well. 

I am talking about faces not the clothing. For females there are only couple of decent faces.

Originally posted by Po_gg

I agree, #6 is already late so they should focus on that now. But after that we'll have even whips to use on their backs if don't fix the gear management :)

Well, update ended (not the Issue#6 one :) ), and still no fix on gear management, only a few funny valentine cards and a dating service - though it found me a 73% match. I gave the most stupid answers, so I'm really curious about the target :)

And there are some weapon changes, nothing major except they removed Clearing the Path's guaranteed penetration.

Originally posted by Ortwig

Originally posted by asmkm22
Combat is dull, at best, and frustratingly repetative, at worst.  They went to great lengths to talk about how many skills there are, but the truth is, only a select few are really useful, and very few are interesting.  End result is a game with great atmosphere, and decent story, but uninspired gameplay that bogs down the pace.

With the freedom to create any deck you like and use every ability and every weapon, you also have the freedom to create dull, repetitive decks.  If you don't put in the effort to find something you like, you'll end up with something you don't.  Once you understand how the abilities can work together to make combos, combat becomes pretty damn exciting.  Lots of movement, dodging, and different abilities that can be swapped in and out as the situation requires.  If you are just spamming the same 2 abilities you are "doing it wrong."  The learning curve is a little steep, but the payoff is worth it:

http://yokaiblog.wikidot.com/guides:build-mechanics

Oh I'm aware there are some decent builds, but it still isn't what I'd consider fun.  Partly because mobs have so many damn HP that you have to essentially do the same few things over and over.  GW2 gets away with it because fights have a fast pace.  TSW slows it all down, for no obvious reason.

Anyway, the reason it's so easy to create a crappy build is because so many of the skills are crappy, especially in the inner wheel.  It was almost comical how the original "decks" that you were there to give players guidence were made up almost entirely of outer wheel skills that you wouldn't be able to start getting for quite a while.  Those decks ignored the inner wheel stuff for a reason...

Yes, they improved some of that with newer intro deck builds, but all they do is help players from making really crappy builds.  Combat is still slow and dull.

You can try and claim that if someone doesn't like it then it must mean they don't get it or whatever, but the truth is, combat is slow, clunky, and repetative.  They could seriously improve the game tenfold by speeding up the fights, because going through two full combo build and finisher cycles for each weapon just to kill one standard mob sucks.

The UI is a horrible shitfest.

I liked everything else - there just wasn't enough to keep me going for over a month, I can play too much and devour content quickly. (Loved the story elments/zones - especially the college area.)

The more I think about what's killing this game the more I realize it's not cosmetic like most claim...it's definitely the builder combat.  It's really boring to fight every fight the same way, which this system encourages.  

I like that it takes more than 4 hits to kill a mob.  I think MMO's should go back to making individual fights more difficult, intense, strategic and longer...not the Diablo/WoW 2 hits route. 

I could go on and on about all the great things I agree with in theory about this game...It's just another case of a game that I really respect their ideas more than I enjoy playing.

Originally posted by FromHell

Originally posted by RizelStar

Originally posted by FromHell

Small group, really? You should attend the meetings more often...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_fxX8AiQV0

That event looks cool, was that recent? I only ask cause it said published in October 7, 2012, and I'm seriously not trying to downplay it as well, really does look cool.

 

@OP - Well I can't really put my finger on why I don't play, I like the concept, really it's the animations, doesn't have high enough replay value for me, and just the style of the quests, they are good like tiers and etc a lot better than WoW like quest, I can't stand MMOs with quests like that.

 

B2P did make me come back for a few and the fact that Funcom didn't want to copy EQ/WOW(W/E floats your boat) was a plus for me, but their way of doing their own thing just wasn't the best for [me]. Still a great MMORPG though no doubt in that.

Well that event was BEFORE it went B2P so since then population has even increased, I absolutely NEVER have a problem finding people to play with, most are from the guild and RL friends I play with who live in town.

Also if you want regular events, you need to know where players meet up and on which dimension, best event in my opinion are done by Gridstream

http://tsw.gridstream.org

http://tsw.gridstream.org/gsp/cms/events/calendar/1/Eastern%20Standard%20Time

 

tune in to the live radio streams here

http://www.loudcity.com/stations/gridstream-productions-tsw/files/show/default.html

 

 

 

 

Ahh okay appreciate it man.

Originally posted by Ryowulf
I feel like the game is incomplete, that they ran out of time/money and just went live with what they had. Its either that or the devs are lazy.

Doubt they are lazy -- we've been slavedrivers!  :)

There is one race. Just one. Yet I can't adjust height/weight.  The character's appearance options are very limited.  Why does the hair look so awful? Or the faces so similar?  It seems to me in a modern setting with a focus on storytelling and rp, you'd want people to make personalized characters.  There are a lot of clothes options or is there? Because they take one style of shirt and add 20 of them with different colors. Why not just let people use dyes?  They do have different styles, but not counting color/patterns there is less there than it would seem.

Like the human-centric "real world" element and that's what makes it different from the fantasy template.  Huge options for clothes, and probably more to come, especially with the cash store becoming central to the game.  They did add the cosmetic surgeon and more face options, as well as a height slider, so they are working these things in as they go.

Combat animations/sound. When the best even fans can say is "I don't mind them", there is a problem.  Swing a sword, swing a sword at a mob, notice a different? Nope. Close your eyes. Are you hitting a mod? Can't tell.  I have a hammer. A big heavy hammer, but my swing makes it look like a chop-stick.  I have no real sense of weight or mass.

I actually think they are are rather good, but need more variety and fluidity.  They just added in today's patch a new jump animation, which looks quite smooth and nice.

Mob density. mob chase length, mob agro.  Sooo many mobs in some areas. Why?  You don't want me to explore?  Why do I have to stop a fight off the crowd of zombies when combat looks so bad?  Devs if you know combat isn't your strong suit, don't make players have to fight a lot.

Hmm, in Egypt there are some nice mob-free areas.  There are defnitely areas that are bug or zombie infested though.  I just take it as what makes sense for the zone.

You have 3 factions, so give players 3 starting zones not one zombie filled city.

More faction-specific content incomng, including open world PvP.

Have falling damage. When I sprint, make it look like I am running faster.

Nah, we're immortal beings and anima prevents damage.  Great to jump from great heights.

There are some fine gem features in this game. Things that stand out, but they are buried in a bunch of stuff that isn't very good.

Stuff that needs improvement: animations, PvP, more endgame content.  But they are on the right track; especially like the horizontal progression in this game.

Originally posted by Sperows

For me it was the end of main quest chain/quest place, after I did all the quests, I was just exhausted from the feeling that your  evolving has stoped (read: tier 10 gear, the only upgrade you could get rly was from dungeons and feeling pretty weak(say hello to nightmare mobs)...

It was a great game for me, would love to return if they would release twice the amount of the current content. But that's just me, as I said, a great game, but ... :)

Progress horizontally -- build more decks, unlock the wheel, collect all the lore.  Try your hand at other roles (healing, dps, tank) with your same character.  And you can always take a break and come back -- it's b2p after all....

Originally posted by azzamasin

 

The first 2 months in the game I absolutely enjoyed the game, the questing was superb and the ambiance of the world was inspiring.  Even though the Combat was not as fluid as I like nor as responsive as GW2's (I had played in the Beta Weekends at the time of TSW's release) I was accpetable of what the game did right.

 Fast forward to the endgame and then it lost me.  How can a game so original, so detailed and so fun leveling up revert to an World of Warcraft/Everquest model of endgame running the same dungeons over and over and over ad-naseum to get gear.  If any game was dieing for an innovative and fresh bold face on endgame it was TSW.  Sadly since 99% of an MMO's life is spent at the level cap these days to clone the WoW model was the grosest travesty in my opnion.  They also failed to exclude the one thing that makes a WoW model endgame more appealing to those who havn't the time.  A Dungeon Finder!  Big mistake and IMO one of the reasons why SWTOR failed for me as well. 

 IMO a game that features dungeon running to gear up must include some form of dungeon finder system.  GW2 gets away with this due to a lack of meaningful gear to aquire in dungeons off-setting the need to actually run the dungeons.  (as an example I have only ran a handful of heroic dungeons)

I think they are looking to do some different things at endgame, which is probably the main reason only one raid so far.  They are talking about puzzle raids, and much discussion about something different like Exploration Zones.  I think TSW is about to push the horizontal endgame envelope a bit, but that takes time and thought.

See: http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?t=59715

Originally posted by Mardukk

The more I think about what's killing this game the more I realize it's not cosmetic like most claim...it's definitely the builder combat.  It's really boring to fight every fight the same way, which this system encourages.  

 I like that it takes more than 4 hits to kill a mob.  I think MMO's should go back to making individual fights more difficult, intense, strategic and longer...not the Diablo/WoW 2 hits route. 

 I could go on and on about all the great things I agree with in theory about this game...It's just another case of a game that I really respect their ideas more than I enjoy playing.

I think that's partly the idea behind the aux weapons -- to add more variety in combat.  We're expecting to see more weapons and adjustments to the abilities that bring in more special effects.  Idea is that more wheels can always be added to augment the base decks.

Originally posted by Ortwig

Originally posted by Sperows

For me it was the end of main quest chain/quest place, after I did all the quests, I was just exhausted from the feeling that your  evolving has stoped (read: tier 10 gear, the only upgrade you could get rly was from dungeons and feeling pretty weak(say hello to nightmare mobs)...

It was a great game for me, would love to return if they would release twice the amount of the current content. But that's just me, as I said, a great game, but ... :)

Progress horizontally -- build more decks, unlock the wheel, collect all the lore.  Try your hand at other roles (healing, dps, tank) with your same character.  And you can always take a break and come back -- it's b2p after all....

And.. after unlocking the wheel/decks/lore/roles? :) See what I mean? You get frustrated/bored after a while..

And about B2P - you are right, you can certainly try to play it after some time, and I, for example, probably will when some content comes out/changes :) As I said, it is a great game, while requiring some tweaks and certainly graphics optimizations(not graphic quality, but performance of the game, I have Radeon HD 6970 and sometimes it lags(and not even settings to the fullest.. :)) Maybe it is meant for i7, with newest video card, but yeah, could be a liiiiitle bit better.. :) And of course, you could say the same things to the most games, as it always could be better, but we are living in reality and it is as it is, no offence meant against this game.. It is certainly entertaining(see: class quests :D)

Originally posted by Talonsin

For me, the combat just sucks.  I basically stand there in one spot and click on attacks and the animations are just not very good.  I dont even feel like I'm doing anything.

I also dont understand the recent move by developers for so many different forms of currency.  Why all the different marks or whatever you call them?  Two types of currency at the most are all that is needed in addition to a real money currency.  I'm tired of seeing a bunch of unused marks or whatever that I earned that can only be used to buy low level gear that sells for a very small amount.  It just seems like a waste.

You mentioned the inventory thing already and that is very frustrating too.  After I loot each mob, I have to open my inventory to move the items to their section of my inventory to keep things straight.  In the end, it has awesome potential but it seems like it was made by a bunch of brainiacs who never really played an MMO.  If they just spend 6 months fixing these things they would keep a lot more customers.

This about sums it up perfectly. The bottom line is there is nothing fundamentally different about TSW. It's just another click and wait mmo.