Originally posted by Baikal

There Tortage for what it was is nice, in a way it opened my eyes to the idea of putting some story into a story, and what it meant to actively get involved with it. (Even if I did randomly pick sometimes because I was on an alt or did not care, and there was no consequence/benefit of that style of play) Seeing what TOR is offering is taking that to a much different level, one I'm definitely looking forward to.

 Not totally true.  Talk to the gate guard outside Tortage.  Answer one way and it'll unlock some quests for you the other way won't. 

Originally posted by BarakIII

I found the VO of Tortage by comparison to Biowares games to be rather weak, and yet it did indeed make the game more fun and I felt the difference immediately after leaving the zone. VO improves the process a great deal in my opinion. Like I said, the VO of Tortage is really of rather poor quality compared to a Bioware game, but it makes questing so much better. It made the quests and the story more interesting to me.

- Ahhh yea / nay.  From just listening to my kids play KOTOR 1 & 2 it seemed to me that the VO was just in the cut scene's.  Granted I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the whole game.  I do agree that VO improves the process by setting the scene .... the first time around, but after hearing some NPC whine about the price of apples I just don't came to hear it again.

Oh, and I'd also like to make a comment about how AoC looks. I really expected the game to look much better than it does. I feel that already TOR is looking much better than AoC, which I had thought had a reputation for being a graphically superior game, but I'm beginning to doubt that reputation. Perhaps it's reputation is overrated. Admittedly I haven't looked too deeply into the video options, but they seemed kind of bare in the games launcher, perhaps there are more advanced options in-game...or perhaps I don't get many options with a f2p client?

 - The video options are indeed in game.  Hit F10 and play with it.  As far as looks .... a game from 2008 vs one not out yet?  Hmmm go figure.  Now as far as graphic's go I'll take AoC's style over what TOR's is suppose to look like.  I could go down a notch on the realism but not so far as cartoony or what ever the official art style is called.

Being that they're from differnet era's I'm not sure you can really compare them the way you are.  I don't think TOR's combat will be like AoC which involves alot more thought on where to place your blows.  Also you have to think about the 'cooldown' times involved with setting up your attack; hard to hack at a guys head with an overhand shot when your sword in in the dirt from your last attack. 

In the end they do different things and are from different era's.  Getting all hot and bothered about how great TOR will be just because you played a 3 year old game from another company might leave you with the wrong expectations.

The only one I know of was the last by C. Mountain and it went into lawsuits and everything else.

Basically the answer would be none of the big name companies went for the IP.  Starting up an indie company just to do 1 game is ripe for trouble.

Now by what I saw of the adverts etc.... C. Mountain had a lot of good idea's for the game.  Flanking, tactically thinking, puzzles etc.... so it might have been a really good game if the boss hadn't spent the money on everything else.

Problem with IP games is the fan's will always think it should go one way and hate if their beloved actors aren't in it, b) the whole strike while the iron is hot thing - shouldn't started it at the end of the series and released it with the movies.

Originally posted by MMO.Maverick

I don't know about DDO but I have played LotrO.

You're barred from the questing (and I think also the Books) content. That makes a huge difference in your leveling experience, I can tell you that, everyone who says differently is lying.

 That's old school about the books Mav.  Now you can do the books all the way up through Mirkwood without owning the expansion.  Quests are still out without $ but the books are all free.

Originally posted by AlBQuirky

User Generated Content: Isn't this the way to get content without paying for it?  Take a long look at any rewards offered and compare them to a programmer's and writer's salaries.

Sounds like you're the type to just buy canned D&D modules instead of making your own campaigns up.

Haven't you ever talked to an NPC and thought .... I wish it would go like X?  Instead of the why the Dev's took the quest?  Well it sure sounds like this is your chance

A great idea that will go far in giving the game a more D&D campaign feeling than DDO has.  Hopefully though Cryptic will have a "content checker" that will look over the material prior to it being put into the game to keep the griefers, hate callers etc.... out of the world.

Vendetta Online already has something like this - a player developement group, they write the stuff and set it up, then it goes to the company to make sure it's OK and then it goes into the game.  No direct player into game action.

It would be nice if Cryptic did something like this.  Can't see anyone enjoying going to an NPC for a quest and having him tell you to F! Off.

Unless somethings changed Tortage the starter island is F2p right now. 

They call it their Forever Free level 1 - 20 (although you can really make it to lvl 23 or 24 by doing all the quests).  You won't be able to leave Tortage but it'll a) let you try out all the classes, b) see if your computer can handle it. and c) give you a leg up when the begineer zones go free.

No real reason to wait plus it's a big download so you might as well go for it Free right now. 

If you shop real hard you can find the game cheap (I picked mine up for $2.50). 

Just like a lot of P2p > F2p if you've ever had an account you'll be a premium player.  Won't get any more zones but you'll have all the classes unlocked when it kicks over (one I read about was the Ranger.  F2p players won't be able to start one, but since I had an account with a Ranger I'd get to keep playing him.).

I'd have to say the game is 'loosely' based on REH's books.  While you can pick out parts of the books, you'll find they're in some strange arrangements at times, but hey, all is good.

Combat takes a bit to get used to as it's different than alot of other games.  Also look long and hard at the computer requirements for the game vs your computer's spec's.  For what ever reason AoC is a monster that you need a good computer to run it on.

I'd recommend going to 'canyourunit.com' and have it do a check.  I use the site all the time to see how my computer will handle a game.  Saved me some bucks in the long run I can tell you.

Good - Sweet music score if the pieces are a bit short.  Gorgeous views.  Interesting quest write up's (even if some are still Kill X number) the banter back and forth you can do with the NPC's is fun.

Bad - Need a good computer to get everything out of the game.  Not as solo friendly as a lot of games out there (Good&Bad item).  Won't be able to totally level in your races zones.  Will have to visit the other races area's as well.

Both the starter zone (Tortage) and the beginner zones got quest upgrades a bit back so there's plenty to do although you'll soon tap them out.

Originally posted by Shadanwolf

I was hoping to hear more positive things. I forgot SOE was involved.(walks away)

 Big deal you log in via SOE and then get passed off to FLS's servers elsewhere. 

FLS paid for it all - concept, design, art etc.... only thing they couldn't do was marketing and processing the payments.  It's called outsourcing.

More positive?  Music's great.  The rush of fighting another ship and having to outthink your opponet vice just playing wack a mole like so many other games.  Go hang in the red zone of one of the smaller less important ports and do some 1v1 / 2v2 if you want to really know what's positive about the game.

Yes there's alot wrong with the game that was wrong in Pre-Boarding and is still wrong.  Find me another ship v ship MMO and I'll switch.

No reason to pay any more.  As long as you log in using your old info that account is considered a premium account.  Just like DDO, LoTRO and soon to come AoC.

A thank you from the management.

It really comes down to how the company handles their beta, so in effect both opinions here are correct.

I beta'd STO and they didn't care what we said so with the exception of getting an early look at the game (and knowing not to buy it) it was just wasted time.

At the other end, I beta'd Gods and Hero's and can tell you Heatwave went out of their way to listen and make changes where they could.  And if they couldn't they'd come out and tell us that.  Communications in both directions; what a concept.

Another that I'd have to consider still in an extended beta would be Vendetta Online.  They don't call it a beta but it pretty much still is and the dev's are willing to listen to the player base and make the needed changes, including adding in player produced material / missions.

Too often beta inviters go in with the thought of "I'm just playing to see if I should spend money on it" and that's not the how anyone should look at a closed beta.  Open beta ...... well that just might be a different matter. 

Sweet, I remember those days.  Thanks

Yea that's what I was thinking.  Also looks like they've added stuff since the original announcement since he mentions exploring etc..... missions now.

Downside it looks like the launch date has slipped to Fall vice Summer.  I'm hoping to see the game spec's soon with Beta getting ready to kick off.

Originally posted by whosaidwhat

"combat look incredibly boring.  No dodging, crouching, crawling. "

 While I haven't a clue about the game, it's very possible that this whole problem stems from the players. 

I know SWG, LotRO and more limited DDO provided players with classes that fight in different ways.  Heck SWG post-NGE's whole - Jedi up front melee, Medic in back, Smuggler protect Medic, Commando support Jedi set up was great on paper.  Yet time after time all you'd see is this mass human wave attack a la the big Braveheart battle scene.

The game might offer choices, but how many players are really going to use them?

After learning about this game a few months back and reading up on it; I decided it was about the only game coming down the pike I'd be willing to up-grade my computer for.

Way back in '79 I participated in a PBM game something like this.  You got 5 cases and had to decided which to work first.  You'd mail in the steps you wanted to do and the questions you wanted to ask and the game master would send back a mini-story on what you found out.

For LA Noire I like the suggestion above on having multiple cases.  That would help keep the game fresh, but yah some games are a one shot deal. 

Originally posted by Cik_Asalin

Originally posted
Star Trek Infinite Space Interview

 There's infinite space because no one plays this game; Im assuming that's what they mean.

 You do know it's not released yet right? 

I don't know about that.  They've picked an IP with a large fan following, probably 2nd to Star Wars and in terms of a ST period for PVP and ship choices one of the better periods.  Although I'm a Classic, for these 2 reasons DS9 and the War should be a better choice.

My only complaint would be the top down view vice an over the shoulder, 3rd person view. 

I'm looking forward to it and hope the spec's are such that it's playable by a large selection of people.

To clear up a couple of points:

Officially it's called the Lvl 1 - 20 forever free trial, but all that really means is you can't leave Tortage until you sub.  There's no time limit on playing in Tortage and you can actually make it up to lvl 24 before it max's out and stops experience advancement.

The solo parts are the night time Destiny quests; you're personal story.  After you leave Tortage the next one is at 40? and then another and then the final at lvl 80.  All other Tortage play is daytime with others so you can group all you want.

Pvp has been totally removed from the Tortage area so you won't be able to check it out unless you sub and leave the island.

Compared to some other games the quest write up's are nicely done.  Not too long and you have multiple replies you can pick which will branch the NPC's dialoge in different directions which is fun to play with.

While the trial gives you a taste of what the game could be like, make no mistake, the trial area is superior to the actual game.  Sad but fairly true.

From what I've seen the primary purpose of skirmishes is a) XP, b) Break from questing and c) Earn some coin

While there are a few that are fun to do more than once at the same level, generally they're only fun as you go to the next level set so the challenge level kicks up.

While once in a while you get some nice loot, usually the corpses disappear so fast you don't even get a chance at them so with the exception of the XP and leveling quicker not doing them won't effect your book quests at all.

And as far as getting the marks go to buy armor with, all you have to do is spend the coin and you'll find the same on the AH.

Starter area only - you can do all the missions on the island.  If you do them all you'll level up to about lvl 24

No Pvp (pulled from all servers)

No AH and chats limited - basically to just the island although they say if a friend contacts you, you can talk back