in response to the OP, probably a few in all honesty.

Acclaim have 2moons, but are based in the us = ping issues. It all depends if acclaim are forced to ip block us euro lot from playing. I doubt it and so I would guess that those that will play will be those that have missed Acclaims launch or are looking for a better ping.

Other than that Acclaim wins this one. Yet another case of a very wierd licencing system by the game creators.

Well I can tell you first hand what dx10 currently means for LotR, BSOD!

It's  true, the current drivers have a memory leak, so DX10 is lovely but the diff between 9 & 10 is minimal and should be used at your own risk lol. My $4k rig is the best you can get and it dies every 2 hours with this game running in DX10 mode.

As for the state of the game, I have to say it's good, the community is great and it's more polished than other games that have been running for the same length of time.

DX10 will come to be the norm eventually but for now, it's a gimmick, a broken gimmick at that.

Well in response, the use of stamina in games has atypically been poorly implemented.

For use in an MMO, it does have it's uses if you want to add a twist to combat for example.

Most folks fail to realise that a warrior in full plate, while actually being fairly dextrous and quick on their feet, will be knackered within 3-5 mins. Take a look at Talhoffa, In times past, plate wearers would fight for approximately 5 mins, then swap with a partner/fellow warrior.

This is a great mechanic to use in mmo's, if it matches the pace of the game you want to create. The biggest problem is that most games aren't created to make the best use of this mechanic.

It also goes for general activity, running, leaping, swimming, lack of rest. Again, it depends on what you are trying to achieve. Realism/semi-realism or a more casual game.

If you were to implement stamina, you need to use it carefully. It is all to easily to turn a mechanic into a problem that then makes the player blame the game for any timewastage etc.

Stamina in a game is a great idea if linked to other gameplay elements. Consider your a band of 5 in a abandoned complex. Or so you thought. As you explore the claustrophobic interior, you find that the unfortunate souls that have perished within are not quite ready to move on and have arisen as zombies and skeletons in response to your tresspass.

The intial attack comes without warning. You fight viciously and quickly despatch the tormented attackers. Your heaving to get air into your lungs after the battle.......you hear movement up ahead......now what do you do?

Does another warrior take the front? Do you charge ahead, and although exhausted attempt to overpower the potential enemy ahead? Do you retreat? Do you try and find an alternative route? Do you hole yourself up in a side room and rest a while? Do you set up a trap for what ever is approaching?

Using stamina makes you think, if you fight on, you may get badly hurt or killed as you don't have the energy to fight at your best. So the player is then left with a decision.

That is the biggest pro of mechanics like stamina. However they only stand up if you design the rest of the game to make the best use of them. All MMO's I have played currenlty don't give te player any freedom, it's simply a linear choice, fight heal fight on. Rinse and repeat. Some have stealth and traps but the AI is so crude you can't really be rewarded for being clever and planning ahead. Also they lack tension as the pace is fairly consistant. MMO's need ot take a page from the survival horror genre and make the game breathe as it were. Constantly change the pace to the best effect, i.e. entertaining the player.

So go for it if you think it's a good idea. Just be sure to back it up with a well thought out mode of gameplay.

The day I get to play a game where I can fool the AI or other players to go on a wild goose chase while I sneak by or lead them into a trap/ambush, is the day I will be a happy MMO player.

Simple solution to this sorry affair.

CCP created a number or just one corporation for their employees only to play within.

They can then help drive the sorylines, play the game and see how it works first hand without ever having to get into the position they are now in.

No other mainstream mmo that I am aware of has suffered like CCP from internal shennanigans. I don't know of any uberguilds in other mmo's with DEV's and GM amongst their ranks. If their are I apologise but this is only what I know based on the games I have played.

Simply create a China Wall around their employees when playing and they won't have to put up with claims of favoritism and allegations of abuse. Make their employees drivers of storylines and intrigue and make the CPP corps independant from the player corps.

Perhaps even make the CCP controlled corps newbie friendly. Being taught how to play the game by the real pro's would be a great advertisment IMO. Thenonce you have a grounding in the game, they migrate you out to join any of the multitude of player run corps.

Make the game something worth playing again.

It's hardly rocket science.

Planetside or Guildwars.

Anything else blows for PvP.

Atleast until Conan, Huxley, or Tabula Risa are released. Aion may yet be a cool game to play for PVP.

This is my first post as a rant at a reveiwer here,

{Mod edit}
I have played dreamlords, It is total drivel.
The game is set on the backdrop of 3 competing factions that are at war with eachother.
In game they aren't they can group! Total game greaker!!!!! Man eating Thul playing with the Covenant. That's like lions and antelope hugging and kissing.
Then the game itself.....fucking dire. Web browser is shite. I have posted on their forums about this. No in browser chat! Fundemental requirement for any mmo.
Then the RTS client. Piss poor graphics, poly count and textures is laughable = shit monsters and troops. 6 maps total. 6 monsters total too I believe. PVE is a zerg. PVP is a joke. No tactics. Crap ui. They took the RTS genre and threw out the book. All the good bits and then kept the bad. Total genius there.
And you pay more than WoW to play it.
I would suggest the reveiwer goes and plays C&C3. Then play Dreamlords. Spot the problems inherent in their game design care to compare these 2 new rts games? The game is unplayable. No one in their right mind will play this long term. To get over a lack of content they created a reset function!
The game is already owned by the closed beta players. The entire fucking design is created to punish a player every step of the way.
Lockpick took an amazing genre and moulded it into a pile of shit.
Flame if you like or agree, but to give this game any rating over 5 in any catagory smells like a conspiracy.
I cannot put into words my total and utter frustration at this game and the rose tinted bullshit review it has been given,
You can't give this game a wide enough berth.

0/10 for honesty and the game itself.

Well as i'm in the GE IAH closed beta, I can tell you that this game is beautiful, the graphics, the gameplay, all seem to mesh really well.

After 2 days playing and reaching lvl 21, I can't say i've noticed the grind aspect at all. There is one, as in nearly all mmo's but it isn't anything like RFO/Archlord etc.

There's stories there to be experienced.

The combat is ace, you can play it simple with auto attacks for all team members, or go for a more frenetic approach and control each of your characters indfividually.

I found this to be the most fun and as such combat doesn't get boring.

The beta feels like a finshed product, which in some ways is to be expected and there are some bugs to sort out but overall I am loving this experience. Bug reporting has never been so much fun.

I understand the boxed approach and if it's a one time deal with no monthly subs, great, if not.....then this will a niche market game.

However with most MMo's I always find the EU versions hard going, particulary in english speaking servers (and i'm english) so I may opt for the us version. I have always found the us folks to be more friendly and fun to play with than my dour european brethren.

All I can say is I wish every korean mmo ad this kind of polish, it really makes me hanker for FFVII, baldurs gate etc.

Laters, Amblin.

Well I just got my CB invite......

Downloads is soo slow though (UK player) so i'll upload the files to fileplanet later today. That will hopefully help some folks.

The game looks like real fun, multi-character combat......here's hoping it's as good as it looks on the tin. Praise be to GE

Anyhoos, see you ingame folks!!

Rofl, now I have to work out how to play all the cb's i'm in. 9D, 2moons,lotr,exsteel,and one more that i can't mention heeheh

Laters!

Amblin.

Sorry to dissapoint all but if your in the PW EU closed beta, then you get to play PRE-open beta to day and over Xmas. If your in the Acclaim US closed beta, then you might, just might get to play the PRE-open beta over Xmas.

If you aren't in the closed betas now you wont be able to apply for/play open beta until jan 10 2007 for either version, possibly even later for the Acclaim version (18/1/2007 has been banded about).

To confirm, Acclaim have as yet not confirmed pre-open beta for their version of the game. PW version is up sometime today (server issue apparently).

I hope that sort of clarifies things.

Peace, Amblin.