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Hype-level

6.79

6.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.794117647066.79411764706

Mythos

Show Game Details

  • Developer: Flagship Studios
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Status: Beta Testing (est. release N/A)
  • Platforms: PC 
  • Website: http://www.mythos.com/

Mythos » General Discussion » hows this game?

 Thread (24 posts)
Wondor  3/07/08 9:29:28 PM

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Novice Member

Joined: 11/27/06
Posts: 20

I am looking forward to test this game since I'm an old diablo player and from the screenshots I've seen it seems really good, I love the grafic

I was trying to find some info but it seems theres not much given yet, so I was wondering if anybody could tell me something about the different classes and maybe how the skill system works

thanks

 
Guintu  3/07/08 9:41:11 PM

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Advanced Member

Joined: 1/25/05
Posts: 246

I reject your reality and substitute my own. -Adam Savage from Mythbusters

Its a fun game, it brings in the best of Diablo and adds to it.  I think you'll enjoy it.

 
rhinok  3/17/08 7:34:55 PM

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Hard Core Member

Joined: 2/01/07
Posts: 274

I like it ok, but there's a fun factor that seems to be missing for me.  Yes, it has that "just one more quest" feel, but is it fun?  For me, not always.  Here's some of the feedback I have for Mythos:

Required instanced world travel:

  • If it's "world" travel, why don't you run across other players passing through the same zones.
  • If the game is all about instanced dungeons, why is there world travel at all?  Why not jump straight into the dungeon?

Graphics:

In regards to Mythos' graphics, specifically, I both like and dislike them. I'll explain:

Pros:

  • "Style" - the overall cohesive look and feel of the game. I like it just fine. It's definitely "cartoony"..
  • "ooh, shiny!" - From a technical perspective, there's a lot of "shiny" due to the use of particle effects and shader technology. Pretty....

Cons:

  • Camera - the only playable camera mode is from an isometric view. That was fine in Diablo, but in this day and age, I expect a bit more camera control. Also, due to the camera angle, one must pan the camera pretty far out for the game to be playable, thereby negating much of the "ooh, shiny!".*
  • "Performance" - Yes, I know the game is in beta, but for a game that is essentially an isometric single player (folks rarely group), performance isn't that great, especially with all the eye candy turned on. It needs some tweaking, after all, this isn't LotR... Performance in groups is flat out awful due (at least in part) to all the effects going off, btw.
  • "The world" - most of the nice graphical effects are saved for the character and NPC models, the maps--in general--are very plain and non-interactive.Here are some examples of outdoor maps: Map1 and Map2
  • Playable/Viewable area of maps - simply put, you can't see all of the screen while in dungeons. Having a widescreen monitor gives you a little more playable area, but not that much, really. In outdoor instances, instead of using x-ray vision, objects are simply highlighted in white (through trees, for example). Here are examples of an indoor map at two different resolutions: standard aspect ratio vs. widescreen (note, some extra playable area, but also extra "blackness"). This probably wouldn't be an issue if one were able to change the camera during play.

Movement:

  • Just like Diablo, Mythos is click-to-move only. There's no WASD, which is very disappointing for me, personally

Revenue Model:

  • The game is free, for now, because it's in beta.  After beta, it's supposed to be F2P with a Microtransaction system.  Personally, I'm not a big fan of that revenue model, although I understand the business decision.  Per Max Schaefer, executive producer:


MSchaefer MSchaefer is offline
Flagship Green

Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 48
Default
I'll address this since there is some confusion. To make Mythos all it should be, obviously we have to make some money. So we are creating a second currency (let's call it Ingots until we think of something better) that will be purchased with real money. These Ingots will let you buy various enhancements in game. Our plans will be guided by a couple important principles:

1) The Ingots will be freely tradable once they are purchased. So if a non-paying player finds a killer item, he can "trade" it to a paying customer for Ingots. This will result in a mixed economy where everything is available to everyone.

2) We don't want to simply sell the best loot. There will not be a vendor with the best arrmor or swords for the richest players. Instead, we will sell things that only enhance your ability to go out and find the loot yourself. Additionally the Ingots will buy cosmetic items like crazy hairstyles, account enhancements, guild items, and that sort of thing. We do NOT want to create a split community between haves and have-nots. Players unable to spend real money will simply have to put more time into it, but will be able to have just as powerful a character as a paying customer.

Mythos is a global project, and will release in Asia separately from the US/Europe commercialization date (undetermined at this point). For those of you familiar with the Asian gaming community, the Cash Shop (or RMT for "real money transactions") model is now standard. Most games operate that way. We do not have the time, money, or staff to create multiple versions of Mythos that work on different business models (yet!) and we think it's a great model that lets you pay if you want to, but also allows players to succeed without any financial committment at all.

We realize there are pluses and minuses for every model and that not everyone will be satisfied no matter what we do. Not everyone can commit to a monthly subscription. And a box product doesn't allow continued development, doesn't work in Asia, and requires a substantial up-front payment. So this model lets EVERYONE IN THE WORLD play Mythos, and offers enhancements for those who don't have as much time to invest and can afford to pay. No solution will make everyone happy, and we're doing our best to strike the best balance we can.

That being said, we still welcome your input. Making the customer happy is what we're all about.
__________________
Max Schaefer
Executive Producer, Mythos
Flagship Studios

Also, here's an excerpt from an interview at Stropp's World:

Stropp: It’s been previously announced that Mythos will be free to play. Can you tell us what revenue model you will be using? What incentives will there be for players to pay extra?

Max: We will be using an RMT model. Our goal is to provide a wonderful, robust free experience, but offer attractive options for people who are willing to pay to get extra luxuries, or enhance their adventuring. We don’t want to simply sell the best items - even paying players will have to go kill monsters to find the best loot. Also, we plan to let players trade the in-game cash currency for items with non-paying players. This way, even the cash items will be available to free players, and we’ll avoid splitting the community into the haves and have-nots.

Stropp: There’s been quite a lot of discussion around the MMO blogging community recently about RMT. How do you intend to deal with third party gold and item sellers?

Max: It’s very difficult to stop item selling. Instead, we are investigating actually allowing players to sell items though a secure in-game marketplace rather than resorting to Ebay. We don’t think gold farming will be a huge issue in Mythos, however, since the RMT currency cannot be farmed, and the in-game gold doesn’t buy you everything you need. Nevertheless, we stop gold farming whenever we can.

 Please note - I consider the feedback above to be constructive criticism.  As a beta tester, one is supposed to provide feedback.

 * Please note, there is a "vanity" mode that lets you see your character in all it's shiny glory, but you can't move in this mode (see the "ooh, shiny!" pic linked above.

 ~Ripper

 
jimsmith08  3/18/08 12:18:17 PM

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Joined: 11/14/07
Posts: 295

Originally posted by rhinok

I like it ok, but there's a fun factor that seems to be missing for me.  Yes, it has that "just one more quest" feel, but is it fun?  For me, not always.  Here's some of the feedback I have for Mythos:

Required instanced world travel:

  • If it's "world" travel, why don't you run across other players passing through the same zones.
  • If the game is all about instanced dungeons, why is there world travel at all?  Why not jump straight into the dungeon?

Zone 3 changes it from the guild wars style of seeing people in towns to more of a zoned style,where when you exit a city,you see other players out in the wilderness.they have also changed the layout so that there are networks of roads with other players/mobs in.

I think they removed the dungeon warping to make the world feel a little more fuller and to supply gameplay and XP in non dungeon environments,as its supposed to be an actual world called Uld and not simply a set of dungeons.Some quests also dont use dungeons and this also opens up the option to add gathering quests.

You can teleport to any town or outpost from any otherat the moment,but I dont think there will ever be any portals like in Diablo e.g  finding a portal in the wilderness that you can warp to from a town.You will always have to walk to get anywhere.I personally would like to see the Diablo system implemeted,though its not gamebreaking.

edit: adding to this,in the shadow world (open pvp thing) you see other players in your dungeons too and can fight in towns. The zoning thing is different here than in normal fluffy world as you cant quickly zone out when attacked.

Graphics:

In regards to Mythos' graphics, specifically, I both like and dislike them. I'll explain:

Pros:

  • "Style" - the overall cohesive look and feel of the game. I like it just fine. It's definitely "cartoony"..
  • "ooh, shiny!" - From a technical perspective, there's a lot of "shiny" due to the use of particle effects and shader technology. Pretty....

Cons:

  • Camera - the only playable camera mode is from an isometric view. That was fine in Diablo, but in this day and age, I expect a bit more camera control. Also, due to the camera angle, one must pan the camera pretty far out for the game to be playable, thereby negating much of the "ooh, shiny!".*

Zone 3 will also use the standard 'see your character from behind' view as well. Currently,if you press V you go into vanity mode where you zoom right in on yourself and can move the camera around.This has now been added as a control method,which uses WASD movement. I dunno if there will ever be an option to rotate the camera in isometric view though.

  • "Performance" - Yes, I know the game is in beta, but for a game that is essentially an isometric single player (folks rarely group), performance isn't that great, especially with all the eye candy turned on. It needs some tweaking, after all, this isn't LotR... Performance in groups is flat out awful due (at least in part) to all the effects going off, btw.

Lots of performance tweaks about to go in with mob and texture optimization etc.read the officila blog thread,bit much to list it all here.

  • "The world" - most of the nice graphical effects are saved for the character and NPC models, the maps--in general--are very plain and non-interactive.Here are some examples of outdoor maps: Map1 and Map2

The only thing thats coming Is the nodes for harvestable stuff :( no other interactive things for now other than kickables like barrels and crates,though there has been a lot of player suggestions regarding traps etc. The zone 1 maps look a little bland now,but Zone 2 is much better.

Theres some really nice tilesets over there such as the goblin caves and egyptian crypts.I personally lke the canyon tileset too,though some people dont like it and want to see it become more desert like .

Zone 3 looks pretty nice too with all the ice and snow stuff :P it looks like there will be glowing elements. Possibly more weather other than rain? Snowing would be nice.

  • Playable/Viewable area of maps - simply put, you can't see all of the screen while in dungeons. Having a widescreen monitor gives you a little more playable area, but not that much, really. In outdoor instances, instead of using x-ray vision, objects are simply highlighted in white (through trees, for example). Here are examples of an indoor map at two different resolutions: standard aspect ratio vs. widescreen (note, some extra playable area, but also extra "blackness"). This probably wouldn't be an issue if one were able to change the camera during play.

 Do you mean the black area around the outside bothers you,or that the minimap dosnt show the whole dungeon? Dont really understand what you mean.. but the out of area blackness is now gone.

Ill try to find the screenshot that was posted up,but some clever programmer set up a system for the devs to remove it and replace it with decorative scenery,such as trees,plants and buildings.

The drops highlighted in white is a good thing I think,its much better than dungeon runners/diablos press alt method. The players wanted the wasd stuff and alternative views,so the devs added them which is a pretty good indication of them watching what the community wants.

Movement:

  • Just like Diablo, Mythos is click-to-move only. There's no WASD, which is very disappointing for me, personally

:D see above

Revenue Model:

  • The game is free, for now, because it's in beta.  After beta, it's supposed to be F2P with a Microtransaction system.  Personally, I'm not a big fan of that revenue model, although I understand the business decision.  Per Max Schaefer, executive producer:


MSchaefer MSchaefer is offline
Flagship Green

Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 48
Default
I'll address this since there is some confusion. To make Mythos all it should be, obviously we have to make some money. So we are creating a second currency (let's call it Ingots until we think of something better) that will be purchased with real money. These Ingots will let you buy various enhancements in game. Our plans will be guided by a couple important principles:

1) The Ingots will be freely tradable once they are purchased. So if a non-paying player finds a killer item, he can "trade" it to a paying customer for Ingots. This will result in a mixed economy where everything is available to everyone.

2) We don't want to simply sell the best loot. There will not be a vendor with the best arrmor or swords for the richest players. Instead, we will sell things that only enhance your ability to go out and find the loot yourself. Additionally the Ingots will buy cosmetic items like crazy hairstyles, account enhancements, guild items, and that sort of thing. We do NOT want to create a split community between haves and have-nots. Players unable to spend real money will simply have to put more time into it, but will be able to have just as powerful a character as a paying customer.

Mythos is a global project, and will release in Asia separately from the US/Europe commercialization date (undetermined at this point). For those of you familiar with the Asian gaming community, the Cash Shop (or RMT for "real money transactions") model is now standard. Most games operate that way. We do not have the time, money, or staff to create multiple versions of Mythos that work on different business models (yet!) and we think it's a great model that lets you pay if you want to, but also allows players to succeed without any financial committment at all.

We realize there are pluses and minuses for every model and that not everyone will be satisfied no matter what we do. Not everyone can commit to a monthly subscription. And a box product doesn't allow continued development, doesn't work in Asia, and requires a substantial up-front payment. So this model lets EVERYONE IN THE WORLD play Mythos, and offers enhancements for those who don't have as much time to invest and can afford to pay. No solution will make everyone happy, and we're doing our best to strike the best balance we can.

That being said, we still welcome your input. Making the customer happy is what we're all about.
__________________
Max Schaefer
Executive Producer, Mythos
Flagship Studios

Also, here's an excerpt from an interview at Stropp's World:

Stropp: It’s been previously announced that Mythos will be free to play. Can you tell us what revenue model you will be using? What incentives will there be for players to pay extra?

Max: We will be using an RMT model. Our goal is to provide a wonderful, robust free experience, but offer attractive options for people who are willing to pay to get extra luxuries, or enhance their adventuring. We don’t want to simply sell the best items - even paying players will have to go kill monsters to find the best loot. Also, we plan to let players trade the in-game cash currency for items with non-paying players. This way, even the cash items will be available to free players, and we’ll avoid splitting the community into the haves and have-nots.

Stropp: There’s been quite a lot of discussion around the MMO blogging community recently about RMT. How do you intend to deal with third party gold and item sellers?

Max: It’s very difficult to stop item selling. Instead, we are investigating actually allowing players to sell items though a secure in-game marketplace rather than resorting to Ebay. We don’t think gold farming will be a huge issue in Mythos, however, since the RMT currency cannot be farmed, and the in-game gold doesn’t buy you everything you need. Nevertheless, we stop gold farming whenever we can.

This worries me a little too,until we see what the buyable things are,ill hold judgement.I dont want it to be a cashshop grinder,where shop items are overpowered or required for aspects of the game,though i think its unlikely.the Ingots system sounds interesting thouh,and could potentially open up a nice seperate economy with them being tradable. 

Please note - I consider the feedback above to be constructive criticism.  As a beta tester, one is supposed to provide feedback.

It was a good post.You should post concerns on the official forums if you have any,its likely anything important will get a FSS response.

 * Please note, there is a "vanity" mode that lets you see your character in all it's shiny glory, but you can't move in this mode (see the "ooh, shiny!" pic linked above.

 ~Ripper

 edited for clarity

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

rhinok  3/18/08 1:37:06 PM

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Hard Core Member

Joined: 2/01/07
Posts: 274

Thanks for the replies to my comments, Jim.  I appreciate them.  Overall, I'm impressed with what Flagship has done with this game.

FYI, it's been several weeks since I really sat down and examined the game, so I'll take another detailed look.

 

~Ripper

 
jimsmith08  3/18/08 4:13:38 PM

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Apprentice Member

Joined: 11/14/07
Posts: 295

Originally posted by rhinok

Thanks for the replies to my comments, Jim.  I appreciate them.  Overall, I'm impressed with what Flagship has done with this game.

FYI, it's been several weeks since I really sat down and examined the game, so I'll take another detailed look.

 

~Ripper


The best place to look is the almost new blog thread in the notes from the devs forum,theyve changed around,added and optimised all sorts that is a bit long to list here.

have you thought about mentioning the widescreen issue on the forums?it may be something thats been overlooked or could be changed.

theres a few bug and optimisation fixes in the new entry:

- When alt-tabbing or changing resolution, you won't see big swatches of black anymore

- Monsters in outdoors are no longer visible if they're out of line-of-sight. This was broken - which was why you saw crowds of idle monsters off in the distance, behind walls, in vanity cam

- To go along with that, when anything transitions in or out of line of sight, it fades smoothly in - same goes for players zoning in and out. Everything just feels better and looks more polished. The game performs better, to boot

- We optimized literally HUNDREDS of textures. There were some whoppers in there that had no reason to be so large. The end result of this is a HUGE performance increase for anyone who was getting limited by texture memory - and I think there were a lot of you.

- Optimization to wardrobing for humanoid monsters. Should save lots of memory in any areas with Hollow

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tmr819  3/21/08 3:41:13 PM

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Advanced Member

Joined: 1/02/07
Posts: 125

I sure am looking forward to trying this game out. The new website looks nice. I hope the open beta gets ... opened ... soon. :)

 
SaintViktor  3/25/08 5:54:03 PM

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Elite Member

Joined: 3/17/07
Posts: 814

Game is still in beta and many are enjoying the pvp,crafting and the new Zone 3. FSS is still tweaking things but they are doing an excellent job so far. Can't wait for the initial release. I think many will love this game. 

 
turnipz  4/08/08 11:36:00 AM

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Joined: 2/06/07
Posts: 531

Seems they didnt learn anything from hellgate, this game is far from ready.

 

People are gonna leave this game as fast as they left hellgate, an established game must be present for people to want to invest time into it without feeling like their time is being wasted, and right now its a shell.  Also as tabula rasa learned open beta is not for testing, its for marketting.

 
brownspank  4/08/08 10:34:31 PM