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Global Agenda Review: Global Agenda Review - Edit
8
| Pros |
 
|
 Engaging Conquest Mode Excellent Matchmaking System Finely Tuned FPS Mechanics |
| Cons |
|
 Conquest can be Daunting for the Inexperienced Lacluster Auction House System |
Global Agenda, a first offering from the rookie developer Hi-Rez Studios is not your typical MMO. Right smack in the middle of the official FAQ on their website, the developer tells us that their game does not have any of the following: a large, seamless world to explore, quest givers, open world PvP or PvE, or elves. They then boldly proclaim, "If you consider any of these items to be must-haves within your MMO, we may not be the game for you." So when rating Global Agenda as an MMORPG I've got to rein in my typical expectations. I can't fault a game for not having something it was never intended to have and instead I've got to base this review on what Hi-Rez Studios claims their game to be: an action-based shooter MMO. And with such an amalgamation of game mechanics in place, I beg forgiveness if I miss something crucial.
The "TLDR" version? Global Agenda is a great game that's not easy to categorize. In fact, it is probably better served by that very fact. It's got a little bit of everything at its core, and yet somehow retains its own identity as a worthy offering to gamers looking for something a little different.
Technically, the game runs rather flawlessly on my modest machine. Running on a 9600GT and 3GB of RAM, with a Dual-Core Pentium 2.66GHz, I never saw my frames per second dip below 30, with settings on high and the resolution set to 1680x1050. Hi-Rez has seemingly expert control over the Unreal Engine, and in a game that requires so much reliance on player reflexes, it had better run smoothly during a hail of gunfire. Your mileage may vary, but Global Agenda ran better on my rig than most newly released MMOs and even better than some that have been out for years.
The graphical style is one of futuristic espionage... I'm reminded of both Star Wars and Blade Runner for some reason while playing, and that's not a bad thing. The neon palette, intricately detailed avatars and weaponry, and fantastic particle effects make it sometimes hard for this reviewer to pay attention to the action when instead I'd rather stare at all the pretty glowing things. One quip from seasoned MMO vets may be that there is little to distinguish one character of a given class from the next, the reason being that Hi-Rez is following the Team Fortress 2 motto of making sure each class has a distinctive silhouette. While there are already quite a few variations of armor for each class in the game, the truth is that every player of each class will wind up looking like most everyone else. So while you may be able to quickly differentiate between the opposing players in your matches, the drawback is that you'll never be quite as unique as you might hope. This detail matters more to some than others, and personally I was more focused on keeping my teammates alive than just how good I looked while doing so.
The only complaints I can offer about the visuals is that I'd like to see a few more locales as I'm sure will be added in the future, and that the animations on jumping and melee weapon wielding seem somewhat odd and stilted. These are minor quibbles with an otherwise gorgeous game.
;)
The sound is similar in scope to the graphics. Lots of gunfire, explosions, robotic whirring, jetpack "whooshing". It's all very Sci-Fi appropriate, adequate and standard fare, if not extremely memorable. The most standout sound-bite that comes to mind is the annoyed sayings of vendors from Hub City when you leave their shop without buying anything. It's almost enough to make me wish I could commit NPC-icide. The real matter of sound in Global Agenda is whether or not the VOIP works and how well. I'm pleased to report that in my experience the voice chat is rock-solid. Most Agencies and Alliances will still be using their VOIP of choice (Ventrilo, Teamspeak, etc.) but as a fallback it's nice to know that Hi-Rez has you covered. And in a game with such breakneck pacing, voice chat is almost an absolute necessity.
There are four classes to choose from, each with their own unique skill-tress to assign points to as you level. The Medic is your healer, the Recon is the stealth and sniper expert, the Robotics is adept at defense and different utility skills, and the Assault is your Duke Nukem balls to the wall kind of gun nut. Each of these classes plays very differently and has their own strengths and weaknesses to boot. Worth noting is that the shooting mechanics of the Medic make the class enjoyable to the point where you'll rarely find yourself wondering why more people don't play healers. There are plenty of band-aid dispensers in Global Agenda.
While class-balance will always be a sticking point in a game so engrained with competitive play, Hi-Rez assures its players that they have some very robust tracking tools at their disposal, and should some changes be needed, it's unlikely that players will have to wait months for the fixes to come. And while more classes to choose from might have been nice, in a competitive shooter, it's plain to see why having only four at launch might have been the best route to go.
There are three main game modes to choose from. All players have access to both the match-made PvE missions and PvP matches. The third mode, and what players must pay the $12.99 per month to access, is the Conquest Mode, a persistent world domination type board game where competing Agencies and Alliances fight over plots of land and resources: wealth and the power that comes from it being the driving factor. Obviously the tune being sung by Hi-Rez Studios here is one of "competitive gaming". But killing and being killed by other players isn't the only thing you'll wind up doing with your time.
;)
There are a handful of PvE mission types in which you'll be matched up with three other players (unless you have a team formed), and be sent out against the NPC faction known as the Commonwealth. Now I won't get too deep into the story of the game, as while detailed it's rather secondary to the action and competitive gameplay, but the Commonwealth are what would happen if Microsoft perfected robotics, weaponry, and managed to assassinate Steve Jobs. They're bad, mm-kay?
Great review.
I've been playing since launch and love the fact that this game isn't time consuming.
I can jump in and get a match in 15 min and be done. I also like the persistant elements to the shooter. I've always wanted shooters with progression and I think the balance is well done.
Nice accurate review. It's not your typical, full-out MMO game. It's a team-based shoot-em-up with cool classes, skills and graphics. Great game with FUN combat. Considering you get most of the basic stuff for only the price of the box and no subscription costs, it's well worth it. Perfect for dropping in and out of whenever you are bored and have some time to kill. (pun intended.)
One of the best reviews i've seen here. Honest.
After this,i'm actually thinking about buying the game
I was really interested in this game when I saw the first trailer for it. It looked amazing. After seeing the final game, it doesn't really look like what was portrayed in that first trailer.
This sounds a lot like MAG to me. MAG is a PS3 game with persistent characters that join one of three armies that fight for control of resources.
It's got 254 player matches and smaller variants. It also does not require a monthly fee. Seemingly the only differences are the backdrops (SciFi Ultra - Global Agenda and SciFi Lite - MAG) , and MAG has no auction house.
If Aliens vs Predator wasn't releasing next week, I'd give this a shot.
Is there a trial? I don't usually opt for the try before you buy mentality, but its never too late to adopt good practices.
Nice review.
I am enjoying playing this game for the things mentioned in the article but I must add another thing that adds value to the game: developer feedback and info in general from Hi-Rez. In this aspect they are very much not like other large well known game companies. They really care what game users have to say.
Lately I played another beta game and the story is completely different.
Kudos.
After watching the Conquest trailer, I'm retracting my previous post. I think I'll be playing Global Agenda tonight, but I won't be subscribing... yet.
No reason to subscribe, the one mode offered to a subscription account is free until March I believe it was. Enjoy full access until then.
I bought this game, and it's a blast. Great shooter to jump right into, but you may want to find a clan, and a headset would help. By the time you start doing hard missions.... they're hard, and then the missions only get harder, so it really helps to have a reliable team you can coordinate with.
I played Beta and am still currently playing.
Fun game, but the big Agencies will dominate conquest. Plus it'd be nice if there was some more actual mmo features.
Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?
That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st.
Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2.
I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.
Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?
That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st.
Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2.
I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.
There is VoIP option in game or you can use third-party software.
a very well-written review, but I curse you for writing it. I really wanted this game before, and now that urge is overpowering.
Unfortunately, I don't want to lose more wife faction at the moment, so I'll probably hold off for a few months.
Prax
I agree with the majority of the reviewer's opinions, however, I would give the game a 6 due to lack of polish.
The combat just doesn't feel impressive. I don't know if it is the animations, sounds, clipping problems or a mixture of many factors, but it just feels like I am firing a pea-shooter at kids with Halloween costumes on.
With more polish to the presentation, this would be an awesome game, in terms of pure FPS game-play and feel, this is behind UT2004.
Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?
Yes.
That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st.
I dont know if tryal exists but when you buy the game you have one month play time for AvA. PvP and PvE are "free" to play.
Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2.
I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.
Lots of Recons there. I think this is the most played class.
I feel you, man. My wife just started her doctorate program so she's busy as hell. wah hahaha Mo! Games! Fo me babeh!!
granted this isn't an mmo but it is still a great fps. If your into that sorta of thing then go for it cause I have enjoyed it greatly.
I call BS on this. I pre ordered this game and played for awhile with almost the same setup as Stradden but I have a quad core, same graphics card and same ram and the game ran TERRIBLE. I could barely run it on Medium. I tried all the suggestions on the forums to run it better and it became unbearable to play. I REALLY enjoyed playing the game from what I got to play but I dont see how you played on High Stradden...
At last, a game that the majority of us can get behind and just enjoy.
Not sure it's a long term thing for me, but GA right now is fun :)
I agree with most of this review, but I don't think many negatives were voiced. Overall I myself give this game a 6.5-7, if I had to give it a number. I've been playing since CB and now run a relatively small and casual agency. Some negatives to point out, please note I LOVE this game and play it almost daily, but it doesn't mean I'm a zealot fanboy.
Conquest does favor numbers. Even though hex fighting comes down to a 10vs10 match, your Agency/Alliance can not bite off more than it can chew. If you get a lot of hexes that's great, but keeping them is the real challenge. Since not all hexes can be protected by Bases you will always have some that need defending, so that means each hex owned = 10 people. Hexes can be attacked at anytime from anywhere, a successful defense result in a hex lockout for 5minutes. Now if your in a big Alliance this isn't a big deal to you, but if you aren't it makes Conquest more of a game of who can I annoy since getting a foothold will be next to impossible.
Conquest is for the Hardcore, Conquest runs 7 days of week, so if you grab a hex and want to keep it you have to defend it every day when the Map opens, so if your focusing on 1 map that's 2:30 hours 7 days a week.
Map diversity was touched on in the review, but honestly maps offer little variation, its pretty much gray and beige buildings everywhere. Its not a game breaker, but it is annoying after a while.
PvP Premades, I am flabbergasted this didn't make live. This was at one point in Alpha, people could queue as a strike force for 10vs10 pvp. They had options in the beta to: Not queue against premades, and to Queue with people at my level, I really hope both these options make it back into the game with premade PvP.
Overall I really have a blast in this game. I love Conquest matches, but I just really don't like how the Conquest system works, I may be biased since I am not a hardcore player, but I have work, night classes, and friends.
I'm trying to figure out why you would give it a 6. Its Nearly exactly what Hi-Rez said it was. Maybe you have a bad computer or you're trying to compare it to a certain game.. I don't know. I guess opinions are just that. I think the combat feels just right. If you liked Tribes and TF2, you will most likely love this game. If you are a huge nut for realistic warfare games.. well, the graphics aren't meant to be that way. That's all I can say.
To me, the animations are pretty good compared to some other MMO's out there. I haven't had any issues with sound at all, they are what you'd expect from a game like this. I also haven't noticed any clipping problems at all, I'm not sure what you mean by this. To my surprise, the core of the game is tremendously polished. There are just some fluff and addition options that need to be added to really make it shine.
And just to point it out again. You went into it comparing it to a stand-alone FPS game. It's not nearly as twitch oriented and the graphics are have to be the way they are. This is the problem with most gamers. They don't have the ability to play a game and accept it for what it is. The less you compare, the better off you will be. You just end up approaching it with a closed mind.
Wait.. maybe I'm playing devil's advocate here.. maybe not. But did you not just give a 6.5-7 because YOU aren't capable of playing 2.5 hours a day, 7 days a week? And in addition, you don't have to subscribe if you don't like it. The facts are there, it's a team/agency based game and what did you expect world conquest would be? Solo friendly? The ability to create a strike force is in the game, I'm not sure what you're talking about there.
Basically, you dropped 3 to 3.5 points off of your rating because you have a life. In the life of today's gamer, 2.5 hours a day is nothing compared to real MMO's out there that require you to play 4-6 hours to be very competative.
I'm not a fanboi, but your rating irked me simply because YOU don't have the time for it.
I enjoy the game but I decided not to subscribe when March gets here.
1. No exploration at all.
2. No major difference between pvp mercenary objectives and conquest.
3. To repetitive too fast. The game is good if you have an hour to spare but beyond that everything is deja-vu over and over again.
4. The pve content is nothing more than a farming area for components.
5, Crafting is average.
I think it is good for a f2p model but in my opinion the game is not worthy of a subscription.
I'm loving the game. I'm up to doing med level PvE and find even with pugs, my teams win more than lose...thou doing it and getting the challenge bouns (not geting more than 4 deaths in the team) is hard. And the next team mate who doesn't understand what red beams mean I'm going to frag....well wishing I could frag.
LOVE the pvp missions, thou winning them with pugs is harder (not in an agency and wish people would stop blindly inviting me in the middle of a match).
BIG compliant is that the voip is not working for me. Can hear, can't talk and not sure why as there isn't much documentation or much of a control panal for that.
Even thou my twitch at my age is mostly twang, still having fun.....and haven't even tried Conquest.
Sandarbian the Assault
i just wish the fights were bigger ... 10 vs 10 is ok but i was really hoping for 20+ vs 20+ at least.
well maybe in the future.
its free unless you play the conquest portion. but plenty to get a feel for the game.
HiRez just posted a list of upcoming additions/changes to the game for this month on beyond.
MARCHING FORWARD
We view the release of Global Agenda as the start of the journey and we are already working hard to continue delivering improvements, new features, and new content based on your feedback.
To prove it to you, we are going to extend the free-play period for Global Agenda Conquest while continuing to deliver features and content enhancements.
We feel this is the best way to prove to you the value of a Global Agenda Conquest subscription, while also ensuring that as many people as possible are exposed to our unique and innovative Conquest gameplay.
All players will continue to be able to play the Conquest features for the rest of February and March without a monthly subscription fee.
BY THE END OF FEBRUARY -
We will deliver a set of enhancements ASAP based on fairly unanimous community input. We currently plan to have the following items in production by the end of February:
* Friend List/Ignore List - Steam has a Friends List, and we offer Agency Management as an alternate way to find your friends, but an in-game Friends List (and Ignore List) was a high requested feature that is being added.
* Player Choice on PvP Queues - For initial release we consolidated gametypes within a single PvP queue. With no guarantee around number of players we would have, our top priority was to ensure the players got into matches quickly and to make sure our matchmaking system had a sufficiently large population to balance out sides. That said, we've heard how much players want to specify, or eliminate, certain match types. And we do have the population to support this request. So, we will be implementing player selections per PvP gametype so you can exclude or include each type as you wish.
* Repair Kits - Non-visual Upgrades (of the Armor or Weapon variety) do increase stats for your character. And by the time you collect 16 of them they make a big difference. They also take time to craft and/or buy and, after all that time invested, having them wear away without any recourse was frustrating. Repair Kits are a new item type that will be available in-game and restore your Upgrades to full durability.
* Additional AvA zones and AvA Reporting - We are introducing new AvA zones to support play during hours more convenient for those in other locales. We are adding:
*o Zone 6 - Oceania/Australia - 19:00 to 21:30 in Sydney, 16:00 to 18:30p in Singapore (3a to 5:30a US Eastern, Midnight to 2:30 US Pacific) [NOTE: Initially, will run on servers hosted in the US but be geared toward an Oceanic audience, or for night owls on the US West Coast].
o Zone 8 - Europe - 14:00 to 16:30 GMT (9a to 11:30a Eastern)
BEYOND FEBRUARY -
Generally speaking, we intend to earn your subscription. Our entire Studio is focused on continued feature and content development for Conquest gameplay, including:
* More PvP Content - New maps around a 4v4 arena gamestyle as well as a 10v10 pre-made queue.
* More PvE Content - We've been pleased by the positive reception to our 'dungeon-crawl' style Infiltration PvE missions. That said, we want to offer additional variety both in setting and mission type. Imagine being able to step outside of the doors of Dome City and assist Bancroft by doing missions within a large open area, with additional loot available in that location. We are working toward delivering this content.
* More AvA Content - New facility types and new game-styles for Conquest. Specifically we are developing a new 'No Facility' map based on Control style, a new Defensive Facility that grants protection to adjacent territories, and Resource Raid Missions based on Payload style. We also recognize that some of the game-board rules need to be looked at; we will continue to monitor those to ensure that AvA maintains the right balance between accessibility and significance.
* Improved Crafting, Loot and Prestige Items
This game does not belong on MMORPG.com. That be like a development studio creating an FPS game and saying
"Our game does not have any of the following: Guns, a first person view, the ability to control a single person and pit yourself against other players, and the ability to host your own servers. If you consider any of these items to be must-haves within your FPS, we may not be the game for you."
Why should this game be considered an MMO if it does not even have a persistent world and I can play with MORE people in any regular FPS and have the same weapons and class depth as a typical battlefield game.
Why should I spend 15$ a month on this game when it offers nothing more than a typical battlefield game.
None of the actions I do on map 578436 will effect the players on map 35728 because there is no persistent world.
If this game is on MMORPG than I demand that counterstrike get added as well as the battles are bigger and its pretty much the same thing as global agenda with different guns.
I hope this isnt a continuing trend among developers. If the only thing massive about your game is the global chat room, its not an MMORPG.
Global agenda, where is the globe?
I guess you missed the whole conquest part of the game. What you do here does have an effect on what others are doing. If you are a small agency, as long as you are part of an alliance, you can seriously impact the hex map by taking key areas that are vulnerable. Arguments like yours will never be won because too many people differ on what they feel MMO means. You also seem to fail at convincing me that your definition of RPG must be to have a silent FANTASY at the beginning of the word. You say that everyone that plays the game should be able to fight in the same area, (which by the way means WOW is not an MMO as a few dozen people are the most you can have on a raid unless you are somehow seriously going to say you run through Thousand Needles with 100's of other players at a time). Everything anyone does, (who isn't a lonely noob), is instanced and completely devoid of not only other players but any impact what so ever on the rest of the world. How many times has Onyxia been killed? Every bg in WOW is capped and in GA there are around 244 hexes with upwards of 4000 fighting for control of the territory at once. I played BF2 and know what it doesn't have? in depth skill trees you unlock with levels. A persistant world map that changes based on what people win/lose. Any sort of cohesive large scale plans. OOO I just helped take Wake Island for the 15th time today. Wonder how that effects the morale of the other players on different maps? It doesn't. If, however you take a hex in GA anyone else planning on taking certain resource points now has a different fight on their hands to face.
"I hope this isnt a continuing trend among developers. If the only thing massive about your game is the global chat room, its not an MMORPG."
It has elements of an RPG and honestly, if I have to give up the wonderous glory that is Barrens chat in that all my time spent in game is instanced, hell yea I'll take it. I was on the fence on this one until I read that they are fixing the two main problems I have with the game. Not yet on the subscriber wagon but I'm definitely having fun with this one to the point that I canceled my wow account as I didn't see myself playing it for the next few months.
I don't know how many shooters you MMO people have played but GA plays like a substandard dated shooter. Nothing special about it and there is nothing massive about it.
Why am I not surprised people came in here saying this isn't a MMO, blah blah blah. Hush alright!? It's on the website, so get over it.
Anyways, back on topic. Great review and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Only problem I have with the game is the conquest part. It does seem to push the casual players and the smaller agency's aside, but what game doesn't?
I really need to give this a try after Bad Company 2 gets boring.
I have to admit I am disappointed with GA. I'm not gonna say it's a terrible game, cuz it's not. It just doesn't take any genre or gameplay to the levels I have experienced in other, better games.
The gameplay feels crude in a way. Everything is painted with a broad brush.
The arena style play of GA is a matter of taste (or age) I suppose. But for me, the lack of options and strategy or any sense of longevity in any of the ongoing dynamics, diminshes the experience considerably. One could argue that this is also the case in a game like Team Fortress 2 I suppose, but TF2 has something GA doesn't, and that is superb humour and design and unique character roles. There's alot of things in GA that strikes you as something the developer didn't put too much thought into and maybe should have, whereas there is (or was) none of that in TF2.
The way the characters play also feels kinda clunky or simplistic. Some things works all too well, while other things doesn't seem to work at all. The lack of correspondence between what you expect to happen, and what in fact does happen, is quite frustrating. GA doesn't come anywhere near the superb play elegance of a game like Tribes2 in this regard. T2 had everything GA has and much more and provided you with a sense of finesse that GA doesn't come close to. The jetpack is there, but you don't fight with it and that alone removes an entire dimension from the game. To me, this seems like a step back and T2 is really old by now while GA is brand new. I had expected them to try and at least attain old glory in new wrapping and maybe even push the envelope a little. They really don't. GA's got more buttons to push, but it adds nothing to the gameplay. I'd rather say it subtracts from it.
The group dynamics and the AvA part has also been done alot more exciting in other games. I'm thinking specifically of Planetside. My memory fades, but I seem to remember the Planetside campaigns simply as more eventful, more varied and more fun. There is something about GA that kinda feels like it's not quite allowing the gameplay to breathe freely. The PvE is just a big yawn and the super simplistic PvE/crafting/trade deal, borders on feeling totally pointless. I have no idea why they even crammed PvE into this game in the first place. They would probably have made a much better game if they didn't try and bite off everything at once, but rather focused on say team based PvP alone. Maybe the game would have played better then.
I'm not gonna get into a discussion over a definition of MMORPG. Suffice to say that while the game may be able to defend half of the abbrevation on a purely technical level, the GA world has very little to do with MMORPGS. If you're a strict fan of that genre, GA is gonna feel like a slap in the face. I'm allready a team based FPS fan, so I'm ok with it. But a MMORPG it certainly is not, not by a long shot. The emperor really IS naked, in case you should have any doubts.
To sum up. If you buy this game and expect a decent FPS, you're probably not gonna be disgusted or anything. However, if you're looking for a game that refines the better games in this genre of past, you're most likely going to be dissapointed. Oh and PS: It's got nothing to do with MMORPG's. ;-)
Lol, nice to see the auction house in the bad points, its absolutely terrible. One good move they have made is that implants are no longer buyable from NPCs, so that aspect of the game is fully player crafted and controlled though this exposes how horrible the AH is at present. I do fear, however, that the subs wont be too high meaning crafters are sparse, driving up prices to even more ridiculous levels. They need to put in other craftable items outside of implants too.
Another ridiculous decision was that only subs can send mail - non subs can only recieve it. It makes trading impossible outside of a lot of messing around considering the game doesnt even have player to player trades in the first place...very silly decision, Hirez.
The UI is fairly ugly (improvements coming apparently) but the chat box is very good, its clear and easy to use and people actually use it, unlike the mess that was in HGL. You cant change font colour right now, so I hope thats something coming in the future.
Good points are that the gameplay is solid and addictive (though the basic rifles are horrible), the melee system and manual blocking is responsive, though the blocking damage could be reduced a little. Definately needs more maps in the rotation for pvp. The pve is good although repetitive and theres zero storyline inside the game itself, which is pretty odd. With some big raids the pve could be great fun.
Id give it a 7/8 out of 10 simply because its an enjoyable persistant mmotps thats not another solofest kill 10 rats type of MMO. I hope the game gets a chance to fully evolve. :)
. I can't fault a game for not having something it was never intended to have and instead I've got to base this review on what Hi-Rez Studios claims their game to be: an action-based shooter MMO.
Sure fire way to get a 10 from this reviewer is to say that your MMO isn't supposed to be good on the website. Didn't read the rest of the article, you lost me at Hello, you lost me at Hello.
Dear Editor, your job should consist of more than using spell check.
Probably because people come here to play a" genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mmorpg
Global agenda has neither large numbers of players interacting (barely larger than WoW arena matches), nor a virtual game world, just separate servers.
Its a shame too because shooter MMO's are very rare and fun to play. I was excited when I first heard about global agenda hoping for a spin off of planetside, it turns out all it is; is counterstrike with a warcraft 3 mod.
Love the game but to me its just another shooter hence the reason I am not going to pay monthly for it. I'm not big into the AvA matches as there are insanely huge alliance that just take over and have so many people to attack and defend at the same time. But worth the $50 stand alone? Hell yes, it is a very solid shooter and very well developed. Hopefully Hi-Rez does a little more then just AvA in the future maybe we could get some free roaming landscapes in instance form.
If you want a solid shooter with minor RPG elements go buy global agenda it is awesome. Then if you are even more satisifed and wish to pay the minor $12.99 sub then go ahead you get crafting although it doesn't effect the outcomes of matches by much at all. Remember it's a "skill" based shooter meaning everything you wear or have most of the time isn't going to up in "stats" it will be there for cosmetic purposes.
I'v been playing since Feb 1st launch and it's a total blast with my lv.28 Robo.
The PvP part is very addictive once you win and lose, the winning lures you to win more, the loses lights up rage of revenge on the next match.
Seeing poeple complaining about the performance, I seriously doubt that there is a problem.
Playing the game on a laptop and connecting to the US server from Taiwan, I rarely get any problems enjoy the game(at least my force sheild always sets up in time to block the damn muscular Assults')
The only down part is people tend to not cooporate on PvP battles(step on the frikkin catch point for the love a god!)
If there is a 20 vs 20 match I can't imagin if we're fighting with, let's say 10 recons, it will be a nightmare full of snipes and invisible guys running around to perfrom backstabbing stunts.
Overall the game is good for the price, the class and content are truely enjoable to play, and thank god there will be a Oceanic Server up, I coudn't join any AvA battles since the start time is 5 in the morning in Asia time.
Not a huge fan of the game, to be honest.
I love FPS games.
I love MMORPG's.
I'm still looking for a system that is capable of combining the two in a way that doesn't feel like it is 'forced'. More importantly, when a game feels like it has sacrificed some great points of either the MMO or FPS style game, then you're left with a muddied mess somewhere in the middle.
Personally, you don't get quite the punch from an attack that you would in a FPS game. This game still feels like it's not human vs human. Feels more like powered armor vs powered armor (which is essentially the case here). But there almost needs to be a hardcore mode with more punch. If you're shot... you're shot and you die. I'm sorry, but a sniper shot to the head should f*ck*ng kill you. It shouldn't take 2-3 shots to do so. YOU WERE SHOT IN THE FREAKIN HEAD... DIE ALREADY!
And the melee in the game is laughable at best (FPS melee has always been pretty much sh*t anyway). Look how awesome it is to try to strafe and run in/out of range while you do the same type of swing repeatedly/wildly. Weeeee! Amazing. I'm not expecting some John Woo style fighting to take place when it's 1 v 1 or melee pvp, but c'mon... needs to be more to this than what it currently is, imho.
The game is very limited (from what I've seen) in overall exploration or even modes that you can play in. (You are stuck in a city with only the ability to run dungeons, battlegrounds, or maybe a skirmish.) I can't go back out into the city? I can't just to to the street level and run around and farm crafting materials or explore? If I can... my fault, I missed the 'open world' feature. If not... wtf? Over.
From what iv read here and there.
This game seems nothing more than a Guild wars / Call of Duty.
That you have to pay to play.
With a slight lean towards sonys Planet Side.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Being able to alter your avatars looks to taste is important, but only where it makes sense. Here you are in a uniform, you are not a lone wolf, so stop wanting your own bandanna. :)
I think I may take a look 6 months down the line after they have put a few patches in.
great that people like it.
Not for me though. I like building a unique(ish) character and prefer pvp with bigger teams than 4 + 6 random.
Also not a fan of the latest disturbing trend to call things MMO's when actually they arnt. At least Guildwars never claimed as such.
Guild Wars also never had a persistent campaign where guilds fought over territory so they could build facilities in order to mine, research and craft items. It kinda helps if you've played Global Agenda before making comparisons.
Okay, I will. You are wrong.
The game is free to play after purchase, just like any other shooter. The only thing you are required to pay for is AvA conquest in which you fight for resources on a map locale, called hexes. So you have to pay for the world domination part of the game, not the COD style part of the game.
You're going to miss a lot of fun while you wait.
I have a hard time calling this game an MMORPG. It is more accurately described as an MMO-FPS with character progression. There really is no storyline or character development in a role playing sense. I mean, you can role play the agencies and what not on the political side, but there really is not a strong connection between you and your character or the sense that you are playing in a complete world. But that is just my two cents.
All in all a good review for a good game. It isn't great as I personally feel it is a little shallow and as it stands I wouldn't ever consider paying the monthly fee for the AvA content as it really is nothing more than glorified FPS Clan Matches with some added elements. Will I still recommend the $40 for the base game and playing the instanced matches? Sure. It is a solid FPS and who doesn't love character progression in your games?
I'd like to correct you....
A: who's F**KING POST ARE YOU READING TO GET THIS INFO?!.....
B: the "COD" part you referanced, is not P2P. Only conquest is. All your PvP other than that is free.
C: COD is one of the highest rated and most played games, this is better in my opinion, Matches made a difference.
D: the "Guild wars" part is where it makes a difference. it has that RPG style,
F: don't judge games based on trolls and people who haven't played it.
So this game does have a monthly fee right?
Let me know when it's like every other instanced (read server/game hosts) FPS out there (which is all of them) and just charges a box fee, then I'll play it. The fact that I can play CoD MW2, HALO, CS:S, TF2, etc etc etc and have more options in my game play style and have more people to play with all without paying a monthly fee, makes me wonder why anyone would go another route. In fact I even stopped playing the HALO series just because every few months they'd force you to buy a map pack to keep playing multi-player.
I like my FPS games fee free.
This is more than an FPS, it's an MMO as well. and it's ranked, you level and get better. The battles count on a long term scale. Have fun with your random matches that don't matter at all.
Like many have said it was a good review but it only focused on the good points, the game is nothing but "OK" if you're someone who wants to play occasionally with random player to kill time.
After i bought the game and played since the first beta in December i felt that what they said in the trailers, interviews and my obvious expectation weren't exactly what you get in the game.
you can't play in normal pvp matches with more then 4 players(including your self) so having a clan/agency is pointless unless you going to pay for conquest.
In Conquest you can't practice or make tactics because once you get a small piece of land you can only enter it if your challenged.
the number of "land"(called Hexes) you can have is determined by the number of players in your Agency, so a small 10-20 man agency is useless and can only defend 1-2 Hexes, even if you have the best players in the world your limited by your number, skill is secondary.
i'm completely against calling this game MMO not because there isn't an open world(it was stated before) but because there is no world at all, their idea of a world is a "world-map" divided by small Hexes each one can only be 1 of 5 terrains, so all Hexes labeled as Factory are exactly alike same goes for the Mines,Labs,missile factories and bases.
the PvE lack so much polish that the tutorial is the better then all the PvE maps, there are no tricks what so ever to it you just have to run&gun the mobs down until you get to a boss which is a tougher mob with a different look with some NPCs spawning occasionally and is the same for all difficulties but mobs have more HP and deal more dmg.
the only persistent thing in this game is your character even the conquest map for which you pay to play gets reseted.whats the point of playing for something that in 2-3 months gets undone.
they said that the map would be a risk-like strategy map, its wrong, in this game you can attack any hex in the map there is no map strategy besides the "hexes connected to the HQ get a production bonus" i would say that the hexes are only connected in concept which again leads me to say its not an MMO more like several private FPS server put together.
the RPG concept in this game is a joke the talents are so generalized that makes no room for unique builds.
Conquest seams fun but its always the same, at a particular time everyday you either attack or defend with whatever you have at hand no pre-organization nor that much coordinated tactics other then commonsense there's nothing more to it.
to finish remember the trailer where they emphasize the conquest where you "disable a generator in one map and you see the turrets going down live on the other"? there is no such thing.
in the end this is a FPS version of Guildwars(in a sense that you get some variety of devices abut can only choose 3 at any given time) with a different theme, where you own HQ(like a castle in GW) but cant enter it or customize it you may conquer new land for your alliance like Planet side(but it will be reseted every so often) but have to pay a fee for it and in the end you get no sense of achievement.
saw this today-
We would like to thank everyone for both the participation and feedback of the Global Agenda Conquest game.
We sent out a couple of surveys recently, below are results specifically on the AvA game play and where players would like to see the most improvements.
Specific to Conquest, this is what our player base told us they would like to see in Conquest (ranked by importance - large sample set of thousands of players):
1. Make it easier for smaller agencies to compete
2. Give better rewards for playing in AvA
3. Add additional get modes in AvA
4. Add additional maps and content
5. Add more to do while your strike team waits for an AvA mission
6. Make it easier for solo players to engage in AvA
7. Provide more flexibility on when your agency can attack/defend territories
8. Add additional zones for Europe and Oceania
9. Better tutorials and info
Based on this feedback, but also on our own experience, observations and data mining, we plan on making the following additions and changes to AvA. These are currently targeted to be completed by the end of Feb and playable early in March.
AvA Changes:
* New Mission type: Resource Raids
Resource raids will allow players to form a strike force and attack a territory to steal the resources being produced. These missions use the Payload game type with (2 or 3 new maps). This should allow for more action in the AvA zones and make it more difficult for groups to own very large territories without worrying about defending them. It's has a lower risk/reward for both attackers and defenders and allows more players to participate in AvA.
* New Hex type: Defense Facility
Defense Facilities have no direct production of any type. Defense facilities automatically provide protection to territories around them (but not against resource raids). The current defenses consist of missile barrages that will kill/slow down enemy players when active. While it's possible (but harder) to take over a territory near a Defense facility, it is advisable to bring down the Defense facility first. Defense facilities use a domination map type with multiple capture points.
* Unbuilt Hexes
A new map type using the Control game play type was added.
* New Hex type: Upgrade Production Facility
This new facility will allow agencies to create components used for personal armor and weapon upgrades (like Rusty Plates, etc). This will allow agencies that are less interested in the 'win' condition to create personal rewards sooner.
* Increase in AVA production
It's more fun to have more of the AvA specific items while fighting in the AvA maps, so all production will be increased.
* Public Chat Channel to support LFG
A new chat channel will work across all public areas in order to help players more easily find other players to group with.
* HQ closing
Agencies will close the HQ locations for two days a week (days of their choice). All other areas will still be open to attack/defend. This should allow smaller groups to defend at least one territory with less of a time commitment each week.
* New Qs
In addition to AvA changes new Qs will be available for 4v4 and 10v10 premade teams. In the future more functionality will be added to those Qs for arena/ladder type reporting and rewards.
Additional Changes:
We have also received significant feedback on the type of features our players would like to see to the overall game world and most specifically around subscriptions.
Our intentions are to release the following before the end of March so players can get a feel for some the the ongoing MMO type of content to be expected in the future.
MMO changes:
The single most significant change we are planning to release is a 'open world' type of PvE gameplay located around Dome City. The missions are based on helping Dome City stay intact against enemies, sabotage, and maintaining support infrastructure.
The key features for this zone are the following:
* A large area that has a number of different repeatable PvE type missions given out by NPCs
* Missions will be available for different size groups (ranging from Solo to 10 person teams)
* Different PvE Objective types (like defending an area against waves of enemies)
* Multiple groups/players playing in the same zone (we are trying to find a good balance of how many currently)
* Zone will have safe and unsafe spots (unsafe meaning other players can damage/kill you)
* Players can come in/out of area easily and be in Queue for regular PvP, PvE, and AvA missions while in the zone
Loot and Crafting
* New crafting and loot will be available for creating Rare and Epic weapons and devices
If all goes well, we would like to release an additional open zone before the end of April which will have even more interesting game play.
Please remember that we are working hard, but the timelines are not guaranteed. If we see that the timelines to delivering some of the core features extend too far past our estimates then we will let the community know and may extend some of the subscription policy.
Really fun game. I prefer the support rolls in this game Robtic and Medic, am best with medic always top 2 for healing and assists and also get my fair share of kills.
Looks like MMORPG.com or more accurately jon wood has taken another payment in return for a good Review.
The review was biased as hell. It focused solely on good oints, and didnt bring up any glaring issues that still persist even after beta. You'd think after he took that payment from aventurine for a good darkfall review, he would have learned a lesson, bu i guess greed triumphs over everything.
I am quite the opposite of most of the people here: I hate this game. I suppose the term is less "hate" and is more "disappointed". The melee feels tacked on and worthless, it takes forever to kill someone (I'm far more used to the quick kills, rather than emptying an entire clip/energy bar into someone to get a kill), and the game lost all favor with me when they put in "Mercenaries" mode and took out the PvP mode select. Mercenaries mode, of course, is every mode under the ssun in PvP, randomized for you uninterest and displeasure.
I don't get that warm feeling of "developer love" from these guys. In fact, I got more a feeling of "Flagship Studios" from them. In beta we could select what mode we wanted. Some weapons/melee killed a lot faster too. Instead, you get 8 or 10 whacks to kill someone, where as they can just raise their "Block" and shut you out. It's a cute little mode, but I play a Recon mostly. No hitboxes for the head mean no headshots, and no headshots means Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset, and when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset, PEOPLE DIE!
But in all seriousness... the game is slow. It takes so much, and so long to kill someone. I've stopped playing at Level 10. I can't stand it. It takes too long and it just bores me to sit there. I know they want the entire "team work" thing going. Makes the medics lives easier. But if my backstab does laughable damage compared to a normal slash, then I'm not an assassin. I may as well go play an MMO so I can button mash and rack up crazy combos that actually do crazy damage. At least then I'd stop feeling so effing worthless and weak.
Some will like this game, but unfortunately, I can't get a refund now. They made that steller change Mercenary AFTER beta, and by that time I couldn't return it. "Oh, it'll be back at the end of the month". That's great. At the end of the month, I'll be playing Battlefield Bad Company 2, and won't be messing around with this lump of coal any longer. I've got only 6 hours to my name in this game, but Steam policy states I can't get a refund. I'm out $50 for a piece of overhyped junk. I'd have rather spent the money on Modern Warfare 2, at least they were upfront with flipping me off (loss of dedicated servers and punkbuster).
dont think you know what persistence means. persistence is players affecting the game world, and other players taking that away. youre confusing "open" with "persistent". for persistence to flourish, you need balanced pvp. in my opinion, GA is the closest any MMO has gotten to persistence and balanced pvp.
there is nothing massive or persistent about most MMO's. WoW lacks the persistence, balanced pvp, and while open while leveling it is completely instanced at end game, exactly like GA. SWToR lacks the "massively multiplayer", enough said. EVE, while massive and persistent, lacks the execution and balanced pvp. if we're going by definitions, LOTRO is not an MMO. it's an RPG which you can choose to play with a few other people.
so before going all emo and hyperbolic on the forums, do a little bit of research and get your facts straight.
i like my FPS fee free as well, which is why i bought GA.
For FTP, it's great.....But it just has too much of the UT feel to me to be a paid subscription game...
But, I'm an old PlanetSide player, and anything less than several hundred people in a battle just feels underwhelming.....
dont think you know what persistence means. persistence is players affecting the game world, and other players taking that away. youre confusing "open" with "persistent". for persistence to flourish, you need balanced pvp. in my opinion, GA is the closest any MMO has gotten to persistence and balanced pvp.
there is nothing massive or persistent about most MMO's. WoW lacks the persistence, balanced pvp, and while open while leveling it is completely instanced at end game, exactly like GA. SWToR lacks the "massively multiplayer", enough said. EVE, while massive and persistent, lacks the execution and balanced pvp. if we're going by definitions, LOTRO is not an MMO. it's an RPG which you can choose to play with a few other people.
so before going all emo and hyperbolic on the forums, do a little bit of research and get your facts straight.
sonoggi > CNUChavez
Rather than quote your entire field, I'll just quote the fact you posted.
First and foremost, I'd like to say you've been informative, present a good argument, and you didn't flame. I believe you to be a figment of my imagination, IE, what I wish others online would act like. I will, however, try to give the game a chance, as I've known several game that sucked at the start, but got better after release. I was going to fight Steam, and Hi-Rez for a refund, but I'll try to give the game a more fair chance.
In short.
You are awesome, thank you for existing, I'll try to stick with it and see if it gets better down the line.
^^ Thanks, mate. I can't wait to see you in-game.
I'm trying to figure out why you would give it a 6. Its Nearly exactly what Hi-Rez said it was. Maybe you have a bad computer or you're trying to compare it to a certain game.. I don't know. I guess opinions are just that. I think the combat feels just right. If you liked Tribes and TF2, you will most likely love this game. If you are a huge nut for realistic warfare games.. well, the graphics aren't meant to be that way. That's all I can say.
To me, the animations are pretty good compared to some other MMO's out there. I haven't had any issues with sound at all, they are what you'd expect from a game like this. I also haven't noticed any clipping problems at all, I'm not sure what you mean by this. To my surprise, the core of the game is tremendously polished. There are just some fluff and addition options that need to be added to really make it shine.
And just to point it out again. You went into it comparing it to a stand-alone FPS game. It's not nearly as twitch oriented and the graphics are have to be the way they are. This is the problem with most gamers. They don't have the ability to play a game and accept it for what it is. The less you compare, the better off you will be. You just end up approaching it with a closed mind.
I'm running a top of the line machine with everything turned up, including 4x AA. The lack of impressive visual and oompth in the sound design department makes this game feel aged.
I liked Starsiege Tribes and TF2, both had better presentation for their times, and TF2 still tops GA. The presentation is just meh. I don't care what Hi Rez said it would be, the game simply does not do it for me, and I've realized now its the animations and sound department which are really lacking.
Of course I compare it to a standalone FPS, because that is what is. 10 vs 10 is not 'massive' by any means. MW2 has nearly the same type of 'persistent' components as GA. I accept the game for what is, simply not entertaining enough to keep me playing. You, my friend, are the one with the biased opinion, finding every excuse out there to defend the flaws of the game. 6/10 is still a fair score, 8/10 this game definitely does not deserve.
a major difference between MAG and GA (and correct me if im wrong,as I havent tried MAG yet) is that MAG has,like you said,254 player matches.That compared to GA's meek 10vs10 player matches make MAG seem more like an MMO to me than GA.
a major difference between MAG and GA (and correct me if im wrong,as I havent tried MAG yet) is that MAG has,like you said,254 player matches.That compared to GA's meek 10vs10 player matches make MAG seem more like an MMO to me than GA.
Ga also has AVA, which can be limitless. soon-to-be a large free-roam area.