Kingdoms Of Amalur Thoughts

[BobSmith101]

I'm sticking with a pure mage , well as pure as a mage who leaps around with chakrams can be. I'm actually suprised It's a lot better than I thought.A massive improvement over the state of the demo.The combat is very good but so is the lore and optional conversations. It's also not brown, it's really colourful and interesting to walk around. Listening to the lore stones is really funny and there are a ton of hidden things that I've only found because of a skill that shows up monsters.

After I've had a break I plan to delve into alchemy.

 

It's still a bit on the easy side but maybe thats having come off playing War in the North not too long ago, combat is very similiar and feels familiar.

 

All this Shepard stuff scattered across the multiverse reminds me of Moor****s "Eternal Champions".

 

All sandbox games feel like offline MMO's to me. Maybe the exception would be Fallout because I've never played a PA MMO.

 

Also has this happened to anyone else ? I was wandering around on half health, got shot by an arrow and the game paused and would not let me continue until I'd used the health potion hotkey. This was way after the introduction so I don't think it was a tutorial thing.

Edited February 10, 2012 by BobSmith101

[Maria Caliban]

I have a level 22 rogue and have enjoyed the game so far, but the playstyle isn't my favorite. I just encountered a serious bug during the Warsworn quest and my last autosave and quicksave both have it. My last regular save is 5 hours previous.

 

I suppose I could just skip the warsworn questline this playthrough...

[entrerix]

 

 

All sandbox games feel like offline MMO's to me. Maybe the exception would be Fallout because I've never played a PA MMO.

 

 

it probably helps that fallout was released before MMO's existed

[WorstUsernameEver]

It seems like a http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3465079&pagenumber=17#lastpost]FOV fix[/url] is available now.

[pmp10]

It seems like a http://forums.someth...17#lastpost]FOV fix[/url] is available now.

Thanks.

It's amazing what difference even 5 degrees can make.

Edited February 11, 2012 by pmp10

[Morgoth]

So I bought it and played through the tutorial. Feels like it's gonna be a game with a long breath, so I'll take my time.

 

Also, controls with a 360 pad are near perfect.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Morgoth

[Hurlshort]

 

Also, controls with a 360 pad are near perfect.

 

Seconded. Seriously, this game is a blast with the gamepad.

[Brayko]

The game is good in a 'fetch quest-follow the marker' sort of way. Combat is fun and even exploration isn't half bad.

 

A lot of the skills seem pretty useless though, like lockpicking, doesn't seem right that I'm able to pick a 'hard' lock with no skill whatsoever using two lockpicks.

 

Should be played with a gamepad, as others have stated.

[Tale]

17.2 hours in. Still loving it.

 

But I'm not captivated by any of the stories or the world. There's no "I want to see what happens next." It'll keep me playing until I get distracted.

[Maria Caliban]

I liked the ending of the House of Balad's questline.

 

The main quest that I've played through so far is rather uninspired. Every dungeon or signifigant meeting ends with someone telling me that I'm free from fate and my destiny is my own. The drunken Fateweaver tells me this when he meets me and again when I touch the Codex, Gadflow tells me this, the Talking Tree tells me this, and now the Summer King Fae. And each time it's treated as some sort of wonderous revelation.

 

I think the problem is that for being 'fateless' to be meaningful, I first have to buy into a world without free will. The game never attempts to sell me on that concept.

[BobSmith101]

I liked the ending of the House of Balad's questline.

 

The main quest that I've played through so far is rather uninspired. Every dungeon or signifigant meeting ends with someone telling me that I'm free from fate and my destiny is my own. The drunken Fateweaver tells me this when he meets me and again when I touch the Codex, Gadflow tells me this, the Talking Tree tells me this, and now the Summer King Fae. And each time it's treated as some sort of wonderous revelation.

 

I think the problem is that for being 'fateless' to be meaningful, I first have to buy into a world without free will. The game never attempts to sell me on that concept.

 

I think it translates that quite well, especially if you listen to the Fae and their never ending cycle. The humans I've come across have a similiar outlook in that no matter what they do , things willl eventually be reclaimed by nature or the Tuatha will eventually win by attrition. It sort of reminds me of the effect Tidus had on Spira, you are a catalyst for change that goes beyond just being fateless.

[SadExchange]

Also, controls with a 360 pad are near perfect.

 

Seconded. Seriously, this game is a blast with the gamepad.

 

I can't even imagine playing a game like this with a K&M. Same as Batman: AC, but I know people do, but I just believe the gameplay is supported by the gamepad so well. I do wish that the FOV wasn't so close. I'm not getting sick from it, however just wish I could see more of the world around me. I think I'm level 14, at about 9 hours in and am enjoying it so far in the chunks it's presented in, within the different areas.

[Maria Caliban]

This game is a **** to find trainers for. I got a cheat engine one to work once after an hour of fiddling with it, and the next time I tried to play, it didn't work.

 

I liked the ending of the House of Balad's questline.

 

The main quest that I've played through so far is rather uninspired. Every dungeon or signifigant meeting ends with someone telling me that I'm free from fate and my destiny is my own. The drunken Fateweaver tells me this when he meets me and again when I touch the Codex, Gadflow tells me this, the Talking Tree tells me this, and now the Summer King Fae. And each time it's treated as some sort of wonderous revelation.

 

I think the problem is that for being 'fateless' to be meaningful, I first have to buy into a world without free will. The game never attempts to sell me on that concept.

 

I think it translates that quite well, especially if you listen to the Fae and their never ending cycle. The humans I've come across have a similiar outlook in that no matter what they do , things willl eventually be reclaimed by nature or the Tuatha will eventually win by attrition. It sort of reminds me of the effect Tidus had on Spira, you are a catalyst for change that goes beyond just being fateless.

 

Yes, people talk about endless cycles and not being able to escape your fate, but the neither the PC nor the player is presented with that.

 

I'll give you a real world example: Vaccinations. There's a growing anti-vaccination movement in the USA, and the majority of people in it have never lived in a world without vaccinations. Someone of my generation might be aware that polio is a terrible, deadly disease, but it's one of those bad things that happened in the past or that only happens in third-world countries. My mother, alternatively, had childhood friends who ended up in a wheelchair or who died.

 

Polio, for me, has no emotional impact. Smallpox was one of the most deadly illnesses in human history and I have no idea what the symptoms are.

 

To me, the Amalur is like a game where I

Edited February 12, 2012 by Maria Caliban

[Tale]

This game is kind of intimidating. Still not done in the first set of areas. Though I did finish the House of Ballads.

 

I think it's because it's pseudo-linear. It's open world enough alright, but there's a definite progression from one area to the next. I'm going to get exhausted before I get through with the game. Maybe I'll run an experiment tomorrow. See how well I can skip over zones. Or if enemies will get too high a level too quickly.

 

If I can't skip over things, I'll label that "bad." I think my issue is that the game seems to be forcing me to jump around a bit. I could ultimately do House of Ballads. But Warsworn and Travelers want me to go to areas I don't know that I'm high enough level for. I'm being told about quests I don't know if I'll be able to do for another 10 hours. That could make me lose what connection I had to the plot that was going on.

[BobSmith101]

This game is kind of intimidating. Still not done in the first set of areas. Though I did finish the House of Ballads.

 

I think it's because it's pseudo-linear. It's open world enough alright, but there's a definite progression from one area to the next. I'm going to get exhausted before I get through with the game. Maybe I'll run an experiment tomorrow. See how well I can skip over zones. Or if enemies will get too high a level too quickly.

 

If I can't skip over things, I'll label that "bad." I think my issue is that the game seems to be forcing me to jump around a bit. I could ultimately do House of Ballads. But Warsworn and Travelers want me to go to areas I don't know that I'm high enough level for. I'm being told about quests I don't know if I'll be able to do for another 10 hours. That could make me lose what connection I had to the plot that was going on.

 

It shares the same "flaws" as every other sandbox game I've ever played. There is so much to do that you can quite litteraly lose the plot as you get caught up in side quests. Mobs are colour coded like in a MMO so far I've not come across something I can't kill and I've done a fair bit of off the beaten track wandering. I do wish that grey things would not attack though, that's a bit irritating (only happens when you back track to find stones etc).

 

I've filled in most of the north area of the map, and the SW upto where it changes colour. I'm currently in Webwood (wish I'd have gone there first because the house stash would have made life easier). It's a bit of a chaotic path, but does have the advantage of now I can fast travel easily to almost any quest point.

 

What about builds ? Mine is primarily a fire mage with a summoned pet. I do have bolt for back up but it's no where near as effective so I have a weakness vs fire resistant (luckily I've not come across anything that is outright immune yet.. That would really ruin my day).

[Hurlshort]

Still loving my fighter with a longsword/mage with Chakras build. I agree with most of what you folks say about story, though.

[SadExchange]

This game is kind of intimidating. Still not done in the first set of areas. Though I did finish the House of Ballads.

 

I think it's because it's pseudo-linear. It's open world enough alright, but there's a definite progression from one area to the next. I'm going to get exhausted before I get through with the game. Maybe I'll run an experiment tomorrow. See how well I can skip over zones. Or if enemies will get too high a level too quickly.

 

If I can't skip over things, I'll label that "bad." I think my issue is that the game seems to be forcing me to jump around a bit. I could ultimately do House of Ballads. But Warsworn and Travelers want me to go to areas I don't know that I'm high enough level for. I'm being told about quests I don't know if I'll be able to do for another 10 hours. That could make me lose what connection I had to the plot that was going on.

 

Please let us know if you can actually go to those levels without getting slaughtered, because I feel like if I were to go to one of those areas, and then come back and finish another area, the area will just be a piece of cake. I'm on hard difficulty right now and feel that the game is a little on the easy side as of right now, but I know I'm only at level 15 or so, so I'm sure it'll ramp up soon enough.

[Gorgon]

Doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

[Hurlshort]

Doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

 

It's worth trying the demo. The combat system sold me on the game, and so far it has been worth it for that. The rest is not done badly, but is still rather generic. Story, character development, graphics, enemies are all adequate.

 

The voicework is actually pretty great. Those stones that tell stories are fun to listen to.

 

I like the House of Ballads questline too. It is the first thing that has really made me understand the whole concept of fate in the game.

[Tale]

The Fae are a remarkably fresh take on elves. If not original, they're at least uncommon. Immortal and in tune with nature, blah blah. But their immortality is serial resurrection and they're absolutely obsessed with replaying out grand stories over and over and over again. For real, not just putting on theater. They kill each other on repeat because they did it before and it was deemed heroic.

 

I wonder if the Alfar elves have as much going for them.

[BobSmith101]

The Fae are a remarkably fresh take on elves. If not original, they're at least uncommon. Immortal and in tune with nature, blah blah. But their immortality is serial resurrection and they're absolutely obsessed with replaying out grand stories over and over and over again. For real, not just putting on theater. They kill each other on repeat because they did it before and it was deemed heroic.

 

I wonder if the Alfar elves have as much going for them.

 

It's not exactly orginal, it's based along the lines of Irish mythology. It's nicely done though and aside from Folklore I don't think it's been touched on in a game.

This game is kind of intimidating. Still not done in the first set of areas. Though I did finish the House of Ballads.

 

I think it's because it's pseudo-linear. It's open world enough alright, but there's a definite progression from one area to the next. I'm going to get exhausted before I get through with the game. Maybe I'll run an experiment tomorrow. See how well I can skip over zones. Or if enemies will get too high a level too quickly.

 

If I can't skip over things, I'll label that "bad." I think my issue is that the game seems to be forcing me to jump around a bit. I could ultimately do House of Ballads. But Warsworn and Travelers want me to go to areas I don't know that I'm high enough level for. I'm being told about quests I don't know if I'll be able to do for another 10 hours. That could make me lose what connection I had to the plot that was going on.

 

Please let us know if you can actually go to those levels without getting slaughtered, because I feel like if I were to go to one of those areas, and then come back and finish another area, the area will just be a piece of cake. I'm on hard difficulty right now and feel that the game is a little on the easy side as of right now, but I know I'm only at level 15 or so, so I'm sure it'll ramp up soon enough.

 

Outside of a few fixed encounters it's not really hard. The scripted stuff is a bit harder but the general area stuff you can pretty much go where you like. There are "doors" stopping you going beyond certain points.

If you come back to early areas things will be grey but still attack, that's a pain if you are looking for a stone you missed. I've killed tons of orange things, but I still don't have the kill something X levels above you trophy, so there may be some "red" stuff out there, but nothing I've come across yet.

 

The Fea are based on Irish mythology. There are even some references to the Mabinogi in the game.

 

I find the plot quite interesting It kind of reminds me of a fantasy version of a time travel plot.

[Maria Caliban]

Please let us know if you can actually go to those levels without getting slaughtered, because I feel like if I were to go to one of those areas, and then come back and finish another area, the area will just be a piece of cake. I'm on hard difficulty right now and feel that the game is a little on the easy side as of right now, but I know I'm only at level 15 or so, so I'm sure it'll ramp up soon enough.

 

My pure roge rocking Shadow and Shade was able to take on reds then travel back and have problems with greys. But the rogue is very bursty. There's an attack that gives you +32 Fate Points whenever you use it, so I can take a red by sneak attack + upgraded charge + spam dodge + fate mode. It's effective but not fun, so I switched to a might based character.

 

On my rogue, I got as far as Detyre to the south and... Luca-???. Basically, it's the Barrens. Running back and forth in it (there are only three fast travel points) was tiresome. When do I get my mount?

[Orogun01]

I'm thinking about buying this game, is it worth it?

[Morgoth]

I'm thinking about buying this game, is it worth it?

 

Depends what you're looking for.

 

If you like Hollywood-porn, stick with Mass Effect & Co, if you like somthing a bit more old-school and don't mind the quirky art style, then yes, go ahead.

[Hurlshort]

I'm thinking about buying this game, is it worth it?

 

Play the demo, it relly does give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. It actually lets you freely explore for 45 minutes after the tutorial.