Neverwinter Online

[Keyrock]

Yeah, Torchlight did do that well.  I thought Titan Quest had good balance too.  I occasionally would find an item in Greece and keep using it most of the way through the silk road because effects were so favorable or it was part of a really spiffy set.  Also, trying to complete the set gave you a reason to farm champions and bosses.  So far, I have yet to see a single set item drop in Neverwinter.  I'm pretty sure they do exist, but they're probably all level 60, which again makes farming completely and utterly useless until hitting level cap.

[Drowsy Emperor]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/05/20/neverwinter-money-making-exploit-sees-cryptic-turn-back-time/

 

Although MMOs don't really float my boat, this aspect of them fascinates me. Particularly the economics.

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

 

That's the stuff that makes MMO's interesting. There was a cool cracked article with even crazier stuff:

 

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-7-biggest-****-moves-in-history-online-gaming/

 

Read and laugh your guts out

[LadyCrimson]

I like the fact there's no serious grinding in NWO (unless one really wants to). Usually the complaint about MMO's is there's too much grind.

 

I also like that I can overlevel via the Foundry if I want, because I'm not a player with uber eye-finger-twitch skills in combat (the times I hit the wrong hotkey, don't dodge in time, etc. is epic! heh) and sometimes I need the advantage. I don't skip areas/quests either, at least the 1st time, I like to see/know everything even if over-leveled for it. Likely to skip a bit with other chrs. after that, tho.

[sorophx]

I've hit a wall with my rogue. I wanted to try and get through only doing quests. and right now I'm on the island in the sky, I'm level 41 and I can't progress, too weak. the flippin' lizards kill me in 3-4 hits, and there's always at least 4 of them bunched up, can't even navigate the area without getting my ass kicked

[LadyCrimson]

Yeah, I hear it gets a fair bit harder overall the higher lvl you get. Makes me wonder if I'll get to 60 with any chr.

 

My highest is lvl35. Oddly I feel like the CLeric's attack speed has been getting slower and slower, with the same at-will spell. I'm not sure why. She was really fast casting it at first but now it's sluggish. Since I acquired more chr. slots I've now developed a habit of getting alts to level 10 and then spending time on the gateway with the professions/hiring a lot of extra mercs before leveling the chr. much. I like Leadership. I wonder how long it'd take to get a chr. to lvl 60 doing nothing but Leadership thingies. Probably forever, but it's funny that you could theoretically play that way.

[Keyrock]

I've hit a wall with my rogue. I wanted to try and get through only doing quests. and right now I'm on the island in the sky, I'm level 41 and I can't progress, too weak. the flippin' lizards kill me in 3-4 hits, and there's always at least 4 of them bunched up, can't even navigate the area without getting my ass kicked

Wait until you get to Icespire.  You haven't seen bunched up until you get to Icespire.

[LadyCrimson]

For the server shutdown/diamond exploit fiasco, everyone gets a cape! Of course, it takes up a jewelry slot, so no one is going to use it outside of fashion in town, but ... at least it's a cat-cape! (it's a joke or something - the small cat companions were part of the situation I guess ... people buying/giving away oodles of cats w/their illicit diamonds or something...)

 

[sorophx]

well, at least you got a kitty cat, in some form

[Keyrock]

For the server shutdown/diamond exploit fiasco, everyone gets a cape! Of course, it takes up a jewelry slot, so no one is going to use it outside of fashion in town, but ... at least it's a cat-cape! (it's a joke or something - the small cat companions were part of the situation I guess ... people buying/giving away oodles of cats w/their illicit diamonds or something...)

 

Oooh!  How do I redeem my free cat cape?  Does it just appear in my inventory automagically?

[Bokishi]

I was hoping for a free bikini

[LadyCrimson]

Oooh!  How do I redeem my free cat cape?  Does it just appear in my inventory automagically?

Part of a package in the mailbox.

 

I was hoping for a free bikini

I finally tried making a male chr. the other day (all my chrs are female) just to see what those options were. I ended up making what is probably the thinnest human male Great Fighter evah. His sword might be too heavy for him to carry. But he looks good in his skivvies!

 

...they do need more chr. design and armor options tho. Everyone ends up looking essentially the same.

[Keyrock]

I'm up to level 50 and I got my top tier paragon feat: destroyer.  I now generate action points stupid fast and get buckwild and crazy when in unstoppable mode.  I pretty much skipped The Chasm (did like 2 quests) and decided to skip ahead to Rothe Valley.  It's slightly beyond my level (52+) but I find it easier and more fun because the groups aren't as tightly bunched and generally smaller.  Plus, I'll catch up to the level soon enough.

[LadyCrimson]

I'm kind of bummed with the whole "only one paragon path" thing. I know they're going to add more, but are they going to give us a free respec, since we didn't have a choice?

 

...also, the Cleric paragon's feel largely designed for (obviously) party play...very heal-others focused. Not much there that seems useful to me soloing until you get to the lvl 50 one maybe. I haven't put any points in Paragon at all. I almost wish they'd allow one to continue putting points in Feats  (Heroic?) instead, if one wishes. But the cleric does regen the action points fast, very early ... just spam that regen skill to heal instead of pots (even when not in a fight) and up it goes.

[LadyCrimson]

well, at least you got a kitty cat, in some form

Btw, after figuring I'm likely to play this game off and on for months, with multiple chrs (even if some days it's mostly through the Gateway), I lost my battle with temptation. Really not that much more than I spent on WoW ($60+monthly) for such a period/hours played.

 

 

 

....besides the panther, which every chr. can claim/use, the starter weapon you get for every chr. made is powerful enough to last you until lvl 17+ .. maybe even to 20 depending on chr. Makes starting new chrs less of a chore/very easy. So I now have 5 chrs. And you can use the panther as soon as you get to the Enclave, don't have to wait until you're 16. The spider mount has to wait until lvl20 tho. The diamonds ... meh. I have little use for those outside of occasional ID scrolls. They're just sitting in the promo menu, waiting to be claimed.

 

Nothing wrong with the panther, btw. It attacks fine, with highish dmg, it's just that the early pounce attack it does takes a few seconds before actual attack (guess it's doing the butt-wiggle thing....), so you may have killed something before it leaps. Hah.

[Keyrock]

I'm up to level 52 and still romping through Rothe Valley cutting up drow (even more disgusting than regular elves  ).  I think I may reach level cap in about a week or so, then I'll start farming dungeon runs for EPIC LOOTZ!!!11!!111!

[LadyCrimson]

Is there any true Epic Loot in this game? I'll be interested to hear what you find running lvl60 dungeons. Some actual unique items that's more than a purple armor w/a pink socket would be awesome.

[Keyrock]

An axe would be unique enough for me.  

 

Considering that every item so far has been a carbon copy or doggone near, I'm not expecting any miracles, but we'll see.  Anyway, I finished up Rothe Valley (minus the party dungeon, which I might run tomorrow if I can find a group) and got up to level 53 in the process.  There is a really cool secret area in the final solo dungeon for that area with a REALLY brutal fight.  Next up is Mount Hotewhat?  Hotewho?  Hotewhen?  Hotenow.

[LadyCrimson]

Are you still using the Cleric companion? How does she fare when you're over 50, since she stays at lvl15?

 

Aggravating that companions are always lvl1 when you get them ... can't take them back and level them in lower areas. Makes it harder to get them up to even 15 if you want to change them much later.

[melkathi]

Is there any true Epic Loot in this game? I'll be interested to hear what you find running lvl60 dungeons. Some actual unique items that's more than a purple armor w/a pink socket would be awesome.

 

I'll ask around if you want (and if I remember).

 

 

 

...they do need more chr. design and armor options tho. Everyone ends up looking essentially the same.

 

 

Though if you truly want to not look like anyone around you, your only real option is Champions Online (now that City of Heroes went the way of the dodo).

[Keyrock]

Are you still using the Cleric companion? How does she fare when you're over 50, since she stays at lvl15?

 

 

Well, she always did crap damage, so nothing is really different in that regard.  Her heal ability is a percentage of my health, so nothing at all has changed in that regard.  The only difference is she gets knocked unconscious significantly quicker.

[sorophx]

Btw, after figuring I'm likely to play this game off and on for months, with multiple chrs (even if some days it's mostly through the Gateway), I lost my battle with temptation.  

nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

 

that could be just me, but 200 for a Founder's Pack is a bit too much. if you're happy with what you got for i, though, who's to say you shouldn't have bought it? that panther does look pretty cool 

[Keyrock]

I forgot to add this to my last post.  My biggest gripe with the cleric companion is that she has no idle animation.  Most, if not all, of the other companions do something while they're idle.  This gets repetative, but it's still better than nothing.  My cleric companion, she just puffs her chest out and stands there.  My guess is that she's trying to attract a mate.

 

 

[LadyCrimson]

nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

 

Yeah, it's a bit pricey initially, but I look at as ... 3 hrs a day for likely 3 months (more or less) = maybe $1.4 an hour. If I played longer, even cheaper. Still nowhere as cheap as a single-player game etc. but eh...

 

Seeing Into Darkness in the theater on Tues? $4.38 an hour. (8.75 for non-3D, afternoon-discount pricing). Is it any wonder people want to stay at home/wait for DVD these days for most films.

[LadyCrimson]

Forgot ...

 

Though if you truly want to not look like anyone around you, your only real option is Champions Online (now that City of Heroes went the way of the dodo).

You've mentioned CO a few times I think, and I have looked it up a bit. But I don't think I'm at all interested in a superhero/comic world based MMO. I wouldn't even be interested in a Superman single player game, and I'm one of the few who still love Superman.

[melkathi]

Yeah, I can respect that. I couldn't really care less about superheroes myself either. I'm just there for the costume creator

When I remember I'll put up some screenshots of my characters in the proper thread.