RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS

[Bester]

Spent the last 3 days playing TESO. I thought they just wanted to make a generic mmo and cash in on all those people who bought skyrim. Instead they made a really good mmo. It's not a wow-killer, but better than all previous attempts. It's original in many ways, they really tried to be different and not make a clone. Really, bravo.

 

Just to give a few examples of how it's different from all those clones:

You can join up to 5 guilds. 

The PvP battleground is the size of 6-7 Barrens from WoW. You can build trebuchet, ballistas, etc, rebuild your broken walls,... The number of participants at the same time,... idk, must be hundreds.

The number of crafting/gathering professions is not restricted.

As part of crafting, you can improve the quality of any item, you can even make an item legendary.

The item you're going to craft can look 15 different ways depending on the style you chose for it (dunmer style, khajiit, daedric, etc...)

There are no recipes for item crafting. You discover things (i.e. you found an item that improves running speed and you studied it) and then you can use them in your item creation.

The quest givers never ask you to bring more than 6 items, all of which have 100% drop rate. Most of the time, it's 2-3 items in the vicinity.

You don't just get abilities/spells from your class and race, but also from organizations you choose to join.

You can only have a bar with 5 spells/abilities. If you switch weapon, you get another 5 slots. You can't use more, although you can have more.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Bester

[Lexx]

Agreed, but the beginning is super slow and boring, imo. Also I heard you can't play with people from other factions if you don't have a subscription(?) of some sort?

 

Right now I find it extremely annoying to find the items to craft basic stuff (and it took me a few hours before even that was possible, I think). Also I have no idea how to study new styles, etc.

[BruceVC]

Agreed, but the beginning is super slow and boring, imo. Also I heard you can't play with people from other factions if you don't have a subscription(?) of some sort?

 

Right now I find it extremely annoying to find the items to craft basic stuff (and it took me a few hours before even that was possible, I think). Also I have no idea how to study new styles, etc.

 

It must be annoying having to think and actually find items to craft, especially in an MMO....shame poor you   

[HoonDing]

Everybody should join the Aldmeri Dominion.

[Lexx]

Think? So far it was only about finding enemies to grind for the materials. It is super annoying, imo.

 

But that's probably why I just don't like MMOs. It's just such a huge timewaste. In this case especially, because I am not planning to buy the game and a subscription.

[Bester]

Agreed, but the beginning is super slow and boring, imo. 

 

Are you kidding me? I'm always bringing down 99% of the games left and right, but in teso the starting location (common for all races) is GENIUS. Best starting location and introduction in any mmo hands down.

 

>Right now I find it extremely annoying to find the items to craft basic stuff (and it took me a few hours before even that was possible, I think).

Whaaat? I crafted my first full set of items at level 6 and I wasn't even searching for materials. Maybe you should look at the screen once in a while, they're basically lying around everywhere.

 

>Also I have no idea how to study new styles, etc.

It's from books. They're a bit rare, I haven't found a single one yet, but others have found 1-2 by the time they hit lvl 10. I guess we're both unlucky that way. I did find 2 crafting items that allow item improvement from blue to epic, though, which must be even more rare.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Bester

[213374U]

EDIT: Just as a further point, the other aspect of narrative that I like about video games is the emergent one. There's no scripted storyline in a game like Europa Universalis or Civilization, yet every time I play the game I am presented with a different story that I enjoy connecting the dots between events. This goes for games like FONV and even War in the Pacific. I'm not restricted from what a writer writes in a game, but also what I can imagine as I play the game. So I suppose I also have myself on my side as well, because it's damn fun creating (and sometimes even hilariously rationalizing) narratives for what has happened in my game experiences.

 

Good point. For some reason I find grand strategy LP's much more gripping than for any other genres. I had never thought such games had a "storyline", as they are all about the gameplay, decisions and planning. But if I'm not the one playing it and it has no plot to speak of in a conventional sense, why are they so ****ing awesome?

[Lexx]

For me, the starting location in teso is the one *after* the intro that is the same for every race. I played two of the three so far and both were so-Lala. It's ok for MMO gameplay, I'll guess.

 

And yeah, crafting at level 6, that's where I started as well. But it took me too long to get to that point, with too much running around, hacking through whatever quests I found. That's what I find extremely boring here, because I am simply not feeling the variation up to this point. I didn't found any new clothes or stuff, rarely a different weapon or whatever.

 

Anyway, keep in mind that I usually don't like MMOs. If I had to choose between Neverwinter and TESO, I'd take TESO right now, though.

[BruceVC]

For me, the starting location in teso is the one *after* the intro that is the same for every race. I played two of the three so far and both were so-Lala. It's ok for MMO gameplay, I'll guess.

 

And yeah, crafting at level 6, that's where I started as well. But it took me too long to get to that point, with too much running around, hacking through whatever quests I found. That's what I find extremely boring here, because I am simply not feeling the variation up to this point. I didn't found any new clothes or stuff, rarely a different weapon or whatever.

 

Anyway, keep in mind that I usually don't like MMOs. If I had to choose between Neverwinter and TESO, I'd take TESO right now, though.

 

I had some of the best times when I got back into gaming in 2009 and started playing MMO only. These included Ultima Online and Vanguard. But I think I really enjoyed the interaction of being in a guild and chatting people and then going on quests together. Nowadays I prefer single player games, but I want to play MMO again so TESO may mark my regal return to the social world of MMO gaming

[Hurlshort]

I absolutely loved the return to the Redguard areas that I am getting in TESO.  Redguard is still my favorite out of the Elder Scrolls games, even though it was more of an action-adventure game than an RPG.  I'm sure I'll enjoy the lands from Morrowind as well, but I'm not looking forward to exploring any of the Imperial areas. 

[Tale]

I have thought of the best way of convincing folks of my point, so I devised a situation to illustrate why games aren't a good medium for storytelling.

 

I would ask the person what their favorite movie was or what movie they are really excited about, after they answer I would say that we should watch that movie. On said viewing I will place a Simon Game in front of them and I will make sure that I have the remote. After that at any pivotal point in the film I will pause it or stop it and tell them that to keep watching it the must beat the Simon Game a undefined number of times.

 

At least if I can't convince them I will have some fun at their expense.

If I told you that you had to read a book in under two hours, or if I break you from drama in a book to make you view explosions and car cashes, it wouldn't show the flaw of movies as a storytelling medium. It would simply illustrate my failure to understand their differences.

 

There's a sentiment I see recur commonly that I also see your post imply that bothers me. That movies are a "pure" storytelling medium. They all have their differences. Different strengths, different weaknesses, that change or compromise what you tell in a story and how you tell it.

[WDeranged]

Jesus, I didn't realise how much TES:Online is going to cost...think I'll apply for the beta 

[ShadySands]

60 bucks plus 15 a month, right?

[Orogun01]

 

I have thought of the best way of convincing folks of my point, so I devised a situation to illustrate why games aren't a good medium for storytelling.

 

I would ask the person what their favorite movie was or what movie they are really excited about, after they answer I would say that we should watch that movie. On said viewing I will place a Simon Game in front of them and I will make sure that I have the remote. After that at any pivotal point in the film I will pause it or stop it and tell them that to keep watching it the must beat the Simon Game a undefined number of times.

 

At least if I can't convince them I will have some fun at their expense.

If I told you that you had to read a book in under two hours, or if I break you from drama in a book to make you view explosions and car cashes, it wouldn't show the flaw of movies as a storytelling medium. It would simply illustrate my failure to understand their differences.

 

There's a sentiment I see recur commonly that I also see your post imply that bothers me. That movies are a "pure" storytelling medium. They all have their differences. Different strengths, different weaknesses, that change or compromise what you tell in a story and how you tell it.

 

Good point, writing for movies is also a world of difference than writing a book but the end result translates better as it is one cohesive piece unlike games were the story may be broken into several cutscenes strung together by gameplay. By which I mean that you wade through killing more people than the plague until the next point in the story which is going to try to convince us that our character is a real human being.

Seriously though, there is a major difference between gaming and other mediums which is that they're an active medium. 

 

On a related note; if we're going to continue to talk about writing on games we may want to move it to its own thread as I fear we derailed this one enough.

[HoonDing]

That Elder Scrolls thingie is a 20 gig download. Oh snap.

[Hurlshort]

That Elder Scrolls thingie is a 20 gig download. Oh snap.

 

That's pretty much every MMO out there.  BF4 was 20 gigs too!

[Lexx]

Max Payne 3 was about 30gb! I still don't know what exactly made the game so big, though.

[Malcador]

I think all the flashing lights in the cutscenes did.

 

AAA games sure are colossal installs these days.

[HoonDing]

Lords of the fallen gameplay:

 

[WDeranged]

60 bucks plus 15 a month, right?

 

£49 ($80) in the UK, seems really steep to me but maybe they know they've made the best game evar, evar, evar?

[Keyrock]

Lords of the fallen gameplay:

 

That looks pretty promising.  Hopefully there are some polearms in the game like a glaive, bardiche, or lucerne hammer.

 

Edit:  Although, they're obviously not going for anything resembling realistic weapons (which is fine), since nobody could wield that hammer with one hand unless it was made of plastic and hollow.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Keyrock

[Sarex]

Edit:  Although, they're obviously not going for anything resembling realistic weapons (which is fine), since nobody could wield that hammer with one hand unless it was made of plastic and hollow.

 

Magic hammer?

[Keyrock]

 

Edit:  Although, they're obviously not going for anything resembling realistic weapons (which is fine), since nobody could wield that hammer with one hand unless it was made of plastic and hollow.

 

Magic hammer?

 

But if it was magic, why would the head need to be so massive?  If magic is making the hammer lighter then that undoes the entire purpose of having the head that large in the first place (i.e. so the it will be heavier and strike with more force).  If magical force is what is creating the impact (sending out a shock wave or whatever) then the size of the head almost doesn't matter and it would be more practical to make a hammer with a small head, since it would do every bit as much damage yet be much more portable. 

 

Edit:  Wait, I think I just answered my own question.  The hammer is magical and the size of the hammer head is simply for show.  Homeslice is obviously trying to compensate for a lack of size somewhere else.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Keyrock

[Darkpriest]

 

 

Edit:  Although, they're obviously not going for anything resembling realistic weapons (which is fine), since nobody could wield that hammer with one hand unless it was made of plastic and hollow.

 

Magic hammer?

 

But if it was magic, why would the head need to be so massive?  If magic is making the hammer lighter then that undoes the entire purpose of having the head that large in the first place (i.e. so the it will be heavier and strike with more force).  If magical force is what is creating the impact (sending out a shock wave or whatever) then the size of the head almost doesn't matter and it would be more practical to make a hammer with a small head, since it would do every bit as much damage yet be much more portable. 

 

Edit:  Wait, I think I just answered my own question.  The hammer is magical and the size of the hammer head is simply for show.  Homeslice is obviously trying to compensate for a lack of size somewhere else.

 

 

Perhaps the magic is about ability to give wielders the feeling of carrying a lighten than feather weapon? yet in the hands of non-magically bound owner it's heavy as ****...

[HoonDing]

I'm surprised such a Dark & Gritty™ game was developed by the people who did Venetica, Jack Keane and Ankh.