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Allods Online (They had me at "and you can build a spaceship")
#1
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
Anyone play this? I'm unclear whether it is still in open Beta or if it's been officially released but I just started yesterday and it seems pretty cool.
At first glance I was like "okay, another lame WoW clone." Then halfway through the trailer they were like "oh and by the way you can build a spaceship and travel through the aether." And I was like "huuuuhhhh....."
The basic framework of the game essentially is WoW. I'd say in the ballpark of the quality of the original version (pretty impressive given that this is a free-to-play game) ... except that instead of starting off with "Now you are a man! Go kill some pigs!" It starts off with "OMG our ship is under attack we need to get the hell out of here and fend off a giant space monster in the process." After things settle down I think it ends up being a bit more like a traditional MMO, but so far it looks like there's more of an overarching plot. ("Hearthstones" seem to have an actual storyline centering around them. You don't just get handed one for now reason, there's a quest chain leading up to them that makes them out to be this mysterious technology you don't understand yet).
The feel of the game is very much like Outland from Burning Crusade, with a Draenei style mix of fantasy and high technology. I don't know what level you have to be to build an aether-ship, but it looks pretty cool. You can't man a ship all by yourself so I'm trying to get some friends into the game.
Right now I'm playing an Arisen Occultist/Psionicist. Arisen are undead, but with their limbs replaced with cyborg mechanical parts, which is a character idea I've always wanted to see and they look pretty awesome. Psionicists are sort of a weird mix between rogues, hunters and warlocks. They have some basic magical attacks, but their main ability is to spend 20 seconds forming a bond with the mind of their opponent, after which they can deal absurd amounts of damage (flavorwise they're basically destroying your mind). They have other abilities that let you form Mental Links faster.
If you're a gnome lover, the game has it's own resident "tiny" race called Gibberlings, which are more like furry mouse people. The thing I found particularly neat is that you don't play a single Gibberling, you play a cluster of three of them (they are born in pods of three and tend to stay with their siblings their entire life). If you're a gnome hater, well in this game you get to kill three times as many at once!
At first glance I was like "okay, another lame WoW clone." Then halfway through the trailer they were like "oh and by the way you can build a spaceship and travel through the aether." And I was like "huuuuhhhh....."
The basic framework of the game essentially is WoW. I'd say in the ballpark of the quality of the original version (pretty impressive given that this is a free-to-play game) ... except that instead of starting off with "Now you are a man! Go kill some pigs!" It starts off with "OMG our ship is under attack we need to get the hell out of here and fend off a giant space monster in the process." After things settle down I think it ends up being a bit more like a traditional MMO, but so far it looks like there's more of an overarching plot. ("Hearthstones" seem to have an actual storyline centering around them. You don't just get handed one for now reason, there's a quest chain leading up to them that makes them out to be this mysterious technology you don't understand yet).
The feel of the game is very much like Outland from Burning Crusade, with a Draenei style mix of fantasy and high technology. I don't know what level you have to be to build an aether-ship, but it looks pretty cool. You can't man a ship all by yourself so I'm trying to get some friends into the game.
Right now I'm playing an Arisen Occultist/Psionicist. Arisen are undead, but with their limbs replaced with cyborg mechanical parts, which is a character idea I've always wanted to see and they look pretty awesome. Psionicists are sort of a weird mix between rogues, hunters and warlocks. They have some basic magical attacks, but their main ability is to spend 20 seconds forming a bond with the mind of their opponent, after which they can deal absurd amounts of damage (flavorwise they're basically destroying your mind). They have other abilities that let you form Mental Links faster.
If you're a gnome lover, the game has it's own resident "tiny" race called Gibberlings, which are more like furry mouse people. The thing I found particularly neat is that you don't play a single Gibberling, you play a cluster of three of them (they are born in pods of three and tend to stay with their siblings their entire life). If you're a gnome hater, well in this game you get to kill three times as many at once!
#2
Dave
Dave
God damn it. That's what I need. Another game I don't have the time to play.
But it looks cool as hell.
But it looks cool as hell.
#3
Jay
Jay
What stage is this game in? Beta? Open beta? Mmmm mmmm mmmmm
#4
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
The reviews I read all suggest Beta, but the site doesn't say anything about Beta. I think the reviews might have been from the end of last year and the actual game started this year. In any case, if it's Beta it's an open Beta. I just created an account and started playing yesterday and it's been pretty fun so far. The one complaint I read in a review (which I somewhat agree with) is that combat feels slower than WoW, but I'm also playing a very slow "thinking" class so that may be part of it.
Also worth noting is that the game (whether in Beta or not) is free to play. So when I say it has "quality comparable to the original WoW" that's actually saying a lot, given how much free to play games tend to suck. I've heard there's some microtransaction stuff that they end up gouging you on near the end, but I'm not sure how they define "end" and to what extent it's actually necessary. (Most of the microtransaction stuff are things you could work for on your own, you just get them faster if you pay for it, and the best gear still has to be found through raiding, but there's a particular potion or something that's apparently almost crucial to the endgame that they charge you for. Or at least they did a few months ago when the review was written).
Also worth noting is that the game (whether in Beta or not) is free to play. So when I say it has "quality comparable to the original WoW" that's actually saying a lot, given how much free to play games tend to suck. I've heard there's some microtransaction stuff that they end up gouging you on near the end, but I'm not sure how they define "end" and to what extent it's actually necessary. (Most of the microtransaction stuff are things you could work for on your own, you just get them faster if you pay for it, and the best gear still has to be found through raiding, but there's a particular potion or something that's apparently almost crucial to the endgame that they charge you for. Or at least they did a few months ago when the review was written).
#5
Chibibar
Chibibar
So.... basically Spelljammer + WoW + DnD style huh?
looks pretty cool, but I can't afford another game to play
(nor the time)
looks pretty cool, but I can't afford another game to play
(nor the time)
#6
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
See my ninja-edit about it being free.looks pretty cool, but I can't afford another game to play (nor the time)
#7
Chibibar
http://allods.gpotato.com/
ahh.. now I see it. Item shop
I might have to give this a try then.
Chibibar
darn you and your ninja edit!!!See my ninja-edit about it being free.looks pretty cool, but I can't afford another game to play (nor the time)
http://allods.gpotato.com/
ahh.. now I see it. Item shop
I might have to give this a try then.
#8
Andromache
Andromache
*hurries quickly back to the EVE thread*
#9
SpecialKO
SpecialKO
If it's free2play, I'll definitely put a few hours in.
#10
Oddbot
Oddbot
I've been playing it on and off. It's a fun game, and I love the Russian-esque art style, and the touches of steampunk. The game also has a pretty quirky sense of humor if you actually bother to read the quests and stuff.
The ships with complete player crews with various roles like capt, navigator, gunners, repairs..etc sounds awesome, but that's reserved solely for endgame so I haven't gotten to try it yet.
Now for the bad:
-Once you get out of the safe-zones I hear the game becomes a real gank-fest, so if your not into non-consensual PvP, you might want to back away... which leads to problem number 2...
-A ridiculous death Penalty, that at level forty basically makes your character unplayable and lasts for 2 hours, and applies to both PvE and PvP. And why would they make something so inconvenient? To herd you to the Cash Shop of course!
-The Cash Shop in this game seems to be a bit on the steep side, and by my estimate, if you want to seriously play the game at endgame, you'll need to plunk down more cash than a normal 15 buck a month sub. Which at that point begs the question, why not just play WoW?
Still, I'm having fun for now, and when I get to the point where the ganking ruins that fun, or that I feel forced to use the cash shop, well.. that's when I'll throw in the towel. I just hope that another company takes their ship idea one day and puts it in a proper P2P game. I do think having ship to ship battles, and exploring the astral (which I hear is VERY big) does sound awesome, but I just loath the whole Pay-to-win mindset of F2P games, where the biggest deciding factor of how good your character is, is the size of your wallet.
The ships with complete player crews with various roles like capt, navigator, gunners, repairs..etc sounds awesome, but that's reserved solely for endgame so I haven't gotten to try it yet.
Now for the bad:
-Once you get out of the safe-zones I hear the game becomes a real gank-fest, so if your not into non-consensual PvP, you might want to back away... which leads to problem number 2...
-A ridiculous death Penalty, that at level forty basically makes your character unplayable and lasts for 2 hours, and applies to both PvE and PvP. And why would they make something so inconvenient? To herd you to the Cash Shop of course!
-The Cash Shop in this game seems to be a bit on the steep side, and by my estimate, if you want to seriously play the game at endgame, you'll need to plunk down more cash than a normal 15 buck a month sub. Which at that point begs the question, why not just play WoW?
Still, I'm having fun for now, and when I get to the point where the ganking ruins that fun, or that I feel forced to use the cash shop, well.. that's when I'll throw in the towel. I just hope that another company takes their ship idea one day and puts it in a proper P2P game. I do think having ship to ship battles, and exploring the astral (which I hear is VERY big) does sound awesome, but I just loath the whole Pay-to-win mindset of F2P games, where the biggest deciding factor of how good your character is, is the size of your wallet.
#11
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
I had heard that. In my case, I *might* actually consider that a plus. I like my MMOs to encourage me to stop playing at some point, and permadeath for the day is a decent way of doing that.
In raids, if a player dies and doesn't have the cash-to-rez potion thingy, can you ressurect him/her with healing abilities in-game? I realize PvP is going to suck royally, I dunno how I'll end up feeling about that, but if you can keep retrying a dungeon so long as your healer(s) doesn't die, I might not care so much.
In raids, if a player dies and doesn't have the cash-to-rez potion thingy, can you ressurect him/her with healing abilities in-game? I realize PvP is going to suck royally, I dunno how I'll end up feeling about that, but if you can keep retrying a dungeon so long as your healer(s) doesn't die, I might not care so much.
#12
Oddbot
Oddbot
Not sure since I've heard all this second-hand but I don't think so. It seems the company really goes outta their way to make you buy those potions. I really like this game but I fear that the cash shop will drive all but the hardcore players away at endgame.In raids, if a player dies and doesn't have the cash-to-rez potion thingy, can you ressurect him/her with healing abilities in-game? I realize PvP is going to suck royally, I dunno how I'll end up feeling about that, but if you can keep retrying a dungeon so long as your healer(s) doesn't die, I might not care so much.
#13
Chibibar
Chibibar
The plus side is that players will be MORE careful and try NOT to die (thus don't spend money)
#14
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
Yeah, I do kinda like the idea of an MMO (although probably not a PVP centric one) where there is semi-permadeath that forces you to be careful without actually destroying your character.
#15
Chibibar
Chibibar
there is another plus side. In PvP battles, you can actually win a scenario since players who died can't just "rez" and come back unless they spend money on Rez Pots (which is good for the company) The downside is the richest players (who can afford it) can usually win PvP battles.Yeah, I do kinda like the idea of an MMO (although probably not a PVP centric one) where there is semi-permadeath that forces you to be careful without actually destroying your character.
#16
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
If we were to ignore profitability issues, you could fix all of that with a normal subscription game that just had semipermadeath.
What's kinda neat about Allods is that when you die you go to "Purgatory," a zone where only other dead players live until they can come back. You could make a game where the starting zone IS purgatory (you play as a ghost or something), and that's where all the social events in the game take place. Getting out of Purgatory can only be done once per day-ish, but you can still participate in the social aspects of the game afterwards.
What's kinda neat about Allods is that when you die you go to "Purgatory," a zone where only other dead players live until they can come back. You could make a game where the starting zone IS purgatory (you play as a ghost or something), and that's where all the social events in the game take place. Getting out of Purgatory can only be done once per day-ish, but you can still participate in the social aspects of the game afterwards.
#17
Chibibar
Free play - there is a certain rules you can impose on your players. This way if the players complain, you can go, "well it is a FREE game, you COULD PAY for the potion and jump right back in" mentality. I notice that a lot of games are going F2P (Free 2 play) using item shop. This can be a good and bad thing. Good that it is a free. Bad thing is that you are likely to spend MORE than a monthly fee (which is good for the company)
Chibibar
true. I agree such a system would work, but then people would complain that if I PAY for it, I should be allow to play ALL the time without such penalty.If we were to ignore profitability issues, you could fix all of that with a normal subscription game that just had semipermadeath.
What's kinda neat about Allods is that when you die you go to "Purgatory," a zone where only other dead players live until they can come back. You could make a game where the starting zone IS purgatory (you play as a ghost or something), and that's where all the social events in the game take place. Getting out of Purgatory can only be done once per day-ish, but you can still participate in the social aspects of the game afterwards.
Free play - there is a certain rules you can impose on your players. This way if the players complain, you can go, "well it is a FREE game, you COULD PAY for the potion and jump right back in" mentality. I notice that a lot of games are going F2P (Free 2 play) using item shop. This can be a good and bad thing. Good that it is a free. Bad thing is that you are likely to spend MORE than a monthly fee (which is good for the company)
#18
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
Well, there is also a contingent of players (however small) that want a hardcore server in WoW. How hard would it be to create a semipermadeath server, wherein people can get a taste of hardcore play without such a huge permanent penalty? All you need is three servers (one for each realm type). While they wouldn't necessarily be THE most popular realm type, I'm sure a fair number of people would make the choice. And because you have other possibilities you can't complain about spending money for not being able to play.
#19
Chibibar
The problem is that paid server had these harsh penalties before and eventually cave to users' request (UO was one of them that I experience personally) the problem is that the population would be low and cater to a small number of people.
I mean look at PvP servers vs PvE. now you want PvPwD? (PvP w Death Penalties)
Chibibar
cost would be a factor I guess. ROI and such.Well, there is also a contingent of players (however small) that want a hardcore server in WoW. How hard would it be to create a semipermadeath server, wherein people can get a taste of hardcore play without such a huge permanent penalty? All you need is three servers (one for each realm type). While they wouldn't necessarily be THE most popular realm type, I'm sure a fair number of people would make the choice. And because you have other possibilities you can't complain about spending money for not being able to play.
The problem is that paid server had these harsh penalties before and eventually cave to users' request (UO was one of them that I experience personally) the problem is that the population would be low and cater to a small number of people.
I mean look at PvP servers vs PvE. now you want PvPwD? (PvP w Death Penalties)
#20
Rubicon
Rubicon
My thoughts exactly. I've heard good things about Allods as well, plus mechanical zombie mages and airships? Sign me up...if I had timeGod damn it. That's what I need. Another game I don't have the time to play.
But it looks cool as hell.
#21
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
I finally felt like I fit my stride yesterday, that I was playing the "game-game" as opposed to "intro-game," and it pretty much felt like WoW except slightly cooler... but with a lot more gold-spammers. (every time you log on you're going to need to either hide zone-chat or add a few new people to your ignore list, and the people are going to have obnoxiously hard to type names).
I had heard that psions get a "clone spell", but assumed you were literally creating clone and that it would be a higher level ability. Turns out you get the ability at level 5, and it actually has really perfect flavor: After you create a mental bond with an enemy, you create an illusionary version of yourself in their mind, and they will spend their time attacking the fake version instead of you. So as long as you're fighting 1v1 you shouldn't take damage, but other mobs in the area will not see the illusion so you'll have to defend against them. Really neat.
Also interesting - I've only briefly played the "good guys" (Gibberlings are cute, but Arisen are just too cool), but so far it looks like they really drive home that the "Empire" is the one with the actual "Empire." Once you get into level 5-10 land, you immediately start out in a huge capital city (larger than Stormwind, but a lot of sections of it are actual leveling zones with thief/cutpurse and giant-rat type mobs).
Whereas the League starts out shipwrecked and isolated. Presumably they have a capital somewhere but you have to work for it to find it.
The one thing pissing me off? I found the perfect inexpensive scratch for my WoW-itch just before the invasion of Gnomeregan begins (I'm not sure if that's happening right now or in a few weeks, but I really wanted to do that).
I had heard that psions get a "clone spell", but assumed you were literally creating clone and that it would be a higher level ability. Turns out you get the ability at level 5, and it actually has really perfect flavor: After you create a mental bond with an enemy, you create an illusionary version of yourself in their mind, and they will spend their time attacking the fake version instead of you. So as long as you're fighting 1v1 you shouldn't take damage, but other mobs in the area will not see the illusion so you'll have to defend against them. Really neat.
Also interesting - I've only briefly played the "good guys" (Gibberlings are cute, but Arisen are just too cool), but so far it looks like they really drive home that the "Empire" is the one with the actual "Empire." Once you get into level 5-10 land, you immediately start out in a huge capital city (larger than Stormwind, but a lot of sections of it are actual leveling zones with thief/cutpurse and giant-rat type mobs).
Whereas the League starts out shipwrecked and isolated. Presumably they have a capital somewhere but you have to work for it to find it.
The one thing pissing me off? I found the perfect inexpensive scratch for my WoW-itch just before the invasion of Gnomeregan begins (I'm not sure if that's happening right now or in a few weeks, but I really wanted to do that).
#22
Oddbot
Oddbot
What server are you on and what side? If you're on nezeb emp side, just send me a tell if you need any help with anything. I'm lvl 20 so I could run you through XAES if you need it.
my names Baragon
my names Baragon
#23
R
Raemon777
R
Raemon777
I could only see one server to pick from when I created my character, can't remember the name. I am on the empire side. Right now I'm level 7.
The thing that's bugging me right now is an issue I've heard a few people mention, which is that combat feels really slow. I felt like it got a lot better when I was around level 5, but now seems worse. I've heard it gets better at some point (I imagine having a wider variety of abilities would make it more interesting even if mobs take a long time to kill, but I'd really have enemies that have less hp but deal more damage).
The thing that's bugging me right now is an issue I've heard a few people mention, which is that combat feels really slow. I felt like it got a lot better when I was around level 5, but now seems worse. I've heard it gets better at some point (I imagine having a wider variety of abilities would make it more interesting even if mobs take a long time to kill, but I'd really have enemies that have less hp but deal more damage).
#24
Oddbot
Oddbot
Allods is very very VERY gear dependent, more than any other MMO I've played. You're about the level when you can start using your first set of rep gear I think. In the Bort quarter, get a repeatable quest to kill rats and do it till you max out your reputation (it goes very fast with a group), than get your sweet gear from the rep vendors in the old square and you should be tearing up mobs left and right. Basically as you level you'll want to get the new set of rep gear from the next group (there's one in each zone) as soon as you have the min lvl equip them. It will make leveling much easier. Also at lvl 10 you'll be getting quests to go into a 6man dungeon called XAES, which will also reward you with some very nice gear.