Does the Secret World excite you?

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:29:01 +0000

Does the upcoming MMO the Secret World excite you? Why or why not?
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Celebrating diversity, languages

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:24:49 +0000

What languages do you speak that may or may not surprise the rest of us? The more rare and obscure the better

Favorite non-MMO games?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:52:54 +0000

What are your favorite non-MMO games?

My choices is a space exploration sim called Distant Worlds, it has 20 races and is the modern-day Master of Orion II, if you are old enough to remember that.

The Real Demographics POLL

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:33:08 +0000

The other age poll neglected the 30s, so I took pity on us older gamers

Class combo compatability?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:40:46 +0000

What classes go best with each other based on combo bonuses you have noticed?

Is it really as simple as magic goes well with magic and melee goes well with melee? Any surprises? What are the craziest bonuses you have seen between skill interactions from separate trees?

Can you illustrate an example of possible rotations that work well for you?

The 3rd Continent of Origins

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:27:39 +0000

The idea of the 3rd Continent to me is perhaps the greatest incentive to get end-game I've ever had. This thread is for talk about the 3rd continent only please.

Some Questions:

1. How far is it via ocean travel?
2. How big actually is it going to be?
3. How big are the village/castle countries?
4. Are there diverse terrains on it?

How important is a good community for an MMO?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:59:38 +0000

Usually games have a great community at the start of a new game, everyone is really nice, and then something happens....how important is community to you in your gaming experience?

Predictions for AA release in the West?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:35:39 +0000

Timing is everything. When do you think the game will be live on your computer fully ready?

Favorite gaming activity

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:21:09 +0000

I know it's hard to choose, but try....and suggest other things that can be on the poll.

ArcheAge must definitely introduce instanced-PvE.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:57:50 +0000

So ok ok, before you start flaming and shouting at me "Themepark/wow fanboi" "s2pid grinder" etc etc, let me explain...

First of all, It's very hard - and actually pointless- to have proper PvE in open world. (and when I mean PvE, I am talking about the AI/boss encounters). Why?

Because open world PvE it merely means PvP. If there is a boss with some VERY strategic and hard tactics to get it down, and you manage to harm him, then another guild may pop, gank you all and continue your work that you struggled to do.. Plus many more frustrating encounters.. but let's take a look at instanced PvE to clearly see my point.

In instanced PvE there are endless possibilities. The logo of ArcheAge is "a game with endless possibilities" why not enforce this to PvE too? In open world PvE there are not endless possibilities, there are just bosses with the stupid tank and spank tactics. Or well, some of them may have "Move from position X to Y, in order to avoid the AoE spell" or "5 minions have spawned, kill them". That's not tactics, that is some stupid encounters to make the boss seem harder. Also, having more HP to the boss (taking some hours to down him) it doesn't mean it's hard, and I think thats obvious. So in open world PvE, there are only 2 possibitilies - tank and spank the boss and there is the only possibility for a hostile guild to appear and try to gank you, if they succeed they win, if they don't you just keep dpsing the boss.

While in instanced PvE, as I said before, there are endless possibilites. Developers can create mobs that have some REAL strategic and hard fights. This does not mean that they will have 1 billion HP and 1 million Attack Damage. From my past experience I can remind of many MMOs and encounters that bosses and mobs had a real meaning and a real fight. Just look a decade ago at Everquest, or World of Warcraft pre-WotLK. Yeah, there were some real and challenging fights. And of course, don't forget Dungeos and Dragons Online - that's how creative people do it. Having dungeons full of puzzles and riddles to solve in order to complete it, combine it with some real strategic tactics and voila! a really fun and strategic experience is created.

To be more precise about what strategic PvE may be, except for the undeniable encounters in Everquest/DDO, just take a look at a game that I think many of you have played - World of Warcraft (BEFORE WRATH OF THE LICH KING). During Vanilla..aah so good days.. It was a great combination of open world/ instanced PvE and crafting gear. For raids you would need 40 people being well organized and know what do to in every fight, and this could take many weeks to succeed it. I can recall non-ending fights with alot of adrenaline and immersion with my fellow guildiies (the greatest experience I had in a MMO). The world bosses too, real lore-wise dragons(mostly) that need hundreds of players to take down. Just unforgettable moments... Or well, in Burning Crusade too.. The most fun and strategic fights I had in PvE ever, every single raid and every single boss had its own encounters (some easier and some harder), grouping with 25 of my fellow guildies and trying for weeks to take down the final bosses of the harder raids..

Such encounters cannot happen in open world bosses, for various reasons, some of which I already explained.Furthemore, don't be close-minded. Instanced PvE does not mean endless grind to acquire gear in order to replace it with the next's raid, even if this is fun for some people ( Actually millions of people) it's not the real goal.

The greatest way for PvE is a combination. Include some real strategic and hard bosses in instanced PvE - a REAL challenge, and include world bosses to the 3rd continent that will not have a big difference from the loot drop regarding instanced bosses.

Lastly, once again, DON'T be narrow minded. Just imagine an instanced raid, which needs many hours in order to complete it, it may require players to have their character there for whole days or weeks (they will be able to log in/log off in that instanced world). Include real puzzles and riddles in these instanced worlds, and face the big challenge. Players e.g. will have to craft some buildings (from the resources inside the raid) to house all the guild while they log off, making a proper use of crafters too! Or even imagine this raid having an ocean and special bosses/ lore adds to face with your ship. Or even imagine having DMs playing with you, yeah some Community manager GMs may give some time with roleplaying guilds to guide them through immersive and mysterious worlds. Or even raids that you will have to complete without evolving combat, just your mind and the strategy. There are endless possibilities, which apparently can't be featured in open world PVE.

Something more to add: Vanilla/TBC raids really got nerfed after wotlk release, so don't expect to face a challenge now. Also after wotlk, raids become really easy and a gear grind.

Also we already know what ArcheAge is going to have. Quoting J.Song "PvE similar to typical sandbox MMOs', something that kills me. ArcheAge already did very in-depth steps to PvP, why not do in PvE too? I was really expecting something WAY more creative from J.Song and his team..

Disclaimer: I have played most (if not all) sandbox,and not only, MMOs out there. All of them, and typical ones definitely, had very limited (if not any) PvE at all. Obviously, this is not endless possibilities.

INSTANCED PvE today in themeparks is just a meaningless grind for gear etc. no effort, no real fun, no challenge. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PVE PLAYERBASE, ENHANCE OPEN WORLD PVP WITH THEM, THERE ARE WAYS, DONT BE NARROW MINDED.

(Sorry for any language misunderstandings and the wall of text)

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