f13.net

I know some of you were in it. There is no NDA. Lets have it. I have been reading really good reviews all weekend...

Links please. 

Assassin - Really, really fun! I love the ability to execute combos from stealth and the quick attacks. This is, right now, on the top of my list. Burst damage is key for the Assassin because they can not sustain their damage over long periods of time.

The stealth thing, I'm sure you have argued this before, so you got a link as to why you say that (as in where you have explained that conclusion)? Also, I'm quite sure stealth doesn't work like Wow... Lots of videos on youtube about most of the classes from lots of people.

Thanks for taking the time.

STEALTH AND PVP ARE A BAD COMBINATION... MMMMMKAY?

Oh, no need. I just cruse around looking for reviews by players, much better than those from "Media" sites (there are a ton more, i just linked the ones i could find again easy). I was hoping someone here was in the PvP weekend, and would be inclined to give an impression.

Thanks for your post.

I have read that this weekends client is older than the current beta client. Something about the engine is Cheetah 1, and retail/real beta is using Cheetah 2 that is more optimized, and that dx10 is also in that version. From all accounts, it seems as if this was an older, and striped down version of the game client really only dedicated to testing server stress.

So, for you, this may be good news. Or, this is simply just fan "Miracle patch" talk.

Every class gets stealth.

I found out I was in this on Friday and for grins and chuckles started the download, which was finished when I got up early sat. morning. Install was without problem - and game loaded fine after I upgraded my video driver, thanks to the game prompting me. I have a high end rig, well it's a year old - 2G memory, 6700 dual core 2.8GH, 8800 GTX video card.

The pvp weekend was focused on playing level 20 chars in the "BG"s - two choices of game Capture the Flag or Annihilation. Annihilation was an outdoor map with two captureable spawn points, a health regeneration point in the center of the field between your opposing start points. Teams were 6 players. Each starting base has a destructable resurection totem. Capture the Flag had 3 maps, an outdoor ravine with camps at each end, and more interestingly 2 different temple/dungeon setting with multiple levels and paths to the flags. Teams were 6 players in all these.

Once you get the game running you are presented with character selection, and had 8 empty slots for this weekend demo. I tried out 9 of the 12 classes over the weekend. Once you create a char, you had the option of running through a short version of the starter zone, which I did once. Otherwise, you spawned into the pvp lobby, with a pre-equiped level 20 char.

I enjoyed the starter quest area. Graphics are realistic, i.e. vanguard/eq2. But what I really liked was the feel of play. It was a series of multiple mob fights that felt "heroic" even though I was a level 2 scrub. I hit level 5 when I finished the intro, and entered the city which for this test was the pvp lobby. Once inside I was a pre-equped level 20 char. I think the solo quest part of the game, as represented by the intro quest, is well done, granted I only went level 1-5. I wonder how quests will be at later levels, when you get out of the level 1-20 solo area.

I was fumbling alot trying to get accustomed to the game. Each class you could mess with your abilities and spells, and retrain your "feats" i.e. specializations, although you only had 12 points for that. You have 3 buttons for melee/ranged attack and have to press one to attack. There is no auto-go-take-a-dump-come-back-to-dead-mob attack. In addition, your skills or special attacks are timer based, and most of them require a series of successful attacks to fire. For example, a knock back attack might require a successful center attack. So you hit the skill, then hit the center attack and if you hit the knock back fires. The special attacks all have cooldowns from a few seconds to a minute, most seemed in the 10-20 second range.

Combat is very tactical. First, the lowbie PvE was easier to control since the mobs weren't running and jumping around. In lowbie pve each mob has 3 shields showing, and they adjust the locations as you fight. These represent where the mobs defense are focused. So mob combat was controlling when to use your special (for this test I had an AE and a knockback) and adjusting your swings to hit the least defended area. I liked it, and found it more engaging than current WoW button smashing.

Collision detection is implement and a factor.

PvP fighting was much more chaotic. Probably due to everyone's lack of familiarity with controls, and classes etc. If two or more jumped me solo it didn't matter what class I was playing I was pretty much toast. I found the Capture the Flag temple maps more educational. You had more opportunities for 1v1 fights, and a few games where we worked as a group. When that happens, the game's tactics come into play. For example, two of us could pin an enemy against the wall and wail away until they did a pushback, our caster/healers could stand behind and not get rushed since you can block out players. You could block a hall if you wanted, however, all your attacks have an ae component - using a large sword against multiple players hits everyone in range. I would have liked to play the demo with a group on vent.

It was a "beta pvp weekend" and there were some beta issues. My concern is the ability of the developer to correct these types of issues prior to release. For example, to switch chars you had to sit at the char select screen (after you logged one out) for a few minutes before you could re-enter the game (this was an acknowledge bug). I had a couple CTDs but only after I had switched chars, and they mentioned some memory leaks (btw, these can take a while to fix and thus my concern).

The UI was too much of a Wow clone for my liking. I'm a big fan of the EQ2 UI, where basically you can size/shape/place 10 action bars (with 10 or 12?) anywhere on the screen. In wow I use a mod which does this. I don't understand why they don't offer this even if they (or any other developer i.e. Mythic in WAR) feel compelled to emulate a wow interface.

I have read that this weekends client is older than the current beta client.

I never trust a game developer that says this sort of thing. Although I know for a fact it was a different physical client than the general beta I don't think they would have gone too far back in the graphics part of the client. It is just not something a smart developer does when showing it to 20,000 new potential customers.

DX10 will do nothing with my hardware and Win XP system. As I wrote some obvious areas exist for performance increases at least for my machine and these may have been done in a newer client. I don't expect a  miracle build however.

Something I would also note is my machine performs quite well with LOTRO. I have been in lots of 40 on 40 battles with monster play where some others complain a lot but I do fine.

I don't think thats the same thing.

The magical mysterious golden client version myth emerges again! AOv2: Action!

No, it's exactly the same thing. Every class also gets "perception" which is an 'active reveal' type deal, but you have to turn it on.

Now, assassins DO get a bonus to stealth, but you can still reveal them pretty easily with moderately close levels of perception.

No, it's exactly the same thing. Every class also gets "perception" which is an 'active reveal' type deal, but you have to turn it on.

Now, assassins DO get a bonus to stealth, but you can still reveal them pretty easily with moderately close levels of perception.

Found another long read. (http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/175371)

Warning, this guy has worse spelling than me, and apparently, No spell checker on his machine to compensate.

EDIT: Eh, some of his points are uninformed, and opinionated..sorry..

atmoshfer

How is this a good idea?  If everyone gets stealth, why give it to anyone?  This seems poorly thought out.

So there's no complaints that only some classes get to cherry pick their encounters, and others have absolutely no way to save themselves from situations where they stand no chance whatsoever..?

I've been in the General Beta for about 2 months now, and I've never been able to successfully patch the game to make it work.

So does the NDA fully drop on May 1st so I can really spill the beans?

1.5 Term of the Agreement. The beta testing program will be terminated upon the earlier of (i) Funcom's written notice to the Beta Tester or (ii) the commercial release of the Game. However, Section 2 of this Agreement (the Confidentiality provision) as set forth below will continue in full force and effect even after the beta testing program has been terminated.