Trove, new Minecraft-like MMO from Trion

[Sophismata]

This is now free to play on steam.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/304050/


Edit: well it took a bit, but I was able to recover and upgrade my old RIFT account. Everything was pretty painless and it's nice to see Trion using more modern technologies for their account website.

Also, I have a referral link if anyone is so inclined.

[Sophismata]

So after playing for a bit, it's essentially Cube World with more content. Sadly, the gameplay is lacking when it comes to the actual combat and looting aspects - it feels shallow and I found myself rapidly losing interest.

Which means that the crafting etc aspects I don't really care about, since there's not an entertaining game engine underpinning them (same issue I have with minecraft, basically).

[Venkman]

How does it compare to Minecraft sandbox-y stuff? I'm mildy curious but not enough so to download without some type of endorsement

[Lantyssa]

As a quick overview:

There is a hub world which serve as a beginning spot.  Adventure worlds are randomly generated biomes of a certain level.  Club worlds are the static lands where you do most of your building.  Club worlds consist of biomes you place and modify and can get rather sizable.  You'd only run out of space in a very large club.  Cornerstones are personal instances of 16x16x128 areas that are portable.  All throughout the adventure worlds (and the hub) are plots you can freely move your cornerstone between.  This gives you a little mobile base for crafting, bank access, class changing, etc.

Classes have 20 levels, though each has all the abilities by 5 or 6.  Items are from 1-10, with a bunch of item levels, but you can also twink the pre-req level down.  Each class has its own set of gear and appearance.

You break down unwanted items for resources and appearance slots.  A large part of the game is unlocking the many, many item appearances.  Most are player designed, so new items and dungeons are showing up constantly.

[Draegan]

I've surprisingly heard good things about it. I've never been a Minecraft person though. Shame, I would of eaten this up as a kid since I was a lego maniac back then.

[Pendan]

I started playing this a year or so ago in closed beta. Generally just play short sessions between other activities. Have not been able to get into game for last week after it went to "release" and became available on steam. Hours long queue times when I log in. They say have been adding servers. This morning the queue counts down really fast but then left on the loading screen still unable to get into game. Supposedly some kind of limited time free patron status for having made a certain level during beta but think it will expire before can ever log in.

[Malakili]

As a quick overview:

There is a hub world which serve as a beginning spot.  Adventure worlds are randomly generated biomes of a certain level.  Club worlds are the static lands where you do most of your building.  Club worlds consist of biomes you place and modify and can get rather sizable.  You'd only run out of space in a very large club.  Cornerstones are personal instances of 16x16x128 areas that are portable.  All throughout the adventure worlds (and the hub) are plots you can freely move your cornerstone between.  This gives you a little mobile base for crafting, bank access, class changing, etc.

Classes have 20 levels, though each has all the abilities by 5 or 6.  Items are from 1-10, with a bunch of item levels, but you can also twink the pre-req level down.  Each class has its own set of gear and appearance.

You break down unwanted items for resources and appearance slots.  A large part of the game is unlocking the many, many item appearances.  Most are player designed, so new items and dungeons are showing up constantly.

That actually doesn't sound half bad.

[Lantyssa]

I find it fun, and it's a good way for my friends and I to have a shared little world where we can mess around in.

[Sophismata]

There's a lot of content and a nice cube building engine. I just found the combat / rpg elements really lacklustre.

If your preferred focus is collecting and / or constructing, though, I'd check it out.

[Lantyssa]

True, combat is nothing special, though some of the classes really do play differently from one another.  They're just not interesting enough to be more than a means of doing the collecting.

[Xanthippe]

This is fun. Playing as Xanthippe, if anyone wants a friend. (Not playing this moment will be playing again).

[apocrypha]

Gave it half an hour this morning. While probably not enough to really get a feel for it I have to say that it wasn't grabbing me.

I really do feel done with FTP mechanics. Having a large window thrust into the centre of my screen when reaching the hub saying "£3.99 for 1 month of 50% extra XP, more loot, more stuff!" just makes me constantly aware that all of that stuff is pre-nerfed to jusssst below the actual fun level.

Plus the building & sandbox elements seemed really rudimentary and uninteresting. Chance of pulling me away from Minecraft: zero.

[Sky]

Trion is all about that, though. I'm playing the free sub 15 day period in Rift right now. Got a decent earring drop...need to buy the expansion to equip earrings.

I played Trove early on and it wasn't terrible but I don't feel any urge to return. Rift, on the other hand, has such fun mechanics, great QoL and classish system that it bugs me there's a ton of cool stuff sitting behind a paywall. If only there were a good story.

[Xanthippe]

Trion is all about that, though. I'm playing the free sub 15 day period in Rift right now. Got a decent earring drop...need to buy the expansion to equip earrings.

I played Trove early on and it wasn't terrible but I don't feel any urge to return. Rift, on the other hand, has such fun mechanics, great QoL and classish system that it bugs me there's a ton of cool stuff sitting behind a paywall. If only there were a good story.

I enjoyed playing Rift when it was subscription based. Haven't tried it since, but Trion seems like a good outfit.

[Sky]

Only problem with Rift is that it's pointless MMO. I tend to read the lore and sit through cutscenes, but for me Rift is a click-through. Brought it up quite forcefully through the alpha *shrug* That dev team had so much talent and so little creativity it was really a sad experience.

[Sparky]

This is the a fun game if you enjoy block based whimsy and bite sized gameplay.  I love running around and finding charming shit like parrot pirates or giant dungeons that look like a steam train.  Would probably get old fast if you poopsocked though.

[Lantyssa]

Also Giant Red Panda mounts.

I didn't even realize the adventure box was giving these out until I pulled one from it.  This is the Best Game Ever.

[Sparky]

I just unlocked Fae Trickster.  Enjoying it more than my first class, Candy Barbarian.  Candy Barb was a bit of a faceroll because you tanked and healed really well.  Plus AOE melee meant aiming was never an issue.  With Fae Trickster you have very strong damage but you're fairly fragile.  You also have a cool ability to make copies of yourself that the mobs will attack first.  So I'm zipping around spamming copies and having to aim my spells.  The combat feels more engaging.

[Lantyssa]

Fae Trickster is probably my favorite class.  It reminds of of Guild Wars Mesmers.