Granado Espada is Making Me Fat

[Nonentity]

I've taken to calling it Granola Espadrille.  It just sounds right.

That sounds like some sort of an American bastardization (involving adding granola) to some Spanish soup or something.

Something like I would go into a restaurant called 'El Caliente Bistro', and they'd have it on the menu.

[Signe]

Espadrilles are shoes!   



Why do I have to show everyone pictures of what I'm talking about lately? 

[angry.bob]

Espadrilles are shoes!   



Why do I have to show everyone pictures of what I'm talking about lately? 

Indeed. Who would have thought that a bunch of IT career gaming nerds would not have immediately recognized the name of a subtype of women's shoes. At least they got the Spanish origins right though.

[Falconeer]

As my dad loves to say I am from Roma. We owned the world when you used to live on straw huts (at best).
Now my dad is a known asshole, and I don't like my country. But don't even start me on the "civilised world" thing and strictly keep strawberry granolas that side of the ocean, in the United Snacks of America.

P.S: Espadrilles rock.

[Nonentity]

Espadrilles are shoes!   



Why do I have to show everyone pictures of what I'm talking about lately? 

I speak in Google Image searched-pictures, obviously.

Language is obsolete. All hail our new overlords.

Man, how was I supposed to know it was chick shoes? I have a hard enough time with them, let alone paying attention to the type of shoes they're wearing.

[Falconeer]

Now that I think of it, I remember that back in the 90s a friend from the US used to talk a lot about "granola girls", and the best explanation I could get from her more than 10 years ago was that they were "those girls... you know.. who wear Birkenstocks".
That must be how I forgot the word.

[Lantyssa]

Indeed. Who would have thought that a bunch of IT career gaming nerds would not have immediately recognized the name of a subtype of women's shoes. At least they got the Spanish origins right though.

I knew what they were!

[Strazos]

I thought it was something sold at Taco Bell.


Also, I still have access to this beta. I still haven't even tried to download anything.

[NiX]

Download it you bastard. I want to play with someone.

[Quinton]

This is actually remarkably fun.  Will it have long-tern appeal, dunno -- it certainly needs some cleanup on UI (text presentation in particular), but the world is pretty looking, the combat is just silly fun, and I have a bunch of friends trying it out.  Feel free to drop the "Quinton" family a line in-game.

EDIT: adding more commentary:

- After a few hours playing I have a Lv15 Wizard (offensive caster), Musketeer (ranged gunslinger -- have been using rifles not pistols so far), and Scout (oddly named healer class).  I also have a Lv12 Fighter (tank/damage dealer type).
- It would be nicer if there were more quests.  The quests tend to give EXP cards (usually in sets of three) which can be applied to any character you like (though some have a minimum level). 
- Some quests launch you (immediately!) into an instance where you need to kill some number of monsters, defeat an opponent, etc
- The world is really nice-looking.  There are some spots where it could stand to have some higher resolution textures, but there are also spots that are just wonderful look.  I'll try to throw some screenshots of the first dungeon up somewhere later -- I really love the look of the place and the nice lighting effects.
- Combat is pretty crazy.  Zones can literally be wall-to-wall monsters and fighting piles of them at a time is pretty cool.  I'm still figuring out how to know when I'm doing fine and when I'm going to be overwhelmed.
- Death penalty: your characters auto-rez in-place after a short time (even if all three members of your group are KO'd).  If there's XP loss it's pretty minor (haven't noticed it the couple times I've died).
- So far I've only soloed.  I have a number of friends playing and want to see what grouping has to offer.
- If there's crafting, I haven't found it yet.
- I make money by selling assorted drops from critters I kill in large quantities while exploring/leveling.

-Q

[Hoax]

Post more info, or give me whatever sekret code you have that I dont have...

[NiX]

For those that said they like the style of CoH with tons of monsters being fought at all times, this game might appeal to you. As much as it's automated, you can make it fun even while it being automated. Wave after wave of monsters spawns and attacks you. As Quinton said there are quite a few instanced quests and some of them are quests where you have to defend something and you're attacked by waves of monsters and just have to survive till the timer runs out. So far they've been pretty easy, but I can see how they can get hard.

The grind can be pretty damn rough, but you really don't notice it because your characters, especially in their group setting, don't have much trouble for same level or higher level monsters. There isn't much variety to the equipment, actually I won't lie, there isn't any at all. It's all level based and is done in tiers. The best you can do is "enhance" the item (think +1, +2..etc system) or replace the look of your armor by buying a costume that covers up the look of your armor and makes your character look fancier. I have to admit that some of the costumes are really nice and true to the culture/era they picked for the setting of the game. Belle dresses, feathered hats and all that stuff.

Most games run you through a seriously long and tedious tutorial, but I'm sure those go a long way to helping some people who aren't too familiar with MMO systems and how they work. For me the tutorial was quick and easy, though they did skip a lot of introducing you to the UI. Luckily they have a hotbar at the top of the screen that when moused over shows you the hotkey associated with it.

Overall I think it lacks quests and drive. Mostly I find myself playing because I don't have to play. Really doesn't make sense, but I find it interesting being able to hit space , walk away and not have to worry about my group dying because they'll fight pretty well on their own. It really only appeals to catasses, but I'll play it for a bit longer to see if there might be more to it.

[Lantyssa]

Collecting character cards is kind of interesting.  There are the basic classes:  Fighter, Scout, Muskateer, Wizard, Elementalist (and maybe oneI am forgetting).  All of these can be made as male or female and you can make them as you wish, up to your number of character slots.

In the tutorial you get a Soldier, which is similar to a fighter but comes with a spear.  In doing quests I have gotten Jack, a miner, and Ramiro, a kid that at least in acquiring him beat my poor Curlett family senseless a couple of time.  All of the cards which allow you to add them to your family are single use.  I do not know if you recover the card if you delete the character or not.

[NiX]

Where do you get the cards? I've only obtained the soldier card so far and want to find out how to get more.

[Quinton]

Okay, I think the shiny just wore off for me.  Admittedly GE did better than LOTRO and VG, keeping me entertained for maybe 8-10 hours of gameplay before I started losing interest.

- Combat could use more variety.  "Wade through a see of foes" is neat but it does start getting old.
- Autorez is nice but if you die in that sea of monsters and there aren't other parties clearing it, prepare to die repeatedly as your party revives one at a time and gets clobbered again
- the instanced boss battle at the end of Al Quelt Moreza is brutal.  Got my butt handed to my twice so far (at lv15ish and lv17ish).  Defeated so soundly that the game crashed the second time.
- You start to really feel the grind at 15-17.  I see forum posters claim it gets bad in the 40s and 50s.  If what I'm seeing at lv15-17 isn't the bad grind... eep.

-Q

[Lantyssa]

Where do you get the cards? I've only obtained the soldier card so far and want to find out how to get more.

You do some quests for the people then they have a final one where they vow allegiance.  So far I know of Ramiro in the zone just outside town and Jack in the first zone with mobs.

[schild]

Necro.

Gamestop got in the preorder stuff. Game is only going to be $20 and the preorder gets you a character. Kinda stoked. Should be able to run on my current PC too. Oh and beta access of course.

[Lantyssa]

The notes say it is free to play and download.  Does that mean the $20 is just for the 10k VIS and beta access?

[schild]

I think there's a retail box. Gamestop reported as getting one. It might be a Guild Wars situation, honestly though, no clue.

[schild]

Download Version = Trial Version
Premium Boxed Version = More Content & Gameplay

Seem to be using the Guild Wars money-making scheme.

Honestly, I haven't played this at all because I've got a "Collect-em-all" complex. If I can get into it, I'll probably enjoy it more than most.

[Hoax]

Doubt it, while it is a fun'ish little diversion the typical Asian lack of character customization dooms a game like this.  You are never going to enjoy a loot free game Schild.  If you've already pre-ordered, well learn to love the mage aoe.  Once you have that you can just go off on things.

[Signe]

A lot of people are saying that this is the best Asian game so far.  That might be so, but it still doesn't elevate it out of the barely mediocre category.

[Rasix]

It's crap.  Everyone looks the same and all you do is run from one little area to another, plant your ass in place, and then have your team of clones kill loads of stupid looking crap while you eat an apple.  Repeat for 200 levels.   This is probably the easiest game to macro level in history as there's one button commands to kill everything in sight as well as loot everything in sight.

Looked like some interesting dress up options once you get to catass levels, so eventually you stop looking like everyone else.

It's a nice idea that has too much Asian MMO stink all over it.

[schild]

Actually if everyone looks the same and there's no loot, it has too little Asian MMO Stink on it. Even in Ragnarok online, gear that differentiated and wildly fluctuating amounts of different types of gear were staples.

I'm surprised they fucked that part up. Though, given the art style, it seems pretty easy to get fucked up if they went with TONS OF LOOTS.

[MrHat]

Did this get renamed Sword of the New World or somesuch?

A couple buds at work wanted me to beta test that game, and it sounds remarkably similiar to what was said here.  Also, I'm just bored enough that I might give it a whirl, gay male characters and all!

[Signe]

Yes, that's the name for the English language version or something.  I don't know why they did that, either.  The original name sounds cooler and more exotic.

[MrHat]

Well, is it worth trying out?

[schild]

Don't know. Still not... in the beta - lols.

[Signe]

I didn't like it very much but it does have some interesting bits.  You can control three characters at the same time and cycle between them.  There different modes you can choose, like defensive and aggressive.  I really disliked movement and the camera.  It made me seasick.

[Rasix]

Well, is it worth trying out?

It's crap.  Everyone looks the same and all you do is run from one little area to another, plant your ass in place, and then have your team of clones kill loads of stupid looking crap while you eat an apple.  Repeat for 200 levels.   This is probably the easiest game to macro level in history as there's one button commands to kill everything in sight as well as loot everything in sight.

Looked like some interesting dress up options once you get to catass levels, so eventually you stop looking like everyone else.

It's a nice idea that has too much Asian MMO stink all over it.

It's worth spending like 2-3 hours playing perhaps.  It'll take you at least an hour to figure out what the hell you're doing.

[Lantyssa]

Enh, it's a time waster for a short while.

[Falconeer]

Fileplanet has the beta out.
I tried it. It's theoretically engaging, the barracks, the family, the dresses...
But combat is on autopilot. And no you can't turn it off.

[Signe]

I don't like it.   :-(

[Hoax]

Yeah they need to patch in some actually challenging mobs with abilities that forced you to manage your team.

Atm its a total 100% grindygrindy game.  You can be involved in pvp in an arena of sorts but the gameplay doesn't lend itself to the setup very well.

[Falconeer]

Holy holy.
I played two more hours and changed my mind completely.
It's not that the game is on autopilot, I was a complete fool. It's just that it is more an RTS than a traditional MMORPG.
Actually it's the blend of RTS and DIKU. Well, I have to say.. I am impressed.
I am not saying it is fun, or that it is in a working state (let alone the translation) but it's the most original MMORPG I saw in a long time. It's classy, and it got the looks too.