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Thread: "Fair" Review for NW at Gamespot

  1. #1

    "Fair" Review for NW at Gamespot

    "Anarchy Online's technical performance has improved since it was released a year ago, but Notum Wars may still prove intimidating for newcomers."

    http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...562436,00.html

  2. #2
    thx for posting
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  3. #3
    I don't understand how that reviewer can continually say how "Anarchy Online is still extremely complex", as though that's a bad thing.

    ...it's still a rather complex game that may prove intimidating for newcomers. ...

    ...the rules of engagement in these battles are currently extremely convoluted...

    ...new players should be warned that Anarchy Online is as complex as ever...

    ...you're left to fend for yourself...

    ...you may have some difficulty figuring out how to get there...

    ...you'd best be prepared to ask a lot of questions, since... it's surprisingly complicated...

    Maybe they should keep this guy on the Quake reviews. Complexity in an MMOG is a *good* thing. The only people who like simple MMOG's like DAoC and AC2 are braindead game reviewers who only play for one day.

    It's annoying when they get clueless people to review MMOG's. It was a guy like that who convinced me to buy DAoC, and I feel that I'm owed $50 by the "one-day game reviewer collective".
    Last edited by Blue Cat; Dec 17th, 2002 at 05:06:49.
    k- This message has been reviewed by intrusive goons searching for "evil-doers".

  4. #4
    He's right about one thing, the lack of players. AO is becomeing kinda dead... In Tower battles, its alway the same people that you see because the PvP player base is so small.

  5. #5
    Usually because same people own those towers. Small guilds got pretty shafted in nw so we really dont bother with tower battles. I have been running across a lot different people lately.

    I can kinda see how newcomers probably wont get a lot out NW without belonging to certain guilds.
    Last edited by Divinecross; Dec 17th, 2002 at 08:32:54.

  6. #6
    Yes, I agree with Divine.

    The balance could go two ways. Everyone owns a tower so no need to do battle. Or. There is way to few areas to build, so there is a elite owning and defending towers, and most realizes that even if they can get a multiorg attack force together, they won't be able to hold that land, and its back to the big owner. So people stop attacking towers.

    I doubt they will ever get that balance so it pivots in the middle. Right now we have way to few areas. One thing is sure, it creates tension within orgs and it creates tensions among the same faction. Some tension might be good, but right now I feel its a bit on the negative side.

  7. #7
    Oh and another thing. Even if newcomers join certain guilds, I doubt they will get the benefits from towers. I guess most of the larger orgs face one common problem. Some members are not able to place towers due to lack of space. That creates negative tension within an org, and the player most likely to get shafted is the newcommer.

  8. #8
    I'd say the review was generous. Especially regarding stability, distribution, and bugs. After all, he spoke of patch 14.6, which (believe it or not) was much better than what we have right now. Lucky for Funcom, or they'd be looking at much less than a "fair" review.

  9. #9
    AO = newbie MMOG. The "complexity" comes from trying to figure out how to exploit the PvP gas-levels.

    ~Chris

  10. #10
    NW is evolving into a system of high-level content for top tier guilds, and being-victimized content for middle tier ones, as a matter of day-to-day play. This isn't a rant or a whine, this is a description of what I see happening in the game.

    Why? Because the top tier players don't have much else to do, and it's much easier and much more fun to beat on a weaker guild's weaker base than get into a big lag-and-CC mess with an "equal" opponent.

    So, most middle tier guilds (understandably) don't see themselves as punching bags for "power gamers" and are "building down" - or are going to start - if they build at all, which pits them against lower tier guilds than themselves. I think I've said this before.

    Then Funcom starts adding more 'rules of engagement' to protect the lower level people from the middle level people, who'd really rather have a middle level base - but can't because of the upper level guilds, from whom they receive no protection. This is about where we are now. So, what happens next?

    My opinion - just opinion: the middle level people will either start to make twink guilds to try and salvage their RL cash investment in NW, or orgs will start disbanding and merging to try and compete with the top tier guilds. Only, most of them won't be successful, and by and large their members will start getting absorbed by the existing top tier guilds because they're impatient to get to the top.

    The top tier guilds are already starting to run out of land, and are prevented by mechanics from getting more at high QLs, so there will be internal pressures and tensions with these new people who either won't have room, or won't be allowed, to build on 'prime territory.'

    Pure speculation now... the high level people will make twinks to be able to fight on a daily basis with the other twink orgs that the middle level people made before. The ql 100 to 175 range of land will be a slaughterhouse that isn't worth keeping, just attacking against for a few quick jollies.

    And the truly new players will be left in the cold, unless they join an org nice enough to help them build a six-figure twink too.
    Taren "Jynne" Suitt, Level 216/16 Eternalist
    Knight of Unity of the Rose - Check out our AO Tools!
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    Iron Law of Exploits: If it can be exploited, it will be exploited. However a rule is exploitable, the exploits become the rule.

  11. #11
    And the truly new players will be left in the cold, unless they join an org nice enough to help them build a six-figure twink too.
    *cough7figurecough*
    - Cyrus Cyblade7 Crown
    - General of Redemption

  12. #12
    I agree with Jynnes post..

    My guild lost our bases to the likes of guilds Legion, Mayhem, First Order, Renesaince, Band of Brothers, Pheonix Consortium RHD etc..

    Look up any of these guilds and compare them to my org.

    NW is not geared or balanced what so ever for the avg middle teir organization who would like to own towers. We have had to resort to posessing a QL 32 tower that doesnt not reflect our members level base.

    You are so correct in that the larger orgs will constantly target orgs like mine in the easier conqust as they will not have to contest with guilds equal to their size or have to deal with CC..



    ~*~ Nanoprincess ~*~
    Katelin Cyani Kerans

  13. #13
    Yeah, uh... there's this thing called - teamwork.

    If all you middle and small tier guilds are crying your eyes out that big bad guilds are stepping on you - why don't you coordinate a counter-attack with each other.

    You don't have to merge orgs to attack together. Pick your asses up off the ground, network with each other and pick a target. Bring everyone you got from 10 middle tier orgs and you know what - you can make a huge f'n dent. Let em know that if you mess with one little guy, you're messing with all the little guys.

    But you gotta get off your asses and stop crying first.
    Nenous

  14. #14
    That may happen over time, Nen Nen. However, in order to actually and truly compete with the top tier organizations, the middle and lower tier ones will have to:

    1 - Have upwards of 60 level 170+ characters available at short notice. I question the practicality of this on two grounds - one, that many of these people aren't even level 150 yet, and two, many of the ones who do reach upper levels will leave in favor of a top tier guild.

    2 - Camp Tarasque for extended periods of time for loot, probably for months, in fact, to make up a portion of the equipment gap.

    3 - For true parity, camp the outdoors ubermobs for their super drops to equip enforcers with EQBs, soldiers with augmented hellspinners, and NTs with resonance blast and NS2.

    4 - Who gets the land? Assuming we can forge an 'uber collective' out of what are middle-ability guilds... who's going to get the bases? And at what QL?

    Remember, I don't begrudge the top tier guilds their power, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't aspire to something similar myself. It is a large investment of time and effort, and the people who've made that investment rightly reap the reward of it.

    But the fact that it is a large time and effort investment also does mean that smaller and weaker organizations have a lot farther to go than simply banding together in order to compete on even terms.

    If a leader capable of unifying that many disparate organizations and motivating them towards that goal emerged this very day, it would still take weeks, if not months, of "power gaming" for that group to become a very credible threat to a ql 200 base, let alone a ql 250 one. Many people who are in the 'upper half' of the middle, during this time, will decide to take the short route to the top and just join an existing uber-guild rather than wait.

    And that assumes that such a leader exists at all - which, given the "human factor" and the various personalities I've encountered here, is something I seriously doubt.

    In the meantime, the crap, as it were, will roll downhill. If I were Aristotle, I would state, "It is the nature of crap to roll downhill."

    The really big and strong organizations will bully the middle sized and middle powered organizations out of their niche with the 'super weapons' from unique mobs and camps, and so the middle organizations will bully the low level organizations out of NW entirely with their six (or seven ) figure twinks.

    This is merely a prediction, not a rant or a whine, and it may or may not be true. But I do think it's more accurate than a weather forecast
    Taren "Jynne" Suitt, Level 216/16 Eternalist
    Knight of Unity of the Rose - Check out our AO Tools!
    The Doctor Guide to: Notum Wars Martial Arts Perks! Nano Controller Units
    The General Guide to: Auto-Combat General Perks

    Visit the Roses and check out the shops in our City, NE of ICC at 4500x1500 in Andromeda!

    Iron Law of Exploits: If it can be exploited, it will be exploited. However a rule is exploitable, the exploits become the rule.

  15. #15
    His gripes about lag are very justified, but it was wrong of the reviewer to paint complexity in such a bad light. He basically paraphrased, "I'm too dumb to play Anarchy Online and you probably are too" at least 14 times.
    Thromp Uber Soldat (hehe ok uber for 80 seconds )
    Threefitty UberSquishy NanoTech

  16. #16
    Originally posted by Cyani
    You are so correct in that the larger orgs will constantly target orgs like mine in the easier conqust as they will not have to contest with guilds equal to their size or have to deal with CC..

    did it ever occur to you that maybe they are taking your towers out because you are on the opposite side not because you are small? I've been in on a few org raids and they have all been choosen based on being at 25% when we wanted to attack or someone from the org was smack talking

    The lone exception being the omni towers in PW but we consider that our land (clans)
    engie + ghetto crowd control + no healing + lowest hp + worst evades + bot who is never around. = worst prof in game

    Bump for engie fix

  17. #17
    Also I don't the comments about graphical appearance were particularly justified.

    It's all still vertex shaded (ok except the tower shadows) and there may be no bump maps or fancy pixel shaders, but it still looks nicer than any of the other new mmogs.

    It'll take a while before anybody gets even close to what they've done with their atmospherics, weather and sunsets.

  18. #18
    Originally posted by Thromp
    His gripes about lag are very justified, but it was wrong of the reviewer to paint complexity in such a bad light. He basically paraphrased, "I'm too dumb to play Anarchy Online and you probably are too" at least 14 times.
    Well, concerning him, I'd have to agree.
    Gunned down the young. Now old, crotchety, and back.

  19. #19
    1 - Have upwards of 60 level 170+ characters available at short notice. I question the practicality of this on two grounds - one, that many of these people aren't even level 150 yet, and two, many of the ones who do reach upper levels will leave in favor of a top tier guild.
    I don't know of any single organization that has 60 170+ players available at short notice. Even so, you can only squeeze 35 into the area from what it looks like now. Don't forget to ask clan's top tier guilds to assist you.

    2 - Camp Tarasque for extended periods of time for loot, probably for months, in fact, to make up a portion of the equipment gap.
    The only piece of dragon loot I would wear into combat are Dragon Chest and Robust Backpack. Neither of which make the difference between living and dying. There is no equipment gap that is created by Tarasque.

    3 - For true parity, camp the outdoors ubermobs for their super drops to equip enforcers with EQBs, soldiers with augmented hellspinners, and NTs with resonance blast and NS2.
    Enforcers with weapons that require full agg are getting eaten alive by specials. The hellspinner is a fair weapon, but flashpoint/nova is still a very viable option in mass pvp. No comment on the NTs =D

    4 - Who gets the land? Assuming we can forge an 'uber collective' out of what are middle-ability guilds... who's going to get the bases? And at what QL?
    It's not about the land. It's about showing there are consequences to attacking your bases. Making examples of people. Raffle it off for all anyone cares.

    Just ask. Get access to warchat. Talk to people. I'll help you defend/attack if you just let me know when and where. A lot of other people are the same way.

  20. #20
    Our small org did use help of many high lv clanners only see land taken next day despite effort we took get it.

    Unless guild has excessive amount high lvs in your guilds chances holding on to pieces land decrease a lot. I dont really care who you think you made friends just doesn't save you.

    Equipment does make huge difference as one person of same profession will have near twice as much hp due equipment and varies other twinking items. If your in small guild full of casual gamers I dont see point in you even buying NW.

    People have been known to pick the small targets it seems. I dont really see 7 different omni guilds attacking the large clan guilds very often. Or the other around dont really see clan going after big omni guilds either but instead the lesser orgs.
    Last edited by Divinecross; Dec 18th, 2002 at 12:47:52.

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