Horizons

My brother’s picking it up and I’m trying to decide whether to jump in. Any impressions? From what I’ve read, it looks a lot like EverQuest exploration + DAOC PvE combat, but with much better graphics and some interesting racial choices (dragon, demon. Who would play a human in this game?). Which all adds up to “On the fence,” in my book. Any impressions of the release version? Differences from beta?

I’ve heard it was actually painfully worse than EQ, according to both the VN Boards and Gone Gold. The general consensus is that the crafting system is amazing, but the combat is the same old same old, but mixed in with lesser graphics and dull gameplay.

That said, this will probably be my first major MMORPG purchase that I will skip (I have played UO, EQ, AC, AC2, SB, SWG, and FFXI). Perhaps the fact that I have played so many that is keeping me away as well as FFXI is boring me to tears and I’m only level 3 AND I bought a gamepad so I could play it ‘the way it was meant to be’.

Unless I hear amazing things from here or Gone Gold, I’m done until EQ2 comes out.

I think I will pass on this one, and it’s the first that I have passed on. I have played EQ, Earth and Beyond, Dark Age of Camelot, AC2, UO, Shadowbane, Planetfall, Star Wars Galaxies, Anarchy Online: Shadowlands, WW2 Online, and the Need for Speed one. Something about Horizons makes me want to just wait a bit.

Maybe the fact that your almost forced to do crafting (and I HATE crafting in games) with no loot drops, or just more levelling, etc. But I’ll wait… :?

I’m tempted but am awaiting more in the way of positive testimonials, which so far have not been very common. :-(

I’m not particularly interested in crafting, alas.

Horizons gets the coveted title to be one of the first MMO games that I have not been invited to Beta Test. I’ve heard there was a reason for it.

As one MMO Game Company Rep told me:
“GameRifts has always been known for giving its honest, no-holds-barred opinion so we are aware of how important your feedback was in the overall reception we got at launch time.”

(EDIT: The above was for a positive game, we enjoyed.)

I’m not going to purchase (Horizons) the game.
Evar.

Div

And the humility. Don’t forget about the humility.

“Ooh, shiny!”

Any reports on how the launch went? Not having an open beta seems to be asking for trouble. I mean, even the ones with one tend to eat it pretty hard on launch day.

They opened two additional servers going to six for North America.
One guy posted the following about the launch:

No falling damage.
No emotes.
No swimming.
No doors on buildings.
No transportation other than teleports.
Characters equipment all looks the same.
Limited character animations.
Am I walking or running with a corncob in my butt?
Low FPS on a good machine with medium details. Please someone fix this right away.

There has also been billing issues, I’m still following up on the rest.

Lum, I know I humilate myself ;p

Oh you meant something esle!

Div

Yet another mmorpg with no loot drops. This is such a testy issue, but I will always believe that loot and rpg go together like dice and miniatures. Call me old fashioned, but I want mobs to drop something more than craftable body parts. I’m not the only one that feels this way. The three most succesful American rpgs ever, are D+D, Diablo series, and EverQuest, all of which primarily involve leveling and looting.

It seems to me that the anti loot crowd has been so loud and vocal that new mmorpg developers are afraid to stand up to them. Why not compromise and offer crafting and phat loot both?

Luckily Blizzard has a clue. World of Warcraft will indeed have phat loot, and EQ will finally have a real challenge on their hands.

As for the anti loot crowd, well they’ll always have SWG, AC2, and Horizons to play…

Raven

Does all of that crafting emphasis make for more of that codependence crap like in SWG? I realize that MMORPGs will penalize me if I want to play by myself, but I don’t want them to make it impossible.

Is it possible the MMOG market has finally saturated?

Also, any thoughts on how SOE is going to avoid competing with itself when EQ2 comes out? I mean, how did AC2 deal with this?

  • Alan

Design wise, EQ2 seems like it’s aimed far more squarely at the folks who might’ve enjoyed EQ if only it hadn’t required so much time. Smaller raid targets, crafted loot where you can’t lose the parts, less penalty on death, etc… etc…

I think the thought is that EQ2 is aimed at the portion of the market that doesn’t spend all their time obsessively playing EQ1.

AC and AC2 seem to have handled it by neither having a very substantial audience to start with. ;)

I think the thought is that EQ2 is aimed at the portion of the market that doesn’t spend all their time obsessively playing EQ1.[/quote]

Sounds a bit similar to what OSI is doing with their new Ultima title.

Also, the multiple-account deal will help them with that. Some people may play both.

Man watching the development of this game has been painful. To watch a game with so many ambtiions and great ideas not be realized and instead forced to follow the same cookie-cutter model of all other online RPGS is depressing.

Yeah, for another $9 or something like that you get accounts to all SOE games except for SWG. I don’t think EQ2 will steal that many EQ players.

Hey, come to think of it, any of you who plan on playing EQ2 and whom might want to get the all-in-one deal, download Planetside while it’s free now. PS will be included in that all-in-one account and you don’t want to have to buy the PS boxed copy.

It’s easy to play by yourself, but all your weapons and armor will have to be player-crafted. That won’t be a problem either. The vendors will have tons of stuff.

The wife and I started playing it last night. My feelings are mixed so far.

We had a pretty good time running around the landscape and killing creatures. The game will definitely be a level grind like all others.

I’m interested in seeing higher level combat, as lowbie combat (as in DAoC) is very limited, with few special abilities. I should start to get the combat stances tonight, so I’m hoping that will add some flavor for my Monk’s melee combat.

It was an extremely smooth launch for an MMO, by the way. Lag wasn’t a problem, servers were stable, and login worked every time. The game uses ActiveX to launch (I think it’s ActiveX anyway) and it won’t work through Firebird, you have to use Internet Explorer to launch the game.

Unfinished? You bet, but we’ll play along for a bit and see how things progress.

I’m passing, and I reflexively buy every MMO, even the ones I know I won’t like (FFXI). This time I refuse to let wishful thinking overcome what I know from the beta.

Ultimately, I MUST HAVE LOOT. If I can’t experience that “gimme gimme” shiver of anticipation when I crack open a body, I’m not happy. Getting a recipie for a bronze greave and a animal bone just doesn’t do it for me.

I’m interesting in following it, but I won’t be playing. Too many other games to play.

How much is the monthly fee?