I'm always late to the party, heh. Yesterday I took the plunge and grabbed The Secret World. I tried one of the last beta weekends but still didn't get a real idea how much I liked the game, I figured I could hear impressions of others before I made a decision.
I've read a lot of good reviews and posts about the game. I am really enjoying myself. It was a bit confusing when starting and I even got lost a few times but I'm grasping things now. I ran around with only one skill, wondering why I was having so much trouble, blood magic. Then I realized that I needed to go and grab something else, blades was my second choice. Loving it.
For the most part I kill things with ease, a good bit of healing to pull me through and some fantastic AE damage. I'm learning as I go and I've only died once, lol. I went with the Templars, I thought that would be an interesting choice, all three factions look very appealing though.
I'd have to say the things I like most are the bits of flexibility. Wearing whatever you want is always awesome, choosing skills and sets to your liking is awesome too, though confusing at times as what will be good. I was going to go with a build already listed but they didn't really appeal to me.
I like the world. It really has a unique feel for an MMO. Gritty and dark, as I have mentioned before. The graphics and little bits of detail in the art are just wonderful. Though the graphic choices are a bit stunted, really tweaking things out isn't much of an option. Sometimes I get some really horrible frame rates in some areas, most of the time I'm fine. Loading.... I'm still not enjoying some of the long load times. I can't complain, there really isn't much loading and I suppose I do a lot of waiting on screens in EQ and SL.
Nothing is cutting edge but it is new and different enough to really be enjoyable. I don't know how end game is, if it will just be another grind like most games, I hope this is different. But don't we always? The game has a lot of potential and it is quite fun. If you love zombies and creepy stuff, it's awesome. Right up my alley, how could I not play it? Kingsmouth is really a very cool area, that's where I am now and it really has set the tone for me.
I'm taking my time snooping around, helping people sometimes, people help me sometimes (OMG), just really soaking it all up and not rushing through it. There are a few things that bother me, like lack of direction in some areas. If you're going to light up something on the map, please tell me what the hell it is I'm looking for.
All in all, expect to be hearing more about TSW in my posts this week. I do have a lot going on but I can't resist getting some time in TSW. Dire had to pull me off the computer last night, I was having way too much fun to go to bed, obviously, lol.
Safe adventures, and look out behind you! Prepare to be crit by a wall of screenshots...
With blood magic and blades, you're on your way to making a Preacher deck! The outfit you get for completing it is pretty cool too.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if you're bothered by the lack of direction, wait until you get the investigation quests. The whole point of many of the quests in TSW is to make you think and hunt for clues, so there's very little hand holding and definitely a lot of vagueness there, and it is intended. I've been stumped many times and have had to ask or go online to look for hints.
Glad to see you're having fun though! Not sure about end game yet, but the instances in this game can be really tough. You basically have to utilize your deck building skills to maximize your effectiveness for a lot of the fights, so being familiar with the ability wheel system is a must. No classes, no levels gives you a lot of flexibility and potential. In a lot of ways, TSW puts a unique spin on what we are familiar with in other MMOs. Anyway, hope to see you in game sometime, and if you're interested in joining a Templar cabal, just give me a holler :)
Yeah, the Preacher deck was the one that actually most appealed to me :)
DeleteThe investigation quests aren't too bad I get those, just some of the normal quests can be confusing when I have a short amount of time to play, I end up pulling up the wiki, lol.
Yeah, I'd like that, I'll have to get your in-game name. Mine is Sablesix, or from what I have been told, that's the only part you should need, lol.
Funcom said specifically that the map indications are intended to be vague. The intention is very much that you have to search for the exact location you need. I've found there's more hand-holding than people have been saying - the distance and direction indicators for many quests do all the thinking for you.
ReplyDeleteIf you're enjoying Kingsmouth you've got a lot to look forward to. That level of detail and storytelling is maintained throughout, as far as I can see. I've explored fairly extensively through the whole of the New England area (not done a fraction of the missions of course), some of the first Egypt zone and taken a quick tour as far as the end of the Carpathian Teeth in Transylvania and the quality seems consistent, at least in terms of the art direction, visual detail, scripting and voice acting.
I really enjoy looking around, for the objectives, in the creepy atmosphere, for the most part. Cannot wait to get the chance to explore some of the other areas, they sound really cool!
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