Neverwinter Online - thoughts?

A

Ausdoerrt

I should set a custom tit
So what's everyone think about this game? I used to be pretty skeptical about it, but the gameplay previews for it look pretty darn good. The combat looks pretty fluid if a tad too twitchy, and the graphics are shiny. One thing I'm wondering is whether they'll make their announced Q4 2012 release date if they haven't even started beta-testing yet.

I'm seriously thinking of moving to Nverewinter (from DDO) and the buggy mess it's become) once it comes out, but I'm still uneasy about the Perfect World label and what it might mean for the F2P model. I'd honestly rather see them adopt the DDO model and charge for content not boosts.

Vids for reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7tN_yS4GKY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVaP-fLlkPI

P.S. Now I know a number of people on the board hate MMOs in general with a passion, so there's no need to comment about that :wink:
 
Looks too much like Dragon Age 2.

I'll wait to see if there's more to it that just wave after wave of DA2-inspired combat sequences.
 
It doesn't look like it's waves - more like a combination of random spawns in overworld wild areas, like in a typical MMO, plus strategic monster encounter placement as typical for instanced MMOs and PnP DnD.

So far, the combat reminds me more of Kingdoms of Amalur tbh.
 
"...exciting fast pace action..." I don't like this combination of these words. The best thing about the game was DnD rules, this is just another pile of dirt alongside the road. I don't understan why they can't create another game with interesting mechanics, not only resorting to this hack and slash grinding shit. There surely is a market for that.
 
Mini rant incoming, please excuse me.

You know, I don't understand these developpers. We've seen MMO after MMO tank badly trying to adopt a ''like WoW but...'' approach, relying on known licenses to sell (which doesn't really work). So they are then forced into a FtP model... that also has lots of competition. No matter how polished this will be, it's still yet another MMO in a fantasy world, and we have literally dozens of these around. You'd think that, after the TOR debacle, they would start to lighten up; the MMO market is way beyond over-saturated. But no, TES Online is on the way, now this. Jesus, at this point make a Neverwinter Nights 3, it's probably going to be more profitable than another MMO which will be forced into FtP after a few months.

I realise the project way probably started some time ago, but it's not too late to cancel it before it becomes a money black hole (TOR cost like 200 M$, and I doubt they saw a big return on investment considering the overall failure of that game), hell recycle the assets into an RPG that has much, much less competition. This kind of ''follow the leader'' mindset is what is causing so many companies to bite the dust. Do something original, or at least with less competition ffs.
 
This feels way to similar to Drakensang. The single player was killed and they made it some F2P crap game now. Way to go to ruin a once solid and good RPG.

I guess Neverwinter Nights might end the same way.
 
Ilosar said:
*snipples*
Click to expand...

Yeah.. I don't get it. At least TES has a huge customer base, but like you said, look at TOR. So much wasted talent, but I guess a short-lived job is better than no job.
Still, I wish I could go to investor meetings that focus on this MMO craze and just start randomly peeing on people.
 
Ilosar said:
You know, I don't understand these developpers. We've seen MMO after MMO tank badly trying to adopt a ''like WoW but...'' approach, relying on known licenses to sell (which doesn't really work). So they are then forced into a FtP model... that also has lots of competition. No matter how polished this will be, it's still yet another MMO in a fantasy world, and we have literally dozens of these around. You'd think that, after the TOR debacle, they would start to lighten up; the MMO market is way beyond over-saturated. But no, TES Online is on the way, now this. Jesus, at this point make a Neverwinter Nights 3, it's probably going to be more profitable than another MMO which will be forced into FtP after a few months.
Click to expand...

I see the point of your rant, but it seems a bit misplaced here. Of course, from just a few previews I can't comment on the quality of the game, though from what I've seen it's hardly a WoW clone, more like a mix of a SP sandbox game like Amalur and instance-based MMOs.

On marketability though: DDO is getting ancient, and the rushed expansion release caused a lot of negative reaction from players. NWO will challenge DDO's status as "the only DnD MMO", and being newer and shinier, it has a pretty good chance to succeed. And I'd argue that a DnD-based game is a bit more unique than any ol' fantasy-world MMO, especially since those seem to be mostly Asian.

Also, it's going to be F2P to begin with, which is probably a good move. I'm still more than iffy about how they handle the store (it's PW we're talking about), but if it's balanced enough, they can make a plenty of money off it.
 
Ausdoerrt said:
I see the point of your rant, but it seems a bit misplaced here. Of course, from just a few previews I can't comment on the quality of the game,
Click to expand...
Thing is, pretty much all of the MMOs and particularly those which go F2P are ... crap. - well to be more accurate they are "mediocre" but considering what Neverwinter nights was before ... making it online sounds like the most awfull thing to do in my eyes, because yeah there have been so many DnD games made online in the past and all with success ...

MMOs and online games are "good" in their own right so you play it sometimes and all that. But its not a business plan for a good high quality game like single player RGPs should be.

It just does not work. Well I have yet to see one where it does work. They simply cant get away from the "this is online experience" stigma. Quests and grinding will always be a part of it. And that is the problem. I dont think it is really needed now to explain where the difference and qualities of MMOs/Online games and single player experiences are. We all know them by now. And mixing it usually is bound to fail or lets say trying to recreate the quality single player story telling into some kind of online experience.

I am not sure why they all jump on that part anyway. TES, Star Wars, and many more. Has it to be "online" or even F2P?

I for example liked the old republic games. And I would have bought a third game as well. If it would have been "single player" and not the crap they have thrown out now which will be soon enough a F2P game anyway ... so much to Bioware and quality.

Ausdoerrt said:
And I'd argue that a DnD-based game is a bit more unique than any ol' fantasy-world MMO
Click to expand...
But that is what they really will go for in the end. At least that's the feeling I have. Because honestly, if it is "to" different it will not sell. If it does not sell, then it will not be a good online experience.

On the other side, it was DnD which helped to get the "high fantasy" setting on the PC. And I doubt they will go to create some unique DnD setting on the PC like the Dark Sun or Planescape worlds (see how that worked out for Planescape Torment in the end).

Thing is, I have my doubt that they will do it for the DnD fans. So that means they will do it for the people which "know" about DnD. And those know DnD from Baldurs Gate and the like. So in other words. Cliche Fantasy. Because that is what DnD is to most people if they dont know much about it.

I might be wrong with this. Who knows. I would love to see something different. But most companies are quite limited here when it comes to settings. Or at least that is what they believe. I mean it is not like NE was THAT different anyway compared to other fantasy-RPGs on the PC even before it went online now.

When it comes to RPG games and "online" I tend to expect from the to suck hard. Because that is what most do.
 
Crni Vuk said:
Ausdoerrt said:
I see the point of your rant, but it seems a bit misplaced here. Of course, from just a few previews I can't comment on the quality of the game,
Click to expand...
Thing is, pretty much all of the MMOs and particularly those which go F2P are ... crap. - well to be more accurate they are "mediocre" but considering what Neverwinter nights was before ... making it online sounds like the most awfull thing to do in my eyes, because yeah there have been so many DnD games made online in the past and all with success ...

MMOs and online games are "good" in their own right so you play it sometimes and all that. But its not a business plan for a good high quality game like single player RGPs should be.

It just does not work. Well I have yet to see one where it does work. They simply cant get away from the "this is online experience" stigma. Quests and grinding will always be a part of it. And that is the problem. I dont think it is really needed now to explain where the difference and qualities of MMOs/Online games and single player experiences are. We all know them by now. And mixing it usually is bound to fail or lets say trying to recreate the quality single player story telling into some kind of online experience.

I am not sure why they all jump on that part anyway. TES, Star Wars, and many more. Has it to be "online" or even F2P?

I for example liked the old republic games. And I would have bought a third game as well. If it would have been "single player" and not the crap they have thrown out now which will be soon enough a F2P game anyway ... so much to Bioware and quality.

Ausdoerrt said:
And I'd argue that a DnD-based game is a bit more unique than any ol' fantasy-world MMO
Click to expand...
But that is what they really will go for in the end. At least that's the feeling I have. Because honestly, if it is "to" different it will not sell. If it does not sell, then it will not be a good online experience.

On the other side, it was DnD which helped to get the "high fantasy" setting on the PC. And I doubt they will go to create some unique DnD setting on the PC like the Dark Sun or Planescape worlds (see how that worked out for Planescape Torment in the end).

Thing is, I have my doubt that they will do it for the DnD fans. So that means they will do it for the people which "know" about DnD. And those know DnD from Baldurs Gate and the like. So in other words. Cliche Fantasy. Because that is what DnD is to most people if they dont know much about it.

I might be wrong with this. Who knows. I would love to see something different. But most companies are quite limited here when it comes to settings. Or at least that is what they believe. I mean it is not like NE was THAT different anyway compared to other fantasy-RPGs on the PC even before it went online now.

When it comes to RPG games and "online" I tend to expect from the to suck hard. Because that is what most do.
Click to expand...

What Crni said pretty much sums my feelings toward Neverwinter Online. In matter of MMO's I will stick to GW2(I love Faerun and Elder Scrolls universe, but I just don't want another generic MMO)

And yeah. Most F2P games are nice, but if you really want to have fun you just have to spend money on it. it divides player base at those who pay, and those who don't give a crap. It's cool if you can pay for something that other player can grind but it's very uncool when the item/thing/dungeon can be unlocked only via real money(World of tanks and premium tanks, anyone? :/)
 
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