StarDestroyer.Net BBS

There was a free weekend a few weeks back and the game was half off.

The game is straight up Multiplayer Skyrim. I don't know or care about PvP or high-end PvE. I don't know if I'll ever care, but this game doesn't play like a an MMO for the most part, so I have to give credit where it's due. By default there isn't much of an interface at all. I consider this a good thing. Yes, it makes tanking difficult at times, but I've been dieing for MP Elder Scrolls for a while and Rift didn't really fit the bill. And this is F2P as well, admittedly I don't think this was ever a monthly payment type of game.

I will say: The Cash Shop is atrociously bad. This is EA Games levels of blatant gouging for some mediocre quality assets.

There's a shotgun spread of content. Delves (mini dungeons, public), Public Dungeons, instanced dungeons, WPvE objectives that spawn at random intervals. The questing has to be some of the weakest content, but it's not terrible as is made out to be. If you enjoyed questing in Skyrim or Oblivion, you would enjoy this.

While limited to 6 (11 when you get your second weapon slot) abilities at a time, the sheer amount of skills to learn makes for at least some interesting builds if you aren't trying to mix/max. And unlike in many other MMOs (it pains me how since about 2007, I've played so many) I can think of very little in the "completely useless" tier.

Graphically, it gets the job done. Some of the effects are quite nice, but nothing is going to blow your skirt up. The weapon effects (both visual and audible) are passable but muted. The soundtrack delivers as Elder Scrolls has always been strong here. The amount of time gating is limited, especially for a F2P MMO. You want to do a dungeon, click a wayshrine and port in. And said wayshrines are fairly numerous. So much that the overview map gets kind of cluttered with them.

One of my favorite aspects is the scaling. Like a dungeon? Run it over and over, the mobs and the gear scales to level. Like a dungeon gear set bonus (most have one)? Get a higher level version of it as you grow in power. These are concepts that are fun. At the least, up to 24 this game is fun, especially with a few buddies. We've been having a blast just 3-manning dungeons.

I have no idea what endgame is like and, as said, I don't care. I honestly have no issue hitting cap and if I get bored, just roll another class.

There's a few other break-outs from your standard modern MMO. You can attack innocents, pickpocket/burgle, get a "subclass" in the form of Vampirism and Lycanthropy. Also, many of the old Elder Scrolls guilds are back and are disconnected from your class and story. Things of that nature that add a bit of spice to break away from "level to max then raid or die."

This game was a steal at 15 bucks for what time I've put into it. Now.. just needs mods. Bwahahaha! (EDIT: Beyond the default MMO addon type stuff).

I played it a couple years ago. It was enjoyable enough, but it didn't hold my attention like Skyrim, which sucked me in wholesale and refused to let me go for a good long while.

In hindsight, I was still pretty fresh from Skyrim, so maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance. I will have to look into again at some point...

I've been looking at it because of that fact I've heard pretty much you can just play it solo, no PvP or anything. Not a big fan of most multiplayer games because of toxic communities.

However I'd be interested to know how the social aspect of the game is. I've not played an MMO in a very long time and would like to see if its still so shitty. There is something I miss about slaying some bastards with a couple friends or even random strangers that make some online gaming experiences so memorable. Unfortunately it seemed like back when I was playing a bit of Everquest most of those experiences were memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Honestly, chat has it's moment with the racism and other bullshit, but the UI is prone to "fading out" so much, it's easy to just ignore it. The only "relevant" bits I even see are max level (and the prestige stuff which is max level++) guys selling gear and looking for runs. The whole thing is easy to just ignore.

I have yet to even bother with Dungeon Finder as I run exclusively with these other two assholes I know. I assume that's where'd you see a lot more "kill urself" style shit-talking.

Though I will say, compared to something like WoW, especially since this is a "mega-server" type game, it's absolutely tame. I mean, you couldn't even avoid Trade Chat trolls on a dead server on an even deader faction in WoW.

TheFeniX wrote:There was a free weekend a few weeks back and the game was half off.

The amount of time gating is limited, especially for a F2P MMO.

Is it a F2P MMO or one you pay for ?


Also, please describe the in-game trading systems. I've found poor in-game systems to be something that ruins the rest of the game for me.

bilateralrope wrote:Is it a F2P MMO or one you pay for ?

My terminology is off. You buy the base game and/or expansions and there is no required monthly sub. You CAN subscribe for $15 a month if you want. There are a few perks. You get an allowance of Crowns (in-game currency) a month, access to a crafting bag and auto-deposit system to go with it, the ability to dye cosmetic items, extra character slots, and a few other things I can't recall off-hand.

This isn't exactly Guild Wars, but the no-sub system isn't terri-bad like the SWTOR system was when I tried it. It doesn't really gimp you in any way I can see.

Also, please describe the in-game trading systems. I've found poor in-game systems to be something that ruins the rest of the game for me.

Don't know what to describe. You request trade, put items in the box, and both parties have to accept. That said, I don't recall if the system auto-unaccepts if something is removed from the trade window as I have not traded with anyone I did not know.

Most items are tradable, but quest items and those out of dungeons are not, with the exception of the ability to trade items with people who you were grouped with when running the dungeon. Also, dying items binds them to you no matter the item. I assume this is because dye are locked behind achievements and/or purchased from the cash shop.

TheFeniX wrote:Don't know what to describe. You request trade, put items in the box, and both parties have to accept. That said, I don't recall if the system auto-unaccepts if something is removed from the trade window as I have not traded with anyone I did not know.

Is this trade window all the game has ?

No tools to find a buyer other than spending ages advertising in chat until a buyer shows up ?
No way to trade with someone other than to be online at the same time ?
No tools to get an estimate of a fair price for the item in question ?

Having a trade window as the only option is what made trade spam so bad in Guild Wars 1.

That I can see, there's not even an auction house. Guilds "bid" for vendor spots and sell their wares through guild vendors in certain cities. I have no idea how it works except to say, I bought most of the entry crafting motifs for cheap and got some of the later ones I will want (such as Primal and Barbaric). The search function on the trader window is about as bare-bones as it gets.

If you plan is to work the market, I assume you'd be in for major pain. You will be spamming "trade" chat or whatever passes for it. Once again AFAIK, if you wanted access to a Guild vendor you'd have to join a mega guild. A complaint I forgot about: you don't even get a guild bank unless you have 10 members. It basically makes small guilds worthless and is a stupid design idea.

I assume if they were going to change it they would have by now. So, guess I'm stuck with it.

TheFeniX wrote:If you plan is to work the market, I assume you'd be in for major pain.

Based on my experiences in GW1 I'd say that if I want to sell any loot I acquire to another player then I'm in for pain.

bilateralrope wrote:

TheFeniX wrote:If you plan is to work the market, I assume you'd be in for major pain.

Based on my experiences in GW1 I'd say that if I want to sell any loot I acquire to another player then I'm in for pain.

Upon further playing and usage, the system is "garbage tier." That said, multiple "trading guilds" exist and you can be in multiple (up to 5 IIRC, but it might be more) guilds at the same time.

I like this game. I tried making my Templar a DW roguish character, but it felt dumb. She's now a caster DPS/Heals.

I rolled a Nightblade and had Rob make her a Vampire. We're now doing the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild quest lines. These are fun and well done from what I've played so far. You're sneaking around murderin' dudes with slo-mo killcams, stealing everything not nailed down, fencing it for loads of free gold and skill points, pickpocketing the shit out of people on your way to the quest turn-ins, and generally just being a total douche.

While still "questing," it's generally far outside the normal scope of it. And it's fun to call out party members for getting spotted and racking up a bounty. Whoever's bounty is highest has to pay for a port back to town (you can port to friends for free).

Some annoyances: the emphasis on tier sets being accessible early on means the cool looking crafted stuff I've unlocked may be subpar. I still plan to run some because I just don't care. Though, certain crafted set bonuses range from acceptable to BiS. I could just run them and not be garbage.

Being allowed to roll any race under any faction is cool. Paying $15 for the privilege is not. At the least, it's only a one-time charge.

$10 for an appearance change will always be dumb no matter what game. $2.50 at the max and even that is pushing it. It's especially annoying since ESO has no way to "save" templates. Like, FFXIV had this and I could create a character/race template and save it for future use, even for retainers (FFXIV version of bankers and followers).

I have considered buying one for my Nord but it pisses me off because her looking off is not my fault. The default idlepack works fine, but I use the Furious personality (bought it with my "free" Crowns). She's the perfect brick-faced "crushed pelvises" type. But when she frowns, only with that animation pack, it gives her jowls and messes with other parts of the facial morph. It doesn't look right and it pisses me off because it's 20-damned-17 and this shouldn't be a thing.

Oh and it's another Beth game that hates losing "focus." Even running borderless-window, when I bring the game back to the front, I drop 20FPS for 15-20 seconds for reasons I can't begin to fathom.

But "posterior dimensions" slider, so GOTYAY.