Tabula Rasa Comments by Rob Fahey

I played the beta and hated every second of the game. Not for me I guess.. an unexpected 8.

"She's heard that you're a massively insecure misogynistic idiot who posts juvenile tripe about women online, and she's got a big gun. She's looking at you, Assassin's Creed comments thread posters."

Best. Caption. Ev4r!

:D

I 2nd that, neuroniky

+100 @neuroniky :-D

Delightful caption on the last page.

Yea good caption at the end.

Yeah, I was in the beta too. Hated the graphics, hated the "atmosphere", hated the incredibly generic quest, hated the pseudo-FPS combat and was so appalled by seeing Richard Garriott's name on top of this (he made the fantastic Ultima series after all!).

I have no idea how this could possibly earn a 8/10 score.

great caption, serves'em right the little/big morons

Hehe, great caption, yes, shame that most of those who it concerns won't even see it.

Sounds like a good game, there just is too much other stuff out at the moment.

I cancelled my pre-order after playing the beta. Was not impressed at all, really. Still, Warhammer Online should be out sometime this century. That still could be good. Right?

I too played this game extensively in Beta and cannot link this review to the game that I played. This is not an 8/10 mmo imho. Not even close.

I played the beta when it was first out and didn't get on with it at all. Perhaps it's changed quite a bit from then.

http://xkcd.com/322/ :)

Yeah I played the beta also and thought it was terrible, it must of changed quite a bit :P

I don't think the beta did them any favours, really. It was quite horrible, technically (I got a fair way through it due to bloody-mindedness more than anything else) and had huge gaps in the content on offer.

That said, it's going to be a marmite game. I think loads of MMOG players are going to hate it, but loads of FPS players who turn up their noses at WoW are going to like it. I'm somewhere in the middle, so TR is right up my street really.

I played the beta too..and enjoyed for a couple of hours. THen became dull.. If i didnt had to pay for month, i would definitly buy it...to play sometimes.

You're all idiots. A beta is not a demo for the game, you know. I've not even played the damn game before anyone accuses me of being a bitter TR customer.

@neuroniky

Seconded (or thirded, whatever)

"...it also means that gear in the game is purely a commodity; if you can't use it, you chuck it"

- but surely if you can't sell it, it's not a commodity?

/end pedantic mode

Sounds interesting and if I was in any way into MMOs I'd probably give it a go. I'm staunchly against the idea of still paying for a game after I've bought it though, so Guild Wars is the only MMO I've ever gotten into for any length of time. and even that didn't hold my interest for long.

Count me in the group of MMO players who do not get along with TR at all. Hated the pseudo FPS combat, the dull generic quests ans environments and really didn't feel any drive to keep playing. Interesting that it gets an 8. Must definitely be a marmite type of game.

I played the late beta (no way I am getting the full game), and I had one big question that the reviewer fails to adress completely:

Why is this even an online game?

There is no community. There is no teaming, to guilds, no player cities, no PVP except lame dueling, no player economy, none of the staples of good MMO games.

Oh, except one: a montly siuubscription fee.

There are probably some instances later on that require you to team up and so on, and maybe some community features materializes later in the game, but in my sting in tabula rasa, i found no evidence of it. Which begs the question: why is this game "Massive", or even "online"?

Could this game have been made alomst entirely identical to what it is today, as an offline, single-player game?

The answer is, sadly, from my experience - YES.

One more thing: I don't think this games revinvents MMO combat even a bit. The same old classes - tank, DPS, debuffer, healer, ranged, stealth/rogue et cetera all lie thinly disguised in the classes. Combining FPS and MMO features is nothing new at all; Neocron did it years ago, and many others have followed suit since.

I would absolutely not award this game more than a 6.
While it is technically accomplished, it betrays it's own genre hideously - the only reason this game is a MMO at all, is the cash-cow subscription business model.

Richard Garriot's status as insane genius hero of MMO creation is hereby anulled.
In my book, this game has reduced him to a one-trick has-been cashing in on former glory - hence the name of the game: "Richard Garriot's Tabula Rasa". The only other name I ever see plastered across game boxes and incorporated into the game's name and logo, is Tom Clancy (and I guess "Clive Barker's Jericho").

I'll wait for a trial week and then give it a crack. I'm always open to giving any MMO that promises to eliminate the grind a chance. That'll also give time for the devs to iron out all the annoying initial bugs.

There is no community. There is no teaming, to guilds, no player cities, no PVP except lame dueling, no player economy, none of the staples of good MMO games.

I can only assume that you didn't play for very long. While it's possible to solo through a lot of the game, it would be bloody difficult; right from the outset it's full of instances which really need a few players working together, and retaking an AFS base that's been overrun by the Bane is a job requiring quite a few people to team up. Also, there are guilds - in fact, the first base you visit after the tutorial stage has a Guild formation NPC sitting right there next to the main quest-giver, so I'm not sure how you missed that.

The lack of a player economy is a major black point, I agree - but I really, really don't see where you're coming from with the rest of your complaints.

I don't think this games revinvents MMO combat even a bit.

I disagree completely, and again, can only assume that you've not played very much. Certainly, the same logic is running beneath the surface - but stuff like the multiple different weapon types that you switch between depending on the tactical situation around you, and the use of cover and position, makes this feel very different to any MMO that people will have played before. You can sit there for hours working out parallels in other MMO titles, but it doesn't change the fact that it feels very different to play - which is what actually matters.

"She's heard that you're a massively insecure misogynistic idiot who posts juvenile tripe about women online, and she's got a big gun. She's looking at you, Assassin's Creed comments thread posters."

^ Why I love this site

Moi Aussi with the demo hating...

Didn't like it at all i'm afraid.

Dammit, i am actually in a situation playing no MMO at the moment after previously being into MUDs, Everquest, Anarchy Online, NWN Persistent world, COH, WOW, Guild Wars, COV, LOTRO.

I must admit, the only one tempting me back is still COH/COV, I am really looking forwards to their new Marvel game, if the quests are more interesting, and the equipment changes, it'll be perfect.

I was in the beta test for this, a pre-order costumer and now I'm in the live servers blasting away the bane with much glee. I think calling it a marmite game is fair, you'll either love it or hate it, there's not a lot of middle ground at the moment.

For me personally, the game is a breath of fresh air in the MMO market that seems to be dominated by mages and dragons fantasy type affairs, it's just nice to have a new sci-fi themed one to tinker around with. The crafting system is quite weak yes, they're still working on a number of the end game contents such as PAU's and the Military Surplus, which is the auction house they're referring to - the buildings are there but not active yet. It's a solid base with a lot of potential and I do see a future for the game, but yes, it's quite fair to point out that as it stands now it's by no means perfect.

As stated, there was lag issues for the first while - the instance maps in perticular where *very* laggy until later in the evening in the higher zones and last week lag was creeping into various world zones, but the first big patch that went live yesterday seems to have eradicated the vast majority of it overnight. Areas that were borderline unplayable 2 days ago at peak times are now running smoothly without issue. One zone known as the Mires isn't quite right yet though, but much improved from what it was.

I believe they're starting up their "refer a rookie" program shortly, so if you've not tried the game out I'd encourage folks to have a look.

This game died in beta.

"It would be remiss not to mention that we also experienced shocking technical problems with Tabula Rasa at first "

Just like Hellgate you should make a much bigger deal about bugs than you do it doesn't matter how pretty the game is if it repeatedly crashes to the desktop - or in Hellgate's case if it bills you for your monthly subscription every day.

TR's bigger problem is also the same as Hellgate - the later levels are exactly the same as the early levels.

Also briefly played the beta and didnt even bother logging on more than once. Perhaps the reserved 90% of the fun for launch. Or a fanboy review?

Shinji: Does it support game pads? When i played the beta it pretty much just screamed out that all the controls and interface would work great on a 360 pad.

It really picked up from the Beta for me too. I wouldn't argue with the 8. It's probably my favourite MMO of the year.

KG

I believe they're working on the user economy Shinji. They're implementing trading posts soon - not sure why, since credits weren't exactly hard to come by in the beta. Still, there's a lot they could do to advance the idea... straight swaps and the like.

I think Tabula Rasa has bags of potential - moreso than anything that's come before. This is a game, however, that has just been released. WoW has had years to develop, mature, evolve. The game you play in WoW today has had time to be refined and honed. Tabula Rasa, given the same time, could turn out to be something very special indeed. It's ridiculous to judge an MMORPG in it's first month of release - a year down the line, we'll see if it joins the graveyard of MMO's like Vanguard did...

Tabula Rasa has a worse identity crisis than post-NGE Star Wars Galaxies. These hybrid RPGs where you can aim a bit are a horrible clash of genres; the rpg fans would rather be looking at their stats, and the fps fans are hopelessly frustrated by the limitations. Something along the lines of Planetside might have had a market; a full on sci-fi mmorpg might have had a market, but this? I doubt it.

(In fact, even putting aside the instances where you need to group or you will die messily, I've interacted more with strangers more than I ever did in either WoW or City of Heroes. The firefights are large enough, piling in and fight together happens constantly, even putting aside the base defence stuff.)

Oh - and I'll say it's much better than Hellgate.

KG

People who compare the beta to the released version have no clue. The game has become better since the release and a bit more spiced. It's amazing how most people consider a beta being a demo: it is not, it is a test. They softened up enemies in beta so people could attain a higher level on a shorter timespan: that's beta, not something you see in a final version.

People who say this game doesn't deserve a #(insert score) because it's not their kind of game: that's just not right. There are others who may like it, and obviously, the game is targeted at them. I'll agree the game is targeted at it's own niche of players, but oh well, you can't please all. I'm glad it's not fantasy mmo #157, and if it was, it would have a lot of competition (WoW).

I'm finding Tabula Rasa to be good fun. I log in, run off to do some quests, but admittedly i stop here and there to partake in a fight. A dropship putting down some AFS soldiers, engaging a mob of Bane. I stop and help them kill them. Why ? Just, it's fun hearing them shout and then have them progress further down the field.
Scifi and guns are absolutely what i love, this is my kind of game. The pseudo-fps (though i'd call it a third person shooter more than a fps) style is well done, and i'm glad i'm not overloaded with a skillbar full of spells, 70% of which you never get to use anyway...
The story is good and works for me, i like the environment and the ever ongoing fights. I'll be playing TR for a while longer i'm sure.

The game has it's flaws too, though. I'm glad the patch came around and stabilized some things, but it still needs work. For instance, Europe has only one server to choose from, which is almost always at High or Very high population, creating lag at peak times which can get annoying. It's not unplayable but sometimes you get the Great Lag Bump, clodding up your tube to the interwebs, to have it all flushed in at moment shortly afterwards. But oh well, almost all MMO's have this issue at launch.
Crafting needs a lot of work, as said in the review, it's next to pointless right now and expensive: skillpoint & moneywise. It has promises, but we need an Auction house soon to stimulate the player trade, and crafting will get a purpose as people try to pimp themselves out. Luckily they're on the ball here, and an AH will be there soon i'm sure.

"The game you play in WoW today has had time to be refined and honed. "

WoW was refined and honed from day 1 of release. It was in a better state in beta than TR is now or is likely to be in a few months time. The bugs can be fixed (broken mission indicators, hi2u good old /stuck xploit, etc), balances sorted out (goodbye economy with people running round with a million+ credits in their back pocket) but fundamentally there is nothing to aim for in the game, if you pardon the pun. There is no high level content, period.

Depends what kind of game you want, really - I don't have the time or energy to play a "proper" MMORPG at the moment, so Hellgate which is better suited to casual playing is just perfect - besides that I am ridiculously addicted to collecting loot, of course. ;)

And surprisingly, I found that Hellgate delivers much more of what Tabula Rasa promised, namely FPS mechanics with underlying stats. I found the TR beta a bit disappointing in that respect, but I admittedly didn't play it very far. Anyway, I think they should maybe have published that at another date. November is not a good month to start a MMORPG. That it's winter and people have more time to play games is probably more than outweighed by the fact the release calendar is full of outstanding games that require less time and money.

Damn you Shinji. I did not want to have to play two MMOs simultaneously.

Them amping up the difficulty in combat between the Beta (even late Beta) and the release is the key for me. It's just a lot more interesting as there's more stuff happening.

KG

This pseudo FPS combat isn't really new. Neocron had it years ago and still does. May be TR is more refined but I'd like to see a direct comparison.

Not sure it's one for me as I like the other aspects apart from combat of MMOs.

"She's looking at you, Assassin's Creed comments thread posters."

This is what I love about Eurogamer!

I like it.

That is all.

"Oh - and I'll say it's much better than Hellgate."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement as Hellgate is a bit of a shocker.

@neuroniky

+1 hehe

Clive: Yeah, but I didn't want to be mean.

KG

Played the game in beta. I found it ok. The environments didn't really capture my imagination. Most of the instances I found a bit too similar. There was a couple of amazing instances though.

One thing I hate is regional segregation. If sucks. I don't want to play on a server where a large proportion doesn't speak english. I want the option to play with ameericans. I moaned and moaned about this to ncsoft. Their reasons were, lag and giving a more focused european offering, whatever that fucking means. Eventually their reason was that ncsoft europe is a different company from the american based one. The european servers were getting patches later and werent allowed on the test server etc.. Apparently, they then eventually merged the servers, with the american ones. I had left about 6 months before that. By then there was ten people playing. Prepare to be shafted in the ass. /goesbacktoeve

Again, you're whinging about the beta, rather than the full game. I almost think it's a shame these games do beta runs at all in some instances, since they're clearly populated by people who can't understand that they're testing an unfinished product, rather than getting free entertainment.

You can't sit there and claim that a Beta is only for testing and there is no ounce of marketing in it at all.

She looks like joanna dark no?

As a long standing Neocron community member I would also like to point to the fact that throughout TR's development they have claimed a lot of 'revolutionary' features which Neocron had 5 years ago.

Admittedly Neocron has its flaws, and is nearly dead now, but I'm seeing the same blinkers on the game reviewers that I've seen from Garriot throught TR's development.

And yes, I would admit that the two combat types are different in many ways, but a mention of Neocron's innovation in the MMO scene in your reviews would have been nice.

Of course not - but you have to start to question its value as a marketing tool when people fail to understand the whole "beta" concept. It's pretty bad when someone essentially says "in the beta for this, I had some problems with how things worked, but they responded to feedback and fixed them before launch" - but presents it as a BAD thing. Bizarre.