Tabula Rasa Comments by Rob Fahey

I got bored in the beta after 2 hours of wandering about and getting lost - combat was fun, but there wasn't anything else? Surprised (also!) by the review...

Played the beta, was reminded how bad some games can be, and remembered that while WoW is a boring slug-a-thon for 15-year-olds, it's at least a well-made game.

"BremXJones
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 "

That's all i needed to hear :)

Well - if its improved that much in 1 month, then well done guys, but I found the content to be lacking a bit as of 1 month ago. I do agree that the base attacking/defending (which you kinda did on the fly) and attacking drop ships was fun, but even that got a bit stale after a couple of hours... I couldn't find what the hook was really, that niggle that gets you back to play again....

I played this in beta, and up until now had totally dimissed it. Now you've gone and piqued my interest in it again, so I hope you're chuffing happy.

One question though, albeit a bit of a petty one: Has the character creation been expanded at all? It was kind of frustrating to only be able to change a few armour colours and appearances, which end up getting replaced anyway.

Sadly it looks like I'll now be dabbling in three MMOs at the same time, forcing my bank account to gently weep.

Actually to just knock people who play the beta and find they didn't like what was offered and slate them as ignorant is pretty stupid. I know how games are made and I know that a beta is fairly representative of the final product. You just dont get turds at beta that end up as golden winners. Yes, MMO's are different, in the sense that the retail product is treated just like a beta, often for years. I wouldn't take that as any glowing endorsement of how to offer a game to the public though.

I think the secret is literally just them turning the dial to the right on monster density. I mean, there's lots of other stuff, but that alone just made it feel like not much else. It kind of reminds me of the early days of City of Heroes, when you were capable of fighting large mobs yourself. In Tabula, facing off against four or so creatures is fine, if you play it smart, which is a buzz.

It's been a pretty bad year for the MMO, in my opinion - while quite liking it, I don't share Shinji's love of LOTRO, thinking it somewhat cynical. I'll agree that TR is nowhere near as revolutionary as it thinks it is, but that doesn't mean it's not of interest.

I suspect when they get around to doing a free trial, it'll pick up some more attention. The Beta really didn't serve its interest at all.

EDIT: I mean, I'm as surprised as everyone else, having played the Beta. While I didn't think it as totally disastrous as others, it was all over the place.

Re: Costumes. No, it's still a little weak. Lots of face stuff, but that's it. I ended up dying myself purple regularly.

KG

Char creation isn't meant to be extremely defining. You create an avatar, make it look like you want to (more or less) and enter the game. Defining choices come as you level up (going up in the tiers). For me it works, i personally don't expect to be able to build up a 'sim' or a load of options.

There is a trial out by the way. Subscribers are able to pass out some buddy passes:
http://eu.rgtr.com/en/news_article/recru...
Its a 3 day trial but a trial nonetheless. If anyone wants a go and doesn't mind the short time, pm me with a valid (!) email and a name, and i'll see if i can hook you up. (Euro account btw).

"Starship Troopers"... Movie or the book...? big freaking difference!

No MMO is actually ready to be played until a minimum of 6 months after it's release. I mean, I do understand the allure of getting revenue while you develop your game, but I'm not buying any game with crash to desktop problems until it is at least stable.

"anyone who has done high-level raid instances in a game like World of Warcraft can tell you how fast your reactions need to be at times"

High level raiding was the reason I quit WoW in the end - it requires next to nothing in terms of reaction times. It's a simple 3 button affair - click em, get gear, repeat until victorious. By the time my guild was moving into SSC I had lost interest completely.

EDIT: that last bit is not strictly relevant, but I sincerely hope that instancing in Tabula Rasa resembles something at least marginally difficult, and less repetitive than other MMOs. They were mentioned in the article, but theres no context. Are they faster paced than WoW? Is there more to do? Are they difficult? How many players do you need?

"You may be aiming and firing guns in this game, but every shot you take is still the subject of a dice roll behind the scenes - working out whether you hit, what damage you caused, and so on. The aiming isn't particularly arduous, either, and the game keeps you locked on to targets even when they wander quite a long way out of your crosshairs."

Fuck that then.

I would definately have picked this up for a laugh, except November is already crammed with so many other games. I may pick it up next year during a quiet patch.

Trouble is, i've made such a good friendship group via WoW (who I still chat to every day despite the fact I havent played WoW for 6 months), that when I start a new mmo it just feels lonely. All my "RL" Friends who still play MMOs only play WoW, and refuse to consider trying a new one, and same goes for the old guildies. Gutted.

Azmat:

I did say it was a fairly petty question, but I do enjoy mucking about with character creation. It's a role playing game, and I'd say part of your character is defined in its looks. Maybe I'm just spoilt by CoH, the character creation there was a game in itself.

But if there is some changes you can make to the 'ol facial regions, then that's good enough, since armour is going to come and go. Anyway, its hardly game breaking I suppose, and to prove it, I'll probably get this on the way home from work tonight.

options for char creation include : hair style, face style, facial hair style, upper face style (like glasses), and setting some colours. (prob some more options but not a lot). Can't tinker with height or weight though, i admit it's fairly limited, and probably not enough for some, but works enough for me :)

"the game really needs to educate players properly about the weapons they're using, rather than expecting you to visit the website..."

A small but excellent point. The assumption that players are willing to sift through reams of web content in order to get the most out of a game is a terrible precedent in the MMORPG genre that was set way back with EQ1 - making that game and several others unplayable IMO.

A commercial game should be self-documenting; the learning curve should present itself in-game. Homework and a required reading list are not what I look for from an entertainment purchase. (Not saying that's the case with TR, just riffing on your point in general.)

Will we see another EG review after the first big content patch/6 months, whichever comes first?

Anyone who is comparing this game to the beta is rather silly in all fairness.

Beta is not Demo. The game as come a VERY long way since the early open beta accounts were offered (then subsequently closed). Most of the tweaks happened in the final 2 weeks of the beta test and judging the game by anything before that is just daft.

This game sits nicely with those of us that loved Planetisde but also love the MMORPG element, sure we are a small market and it wont be everyone's taste but it's the one game that's dragged me back to the otherwise stale fantasy MMO market.

It's not without its bugs or issues but it IS one of the smoother launches I've seen. Anyone remember WoW launch? Not being able to put keys in for 7 hours or so, numerous server and client crashes.
Sure WoW has more content but it's been out 3 years or there abouts, you have to expect that.

This game has great potential for future expansions etc and I would whole heartedly agree with the 8/10 that it was given.

Those of you that want a trial, try finding someone that plays, they can send you a 3 day (yes only 3) buddy key to give it a shot with.

If you are the type though that likes the almost entirely automated combat system in WoW (tab a target, press 1 button) rather than the faster paced combat of a third person shooters then steer well clear.
If however you love third person or first person shooters and also enjoy RPG's then give it a go.

As for WoW being done right from day one... one word. Silithus. Thank you, goodnight.

whether the developers like it or not, people will use the beta as a reflection of the completed game, and should be aware of that. WoW left a great impression after I got hooked on the beta and I signed up straight away for the main game, which I played for about 18 months! TR just left me cold - I'm not sure if the things done in the last two weeks would change that feeling.

I played the beta as much as my ageing PC could handle it. I agree with most of the criticisms put forth here, but I'm still interested - there's enough here that's different to persevere with. Only after I've upgraded my machine though - by which time the game will have moved on and improved too. I'll think of this as a summer '08 release. Fortunately there's tonnes of stuff to be playing in the meantime.

Shite name = bad sales = no-one playing = pointless mmorpg = no reason for me to play it

You couldn't make it up.

Currently, I am loving it, even after playing in the beta. The Euro server is packed at the moment an they will be opening a new one soon I believe.

It is much more of a casual MMO than WOW etc and does sem to be a love/ate thing.

Hm...sounds like the combat may appeal to long-time players of Asheron's Call (namely, me).

I find it immense fun and it seems they have got alot of new great features that will be coming to the game like the Mechs you will be able to stomp around in (the PAU's)
The one EU server doesn't matter as it's region free so you can play with Americans if you should really want to - gmmonkey was talking rubbish about server separation.

I'd say if you want something that is not orcs and bloody elves, isn't another cookie cutter MMO with just different models, and that delivers instant and constant action - give it a try with an open mind, you'll probably be like me and love it.

The base invasions have to be played in to believe them as it goes off and goes mental :)

Beta is not Demo.

For MMOs: Yes they bloody are, and have been at least since Anarchy Online. They just aren't called demos, but for all practical purposes a public beta of a MMO IS a demo.

Plus people have gotten so jaded from earlier MMO producers' lies about how bug X will be fixed in retail that they simply assume the state of the game in beta is the real state it will be in at retail.

People who compare the game to the beta aren't being silly, they are being EXPERIENCED. "Will it have the same bugs and exploits in retail as in the open beta?" is a question along the lines of "will the Sun arise tomorrow?"

Sounds appealing. I find western fantasy games - in general - are usually completely generic and boring in the extreme, both visually and in the usual hack-n-slash gameplay. So being an FPS fan, and a sci-fi fan... I would give this a go. The only other MMORPG that sustained my interest was Anarchy Online.

But paying a monthly subscription to play a game, being self employed, is not a tremendously wise financial decision. I'll try it if they ever do some sort of limited "free" account.

In this the worst named game in history?

No, it's one of the better named ones.

Fort MMO's Betas are not demo's except in the eyes of some people in marketing who do treat them like that which is moronic. Beta is testing the game, betas do involve finding bugs with a large group of people and fixing them and tweaking the game before release.
Yes a beta is treated like a demo for many people - it never is for the developers and certainly isn't for the good testers. I've been in many betas and alot of them seem to aim for the marketing, lets get people interested ideal, these have worked for the real purpose (testing) but have done nothing good for the public perception of the product and have buried good ideas before completion. If you think a product is finished in beta you are a fool. Well MMO's are never finished anyway, but certainly a beta is NOT a demo. The TR beta I was lucky enough to be in and it could've gone better, lots of people saw what they thought was a finished game (erroneously) and now dismiss one of the most complete MMO's at release I have seen, and thats not perfect no - but a great place to build from.

I look forward to TR breaking and changing peoples pre conceptions (and original views), and I have no doubt it will

>In this the worst named game in history?

Yip.

It's instantly forgetable. I keep trying to remember the name of it, so i can slag the name off.. but i cant!

not something you can ask your missus to get for you while she's out shopping for shoes is it?

@Olemak: "Richard Garriot's status as insane genius hero of MMO creation is hereby anulled"

Richard Garriot does not deserve that status in the first place. All he did was take text-based MUDs and put graphics on top. Ultima Online wasn't even the first big MMO.

I took part in the Beta, like many others here, but contrary to most I really enjoyed it. It almost tempted me into buying it, if only it weren't for the two weeks of mad 360 releases this and next week which I needed to save the pennies for :)

Just because an MMO isn't bug-free or even feature compelte in beta, doesn't mean it can't be used to judge whether or not you're going to enjoy the game.

The first time I played WoW, I was gripped. Something about that game struck chords with me. It was a similar feeling to the first time I played Final Fantasy XI, but even more so. The first time I played Tabula Rasa was akin to that feeling of anticipation you get when you're watching the loading screen: anticipation of the excitement to come. After about 2 hours, I realised that I was waiting for nothing. There wasn't going to be a point where the game 'started' for me; this WAS the game. If I'm going to drop £30-40 (I had the special edition pre-ordered) on a game, and then £8-10 every month afterwards, a game has to grip from the start.

And, because no game would be fundamentally changed between the one or two month period between when I beta tested TR and the release date, a beta IS a fair indication of whether or not someone's going to enjoy the base mechanics. I'm sure for those that liked the concept from the get-go, the improvements from beta to release are great. But if you don't like the foundations, then no amount of bug-fixing is going to change that.

"The aiming isn't particularly arduous, either, and the game keeps you locked on to targets even when they wander quite a long way out of your crosshairs."

This alone might put me off long term play.

I am gonna try it out but my main gripe with WoW is the auto-aiming, auto-hitting "action". That you can hit moving targets without even pretending to face in their direction.

>In this the worst named game in history?

Yip.

It's instantly forgetable. I keep trying to remember the name of it, so i can slag the name off.. but i cant!

not something you can ask your missus to get for you while she's out shopping for shoes is it?

Some basic Latin knowledge helps.

Well, we're 2 weeks in now (and a bit for us pre-order types) and I think it's fair to say the launch has been relatively successful. Always plenty of people about, the recent patch has wiped out a lot of the technical and lag problems the game was having and from what's been said by the dev team, it's gathered that the take up of the game has been higher than they expected, perticularly in the EU.

While I realise based on the track record of the comment threads it often seems to be considered the norm to slag a game off, I don't think TR is being given a fair shake by the community. If you don't like it, fine, but at least be objective and fair in your critical voicing of the game, don't just stick the knife in for the mere sake of it.

If people find this name bad it's probably because they are functionally retarded.

No surprise that Smelly is one of them.

Hi Pike.

Hi Zuluhero - What's the story, Morning glory? What's the word, Humming Bird?

Did you hear Smelly is slow?

Can he still Drive a car? Can he Sit at a bar? will they let him have kids? Is his life on the Skids!

Hello Mrs Smelly, it's your neighbour Zuluhero, now that Smelly is mental, you probably have some needs... OH!

He's Retarded!

He's Retarded!

He's Retarded!

Smelly is.....SLOW

:P

-------
(sorry guys im only messing- its just when ever anybody calls someone "retarded" i always think of this song - Curse you family guy! ;)

Ah, I remember the furore around Deus Ex's name from people who couldn't pronounce it.

(In fact, didn't they stick the pronunciation on some boxes or something?)

KG

It's as if people have never even heard of John Locke or Thomas Aquinas.

Deus Ex sounded cool even if you did'nt understand what it ment.Tabula Rasa sounds terrible,even before you install it.

So speaks the rose tinteds. No-one could even pronounce it, with lots of people wondering about whether it was a Day of Sex or something.

KG

I got this the other day and now a couple of days in, total noob, overall im loving it :)
I like the combat; nice pace, lots of fun.
I really like the way the weapon and ability slots work.
I cant always shake that 'single player' feeling but then I havent gotten the hang of interaction yet which is annoying me :( Usually anybody I see is flying past before i can even get the first 3 letters of their name.
If i could separate my combat log so i can see chat and it at the same time i'd be liking it a bit more.