First impressions - GC in Leipzig

[Manisch Depressiv]

Was at the GC today as a trade visitor, some first impressions on selected games in short words:

Warhammer: Good booth but sadly graphics-wise WoW clone (really disappointed about this, but hey EA!) Played Shaman among others a bit, disappointed, what was set there as skills was DD, DoT, Heal, HoT, ranged Buffs, one AoE CC - stuff we all already have in other games - the moral stuff looked interesting though.

Age of Conan: Good booth too, got to talk to the Product Director and he was a pro and a level-headed guy but later when I played PvP in a mini arena (CTF) it became obvious that game still needs much work. At least there will be no super speed in the game with mach 10 inc and ganking. Stealth ganking will exist though. Plenty of glitches in movement, combat system and general graphics bugs in game, can't believe they really aimed for the 30th October.

Spellborne (MMORPG): Did not know the game before, but make a good impression on me, uses custom Unreal 2.5 engine, looked like the most finished product among those I already mentioned. Played also some PvP in a mini arena and it was quite nice, you actually could use WASD nicely to evade melee blows and spells and other ranged attacks. My favorite from those three, no release date yet but it looks very finished (play style and gfx/sound).

Speedball 2: Played it with a pad on PC against a french girl (staff member), looks promising if you want to kill some time in a console type manner but on a PC.

World in Conflict (RTS): Almost finished (tagged as 1.0.x), coming September. I didn't play an RTS since Warcraft II and I am going to buy it - says much, this game kicks ass - 20 multi player maps and a nice 8 vs 8 mode, awesome graphics and a well thought out troop distribution/class system.

Chicks: A lot of them with not much on and a few almost totally naked (no kidding, body painted). So if you don't like games but like good looking girls, go to there .

Blizzard: had WoW expansion lined up and obviously Starcraft II, but I skipped the booth.

If you want to know something, let me know, maybe I can remember it.

[Alan]

Pics of body painted girls !!

[Dreamor]

World in Conflict is a great game, nice how they break up the units and online play.

These girls.... pictures?

[Manisch Depressiv]

She was the most wanted, running and posing around like this the whole day in a cat like manner .

[scorge]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

She was the most wanted, running and posing around like this the whole day in a cat like manner .

she has a big nose....

[Eeben]

Originally Posted by scorge

she has a big nose....

its no her nose your gonna fuck anyway

[LordjOX]

Particulary interested in what Age of Conan had to offer PvP wise and did you get to see any of the sieging mechanics or building of the battlekeeps etc?

[Manisch Depressiv]

Originally Posted by LordjOX

Particulary interested in what Age of Conan had to offer PvP wise and did you get to see any of the sieging mechanics or building of the battlekeeps etc?

I just played a mini PvP game in an arena. Some info I posted on other forums about AoC:

"I made a trip to the GC in Leipzig yesterday with my boss and a colleague.

I visited Funcom and their Age of Conan booth twice. The first time I got to talk to Jørgen Tharaldsen, who turned out to be the Product Director for Age of Conan. He was a very friendly and level headed guy, suprisingly around my age.

Some questions I've asked (I don't remember the wording exactly):

• Q: Will there be super mach speed in AoC, so you can come in with a big party and gank one solo guy or will it be possible to maintain range once you've spotted your enemies?
  A: Mach speed will not exist in AoC, like it exists in DaoC.
• Q: Will it be possible to stealth in AoC and if so will it be possible to stealth gank other players?
  A: Stealthing is in and so is stealth ganking, spawn points are safe though.
• Q: Does AoC have collision detection?
  A: Yes, not a 100% one though, to prevent blocking.
• Q: What about line of sight checking?
  A: It's in place, but in such a huge world as AoC offers we can't be sure someone is not going to find a place to abuse something.
• Q: What's the stance on account/item trading for money?
  A: Our EULA forbids it, but obviously such things are hard to track
• Q: Will there be a /level command?
  A: Not decided yet, if, then only a /level 20 one.
• Q: Can you become level 80 by just PvP'ing in arenas?
  A: Yes you can, though it would take you very long, es the experience in the arenas is minimal.
• Q: So what's the reason for the delay? A friend of mine is afriend you're going to dumb down the combat system for the WoW/Warhammer-crowd?
  A: From our beta responses it was just too hard for new players. We're developing and playing the game for many years now and for us it's like a second nature, but we have to keep the players in mind, so we removed 2 melee directions and made the initiation of a combo click able from bar.

Further things I remember from the questions I've asked:

• You can get gear through PvP.
• Funcom has enough money to sustain even longer development.

Later I came back again and played the game some, in an arena - capture the flag mode, afair it was 4 vs 4, but could have been also 5 vs 5 or 6 vs 6.

Anyway - the game still needs lots of work. So the excuse with the work in the combat system, especially the combos, is just a pretextual argument - they would have never ever be able to release it at the 30th, unless they wanted to release a beta, which they obviously did not.

There were some glitches in movement, e.g. you could just zig zag slide as if you'd be on a snowboard, a lot of the combos they've put in place just didn't work somehow - so I can understand that the beta testers said that the system is bad. The graphics itself was at least on the machine I played just pure crap but I think it was the machine - I turned on higher settings and shadows and just got a few frames per second but it looked way better on other machines.

I saw 6-8 resistance types and ~6 different attributes in addition to hit points, endurance and so on.

I was hooked at the first visit and disappointed at the second but I think they will manage to release a good game. Let's hope for beta access so we can have a look."

[pez]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

A: From our beta responses it was just too hard for new players. We're developing and playing the game for many years now and for us it's like a second nature, but we have to keep the players in mind, so we removed 2 melee directions and made the initiation of a combo click able from bar.[/list]Further things I remember from the questions I've asked:

eeesh, probably a good thing for gameplay but bang, there goes half their originality.

[LordjOX]

Ah, cheers
I also see from some of the PvP / siege footage now that its very glitchy. It would deffo need those extra months of development.

I like the mercenary system they put in place, extra fun added to that kind of guild or solo players that play alot.

Some big scale pvp and forts etc explained / shown: [ low qual ] [ high qual ]

[Ctuchik]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

[*]Q: Will there be a /level command?
A: Not decided yet, if, then only a /level 20 one.

[Flimgoblin]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

Warhammer: Good booth but sadly graphics-wise WoW clone (really disappointed about this, but hey EA!)

I'm sure this'll still be what people think in 10 years time but hey

YouTube - Warhammer Online: Video of the Month #8-2


That looks nothing like WoW

to be fair the interface on show at the demos is fairly wow-like (map in the top right hand corner, abilities in the middle, casting spell bars...) but looking at the age of conan video's they're doing exactly the same...


Orc Comparison
Goblin Comparison
Dwarf Comparison

[Manisch Depressiv]

Originally Posted by Flimgoblin

I'm sure this'll still be what people think in 10 years time but hey

YouTube - Warhammer Online: Video of the Month #8-2


That looks nothing like WoW

to be fair the interface on show at the demos is fairly wow-like (map in the top right hand corner, abilities in the middle, casting spell bars...) but looking at the age of conan video's they're doing exactly the same...


Orc Comparison
Goblin Comparison
Dwarf Comparison

Uhm, not sure what to think of the video and the comparison pictures.

The general (american) cartoon style direction is the same for me, in WoW and in Warhammer, take a look at AoC or the few others (MMO)RPGs shown at the GC and you will realize of how different than WoW a game can look.

[Lethul]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

Uhm, not sure what to think of the video and the comparison pictures.

The general (american) cartoon style direction is the same for me, in WoW and in Warhammer, take a look at AoC or the few others (MMO)RPGs shown at the GC and you will realize of how different than WoW a game can look.

ye of course. but don't you think warhammer fans would be outraged if they started designing orcs away from the warhammer models?

[Ctuchik]

Originally Posted by Manisch Depressiv

Uhm, not sure what to think of the video and the comparison pictures.

The general (american) cartoon style direction is the same for me, in WoW and in Warhammer, take a look at AoC or the few others (MMO)RPGs shown at the GC and you will realize of how different than WoW a game can look.

u DO know that WoW is a warhammer clone and not the other way around?