Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 7:57 pm
I've been having fun with this game so far this weekend. Bought it because a friend of mine would not shut up on Facebook about the series. But he's a console guy, and I always just ignored him. Apparently PC was the main development platform for this version, and I heard this was one of the best games in the series so far.
For the most part, it's been pretty awesome. As far as controls it seems like playing with a controller plugged into your PC would be the best option. But I've figured out the key mapping well enough, even if it's a bit clunky.
Why not play on the console, you might ask? Apparently the answer is that modern PCs run this game silky smooth, but the console offerings are stuttering and ugly.
It's a 3rd person, dark and brutal RPG. I definitely love the meaty and twitchy combat, and big bosses. My character class is a sword and halberd armored knight. Other classes(and the term is loose, more UO than WoW) use magic, bows, rapiers, etc.

The NPC stuff is fun and engaging, but the game has been SHINING in pvp and co-op related content. It's really deep and complicated, so I'll just share my first invasion story.
I had gotten past the "generic zombies" portion of the early game/tutorial and was facing a stretch of huge armored enemies three times my size. I was pretty weak still, so I was relying on summoning in players (as helpful phantoms) to get through the armored ranks.
Anyone who summons in as a phantom gets the same currency reward as the human host gets, so people will place their "opt in" signs if they are hurt or broke, as a successful stent as a phantom yields health buffs and the promise of some very excellent riches if the host hasn't killed certain bosses or monsters yet.
So me and this random phantom set off into the ruined temple. We finish off the first few guys whe suddenly I get a new message that we are being INVADED by a hostile spirit. I don't totally understand the game mechanics, but can still explain what happened.
A red mage looking guy pops into the temple. He starting flinging lighting out left and right. The hulking armored NPCs ignore the invader but are still aggoring us - great. He's using them as shields as I stumble around in circles for a potion.
At some point my phantom goes down. So I run! Back to area we'd cleared, and start searching for other Phantom signs - glowing writing on the ground to summon more guys. I try a bunch, they don't always work - someone else may taken them and the online system hasn't updated it yet. Dude is still following me with lighting and death.
One phantom connects, right in the path of the red mage. He dies. Another Phantom connects closer to me, so we rush the dude. Phantom attacks from one side and I land a halberd hit on the mage and he's almost dead! A little chasing and short sword work later:

~3,000 souls in loot. Not a ton, but a few levels worth!
Edited By Troy on 1398648114
For the most part, it's been pretty awesome. As far as controls it seems like playing with a controller plugged into your PC would be the best option. But I've figured out the key mapping well enough, even if it's a bit clunky.
Why not play on the console, you might ask? Apparently the answer is that modern PCs run this game silky smooth, but the console offerings are stuttering and ugly.
It's a 3rd person, dark and brutal RPG. I definitely love the meaty and twitchy combat, and big bosses. My character class is a sword and halberd armored knight. Other classes(and the term is loose, more UO than WoW) use magic, bows, rapiers, etc.

The NPC stuff is fun and engaging, but the game has been SHINING in pvp and co-op related content. It's really deep and complicated, so I'll just share my first invasion story.
I had gotten past the "generic zombies" portion of the early game/tutorial and was facing a stretch of huge armored enemies three times my size. I was pretty weak still, so I was relying on summoning in players (as helpful phantoms) to get through the armored ranks.
Anyone who summons in as a phantom gets the same currency reward as the human host gets, so people will place their "opt in" signs if they are hurt or broke, as a successful stent as a phantom yields health buffs and the promise of some very excellent riches if the host hasn't killed certain bosses or monsters yet.
So me and this random phantom set off into the ruined temple. We finish off the first few guys whe suddenly I get a new message that we are being INVADED by a hostile spirit. I don't totally understand the game mechanics, but can still explain what happened.
A red mage looking guy pops into the temple. He starting flinging lighting out left and right. The hulking armored NPCs ignore the invader but are still aggoring us - great. He's using them as shields as I stumble around in circles for a potion.
At some point my phantom goes down. So I run! Back to area we'd cleared, and start searching for other Phantom signs - glowing writing on the ground to summon more guys. I try a bunch, they don't always work - someone else may taken them and the online system hasn't updated it yet. Dude is still following me with lighting and death.
One phantom connects, right in the path of the red mage. He dies. Another Phantom connects closer to me, so we rush the dude. Phantom attacks from one side and I land a halberd hit on the mage and he's almost dead! A little chasing and short sword work later:

~3,000 souls in loot. Not a ton, but a few levels worth!
Edited By Troy on 1398648114