Early impressions from a TV-made-me-try-it Trial player

[N3gativeCr33p]

And one of the best good guy characters is a Sensoth, which you would never guess from the show.

Yeah, I thought this was kind of odd as well... although it was kind of a nice change of pace to see that Sensoths can be both good and bad.

On topic... great post, OP!

[X64]

Ok let me start reading this.... The story starts like Zzzzz....

[Buruko]

Rumor is those
[2]machinist, survivalist, veteran and outlaw synergy's dont require a second weapon to work as lng as they match you choose starting class. But if they dont they require a second weapon. Other then starting weapons that is the only thing that relates to class.

Complete rumor. That means you need 2 mods of that type in the weapon.

Your 'origin' commonly called 'class' does nothing it merely selects your starting weapon and outfit. You can even change the 'origin' name in the Loadout menu from the get go. So there is no way to determine your starting 'origin' later on down the road in anyway.

After you hit the ground, your just another Ark Hunter 'bub.


As for TV-TO-TRIAL-Player, welcome to the rodeo. This game has had it's bumps but it's fun, enjoyable, and free to play. So enjoy, any questions feel free to drop a PM, the forum community is hit or miss but you can post too.

[Maitreakow]

Complete rumor. That means you need 2 mods of that type in the weapon.

Your 'origin' commonly called 'class' does nothing it merely selects your starting weapon and outfit. You can even change the 'origin' name in the Loadout menu from the get go. So there is no way to determine your starting 'origin' later on down the road in anyway.

After you hit the ground, your just another Ark Hunter 'bub.

Just some clarification.

Any weapon with the (2) before the synergy just needs two weapons of that synergy equipped as Primary and Secondary weapons.

Weapons with the (4) are the ones that require the same type mods installed on the weapons.

[theLimper]

As mentioned please be aware that Defiance is not a traditional MMORPG nor has it ever intended to be. Its design is unique and often warrants complaints from people expecting something else. The weapon rarity levels and quality is one big factor that throws everyone off. I know when I first started I raged over weapons until I realized what was going on.

[Fancypants]

So now what gives me the biggest issues: the lack of connection between the depth of the series and the game world. I know I am in the Earth Republic section, so mostly humans and they are wary at least of Votans. But ... c'mon? It feels a lot like it could be any human centric shooter currently. Some mobs look exotic, I look a bit exotic since I am Irathien, you have some exotic weapons. But ... Defiance? Where are the languages, the music, the different cultural traditions, the artefacts of the races besides weapon, the really weird stuff? I had to grin that chicken never mutated obviously but everything else did. I play an Irathien but except the looks of it I could be a human like anyone else. The main missions, the mission scripting, voice over, all done with attention to detail. But it remains ... shallow. What makes Defiance Defiance for me from the TV series or where everyone speaks reverently of the Defiant Few even in game ... it doesn't touch anything for real. I've played RIFT for a while before release. And it reminds me a lot of RIFT in that the gameplay is well done and has progressive, good mechanical ideas. But the world still does not feel a WORLD of its own. But a stage set up to run tasks in. If you simply want to make another fantasy offshoot MMORPG that pulls in simply by mechanics, fine (in case of RIFT). But an IP is more than that.
The TV series does. It stands on its own, definitely by now. The game does not atmosphere wise for me.
I'm not even sure WHY that is. I can only report how it feels to me.
It is a bit like Walking Dead, the game my hubby just finished. I got hooked watching over his shoulder while he played (too bloody for me to play myself of watch it), the characters were unique, it was believable, we were both quite emotionally invested quickly and even upset when it was over. After days I still think about the world, how it felt, what could have gone differently, how it would be to live in that world. The Defiance TV series does the same, I think about the conflicts and problems in the series, social and economical. But the game world is not catching up at all with me.
I believe that is a crucial point though, you are currently loosing out tremendously on the strength of the IP you are developing. Maybe it would help to get the TV story writers play the game and tell you why that is. And put way more Votans ingame (ridiculous to have ONE Castithan and ... she doesn't even look clearly her way. Rather fair human appearance in my eyes. And if I had not known that Varus is a Liberata I would not have recognized him.

Please read my sig. It seems as though you're expecting something that was explicated stated by (at least half of the partnering team) to somehow be different.

They've said since extremely early on that there is a tightly-controlled limited amount of crossover between show and game.. imo, it was done that way probably in case if one failed hard (game or show), the other wouldn't have the same problem being that closely tied to the hip.

I'd say though that more people should have done 'homework' if they were in it for the story angles because the info was clearly out there.. watching over people's shoulders for bits at a time or listening to your buddy say how 'cool' some things are should never be a cause for spending money. Research should still be done before making a purchase in order to avoid unrealistic expectations down the line rather than relying on publicity advertising and whim buying... unless money isn't really an object.

[brandileigh]

I don't think it's fair to the OP that people are telling them to research. It's always been billed from what I've seen as a multi-media world with crossovers between the tv show and the movie.

If I had to actually research every game I buy by reading interviews for people such as the Michael Nankin I'd probably get so mired down I'd never buy a game. I think alot of this falls on Syfy/Trion to set the client expectation via information on the Defiance website instead of expecting people to pick through interviews and twitters and what not.

I also think the OP should realize that, unfortunately, most games now don't provide alot of detail and instead expect the playing communities to pick up the slack in forms such as player ran websites and wikis. Long gone is the time when you got actual information on how to play the game with your game. I really think it should be made clearer ( by Trion ) it clearer that if you have an equipped item you can't salvage matrix it and stuff like that we shouldn't always have to depend on the kindness of forum posters to explain stuff like that.

That all being said, I think this game is great and at comic-con they said to expect alot more cross over between the two so YAY on that.

[Indra Echo]

well the number one thing people have to understand this game's not an rpg.
it does have some Rpg elements but in the end it is a third person shooter
that said welcome to paradise

This is the case. What I will say is that if we as players do want Trion to consider adding more RPG elements then we have to speak up about it. So far the louder voices are those that want more combat elements. Understand that Trion is listening, contrary to what people may think. The reason we will get sieges back (for the OP these were sort of horde mode time limited things) and duels and an arena is because people loudly said they wanted them. And those are more shooter specific things.

That said, I am and have been more of a story lover but I've played a lot of shooters. What worked for me with Defiance is that it mostly isn't about fighting with other players. And what also worked is that while the guns do matter, no one gun is meant to be the most powerful thing in the game-something that you just point and shoot and can take out everyone with. But there's been a kind of "revolving door" of powerful weapons and buffing and nerfing to change things up. I don't think Trion wants us to all start relying on one weapon to do everything FOR us.

If the game relied upon one ultra-rare powerful weapon then only the few that get it could succeed. Instead, a great part of the game relies upon us thinking about how to evade and attack foes who have different AIs and attacks. The Volge are not fooled by cloak but hellbugs are.

As for being thrust into the story, well yes that happens. Technically, you aren't so much working for Von Bach as you are working to earn the scrip he'll give you for using your talents which are to locate ark salvage through arkfalls or whatever. The missions you do give you some reknown and yes they're not big hour long events. They aren't meant to be because this is a shooter. Back to my first point.

No, not a lot of Castithans but there will be. And that's also part of the thing in this game. The game isn't so much about a story that you are being told as it is a story that you are making. You're becoming the best you can be by challenging yourself. And I'd say also take some time to stop and smell the roses. There are a lot of little things that can be overlooked along the way, but if you see them they'll make you smile.

I like to use my imagination in this game and think it's a lot of fun when I see a stream of cars headed toward an arkfall.

[Indra Echo]

The reality is that yes, players do have to do some homework (as does any consumer) before buying a product. But also all devs are guilty of fabrication in pre-release hype. That hype is used to insure they get a large number of pre-orders. Game trailers are deceiving and any game company's use of gameplay video should mostly be ignored. Opt rather to see how it plays for "real people" if you're doing that homework. But even so, you won't know until you play a game whether or not you personally like it.

There was that whole big debacle over Mass Effect 3's ending (with the devs' huge pre-release hype) and all because the ending wasn't something that was promised and was never something considered in any reviews until a whole lot of anger erupted. That kind of thing is impossible to avoid as a consumer.

That being said, no Trion never said the game would go hand in hand with the show. I think many of us inferred it would.

Both they and the tv execs said there would be crossover material and that how players played the game would help determine the direction both game and show took. With what they've said will be in the DLC, it's obvious they are listening.

People wanted the Castithans and charge blades. I know because I was in on requesting both. People wanted more sieges, duels, arenas, a bigger truck, ability to change their current character, and more. And Trion says these things will be in DLC. As well as a re-vamped salvage matrix and so on. So the game is related to how we play. The show may well also hinge on our requests. Do we want Kenya to return? Do we want to see Datak suffer in some way or learn that Stahma is the real power? Do we want the Doctor to be good or bad? Or to see Nolan's skeletons come back to haunt him? So, I think in part they wait for us to tell them what we like and want to see and that's not bad.

I do think the devs took some hints from other player-hyped games that became successes-Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Those games didn't explain anything as to where you had to go and what to do. In a way, it's more RPG than other games have. You have to figure things out or ask veteran players for help. The game doesn't tell you all you need to know.

But OP, you can find a lot of info even on this site. At the top of this page is the Community Blog link. You can go back and find out all you need to know about weapon synergies and such things. It's a great place to start. Also, there's info you can find in game under help and intel. People often overlook this stuff.

[Jacra]

On the Intel screen (or info if you're as lazy as me) expand Data Recorder, then a location or episode and it should give you a list of data recorders. When I highlight them it gives me a one line description under the title in a window to the right and I press triangle to play them. not sure what that would be on PC.

Triangle. There is a play button. Can we have a FAT RED play button maybe?