Got some game questions

[WarMachine]

Hello

I'm asking in the PC section because if I get the game, it will be for PC. I've been following the game from a distance, and actually more interested in the TV show. I beta tested Rift with a guild, but after the game went live the guild lasted all of two weeks (most of the guild and me where lvl 50 in 1 week) due to really not much end game initially, we went back to a previous game (This wasn't a guild made for Rift, but a real guild spanning different games).

So, does the game have enough content? I understand for some people its the journey, but for others its the destination, So is there enough of either?

How's the game running and gameplay? Rift ran great, and would expect Defiance to have a good launch and play.

Does it have Micro transactions? When I saw Preorder and upgrades, I noticed a item, something like a 30 day XP boost, that's usually something I see in micro transaction stores.

Monthly fees.... Is there any? In Pay 2 play, there is of course a monthly fee, but sometimes F2P and no sub games sometimes require a monthly micro transaction to access the end game or special content.

Will there be a player base? Now what really worries me about pre ordering is the fact Steam hasn't even hit its first reward. I've seen turd bombs hit the 3rd reward weeks before the game launches, and yet Defiance (who has been getting a decent amount of press) isn't even at 1 just a matter of days away from launch.


I don't care about initial tech problems at launch, day 1 patches, or other such issues ALL MMOs launch with, nor am I really interested in playing Beta (I think betas have been ruining games for me). I'm really into post apocalyptic IPs (I even like Rage). I want a MMO with real meat on the bones, and Defiance and the cross over to the TV show sound promising, but have a few questions I'd like to see answered before I jump on it.

Everyone feel free to post your answers and opinions on my questions, I'm not going to buy until Friday at the earliest. Thanks to those that help.

[Kathne]

Here's my thoughts on your questions.

1. No, in 3 days I played through every ounce of content available while playing Everquest and SB - unless they left a ton of content out for the first part then it's gonna run dry real fast and become a do I want to pvp or not game where not means going to play something else.

2. Gameplay on my computer was great, very little lag, smooth graphics if not console looking. My son's machine with a lower end vid card could barely run it. He was stuck in 640x480 (only way he could keep it stable but it's his machine and not the game).

3. This one's a yes. They provided us with bits (their version of micro payment funds) and we were able to buy outfits, vehicles, etc..

4. No real clue, They make it sound like it's a purchase and play, with their DLC costing per episode but there has been no mention of monthly fees.

5. Since the chat was broken and on day 2 I saw maybe 30 people I cant say. They did have multiple servers running, kinda like instanced versions since My son and I were in the same area, standing together and until he went into the menu and traveled to me we couldnt see each other so there may be players on and you cannot see them.

One postive on vehicles however, the nomad truck carries at least 2 people. Making group travel so much nicer, the 4 wheelers are one seat so you're solo on them which is a shame, Rockethog anyone?

Kathne

[ironhands]

Can't say for certain about content since it's not released. A lot of the content is dynamic, so it won't "run out" plus there's 5 DLC coming this year. The beta content was limited to 2 areas.

On PC I haven't seen any issues, other than a launch delay/server restart on day 1 of the most recent beta - no shock there. It's a sign that there will be a player base if that many people were trying to get in at once.

Yes, there is an micro store, aside from XP boosts, and increased inventory, everything else is either available in game free or purely cosmetic.

No monthly fees, but DLC packs will be 10$, so if you want to stay up to date, you're looking at a season pass for 40$, break that down into a monthly fee if you like, $3.75 a month, for arguments sake. If you don't want the DLC, you can still play free.

Player base - probably. Huge? Tough to say, but there should be enough to keep things interesting.

[Dantos]

1) Ive heard they held areas back from the beta weekends. So thats a maybe. We had access to 2/5 areas, how full those are with content is another question.

2) Game ran fine on my mid level machine, No lag and very responsive. UI is a bit more than whats needed on a PC, definitely made with more of a console player in mind, but it wasnt horrible to navigate.

3) Yes microtransactions, things like outfits (appearance items), XP boots, vehicles, more inventory slots (you get more as you level as well) also lockboxes, but those can be earned in game as well by doing events and things. Nothing that seems like pay to win to me.

4) No monthly fee, its like GW2, you buy the box and you can play. They are releasing 5 DLCs at $10 a piece (as well as free content through normal patches). You can choose to buy all 5 right now for $40.

5) Thats the question on all our minds, if it was able to be cross platform, I wouldnt be worried, but the powers that be at Sony/Microsoft decided otherwise.

[WarMachine]

Thank you Kathne, Ironhands, and Dantos for the responses.

While I don't care if the game is F2P, P2P, or Purchase and Play, the only thing that I don't like is Pay to Win. Although ALOT of games claim not to be Pay to win, the vast majority of them are. Many games require Tokens to access content (that drops the phat lewts), although they may even occasionally alow the free players to score a token or two in game, people that buy the tokens can go at will and don't have to jump through hoops, and then the game becomes Pay to win.

Yes, I understand a lot of content may be withheld from Beta, but the idea of a truly dynamic world, this may hold my attention, and what brought me here in the first place. Once I heard about DLC, and a lot of it (5 DLCs is good by any game standard), I was thinking that there may be plenty of content to hold my attention, Any word on what the DLC is bringing? (I'm hoping its actual content, not a few new customization options and a MP map pack)

An micro transactions don't really turn me off either, as long as it does not go Pay to win.

[Dantos]

There hasnt been any word of any kind of tokens or anything like that, It's pretty much like what GW2 is doing with their game. You basically can do whatever you like when you like to.

No real info with regards to DLCs, most likely going to involve new missions, group instances, races, vehicles, weapons, ect. But thats just conjecture on my part.

[ironhands]

XP is, for the most part, irrelevant. it unlocks some extras, and the ability to play a little different, but a higher EGO rating won't make/break the game in most cases. It's not the gap you'd be used to if you were playing WoW or Rift and tried endgame content at level 10.

That being said, the XP and scrip boosts, while handy, aren't something you really really need, it will just speed things along. The inventory slots are really handy, and will mean less time during a mission stopping to break down items. I'll buy them, but again, no real advantage.

They only thing that *might* be pay to win, would be the lock boxes, BUT, the items inside are random, so there's no guarantee they'll be useful to you, and you can farm them pretty easily, so again, no real advantage to paying.

I would assume each DLC would contain about the same content as you saw in the beta... 1-2 new areas, and the quests to go with them, plus a few new arkfalls. Hopefully one or two new co-op or PvP missions too. One will certainly contain a new playable race, that is confirmed.

Purely speculation on my part.

[Archangel]

XP is, for the most part, irrelevant. it unlocks some extras, and the ability to play a little different, but a higher EGO rating won't make/break the game in most cases. It's not the gap you'd be used to if you were playing WoW or Rift and tried endgame content at level 10.

That being said, the XP and scrip boosts, while handy, aren't something you really really need, it will just speed things along. The inventory slots are really handy, and will mean less time during a mission stopping to break down items. I'll buy them, but again, no real advantage.

They only thing that *might* be pay to win, would be the lock boxes, BUT, the items inside are random, so there's no guarantee they'll be useful to you, and you can farm them pretty easily, so again, no real advantage to paying.

I would assume each DLC would contain about the same content as you saw in the beta... 1-2 new areas, and the quests to go with them, plus a few new arkfalls. Hopefully one or two new co-op or PvP missions too. One will certainly contain a new playable race, that is confirmed.

Purely speculation on my part.

great post.

[WarMachine]

Thanks for the great posts, Dantos and Ironhands. I like how Guild Wars works, and I don't think being able to buy a box that gives random stuff that can be scored pretty easy in game is much of a Pay to Win.

Thanks for the posts, at this point, I'm pretty sure I'll get it.

[ironhands]

Thanks for the great posts, Dantos and Ironhands. I like how Guild Wars works, and I don't think being able to buy a box that gives random stuff that can be scored pretty easy in game is much of a Pay to Win.

Thanks for the posts, at this point, I'm pretty sure I'll get it.

Hope to see you in-game, you'll have a blast I'm sure