So, I just hit level 20 and I feel that I've now sunk enough time into the game to give an opinion on it.
First, I find the MMO single player questing stuff is handled really well. It's addictive, well thought out, and it's really really innovative in so many respects. There's really no other experience quite like this one, and I don't regret having bought the Premium Egyptian to enjoy what I have so far.
On the other hand, I find that the developers have really FAILED in terms of explaining just what this game is. This game is NOT a pure RTS like the previous Age of Empires games. It's much more about the MMO experience where the player that is higher level and has the better gear is stronger by default. Not paying for Premium should be thought as playing an MMO and not having access to the best gear. So once the game is thought of in that respect, everything starts making sense in terms of balance and whatnot. It's really amazing how they've managed to bring that MMO experience and change the gameplay into RTS missions.
Unfortunately, I find that this concept was never explained to me prior to buying the game, and I do feel a bit cheated because of that. Being fresh and innovative has also come at a cost, as flaws in the current system very much exist. Because the game is an RTS and questing is with missions. Questing alongside others ranges from either too complicated to non-existent. The whole chat window system for doing that means you're better off just running through the quests solo. The next problem is a deeper one, and it's that RTS games simply aren't meant to be played against the computer. In standard MMOs, it is generally accepted that PvP is not the core of the game. It'll exist and those interested will have fun with it, but many many players will absolutely not mind ignoring PvP completely. This cannot be said for RTS games where PvP is where the genre has always thrived.
And especially when a game is advertised as Free to Play, it feels like the developers are making a tremendous blunder by essentially turning away all the RTS gamers who just wanted some AoE PvP online action. Yes, you can technically play PvP for free, but it's hardly convenient, even for Premium players. It's one thing to have stronger gear and beefed up units, but not having the entire tech tree means that a level 5 player who has just unlocked PvP and a level 40 player aren't even playing the same game.
I guess I'll just conclude by saying that I have mixed feeling about the game. I really want to like it, but I also cannot shake the feeling that its best features are needlessly tucked way too deep into the late game.
|||About F2P: in my country 95% of online games are free to play, I even cant remember any with subscribtion. And I already get used to the fact thatF2Pmeans that for comfortable playing you need to buy premium... at best. Or pay lots of money for things that are essential for PvP - at worst. AoEO is the first case, so I dont feel cheated in any way. And I dont understand people that whine that they cant play for free... I mean c'mon, developers need money for their game. To play sc2 (for example) you need to pay first, here you get "demo" of the game, and if you like it - you pay for full version.
|||There's still no option to just jump in and play completely evenly, which is I think what he's trying to get at.
Maybe things change, maybe they stay the same. I know I enjoy this game more for its MMO than its RTS, either way, it's fun enough to justify the purchase for now.
Though I hope skirmish hall brings back the AoE2 glory.
|||Funny, I was wondering about this too. I think that Microsoft (or whoever is publishing this out) really needs to put out that it's not just another AoE, but that it is an MMORTS and to really explore and push that genre. Too much throwback to either an MMO (which is mostly the PvE and co-op content) or the RTS (for the PvP) could hold it back from being the actual game it should be. Because you're right, these are two contradicting parts. RTS victories are based upon your ability to utilize all tools to the best of your ability. MMO victories are based upon how much time you invested. However, I'm skeptical about a lot of players who whine about losing. In World of Warcraft, League of Legends, AoE, and SC2: someone is always whining about losing when it is legitimately their skill at fault.
I guess the nice thing about it being an evergreen game and being an MMO is that we can judge the game over and over depending how it develops and grows. Unlike MMORPGs where they had Everquest and the D&D genre as an original fallback to grow off of, AoE:O is really becoming something of its own. I really think this is a game we just have to watch and see.
I still have hope because the game is catchy in a way, I'll continue to reserve judgment till the first patch and the new civs come out. Besides, I really hope it doesn't become the F2P/P2W/Micro-transaction-boosts that many are suggesting it to be, because I've tried a lot of them...and wow they make me want to gouge my eyes out and weep for the MMO gaming genre. (Battlestar Galactica Online, I'm looking at you!)
|||Freelancer
No one is saying they want the entire game fore free. I WANT to buy this game. I would lovingly throw down $100 if i was buying the entire game. I am not, however, going to get fooled into paying hundreds of dollars over the next year just so i can continue to be competative after each release. RTS players just wanted what has come to be expected of AoE, top end graphics(these graphics are actually kind of cool), in depth gameplay, and competative PvP, AoEO is none of that.
|||Really because buying the premuim civ unlocks it for life, so in reality throwing hundreds of dollars over the future years is not a reality. There are many options for payment that does not cost $100.|||This game is barely different than any other RTS when it comes to online. I would hardly call it an MMO just because you are forced to be connected to the internet to play.
The only real difference between this and Starcraft is that in this game you have a prettier background that you can change around. And, no, having items does not make a game an MMO, either.
InGlocksWeTrust,
Last I checked buying one premium civ does not give you the rest of the premium civs or any other "content." Buying all that stuff costs money.
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