datus

This feel like an MMO that just came out about 2 years too early. Not that it's broken or anything, but for an MMO there simply isn't any content. Even for a single player TES game it's very simplistic, and doesn't even come close to it's predecessors, let alone being a good MMO, which by my ideals should be more grand than a single player game. In ESO you have no housing, no economy (not even an Auction system), no reputation/faction system, extremely simple and linear crafting system where you know all recipes instantly and just craft whatever you need. ESO is a lacking MMO and a lacking TES game to boot.

Wow so sad to see this amazing MMO being down-rated because of problems that happened a year ago on launch day. All you incredibly learned individuals who gave this game low scores based on "launch day issues" and didn't come back to adjust your score should all just stop using the internet for humanity's sake. As an MMO veteran, I will give this game nothing short of a 10 for attempting to be awesome. Some say it's a WoW clone just because it has a skill bar. Other than that there is nothing WoW like about it. This is like a cross between UO and EQ with awesome FF story telling. I typically hate dialogue in MMOs but the story telling in this game is so compelling I actually enjoy the main quest line. Which is there for those who want it, and many MMO basics like mounts and airships are also level locked (a la FF games) which seems bad but they really make it work in providing a feeling of accomplishment. There is so much to do in this game between being able to play every class as one character, and trying out all the crafting and gathering professions, that it never feels like a linear progression regardless of whether you follow the story or not. It's just an awesome blend of open world exploration / harvesting and story line that I haven't seen in any MMO to date. I really think this is what ESO was trying to be. Also, best fishing system ever. My only regret is that I waited this long to try it.

A dysfunctional Ultima Online. That's how I would sum up Runescape 3. There are many aspects that shine, like the quests, which are very well done, but the functionality overall is just very poor. I'm a member and run the game through the client, and there is constant stutter. Same with running it through Chrome or Firefox. Every time it loads new textures, it loads them like a webpage, which causes the streaming to blip. The game requires Java runtime. Anyone who knows coding, Java is an interpreted language (not compiled) which is extremely inefficient. Java requires a runtime environment to work, or an interpreter, which literally translates the source code on the fly as it runs. The game is extremely limited and lag infested because of this. Controls are clunky. Every action has a noticeable delay to it. It's point and click. You point and click, and wait 1/2 second for your input to be interpreted by the server. Basically, it's a browser game that attempts to be more. I love everything RS3 tries to accomplish, even if it is a direct rip off of Ultima Online. My biggest problem aside from the horrible performance is there is no party system. It's a touchy topic with the RS crowd. Sure there was no party system in the UO days, but you'd still gain skill points for combat if you were attacking something. In RS3 if your friend hits a mob first, you don't get anything, no skill increase or loot nothing. There's is absolutely no incentive to group up(which you can't do anyway), or play with others. Strangers will stand there and watch you die, because they gain nothing from helping you (yes the MMO crowd does not typically hold higher values, sadly). There is supposed to be a loot share system, but I have yet to see it actually work. Regardless, trying to play with friends is like existing in parallel universes where neither experience the glory of combined effort. Hell, you can't even see one another on the mini-map, there aren't even name tags! Horrid nightmare. A lot of what RS3 touts as features are really just limitations of the programming platform. It becomes more and more noticeable as you play. Anyway it's a sad mess really. Every time I play I ask myself, "why am I not playing Ultima Online?" The reality is is that I always wanted an Ultima Online with a more modern graphics engine, and aside from SWG, RS3 I guess is as close as it's going to get. But I don't think I'll renew my sub... hopefully ESO will fill the void. It's tough, there is a lot of charm in Runescape 3, but the technical folly's keep it in the odd-bin of games.

In the world of media, fans **** or a specific franchise can sometimes be more of a hindrance to it's success than the rest of us. I'm saddened to see some negative perspectives on this game. Myself, being new to the Settlers series, and this being the first Settlers game I've played, I was hugely impressed with the scope of Settlers 6. I've been playing PC games since the Ultima days and I can honestly say that I haven't been this addicted to a game since Ultima 7. Not that I'm comparing this to Ultima 7 but, my point is is that this is not just an RTS, or a city building game. In fact I don't really think you can pigeonhole this game. To summarize. You have to gather resources before you can build anything, and you're free to control your hero and explore the map to find such resources (and sometimes treasure). Your settlers can harvest wood, stone, and iron. Your settlers can hunt game, fish, and raise livestock including sheep and cattle which, they can sheer and milk respectively. You can then process those materials accordingly, by setting up cheese or tailor shops. You can grow wheat and a baker can turn it into bread. Apiaries, taverns, etc. It's all these little details that, for me, separates Settlers 6 from most RTS or strategy games. It's a little bit Medieval simulator, with some action and exploration built in. You can zoom right in watching your settlers as they work, and they will speak to you and give feedback as to their level of comfort. This is not one of those abstract empire building games where the UI is basically a board game played on your PC, against a computer AI. Settlers 6 is real time, and you can see your settlers up close, as well as interact with them. The maps and models are fully rendered, which allows you to not only zoom in, but also rotate the camera or your building models in any direction. People compare this game to Age of Empires, but graphically Settlers 6 looks like a modern game, whereas AoE III looks like a DOS game (with all due respect). Being that Settlers 6 is also less combat oriented, your units are only limited to 2 types, archers and swordsman, but, you also have your knight, who is on horseback, and you can build 4 types of siege engines. Another couple of points I want to get out there. I've read some say that this specific installment is less complex than it's predecessors. I straight up disagree. After completing Settlers 6 I went on to try earlier versions and actually found them lacking in comparison. I think sometimes people confuse a less informative and cryptic UI as complexity. I've also played Settler 7 and I still feel Settlers 6 is the winner. Admittedly, missions can get repetitive, but the trick for me was to just take my time on each map, and build up my town and gain he highest rank possible with my knight before rushing to the objective. Another happy note. The custom map missions come with a sandbox style map called "free settlement". A great way to enjoy the game once you've completed the campaign.