Sword 2.

[bluestarultor]

Rather than clogging up the other thread with all this, I decided making a new one might be better.

This is basically my observations on the game so far:

Leveling:
- goes quickly (unusually so, maybe TOO quickly based on certain level limits on game services)
- seems to grant experience based on need (lower level characters catch up quickly)

Graphics:
- are awesome (water effects are VERY nice)
- will make your processor scream if you don't nerf them

Sound:
- is all well-done
- oddly juxtaposes classical pieces with techno

Design:
- Victorian with modern influences
- consistent throughout
- features heavy use of various Romance languages
- is loosely based on Europe's settlement of the Americas

Combat:
- really, REALLY needs the hotkeys if you're going to keep up
- has a TON of hotkeys
- lets you switch between your three party members quickly and easily
- gets very fast-paced if you're plopped in a spawn area and have your party all set to attack at will
- can be hard to juggle
- could really use a function where your party follows you automatically like in towns
- is INCREDIBLY tactical (I laughed when they billed it an RTS MMORPG, but not anymore)
- at least in the beginning, generally results in one-hits to most enemies

Classes:
- are limited to five base classes plus any "UPCs" (Unique Player Characters) you're awarded
- are based on "stances" gained from equipment
- show a good deal of overlap, especially between the two magical ones
- for the most part allow ranged weaponry
- the first UPC you get is a more limited version of the Fighter base class and really not worth it, from what I can tell/have read
- "stances" need to be unlocked via items
- gender makes no difference in stats

Pets:
- are a small animal that either grabs drops or heals your party or some other useful effect
- may be even better healers than your Scout
- are unable to be damaged, but must be fed at set intervals
- last holiday season, there were also three tiger pets added for an event which are effing awesome and probably way out of any of our reaches now

Quests:
- seem so far to be fetch quests and killing stuff
- don't often seem to award in-game currency (Vis)
- DO consistently award "polishes" to trade for more weaponry

Drops:
- seem reasonably generous with equipment
- are over 50% mangoes (which heal 200HP instantly on picking them up)
- happen 99% of the time, even if it's just a mango
- often include more than one item
- do not include money

Notes:
- you can make up to 4 starting characters in each "family" and expand later
- family names (last names) ensure you get the names you want
- this game makes HEAVY use of "premium" items, which you oddly get several of for free starting out, and which you can otherwise buy with real money
- guns take ammo
- many abilities consume items
- there are free enchantment tables for your beginning weaponry until you hit level 21 and there's no reason to not use them
- beginning weaponry is actually better than beginning drops (I'm waiting for them to be taken away)
- stats on the base classes have thus far seemed to adjust automatically, or at least I haven't found where to increase them yet



UPDATE: I've now played all basic classes for a bit, plus the first UPC.

Wizard:
- easy starting class (they start you off with only one party member until you reach town)
- ranged magic damage (no element)
- good land speed
- good attack speed
- Rod and Staff weaponry is totally interchangeable until you unlock more stances
- wears light armor (Coat)

Elementalist:
- God Mode magic class
- only class to start off with more than one stance to freely select from (unarmed allows you to switch Fire - Ice - Lightning)
- ranged magic damage (element of Bracelet (or chosen if unarmed))
- attack speed quite adequate
- gets the most starting options of weaponry (three elemental Bracelets and unarmed)
- wears cloth armor (Robe)

Musketeer:
- seems to do tons of damage
- slow land speed
- attacks slower than either of the mages
- attacks consume ammo appropriate to the equipped gun
- starting ammo generous, but not unlimited, seemingly set to run out right about when the training wheels come off or a bit after
- wears light armor (Coat)

Fighter:
- good for tanking
- good melee attack
- speeds for attack and move seem average
- only one starting weapon viable due to lack of stances for the others
- Shields equippable, though, for extra defense, if not a different stance right away
- wears medium and heavy armor (Leather, Metal)

Scout:
- designed as party healer
- as a healer, generally has little to do due to so many insta-heal drops in the beginning
- best to keep unarmed starting out (unarmed counts for the healing stance)
- daggers adequate for back-up melee, but basically not where you should focus at first
- wears medium armor (Leather)

Reboldeaux Soldier:
- attack stats equal to Fighter, other stats lower
- UPC (not a starting class, limit one creation per family)
- bonus points in that more weaponry can be equipped off the bat
- useful Fighter stand-in until more stances can be unlocked for Fighter
- wears medium and heavy armor (Leather, Metal)


Features not yet unlocked/used/found:
- ability to equip two weapons (minus Sword + Shield) on any base class
- stat allocation
- any spell so far (seriously, I have yet to do anything but basic attacks)


Features specifically unlocked:
- UPC card for the soldier (free)
- 400 G1 credits ($5)
- 500 Gold for cash shop (99 G1 credits)
- 2 slots in my Quarters to accommodate the extra characters (100 Gold each)
- total cost of 2 character slots = ($5 / 400G1c) * (99G1c / 500G) * 200G = $0.495, making each slot worth roughly a US quarter (not bad, really)



Other comments:
This release still has some bugs floating around. Login issues, mostly. Servers are not being recognized by default and an XML file is being distributed by the staff on the forums to tell the launcher where the servers are. Also, in some cases, you'll be told you're already logged in when trying to either log into the game or trying to re-enter from your Quarters. Backing out to the login screen and refreshing the servers seems to fix this temporarily.

On a personal note, this game will probably last me longer than Perfect World did due to the ability to pretty much freely create and delete characters. The only limitations are that deleted UPCs cannot be re-created without another appropriate UPC card and you must wait one minute between deleting a character and creating a new one. I'll never have to leave the sandbox if I don't want to, since mission level requirements are determined by average party level. Although, honestly, I don't see leaving the sandbox as being a real problem in this case, because so far there hasn't been a ton of work put into making me get attached to the first town.

The cash shop boils down to dirt cheap for what I'd want it for (US$5 earns you 2000G, which is plenty unless you're making a big purchase) and the cash items really aren't needed. The game starts you off with plenty of great items and the setup is designed to make it so piss-easy you don't even need to stick around unless you need to pick up items, provided your group isn't split up.

It looks like it has some potential despite writing errors and the occasional game hiccup.