Creature Handler Archive
Thread: First Impressions of the NGE
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Indene
Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:51 pm
#1
For my fellow creature handlers. This is what I posted on the NGE forums as to my first impressions
including conclusions about pets (see conclusions at the bottom)
Note to Hunters that choose to stay. Hunt Meat and Hide. It could be VERY valuable
in this brave new world. (See my notes on Mos Eisley)
WARNING Spoilers ahead. Pure Impressions are in Orange. The white contains the spoilers.
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Initial impressions of NGE
It was early in the morning (after 2 am) and I was very tired from reading the forums and waiting but I decided hay just one more
time I will try. Set up got the galaxy select recommend screen and it said tc2 instead of testcenter so I chose "next" and voila
the char creation screen. So clear my mind of any preconceptions and in I went. The first display for the char looked jsut fine
so I shrank the height to min, Took the weight to min, Added a little muscle (Tried all muscle and it looked really silly),
slimmed my waist a bit, studied the face and decided to leave it as the game started it. Not sure where the face adjustments were
now that I think about it. Choose the name Kiha and went in.
time I will try. Set up got the galaxy select recommend screen and it said tc2 instead of testcenter so I chose "next" and voila
the char creation screen. So clear my mind of any preconceptions and in I went. The first display for the char looked jsut fine
so I shrank the height to min, Took the weight to min, Added a little muscle (Tried all muscle and it looked really silly),
slimmed my waist a bit, studied the face and decided to leave it as the game started it. Not sure where the face adjustments were
now that I think about it. Choose the name Kiha and went in.
Opening shots very nice. I looked around and found the button to the door and it was obviously the way out. Moved just fine using
the arrow keys on the keyboard (several other games I play use jsut arrow or wasz keys for movement so it came naturally. put the
cursor (small crosshair) on it and pushed. Nothing happened. Oh wait there is some robot talking to me. I look around for him
and finally find him in a HUD video window in the upper lft corner of my screen. He gives me instructions that I follow as he
teaches me the controls (that I already seem to know as though born to them) I have a little trouble paying attention even though
I now recognize the voice of C3PO. The graphics are good and different from what I now remember from my first days in SWG 2 years
ago. Not obviously better. Just different.
the arrow keys on the keyboard (several other games I play use jsut arrow or wasz keys for movement so it came naturally. put the
cursor (small crosshair) on it and pushed. Nothing happened. Oh wait there is some robot talking to me. I look around for him
and finally find him in a HUD video window in the upper lft corner of my screen. He gives me instructions that I follow as he
teaches me the controls (that I already seem to know as though born to them) I have a little trouble paying attention even though
I now recognize the voice of C3PO. The graphics are good and different from what I now remember from my first days in SWG 2 years
ago. Not obviously better. Just different.
Back to C3PO. He leads me with a moving trail on the ground to some robot doctor to check my health (and teach me how to talk to
an NPC) then a cabnet to aquire a weapon (and teach me how to open a cabnet). THen he has me destroy some Empire property (great
what if I were an IMP by choice. Oh wait, Pretending to be New Player, Empire has taken me without even asking and I don't even
know as a new player who is holding me yet. The property taught me how to aim and shoot. If I do not aim at something I can
shoot the gun will not fire. Hmmmm. Ok. So I tried to shoot the doctor, I was experimenting so shoot me. Oh wait that happens
later
. Now C3PO wants me to shoot the yellow door switch. Why not jsut push it. Ah yes I tried that earlier. Must be locked.
So I shoot it and bam the door opens.
an NPC) then a cabnet to aquire a weapon (and teach me how to open a cabnet). THen he has me destroy some Empire property (great
what if I were an IMP by choice. Oh wait, Pretending to be New Player, Empire has taken me without even asking and I don't even
know as a new player who is holding me yet. The property taught me how to aim and shoot. If I do not aim at something I can
shoot the gun will not fire. Hmmmm. Ok. So I tried to shoot the doctor, I was experimenting so shoot me. Oh wait that happens
later
. Now C3PO wants me to shoot the yellow door switch. Why not jsut push it. Ah yes I tried that earlier. Must be locked.So I shoot it and bam the door opens.
Why look whos finally here to rescue me from that evil doc-bot that I cant shoot myself. They give me a quick story about being
held by the empire and I am quickly drawn into the story as they escort me to the falcon. We get there and Han tells me to get
behind the boxes and we all start shooting at the 3 storm troopers (well they do I watch for a moment) I then join in and we
quickly eliminate the guards. Han then tells me to board the falcon so we can get out of here. He doesn't move so I stop following
and run up the ramp. At the top of the ramp the game holds for a second then the loading screens let me know I am going somewhere.
They give me a quick story about beingheld by the empire and I am quickly drawn into the story as they escort me to the falcon. We get there and Han tells me to get
behind the boxes and we all start shooting at the 3 storm troopers (well they do I watch for a moment) I then join in and we
quickly eliminate the guards. Han then tells me to board the falcon so we can get out of here. He doesn't move so I stop following
and run up the ramp. At the top of the ramp the game holds for a second then the loading screens let me know I am going somewhere.
I
mpressions.
The good.
Good new player tutorial.
Engaging fast action combat as described and felt right out of the movies.
Felt drawn right in with han and chewie.
Targeting and shooting was natural and intuitive.
Good new player tutorial.
Engaging fast action combat as described and felt right out of the movies.
Felt drawn right in with han and chewie.
Targeting and shooting was natural and intuitive.
The bad
Not much. Annoying that I cant shoot the pistol wherever I aim it. Nice if there were more things to shoot at. (yes I know I am
a bloodthirsty B* at times)
Not much. Annoying that I cant shoot the pistol wherever I aim it. Nice if there were more things to shoot at. (yes I know I am
a bloodthirsty B* at times)
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The JTL Trip
Once inside the Falcon we can tell we are being persued by tie fighters even without windows. Since this is the Falcon from the
movies and I have manned the turrets of a YT24oo in JTL I automaticlly went to the turret tubes. It was so automatic that I can't
tell you how I knew or which way I turned. At the tube I had trouble getting the interface to acknoledge that I wanted up the ladder
Han had to tell me more than once to get up there. I don't know if it was a programmed hold or a bug but it was frustrating.
movies and I have manned the turrets of a YT24oo in JTL I automaticlly went to the turret tubes. It was so automatic that I can't
tell you how I knew or which way I turned. At the tube I had trouble getting the interface to acknoledge that I wanted up the ladder
Han had to tell me more than once to get up there. I don't know if it was a programmed hold or a bug but it was frustrating.
Once in the turret cockpit it was pure twitch shooting at the tie fighters. As a new player I would have been to excited and
overwhelmed to pay attention to the instructions about targeting. However I knew almost instinctivly what to do so I fired ahead
of the flying ties and quickly blew them out of the sky. Felt very immersive still.
overwhelmed to pay attention to the instructions about targeting. However I knew almost instinctivly what to do so I fired ahead
of the flying ties and quickly blew them out of the sky. Felt very immersive still.
Was told to come down the ladder (I caught the message about typing L to leave) and got down without trouble. I walked (again
without much thought) to the control cockpit where Han told me to strap in. I targeted a chair behind Han and was set in it
as expected (better than shooting a hole in the seat We jumped to lightspeed right out of the movies.
without much thought) to the control cockpit where Han told me to strap in. I targeted a chair behind Han and was set in it
as expected (better than shooting a hole in the seat
We jumped to lightspeed right out of the movies.Impressions
The Good.
Natural feel to movement and interface. Shooting right out of JTL and is pure "twitch" based. That is to say pure FPS.
Shooting ahead of the target to hit the target worked as expected for less than FAL (Fast as light) devices like photon torpedos
Natural feel to movement and interface. Shooting right out of JTL and is pure "twitch" based. That is to say pure FPS.
Shooting ahead of the target to hit the target worked as expected for less than FAL (Fast as light) devices like photon torpedos
The Bad.
Laser shots should be fast as light so I should not have to lead a target that is only 100m away but hey it is as it is in JTL
The delay at the ladder but that can be ignored. I was in a hurry cause Han was counting on my shooting skills
Laser shots should be fast as light so I should not have to lead a target that is only 100m away but hey it is as it is in JTL
The delay at the ladder but that can be ignored. I was in a hurry cause Han was counting on my shooting skills
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THe Space Station.
We arrived on the station and han now just standing there gives me a quest to go talk to a local guy who is the trader trainer.
said trainer gives me some simple quests to perform that help teach me how to use my crafting station and get xp and some cash.
When I made something without first accepting the quest he would not accept it but fortunatly standing right next to him was
an NPC vendor that was selling processed (all stats 200) resources for 2 cpu in 40 unit blocks so I was able to buy more resources
to make the items. The quests are started by chatting to the NPCs and accepted in a seporate screen set up just like a WoW screen.
These early quests had me going around the station which has several places of interest to newer players but the guide I followed
did not point out the shooting range or the melee practice range though I did go past them several times. On one of the quests
I found the first serious annoince in the new point and shoot interface. I am level 1 and I was supposed to hit a lvl 5 "BOSS".
without thinking I tried to bring up the info on this boss by clicking on him. Big Mistake. He was lvl 5 and I had just inniated
combat. It didnt last long. I did find out that he was lvl 5 when I shot him though
said trainer gives me some simple quests to perform that help teach me how to use my crafting station and get xp and some cash.
When I made something without first accepting the quest he would not accept it but fortunatly standing right next to him was
an NPC vendor that was selling processed (all stats 200) resources for 2 cpu in 40 unit blocks so I was able to buy more resources
to make the items. The quests are started by chatting to the NPCs and accepted in a seporate screen set up just like a WoW screen.
These early quests had me going around the station which has several places of interest to newer players but the guide I followed
did not point out the shooting range or the melee practice range though I did go past them several times. On one of the quests
I found the first serious annoince in the new point and shoot interface. I am level 1 and I was supposed to hit a lvl 5 "BOSS".
without thinking I tried to bring up the info on this boss by clicking on him. Big Mistake. He was lvl 5 and I had just inniated
combat. It didnt last long.
I did find out that he was lvl 5 when I shot him though One of the quests for the first NPC got me a personal harvester, some power and made me create a survey device to "teach" the NPC
how to make them properly. There was some cute dialog that would be for new players (and was for my older self) entertaining.
how to make them properly. There was some cute dialog that would be for new players (and was for my older self) entertaining.
Time to leave the station. Talked to Han. Went and got all the stuff. Got the warning that if I left I could not come back
(Why not I have JTL? ) and off we went to Mos Eisley.
(Why not I have JTL?
) and off we went to Mos Eisley.The Good.
Nice station. Well layed out. Quests were good for coninued teaching of basic crafting. Nice story to go with the "teaching"
still felt very immersive.
Crafting is right out of SWG but the complicated stuff is not needed for early crafting like the survey device so you see it
but are not required to learn what it means.
The Bad
The quests are opened by chatting to NPC like SWG but you have a different screen to accept the quest so I misssed starting
some quests and had to restart them.
A natural instinct to single click on a MOB (from EQ, EQ2, WoW, SWG) to check its level would initiate combat. Bet I should
Put the pistol away for now.
Sometimes confusing as to weather I was going to shoot or use or speak to the target under the cusrsor. The cursor does change
based on the single action I can do but as mentioned above there was one very dangerous action.
The quests are opened by chatting to NPC like SWG but you have a different screen to accept the quest so I misssed starting
some quests and had to restart them.
A natural instinct to single click on a MOB (from EQ, EQ2, WoW, SWG) to check its level would initiate combat. Bet I should
Put the pistol away for now
.Sometimes confusing as to weather I was going to shoot or use or speak to the target under the cusrsor. The cursor does change
based on the single action I can do but as mentioned above there was one very dangerous action.
User Note: Stay on the station for a while the pay on the surface seems much lower.
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Mos Eisley
Mos Eisley
I landed at the starport and han sent me on my way to see some NPC about work. We chatted and I did some quests for him. The
pay was low but I kept at it cause this is still learning. He sent me to a guy to get a speeder. I did. Kinda fun stealing
it from the Mayor but the quest should really have made me talk to the mayor a bit first. I did anyway then picked his pocket
and went back. The guy modified the speeder to look like it was mine then back to the first NPC for another crafting quest.
pay was low but I kept at it cause this is still learning. He sent me to a guy to get a speeder. I did. Kinda fun stealing
it from the Mayor but the quest should really have made me talk to the mayor a bit first. I did anyway then picked his pocket
and went back. The guy modified the speeder to look like it was mine then back to the first NPC for another crafting quest.
Meat Jerkey. Ok. Sure. Lets look it up. 10 units of meat and 5 units of hide. Ok I didn't see any resource vendors about but
I didn't look very hard either. I had seen some wild life jsut outside of town and having experience in EQ, EQ2, WoW I figgured
they had it. Killed a tame rill. Looted brains. Killed another, brains. checked the crafting tool. No brains were not usable
meat for the recipe. Well that makes some sense. Who would want brain jerkey when they could wait for the meat. So I ask myself
in my SWG mindset "here is a critter about the size of a medium dog. To quote an old fast food commertial, 'Where's the beef?'
Did i fry it all with my blaster? Maybe I should try Melee and a knife. Oh well nothing left to do but keep on killing rills.
Eye, Brains, eye, 4 units of hide, brains, 2 units of meat, eye, wait. Check. Yep that meat will work only 8 more to go. Brains,
eye, brains, 2 units of meat. Hold on here a sec bucko. let me see that is 13 dead critters the size of a medium dog and not even
half the meat I need for one run of meat jerkey. Can you say grind? Hmmm. come to think of it where's that walking fir rug?
or the guy that rescued me. Hmmmm.
I didn't look very hard either. I had seen some wild life jsut outside of town and having experience in EQ, EQ2, WoW I figgured
they had it. Killed a tame rill. Looted brains. Killed another, brains. checked the crafting tool. No brains were not usable
meat for the recipe. Well that makes some sense. Who would want brain jerkey when they could wait for the meat. So I ask myself
in my SWG mindset "here is a critter about the size of a medium dog. To quote an old fast food commertial, 'Where's the beef?'
Did i fry it all with my blaster? Maybe I should try Melee and a knife. Oh well nothing left to do but keep on killing rills.
Eye, Brains, eye, 4 units of hide, brains, 2 units of meat, eye, wait. Check. Yep that meat will work only 8 more to go. Brains,
eye, brains, 2 units of meat. Hold on here a sec bucko. let me see that is 13 dead critters the size of a medium dog and not even
half the meat I need for one run of meat jerkey. Can you say grind? Hmmm. come to think of it where's that walking fir rug?
or the guy that rescued me. Hmmmm.
I seem to have fallen out of the movie into this dust bowl with reptiles that have no meat. Guess it is time for bed.
The Good
Looks like Mos Eisley
Got a speeder without having to buy it.
Loot drops would tell you what best to do with the item
Looks like Mos Eisley
Got a speeder without having to buy it.
Loot drops would tell you what best to do with the item
The bad.
Gee this looks like SWG but there is a better interface for initiating combat I think.
Having to grind for little specks of meat from big critters.
Lose of imersion. Maybe it will come back or a combat path will keep it going for a while.
Gee this looks like SWG but there is a better interface for initiating combat I think.
Having to grind for little specks of meat from big critters.
Lose of imersion. Maybe it will come back or a combat path will keep it going for a while.
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Conclusions
I think the early quests are very good for new players and help to quickly (for crafter) teach elements of the gameplay in
a fun and immersive environment. I don not however see the immersion continuing for the crafter path but still to early to
tell for sure.
a fun and immersive environment. I don not however see the immersion continuing for the crafter path but still to early to
tell for sure.
Immersion.
Yes. At least at the start. very good and draws you right in. Feels like being in the movie.
FPS
In space yes just like JTL. On the ground not FPS but more like it than the old interface. Seems as though it is
the old way but faster (less time between shots).
I think once I get used to it I will like it better than the old way.
Yes. At least at the start. very good and draws you right in. Feels like being in the movie.
FPS
In space yes just like JTL. On the ground not FPS but more like it than the old interface. Seems as though it is
the old way but faster (less time between shots).
I think once I get used to it I will like it better than the old way.
Crafting
"Where's the beef" I mean really its a big lizard. Give me a decent meat drop. Better yet do it the SWG way
and let me skin it or take meat. Stick the eyes in the loot bin if you must. I can ignore them.
and let me skin it or take meat. Stick the eyes in the loot bin if you must. I can ignore them.
Pets
The combat is not FPS so there is no good reason to take out the pets. They are the equiv of
either a DOT cast by a magic wielder or DOT from a combat medic in the old SWG. None of the other
games they seem to have borrowed much have any problem with pets so why should this mechanic have problems.
The combat is not FPS so there is no good reason to take out the pets. They are the equiv of
either a DOT cast by a magic wielder or DOT from a combat medic in the old SWG. None of the other
games they seem to have borrowed much have any problem with pets so why should this mechanic have problems.
Overall
I don't see the immersion holding very long. Maybe there is more ahead or on a combat quest.
I don't see the immersion holding very long. Maybe there is more ahead or on a combat quest.
I Also think they could have added the professions as an alternate path rather than a replacement path.
The BE which is truly unique to the old SWG could also be in the game still. Just as in those other games there were
things to do to enhance your pets the BE could make enhanced pets or enhancements to current pets.
The BE which is truly unique to the old SWG could also be in the game still. Just as in those other games there were
things to do to enhance your pets the BE could make enhanced pets or enhancements to current pets.
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-Indene-
UrukXul
Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:01 pm
#2
Indene, I salute you and thank you. But perhaps you should post this on the NGE forums 'cause a lot of us just want our pets. For a lot of us, without our friends, how NGE works is irrelevant. Again, thank you for your thoughts on it though.
Indene
Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:28 pm
#3
Don't worry I did post it there. Posted here to as some hunters will be staying and I wanted them to have a headsup on the resources
-Indene-
InspGadgt
Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:39 am
#5
I just got of TC and....what the heck game were you playing? Combat is very much FPS, only dumbed down to the extreme. Aliens Vs. Predator has more combat options then this game and it's at least a decade old!
Indene wrote:
Pets
The combat is not FPS so there is no good reason to take out the pets. They are the equiv of
either a DOT cast by a magic wielder or DOT from a combat medic in the old SWG. None of the other
games they seem to have borrowed much have any problem with pets so why should this mechanic have problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Indene-
Iakimo
Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:59 am
#6
UrukXul wrote:
Indene, I salute you and thank you. But perhaps you should post this on the NGE forums 'cause a lot of us just want our pets. For a lot of us, without our friends, how NGE works is irrelevant. Again, thank you for your thoughts on it though.
Actually, I find her post to be very helpful, especially for those of us having trouble getting into the TC's. I was hoping someone would post a detailed description of the flow of gameplay. Slightly less likely to be buried here than in the volcanic lava pile that is the NGE discussion board, too.
The point she raises near the end of her analysis cuts to the chase for us Creature Handler types: Where in all the action is there a reason NOT to include Creature Handlers and their pets?? I didn't see any.
In fact, I tossed out a post in the NGE board that I'm sure was quickly submerged in the lava: Why not set up a combination of a control key and mouse click to initiate pet actions?For example, I could hold the cursor over my target, then press-and-hold CTRL or Alt or SHIFT to switch my mousey buttons to a secondary-fire mode. This secondary-attack mode could be bound as the default pet attack! Click on your target, and the pet gallops off to do battle! Ta-daaa.... problem solved.
Or, it could simply be the mechanism for directing the pet's attention to the target you intend for it to attack, and then you issue an order the same way we used to with our old trainable keyboard commands.
The reason this could work is because pets act semi-autonomously, so you shouldn't have to continually click on your target each time your pet was supposed to attack. You just CTRL-click once, and your pet follows it's order to attack, and keeps attacking until it either dies, kills it's target, or you order it to return or do something else.
Of course, by suggesting such a reasonable mechanism, I'm implying that I believe the devs are reasonable people and are open to constructive suggestion. At this point, that appears to NOT be the case. My suspicion is that they are bound and determined to morph this game into a product that can be played with a console gamepad.I detest gamepads.
Indene
Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:05 pm
#7
As i posted in another thread the Targeting System requires us to aim and follow the target. As CH we would be able to send in our pets and they would stay on target giving us great power over the average Jedi. (I actually feel sorry for the melee class in tight combat). Because of the ability to stay on target I would have thought that was why we were "shelved".
I now come to find out from players on TC-Corbantis that DROIDS are going to stay in game and be callable even as high as lvl 38 and maybe higher. Well that could be a bug but we won't know for sure till it gets live.
-Indene-
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