Volournian Gothic 3 Demo Very Early Intitial Impressions

[Volourn]

Prologue: I played Gothic 2. I can't even remember if I've ever had the chance to play G1. G2 had some good qualities (graphics for the time) and atmopshere being the main two. However, I simply got annoyed and bored by it due to very shoddy controls and various other stuff. I always felt that unblike the ES games that there was potential there for something fun though and the pre release hype has seemed rather cool. Hence, my reasoning to give it another chance with Gothic 3. This is my very early impression of the demo which I ahve fooled around with for an hour or so.

The Unwelcoming: Trying to get the demo to download on to my computer was annoying, and I had to try three different times before it took. Other than that, easy as pie.

Graphics: Absolutely beautiful. The early area(s) of the game are beautiful. It absolutely CRUSHES NWN2's graphics. No comparison whatsoever. NWN2's graphics are good but many overrate it. G3's are impressive indeed. Charcetr models ar ethumbs up.

Music/Sound/Voice Overs: The music is very good. About equal to NWN2's thus far though I give the slight edge to NWN2 on that. Sounds seem to be misisng for the most part. Voice overs are okayish.

Character Creation: L0LLERZ!

Character Customization/System: Pretty good. Seems to have most of the skills that a RPG should have so that's good. I wish it would have a more robust dialogue skill system though. That's always been lacking in the Gothics. Still.. no real complaints here... except one question I need answering for... how the heck do I use my character points (I think theya re called that, can't be sure)? I have 20 points (10 to start + 10 more from levelling up to 2), and I cna't seem to use them. Clicking on skills doesn't seem to work; not even basic stuff like strnegth. I know the game makes use of trianers but does this include stats like strnegth? Do I really need a trainer to raqise my strength and other basic skills? WTF? Or is there something very simple I am missing?

Interface: I like it. It's very clean, and easy to use espicially with the quick slots. Absolutely no problems here. The inventory seems solid enough though I'd rather be able to equip items with a right click then get opinions on what to do with said item - ie. repair, drop, equip, etc.) Stores/trading is easy to deal with. Even handled better than NWN2. It even shows how much gold the other person has available. All the different pages from inventory, character, journal (which is a laugh of simplicity), etc. are neato.

Controls: It's alright; but one question... WTF is up with games havings ex with the fuckin' WASD? Fuck sake. Hate. Hate. Hate. I wannabe able to move with the mouse. Is a simple point and click move system too complex to add? Holy fuckin' god do I ever hate WASD. Not everyone is a keyboard monkey. Eh... Despite the rant, the controls are ok. And, they'll likely be no more than okay as long as I have to fuckin' suck the dick of WASD to play the fuckin' game.

Combat: Combat seems more intuitive than G2. My biggest beef here is the WASD junk. Combat has been pretty easy for the most part. I got beat up by a wold; but didn't die for some reason... I cna see why people think knockdown is lame. LOL It took awhile to overcome that and beat down the wolf. The orcs in the village were easy to beat up on.

Story/Atmopshere: Opening cutscene was cool. I thought you'd get a choice of who to side with but right away I was forced to attack orcs beating up some humans (humans were untargetable, and orcs were autohostile). I'm sure the choice to side with either will open up; but it seems silly that the game's biggest choice is obviously slanted to one side from the get go. The humans are on your side so why the heck would anyone betray them foir hostile orcs? L0LLERZ! Still, the rebel camp was nice, and impressive. Gotta try the arena. Got a ton of quests there as well, and include beating up a pack of aggresive wild boars... which is funny.. my only full death came from that.. not, because of ther baors themselves... I turned a corner and saw 4 boars who cased me. WTH? How is a 4th level character going to kill 4 of those.. so I did the dumb thing.. I backed up trying to escape fighting the fuckin' WASD buttons and 'decided' to jump down the mountain into the rebl camp and splatted half INTO the ground. heh. I'm sure I'll get the kinks worked out; but still those boars were very close to the rebel camp. R00fles! I hope I can find some magic soon. I got 3 scrolls though. Shgould be able to learn from those.

Overall: the game looks to be pretty fun as long as I cna overcome the fuckin' WASD. We shall see as it is early... Cool beans.

 

[galsiah]

Do I really need a trainer to raqise my strength and other basic skills? WTF? Or is there something very simple I am missing?

If it works like G2, then yes, you do. You aren't missing anything.
I found it an odd system (in G2) to start with, but no XP based system is going to be natural in any case. D&D style systems just seem natural because they're an accepted convention.

I doubt that my PC will run the game reasonably, but I might give things the demo a shot.

 

[Twinfalls]

a pack of aggresive wild boars... which is funny.. my only full death came from that

such are the horrors of boar.

Anyway - Volourn, shutup.

 

[Volourn]

Make me. Oh yeah, you can't. Only the Codex Gods can. So, in essence, Little Man, bite me.

R00fles!


"If it works like G2, then yes, you do. You aren't missing anything.
I found it an odd system (in G2) to start with, but no XP based system is going to be natural in any case. D&D style systems just seem natural because they're an accepted convention."

Gah. I must have forgot about that from G2. I didn't play it that long only a couple of hours so not too surprising. So, I guess I'm off to find a basic trainer. I knew the various skills (like the avrious weapons, magic, and the like) needed trianing; but I didn't realize something like strength would need an actual trainer. Heh. No biggie. Not to mention other systems.

P.S. Trainer isn't a new cocnept to me as D&D has rules for training/trainers.

 

[Twinfalls]

Make me. Oh yeah, you can't. Only the Codex Gods can. So, in essence, Little Man, bite me.

R00fles!

I sheathe my sword and bow before your awesome achievement of continuing to spam a web forum. I am no match for you. You are the Once and Future Queen.

 

[Fodel]

I thought you'd get a choice of who to side with but right away I was forced to attack orcs beating up some humans (humans were untargetable, and orcs were autohostile). I'm sure the choice to side with either will open up; but it seems silly that the game's biggest choice is obviously slanted to one side from the get go.

You came from Khorinis (Gothic 1 & 2) where orcs are the enemies, so attack orcs is logic. :wink:

 

[Volourn]

True; but still.. the hoice should have been up to the player right away. perhaps, they could have the orcs ignore the player until he makes a hostile move towards them. You can have the PC's friends yell at him to'attack them filthy orcs'; and he has always can ignore them or not. But, in the long run, it's no big deal. I'm only effected by it because of all the hype of choose your side - orc or human! Heh.


Anyways,...

An update....


I've played a few more hours of the demo. For those who care, that's actuyally longer than I could stand G2which lasted onlya couple of hours. That's already a good sign.

Some stuff...


1. I'm now got the bartering for training and what not down so no problems there. I've been focusing on increasing my strength and anceint knowledge mostly. Gonna concentrate on sword and shield style, weapon/armoursmityhing, and 'holy spells' ala healing mostly. Liking the character system so far. I'm level 4 needing maybe 250xp to reach 5.

2. I like how you have to buy the world map. I was gonna complaina bout their being no actual map screen bu then I saw a map for sale. Heh. Are there more area based maps or is it only the world map? it be cool if there was multiple ones.

3. Combat is rather easy one one one since it's basically a click fist. Just click really fast sometimes alternateing between right and left and you should be fine in solo battle unless someone sneaks a kd on ya. Multiple enemies can be trickier, of cours,e espicially for me since I'm not a big WASD fan.

4.AI cna be peculiar. Good parts are that those that can will swtich from melee to missle (mainly orcs thus far) and groups will tend to stay togtehe though you *can* split them a part. Bad parts are is that their movements ar estaggered and often things stand still like the AI is thinking of the next move.

5. Got my man Copper as a companion. Too bad he seems useless in a fight, and he often gets stuck on things espicially friendlies in town then he doies a little jig trying desperately pass them. i wish if they are gonna have joinables that they give us more options on telling them what to do.. and exchange equipment (outside of feeding them potions). Unless I missed that of course.

6. Cause and effect is ok. It's cool to see the rebels come to guard the village; but it's too bad most of the rebels and freed slaves in the town are still big 'ol jerks to me despite my helping them espicially the asanine one liners. LOL

7. The game's (well.. demo's) performance is thus fa very well. Veyr few slow downs and no crashes. Load times are rather slow, and it's made worse by the fact that every time you save you have to completely reload the game you were actually just playing. Can't i just save and actually still play right from there? geez... the regular game better fix that.

8. Overall, it is fun; but it's FAR from perfect. Definitely an improvement over the earlier Gothic(s), imo.

9. Graphics are still awesome.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Why does Gothic 3 use WASD? Isn't it an isometric thing-a-majig?

 

[Twinfalls]

Gothics have always been WASD.

WTF is up with games havings ex with the fuckin' WASD? Fuck sake. Hate. Hate. Hate

Definitely an improvement over the earlier Gothic(s), imo.

How the fuck can you make that statement when you have clearly not played G1 at all, and have only played G2 for 'a couple of hours'?

 

[Volourn]

Sorry. i cannot answer your question because you told me to shut up. I find myself in a bind as well as a pickle since no matter which way i go I cna't give you what you wnat. So, in essence, you fuckin' lose as per fuckin' usual. Moron.

Game over.

 

[Nedrah]

Well since it's his first impressions in the thread about his first impressions I guess he may very well express the impression that, according to his impressions, G3 already seems to be better that G2. It's only... impressions, after all

Also I can very well see how someone who didn't fall in love with the earlier gothics would like G3, it has after all been designed towards appealing to broader masses of players - it's really the old time fans of the series that are moaning about it. Guess I'd be moaning, too - if I got the fucking game to work on my pathetic machine.

Oh, besides the whole retarded "wasd is evilsauce" - nice impressions there. Especially since I was rather expecting something along the lines of how much the sheer suckiness of g3 proves that vd sucks it's dick because he's a fanboy and all that.

 

[Twinfalls]

Sorry. i cannot answer your question because you told me to shut up. I find myself in a bind as well as a pickle since no matter which way i go I cna't give you what you wnat.

Oh good, so you shall stop replying to me and accept my observations quietly like a good cellar-spaz.

Combat seems more intuitive than G2.

This exemplifies the pointlessness of your thread. You haven't played the previous games, yet you set them as a frame of reference. You know nothing of the Gothic games, what they are meant to be about, and you therefore cannot evaluate how this game fits in. So why make a whole fucking thread devoted to your pointless non-insights? You are profoundly self-absorbed and stupid.

Combat is rather easy one one one

The fact that Volourn is finding the combat in a Gothic game to be easy is the most disturbing thing I have heard yet about G3. Why, PB, whyyyyyyy??????

 

[Nedrah]

The fact that Volourn is finding the combat in a Gothic game to be easy is the most disturbing thing I have heard yet about G3. Why, PB, whyyyyyyy??????

You got a point there. The pbs already admitted the combat system, especially melee, is still unfinished as of the current patch. Let's hope for the best.

 

[Jed]

NWN used WASD, and you think it's the best game ever.

 

[Elhoim]

NWN used WASD, and you think it's the best game ever.

There´s no click and go in NWN??? I must have been dreaming then!

WASD was an option in NWN, here is mandatory.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

Why does Gothic 3 use WASD? Isn't it an isometric thing-a-majig?

It is for us right-handed people.

 

[elander_]

Overall: the game looks to be pretty fun as long as I cna overcome the fuckin' WASD. We shall see as it is early... Cool beans.

LOL what a fucking newbee. Who can't deal with WASD ?

 

[OccupatedVoid]

Overall: the game looks to be pretty fun as long as I cna overcome the fuckin' WASD. We shall see as it is early... Cool beans.

LOL what a fucking newbee. Who can't deal with WASD ?

Left-handed people. They have to use the Numpad or arrow keys.

 

[aweigh]

WASD should always be utilized, if not for direct character movement then for camera control, either rotational or for camera panning.

WASD is prime real estate and should be given its proper due.

 

[elander_]

Left-handed people can learn to use their right hand to hold the mouse, its not a big deal. In fact it may even be better for them because they are using their best hand on the keyboard.

 

[Jasede]

Every idiot can learn to use a mouse well with both hands. Damn, I am using my /feet/ to move the mouse so I have both hands on the keyboard.

 

[Nutcracker]

More likely you have one hand on the keyboard, and the other somewhere else.

 

[aweigh]

...on his penis??

 

[Micmu]

Tools. HAMBURGER!

 

[Volourn]

"This exemplifies the pointlessness of your thread. You haven't played the previous games, yet you set them as a frame of reference. You know nothing of the Gothic games, what they are meant to be about, and you therefore cannot evaluate how this game fits in. So why make a whole fucking thread devoted to your pointless non-insights? You are profoundly self-absorbed and stupid."

Bullshit. You are one of those morons who think someone should play a game 20 times even if they hate it before they are allowed to judge it. I played G2. I didn't lik eit. I moved on. I play games for fun, and if I'm not having fun; I'm not gonna continue playing it just to prove a point. That's soemthing a retarded like you would do. I do know that I find G3's controls to be a large improvement over G2 'cause I don't really feel all that much like throwing my keyboard and mouse through the window. R00fles!


"NWN used WASD, and you think it's the best game ever."

More stupid Jedishness. Have you even played NWN2 even for 2 seconds? Apparantly not.

1. NWN uses a mouse movement system. Point and click. Game over.

2. G3 uses WASD and I like it.

3. I don't *think* NWN is the best game ever. I *know* that *is* the best game ever.


Retard. HAHAHAHAA!