Hey folks, just trying to summarize my feelings on the game re: my initial impressions versus how I feel about things after playing a wizard (solo) and a rogue (duo with a friend) to level 20.
1a.) Initially: This is D&D in name only. The whole character creation process screams "MMO" and not "D&D". The initial "sets" of ability scores undermine what I've always liked about D&D chargens. Prefer DDO's point-buy system to this one. Very limited options re: race/class, though I understand the word "Beta".
1b.) Now: While I still feel this way, I understand the need for it. I still feel that a point buy stat system would be superior.
2.)Initially and now: The auction house needs some serious help. Lots and lots of bugs. I can't search by level. It just shows everything. I can't restrict searches to "buyout only": seriously, this is a grievous oversight. Who the hell wants to wait 4 days for low level gear? I'll outlevel it in an hour!
3.)Initially and now: Soloing is pretty simple to do so long as you're not careless. Wizard has a good balance of low-level abilities. I really enjoy making an ogre float and choke. Rogue is incredibly easy - I would say a touch OP. Solo'd Cloak Tower as a rogue at level 18 with gear I picked up myself. Wizard ain't gonna be happening.
4.)Initially and now: Stamina annoys the hell out of me. This stat needs some TLC.
5.)Initially and now: Too much running around for no good reason other than a time-sink. Teleport scrolls too few and far between, or too expensive for a new guy with little or no AD. I find myself dropping quests that would take me back to Protector's.
6.)Initially and now: Need more couriers, or just have the Auction items go right into inventory/overflow. This ties directly into "pointless running about". I hated it in STO, and I hate it here. STO got it right after a fashion, NW should, too.
7a.)Initially: Gear drops are just about right.
7b.)Now: For my rogue and wizard, this is true. For my buddy's GWF, not so much. It took us to level 18 before he(we) got a half-decent weapon drop. Then 10 minutes later, we got him an ogre club from CT. I've been completely outclassing him in DPS and aggro the entire time: which leads me into:
8.)Initially and now: What exactly is the GWF's role? He can't hold aggro, and he can't dish out a ton of damage. Perhaps this clears up beyond level 20, but from the bottom, it looks pretty grim. Perhaps my friend is playing it wrong, but somehow I doubt it.
9.)Initially and now: Coin currency is pointless for anything other than potions. Replace the coin drops with potions instead, and save us the trouble of visiting the otherwise-pointless vendors.
Overall, I'm really enjoying this game. It's a somewhat different approach to a MMORPG, and really feels like a multiplayer co-op rather than a grindy MMO. It has the potential to hold me, we'll see where it goes. Right now, I don't see enough to consider any sort of subscription (does it even have one?) - though I have transferred some Zen over to this game.
The Zen prices are ridiculous in some aspects. 125 Zen for one key with a piddling chance to get a halfway decent mount is...dumb. Like in STO, the box to key ratio is ridiculous.
I really like the game visually - the cities and zones have just the right "Feel" to them. I don't care for some of the audio aspects of the game - the music is kind of lackluster, and some of the ambient noises annoy the hell out of me after I've heard them for 10 straight minutes.
9.)Initially and now: Coin currency is pointless for anything other than potions. Replace the coin drops with potions instead, and save us the trouble of visiting the otherwise-pointless vendors.
Gold is also needed for crafting materials and skill kits. If you want to level your crafting you will be spending a lot of it for common crafting resources, not everything can be gained from skill nodes. Same goes for skill kits, it's good to have an option for opening skill nodes out of your class skill.
Gold is also needed for injury kits. Past level 50 you will need all of your gold.
You may also want to buy a mount and companion for your alts,when rerolling.
At higher level you will need also more potions.
I will say this. I AT LEAST thought the character creation to be similar to DDO's or even better since they had that D&D character creation tool to look at and work from. This just feels like a generic MMO with the awesome Neverwinter skin on it. I hope it will get better in those respects because i actualy do enjoy the game somewhat and i am willing to give it a pretty good chance.
Gold is also needed for crafting materials and skill kits. If you want to level your crafting you will be spending a lot of it for common crafting resources, not everything can be gained from skill nodes. Same goes for skill kits, it's good to have an option for opening skill nodes out of your class skill.
Gold is also needed for injury kits. Past level 50 you will need all of your gold.
You may also want to buy a mount and companion for your alts,when rerolling.
At higher level you will need also more potions.
Good to know. At the lowest levels, here, it really feels underutilized.
8.)Initially and now: What exactly is the GWF's role? He can't hold aggro, and he can't dish out a ton of damage. Perhaps this clears up beyond level 20, but from the bottom, it looks pretty grim. Perhaps my friend is playing it wrong, but somehow I doubt it.
While I am not 100% sure why they chose to make GWF's so weak in the beginning, everyone swears they become amazing post-30. Their damage spikes dramatically after that. I've watched a player as a 38 GWF on Twitch yesterday, and he seemed to be doing pretty awesome, but I only have a level 20 rogue at the moment, so I have nothing really to compare it to.
As for the GWF, it will be fairly weak until about level 35 and then start to take off. By 60, it will be powerhouse. The class needs a buff at lower levels, but after that period of frustration it will keep getting better.
I just started playing recently and I've been playing around with the classes to see which one I like the most. Class balance at low levels seems severely out of whack... which doesn't matter in the long run, I suppose, but it makes it hard for new players to find a class they like when there are such dramatic power shifts. Low level PvP seems to suffer from this the most... especially as a cleric, which is just AWFUL.
Comments
Gold is also needed for injury kits. Past level 50 you will need all of your gold.
You may also want to buy a mount and companion for your alts,when rerolling.
At higher level you will need also more potions.
Good to know. At the lowest levels, here, it really feels underutilized.
While I am not 100% sure why they chose to make GWF's so weak in the beginning, everyone swears they become amazing post-30. Their damage spikes dramatically after that. I've watched a player as a 38 GWF on Twitch yesterday, and he seemed to be doing pretty awesome, but I only have a level 20 rogue at the moment, so I have nothing really to compare it to.