In October 2012, I am I think by gaming website become aware, did so to get the launch trailer to face. And I thought immediately: This game I must have.
The setting was something I had always wanted (not the over again warmed fantasy garbage according to the book, cheap copies from the successful veteran WoW), the graphics was great, and I followed, still on the story-driven presentation the demanding level of difficulty and the varied missions have read, reinforced this desire only more so.
However, there was a catch that cost.
50 euros for the box and then even 15 euros per month for a game that is explicitly marketed directly by the creators as one in which the journey is the reward? One in which it makes even less sense, as quickly as possible to get to the highest level, as much as possible to achieve in as little time as World of Warcraft and co?
Since then I wanted to first get a taste before buying.
And since then came the free weekend (3 days).
I fought my way through the first half Quest area Kingsmouth and unnerved ended after about 4 hours the game. The intro, the story missions, everything was top - but the combat system was incomprehensible hakelig for me, difficult, wood, and especially in this starting area was pretty desolate: Time and time again Around countless zombies in the same old drab surroundings. In addition, I was also at a more important Investigativmission not (and at that time was to google too stupid or asking people to the game).
And then in December the switch to Buy2Play. Even if I had the time being closed in October because of my poor box experiences with the game, I have followed this news because I had still fully captivated the setting and the story.
Buy only the box for a lower price, no monthly fees more, as long as I want to play?
That sounded to me good enough to start a second attempt.
So buy the box and my test account in October thus reactivated to go directly on the spot where I had left off to continue playing.
This time I was prepared with a new dose of patience, a walkthrough website in case I get stuck at missions (unfair.co) and the information of a more experienced player that the combat system is quickly better if one carries on.
So I weitergequestet and collected a lot of experience. With each new skill that I've bought for my experience points, the fight in TSW was understandable and liquid for me, piece by piece.
The story missions that you do over and over again in addition to the regular local emissions and, as the name suggests, a further tell the game overarching story, had a small ray of hope to distract me from this dreary town Kingsmouth.
When I then after a few more hours of play intense Questens came in the next area - Savage Coast - I had despite further masses of zombies already a much more attractive area in front of me and also some missions there were by the Zombie atmosphere only really consistent - for example, the black house or in Iceland Atlantic Park. From there the story missions were to icing of all the rest, which was offered to me.
Meanwhile, I had the inner Skill-rings of the two weapons that I used from the very beginning (pistols and sword, not a good start option as I later found out) almost full, my action bar and the passive skills were fully occupied, and the combat system was me now quite familiar. Battles were still demanding, not just rare, it happened that I have pulled down more mobs at a time than I wanted, and then was in almost all of these cases in the dirt. But from then on I knew then that it was my own fault, and not because the battle system would hakelig - which it was no longer there.
I went at first just with the wrong Vostellung approach, the fight would be just as easy and forgiving such as WoW (which I used to play a long time).
Take time Pullen a 10-group and survive if you spamming all his skills fast enough? With Level 3 Level a clap 6 elite mob and survive with few HP?
Not in TSW.
Meanwhile, I have finished the story completely, completed almost all the missions in all areas Quest at least once; I mastered all the dungeons, then all their elite versions, then in 30 attempts the gatekeepers defeats (prerequisite for the following) and have also been working for some time it also to master all the dungeons in the nightmare difficulty setting; at the most difficult of all ("The system") I have long chewed. Even in Manhattan Sperrgebiet, the endgame raid, I was already and have 2 different groups successfully laid the Raid Boss by a total of about 20 Wipes for the first time; now I raide more or less regularly, but always successful. I have Endgame equipment for all 3 roles earned (damage dealer, healer, tank) and also play all 3 active. Gear for hybrid classes (Leecher / Absaugheiler, Healtank) is still at work. I am in a mainly English-speaking compound called In Vino Veritas (all factions) and play regularly with the people there endgame content as Lairs, Nightmares and of course the raid - including communication via Mumble - help but every now and then new people in the compound to make their way to the endgame. In the game I as Kyle "Cobin" Roth am known, however, I also have several other alts.
Since I was also so confident in this game, I have also given me the so-called Grand Master Pack - for the equivalent of about 12 months, the new, optional paid membership you get so Lifetime Member status, hence monthly bonus points to spare in Item Store essential (for clothes, pets, titles, etc.) and this bonus points all (usually paid) future expansion packs for free. In addition to the "normal" points and veteran points which in turn can be exchanged for significantly more exclusive perks give example a tool for repairs, for pets to start the game an XP buff, blue QS10-talismans / weapons and mobile access to the Bank. Not overpowered and no Pay2Win, but just small amenities for people who play for some time, and not just a character.
Clearly: this game is not made for people who like to be served everything on a silver platter such as in WoW. Fully automatic Dungeon Finder, Raid Finder, (comparatively) more ridiculous difficulty routes with several stops in one quest area, Talent Specialization in you can not go wrong, all something does not exist in TSW.
It's not for people who have the same unimaginative missions à la Kill X of this, Bring Y of this, Bring X from A to B and so on will ever again make. In short missions where you do not need to turn on the brain. Every now and then come naturally even those tasks in the missions it, but who are then so beautiful "packed" that people are hardly aware and actually has fun with it.
Not for people who already run away with the first wipe in a dungeon with a ragequit. Wipes are normal in TSW, as it sets in dungeons instead of countless trash pulls at the time extension in accordance with demanding boss tactics that already take time until they have been practiced flawlessly and every time translates perfectly again. Who the normal difficulty level is too lax, can try the "Elite" mode: same tactics but bosses hit harder and have more HP. And if even that is too lax may try on the nightmare difficulty setting, the HP and still comes up a lot more damage not only with a lot more, but also new / modified Boss Tactics brings; these are damn crisp and make their name. Usually because the rule applies: a small mistake and you're dead immediately.. Once stood in the wrong place, even not dodged a AoE, not interrupted once a skill, and it is mud. For a great feeling when the boss is down and you roll to the Purples (or afterwards in his headquarters for the "black bars" purple top equipment also obtained ("Customs") and / or upgrades for purchases).
It is also not for people who like to Idling with the latest, best equipment in the capital and splurge. In TSW one sees no equipment, only weapons and make only a small part of. Visible clothes you wear in addition to invisible stat imaging equipment, clothes themselves do not get this and are therefore completely independent of their own strength, so you can dress like his character as you want without having to make cuts elsewhere. Even the still visible weapons can umskinnen with appropriate tools, if one does not fit the look.
And you should be able to definitely English, because although there is a dedicated German server, but de facto play all - independent of servers and thereby language - together. All servers are centrally linked. And there a lot more English than German-speaking players in this game are - or people are at least halfway the English language - will be inevitable sooner or later find is not always German colleagues with whom you can do missions, dungeons, lairs etc.. It is to believe a rather ignorant attitude, one would come only with German through this game, especially if one does not write in the cross-server chat channels (eg in Agartha) in English. Even so nationally proud Frenchman speak English are now times as we have a minority in this game. Exceptions prove the rule, but of which we hear nothing soon.
TSW is a game that is treading completely new paths in the MMO sector.
In accordance with the above and the characteristics it has also got its very own player community, which seems to be unfamiliar adult in my experience.
No spam, no childish insults, no Ragequitter, helpful and nice answers to questions in the chat channels. The minimum age of the players there seems to be not less than about 20.
Exceptions to this rule, there are also here, but can you really looking with a magnifying glass and of which one hears also soon nothing more.
And clearly there are also here the "elitists" who despite Skill and experience Invite "Progression players" and their connections, where no equipment is good enough for one in a group, but these guys make an absolute minority - for each of this place to more than 50 others, like playing with a loving together.
TSW still has some bugs, before one can not close our eyes, and it has in some areas by far not so great glossy Polish as WoW - As particular as regards the technology (eg performance, small Grafikbugs) and various non-content features.
In particular, PvP is in its current form does not necessarily palatable for everyone, because the three factions are far too different degrees occupied in play and PvP currently heavily depends. It is quite playable and can be fun, but has a lot of room for improvement. Since I can not do much with PvP me do not mind, but I know that there are plenty of other people for the main content of each PvP MMOs.
Also, the lack of money at Funcom makes unfortunately a negative impact, because the last couple of paid expenses (content updates) is no longer the basic game and the first paid issue also in German (and French) dubbed; only localized subtitles and English voice there is. I find that very unfortunate because TSW yes lives to a great extent from this film feeling in the cutscenes. I put on German language output value, since I'm one of the people who argue that films and television series (and therefore comparable to just the cutscenes) are there now times for entertainment and not to learn a language. Subtitle read-to-destroy the atmosphere, and even though I very good English and can already "think English" can almost be original sound simply by no means the same as the (incidentally very well executed) synchronization in my own language.
Nevertheless, it is also / even in its current state is a game that is absolutely worth playing and just shines with its originality and the narrative implementation. PvE and story are second to none.
For now now 15/25 Euro Once purchase you get here without the time pressure I've paid for this month, when I reach nothing I've wasted money a film adaptation mature, deep, very adult story - with its frequent cutscenes for almost any mission sometimes already almost like a movie comes across - and a lot of fun with very demanding tasks, if you have done it first on the bumpy start. The learning curve is definitely steep.
Extensions ("spending", "Issues") in the form of new mission strands or equal to completely new areas (with Issue 9 and 10 now Tokyo, including continuation of the story missions) come irregularly, but reliably every few months, so far, each for about 10 euros zukaufbar. The scope and the fact that one yes perpetual access has it, a good price for a "new" in my opinion.
I do not regret a penny of what I've spent on this game.
This game has been left definitely undeserved fall of the "big" media. They had probably just not as much budget to good reviews to buy from "reputable" reviewers.
Should anyone want to test the game: I can let you send Buddy Keys to your email address, with which you can try out 72 hours, the game. Report to if you want to have one. A key per email address (the limitation I did not do).
Postet the address simply as a comment under my review and delete the comment immediately; so that your email address will not be published here, I get it but still above the comment notification e-mail.
I can not forgive without limit many keys, but for a while it should be enough.
In the end, it should be explicitly stated: I do not want here WoW and co. pull into the dirt. Clear only things that perhaps here expects some former WoW player for granted, and then cope without prior clarification is disappointed by this game. I need to know more or less, after all I've played WoW itself over several years, it at least.
One last note: The lack of a star is for bugs and in many places something hakeligen technology the client is still existing. Much is quickly resolved thanks to the still fairly fast, friendly and knowledgeable in-game support, but that has the technology, however, the potential to annoy from time to time a little bit.
A very powerful graphics card, I recommend strongly, because here exists for a single player graphics in an MMO and on the other hand this fact to me the already mentioned and partly lousy technique the game client really has the potential auszulutschen even more or less current high-end graphics cards , My old Radeon 5870 has just done it with DX9 so: On acceptable graphics level (high, but not the best) most liquid framerate in combat or with many effects on the screen it goes but already a lot in the basement, but never below 15 FPS. At low details to get even with a weaker card out reasonably, the graphics are so would nonetheless be pretty barren. My current GTX 980 packs 2 clients simultaneously at 2560x1440 on the highest graphics settings in mission territories liquid (40-50 FPS), stuttering there during the fight, in highly trafficked areas like Agartha and massive boss fights with many participants still there probably seems rather the CPU to be a bottleneck. I'll probably soon find out if I will soon graduate from my 4x3.2 GHz Xeon on a 4x4 GHz i7.
Also urgently I recommend a gaming mouse with many freely programmable buttons to buy - because you have to, sooner or later move extremely much in the fight * during * to use his abilities to get only the keyboard soon no longer particularly comfortable position or not more. Personally, I got myself a Logitech G600 (white in, Orochi-style!) Primarily gained for TSW and must say that it was definitely worth it. To play much more comfortable and my performance has incidentally become even much better. At the beginning of the game still not a must, but at the latest when you start but really the nightmare dungeons and other endgame content very helpful if you do not want to permanently remove the wrath of his healer to be.
