[1stStrike]

How would that even work? How does a gnome carry a greatsword for instance, it would either constantly be stuck in the ground or their movement would be hindered greatly by it dragging behind them, I also don't think they would have the strength or leverage to even swing it. ALways been a funny concept to me.

You could play finesse or sorcery with a gnome, but they wouldn't be able to do might unless they introduce axes into the game. And if they did that, we'd pretty much be Gimli.

Speaking of which, I'm kind of disappointed that enemies get to have spears but we don't. I would've loved to have a spear for my character.

[scy]

Speaking of which, I'm kind of disappointed that enemies get to have spears but we don't. I would've loved to have a spear for my character.

This times forever. I want a Spear/Bow build :(

[QisTopTier]

No polearm type weapon really made me sad.

[NoirVisage]

I AM IMMORTAL! I have inside me blood of Kings! I HAVE NO RIVAL! No man can be my equal!

TAKE ME TO THE FUTURE, OF YOUR WOOOOOOORLLLD!

[Duki]

so anyone else have their save files corrupted

game crashes every time i try and load up my current quick or auto saves :/

theyre by a number of days my latest saves ;_;

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

and no patch yet? 2 weeks too late :(

I've quit playing until a balance patch comes out. I'm not waiting on a new mode, I'm wanting Normal mode fixed.

[ReaperXL07]

I've quit playing until a balance patch comes out. I'm not waiting on a new mode, I'm wanting Normal mode fixed.

Your probably going to be out of luck muffins, most of the people playing on normal mode on their forums don't want. The game changed for them and Curt has already stated they probably won't mess with normal and easy at all because they don't feel comfertable changing the experience for those that are enjoying it.

Id like abit more challange but I can see both sides of the coin.

[ironcreed]

Just knocked out the main quest with 32 hours of play time and still have plenty left to do in terms of side quests and finishing up factions. Here is a list of my pros and cons, along with my verdict.

Pros:

- Great free flowing combat system with plenty of variety
- Flexible, well-paced class system, where any path you choose or mix and match is fun
- An incredible abundance of loot
- Great exploration in a beautiful world
- Solid voice acting
- Runs very impressive for such a huge game

Cons:

- The story falls flat
- Despite having great combat, encounters eventually become predictable
- Difficulty levels out as you level up and the game does indeed become fairly easy
- Boss encounters are not as epic or as challenging as they could have been

Overall, I give it a solid 8/10. Which in my book means it is a great game. Not quite fantastic, but still great and a hell of a solid start for the series.

[Arcteryx]

so anyone else have their save files corrupted game crashes every time i try and load up my current quick or auto saves :/ theyre by a number of days my latest saves ;_;

Had that happen this afternoon on my PS3. Just as I killed a mob with arrow storm, the game auto-saved and hardlocked.

Ended up losing my autosave and one of my other backup saves (they just hardlock whenever I try to load them too).

Next closest save is about ~ 8 hrs back...sucks but I'll probably have to go back to that (kinda burnt out atm, so maybe its a good thing to take a break for a bit)

[Duki]

Had that happen this afternoon on my PS3. Just as I killed a mob with arrow storm, the game auto-saved and hardlocked. Ended up losing my autosave and one of my other backup saves (they just hardlock whenever I try to load them too). Next closest save is about ~ 8 hrs back...sucks but I'll probably have to go back to that (kinda burnt out atm, so maybe its a good thing to take a break for a bit)

my next closest save is about 60 hours back ;_;

if this isnt fixable im basically just done with the game, fuck playing all that again lol

youd think with auto and quick saves if one fucked up youd always have a backup qq

[Laughing Banana]

Level 33 on the way to 34, using a Finesse/Sorcery character. Just a few levels more to get that final Destiny Card.

Goddamn Elemental Rage--what a frame-rate killer! Look so awesome though, not gonna snub it for anything else :D

I've quit playing until a balance patch comes out. I'm not waiting on a new mode, I'm wanting Normal mode fixed.

Yeaaaaaah no.

[scy]

Was expecting a different Twist of Fate for finishing the House of Ballads differently. Was also expecting the Ballads finale to be more difficult but ... it wasn't so bad as practically pure Finesse (just up to Greatswords in Might) at Level 20. I mean, I died a few times but that was mostly due to starting at low enough HP to die in one spell :|

[vaelic]

Just knocked out the main quest with 32 hours of play time and still have plenty left to do in terms of side quests and finishing up factions. Here is a list of my pros and cons, along with my verdict. Pros: - Great free flowing combat system with plenty of variety - Flexible, well-paced class system, where any path you choose or mix and match is fun - An incredible abundance of loot - Great exploration in a beautiful world - Solid voice acting - Runs very impressive for such a huge game Cons: - The story falls flat - Despite having great combat, encounters eventually become predictable - Difficulty levels out as you level up and the game does indeed become fairly easy - Boss encounters are not as epic or as challenging as they could have been Overall, I give it a solid 8/10. Which in my book means it is a great game. Not quite fantastic, but still great and a hell of a solid start for the series.

for an action rpg, it's sad to hear so many negatives about the poor story

[rockx4]

Bought the game on Origin at launch, but now I'm tempted to get it on Steam also just so I can keep track of achievements. Hate the in game one.

[Robobandit]

for an action rpg, it's sad to hear so many negatives about the poor story

I think most complaints about the story can be boiled down to:

1. uninteresting/unmemorable characters
2. lackluster presentation
3. Player character has no visible effect on the world

The game makes a big deal (at least early on) about how unique your character is and how you can change the fates of others but no one seems to know who you are and there doesn't seem to be a real indication of how your character actually affects the outcomes of events and the destinies of the people you meet.

All you seem to get are just examples of things "changing" due to things that you didn't actually do in-game.

I think it is pretty well written and the dialog sounds good for the most part, but I don't remember the name of a character that just died an hour ago because he wasn't memorable to me. I knew him for all of 20-30 minutes and then he died.. and I can't remember his name.

I'm more interested in what various random npcs have to say about the various conversation topics than I am about them as characters.. because i don't know anything about them and I have no reason to care about them beyond completing the quest and getting whatever reward is being offered. After their gray "?" goes away, I've already forgotten them for the most part.

I think next time around there should be fewer quests with more richly told and presented background for the characters and reasons as to why I should remember their names or be sad if they die.

I'm nowhere near finishing the game, but I can certainly understand why people would have these complaints, as I do share alot of them.

[ironcreed]

for an action rpg, it's sad to hear so many negatives about the poor story

It just never really picked up any steam for me and lacked any real plot twists or engaging moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Another factor is the lack of any epic confrontations to make me feel threatened or gratified after victory.

Other than that, it is a blast to play, the flexible class system is wonderful and the vibrant world is a pleasure to explore. Some of the side and faction quests I have done are very good as well. As I said, I think it is a great game and it has a more than solid foundation to build on.

[rockx4]

It just never really picked up any steam for me and lacked any real plot twists or engaging moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Another factor is the lack of any epic confrontations to make me feel threatened or gratified after victory. Other than that, it is a blast to play, the flexible class system is wonderful and the vibrant world is a pleasure to explore. Some of the side and faction quests I have done are very good as well. As I said, I think it is a great game and it has a more than solid foundation to build on.

Yea The story isn't very engaging, I find myself ignoring most of the quest dialogue. The combat and environment are great though.

[vaelic]

Yea The story isn't very engaging, I find myself ignoring most of the quest dialogue. The combat and environment are great though.

for the writing staff on board, thats a shame

[CTE]

my next closest save is about 60 hours back ;_; if this isnt fixable im basically just done with the game, fuck playing all that again lol youd think with auto and quick saves if one fucked up youd always have a backup qq

60 fucking hours? You only have one save file and an autosave or something?

I've learned over the years to back up my saves multiple times. Especially with long games. I have 5 files currently plus my autosave.

[ReaperXL07]

I think most complaints about the story can be boiled down to: 1. uninteresting/unmemorable characters 2. lackluster presentation 3. Player character has no visible effect on the world The game makes a big deal (at least early on) about how unique your character is and how you can change the fates of others but no one seems to know who you are and there doesn't seem to be a real indication of how your character actually affects the outcomes of events and the destinies of the people you meet. All you seem to get are just examples of things "changing" due to things that you didn't actually do in-game. I think it is pretty well written and the dialog sounds good for the most part, but I don't remember the name of a character that just died an hour ago because he wasn't memorable to me. I knew him for all of 20-30 minutes and then he died.. and I can't remember his name. I'm more interested in what various random npcs have to say about the various conversation topics than I am about them as characters.. because i don't know anything about them and I have no reason to care about them beyond completing the quest and getting whatever reward is being offered. After their gray "?" goes away, I've already forgotten them for the most part. I think next time around there should be fewer quests with more richly told and presented background for the characters and reasons as to why I should remember their names or be sad if they die. I'm nowhere near finishing the game, but I can certainly understand why people would have these complaints, as I do share alot of them.

Its pretty much just a subjective thing really, as I have come across a lot of what I think are pretty interesting characters and great stories/side quests in the game. I agree that the presentation of the way the stories are told could have been abit better but there is a lot of really interesting stuff here, especially if you dig into the lorestones and books that go into those stories specifically.

The problem with having the player avatar being someone who changes the world or history in drastically different ways between playthroughs could be very tricky though mainly because they already have so much of the worlds lore and history mapped out to a large extent. So having people change things in big ways could effects the way people view sequels if those choices did not reflect the way they chose to do things in their game. Its the downside of already having so much of the lore being set in stone, but I feel its a better direction if they want to create a coherrent series with legitimate lore. I think having dragon age, or mass effect style effects on the world could create a lot of problems in that reguard.

I also wonder how much of the game was really changed from when it was acendent under thq, I think it going to be really interesting to see how different a possible reckoning 2 will be compared to the first.

[rockx4]

60 fucking hours? You only have one save file and an autosave or something? I've learned over the years to back up my saves multiple times. Especially with long games. I have 5 files currently plus my autosave.

I only have 1 save file too lol... hmm I should make a new one soon. I tend to use only quicksaves also.

[CTE]

I only have 1 save file too lol... hmm I should make a new one soon. I tend to use only quicksaves also.

Go now! Save before you regret it. I've learned many hard lessons since my early days where you had to start saving on your own. FFVII was my first lesson in backing up saves.

[Robobandit]

Its pretty much just a subjective thing really, as I have come across a lot of what I think are pretty interesting characters and great stories/side quests in the game. I agree that the presentation of the way the stories are told could have been abit better but there is a lot of really interesting stuff here, especially if you dig into the lorestones and books that go into those stories specifically. The problem with having the player avatar being someone who changes the world or history in drastically different ways between playthroughs could be very tricky though mainly because they already have so much of the worlds lore and history mapped out to a large extent. So having people change things in big ways could effects the way people view sequels if those choices did not reflect the way they chose to do things in their game. Its the downside of already having so much of the lore being set in stone, but I feel its a better direction if they want to create a coherrent series with legitimate lore. I think having dragon age, or mass effect style effects on the world could create a lot of problems in that reguard. I also wonder how much of the game was really changed from when it was acendent under thq, I think it going to be really interesting to see how different a possible reckoning 2 will be compared to the first.

Oh, there are certainly characters that have interested me.. but most of them I haven't cared enough to remember their names. Also, I love the lore stones and the books.

I agree that having a player drastically changing the world is a tricky subject. I just think the game shouldn't have made as big a deal about what effect the player character has on the world by being able to "control fate". You don't really alter fate in this game more than any other game you play.

Repercussions from the player's actions wouldn't have mattered much if they were just leading into the MMO which takes place 2,000+ years after Reckoning. In that scenario I don't think most folks would be looking for things that changed because of their characters. If they do a sequel to Reckoning before that, though.. I could definitely see that being an issue.

[Duki]

i had the autosave, the quicksave and a regular save all within about 2 minutes of one another

all borked

so yeeeeah

[sdornan]

I wish this game had focused on memorable characters and a compelling narrative instead of shoving as many quests as possible into the game. This game is a clear victim of quantity over quality, to the point where the game felt like a downright chore near the end of it. And that's after skipping many of the side quests.

[CTE]

i had the autosave, the quicksave and a regular save all within about 2 minutes of one another all borked so yeeeeah

Get another similar build from a save online? IDK, man. That's a rough spot.

[I Push Fat Kids]

Curt, you should give us some DLC hints... Good business = hype creation :)

[NoirVisage]

I wish this game had focused on memorable characters and a compelling narrative instead of shoving as many quests as possible into the game. This game is a clear victim of quantity over quality, to the point where the game felt like a downright chore near the end of it. And that's after skipping many of the side quests.

i disagree, i liked a majority of the side characters, if they ever do a DLC pack to continue questlines with the same characters (provided they still lived in your playthrough!) i'd bite!

[Trigunner]

I filled up all 100 save slots yesterday and had to start deleting lots of old ones.

After 76 hours, I've finally started the main quest so I can get to the other side of the map to keep doing all the side ones. I'm finding the story pretty dull and quickly skimming through the subs. Normally I like to exhaust all dialogue options and whatnot but the characters and world just aren't grabbing me. It feels like I'm playing Guild Wars solo, but at least I was thoroughly engaged in the plot and some of the NPCs. Maybe it's too early to tell, although from most comments it doesn't seem to get better.

[ReaperXL07]

Oh, there are certainly characters that have interested me.. but most of them I haven't cared enough to remember their names. Also, I love the lore stones and the books. I agree that having a player drastically changing the world is a tricky subject. I just think the game shouldn't have made as big a deal about what effect the player character has on the world by being able to "control fate". You don't really alter fate in this game more than any other game you play. Repercussions from the player's actions wouldn't have mattered much if they were just leading into the MMO which takes place 2,000+ years after Reckoning. In that scenario I don't think most folks would be looking for things that changed because of their characters. If they do a sequel to Reckoning before that, though.. I could definitely see that being an issue.

The avatar does have an effect on the world through, its not usually done through a binary "good", "Evil"
Choice mechanic though. The fact that your character exsists as a person without a fate , and can alter the direction peoples lives were supposed to play out is the key aspect. For instance sister zelda in the very first village is trying to obtain scripture that proves women are aloud to participate in the church of mitharu, and without your avatars assisstance would she have ever obtained it? She now has what she needs to do something that would have been impossible otherwise or agarth he is supposed to die at dellach, but because the avatar is there he does not die, now that his "fate" has played its course does that mean he is also now fateless? Will his children be if he has any after that point? I think the nature of the main plot here is setting up a world that is becoming a world where fate no longer plays a role in it the way that it has previously. Essentially givning mortals the will to alter their own paths in life.

Curt, you should give us some DLC hints... Good business = hype creation :)

When the game came out two cutsecenes were leaked out that may be hints for the first two dlcs, the first looked like it focused on pirates, the second the floating city of which I forget the name. I can't link to them because I am on my phone so ill post the links in the morning if I can.

[Robobandit]

The avatar does have an effect on the world through, its not usually done through a binary "good", "Evil" Choice mechanic though. The fact that your character exsists as a person without a fate , and can alter the direction peoples lives were supposed to play out is the key aspect. For instance sister zelda in the very first village is trying to obtain scripture that proves women are aloud to participate in the church of mitharu, and without your avatars assisstance would she have ever obtained it? She now has what she needs to do something that would have been impossible otherwise or agarth he is supposed to die at dellach, but because the avatar is there he does not die, now that his "fate" has played its course does that mean he is also now fateless? Will his children be if he has any after that point? I think the nature of the main plot here is setting up a world that is becoming a world where fate no longer plays a role in it the way that it has previously. Essentially givning mortals the will to alter their own paths in life. When the game came out two cutsecenes were leaked out that may be hints for the first two dlcs, the first looked like it focused on pirates, the second the floating city of which I forget the name. I can't link to them because I am on my phone so ill post the links in the morning if I can.

Agarth also could have avoided his fate by not going to Dellach in the first place or could be killed by a completely different Ettin later. He certainly believes that you changed his fate because he saw his own death.. but the man does drink a lot. I'd be interested to see what would happen if he got his own fate told to him after he was supposed to have died.

Where are you getting the good/evil idea from? I wasn't even thinking or talking about morality with regard to the actions of the player.

Maybe it is too early for me to be making determinations about what seems to be happening in the world due to my presence, but so far I haven't made any decisions that appear to have had noticeable consequences. In the case of Sister Zelda I'm not going to help her steal a book from a mission.. if St. Odwigs doesn't want her to join, I'm sure there are other missions who study and spread Mitharu's teachings in Amalur. I think she's a little crazy anyway.. very off-putting. Though I remember her exactly for that reason. The whole time i was talking to her I was thinking "What a crazy bitch.. ::backs away slowly::"

[scy]

Agarth also could have avoided his fate by not going to Dellach in the first place or could be killed by a completely different Ettin later. He certainly believes that you changed his fate because he saw his own death.. but the man does drink a lot. I'd be interested to see what would happen if he got his own fate told to him after he was supposed to have died.

But he couldn't avoid it. That's the point of fate. He was going to go down there and die eventually.

Personally, I think the whole altering fate thing came through fairly well. All the factions touch upon it at various points. You broke the cycle of fate and changed the outcomes that every single one of them. Even the Main Quest is a series of events that only came about due to the unwinding of fate. Of course, it's not too different from any other game where things change because you did them but I thought the attempts at weaving fate into it were done relatively well as far as using it as an explanation for things that most games just leave as, "because."

[Laughing Banana]

Orbital Blade is ridiculous.

I don't know if I can do a different walkthrough without chakram.

I mean, that move is that cool.

...Sucks that Chakram is not counted as "ranged" weapons by the game itself though.

[MushroomSamba]

Niskaru hunters are easily the enemies I hate most in the game, for some reason I just can't seem to get into a good groove with them.if things keep going the way they are though ill probably be pretty close to 40 by the time I leave detyre. Then ill still have the plains and the whole right side of the map to complete still.

Man, I love fighting those guys. Their tell is when they cross their arms/scythes...when you see that, best be dodging or readying for a parry. (edit: also their running slash attack thing)

I had 3 enemy types I dreaded to fight, and now only 1 is really still an issue. Threshers and sorcerers were a pain the first few times I met them, but now I can read their moves pretty easily. It's still a problem when I have to pay attention to 2-3 at a time though or when they've got minions swarming them. At which point, I just run around and try to whittle them down like a coward. :P

One thing that annoys me with sorcerers is that I can't blink through their tornado attack. Hard to close in when they do that, since I have to dodge laterally. I'm a very up-close melee kind of mage.

The guy I still have problems with is that Crudok (giant poison-spewing scorpion thing). First off, I don't encounter it very often so it's hard to get in a groove, and secondly I'm just having trouble picking up its attack animations when I do face them. I'm seeing them a lot more frequently now that I'm in Klurikon, so I better learn fast.

[MushroomSamba]

I feel so liberated in this game after I stopped giving a damn about trying to build the best damned character possible, and instead going with an intentially flawed character. It's hard to break that conditioning sometimes, especially in RPGs, but the result is just a more enjoyable experience, IMO.

I haven't crafted a single item in my playthrough yet, but I was already feeling way overpowered with the loot I was finding off the ground. The turning point was in Detrye...and it wasn't even a gameplay thing. I just thought it looked sorta ridiculous wearing all those layers out in a friggin' desert:



So I decided to disrobe the character, slap on some peasant pants I stole from a random household, and only kept the gloves and boots for standard mana regen (I spam lightning bolt a ton). I decided to shake up the combat a bit too, so I replaced my weapons with an awesome looking greatsword instead. And to make sure that was the focus of my new style, I limited myself to only using bottom-tier magic attacks (lightning bolt, mark of flame, and ice barrage) and the first level of Elemental Rage, because it works so damn well drawing everybody together for a big ol' greatsword whack. :)



And click for jugs.

[CitizenCope]

How do you parry on the 360 controller? Don't think I've been using it at all.

[rockx4]

How do you parry on the 360 controller? Don't think I've been using it at all.

You time your shield block with the LT.

[ElyrionX]

Just wondering, how good is the Archmage's ultimate ability, the fate echo thing?

[gehrig38]

This times forever. I want a Spear/Bow build :(

Agreed:) Hang tight.

[NoirVisage]

Agreed:) Hang tight.

:O



O__O


oh my..

I feel so liberated in this game after I stopped giving a damn about trying to build the best damned character possible, and instead going with an intentially flawed character. It's hard to break that conditioning sometimes, especially in RPGs, but the result is just a more enjoyable experience, IMO. I haven't crafted a single item in my playthrough yet, but I was already feeling way overpowered with the loot I was finding off the ground. The turning point was in Detrye...and it wasn't even a gameplay thing. I just thought it looked sorta ridiculous wearing all those layers out in a friggin' desert:

An, Swanwhite, i always picked her after trying the others, would love some backstory on her!

[zazrx]

So how do I get this FOV fix to work right? It puts the camera waaaay back from my character. I would like it to be just a little farther back than default. Sort of like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQdcOWTd7g

I tried the 3x width but it doesn't look right.

[Eggman]

That Lifesucker sword looks amazing.

[Alrus]

I agree that having a player drastically changing the world is a tricky subject. I just think the game shouldn't have made as big a deal about what effect the player character has on the world by being able to "control fate". You don't really alter fate in this game more than any other game you play. Repercussions from the player's actions wouldn't have mattered much if they were just leading into the MMO which takes place 2,000+ years after Reckoning. In that scenario I don't think most folks would be looking for things that changed because of their characters. If they do a sequel to Reckoning before that, though.. I could definitely see that being an issue.

The player actions does change things, I don't know how far you are in the game so I won't put in any spoilers, but Fate is described as some sort of force that nobody can escape from (they can try to, but it will always result in failure). Throughout the game you vastly alter some major character's fates (in the main quest but also in a few sidequests). I think that part of your criticism of the story isn't really fair.

[koji]

So how do I get this FOV fix to work right? It puts the camera waaaay back from my character. I would like it to be just a little farther back than default. Sort of like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQdcOWTd7g I tried the 3x width but it doesn't look right.

Check this post for screenshots and link to settings.

[Loxley]

I really wish the characters were just more expressive. With regards to games with cartoonish art styles, the standard to which I hold that sort of thing is Team Fortress 2. When characters talk in Reckoning, they barely emote at all. Sure occasionally they'll raise their eyebrows, but that's pretty much it. A lot of them just come across as dead empty shells :/

[RyanardoDaVinci]

What's up with the impossible to get to chests that appear off-map?

There's one near the mission in Gorhart and another north of some hunter guy's camp in Klurikon, can't remember the name.

[Baconsammy]

What's up with the impossible to get to chests that appear off-map? There's one near the mission in Gorhart and another north of some hunter guy's camp in Klurikon, can't remember the name.

Do you have the ability to see hidden doors?

[Zeth]

35 hours in, nearing the last area of the main quest. Loved it to bits. Starting to feel like I have no worthwhile finesse stuff to invest in since I'm 100% finesse. Is it worth dropping 6-9 points in might or magic for a new weapon type or something?

Really hope we get a sequel to this.

[RyanardoDaVinci]

Do you have the ability to see hidden doors?

Yeah, Detect Hidden is maxed, there's no way to get to them.

As best as I can guess, it's a bug; the one in Gorhart looks to be under/in a big rock to the right of the chapel, you can see where if you stand up where the Fae chick meditates all the time. The one in Klurikon is out in the blackness of the Northeast of the map, above the hunter's camp, it's the region North of Seawatch and South of the drowned forest.

At first, I thought the one in Gorhart became available after completing the story, but it didn't; and that the one in Klurikon was accessed by a path that doesn't show on the map until you walk it (like the one that led to a set piece of armor earlier), but it wasn't.

[MushroomSamba]

An, Swanwhite, i always picked her after trying the others, would love some backstory on her!

Yeah, I grew attached to all 3 characters actually, despite it being a relatively short Faction quest. I thought the follow-up conversations with them around town after becoming champion was pretty neat just to get an idea of where they're all going. Still would've liked to learn more about them though.

35 hours in, nearing the last area of the main quest. Loved it to bits. Starting to feel like I have no worthwhile finesse stuff to invest in since I'm 100% finesse. Is it worth dropping 6-9 points in might or magic for a new weapon type or something? Really hope we get a sequel to this.

I'm sorta in the same boat with my mage. At this point, I'm dumping points into abilities I'll never use just so I can reach that Archsage destiny. I did stray a few points here and there into other classes like harpoon and that smoke/dagger attack so I can goof around with them, but that's pretty much it. I'd recommend lightning bolt if you have another ability slot open on your rogue. It's pretty fun, and versatile as well (stun effect). Conservative casting could be handy too if you spam abilities.