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Kingdoms of Amalur demo impressions thread [Up On 360/Origin/Steam/U.S. PSN]

Hannar

Member
After playing the demo I think they would be much better suited for action rpgs. The MMO will probably be good, but it will just be another MMO that I will quit after one week and go back to WoW. The potential with this series is huge and I hate the idea of seeing it wasted on an MMO.

With some of the minds behind the MMORPG, I think it's going to be wonderful (at least for those fans of the genre). There was a major update to http://www.amalur.com today that shows off more of the lore. It's a full fledged universe that's been created, so I'm extremely excited for it.

But Curt has plans for this IP to span multiple games and multiple genres, so I definitely do not think all eggs are in the MMORPG basket. That's just the preferred vehicle for the Providence studio.
 

shaowebb

Member
Ya know it said I unlocked a butt load of stuff for the game and ME3 once I own them for playing this. My 3rd playthrough unlocked a helmet for me in Amalur as well that looked all red and evil.

Thing is I don't want ME3. I just haven't had the time to sit down and get into the series yet so it's not a necessity for me to keep these unlocks. Can they be gifted?
 

Mrbob

Member
Are they not the publisher on all platforms?

It looks like 38 Studios is self publishing the Steam version. Good thing too, otherwise we would have the typical EA garbo about no direct connection to customers blah blah and who knows when the Steam version would be released.
 

Rad Agast

Member
I believe I made LVL 4 my 2nd time through will a little time left to spare, playing as a dagger/bow build. I got through almost all the quests it would let me finish. I skipped or blasted through chat as fast as I could and ran everywhere.

I deleted the demo after finishing it 5 times but I'm sure the 45 minutes time frame doesn't count the time spent talking to NPCs or when you're in menus.
 

Khezu

Member
It looks like 38 Studios is self publishing the Steam version.
Wonder how that happened, seems kinda weird. EA just stubbornly won't publish it on steam and now there just leaving money on the table since the steam version will probably sell the most, unless the demo really helps the xbox version.
 

Mrbob

Member
I think this is an EA partners game, so EA doesn't have as much control. Must have been in the contract. It is better off for 38 studios self publish the Steam version. They'll make more money and not have to hand over a dime to EA. All EA are is a middle man taking money away from the studio for the Steam version of the game.
 

ghostmind

Member
Yeah the story and world seem VERY uninteresting. I like the little animations on the things you can harvest but even from the trailer everything looks very bland and for lack of better words, generic. The art design is pretty passable and that in combination with the graphics looking incredibly dated makes a really bad look. On 360 even the game drops frames dramatically if you go near a waterfall too. I kinda want someone to copy the gameplay of this though and put it into something higher budget, because the combat is the redeeming feature her and 99% of the reason why I had fun.

Also:

Anyone?

The ME3 unlocks should register on the Bioware social site (same place as the ME2 and Dragon Age ones). If its there when you login with your GT, I would think you are safe to delete the demo.
 

Hannar

Member
So...wait, I'm a bit confused.

EA: Publisher
38 Studios: Publisher
Big Games Studios: Developer

?

Big Huge Games, but otherwise correct

BHG is owned by 38 Studios, may at some point be folded under the same name, but they didn't feel it appropriate immediately after the purchase.
 

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
So...wait, I'm a bit confused.

EA: Publisher
38 Studios: Publisher
Big Games Studios: Developer

?

38 Studios bought BHG, but BHG still holds its name for this release. They'll probably lose it once Reckoning ships.
 

Astra

Member
I preordered my copy today. I can't wait beyond day 1. Preordered from EBgames. Amazon.ca doesn't do release day delivery for anything. (That I've seen)
 

ReaperXL7

Member
Oh here is some new, news from the forums. The PS3 install is approximately 3,700 MB, according to Muse who is the community manager on the forums. Figured some people might want that information.

I think there needs to be an added tutorial on how to use the loot UI, because alot of people seem to be missing some of it's finer features. Especially the tools they have give to easily compare, and junk items that need one or the other.
 

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
The ME3 unlocks should register on the Bioware social site (same place as the ME2 and Dragon Age ones). If its there when you login with your GT, I would think you are safe to delete the demo.
Thank you. After jumping through some hoops I've found it.

For anyone who's curious, it should show up on this page (once logged in on the BioWare Social site). If you have an existing EA account, it's wise to use that same e-mail/password when you create a BioWare social account so everything is seamless. I had to make a new one but everything showed up there regardless because of my association with the EA account.
 
For all the talk of invisible walls, the only ones I found were pretty obviously demo limitation things. I didn't find any that seemed broken/edge of map type deals.
 

Astra

Member
For all the talk of invisible walls, the only ones I found were pretty obviously demo limitation things. I didn't find any that seemed broken/edge of map type deals.

Well, it was more around areas like water, for example. There's a very small (2 foot) drop into the water, and you can't jump down into the water. Instead, you're forced to run all the way around and take the predetermined path into the water.
Not a huge deal (at least not right now) but it is a hindrance to freedom of exploration.


Oh here is some new, news from the forums. The PS3 install is approximately 3,700 MB, according to Muse who is the community manager on the forums. Figured some people might want that information.

I think there needs to be an added tutorial on how to use the loot UI, because alot of people seem to be missing some of it's finer features. Especially the tools they have give to easily compare, and junk items that need one or the other.

3.7GB isn't too bad at all. Is it a mandatory install? (Not that it matters, I guess. I always install, anyway.)

I really like the loot UI, but in the demo I just looted everything, and didn't really bother with the finer points. I'll enjoy them in the full game, when they'll really come in handy.
I love being able to compare right in the loot UI, and add directly to junk if need be. No need to get to a shop, and scroll through all my items to figure out what to sell, just sell junk in one lump.
 
For all the talk of invisible walls, the only ones I found were pretty obviously demo limitation things. I didn't find any that seemed broken/edge of map type deals.

Not so much invisible walls out of nowhere as much as there are ones on edges of cliffs you could safely fall from.

I'm more annoyed by the insurmountable knee high fences. That's some Fable 1 shit.
 

Lain

Member
For all the talk of invisible walls, the only ones I found were pretty obviously demo limitation things. I didn't find any that seemed broken/edge of map type deals.

You never tried to get into the water? Try it. Unless there is an opening for you to get in, you won't be able to. If you kill a monster there, though, its corpse can and will fall down into the water.
 

Xilium

Member
I'm more annoyed by the insurmountable knee high fences. That's some Fable 1 shit.

Even if you could jump, wouldn't they have just raised the height of the fences?

I don't think I've ever played a WRPG in which jumping added anything to the experience beyond glitch jumping over mountains or cheap shoting enemies from atop a rock in Bethesda Games (neither of which were intended as gameplay mechanics).
 
Even if you could jump, wouldn't they have just raised the height of the fences?

I don't think I've ever played a WRPG in which jumping added anything to the experience beyond glitch jumping over mountains or cheap shoting enemies from atop a rock in Bethesda Games (neither of which were intended as gameplay mechanics).

The fences are for the most part not blocking anything, they are just there as decoration. A dedicated jump button is probably not needed, but a "hop over small object"/"hop off small ledge" context function would be nice.
 

spirity

Member
I'm conditioned that when I see a fence I have to jump in other games, I time my jump so I land just on it, then do another jump off the fence for a 'megajump'.

dont look at me like that :/
 
I'm conditioned that when I see a fence I have to jump in other games, I time my jump so I land just on it, then do another jump off the fence for a 'megajump'.

dont look at me like that :/

I always try and jump off small stuff onto roofs, even though I know nothing is ever up there.
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
Jumping is an anomaly at best, and I am one of those faceless voices in the "this game should have jump!" crowd. The only reason I want jump is because the visual setting is reminiscent of MMOs, therefore I want to jump to explore places I can not readily get to. Either that or I simply want to jump randomly while running from point A to point B.

Outside of that the game is perfectly fine without jumping. They have jump/fall down sequences to make pathing a lot more easier, especially in a backtracking scenario, but that is all the game needs I believe. Everywhere else is relatively stable enough to explore and I'm sure the coding monkeys love the fact that they can narrow environments down without sacrificing themselves to the QA gods, but the explorer in me wants to push the boundaries.

The whole thing is subjective and should not affect the overall criticism and enjoyment of the game because it is hardly a design issue. Anyone who believes it to be is drinking too much haterade.
 
Played the PS3 version repeatedly. for some reason depending on where I am at particularly in the town, the screen tears a lot. Like it has a problem rendering the ground and all I see is white.
Other than that, I am really enjoying the demo and I can see it being a day one purchase for me. I'm gonna try the 360 version now to see how it holds up. I have read the thread and I have noticed that the devs are apparently workingo ut the issues so that is comforting
 

ReaperXL7

Member
This game is reminding me of Dragon Age Origins, including the impressions in this thread.

I was not around when DA:O launched so is that a good thing or a bad thing? Most threads i've seen most people seem to like the first one provided you got the PC version. I know some people hated the console versions
 

Fredescu

Member
I was not around when DA:O launched so is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Pre launch things were pretty negative, but the hype crept up pretty quickly in the last couple of weeks when some more concrete PC gameplay videos surfaced. The official thread ended up being fairly positive post launch.
 
Played farther in the demo tonight, definitely opens up both in terms of scale and in terms of actual mechanics and choices the farther you get.

I'm having trouble pegging what kind of game this even is beyond "action RPG", and I find that kind of exciting. What felt like a PS1 throwback the other day has slowly developed into more of a sense of what those older ARPGs would have become with more and better resources. I get this underlying feeling that this is the type of game that nowadays and in someone else's hands would have ended up just like a Dragon Age 2, but instead went to some people who were actually interested in making a game and a world first, and a SyFy original miniseries second.

I'm honestly really interested in seeing how this pans out, because regardless of how good the final product is, I feel this could at least end up as something unique which could open doors for the genre.
 

ReaperXL7

Member
Played farther in the demo tonight, definitely opens up both in terms of scale and in terms of actual mechanics and choices the farther you get.

I'm having trouble pegging what kind of game this even is beyond "action RPG", and I find that kind of exciting. What felt like a PS1 throwback the other day has slowly developed into more of a sense of what those older ARPGs would have become with more and better resources. I get this underlying feeling that this is the type of game that nowadays and in someone else's hands would have ended up just like a Dragon Age 2, but instead went to some people who were actually interested in making a game and a world first, and a SyFy original miniseries second.

I'm honestly really interested in seeing how this pans out, because regardless of how good the final product is, I feel this could at least end up as something unique which could open doors for the genre.

and the best part is no forced danielle steel romance garbage....least in my opinion.

Agree with your post though. I think thats one of the reasons I'm diggin it so much is that it really feels like a positive route many of the old games I love could have evolved into. You can tell that the devs love the genre i've noticed quite a few references to games like Planescape, Ultima, and a few others just in the short amount of time with the demo.
 

-Mikey-

Member
Do the enemies have levels or will they scale with you?

Also, I noticed you can destroy items. When you destroy them are they permanently gone or do you salvage the components?
 
Do the enemies have levels or will they scale with you?

Also, I noticed you can destroy items. When you destroy them are they permanently gone or do you salvage the components?

I'm not sure how the main story levels, but I saw a tip pop up that there are areas which you will enter where the enemies are way more powerful than you. So that's a pretty good sign.
 

Hannar

Member
Do the enemies have levels or will they scale with you?

Also, I noticed you can destroy items. When you destroy them are they permanently gone or do you salvage the components?

Each of the areas in the game has a specific level range (a min and a max, usually about 5 levels between). When you enter an area for the first time, that range is locked based on your current level. So if you are a level 10 and you enter a level 20-25 area, the game will lock that content at level 20. If you enter it at 23, then the game will lock it at 23. If you enter it at level 40, the game will lock it at 25.

That way things don't progressively get harder unless they were originally intended to be hard, but there is some flexibility so that you do feel a difference between yourself and the enemies you are fighting in a certain area while you are progressing through it.
 
When I did the House of Ballads quests (culminating in the dungeon run where the Faeblades drop) at level 2, the enemies before the boss were regular Boggarts and Brownies. When I did it another time at level 4, the enemies were all souped-up poison Boggarts. Not sure if that's a sign of enemy scaling or not, but it was nice to get some slightly more difficult enemies to fight. The issue of the scepters being overpowered still came into play though.
 

ReaperXL7

Member
When I did the House of Ballads quests (culminating in the dungeon run where the Faeblades drop) at level 2, the enemies before the boss were regular Boggarts and Brownies. When I did it another time at level 4, the enemies were all souped-up poison Boggarts. Not sure if that's a sign of enemy scaling or not, but it was nice to get some slightly more difficult enemies to fight. The issue of the scepters being overpowered still came into play though.

I'm not sure if it's a case of them simply being overpowered, I've noticed when using the scepters that they are all elemental, like the chakrums. If your fighting against enemies that are weak to the element the Scepters are really powerful. However when fighting Kobolds I was using the Scepter and it was doing basically nothing in terms of damage.

So for I think the Greatswords might be the most over powered weapon as they just destroy pretty much everything, very slow though, also the Quake might ability is awesome.
 
I'm not sure if it's a case of them simply being overpowered, I've noticed when using the scepters that they are all elemental, like the chakrums. If your fighting against enemies that are weak to the element the Scepters are really powerful. However when fighting Kobolds I was using the Scepter and it was doing basically nothing in terms of damage.

Was mainly just referring to the fact that they have unlimited ammo, but I've also yet to run up against an enemy that couldn't easily be killed by a few good shots of an upgraded scepter. I love the combo of scepter/chakram, but hopefully the final version of the game makes the mana cost more reasonable.
 

ReaperXL7

Member
Was mainly just referring to the fact that they have unlimited ammo, but I've also yet to run up against an enemy that couldn't easily be killed by a few good shots of an upgraded scepter. I love the combo of scepter/chakram, but hopefully the final version of the game makes the mana cost more reasonable.

ahh, admittedly I have not really been using the scepters much I had picked them up early in one run of the demo, I did not realize they had unlimited ammo. Seems odd considering how they did the arrows for the bow.

Just did an interesting quest with a guy claiming to be a wolf
, I was kind of hoping it was going to turn out that he was just really crazy, but he was really a wolf. Still pretty cool, I liked how the well kept teleporting to different locations.
 
ahh, admittedly I have not really been using the scepters much I had picked them up early in one run of the demo, I did not realize they had unlimited ammo. Seems odd considering how they did the arrows for the bow.

They shouldnt have unlimited ammo, but if you're wearing any mana-regen gear the amount you regen completely negates the cost of the shot, and the distance these things fire appears to be much further than the bows.
 
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