Profile: rexkramer
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Here's some MMOs I've played in beta recently that I just couldn't find any enjoyment in. Is it me? Am I expecting too much these days? Something must be wrong with me if I'm picking up one new MMO only to become quickly underwhelmed then jumping straight into another:

• Gods & Heroes
  According to PE, the game needed more "polish." From what I could tell they were right. Although realistic beyond the realms of most MMOs, there was a lot of detail in the weapons and armor that I either hadn't attained or was never in the game to begin with. The avatars were lifelike and could be highly customized -- better than any other MMO I can think of. This feature turned out to be the only aspect of the game that I really enjoyed. Questing was the typical point A to B humdrum with no real storytelling. I know, I know...it's BETA, but something in development for that long should have had more to offer.
  
  What turned me on to this MMO initially was the supposed cutting-edge combat (we all saw the video clips). Looked pretty cool, but turned out to be only cool in execution and not in function. Again, more of the same cookie-cutter, click-to-activate skills like all the other MMOs out there. Bleh.
  
  While I wait for this game to come back from the dead, BIGGER and BETTER, I pray PE's doing something utterly orgasmic with Star Trek in the meantime.
  
  
• Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
  I didn't last more than a few hours in this game. Like most MMOs, it had nothing new to offer to the genre other than the LotR storyline. That's a great backbone to build an MMO on IF it can do it without operating exactly like all the other MMOs out there. Note to devs: think outside the box!
  
  
• Pirates of the Burning Sea
  Landlubber or sea dog? Which aspect is more fun? I guess it was a pirate's life for me.
  
  Here's a game with soooo much potential! PotBS has something going for it if they can add more functionality to the ship/combat system. Yes, I DID have fun with the ships and spent about 75% of my time at sea in the game. But just being able to switch ammo types gets old really quick, otherwise you're simply steering and clicking (sometimes boarding) and waiting to sink a foe or be sunk yourself. Maybe if they grouped the crew into types and allowed the player to handle each crew types tasking (gunner, marine, deckhand, etc.) independently, possibly building experience in crew types as the game progresses. I dunno...there's an intricacy to the ships that the devs are missing. Simply put, there should be more to the ships than just driving them around and shooting at one another. PotBS could actually revolve solely around the ships with all the other game's features merely supporting.
  
  About four days into the beta I found the questing to be way too easy with the tried and true fetch and return in swashbuckling mode. It's fun but gets old quickly. And I don't see things getting any better than what I've already experienced -- that would be a game that simply wants to capitalize on the whole 'Pirates of the Caribbean' thang. Disappointing.
  
  
• Tabula Rasa
  I went ahead and picked up a 3-day trial key (yeah, I know, not really in beta any longer), waited all day for the download and then spent only an hour playing before uninstalling. What's all the hype behind this game? Not only does it look terrible but the avatar movement along with the free motion camera was enough to make me puke. So it's a shooter that plays like an MMO...m'kay. Someone please convince me that I'm just way too picky and that I should give it another try. After doing the first few missions I was not at all impressed with it.
  
  

Maybe if I were a gamer in my teens or 20's, I might feel like all these new games were fresh and exciting. It's quite possible that I've somehow peaked with my expectations. Maybe I'm just too impatient. Perhaps I should go back to pen and paper RPGs?

*beta app submitted*

I'm REALLY hoping that AoC is more than just lopping off heads coupled with gratuitous T&A...