Neverwinter RPG

[Baryonyx]

http://www.totalxbox.com/82821/neverwinter-closed-...

MMO Neverwinter is arriving on Xbox One soon and you can sign up for a closed beta test. I've put my details down so I hope to get an invite!

[Baryonyx]

I expect the paid content will be worthwhile, and I can see myself putting some cash into it, I would expect the natural progression for players who are interested in the game would be for them to put some cash into it. There are plenty of great free to play games but they are mostly all pay to win, eventually. The classic MMO model is payment on a subscription, so PTW would be another way around that.

Whatever happens, I'm excited for it as I love D&D games.

I've added a few pictures from the PC version as the console version hasn't been shown yet.

[Baryonyx]

I got the email with my beta key this morning. I've input the code but there is nothing to download at the moment, the email suggests the beta will be going live tomorrow, so we'll see what happens then.

[Baryonyx]

The achievements list sounds good too:


http://www.xboxachievements.com/game/neverwinter-o...



A Hero Emerges 10
Reach level 10 with one character
Paragon Hero 25
Reach level 30 with one character
Epic Hero 50
Reach level 60 with one character
Faith in the Fallen 15
Take a leap of faith
Aberrations 15
Defeat 500 Aberrations
Bandits 15
Defeat 500 Bandits
Devils 15
Defeat 500 Devils
Dragons 15
Defeat 50 Dragons
Drow 15
Defeat 500 Drow
Foulspawn 15
Defeat 500 Foulspawn
Giants 15
Defeat 50 Giants
Goblins 15
Defeat 500 Goblins
Kobolds 15
Defeat 500 Kobolds
Lizardfolk 15
Defeat 500 Lizardfolk
Lycanthropes 15
Defeat 500 Lycanthropes
Orcs 15
Defeat 500 Orcs
Spiders 15
Defeat 500 Spiders
Trolls 15
Defeat 500 Trolls
Undead 15
Defeat 1000 Undead
Dragon's Bane 200
Defeat 1000 Dragons
Dungeoneering 20
Complete 10 normal dungeons
Dungeon Master 50
Complete 25 epic dungeons
Generational 100
Reach level 60 with 2 characters
Would you look at it? Just look at it! 25
Discover all Scrying Stones in 14 zones
Sage 25
Collect 250 pieces of lore
Barrow Scholar 10
Learn all about the Barrows
Eye Chirurgeon 15
Stand eye to eye with your greatest fears
Let's Ride! 10
Equip a mount
Adventure of a Lifetime 5
Complete the tutorial
Ancient 10
Equip an artifact
Daily Affirmation 10
Learn about invocation
Brilliant 10
Earn 50,000 Astral Diamonds
By Your Side 15
Collect a companion
Cornering Karzov 10
Complete the quest: Cornering Karzov
Plague Tower 10
Complete the quest: Plague Tower
Fists of the Warband 10
Complete the quest: Fists of the Warband
Grimstorm Keep 10
Complete the quest: Grimstorm Keep
The Clockwork Guild Tomb 10
Complete the quest: The Clockwork Guild Tomb
The Sanatorium 10
Complete the quest: The Sanatorium
The Drowned King 10
Complete the quest: The Drowned King
The Shadow Falls 10
Complete the quest: The Shadow Falls
Scoundrel's Retreat 10
Complete the quest: Scoundrel's Retreat
The Icy Guardian 10
Complete the quest: The Icy Guardian
Source of Corruption 10
Complete the quest: Source of Corruption
The Edge of the Underdark 10
Complete the quest: The Edge of the Underdark
Temple of the Primordial 10
Complete the quest: Temple of the Primordial
Illithid Enclave 10
Complete the quest: Illithid Enclave
Bump in the Night 30
Defeat 1 Beholder, 1 Gelatinous Cube, and 1 Mimic

[Baryonyx]

That list will most likely be the first 1000/1000GS in the game. As time goes on, more achievements will be added and perhaps the full list will be available in game (much like Diablo 3, which had 1000GS of gamerscore in it along with all the PC achievements on an in-game menu). I expect there will be many more achievements with no GS for unlocking, but with a reward instead, much like Sunset Overdrive has done.


Anyway, I got a pop up on my screen earlier noting that the game had downloaded. I hadn't thought to check my download queue, it must start downloading automatically once the key is entered. I started it up, but it won't connect to the server and there is nothing else to look at. It goes live at 6PM tomorrow afternoon.

[Baryonyx]

Well, the beta is up and running and it's amazing! Genuinely, unlike anything I've ever played before on console. Not even the MMO-lite affairs like Destiny have anything on this. Having played for a couple of hours, everything is just screaming 'depth! depth! more depth!'.

The only thing I am wondering though, is will there be a wipe on beta characters once it's closed? I've not seen official word either way. I'd hate to get attached to a character now only to find out later that I'll lose everything I've done in the beta session. FWIW, I've went with a halfling ranger character. I love halflings and the ranger skills are neat, and give me some great supporting options for bigger fights where I can hang back and deal damage from afar whilst other players rush and melee. I was tempted by the mage character tree though so I might do my second character on that branch.

[Baryonyx]

That's what I hoped for, it means that I won't be wasting the time I've spent on it so far.

Anyway, I've progressed out of the town hub to Blacklake, which seems pretty cool. I've done a few rounds of the skirmish at the lakeside where you have to fight the waves of zombies and then the giant mage. That's great fun, seeing the rest of your party trying out their skills. The queueing system is great too, since it means you can keep playing and questing whilst you wait for the party to fill up with the requisite number of players (though you're never left waiting long, it's better than just looking at a menu screen).

How do you leave a group once you're in one though? I had to log out earlier to allow me to progress to a sewer dungeon to face the Wererats, as it wouldn't let me progress without my party, consisting of one other member who was logged out!

Also, I am playing as a ranger and I have bow and some daggers. I've got them both equipped now, but I can't figure out how to switch between them. If there a way of switching betwee equipped weapons mid-combat?

[Baryonyx]

No, there is no subscription.

[Baryonyx]

I think the party issue might be a beta bug, since I couldn't find an option to leave, even once the last party member was showing as logged out. Everyone else seemed to have figured out how to go!

I am really, really blown away by this game at the moment. It's so pure as an MMO, and yet so sleekly designed and well executed for a pad. I am considering plugging a spare USB keyboard into my Xbox One and seeing if I can get typing on the chat window.

[Baryonyx]

Just figured that out now! Thanks for the heads up. I'd never have guessed by myself!


I've reached level 11 now, and unlocked the stance switch. Although my current set of daggers are nowhere near as powerful as my bow, they're useful in situations where you get bum-rushed by enemies. The timed event for the Orc Assault is closing in one day and 21 hrs, I wonder if that is when the beta itself will close, since the Orc Assault event has been open since I first logged in to the beta session (when it had been running for about four hours).

That is the real question, when will this beta end? Will the achievements I've 'earned' so far auto-unlock when the real game releases, I wonder? And how long will there be between the beta closing and the full game releasing? Not too long I hope.

[Baryonyx]

I doubt you'll get much gaming in then, it closes at 6PM tomorrow. Indeed, I was right about the Orc Assault timer being the end of the beta, so you'll see when you log in just how long you've got. The only question now is, how long do we have to wait for the proper release? I'll miss playing this, I've been loving it.

[Baryonyx]

mizx said:

It sounds like it might release sooner than later, also unfortunately it appears characters will be wiped. Sorry to get your hopes up, I was just going on the PC beta

http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?83...

Hmm. I might still remark my character as a Halfling Ranger. I really like that class. Although I am tempted by the Control Wizard, so I might run a second character with that class in that slot. Is the Control Wizard's basic attack a ranged magic attack? I've never watched one fight up close, so I wasn't sure what the little floating orb weapons they use actually do.

I'm only at Level 11, so I won't lose too much with my character. I'm more upset to be losing the warthog companion I had been diligently training! I'm not sure we'll get access to companions so early in the game, I think they were gifted to check their functionality. Certainly, they are immensely powerful until you get to about level 10, when they seem to even out with the enemies.

I had thought, in the back of my mind, that my character might be wiped so I purposely didn't play as much as I might have in order not to lose too much progress.

[Baryonyx]

There is no subscription fee. I've been playing it the last couple of days around Bloodborne and it is great fun. So much content.

[Baryonyx]

I'm sure you will be able to pay for something somewhere. I'm not sure what though, there are many currencies and bonuses in the game but they all seem to be available through earning them rather than buying them.

[Baryonyx]

I haven't set anything up yet. As I understand it, to start a clan or guild you need two people in a party to go to the guildmaster in Neverwinter and apply there, and the guild will be founded on the spot with options to join other members later.

[Baryonyx]

I think I have accidentally joined a guild, thinking I was joining an assault party. Whoops!


In other news though, I'm really enjoying the game. The framerate is often appalling for no apparent reason (fine fighting a big boss, or when there are over 20 enemies on screen but freezing up as you explore an empty corridor in a dungeon). I'm approaching Level 30 and have just done the first few quests in the graveyard area, namely one where a Lich wants you to take his phylactery on a tour of the graveyard.

Queueing generally doesn't seem to be an issue though the Cragmire Crypt queues aren't very good, I had to wait over half an hour in a queue last night just to play that dungeon! The economy isn't great either; players are obviously spending money due to all the system messages you get about people getting loot from tyrannical lockboxes, but the pricing structure is ridiculous. If it were at a reasonable level, I think more players would go for the spend and the game would make more money. But I guess the developers did their research and found that this was the most profitable way to build the game!

[Baryonyx]

IIRC you need to speak to the companion shop in Neverwinter. They'll gift you a companion.

[Baryonyx]

Another thing that isn't clear as I had pathfinding fault whilst on the quest, you'll get a quest in the Blackdagger ruins to retrieve an artifict. This is in the Cragmire Barrows, not Cragmire Crypt. As I say, the pathfinder for the quest didn't work, so when I stumbled across the Barrows and re-activated the quest, I was pleased to finish it and you get the choice of some cool rewards at the end too.

[Baryonyx]

I'm currently in the Dragon Cult side of the Neverdeath graveyard. I had a great time earlier on fighting that massive dragon that spawns in the central arena with about 20 other players. As is often the way with public events, once you get a few players together and do some damage, more players join and soon enough you've got the support you need to win. However, after beating it I didn't get the achievement for beating a dragon. Hmm.


The slowdown at some points in this game is ridiculous too. It seems entirely random too. I didn't have a hint of slowdown during the aforementioned Charthraxis fight, but when I returned later with just one other NPC, the dragon spawned and my game was frozen for about ten seconds! It's dire in places.

Overall though, it's still great fun. The success of this game will hopefully pave the way for more MMO's on consoles in future.

[Baryonyx]

One thing to look out for in the Craftsman's Rest area is the Lair Of The Mad Dragon quest. It's a repeatable queue dungeon with a dragon boss at the end (you can do the dungeon long before you get he quest for it). The queueing system this dungeon is bugged and it'll out you into a game which is concluded and the boss defeated with no exit portal. The pathfinder trail is also confused and leads you to a dead end. If the map is empty, the boss is dead. Press 'back' and select 'leave group' and you'll be teleported back to the main instance but luckily, the dungeon will register as complete. So even if you get dropped into a finished game you can take the credit and complete the quest.