So... mixed review on steam

I noticed the other day Sota now has a mixed review on steam. I cant help but be a little frustrated with this game. SO many good arguments and ideas has been put forth by the community this game could have been amazing but its target audience is so wide that no one is happy and a mixed review is the outcome of riding the fence on every major decision. the way this game should have been made is etiher UO2 or the old ultima series the two does not combine to make a good game. with that being said i believe i am going to take a major time out from sota and try other games that suit my play style.

• Overwhelmingly Positive
• Very Positive
• Positive
• Mostly Positive
• Mixed <-------------------we are here.
• Mostly Negative
• Negative

 

I think this has been part of the reason why the developers have started focusing more towards releasing Episode 1, and paring down what will make it in and what won't out the gate. There has been a LOT of controversy and emotion thrown around due to the length of time that the game has been being developed, and some understandable frustration as a result. Good news, they have started putting forward some more reasonable milestones, and I'm hoping we see some stuff finally getting nailed down.

Since the game has yet to break out of "pre-Alpha", I always have to make myself remember that this is not the final, polished version of the game. There are still bound to be several changes and things to be adjusted and balanced as we get closer to their launch, and more and more of that will come from test playing as they introduce more of those systems. Personally, I was not a fan of the Steam listing, as I'm always annoyed at how quickly a Early Access game can get swamped under by bad early reviews. That is the nature of the beast, and frankly, has got to be expected when putting out something that's not really ready.

Hoping once we hit an actual Beta and towards release, we'll see more favorable reviews to help shift the balance.

 

My reviews matter the most to me.

Don't yours matter the most to you? Do you like the game at present and do you look forward to whatever the future brings?

Also, I'm happy. Helps that I don't have goals for the game. Just taking what comes and enjoying the ride.

I'd love to know all the changes you will see in 6-12 months when you check in again.

Till then, enjoy wherever your gamer heart takes you.

 

Hmmm... The only thing that bothers me is when people sound like they don't want to give the devs a chance to make a good game -- only so they can be proven right.

It was announced at Kickstarter that this was going to be a mix between UO and the old Ultima series. Everyone knew. Nobody had an excuse not to know. Some people are now saying that the fundamental flaw of the game is mixing the two, and that they always knew it wasn't going to work. If they always knew this, they shouldn't have got on the ride. They should have just chosen not to pledge. Getting on the ride and then complaining the whole way is just really cynical, IMO.

 

Dear Redfish,
combining the two games is not the only reason i am frustrated. most if not all of the community was disappointed with the whole zoning instance thing and most of the community voiced their concerns about it but The devs did not heed our concerns. also the community has very different opinions about pvp and looting instead of separating the two opposing sides they are disappointing both sides with a half pvp/looting system. the truth of the matter is this game seems to be catering to the older ultima series fans and neglecting the UO fans. This game is turning into nothing more than a glorified chat room for people in their 50s and 60s. A mixed review on steam IMO seems to be generous

 

Entering scenes from the world map and consensual PvP were also discussed during Kickstarter.

 

Those are some hefty exaggerations. Most if not all? First of all.. we knew it would be a dual map system very early on.. and SOME people complained and occasionally a few would bring it up now and then. You're not the only one who's been around awhile. We knew this wasn't going to change.. so why bring it up 2 and half years after the fact?

 

That is fine...... That is also the reason for a mixed review.

 

What you have here resembles UO way more then any of the older ultima's, I don't see your view of it.

 

Then shouldn't SotA have consistently been getting mixed reviews all along?

 

I am Happy and so are many others!

 

I think alot of people myself included had high hopes and wishes for this game to be better than what its turning out to be so most of us were waiting and foolishly dreaming of a better outcome. Then many of us realized its not getting any better and that why so many high level backers are running for the doors, and the steady drop in positive reviews.

 

Well, I'm glad for you and others...I am not.

 

I would bet in a couple more months the mixed review will drop to a poor review rating.

 

Sorry, but I do take exception with this. I'm a HUGE fan of the classic Ultima games, and we're still waiting for the single player/story elements that have just NOW been discussed and starting to trickle in with the next releases.

Almost everything in the game up to this point has totally been towards multiplayer aspects (ala UO) for the overall scope of the game. Did Ultima have player housing? Nope. Did the games have PvP aspects? Can't point to any. Was there elaborate combat systems? It was whack-a-mole, are you kidding? Was there focus on player driven crafting for exceptional items? Sure, ONCE if you want to count the Black Sword in an add on, but otherwise, hell no.

While I understand and have advocated about the impatience and frustration that people (myself included) have felt, it is disingenuous and frankly inaccurate to claim that the developers have not taken into account many of the aspects that former UO players have asked for. It's not UO2, but I do feel many UO fans will probably find a good home here.

 

It doesn't surprise me that 1/3 of players who try an unfinished game without most of the mechanics, creatures, AI, Story, Quests, Balancing, expected population, etc. don't give a thumbs up.

It's nice that 2/3's of the population that tried the incomplete game that use steam have given it a thumbs up though.

I can't help but think the percentage will go up when the game is complete, though I guess we'll all see when you see the storyline and questing and ongoing content.

I've done early testing before, it tends to suck, I love the community - I can't really even make an educated guess about the end-game. They have said all along the story was being kept under wraps - it may be awesome (it may suck) but one can't dump on SotA due to lack of story when we just haven't seen it.

I expected a story more compelling that U4-7 (based on the kickstarter). A world more interactive than U7 (surpassed in someways and getting there in others) and a combat system beyond UO (only dabbled, I'm here from the single-player Ultimas for a multi-player game).

Testing a game in Alpha often sucks (done a few) - I actually enjoy the time I put in and the folks I meet and still see great potential. I think I'm used to construction and reno projects also where even when it's 90% done you still would never want to live there - the last 10% is huge!

 

The game was put on steam way too early, nothing can be done about that now. The only thing that matters now is that Portalarium produce a solid, fun, interesting game with longevity. It will stand or fall on its own, and people will judge it in its final state. We have a front row seat to the event. I'm still hoping for success.

 

Hold on I'm getting dizzy.

 

I disagree Last night i was in a call with 6 of my friends talking about this game, and I cant get any of them to try it out due to the simple fact of consensual pvp and the looting system.... this may make a good home for the UO players who played in trammel but not those of us who played in felucca.

 

There are many reasons people are frustrated and some simply no longer can feasibly afford the financial costs. Again, the developers have made an effort recently toward acknowledging and providing more updated scheduling towards the actual release.

I will say, for myself, I recognize this cannot and will not be solely an Ultima game. There are too many multiplayer aspects, too many changes that were required due to not having the actual Ultima IP, and when you get down to it, there are far too many creative elements and developers involved to simply be a continuation.

I can't accurately or fairly judge the game's virtues though, because they haven't released it. Even when Ultima 9 came out and had its overwhelming problems, I was still excited to try it and judge it on its own merits. If SotA is terrible, well, I will probably be a harsh critic, but I also know that my tastes are not always the same as others.

I do believe they are making a game that fans of RG and the series will find enjoyment with. It cannot please everyone, and they would be foolish to try. Hopefully, you will find something here to enjoy, and I would recommend at least giving it the benefit of the doubt until the final version.