Questions about this game (not sure if I should buy)
Hissatsu
Join Date: 2012-12-05 Member: 174247Members
Join Date: 2012-12-05 Member: 174247Members
Greetings.
From reading about this game, this is THE game for me. I love teamwork over individual play, I love hybrid games (like Free Allegiance or C&C Renegade), I love communication and playting together with people (actually socialising within game, talking to each other, not simply doing your stuff like you often end up in pub games of LoL or similar games). However, I had my series of negative experiences with games that have big community but only in american time zone, games that only have normal severs in american timezone, games that are awesome but have very poor matchmaking meaning you will spend most of the time waiting or searching for game, not playing, and also just buying a game before I try it.
Therefore, several questions, hope someone can answer them:
- Is there a community that actively plays around 15:00 to 20:00 UTC?
I live in Russia (GMT+4) and I'm usually online to play from 19:00 to 24:00. I love Free Allegiance (basically its Natural Selection 2 but instead of FPS you get a very good Space Sim) but that game has a small community and most of it is from america, therefore I just cannot play when its gaming time for me :( If the same happens in Natural Selection 2, there's no point to buy this game :(
- Is there a reasonably easy way to find a game, especially as a newbie? What is the server concept about, how'd you find a place to play as a newbie?
This game has lots of "how to play" videos and guides available but none really tackes the question on HOW to play, meaning, how to actually find a game. I had experience with games like Minecraft (back in beta) which are awesome by themselves, but you can hardly find a server to play on because the game you buy is basically a client, and there are no official servers. So you start looking for servers and there's many of them, and they're all different with their bizzare rules (like a ban for using some absolutely common item) and mods (like its no longer Minecraft you're playing, or you cant join because you dont have their mod installed). How is this game like? How easy it is to find a game? If i just want to sit down and play, what time am i looking at from the moment i log in to the moment game starts?
- Is latency important?
I have a very good internet but still i am usually on ~60ms ping to EU servers. In games like CS:GO, difference of 20 vs 60 is already a big one. I dont want to be at a disadvantage just because I've a got a little bit worse connection, because then game wont be fun - it will be frustration all over, and I'll just stop playing it and lament wasted money... dont want that to happen.
- Lastly, maybe there's a way to try it before i buy it?
I'd really love just to play for one or two days to decide if this game is for me. I've seen people giving away copies, I'm willing to pay for it, but only if I like it. I dont want to pay money and then in two or three days never play the game again...
Thanks in advance!
From reading about this game, this is THE game for me. I love teamwork over individual play, I love hybrid games (like Free Allegiance or C&C Renegade), I love communication and playting together with people (actually socialising within game, talking to each other, not simply doing your stuff like you often end up in pub games of LoL or similar games). However, I had my series of negative experiences with games that have big community but only in american time zone, games that only have normal severs in american timezone, games that are awesome but have very poor matchmaking meaning you will spend most of the time waiting or searching for game, not playing, and also just buying a game before I try it.
Therefore, several questions, hope someone can answer them:
- Is there a community that actively plays around 15:00 to 20:00 UTC?
I live in Russia (GMT+4) and I'm usually online to play from 19:00 to 24:00. I love Free Allegiance (basically its Natural Selection 2 but instead of FPS you get a very good Space Sim) but that game has a small community and most of it is from america, therefore I just cannot play when its gaming time for me :( If the same happens in Natural Selection 2, there's no point to buy this game :(
- Is there a reasonably easy way to find a game, especially as a newbie? What is the server concept about, how'd you find a place to play as a newbie?
This game has lots of "how to play" videos and guides available but none really tackes the question on HOW to play, meaning, how to actually find a game. I had experience with games like Minecraft (back in beta) which are awesome by themselves, but you can hardly find a server to play on because the game you buy is basically a client, and there are no official servers. So you start looking for servers and there's many of them, and they're all different with their bizzare rules (like a ban for using some absolutely common item) and mods (like its no longer Minecraft you're playing, or you cant join because you dont have their mod installed). How is this game like? How easy it is to find a game? If i just want to sit down and play, what time am i looking at from the moment i log in to the moment game starts?
- Is latency important?
I have a very good internet but still i am usually on ~60ms ping to EU servers. In games like CS:GO, difference of 20 vs 60 is already a big one. I dont want to be at a disadvantage just because I've a got a little bit worse connection, because then game wont be fun - it will be frustration all over, and I'll just stop playing it and lament wasted money... dont want that to happen.
- Lastly, maybe there's a way to try it before i buy it?
I'd really love just to play for one or two days to decide if this game is for me. I've seen people giving away copies, I'm willing to pay for it, but only if I like it. I dont want to pay money and then in two or three days never play the game again...
Thanks in advance!
Comments
- Whenever I want to play between let's say 10am and 11pm UTC, I always manage to find a server with many people on them (like 2-3 slots remaining).
- Browsing servers is just quite easy : you just have to click on 'update' and wait for the server list to display. I have never met servers with weird rules so don't be afraid to connect on a server you don't know.
Moreover, on NS2, you will find servers displayed in green, with the tag 'rookie friendly', meaning that they like new players. Of course, it doesn't mean that you will be insulted if you are new and connect to a normal server, but if you join these particular servers, then people on it are supposed to be newbie-friendly and you will be able to ask all the questions you have without any problem.
- Latency must have its importance, of course… but with ~60ms ping, I think you can play normally !
I have a very good internet but still i am usually on ~60ms ping to EU servers. In games like CS:GO, difference of 20 vs 60 is already a big one. I dont want to be at a disadvantage just because I've a got a little bit worse connection, because then game wont be fun - it will be frustration all over, and I'll just stop playing it and lament wasted money... dont want that to happen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Regarding ping, 60ms is nothing to worry about. With all the lag compensation in the game i find playing with 150 ping isnt much worse than playing with 50-70 ms. Getting into a server is very easy user-interface wise, and there are lots of non-modded UWE funded servers.
Im not sure about your timezone being popular at certain times, perhaps some other russian players can answer that?
My biggest warning would be to ensure your hardware is up to scratch. My computer runs NS2 terribly (like 10fps on 24 player servers when more than 1-2 players are on the screen) and i have a 3ghz quad core, albiet prior to the i5/i7 series. I get so fed up with being bottom of the servers list despite being one of the more capable players that i often just go commander or perma-gorge. To contrast, when i play on my friends PC (2600K) and get 30-70fps i usually sit on 3:1 kdr as skulk, can walljump at around 10 speed (impossible with low fps) and can PUG without being ashamed of my accuracy.
I would recommend at least a 2600K or newer CPU, overclocked to 4ghz, if you want to get reasonable performance on the larger 22/24 player servers (which are often the more populated ones). Im not sure about video card requirements, my video card runs it fine and its a couple years old.
Hope you can play it & decide to buy it, its a great game.
Regards
Note: You depend on your teammates actually communicating and cooperating.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->How do I actually find a game and play with fellow newbies?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Look for servers in green, they have rookie mode enabled, other newbies will likely join that server and the server will be configured for team auto balancing (number of players).
The community is overall very helpful.
Also, new players will have the "Rookie mode" enabled (client side), which will make your name green on the scoreboard, players will be aware you are new to the game.
Once you consider yourself no longer a rookie you can turn it off.
It does not do anything besides making your name green.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->- Is latency important?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Yes, 1-200ms is playable from my experience, after that it gets funny.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->- Lastly, maybe there's a way to try it before i buy it?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->No demo, you could ask a friend if you can borrow his account or play over at his place.
If you have 3 more friends you can buy the 4-pack for a lower price per key and get to try the game with fellow newbies!
Also, NS2 will need a high end PC, what are your PC specs?
It's a pity really there is no demo.
First of all, I'm living in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Not that I'm complaining we're poor, but $480 a month is considered an ok salary here.
On friends:
I have one friend that would love to play this (he's a fan of World of Tanks, Aliens versus Predator, now playing League of Legends becuse he got cold about tanks, he's all about having aggressive and fast paced fun in pvp in teams, he hates grinds and boring stuff like farming in MOBA style games). However, he won't just dive in and buy a game for $20. Not that he has no money, he just won't buy a game just to try it out with me solely on my words of it "looking good".
I have another friend that would probably love it (he loved C&C Renegade multiplayer, he's a fan of Dota, WoW, but played a lot of shooters back in the day when they were great - i mean, like Quake 1-3, not like Call of Duty Modern Warfare linear corridor scripted ######). We spent weekends together having fun in pub games in Dota. However, he won't just dive in and buy a game for $20. He is short on money, and thus he just won't buy a game until he knows he's going to enjoy it more than absolutely free alternatives like Dota 2.
Plus, especially with this being a multiplayer game, and a hardware-heavy game, it would really be good to have a form of a trial available. Not that I advocate free to play (I'm against that because it promotes all sorts of bad mechanics that ruin the fun), but I think you should be able to test the product out before buying it. (Especially for products that are about long-term enjoyment, replayability, not consuming of storyline and forgetting)
over the last couple weeks I noticed quiet a few russian servers (with russian speaking folks) where I really enjoyed to play on, especially because I can improve my russian language skills ;) Heres one of them I frequently play on: 81.9.63.242:27022. Right now (14:20 CET) this server is full. In the evening I usually see 4-6 populated russian servers. Those servers are mainly located in Moscow, so there should not be any latency issues for you in SPB. If you don't have a problem speaking english you can check out the scandinavian and polish servers, as you should have a decent latency there, too.
My overall experience is that the community is REALLY friendly towards new players. Keep in mind that this is an online game and people sometimes tend to be very emotional and get angry at your for no particular reason - thats just how it is in every game.
Regarding your computer specs you'll be able to play the game very smoothly as a 560Ti and an i5 is more then enough for NS2. I've seen it running with an enjoyable amount of fps on worse computers, so theres no need to worry about that.
Still, I think offering a kind of trial with this game would go a LONG way to spread its popularity. It seems to be a real GEM but not really widely known yet... found it out by accident looking through Metacritic.
<a href="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/596989355887976235/C7ED146E8D6D88EBF1287A3A7459E1092C6DC918/" target="_blank">Screenshot of Server list with Russain servers</a>
Still, I think offering a kind of trial with this game would go a LONG way to spread its popularity. It seems to be a real GEM but not really widely known yet... found it out by accident looking through Metacritic.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The last demo FPS game I remember playing was quake3.
I don't really think that price/accessibility is an issue for a $29 game.
I don't really think that price/accessibility is an issue for a $29 game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It is somehow an issue if you earn 480$ per month. Did you read what Hissatsu has written?
I don't really think that price/accessibility is an issue for a $29 game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
When you know a game is great, that you'll play it for a long time, sure, $29 is not a problem. When you however dont know if you'll like it, if you will fit into the gameplay, if you will have people to play with etc etc, then availability of a trial does become important.
I do not want to really downrate the game I didnt play yet, not I want to turn this topic into an argument on trials, but I am entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that absolutely every software must have a trial/demo available (limited in any way developer sees fit, but demonstrative of the features of the full product). This is because of the nature of the software (buggy, with no guarantee of it actually working as intended, without lag/delay/etc), and the way it is sold (you buy a "license to use", basically, you dont gain anything, you're just using something temporarily). And is is my opinion that such practice - availability of free trials - is good for business, because it will promote competition, and a good competition, not the competition that companies like EA create.
And if Natural Selection 2 is a great game - it has nothing to fear by allowing people to try it before they commit to buying it. On the other hand, more people would buy it after trying it and seeing how great it is!
This is especially easy and harmless to the developer nowadays when everything is interconnected - its easy to combat piracy and keygens/trial extenders by offering online services - like, rankings, cheat protection, account validation etc, that you cannot get with a hacked trial. Like Minecraft does, for example.
One thing that F2P games do good is they raise the awareness - they remind you that you don't have to blindly buy a game that screams "you will enjoy me for many hours and days", you can try it and then decide if you want to invest your money.
Once again, I don't want to turn this topic into an argument, I don't want to get Natural Selection 2 for free, and I think B2P is superior to F2P, but only if there is a free trial or evaluation available.
PS: Just read a topic about this game being "Dead" ... hmm.... I see a different picture. Game feels very much alive.
People say gameplay is shallow and repetitive... Hmm?
...
...Oh good old days of Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake... people played same "repetitive" games for years and had so much fun.
Without achievements. Without rankings or account levels or perk trees... without cosmetic items and stuff...