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Sorry about blank post, im just getting the hang of this thing, but....
I am not currently a player of Horizons but myself and 4 of my other friends have been thinking of buying this game for about a month, but after reading the forums I am not sure about buying the game any monre. If I do buy Horizons, will it be as fun as it seams by first glance. I as a gamer can usually stick with a game for a fair amount of time, but being that both my self and my friends will be total newcommers to the game, will we have a chance.
Also is there much of a future to this game? Looking at the main website I saw that the company which makes Horizons just signed for bankruptcy, so is there going to be a future at all for this game.
Over all I want to know, is this going to be a game that myself and my friends can get into over say two months, and if so, is it going to be worth investing that much time in the game when the future is so unsure?
Thankyou for all your help,
LifeForce7
Is this game pointless ? definitively not, but only dev should answer to this.
Is it pointless to post in this forum ? sure !
I dowloaded this game, installed it and did the 7-day trial. I now have over 52 hours of playing time invested since I got it. Neverwinter Nights has 62 hours of playtime. And I'm a casual gamer, I don't play every signle day, but when I do my sessions are quite long (over 4-5 hours).
I think at first it seems gloomy about this game's future, but it does have a new owner, Tulga Games (No longer Artifact). The graphics may not be cutting edge, but there are elements to the game that surpasses other games with fancy shaders and what all. Community. The other games have guilds or player accosiations, but no community.
Also, the craftings system is superior, resource harvesting is...well logical, makes sence, loacted in safe areas away from hostile monsters so you can actually work, multi-classing like Neverwinter Nights, and Community construction. This is where more than one person can build a building by donated surplus and materials. You can even build your own home.
Once you get the feel for it, you'll find that the game is not bad. The thing is that with gaming industry whoring the MMO concept of gaming it hascreated a thing where all developers try to get as much of the gamers monthly fees as possible. Some fall short, other don't.
Horizons, was caught in the middle. Artifact, couldn't afford to keep develop the game, all the things that were to go into didnyt make it or was changed completely. It's a very different game from when it first was conceaved.(http://www.pjci.net/phaeivendael/hz/HZ_OriginalConcept.rar).
Just don't do what most people do: compare it to other MMOs. Horizons is unique. Just remember that. Also, you shouldn't have to pay for it. I belive it is a free download. Or at least it was before Tulga Games aquired it from Artifact. But, the 7-day trial is free.
You have to remember a majority of people who post on a game form do so for one of two reasons. First off the like to complain, and forms are a wonderful way for a large amount of poeple who care about the game to hear said complaints. Or two, they are interested in discussing ways in which the game can be improved. For this game the later is by far and away the more popular. Since Horizons has been in a finacial struggle for quite some time, the devoted players tend to be the ones that remain and they wish to make the game succeed. Since both reasons tend to focus on the negetive aspects of the game while avoiding a majority of the positive ones, best bet for you and your friends is to download the 7-day free trial (link to download page) and play the game while meeting the community. Good luck and hope you decide to stay with us!
There is a 7 day trial. I encourage you and your mates to take advantage of this and give Horizons a free go. I know it isn't very long to make a conclusive decision on a game but it is better than hopping over to the store and spending 20+ bucks and finding out you didn't like it.
The bankruptcy happened last year so it has been awhile since that. ATM the future of Horizons is pretty stable with Artifact Entertainment being purchased by Tulga Games and funding being secured for future game development.
So again, DL the game and sign on for the trial, there is definately at least two month and more left in Horizons.
There has been discussions wheather this game will make it or not since april last year. I remember that it has been said several times by dozens of people that HZ will die when game X (replace with Y, Z, ...) hit the market. People do complain here since more than one year. I have played 3 MMORPG now and my experience is that the mood in the forums are always the same, while the game experience is not. I tried two other games while HZ is in the market and deleted them after two or three weeks of trial. HZ is still a lot of fun for me. Its crafting and multiclassing system does motivate me nearly every day to log in and do something. Furthermore it offers a wide area of choices what to do today (start a new class, continue with a spellcasting class, try unarmed ...). The amount of exp that is given while adventuring encourages to play in groups or solo. The crafting system is one of the best I have ever seen. The complexity of the game is such, that the usual adrenaline driven player soon leaves this game. There are dragons in game. The class concepts are pretty close to DnD. So if you played Baldurs Gate or Neverwinter Nights for example you will feel familar with the class-concepts. I'm playing on unity and so I don't know how the community on our two other servers is, on Unity we have a very good working community, which does not mean, that everyone is giving free items, free money and lots of exp to new players, but most of us know that we are playing a game, most don't take it too serious and if a player is getting frustrated by "something" there is mostly someone there who will help.
Although english is not my native language I hope that I could give you a general impression of what my experience with this game is.
Shimanyo
in game Basiel, Lisander_ice, Ayunken
And as a side note, the chapter 11 saga is over since Tulga's buyout of AE was approved by the presiding judge. You're right though, there's no news item about this on the official site, so seems only the active playerbase even knows about it.
If you decide to try the trial (or full version), one of the first things you should do is to join a help, market, community or similar channel and direct your questions there. The tutorial is rather poor and devs are planning to redo it from the top sooner or later.
LF, lurk a little longer to avoid becoming jaded.
Hello LifeForce7,
No, its not pointless. You have to understand many are just frustrated atm. As others have stated, there is the 7 day trial if you want to check things out and I also would suggest you immediately try to join the market/general/help channels. These channels should help with getting any questions you may have about the game answered fairly quickly.
I think for those just starting out, there's lots to do. Yes, there's a bit of grinding when it comes to crafting at first, but it gets easier. There's a lot more to kill at lower levels then I when I wasyour "age".
Just keep in mind most of us are ol' fuddy duddies - we've reached the end game pretty much - and complaining is our way of venting. I know there's a lot in the pipeline atm and I personally hope that once Ancient Right of Passage (for dragons) and dragon lairs are live/finished - we'll get to see many more changes.
Having new players are very welcome and needed - you people are what the game needs at the moment - so please try us out.
Definitely worth taking a shot at the 7-day trial. You and your friendsget to download and enjoy the entire game for free this way, and experience the game yourself. I'd drag on and on about how much I love Horizons, and how I still play everyday, but I'm a bit biased. Hop on over to Order or Chaos and find out for yourself.
LF7...
I'm very sorry you got a slanted view from reading posts here. To those that have been here a long time, ( many well over a year ) they have perhaps forgotten how fun and exciting it was to be starting out.
For you and your friends, there will be tons of things to do, places to discover, battles to win, and fun to be had by all. This game has fearures that you have not seen yet. No instanced anything. When you build, it starts out as scaffolding and eventually becomes a real addition to the world. Soon, you will have new adventures as the developers introduce more of the story line and content.
Things are getting better all the time.
If you come to chaos, Look me up. I'll be happy to take you on a grand tour, and show you wonders, and hopfully suprise you too!
Thankyou for all you helpfull suggestions. I relize now that my view had been a bit slanted by the forums. I plan to download the trial sometime this week and give it a go, so thanks for all you help. Even if my friends decide not to play in the end I probably still will just because I like the idea and variety that this game seams to offer. I was wondering though, if my friends and I do join, is there anywhere in the game world that we would be able to buy some fair sized plots of land together?
Thanks for you help,
LifeForce7
The answer to that question is a bit complex... BUT....
There are plots available on both NA shards. Depending on what shard you pick, ask folks on that shard in marketplace channel and you will most likely get a handle on what available.
Also, some plots, even guild communities may be reclaimed soon by the empire and you may have a chance at those. The only problem with some of the nicer and larger plots is that they will not be cheap. It's going to take some time to gather enough coin to purchase the prime ones.
There should still be plots availabe in some of the player towns like morning light, or dryart, or possibly harro.
There are several areas you can get plots together, or perhaps finding a guild with a large set of plots in a guild plot may be more to your liking. There are communities throughout the lands and islands waiting to be developed.
The future is a bit brighter than some folks would have you believe. [;)]Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeForce7
The bankruptcy has been addressed, there are new investors, TG is hiring new people for the development team, andsome long-needed changes to the game client are in the pipeline. To keep the game going, the folks at TG have endured pay cuts or pay suspensions, insane work schedules (two weeks or moreof 10+ hour dayswithout any days off around the merge and the August content push, as I recall), and a VERY cranky customer base.
It would have been a lot easier for them to quit.
We here on the forum want the game to succeed, be fun, and have lots of subscribers. We want it so much we're constantly arguing about whatwould be the bestway to make that happen.When people care passionatly about something, they get testy.
It would be a lot easier to switch to playing another game.
As you make your decision, consider these things, and consider that the game is still here, the company is still here, and that we, the players, are still here.
Join us for a week and decide if this is the game you are looking for. It might not be, especially if things like PvP and instantly-usable loot are on your must-have list. Don'tstart off witha dragon unless you can cope with delayed gratification and are willing to work your scaly butt off, though.
What we offer in return is the most dedicated and tenacious development team in the industry and a welcoming, friendly community that is happy to answer questions and help you get started.
I'm on Chaos, and I hope to see you soon.
Hello LifeForce7 and welcome to the forums. Hopefully you and your friends take advantage of the free trial period and if you do then welcome to the game. Is the game perfect? Absolutely not, but then what is in life. Not to smooth over the issues the game has by that statement there are many positive things that can be found in Horizons.
The community of players is one of the best overall that I have encountered in my many years of mmorpg's. They are knowledgeable, friendly and patient (for the most part). I was one of the first to log in to the game when it went live and in all that time I've had 2 bad experiences with players. The feel that the game has is to my personal liking. I love the construction aspect and spend much time devoted to that. The crafting system is one of the best I've seen. There are other things that the game has going for it but will let others or yourself find.
The game also has some warts that should be mentioned. It has a high technical demand for your machine. If you have a screamer of a rig with all the bells and whistles the problems are less. I have a custom built computer I replace every two years and I don't experience many of the issues others have (or at least not as severe), but I still do experience some. There are numerousbugs that can be very frustrating at times. If you're looking for strictly an adventure experience, meaning just totally bypass crafting,then it's going to come up short at this point in time. If you're an adrenaline junkie looking to get a constantfix or your patience level has been described as low then there are probably other products out there more suited. If you're looking to become a menace to society then this is definitely not the game.
The bottom line, in my opinion. The game offers some positive things. It also has issues. It appears the financial crisis that had loomed over everyone's head on this is in the past. The community is small but very devoted to the success of a game that has great potential. We all get frustrated at times including myself. But, there are good days too and progressis being made, albeit more slowly than many ofus wish for. So, take what has been said in these posts and weigh the factors in, give the free trial a spin and make thedecision yourself. Good luck and best wishes.
Horizons is definitely worth checking.
The Chapter 11 thing is a 6 months old story ended when they were bought by another company.
You will see here many complaining, but that's people that "finished the game" and complains because they got bored but don't want to quit to another game because this one is good, so they vent off.
This could happen to you too, but if you don't get powerlevelled (the WORST thing you can do in Horizons since you lose all the game - there is NO end game here, it's open ended) you will still have 6 months - 1 year of fun.
I'm glad you decided to give it a try. I think it's definitely a game for the thoughtful.
One thing, about dragons. They are hatchlings until they take the Adult Rite of Passage (an outstanding quest series, by far the best in the game) and are a bit weaker than other races and classes. If you are new to such games, you might want to start another class to "get your feet wet", and then switch to dragon once you've mastered the game mechanics. I have a higher level character, but recently started a hatchling, and I'm doing OK. In fights with a mob of my level I have to use everything I have, no coasting. On the other hand, the dragon community is very supportive. Be sure to join the marketplace and general chat channels, and of course the dragon chat channel if appropriate. A good guild is very helpful, and New Brommel has the most people and wares of the starting islands.
Improved support for beginners is being developed, as we chat, but until then, ask lots of questions if you need to. The community as a whole is more helpful than in any other game I think.
Is that supposed to be a joke?Quote:
Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
I'm not sure about Chaos, but the Roleplaying Shard of Order has several large plots and even guildplots for sale. They're a gigantic investment though, you'd be best starting out with a cheap little plot on Lesser Aradoth or Geneva Island, then saving for something larger in the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeForce7
If you end up playing on order (Remember it's a roleplaying shard) announce yourself in market or send me a /tell (Hal`cyon) and the community'll help you get started.
There arelarge plots just south of Elia in Apia (I think that is what it is called). they aresomething like 7.8 gold though. that is 7800000 copper[:S]. Most plots are less than 500 silver (500000 copper). a few are ~50 silver. They are small though. Most are around 200 silver.
Many fine points have been made, and all in all, Horizons is deserving of a chance. as stated the attitudes on the boards here are simply people who are flustrated beyond extremes. Some of them have been here since release and have been hoping and praying, wishing that things would get better, and they didnt see rapid changes, and now are losing patience.
The bankruptcy is over, tulga games officially bought out AE and gave new hope for horizons, but they have AE's bad habit of keeping things hush hush. That is probably the strongest reason people are so irked. There is very very little communication from the devs.
The game itself is not bad, but needs work. by far the greatest feature is the community. If you are looking for a game where you can actually roleplay and feel like your accomplishing something, then this is by far the best choice. community involvement is the pinnacle of concepts for this game. Back at release there was events that happened weekly, though now they are few and VERY far between, and in these events the shards worked together to solve riddles, but relics, destroy machine, and defend towns. all this in turn either freed a race, class, town, or in the reverse lose control of a town.
The engine was designed to be truely dynamic, and that has only been seen once, when AE hosted their end of world event at the merger of the shards. since then the dynamic world really hasnt been seen. all in all though it does have many very good features, and thats what has kept people here despite the flaws.
Has Tulga maintained AE's tradition of lying outright to its player base? Tassels and hilts anyone, and that's just for starters.Quote:
Originally Posted by bright
Every game makes claims early on that they don't end up fulfulling.
The people like me who complain on the boards are also the people that make sure to log in everyday.
Horizons has a stigmatization, and it has had this since the first two weeks of its opening. It doesn't mean it's a bad game. It just means certain loudmouths rant about how bad the game is because it doesn't fit theirliking but they realy realy wanted it too.
I wont lie, you need to be tolerant of a small dev team to like a game like horizons. Content comes rather slow in comparison to other mmorpgs because games like eq2 and wow have 6x or more dev power to create and distribute content.
i findhorizons to befun, and it has held my casual gaming style for over a year now
If you go with order as your shard as choice and need some help, send mea PM here or send me a /tell if I am in game. I will try to help in anyway I can. If you go with Chaos then the same will apply with the WM there, his name is Amon. Enjoy and welcome to Istaria.
Should you find yourself on Chaos, feel free to send me a /tell in game I(and many others) can help you find your footing.
The Help chanel (/chatjoin help) in game is also a great resource for starting players. Many experianced players keep a presance there to help out new players, sometimes it takes a few minutes for one of us to notice something has been said in there as we are often out doing things but we do answer :)
Also on Order, if you do decide to play a Dragon, the Keir Chet K'Eilerten is an all dragon roleplaying guild. I can also vouch for the community on Order as being very supportive.
I've played Horizons since release, through all the ups and downs, and still log in every day and play. Although there have been times I've taken a break from the game for a short time, I don't feel there's any other MMO out there that offers the kinds of things you'll find in Horizons.
Incidentally, considering how fast things are selling on the Consigners on the Newbie Islands, there must be new players joining the game.
Hal'Cyon is a crafter extraordinaire on Order, even if he is one of the lesser races. *smirk*
Thanks for all the help, I plan to download it this weekend and give it a try, I have one finnal question though. My friends and I all live in Washington on the West Coast. Im just wondering if there is going to bo many people on at the same time we are on? (Say about 7-10 pm pacific time)
Can't speak for Order, but Chaos is usually doing well at 7pm, though it starts tapering off before 10pm. I'm in Pacific time as well. Chaos usually has a larger population, but not by drastic amounts, from what I can tell.
Bear in mind that Order is a roleplay server and I have to assume that roleplay is fairly commonplace there, where it is nonexistant for the most part (can't speak for everyone, just my experience) on Chaos.
Regardless, I would choose the one that suits your playstyle, and I would be willing to guarantee that you will find help.
If you are on Chaos, I know that members of Dark Infinity and Eyes of Istaria are all very friendly and welcoming people. We would love to get you started!
Best of luck, and have fun, this really is a great game with the best people I have met in an online experience.
-12-
Yes, there will probably be people on when you are on, gotta remember the west coast players. We only have the two NA shards, Order which is the Roleplay Shard and Chaos which is the standard shard, so everyone plays on either of those two regardless of time zone, etc. I also believe there are some Australians who play on the North American Shards, so they are on at odd hours compared to US players.
<--- Australian who plays on a NA server at odd hours compared to US players (and some Australian players too).
as others have said try the free trial. You might enjoy it you might not but be the judge for yourself and not what anyone has said here or on any board for that matter.
One point to clarify. Umm Tulga is AE and AE is Tulga.