Tabula Rasa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhUTZchRBuk

I have ordered this game from PLAY.com for £17.99 which is a good price for a new release. If anyone decides to give it a try let me know...

http://eu.rgtr.com/en/

Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa (RGTR) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that takes you, the player, into lush forest planets, volcanic moons, and exotic alien civilisations. Face off against powerful alien soldiers, armoured mechanoids and vicious creatures!

Heavy ArmourUse a wide range of weapons and unique alien powers to help the Allied Free Sentients (AFS) in their desperate fight against extinction. Tabula Rasa combines a vast, persistent game world and ongoing storyline with fast-paced action, resulting in a striking new approach to the design of multiplayer online games.
Key Features

    * Richard Garriott’s Signature Creative Vision – Features a rich storyline with culminating experiences, immersive tactile environments and a persistent plot.
    * Take Role-playing to the Battlefield – Fast-paced action involving skill, stealth, and strategy combines with character growth and development (RPG) on a massive multiplayer scale (MMO).
    * Unleash the Power of Logos – Alien technology allows you to harness the very fabric of the cosmos for healing, attacks, and more!
    * Ethical Parables – Encounter ethical decisions while attempting to complete goals or missions that affect the people and environments around them.
    * Battlefield Control Points – Entrenched positions on a given battlefield can change hands over the course of a battle and affect spawn points of both enemy and friendly characters.
    * Character Cloning System™ – Innovative class system allows you to explore different character classes without levelling up a new character.
    * Crafting & Economy – Participate in crafting and selling items.
    * Player-vs-Player – Challenge other players in voluntary PvP mode.
    * Integrated Voice Chat – Allows hands-free communication on the battlefield.

Pass.

The best games released soon or recently are Hellgate: London, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed.

Cannot wait...

Pass.

The best games released soon or recently are Hellgate: London, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed.

Cannot wait...

Hmm not sure about Hellgate...am looking for a pure MMORPG set in a sci-fi setting which until Stargate Worlds is released, I think I may have found in TR.

I'll post my impressions via a blog piece here later in the week.

Played any MMORPGs in your time U-Borat?

Well, I'm not really a big fan of MMORPGS, hence probably why I don't really like the sound of this game from your description.

Played a few games with big online capabilities, like Diablo 2 and Battlefield games...but no true MMORPGS. Except Ragnarok; I played that for a while, but essentially, they get boring and repetitive. Seeing as the best thing about RPGs is their storyline...and MMORPGS dont really have one.

Well, I'm not really a big fan of MMORPGS, hence probably why I don't really like the sound of this game from your description.

Played a few games with big online capabilities, like Diablo 2 and Battlefield games...but no true MMORPGS. Except Ragnarok; I played that for a while, but essentially, they get boring and repetitive. Seeing as the best thing about RPGs is their storyline...and MMORPGS dont really have one.

Can agree on storyline aspect of MMORPGs, I think TR is trying to address that. LotRO also tried to make the storytelling more in depth but I still think making a MMORPG about a story that has already been completed ala SWG/LotRO is a mistake & will cause major problems to fanbases when things are altered.

http://sweetflag.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/since-beta-what-changes-has-tabula-rasa-undergone/

Since beta what changes has Tabula Rasa undergone? DM Osbon via Sweet Flag blog

My order is still on it’s way to me so I can’t give any impressions on Tabula Rasa just yet but I did think to check around to see if any of the concerns about the game when in beta had been addressed in the full release.

Crafting does seem to be the games major downside to game play still(too simple to master with no Auction House implemented just yet). With the notion that it’s just a MMO shooter & isn’t worth a subscription fee.

Laura Genender at MMORPG.COM posted a nice piece on the changes from beta to full(link on blog ). She seems impressed with the revisions which gives me heart.

Have just received my copy in post. Installing now & will do a full review via blog/here later in the week.

No other takers

Looks intriguing but not sold on it.  Interesting to hear your thoughts though.

I'm intending to have a crack at Warhammer when it is released.  Not a big MMORPG gameplayer - only because I have an addictive personality and my life, would, come to a complete juddering halt 

Ah Warhammer! Am leaning away from fantasy & that's why I picked TR.

For all you FPS gamers out there, Tabula Rasa has that style of combat in game...very fast but also tactical. Combat in other MMORPGs has been just stand there & point/click repeat.

Game is looking nice so far...3 levels in.

Early impressions of Tabula Rasa

by DM Osbon via Sweet Flag blog:
http://sweetflag.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/early-impressions-of-tabula-rasa/

For me this game has come as a little revelation. 4 levels in & sure I haven’t seen much of the overall game but the early indications are good.

What impressed first was the adult Sci-fi look, the speed of movement & the FPS like combat. Yes just standing around hitting a number of keys in a repetitive combination are over. What I did like is the default for fire is the right mouse button akin to all FPS games, I will be keeping that as my default. The impression I get from early combat is that this FPS style suits a Sci-fi MMORPG & maybe more so than a fantasy setting.

I wont comment too much more until I have played a few more hours, I only managed an 1 hour last night after work, safe to say though all my gaming time will be well spent in Tabula Rasa.

In the grand tradition of Sweet Flag gaming I have a new hero named Liber. Liber Turzanski is ready & armed against the war on the Bane. It feels good!

I have 2 spare 3 day trials of Tabula Rasa

If anyone wants to try before they buy this game let me know your email address & I'll send you the invite. First come, first served

My thoughts on the game up to level 5 

Liber Turzanski(5) - Foreas: Concordia Wilderness


by DM Osbon via Sweet Flag blog:
http://sweetflag.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/liber-turzanski5-foreas-concordia-wilderness/

Clone Credits & Logos

I have made an almost immediate decision with Liber that he takes the Soldier class tree to then become a Spy at levels 30-50. I have gained my first clone credit & will use this to explore the Specialist side of the class tree but I still need to look further into that tree before making decisions on what path to follow.

Reaching level 5 is a full on experience within Tabula Rasa. You are swamped with quests for both items & Logos. Discovering Logos shrines & the animation when receiving the Logos element is all done very nicely as is the whole UI. It gives you a really immersion into the Sci-Fi environment that is Tabula Rasa & is just what I have been waiting for…a MMORPG that satisfies my Sci-Fi needs. The lag has been only evident once logging in & only lasts a few seconds but also the FPS feel to combat really is a added bonus. It completely draws me into the conflict within Tabula Rasa…yes I want to help humanity, yes I will kill that Thrax!

Crafting & Weapon type

These are the two areas I am weakest in at the moment with Liber. Each class of mob can be effected or unaffected by different types of attack. Liber came up against the Miasma known to be hard to target & also to down as they don’t seem very susceptible to pistols or rifles. They also cannot be harmed while in their non-physical “cloud” form.

This was all learnt the hard way as Liber stumbled upon them in a cave. I have since learnt they are weak in attack & a good shotgun will do the work against them.

Crafting on the other hand is something I am still to look at. There are Crafting Stations that need schematics & components to create items but I shall try to give a better overview on this in the next TR post.

A 3 day trial? This involve a download then ala Warcraft's infamous 10 day trials?

Saw this screenshot - made me smile.  You can't beat these 'gatherings!'.  How good would it be to have a MMORPF (yes the F is for forum!)

Where did you get the image from JD?

TR has smaller client software than WoW...8.9gb for WoW whereas TR is half that at 4gb

Image was from the TR site.