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Role Playing (Games)

The Matrix Online Launches 77

Posted by Zonk from the red-pills-for-everybody dept.
Another large, commercially built virtual world has launched. The MMORPG Matrix Online, based on the popular Matrix movie series, is now online and accepting red pills. From the launch announcement: "...a specialized role-playing live events team at Monolith will assume the roles of the actual Matrix characters and support the continuation of the game's storyline through choreographed interaction. Players will meet, battle and eventually team up with the familiar characters on high-profile missions or at player-organized events."
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The Matrix Online Launches More

The Matrix Online Launches

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  • ya but (Score:2, Interesting)

    by nocomment ( 239368 )
    Where's the OS X version?

    • Re:ya but (Score:5, Funny)

      by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @12:59AM (#12020735) Homepage Journal
      "Where's the OS X version?"

      That's what you get for taking the aqua pill.

    • Re:ya but (Score:4, Funny)

      by roseblood ( 631824 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @02:48AM (#12021197)
      Where's the OS X version?


      Apparently the machines run the matrix on x86 processors, not Motorolla gear. Sorry.

    • try waiting a few more years (troll I know, but games are the one domain where Windows is superior)
    • When my proxy died, IE was the last program to be told about it, and my brother said he thought the ETM used IE in some way. Is this true, or is it just using the IE settings? Either way, I would rather run it under VirtualPC (or qemu) than trust IE for Mac, if the IE bindings are even that portable.

  • Any Good? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by superpulpsicle ( 533373 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @12:56AM (#12020712)
    Anyone know if this is as good or better than WoW now that it isn't in beta?

    On the other hand isn't this the only MMORPG that doesn't feature wizards, medieval and sci-fi theme, making it alittle unique?

    • Re:Any Good? (Score:5, Funny)

      by JVert ( 578547 ) <corganbilly AT hotmail DOT com> on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @12:58AM (#12020730) Journal
      Not a fair comparison at this point, WoW is still in beta.

    • Re:Any Good? (Score:1, Flamebait)

      by BlueHands ( 142945 )
      So,the matrix isn't sci-fi? And there is always City of Heros which is none of those,or all of those I suppose....
    • On the other hand isn't this the only MMORPG that doesn't feature wizards, medieval and sci-fi theme, making it alittle unique?

      City of Heroes [coh.com]

    • Re:Any Good? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Paul McMahon ( 854063 )
      Anarchy Online [anarchy-online.com] was one of if not the first Sci-Fi themed MMORPG.

    • My impressions from beta (Score:5, Interesting)

      by aztektum ( 170569 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @03:39AM (#12021358)
      I started beta testing last Nov. and the gameplay is nothing special. Although the simplicity and familiary work in its favor by avoiding a steep learning curve.

      The community is probably one of the better ones, based on past MMPGing experiences. Not too much snobbery from players that reached the top echelon. It's bringing in a lot of the "Fast N Furious" type crowd too, compared to alot of the "I got a lvl. Uber Dragonslayer in D&D" crowd I've run into in other games.

      Their big "whiz bang" feature, "Interlock" combat, was still really nothin' special and performed terribly when I last "jacked in" (a week before beta shut down). Basically you buff up your character in close combat skills/modifiers and in melee combat the camera goes on auto pilot, zipping around to give you "Matrix-like" views of the action. There were terrible lag issues still, where you and your opponent would some times stand there facing each other with nothing happening, then suddenly one of you is dead.

      Visually the game is pretty good. It looked more polished and runs better than SWG did on my computer when I played that, but doesn't perform as well as City of Heroes. Although unlike CoH, there aren't "instanced" mission areas. You just walk in and out of buildings w/ no load time.

      I was disappointed playing as a hacker. It just doesn't seem hacker enough to me. Your special attacks are visualized as lightning bolts and weird glyphs that spasm around your target. I would have preferred seeing the characters twitch or blur or do something more in line with the movies. It feels a little more magical and less like you're actually hacking The Matrix.

      I never got passed lvl 20 before a big update which would see a character wipe, so I don't know how hard it is to advance after that, but it's easy to get into and level up at lower levels. It isn't as lean as CoH, but it also isn't constant maintenance and grinding like SWG.

      If fills a niche for those that aren't into swords and sorcery without breaking any fresh ground.

      • Ok, couple things you are wrong on. There are "Instanced" missions, but there are not instanced exisle hideouts (Dungeons). The camera needs to be adjusted better in the Close combat feature because sometimes it goes in too close, but you can still work with it. Many of the special moves in the close combat has some great animations. Best one that I saw was shooting a Lupine (werewolf) with a silver bullet. At the end of the beta they had taken care of many ofthe lag issues, but there are some that cam
    • WoW is the best MMO game you can play. Pretty much makes all the rest look like 2 bit hookers.
      • Are you really still under this assumption? WoW has never felt massive, you can reach lvl cap in a month or two and then what? How many alts will you create before you too decide that WoW isn't ....well WoW.
    • Eve Online, awsome game.
    • it has a lot of potential, I've been playing since beta, started in December. It is still buggy, and there are quite a few... ideosyncracies(sp?) but if they ever get them worked out (which so far they've shown quite a bit of improvement) then it will be a fantastic game. I think pushing back the release date like a month would have really helped them.
    • City of Heroes - super-hero themed, and quite good.

  • I took the blue pill (Score:4, Funny)

    by schnits0r ( 633893 ) <`nathannd' `at' `sasktel.net'> on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @12:56AM (#12020715) Homepage Journal
    I took the blue pill [viagra.com]

  • Had a couple friends in the beta.. (Score:5, Informative)

    by SocialEngineer ( 673690 ) <invertedpanda.gmail@com> on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @01:03AM (#12020757) Homepage
    ..And one leaked screenies. It pretty much sucks, according to everybody I've heard of who did the beta test. Not a whole lot of innovation gameplay wise.

    YMMV.
    • Not surprised - I think the gaming world has to accept that Monolith can't code multiplayer games to save their lives. The monolith titles have been improving (I think they did AvsP 2) for story and graphics, but they have always sucked in terms of multiplayer game design and innovation. They're "shiny things" designers. They do stuff that is neat, but not fun.
    • I guess it depends on when your friends were on. I had a blast in the beta and even was able to run the game using a 56k modem as a test. The combat animations are some of the better ones that I have seen. The one big new thing is that you can change your abilities on the fly. Just run to a hardline and you can change to a coder to make something, then in a minute change to a martial artist to go out and kick some butt. The end off beta was one of the more unique that I played in. All thru the day Age

  • No Matrix for me, thanks. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Seumas ( 6865 )
    Too bad you have to buy a physical copy of the game from a store. If you could download it and play immediately, I'd be logging in right now and giving it a shot. Even if I had to pay $20 for the download. But I'm sure not going to bother paying $50 for a box copy, wait several says, install it, find out (like every other MMORPG) that it doesn't keep me interested very long and then dump it after a couple weeks.

    • Re:No Matrix for me, thanks. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by _xeno_ ( 155264 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @01:40AM (#12020924) Homepage Journal

      Yeah, I know. The only reason I got World of Warcraft when it was released was because they released a downloadable open beta that allowed me to try the game out for free. If I hadn't played it then, I probably never would have gotten it. Likewise my brother has a friend who's going to get it after playing the game on my brother's account for a while.

      Unfortunately they aren't doing something similar at release. (Although they do have the "trial passes" that Collector's Edition owners can give out.) It really would be nice to see free trials for MMORPGs. (I think a couple of smaller ones offer downloadable trials, but I can't remember any details and don't really want to go searching. :)).

      I'm not willing to shell out $50 for a game that I can then only play a month without shelling out more cash. Since I got the free trial with WoW via the open beta, I was willing to pay for it at launch.

      • There's a cheap-as-free EQ2 trial through fileplanet, they had a free SWG trial last summer.

        SOE is a niche player, though...

      • That's why I like games like Rubies of Eventide, A Tale in the Desert and EVE-Online. You can get the game immediately and it costs less (for all involved, including the customer). I'm a big fan of games that are distributed online. Even to the point where I rarely consider buying physical games - unless it's something like Unreal. Hell, even CounterStrike/Half Life comes this way, now.
      • Actually there was something like that. There were a small box that I got for $0.99 that was a pre-order key that allowed you to get into the beta and have fun testing it out. It also allowed you 3 days early entry when the retail game launched and you get to play till 3/25 without buying a retail copy
    • I wonder why developers haven't clued in to this. I can only assume it's the publisher's fault.

      CCP, developers of EVE Online [eve-online.com], dumped their old publisher and got themselves the right to distribute their own game. They put the client up for download (a few hundred megs) and bam, instant international release. No delays due to localization of packaging, etc. It worked amazingly well for them, but for some reason the big boys like physical media better.
    • I think my bro bought it online, had to get a box copy, but he was able to download it once he was properly registered.

      But the game is damn disappointing. I could do a better one all by my self.

  • Comic Link (You know there was one coming!) (Score:4, Funny)

    by soleblaze ( 628864 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @01:09AM (#12020789)
    And it's not form PA :o

    WHOA [ctrlaltdel-online.com]
  • got a friend who did the beta, said the graphics were sub par and the combat system was pathetic. So ill take the pill to save me money from shitty MMORPG's and keep on with CoH...

  • That's awesome! (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Yes! Everyone has been waiting so much for this game!

    Oh wait, it's not 1999 any longer?

    Noooo!!!
  • I found this review at http://forums.evercrest.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi ?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=063745 [evercrest.com] to be pretty decent. Gives a pretty good sense of what the game is like.

  • Talk about shoddy writting... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Walkiry ( 698192 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @10:07AM (#12023520) Homepage
    From one of the screenshots:

    The machines stole a computer virus of ours last night and it must be returned. We need the computer virus recovered and a bomb put in it's place as a...friendly reminder...that taking what is ours will not be tolerated.

    Go to this location and pick up the bomb from Heron. When you have the bomb, I will send you the targeted location for the bomb and where the virus will be recovered    . (What was that about a bomb?)

    Jeez, maybe they could hire someone who can write to do this kind of stuff...

  • Matrix Online (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    MxO has a crucial flaw that seperates it from most RPG games.

    Your attack roll is the same as your defend roll. Other games have a seperate difficulty check for attack and defend, so that if you fail a defend roll, you can still land an attack.

    However, in MxO only one side may win a roll comparison.

    All special abilities require that you win the roll comparison. To increase your roll comparative to the enemy via buff or debuff, you must first win a roll.

    The use of equipment can increase your roll.

    This me
    • Just wanted to get clarification on the last bit. Are you saying there's no "player involvement" or "player skill" as an affector in combat? I haven't played MxO but from what I've seen you're still involved in deciding what to do, even though the success of your doing it is based on a chance roll.

  • Does the Hall Standard Apply to Matrix Online? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by superultra ( 670002 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @11:29AM (#12024814) Homepage
    Remember how Jason Hall, once founder of Monolith (devs of Matrix Online - MO) and now head of the WB games division, went on some tirade [hollywoodreporter.com] about quality games a year ago?

    Reviews haven't hit the web yet, but I wonder if Hall will hold his former company to the same standards he threatened. From advance press, my guess is that the Matrix Online will be sufficiently underwhelming to get any kind of decent score. So what happens then? Will Jason withhold royalty to his own friends and former co-workers?

    Postscript: Ironically, didn't WB also just announce a second Matrix game by Shiny? Hall is still in charge right?
  • unless i can level up enough to make the last 2 movies better.

    focus
  • What's with the graphics? They're so six years ago.

  • can we talk about it now? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Distributor ( 868947 ) on Wednesday March 23, 2005 @02:32PM (#12027097)
    When the Matrix Online was first announced, back in June '03, a Slashdot story was posted. In the comment thread was posted the following:
    no point talking about it because... (Score:1) by Omroth (673505) on Monday June 02, @08:29AM (#6094759) Mark my words, this game will *never* be released.
    http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=66215&ci d=6094759 [slashdot.org]

    Well, Omroth, I *did* mark your words.

    You see, I have been a developer on the Matrix Online project since its onset. I'm not generally thin-skinned, particularly about what people post on Internet forums. But for some reason, your ignorant, casual dismissal of the nearly two years of work my teammates and I had already put into this project plus any and all of our future efforts, well, it just really stuck in my craw.

    Now the game has released, got any more words of wisdom? Any more predictions to share, perhaps?

    You know, I suppose I really ought to thank you. Whenever the project faced a setback or a delay, whenever the grueling work schedule seemed especially endless, whenever I could not find an elusive bug despite hour upon hour of searching - in short, whenever I felt like we could never get this big, complicated game out the door - I only had to think of your comment here. Any frustrations and hopelessness would fade away, and my level of motivation would surge.

    So, I sincerely hope you pick up a copy of Matrix Online and check out what we've accomplished. Because in your own small, cynical way, *you* actually helped make it possible!

    • Alright, if you're a dev, lets see if we can get an answer without the marketdroid speak. What do you think your game gives that WoW doesn't. I speak as someone who does NOT like pointless leveling and grinding, and who doesn't want to be forced into teams of 40 to enjoy the high level content. Does your game have anything for me, or should I not bother looking?
      • Pfft, a better question would be "What does WoW give that other games don't?" Because as far as I could tell after playing it, there was nothing there I couldn't get from playing EQ, DAoC, *insert fantasy MMO here*
        • Fast leveling and interesting classes. Quest based leveling. Good PvP (exists in a few games, but not many). Not having to spend months->years to hit the level cap is a big plus.
          • Making 60 fast just means you're suddenly wondering what else there is to do faster than in other games. That doesn't make for interesting or long lasting gameplay. The quest system IS nice, I'll give you that, but PvPing with someone 30 levels above you is not enjoyable at all. That being said, had they shipped with battlegrounds stuff in place I think things would have been a lot more interesting.
            • I'd rather be to 60 fast and wondering what to do than spend rl days grinding. I can *find* stuff thats fun to do at 60, or play another game for a while. There's *nothing* fun about grinding- I'd rather not plat the game than do that. SO fast leveling is the #1 feature I look for in an MMO. If it doesn't have it, I'm out. My ideal MMO would have no leveling (or skilling up, Ultima style skill grinding is the same as leveling) whatsoever.

              Making leveling slow doesn't make for "interesting or long las
              • Admittedly we're getting a bit offtopic here, but where's the content in WoW? Other than a bunch of zones and bunch of standard-fare quests, what have they really done that's better than anyone else? Letting you level fast is it?
                • PvP is good. Its fairly balanced and a lot of fun.

                  The classes are interesting. Its the first game I've seen to get a hybrid right (shaman).

                  The quest system isn't standard fare. The closest to its quest system I've seen is FFXI, which has way too much grind.

                  YOu can solo 90% of it. Thats great, I hate waiting for groups to form up and needing perfectly balanced groups to do anything.

                  I like a lot of their world design. Maybe not better than everyone else (FFXI was good, for example), but I like the fe
                  • I DO like the soloability of the game. I'm with you that I hate waiting to form a group only to have it fall apart when the key tanker has to go to bed or something, and then everyone's stuck either waiting for a new guy to take his place or logging off. EQ2 was horrible for that, still is, and will always be. The world design is nice, and overall eliminates much of the travel grind that is around in most games (FFXI being one of the WORST for that). To each his own, maybe it's the subject matter that d
    • Excellent post. :) Just fyi, I intend to give MxO a try today. I've played quite a few MMOs in my time, and am a long time EVE Online player. Ever since I played City of Heroes, I always said to myself about that game, "this is great, but it would be awesome if it was The Matrix". :) So I'll give it a shot, I doubt it will be money wasted. :)
    • Distributor, regardless of any of these other (rather sparse) comments, I'd like to thank you for your efforts. I, who previously laughed at MMORPG players, got sucked right in and now it's sucking up every bit of my free time. *grin*

      That being said, I'd like to agree with someone who posted upthread. I'd like to see at the very least an x86 Linux version, if not an OSX version.
  • How long will it take Monolith to abandon THIS game?
  • Well, I'd just like to say that I really enjoy this game. As someone said earlier, I'm more into guns and kung fu than Wizards and Magic. Alot of people have been knocking the Interlock fighting, but I really like it. At first I didn't like it as much, but I saw some "training" videos and I started experimenting with it, and so I've gotten the hang of it and really think it is brilliant. Just Tuesday I saw Seraph in game (an actor). We were having a duel tourney, and Seraph came to watch. After the tourney,

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