I've Been Absolutely No Lifing a New MMORPG - Pantheon Rise of the Fallen

[@Reoh0z]

> "An entire guild sprung up on this server that's the postal service!" That old mmo world charm. Love that stuff.

[@Dwarfurious]

i wonder if this is the Pos'thal order

[@venumus1]

Hey that's me. Urps would like to thank you for your patronage.. I would like to clarify I am more of a post office/pobox and less of a courier I want people to have comfort in the fact I never leave the bank steps(unless depositing tips)

[@Electrify928]

Is it Urps?

[@DraekosTV]

This game is dangerous. I login at 10pm after the kids are in bed, plan to play for 1-2 hours, then I look up and it's already 4am and work starts in 3 hours. 90 hours in and struggling to put this down and get my sleep schedule back in order.

[@killval849]

what class you enjoy the most? I had an absolute joy playing enchanter in group earlier.

[@udirt]

Haha, this

[@vforwombat9915]

"This game is dangerous. " ikr? i left it alone and it killed my cat.

[@DraekosTV]

@@vforwombat9915 RIP 🥺

[@DraekosTV]

@@killval849 I'm playing a DarkMyr Summoner which is way outside my comfort zone (I usually play a Wood Elf Druid or Ranger 99.9% of the time). But to answer your question, the Summoner is just so flippin fun to me right now 😁 love everything about them AND I just got my level 12 spell "summon corpse" so I'm going around from bind stone to bind stone offering to summon people's corpses so they don't have to do a corpse run. I love utility classes and this fits my play style perfectly just helping out random strangers.

[@chrism3562]

I'd forgotten about this title until TheLazyPeon did a Let's Play video this week, and now Splatty is playing. As an EQ player turned WoW player I am interested.

[@lazypeon9158]

If you like the old school EQ vibe and can handle a little bit of jank it's surprisingly fun! I've been no lifing it too since EA started a week ago.

[@j.d.6915]

East Commonland Tunnel forever! I actually played a bit of EQ a few weeks ago, lots of fun, still in noob area though.

[@reka10]

Honestly, it's kinda sus how many people suddenly covering this game. Seems like an undisclosed sponsorship on some of the creators specially ones that don't usually cover them.

[@Jgregoire108]

If you were an EQ player turned WoW player, then this is absolutely the game catered for you!

[@AaronQ64]

​@reka10 It just hit EA and a lot of youtubers job is to either cover early/indie games(like splat) or that cover mmos period like lazypeon

[@fatguyfrommy8421]

i have never purchased a game so quickly in my life. I miss this type of MMORPG

[@DMT-ix9zj]

I used to love these types of games many years ago. But now old and retired sadly i just can't seem to get into them anymore. Took 20 sec. to mine that ore. thats brutal.

[@trashmyego]

Welp, you sold me that I will likely absolutely love my time with Pantheon. I guess I'll be picking it up and spending the next couple days no lifing. The game is looking great.

[@Haunting1981]

Me and two friends (made in game over the past week) took it upon ourselves to run from Wilds End to Thronefast today. The road was perilous. We were nervous because of the consequences of death in a world without a map and mobs that could kill you without much effort. We took it slow; hiding from enemies, stopping at night time, over mountains and through forrests. The sense of relief and accomplishment when we finally hit the bind stone in AVP was too great for words. Best time ive had in a game in a long time. If you dont mind being social in games and like a challenge, this game is for you. I know i will be playing this for years to come.

[@Fenrisulfr72]

My wife did that run today with her lvl 4 elf, failed 7 times before she made it, the joy she felt when she finaly made it was just fantastic to see and hear, and now she can group with my human char :)

[@jlarosee]

My bro and I did the same run. We lost him to the pill wolves... RIP.

[@Haunting1981]

@jlarosee aww shit, the good n' plenty wolves? Lol no bueno

[@_FirstLast_]

These IN-WORLD dungeons without instancing or zone lines remind me a hell of a lot of Vanguard. It was made by the creator of EQ and eventually also purchased by Sony but this time to defund and kill the project so it didn't compete with EQ. Vanguard had a 20s level giant ant hill in the ground dungeon that you could eventually kill the prince and queen etc. at the bottom. Extremely fun and easy to get lost in. No in game map, just your game knowledge and experience as a guide for the next party. Fighting down for an hour to reach a camp where you farm Named spawns for a few more hours was a blast ... just living in their dungeon for a few hours while you harvest them for resources.

[@brianlynchehaun7079]

Sounds like you're referring to Brad McQuaid, who made this game, and who Splat mentioned at the start of the video. ;)

[@CPcamaro]

Yes this appears to be the third time Brad has made EQ.

[@temijinkahn511]

Vanguard was a great game that needed more love. I hope someone buys it and revives it. I would much cheaper than building from scratch.

[@teroril]

You know what's insane? Pantheon has better kinaesthetics/gamefeel than Vanguard did. It doesn't feel sluggish, there isn't much if any input lag, it doesn't feel like you're wading through molasses while playing. There are some great animators on the team behind the game. Some of it is a little janky (like basic attack animations and walking/running animations), not as much as Project Gorgon, though! But button presses just feel good in the game.

[@Baraz_Red]

My thought on realism : a person, in that world, could draw a map and sell it. A player could therefore become a renowned cartographer. So while I think no free map to start can be a good design, why not allow players to create curated maps in-game? (with moderation) Otherwise, folks revert to using an Internet browser of course.

[@gowankommando]

Where is Lum the Mad when we need him, lol

[@cps3119]

@@Baraz_Red STRONGLY agree. We need cartography bad in a game like this. Otherwise it all gets done by people outside the game world anyway.

[@slandshark]

I read that devs plan to implement cartography in the future.

[@Baraz_Red]

@@slandshark :O Oh, wow. I admit my surprise.

[@brianlynchehaun7079]

On the one hand, this seems interesting. On the other: as an original EQ1 player, the name "Brad McQuaid" raises the hair on the back of my neck (and not in a good way). In addition: "this is an old school game" is often cover for "we couldn't be arsed making a decent UI". This is currently the case (the UI is ass, eg the lack of level-sorting for spells at a vendor), so... we'll see. This is currently CA$52. EQ2 is free. Anyone wanting old school jank doesn't need to pay to get it.

[@mattstansbeary3068]

He Talking EverQuest 1 Not that No Named Sequel they Release in 2004 (Yes I'm talking about EverQuest 2) Remember the old Players are Calling Pantheon EverQuest 2 so you can guess How this is going to be how you can feel about it. EQ2, WOW or anything like that I say Either Wait or Head right into Ashes of Creation & Yes you have the same old feeling they talk about here but made a Tiny bit better (Corpse runs "Check" if you have stuff on you it left on an Ash pile where you Died, Besides that there more Bind points & A Map It even shows you "GOD FORBID" where you Died) Oh Sorry yeah Pantheon if you want or need a Map Google Pantheon Map because they don't have it in Game. As far as Grouping goes it's the Same in Both Games (Your Level, Class & LFG) Yes your going to Need to Do that a lot in Both. P.S. Sorry for the GOD Forbid part but We are Talking Pantheon Vs Ashes of Creation & EQ1 Players that go you want a Map get a piece of Paper and a Pen. This is why they Don't play EQ1 Now since there is a Map in Game.

[@HallyVee]

Remember that EQ 1 and 2 are as different as night and day, or as different as eq1 and world of warcraft. Eq2 and wow were specifically made to casualize the genre. This is a throwback specifically before that point. The significantly more hardcore RPG experience.

[@Varadiio]

I think the general public who weren't "in the know" claiming to be huge EQ fans don't know about McQuaid's drug addiction problems and many escapades to fund said problems.

[@HallyVee]

@@Varadiio to the contrary, I think that's pretty well-known, I think most people just don't care. It's not really my business. If a game comes out, I play it. If it doesn't, okay.

[@Varadiio]

@@HallyVee If a game is lead by someone who has no business being in charge of such a project (and you can see what former coworkers say about McQuaid's work), I am going to mention it. A game "coming out" is not any kind of praise, and shouldn't be. Is the game any good? If you're spending money on a game, just because it comes out, you are ruining the industry for other people who actually want to play something good.

[@Colancio]

Dire Lord is a tank, it's basically a blood dk from wow, lots of shields and self healing through damage and they can't use shields

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

I provided my support to this back in 2016, and it is nice to finally get in and play it. I like it, even though there are a few things I wish were different.

[@MypersonalURL]

This is pre alpha, provide feedback to your content creators and the lead dev/disc on what you wish was different/ may need qol. if enough people ask the devs will add it.

[@davefinfrock3324]

Ah, EQnext. I've been watching this one for years. It's tempting, but I also know what I'm getting into. Again. I'm not sure I have the time anymore for this sort of game, but I'm glad one is being made. The nostalgia is strong, but I recall all too well the time investment. You know, just you and 71 of your closest friends on a nice 8 hour tour of the local raid dungeon.

[@kael13]

Christ.. EQNext, I remember that. The game that taught me not to stride right into Early Access games.

[@davefinfrock3324]

@@kael13 There were...hopes. It's been tried repeatedly to recreate EQ--catch that lightning in a bottle again. This one might, maybe, just possibly might be around awhile. I'm still watching this.

[@darkholyPL]

Btw, I love how Splat is just explaining the game, and at 15:25 theres a random guy called 'Deadlyfarts' running along xD

[@Elidrys]

and at 19:24 Doodoobutt

[@silentouch4371]

Yo, I too have lost my corpse on the bottom of the ocean between continents. This game looks sick.

[@David-x7g5v]

Bro, I found my body 3 days later on this game on a cliff

[@DraekosTV]

If any of you are on Black Moon and need me to summon your corpse, send me a tell in game "Fishy". At level 12 we summoners can summon corpses and I'm constantly offering free help to anyone in need. Hmu

[@illegal.anglo88]

@@DraekosTV Can summoners summon their own corpses out of curiosity?

[@DraekosTV]

@@illegal.anglo88 hey I just tested it and yes, Summoner can summon their own corpse. Life is good 😊

[@Dethmeister]

10:37 That bridge looks straight out of Everquest 2. I have a screenshot of me standing there in EQ2 somewhere.

[@frequencyoftruth2303]

Some of the same devs made this game dude

[@nickbowerman1197]

Qeynos Gates

[@msolomonii9825]

Didn't expect Splatty to touch on this game, didn't even know Splatty had been a old school EQ player, damn. Play Project Quarm myself these days. Have watched this project across the so very many years it's been in development. After alllll the many, many years this still has so-very-far to go.

[@ClassNCool]

FYI this is an Early Access development build and not a soft launch. Once it launches it will be a proper full release.

[@JakeRichards414]

glad youre enjoying it too!!

[@darrenpellichino2923]

Ahh the corpse run. My wife got booted while on the Everquest boat between Quenos and Freeport, her body was at the bottom of the ocean. There was something really different with EQ.

[@elevown]

I had nearly 4 yrs where i lived in Norrath :) I played from when it launched through the first 3 expansions - and popped back to play for a few month several times years later. Can you remember what server you were on splat?

[@aspectsradio9049]

RALLOS ZEK 🔥🔥

[@loveless131]

I am sorta in the middle ground. I was around for the old school, but some modern quality of life stuff is sorta non negotiable for me. I'll look again when it is in its final form though.

[@trashman1358]

Isn't it crazy? I've sunk so much of my spare time into MMO's. Started with DaoC. But now? Looking at this? It fills me with fear and dread. Why? It's just a job. When I think of all the time and effort - all I feel is fear and dread. Wow, I'm so surprised at my reaction to this video. 0:45 seconds in and NOPE! Guess my MMO days are over... But for all of you diving in? Have fun!

[@CosmicIceCream]

Yeah, as soon as I saw that (completely arbitrary) 20 second mining time, I was like "nope".

[@mysteryblankdspace4342]

Great video Splatt! Fun to come back to our gaming roots. I'm excited for this game. And others that might follow. Yourt dwarf out there looking like his shirt too small tho....

[@CHEFPKR]

The fact that there is a player made postal service makes this amazing. Let the players make the world

[@eblingus]

So it’s the Elite Dangerous of MMOs

[@HallyVee]

Sorry, in what way? I can see a few parallels certainly; an old legend creates a new throwback, something built for the significantly higher risk to reward ratio crowd, as well as significantly slower pace.

[@jstock2317]

some people are saying it's the Souls MMO. me im saying that.

[@HallyVee]

@jstock2317 now THAT could help combat the flood of trolls...

[@andrewhasissues]

I was SHOCKED that the player named "DOODOOBUTT" wasn't Splat! :D

[@myfavoriteviewer306]

I saw a "deadlyfart" running by and thought, "If Splat is running past, who's playing the game" 😂

[@danield-h1j]

If you decide to play this make sure you start in thronefast the same zone in this video. If you start in Wilds End the purple forest your going to find its really hard to get a grp above lvl 10 and making the walk to the other zone is near impossible. Also finding a class you like will be a big part of your enjoyment as they are very different. Typical group play is basically standing still in one location and someone pulling mobs to you and your generally fighting 6v1 against the mobs. Its very static. Having said that I got 4 mains :D

[@spatialdistortion223]

grp?

[@justcd89]

​@@spatialdistortion223lol age showing

[@danield-h1j]

@@spatialdistortion223 group :)

[@sidraket]

once you learn the way its not that hard, takes about a half hour. Running across the continent at a low level is one of the things i miss, that satisfaction when you make it. ive ran like 3 elves to thronefast. I actually prefer wilds end for low levels, their skeles and gekos are good grinding. forest was really confusing and easy to get lost in at first though

[@Haunting1981]

I just ran from WE to TF. Wasn't that bad. People are making it out to be worse than it is.

[@Riggo525]

For not being your "wheelhouse" this was a great video to provide insight on what to expect in the game. Really appreciated it Cat!

[@Thennix]

Looks quite intresting for me that played Dark Age of Camelot alot back in the day, but have I understod it right in this EA there will be character wipes ? For if so I wont start until that phase is over.

[@ZedTheMasterOfShadows]

lol I had to double check the upload date to make sure it wasn’t an upload from 2011 as a side video during splats Red Faction: Guerrilla let’s play series lmfao

[@shemsuhor8763]

ZEDLAUGH.mp3

[@brettk9316]

Ahh reminds me being back around 1999 to 2002 range. I love it!

[@SilverionX]

You had me at Dark Age of Camelot, played that game an unhealthy amount.

[@MarkDeSade100]

Can't believe Splat found another player who named their character "Doodoobutt", they must be his soulmate.

[@Fat_Adam]

So glad to see this game getting some coverage, its bare bones atm. But its very solid bare bones, i've been having a blast with it.

[@eric9822]

While the game looks interesting, I find it more interesting that "poop socking" is a phrase. Thanks for consistently having great videos. :)

[@loveless131]

I've been racking my brain trying to wrap my head around that phrase. I can't figure it out. Is it like, you like something so much you continue doing it till it runs down your leg and into your sock? Do other people say this phrase? Am I too east coast to understand? I am sure I could google it, but like this game, some things you just need to work out on your own or with others facing the same struggle.

[@FableV]

@@loveless131It’s an old EQ turn of phrase. There were mobs that had multiple hour (or day) respawn timers, and some of those even had placeholder mobs that could spawn instead. Even further, some had variable spawn windows, so you couldn’t just set a timer and come back. Because of all this, people would just stay in one place for days, not wanting to miss any possible chance of this rare monster spawning. The joke is that they’re pooping in socks because they can’t leave the keyboard to go to the bathroom and risk losing the camp.

[@loveless131]

@FableV Ah, I didn't play EQ. Thanks! That sounds awful haha.

[@Haz-Zzz]

Wait did splat mention poopsocking? idk if it was around back in 99-03 when Everquest shined the most, but it sure was around on p99 the first few years before kunark.

[@19Nivea73]

Great video! ..Just want to mention for those that want to know, lore is a thing in Pantheon, and will get implemented with time - Perception, Discover clues, dialogues, and outcomes that change based on your adventures and the choices you’ve made along the way. Hone your intuition to see the world in ways others cannot and unravel the mystery with the Perception System. And also iirc map will be implemented as well, but it will not have a GPS, it will be fog of war and hopefully other interesting features to it.

[@krisnayosep7121]

"implemented in time" idk how long that will be...... this is scam game, where dev just milk ppls with hope and sweet talk

[@19Nivea73]

​@@krisnayosep7121 I don't know where you get that idea from, They patching regular and have pushing out new updates regular since January -24 ..But as it been said many times now, Pantheon rise of the Fallen isn't for everyone, and that is ok ..Just curious, how much content do they need to push out, for you to not call it a scam?

[@crazedmonk8u]

This was a very good in depth video on the game, that said. I wouldn't play it since it has two conflicting design elements. to echo what you said in the 3-4 min mark which hit the nail on the head. "Successor to EQ" to me means. EQ but more solo friendly- similiar to what current EQ is now with mercs with some QOL attached. doesn't have to be major stuff, just small stuff like skill presets for easy swapping, It was re-inforced by 1. no overworld map and 2. crafting your own gear. but then you have elements of highly incentivized overworld grouping to clear spots for good resource nodes, various enemy camps etc. i can only imagine the headache later on if the best way to level- or really the only way- was to group up to kill mobs like in EQ. combine that with no overworld map , it will make it very difficult to sync up with people- especially if you are different races you might not even see each other naturally. I mean there is a reason why the #1 most popular addon for EQ is a better, heavily detailed, map! so while i think its a nice idea to not have a map- its just kinda ironic they mention EQ without realizing that vast majority of EQ players used map addons cause the ingame map was traaaash and they didnt want to deal with it. this introduces a more hardcore mindset of players. which contradicts "Successor to EQ" since that would mean its basically EQ with a different coat of paint. and the leave your stuff on death and have to find it again while also trying to not get stuck in a death cycle from mob with huge aggro ranges, can move faster then you, and have severe leash distances is a total trash mechanic. if they added some QOl to where you were idk immune/invisible to mobs until you get your stuff back then i would give it a try. the walk back and xp loss is fair enough.

[@hystorix9031]

There are auto play MMOs you might enjoy

[@chadwaldrop2378]

What’s it like to live life in constant fear of living your life?

[@hijikata530]

Sounds like this game isn't for you man.

[@crazedmonk8u]

@hystorix9031 your comment offered nothing of value, finding a personality and learning how to engage in constructive criticism should be what your doing.

[@crazedmonk8u]

@chadwaldrop2378 ?? your comment offered nothing of value, finding a personality and learning how to engage in constructive criticism should be what your doing.

[@totalitarianists]

Whoa! Lovely coincidence, I've also been playing this recently and have been roping in IRL friends to help fill out parties and make grouping easier. It's a very fun and dangerous world to explore. I've been very impressed with what's already there, and looking forward to what they are cooking up in the coming years.

[@pakratnv]

I really wanted to give this a try but there is less character customization than the original EQ. At least around mid-December. I'll keep an eye on it and hope they do more about that in later builds.

[@hystorix9031]

Char customization is place holder … I would not let it make you miss the uncut gem this is though

[@yahootube90]

There's less everything in this near 10 years of development than EQ had at launch with like less than 2 years of dev time. It's mind-blowing to watch these kickstarter MMOs being made by people who don't know anything about development.

[@vaughn6371]

You can move and shrink your ability bars by clicking and holding inbetween the abilities on the line

[@Kross415]

I don't know...I already go back to old games I love kind of frequently like Ragnarok Online, what does this game offers so I drop my old MMO for this? Not much it seems.

[@Thorcat001]

I’m an OG EQ player. I love this game

[@abbynormall207]

I played EQ for about 12 years starting it the month it came out. It was amazing. I wish I had a dollar for every time I read the phrase “Brad hates your class”. LoL

[@yahootube90]

Ironically, Brad always was a ranger, and ranger was the weakest class in the game for years.

[@abbynormall207]

@ yeah I started with a wood elf ranger. I failed at making that class bow 2 times before I got one. I made a Dark Elf Necro after I got my Ranger to about lvl 25ish. That necro was a beast. I really like that people would ask for changes in game that made it a lot easier/cheesier and Brad said “no”.

[@abbynormall207]

@ I still have the map that came with the original game. It’s framed and on my office wall.

[@brettk9316]

At level 5 the real fun begins!

[@SuperBdog1]

They should make a Player Store since the economy is so socially based. So hit “inventory” then “open shop” you choose 10 items and your player opens a mini shop on the spot

[@Sirfeazell]

I tried it as someone who put 7 years into EQ. The main thing that pushed me away from the game was the no map system. I know EQ didnt have one starting out but i dont see that as a selling point. There needs to be some sort of navigation system in that game be it a compass or a super basic map.

[@double_joseph327]

Wait there’s no compass?? wtf

[@PolarBull665]

Reminds me of alot of the stuff I enjoyed with initial release WOW and then later Elite Dangerous (pre odyssey and abandonment of console)

[@saltymcbutthurt-ym1ft]

100% not interested in MMOs, but it's a Splat video, so it gets a watch and a like all the same.

[@johnx140]

When i consider a mmorpg, i only ask 1 question: Is the combat fun solo and in teamfights? (thats why i only play V Rising cuz most combat systems sucks lmao)

[@eneco3965]

V rising's combat sucks

[@sumotode]

If you find standing in one spot and auto-swinging attacks on the same mobs for hours on hours fun, then sure you might like it. (unfortunately some random will train a group of mobs on you, wipe your group, you lose exp, then you spend a few hours running back to your corpse, just so you can do it all over again!)

[@goistoist]

What server did you play on in EQ? What was your /played on your main? ;)

[@mkang8782]

So, this is basically EverQuest with the serial numbers filed off. I enjoyed EQ when I played it, but, the current iterations of MMORPGs came about because they offered (overall) a lot more than EQ did. I have nostalgia for the group leveling experience, with your puller, tank, healer, and assorted others.

[@slandshark]

New MMO's are designed to drain your wallet. They are not designed to encourage community/group play. Every modern MMO can be solo'd and are designed as such. Not really MMO's anymore. Pantheon brings all the good parts of MMO's back and adds some nice quality of life touches and some cool gameplay features that aren't first apparent (for example: Vision types are actually a thing, based on race, and they make a difference).

[@mkang8782]

@@slandshark that's an overly broad assessment/accusation, and it's wrong. Are there predatory financial practices present in some online games? Yes, for sure. A lot of online games, especially MMOs have gone the "Free to play" (F2P) route, as I'm sure you're aware. That doesn't pay the bills for running the servers and paying the development team that produces new features and content. So, they need a revenue stream somehow, I would hope you'd be inclined to agree. Games like EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and World of Warships (which isn't an MMORPG, but, is an MMO of sorts) all have things you can purchase. The majority of these are for convenience or cosmetic purposes. I'm inclined to agree (to an extent) about modern MMORPGs being able to be soloed, and, quite frankly, that's a double-edged sword from where I sit. I was a cleric main in EQ, which, as you're likely aware, means I was very group dependent for earning XP. I worked shift work for the majority of the time I played, which made finding groups, even in a decent-sized guild, a challenge. Along comes World of Warcraft (and the others after it) that makes it so that any class is capable of soloing non-dungeon content. I, and many others, appreciated the need to group to advance at anything approaching a decent pace refreshing. I've already written a mini essay; the bottom line (for me) is, yes, I miss the experience you got from grouping like you had in EQ, but, I value not having to be dependent on others to make use of my play time.

[@slandshark]

@@mkang8782 So, play a different class other than Cleric? Shaman is a healer and can solo quite well.

[@mkang8782]

@@slandshark you 100% dodged or missed the point of my response.

[@funasylumstudio]

First. This game has been in development for a LONG TIME. As far as I can remember it was meant to be a spiritual successor to Everquest?

[@aelix56]

It has been it's the main reason I won't purchase it tbh. Such a long development time and so little to show feels like a red flag to me.

[@jamesturner2410]

Yeah in a way, more of a EQ redo for modern times

[@Otazihs]

Yup, its been in development for a while now. And yes, they are trying to follow the coattails of the "classic MMOs of the olden days" which is a big no to me. Games evolved for a reason, and I ain't about to go back. Shit, while I have nostalgia for those old days I just don't want to relieve that pain and suffering, because that's exactly what it was. Everything took forever, everything was punishing, there was no respect for the player's time, everything had to be done in groups, looking back, it was just not good. The whole "social MMO" term, it was social because you literally had nothing else to do but BE social, you were constantly waiting on some bullshit so you talked to people while doing those things. Making and maintaining a group was a pain in the ass. I took those rose tinted glasses off a long time ago. I mean just look at vanilla WoW, that game had WAY more respect for your time than the likes of Everquest and FInal Fantasy XI, and I STILL won't go back to WoW Classic, been there done that, I was there at ground zero, I don't want to go back.

[@frequencyoftruth2303]

​@@Otazihswill they cut off a lot of that originally I agree with you it was a bit too punishing but you're kind of wrong about the whole meeting people to group to be social because that is a real thing that does need exist in MMO and it does help MMO become what it is there's plenty of examples like City of heroes which you can now play for free. They managed to do it better without making it to punishing but a little bit on the shallow side.

[@GameTimeWhy]

I liked guild wars way more than wow. A lot of reasons but one being no monthly sub in addition to full price purchase. ​@Otazihs

[@Ty-bz7zx]

EQ and DAoC were staples.... =))

[@luckyjinxer]

This has been in progress for like a decade and its original founder died in that period- the fact that they managed to produce a playable game is insane.

[@michaelbird9148]

Interesting game. This type of old school MMO is not for me, but I appreciate the integrity. I think your comments about better UI are important. You can have the hard core nature while having good/smooth UI (e.g., for crafting).

[@onedankindgaming1570]

I want to love this game and I bought EA to show support. But I am shocked at how raw it feels after a decade of development... I guess changing their minds on major things more than once really slowed progress down.

[@oxenbarnstokkriii8152]

the kickstarter was announced 10 years ago. but development didnt start till 2017. Diablo3 took 11 years and it was barely more than a graphics update to Diablo 2. I think Pantheon progressing very well.

[@onedankindgaming1570]

@@oxenbarnstokkriii8152 I get it... But after so many redesigns I'm losing hope is all. I'm sure they had good reasons. But to me this is resulting in comepletely wasted time and resources. HUGE game studios can't afford to do this. Let alone a small indie dev attempting a HUGE project. I'm online playing Pantheon rn. I'm having fun. But I have my concerns.

[@jasondarland2383]

Just want to throw out that Necros summon corpses, Summoners summon a living person to them

[@Brismo7]

they should have a map maker trade. And the way to make maps is by running all over the map. And then sell it 1 by 1 or something. And they would be very valuable.

[@incoming-th]

The main thing that makes me play or not a modern or old school MMORPG is the end game. For example in Dark Age of Camelot, we needed to level up and craft the best gears because we had to protect our castles from the other realms which gave us bonus in our own realm against mobs. That is a design that I miss, because nowadays it's only leveling up just to be max level, then what? So I see Pantheon as a possibility, but I will wait after the early access and UI improvement - though I do believe a mini map and quest giver + teleports should be added.

[@bighat4742]

I don't think they'll ever add a mini map. I believe cartography is gonna be a trade skill, though. The quest gives are there. Most people you can hover over and your cursor will change to a question mark. Sometimes it's wrong, though. Not sure if those are planned to have a quest or what. Teleports are planned as well for classes like Mage and Enchanter. There will definitely be the ol' "tele-taxi" services from players you could find in things like older WoW or FFXI.

[@urizon41]

I'm interested but I don't want to play through all the wipes. When there's persistence I'm in.

[@Drake_DSG]

This is the game I needed after quiting Everquest back in the 00s

[@vonkug]

Is there a /heading or navigation aid or any kind? It would be cool if they added a cartography skill.

[@motive7475]

There’s a compass at the top of the screen

[@yokohl6997]

Nice to see a long form review for a long form game!

[@Havoc.FK7]

Been waiting for this video ❤😂

[@ettenefrancios8240]

So do one leve up all or do all get it if one kill that monster

[@prototype102010]

40euros for an early access niche as hell MMO and the dev's still don't know if there's going to be a sub at full release or not? I'll pass. I mean... I wouldn't buy an indie MMO these days anyways, but especially not for that much money, and this niche of a game. I know there's not much competition for these styles of MMO's but... is there a big enough market? I hope it does well and lives and becomes one of the greats, but the odds seem stacked against it.

[@hystorix9031]

I’ve played about every mmo of any significance since 1997 … this one feels really nice … I am 70 hours played time in … the combat is special so buttery smooth … 40 dollars is nothing for 2 years of getting to do this before release … I mean these 40 dollars is 3 lunches at McDonalds … this game is a breath of fresh of fresh air in mmo world compared to most of all the trash MMOs today on rails and super easy and all the cash shop crap …

[@sumotode]

There are still all sorts of competition for this style of game. Most older MMOs still have private servers, and most are free. Ultima Online, EverQuest, Star Wars, City of Heroes, Classic WoW, etc. All are still available to play. I cannot see how this will maintain any sort of player base while getting enough income for continuous development. With such a small niche player base to start out with and also having to share it with the numerous other options, I just dont see it happening. The only appeal I can see that would make players stay with Pantheon vs anything else is mixing in some modern design quality of life features and other mechanical / social aspects into the game that are not/cannot be added into the older games; but they are not doing that and seem to specifically stubbornly reject it at all costs.

[@michaelkreitzer1369]

The last large MP game I played was a MUD, and tbh I kinda miss it. It had more depth than this, tho. It also had a player name approval system that would keep you from having to deal with children running around with names like “Doodoobutt”. That alone makes me want to keep my distance.

[@joecuster6926]

Majormudd was best

[@MypersonalURL]

As a mmo player who never had the experience other then classic wow/osrs of a old school this game is a blast. i hope they can hire some quality devs with the inrush off steam.

[@EqualExample]

As I was watching I was thinking "Wow, can't wait til he shows off the races, be neat to see what they look like." But that moment never came ;( Good video regardless, I look forward to trying this when it's a bit further along!

[@Drago5899]

I was seriously looking forward to this game for years, but in it's current state I can't recommend it. I like most of the hardcore elements, but *No Map* is a big deal breaker. Especially if I have to find my corpse after death. Feels like a QoL feature that should exist no matter what era we are in. Pantheon requires a lot from you. More than most people are willing to give and even less who have time to do so. I want this game to succeed, but I can only see the player base being a group of people with no kids and/or are already retired, which will alienate a large portion of the player base. Which would be fine (the game doesn't have to appeal to everyone), but the kiss of death in any "social MMO" in the last 20 years has always been lack of players. I hope this game finds it's mark, gets way more content, and (hopefully) the Lead designer will acquiesce on 1 or 2 of the QoL features needed to reduce mental load.

[@AaronQ64]

a niche game. I have kids and lack tons of free time and im still excited for this but I would agree the thing they have to do is draw the eq emulator crowd or they will end up dead in the water. That being said nothing else exists that is this style of game other than EQ so theres not much competition for those of us who want this style of game. Also my guess is folks will mod the game to add a map or find ways to hack in QoL things and with a team this small theres no way they will be able to completely kill that from happening.

[@IzABub]

Im checking this game out and supporting it anyway way possible! Im only in my mid 20s so i missed these but i fell in love with SWGemu. Id only fall in love with this game more if they has dancers and doctors

[@aguy6641]

I played the original EQ and it was amazing at the time. I was excited for this game many years ago. It's not really looking how I hoped it would. I'll try it at some point.

[@shadowlooter156]

MO2 resmebles this game in the type of niche hardcore it wants to go for. Put 2k hours in MO2, so i tried this game, and it honestly just gave me a bit of a nostalgic feeling with the old school MMORPG genre. It's fun for a bit, but it's probably just going to get to 1k players and stay there for the dedicated players and supporters. If you do buy the game, you will get your money's worth if it is the type of game you enjoy, but I can't see it sustaining itself for long

[@pyrozombi3]

Knowing that all your progress is going to be wiped. Why would you spend so much time playing for everything to just get deleted?

[@mathiaslima2898]

Its highly likely that there wont be any wipes at all. That our ea servers just contines after full release. Joppa said him self on last steam session on twitch.

[@Jasta85]

Have my eye on this for years, although I'll probably see how early access progresses before deciding whether to hop in, I do hope it does well as I like the ideas the devs have at the very least.

[@Huckle777]

Does anyone know if this game would lend itself to an ironman/solo self found playstyle?

[@Mictla155]

How are all the races really looking compared to like 8 years ago?

[@rusj6555]

To fix the input lag on the IU GO TO Settings > Graphics > Check Hardware Cursor :) Your welcome!

[@MissingReel732]

I really enjoyed EverQuest, even played Project 1999 to relive the classic experience. Pantheon is exciting, but I want to see how development pans out one year from now. If they make strides forward then I will buy in. If it appears that the project is spinning its tires in the mud, then my apprehension will have been worth it. Some anecdotes indicate that my tepidness isn't without merit. All that said, I'm happy to see that it has some excitement surrounding it; people eagerly buying in and playing.

[@nickplatypus1730]

DaOC(Dark Ages of Camelot) was a game like this, until they changed something, and at lev 50 everzone was running around in Zergs killing the other realms, (there were Avalon, Vikings and Irish, as far as I can remember) spent ages in this game.

[@tuckus2003]

40 minutes of Splatty? Yes please. Great overview. I played a good amount of Sojourn back in the day, and I don’t mind the grind, but I don’t think i can accept being gated on ability slots. If i have an ability i want to be able to use it any time. Anything else sucks an amount of creativity out of the experience and breaks immersion toboot

[@oughtnot]

I wish I had time for a game like this again. I'll just live vicariously through KZbinrs. Maybe it will be around still when all my kids are out of the house and I've retired...

[@kael13]

Don't even have kids and I just consider this against playing the huge library of stuff I already own that delivers much more fun per time spent. If wanted a similar experience I'd join a WoW private server. At least that game looks pretty.

[@richardrothkugel8131]

It's just 20 years too late and it shows.

[@CosmicIceCream]

Genuinely cool that people like this. That said, I played EQ years ago and really enjoyed it, but I genuinely don't get why they decided to recreate it when EQ live still exists. Heck, P99 also exists. There's a reason games have moved onward and upward and away from this sort of extremely grindy gameplay - I see they even retained the much maligned resting system which wasn't fun then and certainly isn't fun now. Frankly, it's not pretty to look at and if it also retains the other mostly hated EQ design approaches (very slow progression, lots of work to unlock even simple things), I can't seeing this ever being anything more than a very small niche game.

[@Skenjin]

If you enjoyed this, you should check out Project Gorgon.

[@pl0930]

Anyone nostalgic about EQ really have to get checked by a psychiatrist. Dude, 4-5 hours of camp, killing worthless mobs that give no loot, just to save your guild spot for a server raid. Killing the same frog over 2 millions times, to get a fbss? Running for 45 minutes with SoW across huge, useless, dangerous, zones just to go to a raid spot. Someone can actually miss that ? It's like missing prison. "Oh yeah cell block 21 was so cool, the rice pudding at the cafeteria didn't give you hepatitis, good times"

[@epimetheaus1214]

I wish MMO reviews had a little list of server locations because as an Australian we usually have terrible connections to servers outside our country and rarely get our own.

[@vforwombat9915]

" we usually have terrible connections to servers outside our country" that's because all your connector ports are upside down.

[@epimetheaus1214]

@@vforwombat9915 I wish that was the problem. All of our connections are copper and under the ocean. Do you know how well copper and salt water go together??

[@vforwombat9915]

@@epimetheaus1214 "Do you know how well copper and salt water go together??" salt goes well w almost everything. "Do you know how well copper and salt water go together??" gosh, maybe they shoulda wrapped the wires in something. "Do you know how well copper and salt water go together??" i blame sharks.

[@yahootube90]

I seriously doubt this indie MMO, that's been in dev hell and scraping pennies together to keep going has Australian servers. I don't know, though, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

[@VamIy]

A game for men over 40 who are already bored with Everquest DDO and other old MMORPGs. Others do not see the point of playing this piece of code with 5 raw systems for $ 30 and online 2000 people at the start when there are many good MMORPGs that have content 50 times more. I've played this game and I have something to compare it with, it's a game for 0.0001% of gamers with a special taste.

[@Braxtonkai]

this is also early access, so while there is not much assistance in guiding you, there's also a severe lack of functionality in the majority of NPCs Thronefast is barely functioning, no npcs say anything, class skills and scrolls have incorrect labels and descriptions. This game definitely needs a lot of polish, and I hope they don't claim to be nearly done. UI is barebones, but it's also buggy and definitely needs some adjusting, it's easy to accidentally open menu options on menu options

[@petersonfamily6223]

Great review. You hit all the marks.

[@ThorSparks]

Surprised but very happy to see you playing this. They have a great foundation and very easy system to set and move mobs etc.

[@sordmasta6646]

i've been following the development of this mmo for years. i will play it for sure. but it does feel like a waste of time for some things. like, no one will die when fighting a mob, but you will need a party, and the whole party will need to mindlessly wack it for a solid 3 minutes until it dies. when i last checked, the sounds of things ...sound very bad. and while climbing is cool, it looks stupid af, because the things you climb look smooth and vertical af, so everyone is basically spiderman. but they are doing an amazing job as far the overall atmosphere goes. same for the lighting. i happen to like the UI. and i like how the abilities do one thing. not like recent MMOs where an ability deals 4 types of damage, depending on the target and and another 6 types of debuffs and then if you do it while on one leg, it has a 5.123% bonus that bulids up this resource which wil.......**boomer brain explodes**

[@Ziegeri]

I don't know if not having QoL is good or bad thing, but it will most likely be small dedicated fanbase game. Would not be surprised if community adds the lack of QoL with 3rd party applications/mods/addons. I don't know what not having quest markers add into the game, 99% of the player base will just do them by following wiki, which is just worse experience. Having an option to turn quest markers on/off would be better design in my opinion. I might try it out but, I personally don't have enough time or patience anymore to play games that require to have wiki open on the second monitor.

[@DrPluton]

I don't think this game is for me. All the quality of life that I can find in other MMORPGs is missing. No maps, no quest markers, no area looting, etc.

[@hystorix9031]

That’s the point of game except map part a cartography system will be added later but still not like handholding MMOs that lead you to every quest place etc … it’s a great of fresh air … there are auto play MMOs that you may like to check out as well

[@DrPluton]

@@hystorix9031 I don't need that sort of handholding. I don't need markers on the map. I just like having a map to orient myself and not having to guess which NPC has quests. I can do without those things if the quest descriptions are thorough, but Splattercat said they're pretty vague.

[@defixon]

Quests aren’t your main source of exp. You don’t even need to touch them if you don’t want to. Grouping and doing pve is the main focus in this game.

[@HallyVee]

Minor quibble, Maps wouldn't typically be considered a quality of life feature. They're a bit more of a design feature but I do agree they're kind of on the edge. And yes, fewer modern conveniences is absolutely the point here, but I find it unusual to make the decision entirely on quality of life. Surely the design would sway you more strongly?

[@HellNaught]

I played tons of L2 back in the day.... but I was definitely able to play by myself when I wanted to.... is that not possible in this game?

[@michaelmorrison5280]

It is possible. It's slower, more tedious, and less rewarding to play alone, but it is possible.

[@HellNaught]

@@michaelmorrison5280 yea I mean that makes sense, but I've just seen lots of people saying it isn't possible.... and I was just wondering if its not possible, or not possible for them lol. I'm also not implying I would never party, but I dont want to play a game where I cant do anything if there are no parties.

[@swankzilla]

Could you tell me more about this heavy Friday night load?

[@rachelwalker4100]

It always gets me how Splat pronounces "alt." It sounds more like how I would say "owl" plus a "t." You know "alt" is short for "alternate"? Does he say "owl-ternate"?

[@neko77025]

So their are a few issues with this games Development 1) They hired A programmer , he said their code was unsustainable. He would not work for them inless they rewrote everything. So they scrapped years of work and started over years in. 2) they also changed how the art style was ... so again .. after years of going one way .. they changed cause they could not afford to put it what they promised and watered it down to what it is now. 3) Brad died .. and yes this did make things harder for the company 4) ..they wasted type tryn too make A Extraction mode/event / thing .. to sale because they were low on funds ... I wanted this game so bad for so long .. But i have zero faith in this team .. None ... They could not pay me to put time in this game !

[@AaronQ64]

Video games are hard to make especially when your leader dies and theres a power vacuum. The nice thing is now they seem to have a path and a focus. Is it identical to what we originally saw, no but many games go through this its just far less public. For me personally considering ill still hop on Project Quarm here and there this is exactly what I want in an MMO if they can carry it over the finish line. Nothing else like this on the market today.

[@GeryonM]

If you twitch steam this game other people will pay you play it.

[@JasonEllingsworth]

unfortunately if this game gets popular, most of the "hidden" things like quests and the map, will be solved by the community. So this results in everyone just using an external site to navigate the game. It makes more sense nowadays to just go ahead and add those QoL features to keep people engaged with the game and not a website.