Put Global Agenda on Your "To-Do" List

Category: Scribe's Corner

Last Updated on Thursday, 04 August 2011 21:19

Written by sun

The way that players pay to play MMORPG has clearly changed over the years. You hear the word "free" used in marketing these different MMORPG to gamers, but you know that there is always a catch. Most gamers have no problem "paying to play", but they need to know exactly what they getting and how much it really costs. By measuring what you put into game, your time, money, and the experience you get out of it, determines if it was a good value. Let us take a look at a recent offering.

Global Agenda is often classified as an MMO although I think that it could best described as a futuristic third-person team shooter with jet packs. On April14th, 2011, it transformed into Global Agenda: Free Agent adding the free component into new mixed funding model.

You select one of four classes (recon, assault, medic and robotics) that is later further specialized by putting points into skill trees as you level up. Essentially, there are two different roles each class can play and how you use those skills, weapons and offhand devices that you equip strongly influence your play style. If you choose to play an assault that specializes in short-range conflicts in the thick of the action on the battlefield, you will likely put points in the "Tank" skill tree, equip a mini-gun as your specialty gun which is effective at shorter distances, and equip various shielding offhand devices to increase your survivability. If you prefer to play an assault that causes destruction from a distance, put your points in the "Destroyer" skill tree, equip a Longbow grenade launcher as your specialty gun, and yet even more grenades as your offhand devices. You obtain different weapons and off-hand devices as drops after matches, quest rewards or purchases in your class shop. More choices become available as you level up to the maximum level of 50. Your typical load out equipment consists of melee weapon, a standard gun, a specialty gun/device, a jet pack, 3 off-hand devices, and a super boost ability that can be activated when you deal enough damage.
 

Four classes, male or female selection screen
 

After some simple introductory missions, you arrive at the Dome, the city that serves as the hub where you buy, sell, train and carry on similar functions. It's small and merely the functional hub of activity. For those looking for a traditional MMO open world, it is there, sort of. After a short quest chain, you can head to the desert zone. Know that it is "sharded" meaning you might be in Desert 14 sharing that particular shard with only a few other players. You can switch from shard to shard to group with friends as needed. Zooming around wide open spaces with your jet pack is fun and easy making this fairly large zone seem quite tiny. MMORPG players will recognize the pattern of finding a quest giver, zooming to quest area kill or loot whatever you need to and return for your reward. The content is solo-friendly but teaming up with another person on some of the tougher quests is a good idea. There is further instancing for a handful of quests which seem quite in-line with expectations. Sadly, there is only one zone with 5 hours or so worth of content. New players will undoubtedly get confused and wonder "What's next?”

This open zone was an afterthought, added after the game was launched. Although there is talk about another zone being added, this has not happened yet. Instead, new player needs to "join a queue" and head into one of the several types of instances. It is in these instances where most to the gameplay really takes place. There are a number of modes, but can be classified as either Player(s) versus Environment (PvE) or Players versus Players (PvP).

The PvE instances consist of you or a team of up to four players against evil commonwealth and their robotic guards. These robots are of a limited variety to start off with, although different ones are added at higher levels. The most basic android carry laser rifles, while large robotic spiders launch half a dozen grenades at a time. The instances are fairly linear runs through rooms and hallways filled with guards and traps until you get to a boss room. Players need to kill the boss within a 15-minute time limit which forces the action to move along fairly quickly as you would expect from a shooter more than an MMORPG. The difficulty is fairly well balanced for new players and you simply cannot play recklessly if you hope to finish. Additional bonuses can be earned if the player dies fewer than 4 times. The 10-man PvE raids also consist of your team against a swarm of bigger and more dangerous robots as you try to protect an objective and yourself. These are a bit more chaotic yet exciting with new robotic opponents will provide that increased challenge.

As you enter these familiar queues again and again, you will quickly find there are very few versions of these PvE instances with only a little mob placement variation. To some, it might be an opportunity to perfect your technique to get through without dying; to others, a boring grind that recycles content.

Most PvP instances are 10 on 10 matches that seem like typical set ups from team shooter types games, including controlling at least two of three points on a map, controlling a point that activates in different spots on a map, or a breach-style mission where the team of attackers try to wrestle control of a single point from the team of defenders. If the defenders lose the point, they fall back to a second and third defensive position as needed. There are just a few versions of each type of map, but the human factor make playing missions much less redundant than PvE missions. The signature game play is AvA, which refers to Agency versus Agency. An agency is much like guild or clan in MMORPG or team shooter game. The AvA play is much like a 10 on 10 PvP with matches set up depending on which area of world map is being attacked. This world map is divided into hexes and an agency claims to multiple hexes. When a hex is in dispute by two different agencies, a match starts to determine the owner of that hex. The AvA system is quite more complex than can be briefly described here. The rules for AvA and information on the other PvP matches can be found on GA website: http://www.globalagendagame.com/home.html

The game is stable with solid performance and overall good graphics and sound with a flashy futuristic style. The controls are similar to a typical PC shooter, which are responsive and smooth. There is some crafting, but at this late stage in the game's life cycle, just buying what you need from others is more practical and avoids a boring grind to increase your skill. The in-game matchmaker that helps form teams for various missions is fairly fast, although people often complain that it forms unbalanced teams much of the time. The weakest feature is the most uncontrollable; the people who play. The general community seems quite unfriendly to new players who can be a target of a verbal attack if you equip the wrong weapon, stand in the wrong place, or don't play the right role they think you should be in any PvE or PvP match. The public city chat is the worst cesspool of vulgar language, misinformation, and teasing that I have experienced in a long time. Of course, there are many perfectly nice people that play the game. They just tend to be the less vocal ones.

Being a free agent gives you access to most features, but once you complete the only open zone's quests, players that just want to play solo will find very little content which is recycled way too much. Players that limit themselves to PvE only, solo and group, and avoid PvP matches entirely, will be entertained for a bit longer. It is PvP matches where GA gets its longevity.

Plan to play at a disadvantage if you want to play PvP. They do divide pre-level 30's and 30's to level 50's but you will be starting on the low end of the bracket. Free agents can try to level out the playing field by becoming an Elite Agent for cost of $19.99 USD. The advantages of elite agent over a free agent are listed here:

http://hi-rez.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/247

Becoming an Elite Agent will help you level up faster and get better gear, but it does take some time to close the gap. There are also XP Boosters that help you "skip the grind" and a few micro-transactions the help you get that level 50 gear just a bit faster, but it really is no better than you would get with Free Agent if you have the patience. There are numerous other non-functional flare gear, armor dyes, and non-functioning pets which seem senseless to buy to me, as I see no value to them.

So with all that in mind, what is a value minded gamer to do? My advice is to give it a try if you like a bit of a MMO mixed with a fast paced shooter. Get a taste of the solo play and see if it is to your liking for no up front cost. If you enjoy the PvE solo play but grouping with others is not your thing, stay a free agent and enjoy the free ride for as long as the trip is enjoyable. If you like what you see and want to move up to the competitive stage, first find an agency that is active and looking for new players. There are both in-game resources at the Agency Center and on the GA forums. Make sure the agency's player base is in your time zone for AvA, is friendly and open to grouping with new players, and would not minding teaching new players in a friendly fashion. Go ahead and become an Elite Agent, which is a good deal if you plan on playing at level 50. XP Boosters can be a good value as long as you plan on playing heavily for their duration. Avoiding most of the silly micro-transactions and ignoring general city chat will also enhance your experience and make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck.

• < Prev
• Next >