Tera Online: Early Impressions Part 3 of 3

Let's recap the highlights of my impressions that started here and continued here, into a bullet list and final thoughts.

What I like Best

• Solo / duo friendly
• Classes are what caught my attention and make questing fun
• Customizable UI - you're staring at it and using it, I prefer making it suit me personally not a designer's idea of where things should be.  I'm talking to you ANet.
• Gear doesn't matter too much.  You can function just fine wearing the drops provided. That may change later in the game.
• Creating combines in crafting provides levels.  Sure it's the same ole create 1000 fozzles before making anything you really want BUT it helps when you can level making the stacks of cloth, leather, ingots, yada.
• Environments are pleasant to be in and ride around if you like typical fantasy.  It's  no GW2, Aion or AOC but it's nice enough and polished enough to be enjoyable.
• Your first mount comes early and free via a quest.
• There are crafting quests and you can craft anywhere in the world if you have a campfire
• It's F2P - play as long or as short as you like, it doesn't matter.  Since it's free you can avail yourself of cash shop conveniences for far less than a subscription.  I'm not into leveling or stat boosts but faster travel always appeals to me.  Sarzan and I each purchased gems to unlock a third character slot.
• Sprinkling of unique monsters in the higher level zones which breaks up the generic feeling. 
• You can play with a controller.  I gave it a try with the XBox version.  It was good for movement which felt more fluid.  However, I couldn't see how to access the 20 skills I have and need.  They mapped the mouse buttons to the colored buttons and triggers for interactions but I can't survive in combat without the rest so not sure how that's supposed to work.
• UI changes are universal.  There's good and bad with that but for me it's good.  I prefer consistency in my custom settings.  Unfortunately, the keybindings are not universal which is a huge pain.

What I like Least

• My biggest gripe is that all skills root you in combat, even instant ones.  This is another element we need to move beyond in MMOs.  I'm over taking it in the face to cast a spell.  With AOC, Rift and GW2 in particular, really moving the needle on 100% rooted skills, I want...I need this to die.  I can only imagine how much more fun combat would be if it was free moving like GW2. I keep trying to dodge out of the way.  Sure it's not target locked but who cares, if you're aim is good enough to hit and move, we should be able to so.  If not, then you'll voluntarily stand still. My feet feel stuck to the ground.  There's a hesitation / delay after I cast a spell before I can move again.  It's very annoying.
• GEAR MODELS SUCK or rather, the need to have female characters in nities sucks. Metal nities I don't like but am over it.  This stuff on the other hand, literally looks like my nightgown, slip or some other completely uninspired design.  Really??? Is this the best you can do!?!
• Cash shop costumes are even worse! They have NOTHING AT ALL to do with Tera. Yellow wanna be lame looking Star Trek spandex suits. Uh?  Playboy Bunny outfits. Wuwhat?  Cash left on the table fellas.
• EVERYTHING is very expensive. Intra-city portal travel costs. City to City is pricey.  I thought we left the long ass gryphon rides back in EQ2 and WOW.  And don't get me started on the cost of travel scrolls.  Wuwow, expensive.  I did notice today that subscribers get instant travel options so this may be the reason.
• A lot of back and forth questing.
• UI elements that can't have transparency adjusted.  I must be going blind or something but the default settings for transparency on many games are illegible for me.  I have a large wide screen monitor set at the highest resolution which means my text is small.  I really can't read pale yellow on light brown or similar combos, of which GW2 is also fond of using.
• Unlike UI settings, the keybindings are not universal and have no in game method for copying them replicating them across characters.
• Most of what you'll craft is garbage until you get to the few coveted items at the top.  This was the norm but here again, GW2 made some improvements so the comparative lack is more glaring.
• This may be cultural but there's something not right about child-like female characters running around bent over with their panties showing.  It's creepy!!

Staying on Board

I'm sitting at level 23 of 60 as of this writing.  We're approaching the levels for the first instance and content that requires a full party. I'm looking forward to seeing how this class and I, fare in longer combat scenarios.

I can easily recommend Tera Online to any gamer that prefers fantasy, is open to enjoying the ride to max level, even if the setting is generic in some aspects. Or someone who wants a break from their main MMO that's pleasant diversion that's not too taxing or demanding.  It also gets a recommend if you'd like to try a F2P game that's not a cash-grab or complete pay-to-win scenario and where the content itself is free.

I see myself continuing to play unless the Asian grinding game hits.  Is that politically incorrect to say? Not sure of another way. Apologies if it is. The grind was masked in Aion until the late early 30s which is when I bailed.  I'm hoping that's not the case in Tera.  I would like to have this as my off game, my take a break from GW2 game.  GW2 and I are sealed, that's not going anywhere but an alternative is nice.  I might pony-up for a month's subscription for the faster travel to help with harvesting.  Yes, 1K foozles or not, I must craft.  *smile*

Comments

[Sarzan]

You forgot to include your most favorite aspect of the game...

Your side saddle riding female Mystic! So dainty! Kinda funny my furry female warrior know how to ride correctly ;)

[Alysianah]

Oh yeah, hate that my armor clad lancer rides side saddle. Ridiculous. Lots of new players on noov island this weekend and several were asking WTF? Young people who've never watched period movies or old westerns I guess.