ANTHEM discussion thread [PSA: VIP Demo Jan 25-27, Open Demo Feb 1-3 | PS4/XB1/PC]

[Datajoy]

Some Interceptor stuff

Click to shrink...

Nice, today's footage really put interceptor on my radar in a big way. I realllly dig that animation for when the interceptor jump / flips forward to turn on the flight thrusters. I kept noticing how sick it looked throughout the course of the livestream.

 

[sleepr]

He literally said he doesn't want to bifurcate the playerbase with expansions.

Click to shrink...

No, he said story content will be free, further content might have to be paid. He isn't even sure about it.

You guys are fooling yourselves if you think this game won't have paid content and will be just running just on cosmetic MTX.

 

[enkaisu]

i hope whatever the 'raids' ends up being have matchmaking or at least aren't as obtuse, complicated, and frustrating as Destiny's. i've run raids in Destiny probably less than 10 times because at a point they just became a slog especially in Destiny 2. this will probably be what makes or breaks the game for me. i don't want to get into another loot game where i don't touch the true end game content.

i know some people adore the raids in Destiny but they are very much not for me.

You luckily you can play all four and are not tied to one Javelin so we shall see how things shake out.

Click to shrink...

whoa, i actually didn't know that. that's great to hear!

 

[Datajoy]

whoa, i actually didn't know that. that's great to hear!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, when you level up, you are actually increasing your "pilot level" and can unlock general skills that apply to all Javelins. Each pilot has access to all four and can spec them out, customize them, and save loadouts for them all independently. Some weapons and loot are specific to certain Javelins, and the devs have said that when playing as a given javelin, "most" of the loot you find will be for that particular javelin.

 

[sleepr]

i hope whatever the 'raids' ends up being have matchmaking or at least aren't as obtuse, complicated, and frustrating as Destiny's. i've run raids in Destiny probably less than 10 times because at a point they just became a slog especially in Destiny 2. this will probably be what makes or breaks the game for me. i don't want to get into another loot game where i don't touch the true end game content.

i know some people adore the raids in Destiny but they are very much not for me.

whoa, i actually didn't know that. that's great to hear!

Click to shrink...

I don't think we'll end up having tradicional raids. I think their end-game content are the "shaper storms" we saw at the end of E3 2017 gameplay demo. If I had to guess it's probably some kind of prision of elders but on steroids. Something similar to diablo 3 rifts.

 

[duckroll]

Is there a story campaign walkthrough video for the game yet? Something that shows off the opening of the game and the first hour of gameplay maybe? Showcasing the story and how it's introduced to the player, the character creation, walking around in the world without combat, etc?

 

[Datajoy]

Is there a story campaign walkthrough video for the game yet? Something that shows off the opening of the game and the first hour of gameplay maybe? Showcasing the story and how it's introduced to the player, the character creation, walking around in the world without combat, etc?

Click to shrink...

Nope there hasn't been anything quite like that yet. All of the gameplay videos and livestreams so far have been dedicated to introducing and explaining core gameplay mechanics.

 

[Deleted member 35777]

I don't think we'll end up having tradicional raids. I think their end-game content are the "shaper storms" we saw at the end of E3 2017 gameplay demo. If I had to guess it's probably some kind of prision of elders but on steroids. Something similar to diablo 3 rifts.

Click to shrink...

If it is something similar to D3 rifts then good.

Destiny 2 dropped that ball hard with what the Infinite Forest could have been.

If you are going for complex min/max looting like this you want to turn and burn content at a fast pace, games like warframe, D3 and PoE all got this right.

 

[Raide]

Is there a story campaign walkthrough video for the game yet? Something that shows off the opening of the game and the first hour of gameplay maybe? Showcasing the story and how it's introduced to the player, the character creation, walking around in the world without combat, etc?

Click to shrink...

I think that might be under NDA but the VIP demo in Jan will probably show that off. I think the Legion of Dawn video also hints at part of the story going foward.

I expect them to have a stream talking SP in the year probably.

 

[duckroll]

Nope there hasn't been anything quite like that yet. All of the gameplay videos and livestreams so far have been dedicated to introducing and explaining core gameplay mechanics.

Click to shrink...

The game is out in Feb right? Maybe soon?

 

[Theorry]

The game is out in Feb right? Maybe soon?

Click to shrink...

Yeah they said they will talk about alot more starting next year.

 

[Datajoy]

The game is out in Feb right? Maybe soon?

Click to shrink...

Yeah the game is out Feb 22. They have talked about the lore and the world, and also have just started to release "story trailers".

I think their marketing efforts so far have been focused on getting fans of the genre on board with details on how the combat, loot, customization etc will work. I'm assuming they are saving a bigger story reveal for closer to launch. We'll see though.

 

[Theorry]

I like that you can play the VIP demo with EA Access. I just got two codes of EA access from EA because i played BFV.

 

[Yu Narukami]

Has anybody received a mail from Amazon? Apparently Gamestop is already sending mails with the demo code.

 

[seroun]

Very hyped for the game. I play Warframe but I'm always open to more sci-fi stuff, since the story in that game moves rather slowly.

 

[duckroll]

Yeah the game is out Feb 22. They have talked about the lore and the world, and also have just started to release "story trailers".

I think their marketing efforts so far have been focused on getting fans of the genre on board with details on how the combat, loot, customization etc will work. I'm assuming they are saving a bigger story reveal for closer to launch. We'll see though.

Click to shrink...

Yeah it makes sense. The game looks pretty awesome as it is, especially since there aren't a lot of third person games of this sort on the market now at this level. Just wondering if I missed any the story stuff yet.

 

[KushalaDaora]

I don't think we'll end up having tradicional raids. I think their end-game content are the "shaper storms" we saw at the end of E3 2017 gameplay demo. If I had to guess it's probably some kind of prision of elders but on steroids. Something similar to diablo 3 rifts.

Click to shrink...

Personally I hope they don't lock story conclusion behind end game content (Raid or whatever) that only hardcore players can experience and finish.

I dislike how Destiny lock several story conclusion behind Raid (Crota's End and King's Fall came to mind...). As awesome as they are, I was really miserable when doing them...

 

[Deleted member 37928]

Some Interceptor stuff

Click to shrink...

Wow! This gameplay is really selling me on the game.

I really like Destiny but one of my biggest issues with that series is the lack of class distinction. Anthem seem to have very different classes which will make it a lot of fun to play around with several characters. The interceptor especially looks really fun.

 

[Xeontech]

Techno mage and tech ninja. Alllll day

 

[Datajoy]

Yeah it makes sense. The game looks pretty awesome as it is, especially since there aren't a lot of third person games of this sort on the market now at this level. Just wondering if I missed any the story stuff yet.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I'm with you there. I've always been curious about diving in to a loot shooter, but I don't really like FPP shooters (Destiny), don't like the setting of Division, and found Warframe to be extremely obtuse. Anthem seems like its really in my personal wheel house, with the third person perspective, dynamic traversal, and cool setting.

What sold me on the game, beyond the gameplay, was the general premise and lore surrounding the game world (as introduced very briefly in my mini write-up in the OP). More than the actual narrative for the main campaign, I'm even more interested in learning more about the setting and lore generally.

 

[Mediking]

Subbed. I love Bioware and Anthem looks hype

 

[Theorry]

Just having more freedom in the world makes me excited. The flying adds alot.

 

[Mitsurugi]

Been watching every stream and I can say that I'm hype despite EA's recent controversy. This game is going to be a huge success especially from what I saw

 

[Datajoy]

Encouraged by the early positive response to the thread. It seems there are a fair number of people interested in the game. Actual substantive Anthem discussion with only light sprinklings of Destiny comparisons and EA bashing!

Colossus seems to be gaining the poll. What an absolute unit.

 

[Theorry]

Encouraged by the early positive response to the thread. It seems there are a fair number of people interested in the game. Actual substantive Anthem discussion with only light sprinklings of Destiny comparisons and EA bashing!

Colossus seems to be gaining the poll. What an absolute unit.

Click to shrink...

To be fair i dont fully agree with what you said in the OP tho. If you look at the anticipated thread voting Anthem is doing pretty good. :)

 

[Ushay]

I have to admit despite my own skepticism, after watching the gameplay videos the game is looking phenomenal. I'm probably going to get this early on after checking a few reviews.

Bioware may have a hit on their hands.

 

[Datajoy]

To be fair i dont fully agree with what you said in the OP tho. If you look at the anticipated thread voting Anthem is doing pretty good. :)

Click to shrink...

Oh really? I didn't see that haha. That is encouraging though.

I was just noticing how there has been so little discussion on ERA. There are threads for the livestreams that come and go really quickly, and seem to get derailed pretty regularly. I think the game is contending with not only general EA hate but also blowback from Bioware fans who don't like the genre shift by the studio.

 

[Hyun Sai]

I'm really looking forward to this. Third person loot action shooter, no PVP, I liked what I saw of the gameplay... Unfortunately I'll have to wait to see the performance on base PS4 to decide what I'll do. Waiting for the open beta, and I hope they'll not screw up with the MTX system.

 

[BloodHound]

Is there a story campaign walkthrough video for the game yet? Something that shows off the opening of the game and the first hour of gameplay maybe? Showcasing the story and how it's introduced to the player, the character creation, walking around in the world without combat, etc?

Click to shrink...

It was in the alpha, which is under NDA. Sure itll be in the open beta that comes Jan/Feb

 

[Ahti]

Some Interceptor stuff

Click to shrink...

Damn, can`t wait to play the final release.

 

[BloodHound]

Colossus = Sentinel (Defensive focused classes)
Ranger = Soldier (all arounder)
Interceptor = Vanguard (up close and personal, high risk high reward melee type)
Storm = Adept (magic)


I see what you did there Bioware.
And speaking of similarities, one of my biggest issues with BFV that is also in anthem is enemy visibility. It has to be a Frostbite engine thing.

 

[Datajoy]

Just having more freedom in the world makes me excited. The flying adds alot.

Click to shrink...

Nice gif. Ranger is the perfect blend of maneuverability and impact.

I will be upgrading flight time / flight speed and other related attributes as soon as possible.

 

[Phellps]

Some Interceptor stuff

Click to shrink...

The production value of this game is like a new peak for BioWare. It looks incredible.

 

[Ruffstuff]

I'm quite excited by this but gonna wait till post release to see what EA have slipped in

 

[texhnolyze]

To be fair i dont fully agree with what you said in the OP tho. If you look at the anticipated thread voting Anthem is doing pretty good. :)

Click to shrink...

Tbf, that kind of impression is totally reasonable, considering that most Anthem threads barely got any traction (2-4 pages at most in average), and when they do, it's mostly due to EA bashing and/or Destiny comparison shitpostings. Most people who know what to expect with Anthem would be looking forward to the game in silence and rather stay out of the threads due to the toxicity. Or maybe like me, join a discord server or two and discuss the game in peace.

 

[knuckles]

I loved andromeda's multiplayer so there's no way I don't get my $60 out of this. But I love all of biowares modern games and this is the 'main' team so i couldnt be more hyped tbh. Dragon age 2 was pretty good for being made in 18 months even. This will be the game of the generation.

 

[Pfroebbel]

I would really like to see the actual Stronghold Video from the Colossus Perspektive.

 

[Turdburger]

Still skeptical about the gunplay, Destiny has that perfected.

The traversal and mobility look great, and the verticality element is awesome.

Lastly, maybe I've missed information, but I'm still not really sure what's going on with class/javelin loadouts and abilities. Is it all through gear, or are there different ability subtypes that you choose from like Destiny that are baseline and not tied to gear, or both?

 

[Almeister]

Have they said in any of the videos if you can inflict damage to enemies by flying into them?

 

[Charpunk]

I was pretty set on Storm until the latest steam.

Dat space ninja..

 

[lucebuce]

Still skeptical about the gunplay, Destiny has that perfected.

The traversal and mobility look great, and the verticality element is awesome.

Lastly, maybe I've missed information, but I'm still not really sure what's going on with class/javelin loadouts and abilities. Is it all through gear, or are there different ability subtypes that you choose from like Destiny that are baseline and not tied to gear, or both?

Click to shrink...

OK so it'd be easier if you start comparing it to Warframe rather than Destiny but since msot people are familiar with Destiny, I'll explain from that perspective.

First of all, no "ability" is shared between javelin. The things that are shared between javelins will be gear and even then, certain weapons or components will be javelin specific. For example, the real heavy duty weapons can only be used by the Colossus and so forth.

Second, each Javelin has three abilities active to you that you choose from. One is a support ability, the second is usually an AoE ability and the third can be Javelin specific. Each "category" has a list and you choose which abilities you want. See here to get a better idea: https://vulkk.com/2018/09/02/all-anthem-javelin-classes-explained-abilities-and-roles/

The subtypes of abilities that you mention can most definitely be achieved with gear though its not quite subtype necessarily than it is specialization. They showed a build on Stream of a Ranger with a focus on hovering, so when he used his missile launcher in the air and got a multikill, he could do a grenade ability which would have 50% more damage for a limited window working perfectly as a combo. And while he was hovering, his cooldowns were reduced by 50% so its a combo that he could perpetually "spam" by utilizing air superiority.

For a better explanation of how the gear system is EXACTLY going to work, watch this video:

Have they said in any of the videos if you can inflict damage to enemies by flying into them?

Click to shrink...

I don't think so but each javelin has a unique melee ability (with the interceptor "specializing" in it). You should generally be able to close the gap to an enemy fairly quickly. Plus there's close range abilities and weapons like the shotgun.

 

[texhnolyze]

I just remember that MMORPG.com has an in-depth written recap of Gear & Progression stream.

Anthem Gear & Progression Livestream Recap

You might want to put this in the OP, as it'll be easier to comprehend by reading.

 

[Datajoy]

Lastly, maybe I've missed information, but I'm still not really sure what's going on with class/javelin loadouts and abilities. Is it all through gear, or are there different ability subtypes that you choose from like Destiny that are baseline and not tied to gear, or both?

Click to shrink...

The gear / loudout video in the OP (and also linked by lucebuce above) will answer a lot of questions I think.

On a basic level, each javelin has two weapon slots, three ability slots, and also multiple floating "component" slots. Many weapons are interchangeable between Javelins, although some are exclusive, like heavy weapons for Colossus. The three ability slots are all specific to each class, for example ranger has an assault ordinance slot, a grenade slot, and a support ability slot. Components provide buffs or bonuses to various abilities and attributes. All weapons, gear, and components also have "inscriptions" which are randomly assigned rolls that add additional buffs and bonuses. Higher rarity items have more inscriptions and draw from deeper or better inscription pools.

 

[Persephone]

I didn't think I was at all interested in this game (co-op loot shooter is definitely not my thing, I much prefer BioWare's standard fare) but this actually looks? kind of neat??

 

[Datajoy]

I just remember that MMORPG.com has an in-depth written recap of Gear & Progression stream.

Anthem Gear & Progression Livestream Recap

You might want to put this in the OP, as it'll be easier to comprehend by reading.

Click to shrink...

Nice find... added to the OP.

 

[codemnk]

Really looking forward to Anthem. I've been following the game right from its first announcement and everything that I've seen (and played) so far has only furthered my interest. So I will be buying the game for sure and I'm almost certain I will have a good time.
How long of a good time depends on a couple of things though, in no particular order:

• First of all, I'm not entirely sure what to think about the fact that loot tables are global only, meaning no special loot from stronghold bosses for instance. I really enjoy working towards something, even if it's only that this stronghold's boss has a 1% chance of dropping that one weapon I need. I fear that without a specific goal to grind for, I'm going to feel a little aimless working towards builds and weapons. Not to mention from a gameplay perspective it leaves you playing the easiest stronghold over and over again to get what you want, because no matter what stronghold, the loot is always the same. They have said that there's crafting obviously, and apparently certain challenges can earn you loot, but to which extent these mechanics alleviate my concerns remains to be seen.
• Also, I'm not a fan at all of gear score. I can't really remember whether they mentioned it explicitly, but I really, really hope gear score doesn't affect anything beyond being an easy way to see whether or not you're undergeared for a certain challenge. Because if gear score (together with pilot level and difficulty setting, I know) influences what gear level your loot drops are, you would be forced to always wear the equipment with the highest gear level and this goes completely against BioWare encouraging you to tinker with your class builds. I would hate having to use a component with a higher gear level instead of my sweet +10% shotgun damage component for my shotgun build just to ensure that I get the highest possible loot level. Same thing would apply if gearscore is somehow tied to strongholds directly, meaning for instance you take more damage if you're trying a stronghold with a recommended gear score of say 350, but your score is only 330. This would again mean you having to equip certain equipment just so you aren't disadvantaged, even though your build asks for completely different gear. An all around bad mechanic in my opinion. Maybe I have missed out on news, but I don't think they ever really clarified what exactly your gear score does in the game, if anything.
• Thirdly regarding strongholds themselves, I really hope they get more creative with their mission design. In that small snippet they showed on stream the whole shtick of find stuff lying around and put it somewhere to advance and destroy all those things to advance already was dangerously close to getting old. And if not that, at least distract the player sufficiently so they won't notice. That's a good option in particular considering the way they have set everything up with the anthem of creation being a volatile and unknown force of creation. Gameplay-wise you can do literally anything with this. Changing gravity? Check. Dangerous acid waterfalls out of nowhere that you have to navigate around? Check. I really hope that they go crazy with it.

There's some other stuff, particularly concerning how their monetization is actually going to look like once the game is live (prices, etc.) and the kind of support we'll be getting post launch, but my now bleeding fingers stop me.
Anyway, I'll be there day one. Not sure yet whether that's going to be the 15. or the 22. but I will definitely be there.

 

[Datajoy]

Clipped this gif of another cool bit of interceptor movement. Just used a free online tool so quality is terrible, unfortunately.

 

[Deleted member 437]

I won't/can't say much, but "mehh".

 

[Gero]

My hype was nonexistent...until i tried the alpha. Thats all im gonna say. Will buy this day 1 for sure

 

[Saint-14]

I just hope you can make a really tanky/support build in the game, that's something wasn't possible in Destiny which hopefully this does.