Reckoning: Kingdoms Of Amalur is such a lousy name...

[tylertoo]

... to use that "Welcome to Gamefly!" 30% coupon that would have otherwise gone unused.

As a former D2D customer who is also now on Gamefly, may I ask: where be this coupon?

EDIT: Nevermind, found it. Answer, its in the email welcoming you to Gamefly. Hadn't ever looked at it.

[Teiman]

Wen i tryed to use the interface on the pc, i found that weird keys where used to navigate, that mouse clicking where unresponsive, and that the submenus where hidding other submenus. I think the most lazy aproach to port a game to the pc is to asign random keys to pad buttos: start turns in esc, a turns in z.. And so on. This is wrong, because on the pc keys are contextual. Sometimes you cancel a action with esc, other times just with rght click. Using esc or right click for all escape actions feels weird and break the flow.

[Brian Rubin]

I've only played this on the PS3, but I find the interface totally intuitive. What's the problem?

[Wendelius]

I've only played this on the PS3, but I find the interface totally intuitive. What's the problem?

You're not using a keyboard and mouse and trying to fight through the gamepad centric interface.

That being said, I played the PC version on the gamepad and didn't have major issues with the UI either. It's pretty standard in that mode.

Wendelius

[Tim James]

I rarely use gamepads for third person games unless the KB+M controls are terrible. So I have to ask how the gamepad controls are supposed to work in one context. They make you press a button to run, which means you can't use the right stick to look around at the same time. Sometimes the camera seems to follow just from your left stick movement, but sometimes not. It's clunky and frustrating. I'm used to being able to look around and change direction quickly on the run. In games with controls like this, do gamepad users just not do that?

I suppose most games set the character to always run, with an additional sprint key. I wish they had done that here.

[Giaddon]

Isn't that inherently solved by the analog nature of the stick? More tilt = running? I played the demo with a controller and I didn't have any problems with it.

[Brian Rubin]

Yeah, I've noticed in the demo that sometimes the camera forgets where it's supposed to be, but jiggling the right stick a little bit seems to remind it where it should be and it falls in line. Dunno if this is a bug or how it's supposed to be.

[Tim James]

Isn't that inherently solved by the analog nature of the stick? More tilt = running? I played the demo with a controller and I didn't have any problems with it.

No, the uh... let's see... A button! is used to run.

[Destarius]

Wen i tryed to use the interface on the pc, i found that weird keys where used to navigate, that mouse clicking where unresponsive, and that the submenus where hidding other submenus. I think the most lazy aproach to port a game to the pc is to asign random keys to pad buttos: start turns in esc, a turns in z.. And so on. This is wrong, because on the pc keys are contextual. Sometimes you cancel a action with esc, other times just with rght click. Using esc or right click for all escape actions feels weird and break the flow.

Or 'x' for the threads of fate or whatever mechanic. I use WASD, so having to hold down the 'x' was a WTF moment for me.

[Giaddon]

No, the uh... let's see... A button! is used to run.

I thought that was sprinting. I guess I got confused by the distinction in your post.

[Tim James]

I thought that was sprinting. I guess I got confused by the distinction in your post.

I was talking about temporary sprinting but forgot to refer to it that way. In Amalur, the A button is unlimited faster speed. In any game like this, you're going to want to use that as much as possible to save time.

[Tim James]

Or 'x' for the threads of fate or whatever mechanic. I use WASD, so having to hold down the 'x' was a WTF moment for me.

Let's always strive to reduce noise among legitimate complaints. The x key is fine. Entering that state is interruptible and you need to be motionless anyway, so its relation to WASD is irrelevant.

Teiman's right about button-focused console ports though. You can often tell when a developer just wants to map every gamepad button to a keyboard key instead of being a little more clever about it.

[Teiman]

Or 'x' for the threads of fate or whatever mechanic. I use WASD, so having to hold down the 'x' was a WTF moment for me.

Is on a awkward position, maybe Q or E would have ben a better option.

Is even more weird, because pressing X does nothing. You have to press X for about 1 second so it enters this bullet time mode.

[Imryll]

I was talking about temporary sprinting but forgot to refer to it that way. In Amalur, the A button is unlimited faster speed. In any game like this, you're going to want to use that as much as possible to save time.

Actually, I found the lack of a slower walking speed a bit off-putting. Your character doesn't stop when you stop pressing W, but sort of slides a bit past your objective. I'm sure with time I'll learn to stop pressing sooner, but that slide seems pretty non-RP.

[aganazer]

So does using a controller actually save any time using the menus or is it just more intuitive? I mean, are you really pressing fewer buttons to do the same thing?

If not then I'll keep my mouselook.

[Brian Rubin]

I dunno, I've not played the PC version, but the menus are very quick to get through with a gamepad, in my experience. I find 'em really intuitive.

[Destarius]

Let's always strive to reduce noise among legitimate complaints. The x key is fine. Entering that state is interruptible and you need to be motionless anyway, so its relation to WASD is irrelevant.

Fine for you maybe. It's a legitimate complaint for me. It's awkward, and I've never seen any other game use keys like this.

[Tim James]

Fine for you maybe. It's a legitimate complaint for me. It's awkward, and I've never seen any other game use keys like this.

Oh okay, I didn't think anyone would have trouble moving a finger down to hit X. Maybe I'm used to it since it's the sprint toggle button in STALKER. Now there's an odd one.

[Midnight Son]

Remember the good old days when you could download a demo without some crappy DRM laden crapola along with it? I do! (PC Overlord.)

[krayzkrok]

So does using a controller actually save any time using the menus or is it just more intuitive? I mean, are you really pressing fewer buttons to do the same thing?

Controller is definitely faster for menu navigation. It's just much quicker, mechically, to flick the analog stick to move between menu options and levels than it is to move the mouse over to each option and then click the left button. Skyrim is the same.

I also found combat easier on the 360 pad to be honest. KB+M just isn't the best tool for the job in KoA.

[olaf]

I have played the 360 demo a ton, next Tuesday cant get here soon enough for me. I love the art style and the combat is just fun. The lore seems great too, for an action RPG especially. The stealth and fate execution animations are awesome.

I like the finesse and magic trees, really not digging melee. I get my ass handed to me more, despite the heavier armor. I have only played on normal, never died...probably should bump it to hard in the full version. I doubt I will though, at least initially.

The UI is just ok. I find myself in the menus way too often considering that, at least in the demo, you are getting armor or weapon upgrades every few minutes. The Primary and Secondary weapon sub menus should have been consolidated into one.

[mjgreeny75]

Well, did some research on the button that gets you in and out of your inventory directly, and it turns out it's the 'i' button (i from Inventory, I know, you'd never guess....)

Anyway, I don't get what the problem with keybindings is all about. If you don't like it, change it? Offcourse, perhaps it should have been right in the first place, and perhaps it will be in the full version. But you cán change it all you want, so I don't think thats a real problem.

I 'personally only changed the 'use' button to e, I'm fine with the rest.

[tylertoo]

DL'd the demo from Steam. At the start of the game, it asks for an EA account login, which I don't have. Fine, I then try to create one by specifying a new username and password. The game hangs for a while and then says it is unable to connect to EA servers. Fine, I simply opt out of the EA login and am able to go directly to the demo, which I play for about 45 min. But -- there's no way to save.

So my question: Is my inability to save because I did not connect to the EA servers, or is there simply no way to save in the PC demo?

[krayzkrok]

There's no way to save in the demo.

[razarok]

I'm pretty sure you only need to login to get those bonus items.

[mjgreeny75]

I'm pretty sure you only need to login to get those bonus items.

Partly true. Starting the demo gets you one, finishing gets you another. Off course, if you play without login, like Tylertoo had to do, you wont get anything.

[krayzkrok]

Hmmm, I don't recall getting anything for finishing the demo, but I might have missed it. What is it?

[mjgreeny75]

Can't check right now, but I think it's a Chakram (sp) launcher?

Edit: wait, you're probably referring to items for Amalur, where I was referring to items for Mass Effect 3 (my reason to play the demo)? In that case, it might be a different item, that I didn't pay attention to....

[marxeil]

As a former D2D customer who is also now on Gamefly, may I ask: where be this coupon?

EDIT: Nevermind, found it. Answer, its in the email welcoming you to Gamefly. Hadn't ever looked at it.

Hey, me neither. How cool is that. Luckily I didn't delete it yet.

[aganazer]

Hey, me neither. How cool is that. Luckily I didn't delete it yet.

When I saw them talking about it, I had to dig mine out of the delete folder. :P

Now I might buy this game at release.