Throne and Liberty has received quite a bit of criticism in recent months, for instance regarding the combat system or autoplay in the beta. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to try out the first 30 minutes himself at gamescom 2023. The version there already included some changes compared to the beta that we would like to present to you.
Throne and Liberty has already conducted several tests in Korea that I could not attend. However, the shown gameplay always had one aspect that put me off quite a bit: the combat system.
Players selected a target, ran towards it as melee fighters, and followed with auto-attacks and individual abilities with sometimes very long animations during which they could not move. Even in the endgame, it looked not much better.
Several videos highlighted where the problems of the combat system lay:
- In one video, the YouTuber Logen gets stunned in GvG, but the opponent is just a millimeter too far away and wastes the entire combo. Subsequently, Logen then killed his enemy (via YouTube).
- Furthermore, there was substantial criticism regarding the autoplay in which the character fights automatically and completes quests. The YouTuber Neeko2lo emphasized this, calling TL the “Worst MMO I have ever played” (via YouTube).
The good news is that NCSoft itself is responding and has announced changes to the combat system. Furthermore, Amazon is planning to deactivate autoplay in the upcoming tests and somewhat restrict open PvP. But is that enough?
The combat system is significantly more dynamic
The good news first: the battles no longer felt as rigid as in the initial beta tests. At the start, I directly have three abilities to choose from, none of which for the great sword had a cast bar. All could be used while moving.
Relatively quickly in the tutorial, you receive a chest that contains all weapon sets. So I was able to freely experiment. The dual crossbows, for example, had an ability that allowed me to actively dodge, which really benefits the dynamism, while the staff has a spell for which I have to remain standing still for a casting time of 2 seconds. However, I found that completely acceptable in this case.
I was able to play roughly the same content as the YouTuber Steparu. If I compare my experience with that from this video, almost every moment felt more dynamic. For instance, you can see how the YouTuber interrupts the auto-attacks with ranged weapons through a movement or they don’t happen at all. It was different in my test.
In general, the animations and transitions between abilities also felt smoother.
By the way, NCSoft and Amazon have slightly adjusted the ability bars. The right part with the auto-attack on “E” and blocking was revised and is now stacked on top of each other instead of side by side.
However, the auto-attack still felt somewhat strange to me. When I target an enemy, my character automatically attacks it when in range. As a melee fighter, I have to manually walk towards it. However, once I am in range, the auto-attack occurs completely without my intervention; I don’t have to use any buttons on the mouse or keyboard.
In Final Fantasy XIV or Guild Wars 2, I at least have to target the enemy with a right-click or use the 1 key.
It’s not dramatic, as the attacks do not restrict the use of my other abilities. For someone used to the action combat of New World and Black Desert, this automatic attack without any intervention feels a bit unusual.
I cannot say how the combat system plays in the endgame with all unlocked abilities since I was only able to try out the intro.
I also cannot comment on autoplay as it was fortunately already deactivated. It is simply bad game design when the MMORPG can complete tasks itself if they are too boring and too easy for me.
Pretty graphics and incredibly fun transformations
What initially distracted me a bit from the combat system was the pretty graphics. They are not at the level of Red Dead Redemption 2, but they are definitely above what most MMORPGs offer.
Especially the masonry and the overall environment look beautiful. However, the grass and trees could be more detailed.
My big highlight in this short play event were definitely the transformations. Early in the tutorial, you learn to transform into a wolf. To do this, you only have to press W+Shift at the same time. Then you run faster and attacks cannot stop you. However, you revert back if you remain still for a short period of time.
You also get to “fly” as an eagle for the first time in the tutorial. However, the function resembles more of a glide. You continuously sink down and can land faster on the ground in a dive. However, it does not feel as good as in Guild Wars 2.
Not an action MMORPG, but I’m keeping an eye on it
Throne and Liberty is still not an action MMORPG even after the (first?) adjustments to the combat system. You target enemies with the Tab key, and your character performs the normal attack completely automatically; you don’t even have to press a button initially. However, the animations are smoother, and much can now be used while moving.
Overall, my interest has massively increased due to the changes to the combat system and the autoplay. While the game previously sounded more like fan service for the Lineage 2 community, it may now appeal to a broader audience. And that is precisely what NCSoft and Amazon want, especially considering the console release. The rigid combat system from the beta would not have gone over well there.
I cannot say whether the changes are sufficient overall after such a short time. Much can still change before the release in 2024.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
