Hey, what's up?
So I've been playing shooter games since Caste Wolfenstein (the ORIGINAL one).
I started fragging people online with the original Doom, and went on to play the Quake series, the Half Life series, various Unreal Games, the Battlefield series, Call of Duty, etc, etc.....
I played all the Mods for all those games, as well....That's how Dice got started (Battlefield Mod).....and Valve with Team Fortress.....
I'm old, by the way. That doesn't mean I won't go 50 and 5 on CoD:Black Ops, though. So I like to think I know a thing or two about FPS Shooters, cuz I friggin' love them.
Still, I miss Rocket Jumping. Anybody out there remember Rocket Jumping?

I was very excited about Brink, since I prefer Team Oriented games. I was a big Tribes player back in the day, and I've put a ton of hours into the Battlefield series.
Brink seemd to offer a really nice mix of Classes, and emphasis on the Team aspect of the game...so far, so good.
Quake Wars was pretty good, although when I played it on PC it tended to get a little spotty during firefights, and lag issues would frequently occur that caused me to die and I ened up favoring the Orange Box during that time period.
I was willing to give Splash Damage the benifit of the doubt for Brink, however, as the trailers were very intriguing.

Gotta say, I love the game....the SMART system makes even the most basic 'running to the objective' moments (usually such a drag in most games) super, super fun. I find myself taking different routes just to see where I can get to. Fun!
The map design can use a bit of work, since there seem to be a lot of dead ends- like rooms with only one entry/exit.
Also, the 'glass walls' on maps with lots of 'offices' could use a bit of tint, since people (including myself) bump into them, can't find the 'missing panel' that is the door, and waste inordinate amount of bullets trying to shoot each other through them.
The outdoor maps (the Resistance ones) seem better due to the lack of these issues...also, they seem to have more 'climby' stuff. Heh.

The guns are OK....I'm not a 'gun expert,' but I know what I like. The big guns seem to have the right amount of 'bounce' when you look down the sight, but it seems that the SMG's will be favored, since they offer the right mix of Stability and Rate of Fire, and the map designs favor them and Shotguns. Having an Engineer buff these guns is pure win.
Seems like Snipers have little to do, and folks who like AR's (like me) and favor mid-range combat will have to hope for some new maps in the future.

Which is kinda why I'm writing this.....
Because while I think Brink has a lot of potential, and some of the ideas and concepts are just awesome (smashing downed opponents is so much fun- time to spectate, buddy!), there are a couple things that are just so bad that I just have to mention them here.

#1)- What the heck is up with the lag? It's TERRIBLE, and it makes online virtually impossible. This is EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING, and needs to be fixed IMMEDIATELY.
WHY did Brink not have a demo or beta? Why do I have to do it for you? I purchased 2 copies of this game- one for myself, and one for my stepson, and THIS is what I get?
Wow, thanks Bethesda, thanks Splash Damage.....you guys released on online game where the 'online' doesn't work. Good job.
Fix it, please.
ASAP, if you don't mind, so I can recommend this game to my friends. You'd like that, wouldn't you?
Well, as it stands I can't, so you might wanna get on that.

#2)- Ok, this one isn't a big deal, but needs to be said-

ESCORT MISSIONS svck.
PERIOD.

Look, this has been tried before. No one likes them.
It's especially frustrating when you have the 'wave' spawning mechanic, and there's no ability to make a 'foward spawn point,' so there's less of a march to the VIP when he nears his destination.
Add obvious choke points and spammed engineers w/turrets and landmines on the defense team, and no one on offense even TRIES sometimes.
It's a waste of time.
I appreciate the effort in trying to 'mix things up,' but stationary objectives- whether it's the 'go there and do something' type, or the 'get it and run' type, make for the best gameplay. I've seen games degenerate into Deathmatch the moment an Escort Mission shows up.
It's sad.

This is easily fixed, however- a quick 'Mission Pack,' with a few new maps (with some more 'open' levels for Sniping and varied gameplay), and a 're-mix' of the existing ones (minus the Escort Missions, obviously), and -boom!- you're done.
I would suggest making it FREE (and GOOD), to garner some good will with your customers, and encourage new purchases.
Also, if any expansion was sufficiently EPIC and AWESOME (and free), you might get some positive press from the Gaming Websites that didn't give Brink a good revies in the first place....like IGN and Gametrailers.

NOTE- IGN did an awful review, and it was terribly irresponsible of them. The reviewer wasn't even CLOSE, and got so many things outright wrong that I will never visit there again.

Well that's all I've got to say, I suppose....Brink has a great deal of potential, but will probably end up a failed franchise attempt unless it's repaired quickly.
A 'new map and mission pack,' along with lag-free online play would really help convince a lot of gamers that Splash Damage and Bethesda were serious about this.
If these things don't happen, well, Battlefield 3 is coming. Right now is the window- people are bored with CoD: Black Ops (traded mine in...it's boring. lol), and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is long in the tooth for Teamplay types.

Here's hoping I didn't waste my money on a Botmatch game with so-so maps.

Same here.

As for my opinions I agree the weapons are a little weird... if you choose the right SMG that is all you need... there is little reward for using pistols, rifles or even shotguns (although shotguns can be real nice). A bit more recoil on smg's would help.

Also the game relies a little too much on die, respawn, die, respawn... I find myself taking a lot of suicidal actions knowing that I'll be back in the action in seconds. It also makes the game feel a little luck based, keep trying until you get lucky.

Otherwise it is a great game, I've put in a lot of time already and love the character creation, movement, maps and setting.

I agree with pretty much everything you're saying, although I haven't played online due to my PC doing some horrible frame-dropping.

i dont think its gonna fail

I just got out of a match that was SO not fun. We were camped at out spawn (both exits pretty much covered completely) and the second you were visable... BAM headshot by 3 guys at once by rifles... all 8 of us could barely move out of spawn before we were down. It was insane! I gotta say congrats to the other side (actually it was a clan vrs pub I believe, we were the pub) but multiple rifles + multiple good shots = my current fear.

Gotta agree with you, CoD Black Cops is getting boring, but the lag is something ya just gotta be pacient about. It's not the first time a huge game has suffered from serious connection issues off of the start (Gears of War 2?)

I fully agree on some of the map design issues. I mean the dead end rooms can be really frustrating at times. I mean, it is realistic in a sense, but when I am trying to take a shortcut and enter a room with no exit... COMEONSON...... Also, the Glass doors that can't be distinguished from Open Doors.... COMEONSON...... But I guess the benefit is someone can start firing on you not realizing you are behind some glass. Very good early warning system

I agree. I personally never wanted to like a game so much. But even though I have played the game for three days, I think I only played the game as it was intended two or three times.

This is solely due to the lag issue. Its getting to the point where I play until I just can't take it anymore. I have been asked what I think of the game by my co-workers (I work for a small game developer) and I alway say the same thing..."I wish I knew. I know it has a lot of potential and it is a blast when it works, but right now it is pretty much unplayable." At which time the person gives me a confused look and I explain the lag issue.

I can't really discuss gameplay and the dynamics of the different classes, weapons etc. simply because I feel like I only experienced a taste of what someone can do in this game. I played one match tonight where the connection was excellent and I realized that I had no idea what to do. I was so excited to have a good match with humans I ended up doing a lot of spectating. I'll say it again: This game is amazing when it works as it should.

This breaks my heart because this game has been on my most wanted list for about two years. I know that things will get better and I should have patience. But with all due respect, I have been patient for two years. I know this game was a labor of love and I have full faith in Splash Damage and this last update gives me hope that this issue will be resolved in a timely manner.

END RANT

Thanks to everyone that replied!

I've been trying like crazy to get a lag-free game of Brink, and there are times when it ALMOST happens...and then a single person with a bad connection joins (and the game lets them? I dunno...) and the game goes all wacky.

I'm hoping when I log on tonight there will be a patch....but I suppose I'll be patient for a bit. As it stands, I put Battlefield: Bad Company 2 back in my Xbox tray last night, and hooked up with some friends.
We discussed Brink at length, and one of my buddies reminded us that Bad Company 2 was AWFUL upon release- laggy and HORRIBLY balanced. To this day, shotguns remain extremely overpowered, and a recent patch nerfed a lot of the Iron Sight gun damage and left the shotguns alone...go figure.
Funnily enough- there was a demo for BC 2, and we all thought the issues in the demo would be fixed when the game released....imagine our dismay when they weren't, and new issues were added. Lol.
Still, they got around to fixing MOST of it, and now that game is a classic (despite the shotguns).

However, Splash Damage is NOT Dice, and Bethesda is NOT Electronic Arts, and I still think the disappointing performance upon release, coupled with some poor reviews from some prestigeous gaming websites, may have killed Brink in the cradle.
I certainly hope not- the promise of a free DLC pack, which I see being rumored here, is certainly promising.
Hopefully, the Splash Damage team is burning the midnight oil !!!!

I'll be logging on around midnight, EST....anybody wanting to hit me up on Xbox Live, my name is Leebo NYC (Bronx in the house!)....maybe soon we can have a game online, huh?

Excellent post, I too have been a long time FPS fan, although I cannot say I have been as long as you. I grew up with the SNES and N64, but didn't play on the PC at all, so no doom online for me lol. Great point about the glass though, I find myself shooting at people behind it because it is virtually invisible.

Just to let you know the free DLC is not rumored and was in fact announced on the developers blog (it's coming in June).

Lag is fine for me now (X360). Even got to play Campaign with a FULL TEAM OF 8 HUMANS, it was purely amazing... We ran through the objectives SOOO fast it was insane...

And, I got the "Tough as nails" Achievement (Beat all Campaign missions Online VS or HARD mode).

I will completely agree with that "Window" annoyance you have (How you can't find which one is the correct to walk through). I HATE that, especially the one where they have to Hack the Mainframe or w/e and theres escalator belts with luggage and all that (I can't remember what the missions called but you know).

Died several times cause I couldn't find the door and dodge bullets at the same time! lol...

Lil bro was having the same issuance with them damned Windows, he told me "Does Brink support Windex? Cause I swear I can NEVER tell where the doors are sometimes..."

I was ROFL...

Quake Live, Unreal Tournament 2004, Tribes 2.

Now on to business.


Being a long-term player of shooters doesn't make you more knowledgable about them, figuring out how they're made and what it means does.



also... I still rocket jump on Quake Live often. and strafe jump. It's so well balanced now!

Gotta say I love Brink when it works!
Good to hear that the DLC is definately on the way, that's awesome. Free, too? That's the right move from Splash Damage/Bethesda.

In the meantime, I've figured out what 'builds' I like, what I can 'sneak in' to make my character ultra-deadly with the 20 'perk' cap (eesh- I hate to call them 'perks.' lol) and whatnot, so I'm starting a new character and running through the level-up cycle as quickly as possible.

Hope to see you all out there!
You're welcome to shoot me!
Hey- I said I've been playing shooters a long time, doesn't mean I'm any good...and no, CoD doesn't REALLY count

If you don't like Escort missions that's all well and good, but don't think that nobody likes them. I find them to be a blast and look forward to playing them on-line now that PSN is creeping back up, They require so much more coordination and effort to work as a team in order to accomplish your goal. It's a heavy challenge for the offense, but a rewarding feel and so much more entertaining than throwing your troops at the same stationary spot over and over again until time runs out.