Some clarification (loooong)
Hello everyone!
I read the whole thread and would like to provide some clarification, as there seem to be some misconceptions about:
We are NOT taking ressources away from Rubi-1 and Rubi-2!
The German dimension is a cooperation with Gamigo. They will provide the support.
We are aware of the fact that most Germans who are already in the game speak English sufficiently well and will probably not be interested in switching to the new dimension. That's a good thing because we do not want the existing population of Rubi-1 and Rubi-2 to suffer.
However, arguing that a German server is pointless because all Germans in the game speak English so well is a bit narrow-minded. The new dimension is obviously aimed at people who are NOT in the game yet. So far, the game was only accessible for Germans who own a credit card (not as common there as it is in the US) and whose English is above average. The cooperation with Gamigo allows us to change that and make the game available for a much broader audience in Germany. That is good for the players there, good for us as a company, and ultimately good for the rest of the playerbase, since more subscriptions mean more ressources. Why Germany? Well, the market is big and we were approached by a German company. Germany makes sense. It is not some elitist thing, as our dutch friends in this thread seem to think. The same thing would easily be thinkable in another country.
I am German and I also used to play UO a lot, enjoying the "international" aspect of the game. I started on Atlantic. I later changed to Drachenfels, not because I wanted to speak German exclusively but because I wanted better connection speed and customer support that works during my prime hours. For those who worry about losing that international flair with having local servers, I can only say that I worry, too. However, we are trying to find the best compromise possible. And there is one fact that cannot be denied: Most people in a specific country prefer a specialised server. Reading polls and articles in the gaming press proves it. Bearing that in mind, one can at least do certain things to prevent the whole thing from becoming too monocultural. First of all, the game will remain in English for now. Secondly, I wouldn't worry too much about the German customer service. It shouldn't be too hard to find a GM who also speaks decent English. So, we try to keep the whole thing as international as possible while removing the language barrier for those who have troubles with it.
Another important thing to note: I don't particuarly like the comparison to GOA/Mythic. We have a cooperation with Gamigo but AO is still OUR game. There won't be a "Europe-only" version of Anarchy Online either. All clients work with all dimensions. Having unique versions for the regional markets truly fosters a monoculture, and that would be the last thing I want.
Phew, guess that was already too long for most people to read, so I leave it at that for now. Should you guys have any questions I haven't covered, feel free to post them. I'll check back on this thread over the next couple of days.
Greetz
André