I read all these posts and everyone is entitled to their opinion that is good. Like I said in an earlier post, Will anyone from FC answer our questions or even maybe respond with a statement to this forum? Are we posting these articles for eachother? I believe many are trying to help FC with some idea's to better help the game and what not, but this is going on the seventh page now and no word from Mr. Game Director or anyone else from FC. I was just wondering.
"With Shadowlands, the two opposing sides will become clearer. There will be no more shades of grey. This has been a true goal from day one for the AO team (at least for me personally), to make a true conflict where you can play two true sides - one light and one dark"
...ummmm im a neutral and have played this char since shortly after this game came out. In fact i belong to a very large neutral guild who all have worked very hard to get where they are lvl and reputation wise. Funcom has tried to get rid of us before.... i cant help but feel they are trying to do it again. I didnt read all of the other posts so if this has been adressed my oops. If they pull some crap like that i dont think any person with a neut as a main will stay subscribed. I have made it to lvl 195 as a neut and there is no way in hell they are gonna make me change.
My humble thought on the sides of good and evil will be some deamon-spawn, shadowy, overlord from the Shadowlands will attempt to spill his minions into the real world and Clan and Omni will both have to ally to fight against the huge on slaught of shadow beasts.
Now that may be more fun.
Lets be serious, each patch fixes one problem and breaks 2 other things and don't forget how long it took them to finally get the BS MAP finally in game.
Still doing major class nerfs this late in release only validates that funcom has very poor project planning.
When the new zones come online, they'll be LD every 3-5 mins and zone crashes every 15 mins.
The only good thing about this is that other online gaming companys use FC as a reference of what not to do.
"direction of ao"=keep walking backwards and just make lefts.
Save your money. SWG is in beta now...expected to be released arround Dec.
Not a very encouraging article, in fact it was probably one of the lamest attempts at a 'white wash' I've read from you.
'It's a free universe, not constrained by rules of narrow-minded labels. This freedom is very important, because it means that we can also hand more of the reigns of the setting to you, the players'
Oh, please. Making up pseudoscientific explanations have always been harder than making fantasy ones. At least be honest about your motives. It has nothing to do about making the players free to control the story. It's:
1. To make it easier for you.
2. To slant the game towards 'fantasy', to try and win over more from the old MMORPGs as the sci-fi players leave for SWG.
Zaxaxatak made a great post a couple of pages back, as did JaydeStargunner. Go back and read them again, Gaute. You seem to appreciate good SF but have little grasp of how to implement it in a game.
For those that say 'Why don't you quit, whiner':
I cancelled 4 months ago and have been dropping in after each patch to see the state of the game. My prepaid is almost up and nothing I've seen so far (including the promises/threats made regarding Shadowlands) makes me consider buying more time.
FunnyFace
Running with Notum scissors
??
Is the only thing you ppl who play AO can do is cry about everything Ao is a very good game and it will be even better with shadow lands, give funcom a chance they have been fixing things and trying to make it better. all i ever hear from some of you ppl is crying about anything and everything. so I say shut up and go cry to your mommys.
HAHA OOPS! You just opened yourself wide up for...oh, nevermind. You're doomed.Originally posted by Madalene
Is the only thing you ppl who play AO can do is cry about everything Ao is a very good game and it will be even better with shadow lands, give funcom a chance they have been fixing things and trying to make it better. all i ever hear from some of you ppl is crying about anything and everything. so I say shut up and go cry to your mommys.
Nobody's stepped up to flame you yet, and I'm not going to start, but there are good points to be made from your statements. First and foremost, the obvious response is that FC has HAD their chance -- they've been doing this for over a year. Secondly, as far as the whiners are concerned, yeah, there are a lot of them, but don't let that make you blind to the constructive criticism that a few people have actually been able to present. And, really, it's constructive criticism (and lack thereof, in some instances) on the part of the player base that's made this game what it is today, for better or for worse.
Dierdrah -- President, Baker Street Conspiracy (RK2)
"No, I'm not some transgender roleplaying pervert. A distinction would be appropriate, thanks."
uNf unF Unf UNf uNF UnF!
eeek, it looks like another "patch" with items and a new places but this time they are forcing us to buy the damn patch. well, get some Storyline into this game and it will be great.
-
EITHER WE TAKE TIR DOWN OR WE SLAUGHTER WHAT WE CAN IN OMNI HQ, either way we'll all go LD and the guards will respawn and nothing will be accomplished. YAY! another fun day on rubi-ka!!
Piccolo of Storm
-’Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war’
-I will not take back my words, that is my way of the ninja!
I have some questions for the FunCom people, if they are reading this.
1) So when is the storyling going to Restart in AO? You have to start introducing this Fantisy/ SF consept now.
2) Nerfed? Is there any other way then constantly nerfing one class to make it better then another? Since you gave the ADV's pistols of their own, why not something that these high level people in all professions can get?
If you all are reading this, I'd like some feed back from FunCom. I've been here a month and this is not what I had in mind. I thought there would be more of a story with this, and that things like missions would be used when your bored. Now I see that missions is all we really can do. I take it this will be true for Shadowlands as well. No need to try and bait me with promises of a Grand Storyline, I already fell for that one. Don't tell me that the graphics engine is top of the line, SWG will beat you there. Basicaly if Shadowlands lives up to the negative hype, you all will be well, sunk.
OK, I guess my main reaction to that piece is that Funcom needs to stop trying to come up with lame excuses for doing things that infuriate the players. If the players think the game doesn't have enough of an SF element, it isn't going to help things to tell them "well, you're wrong, you've got a narrow-minded vision of what SF is." Just do what you're going to do, and skip the lame justifications.
I guess I also wish that Funcom were more receptive to the player base; I want SF, not fantasy and mysticism, I want skills, not levels, and I have no interest in uber items and uber nanos, and it seems like most of the rest of the player base on these forums agrees. I can't imagine how Funcom expects to succeed by alienating its current players; there may not be enough of us, but prospects for getting lots of new players by massive changes, when we're telling everyone else we know in the other games how much AO sucks, and when games that are specifically designed for the fantasy/level market are firmly established and much better funded, seem to me like they'd be dismal. I would have thought that making the current fans happier and hoping for some word of mouth is by far the best strategy available at the moment.
Fortunately, there are lots of other games coming out, so if Funcom continues on its current self-destructive path, I'll just go play something else.
First Part
About the article - ok, but I dont think AO is strictly a SciFi game or a Cyperpunk game. It has turned more and more into a Science Fantasy game - I think.
People wield swords, cast "spells" (you have to admit that only difference between a "program" and a spell" is the nametag) and there be dungeon exploration (just like in AD&D). It even sounds like the mystical/quasi religious theme being explored in Shadowlands will make the game more Science Fantasy.
Second part
Could all the players who only have bad things to say about FC - like "there is no storyline", "FC = crap" etc. not find somewhere else to do it? Make posts about it in forums where you discuss these things, and dont ruin it all for the new players!
Last edited by Emaakcion; Jul 21st, 2002 at 17:13:24.
This is the forum.
New players usually dont hang to much around here. FC ask for feedback , either positive or negative, its all feedback. Consentrate on you positive feedback towarards the topic rather than negative feedback towards other players.
Its no use whining about other posters whining.
You dont ruin AO with whining here either, whining ingame is different.
Have to agree with some of the above, will i buy shadowlands or STG ;P
And about the players having alot of controll of the story, you know how that is. Its like 2 kids playing war, "bang bang i shot you, your dead" - " no you missed me and i shot you so your dead" etc....
Atleast FC could be there to controll the "dialogues" but they even print everything up on the new's section which is mostly the only mean we have atm of telling our story as best as each of us can.
bah why bother...
Im sure lots of new players visit the messageboard. I know I visited a lot more when I was a newbie.
They might not write much - but im sure a lot of them can read
I find PvP (and really combat as a whole) in most games of this kind predictable and lacking in motivation. If this were an FPS (first person shooter) that might be different, but it isn't. I KNOW the guy that cons red to me is going to kill me. There's no guess work at all. Unless I can somehow get away, Im GOING to die. It's predestined by the way combat works in this game before the fight between us ever starts. I know, I know. . there are exceptions to every rule, but I'm speaking in generalities here. Also, there is no real motivation here to fight NPCs accept to make money. . . and once you have all the money you'll ever need, why fight anymore? To level?
It's not that I'm knocking the skill, combat and targetting systems here, it's just that they aren't being used to their best advantage. Instead, AO should play on its strengths (gorgeous graphics, huge environment and awesome customization abilities of characters) and create a heavily factionalized environment where every single thing you do and every single creature you kill effects your standing in the world. In games like this it should be not so much about "how am I going to kill that creature?" but more "what are the implications of killing that creature?" That to me is what makes games like this one interesting.
Heres an idea:
Keep the idea of 2 factions. But make the core of each faction a non playing force or entity. Make this a mystical battleground over the souls of humans. Have a core evil and a core good, no shades of grey. The two biggest problems with the conception and implementation of Omni vs Clan, have always been the fact that 1) Clan isnt all that good and Omni isnt all that bad, and 2) What seems like about 90% of the storyline has relied on players to create, which is a really bad idea because players come and go. You can't count on players to develop the game.
Also, players need motivation to fight for their factions. Have a reward system for gaining ranks within factions which involves special skill and abilities, and even new SKINS for players! If a truly good character were to take on more of an angelic look and a truly evil character were to look more demonic, the skins alone would entice people to participate in the battle. Im not saying we have to deal with angels and devils, I'm just giving examples to help illustrate the idea.
And we need to be able to adjust our faction in ways beyond just killing each other (PvP). If someone kills a good NPC their character should become more evilly aligned, and vice versa.
I really like where you guys are going, thinking about making things more mysterious and mystical. Its a good idea. . . and hopefully it'll give us more of a reason to fight.
- Keyen, 74th level MA
- Djarn, 41st level Advent
- Djen, 15th level Agent
Last edited by Tallfyre; Jul 21st, 2002 at 17:35:20.
Ok, I can read...I may not be able to spell, but I can read.
What I have read so far is pretty discouraging....
I have been playing AC for about four years now. AC is an excellent game, wasn't always, but is now. I am just a little burned out and wanted to try a sci-fi game.
I have a couple of ideas that would make AO a much more enjoyable pastime.....but would I be wasting my time writing them here?
Well, I don't have much else to do at the moment, so here goes.....
Taking a tip from past AC mistakes, that have been fixed....
1) FC, get involved. If you are not coding, then PLAY! Be the main story line characters. Entertain us!
2) some players have said they want a war. They don't. What they want is a controlled conflict. (read ENTERTAINMENT)
Follow me on this:
A general alarm...goes off every few days at random times. Omni and Clan players run to the drop ships...each holds eight players. The drop ships "land" at separate "battlefields". The players find themselves facing the oposite teams and a score of AI soldiers. The AI soldiers are there to even things out, in case one side has more players or higher level players than the other, you can tweak the firepower of the AI soldiers.
There can be scores of these mini battles, all happening at the same time...in short, a WAR!
The "outcome": the winning side sees lower prices in the market, the losing side slightly higher. You can cap these :P
We are all big girls and boys(most of us). We don't have to be heros.....but we won''t settle for being bored!
Advance a story, do it on a monthly or even weekly basis....keep us guessing, keep us moving. Introduce surprises...what if one side showed up with devestating new technology that the other side would have to find a way to counter before the end of the month? Just give us the clues on how to do it, and we'll figure it out. We're gamers.
I have read this whole thread, flinched at the flamers and applauded the well thought out posts. I know I am new...not only new but undecided.
LOL, I guess you have not been here long.Originally posted by Madalene
Is the only thing you ppl who play AO can do is cry about everything Ao is a very good game and it will be even better with shadow lands, give funcom a chance they have been fixing things and trying to make it better. all i ever hear from some of you ppl is crying about anything and everything. so I say shut up and go cry to your mommys.
As for the article: ROFL!!!!
A funnier colection of drec I have not read since last pro-AO article was released. Get a grip and see the mess you have created and then get down to fix it, instead of digging a deeper pit for the game to fall into.
What can I say but that I´m happy I only have one more month payed for the game, and I doubt that I will be back with that lousy custom support you have together with a bad attitude to players opinion (and you don´t give a damn about it which you at Funcom have proven time after time).
Try to read through a lot of the threads about content and you will notice that game don´t have any no matter what you think, and it is what we player (and I don´t mean all players so don´t be afended fanboys) think. Custom support is a good second thing to have if you want players to stay, but for me it is probably to late.
Troll Commando, doing the dirty work that need to be done.
Hugh. The Fanboy has spoken.Originally posted by Madalene
Is the only thing you ppl who play AO can do is cry about everything Ao is a very good game and it will be even better with shadow lands, give funcom a chance they have been fixing things and trying to make it better. all i ever hear from some of you ppl is crying about anything and everything. so I say shut up and go cry to your mommys.
AO is a very good game if you only want to do some quick mission in the evening and have no pet to get stuck in tables, chairs and doors. It excels here. In EQ I had to wait an eternity until my mana restored, for example. If I want that though, there are dozens of other games out there - which beat AO single handed. The Hack 'n' Slay genre is not new. For as long as you cling to the basics of all basics in game play on Rubi-Ka you are fine. I was like that myself for 50 levels. And I was fine, then I dared to try to attempt the Dodga mission. And then it got nasty for me. So what can I tell a friend if I he asks me about the game? "Basics are good, don't pick a pet class, don't try to get into anything other than the basics since everything else is broken."
I don't intend to step on anyone's toes here, but if you think Funcom will completely change their course and the way they get their stuff done with the release of Shadowlands you are living an illusion, but just go ahead, time will tell. Even I am a hopeless optimist and will see what Shadowlands is all about before I definately ponder over giving up on the game for SWG. FC would be the first though to jump over their shadow and completely change their internal structure, management and whatever else plays a role in the way things get done there. Programmers are sloppy, you can see that easily, items are missing in the game, stupid typos are hidden everywhere in item descriptions, scripts are broken, GMs get urged to recite the policy rather than to help if someone sends a petition.
About Funcom showing good will, maybe they do, but I - the customer don't (have to) care. I don't pay 10 bucks a month for their good will. I pay for the result and only that. The result is all we ask for, about how they get it done noone cares in the slightest. I look at the tradeskills, remember the dodga quest which gave me a stomach ulcer, and a lot of petty details which sum up and mess the big picture. I really blame all that on sloppy developers.
Don't blame the ARKs, don't blame the GMs... don't blame Gaute. The ARKs and GMs do their best to make the best out of the poor result the developers produced. And Gaute? He surely started the Anarchy Online project with the best intentions. Shame that Funcom as it is right now is not really capable of dealing with something as big as AO.
Khalai.
PS: If my typing is horrible don't throw foul tomatos after me.
Last edited by Thaxll'ssillyia; Jul 23rd, 2002 at 05:34:57.
RP should not be what do a RP-game interesting ?
Story could be awesome, many players will continue to say "there is nothing to do".
Wrong !
Besides missions and hunting there are many things to do. If you do not like RP, fine, but I doubt an online game now (2002-2003) will ever give you what you're looking for. Or maybe I am wrong.
My point was just to say that we may hope a better story line in game, we may hope better and more events, but as we will never get something like Zaxaxatak stated in his post, we do have to focuse on RP. And there, things could improve "easily". Some new features and more "power" to players could really change the way ppl play to AO...
Stercoral.
Circle G Inc. - Your safety is our business.
http://nattguiden.no/circle-g/
Last edited by Nanitehandler; Jul 23rd, 2002 at 17:50:43.
Can only hope
Can only hope shadowland do not fails..... If so, it will be like 1 mill brawl damage to Funcom's pocket ;p
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Wound on the bone can heal but a wound from words may fester
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