Level Packs

[Shareida]

So basically the problem is that the grind at several intervals is very boring. To make it less boring, you make the grind shorter, or you make the grind more enjoyable. The players have taken action and are accustomed to AFKing in kite teams. We want to reduce the amount of AFK leveling. Level Packs ARE a solution. You don't wanna afk? pay for your levels. The problem is that introducing level packs as the solution is basically the devs saying "We wont fix those horrible grinds". So, change how we level up, then we can talk about level packs.

I don't see a problem here at all.

"Grinding" The word already has a negative touch.

Why would you WANT to GRIND your way through hecklers or any other content? Is it everybody's goal to reach a certain level, and the way there is boring?
I don't see why level packs are bad for those people. They can skip the parts they want to, and give FC a bit of an extra income.

There IS enough varied content to level without hecklers. It is just is not as fast.

So basically what you, Gatester and others are asking for, ARE level packs.

You skip the boring long parts, aka LEVELING and interacting with other people and enjoying your time.

[Cago30]

Hi Funcom,
I know I proposed doing this after you release the new engine but...

Would you consider a limited release of these level packs? Say have them available for only 2 weeks? You could gather statistics on actual demand vs. the amount of truly active players for example.

Thanks,
Guapo

[Murskaink2]

No thanks. Finding leveling teams is already hard, let's not make it harder.

[Cerberry]

Lol the suggestions lately. Quest lines, levels, endgame loot in the shop.
What good wind, Cago30, should we thank for bringing you here? Do you want to finish AO off?

[Cago30]

Lol the suggestions lately. Quest lines, levels, endgame loot in the shop.
What good wind, Cago30, should we thank for bringing you here? Do you want to finish AO off?

It's the wind of change and as we all know, change can be a stressful event for anyone. I will not back down from offering suggestions. For as many negative responses I have received, I have received many positive ones ingame as well as outside of it and the forums as well. I don't think I have ever said to Funcom you HAVE TO DO (fill in the proposal) at all. Everyone has their perceptions on proposals. Your perception is that my suggestions will "finish off AO" which is fine and you should continue to voice your opinion as much as I want to voice my opinion.

All I offer are "suggestions" that if you look at them refer to old topics brought up initially by some Funcom representative themselves. I just haven't seen a clear "Yes" or "No" from them.

Regards,
Guapo

[Cerberry]

It's the wind of change and as we all know, change can be a stressful event for anyone. I will not back down from offering suggestions. For as many negative responses I have received, I have received many positive ones ingame as well as outside of it and the forums as well. I don't think I have ever said to Funcom you HAVE TO DO (fill in the proposal) at all. Everyone has their perceptions on proposals. Your perception is that my suggestions will "finish off AO" which is fine and you should continue to voice your opinion as much as I want to voice my opinion.

All I offer are "suggestions" that if you look at them refer to old topics brought up initially by some Funcom representative themselves. I just haven't seen a clear "Yes" or "No" from them.

Regards,
Guapo

Okay, maybe I was wrong in speaking to YOU only, since, as you say, some other people react to your suggestions positively as well. But it's really disconcerting that, among all topics old, you had to bring up what I think are the WORST ones. There must have been a reason why these things weren't implemented in the past. What has changed? Population is decreasing? That's not a good enough reason to let people skip the content completely.

[Cago30]

Okay, maybe I was wrong in speaking to YOU only, since, as you say, some other people react to your suggestions positively as well. But it's really disconcerting that, among all topics old, you had to bring up what I think are the WORST ones. There must have been a reason why these things weren't implemented in the past. What has changed? Population is decreasing? That's not a good enough reason to let people skip the content completely.

Hi Sungrave,
Yes I totally understand where you are coming from. I guess I have a side to me that likes definitive answers to the hardest questions so I must put them back out there. IMHO being silent and stagnant is where we are and do NOT want to be. The gaming industry is evolving and AO is not.

Not to get off topic here but the biggest problem I see with Funcom and it's management of Anarchy Online, is the inability to roll out a graphics engine update. From a Project Management perspective it should be:
1) Set a goal on what engine platform to roll out
2) Set definite timelines to match that end-goal
3) Deliver upon said goals

I don't want to go into a long diatribe about this but I'm sure you see where I am going with my off-topic statements about the engine.

Regards,
Guapo

[Ilaliya]

Not to get off topic here but the biggest problem I see with Funcom and it's management of Anarchy Online, is the inability to roll out a graphics engine update.

Well, I joined as Producer and Lindelu came on as Game Director only a few months ago. So, as much I wish we could, we can't wave a magic wand and make the new engine ready for release. There's work left to be done, and we're doing our best to optimize the process, making sure the developers have what they need, and everyone has the correct priorities and proper scheduling. And in general that things are getting done in the right order.

But it's not as if any shop stuff we are exploring conflicts with the resources working on the engine. In fact, quite the opposite. There's a great deal we can do to improve the game as a whole, but part of doing anything at all is making choices. The AO community historically has been very informed, so I have no doubt that everyone reading this can understand that game improvements in any game are generically a function of time, resources, and scope. Everything one does in a game necessarily implies an infinite number of other things one can't do with those same resources. It's my job, and Lindelu's job, to make sure the one thing we do with a given set of resources gives us the best bang-for-buck -- that its ratio of improvement-to-cost is maximized.

It seems optimal to offer in the shop things that some players see as a value-add and in which they are interested, that simultaneously won't somehow "ruin the game" or severely impact the players who aren't interested. Part of this is engaging the community in these sorts of conversations, and being able to have constructive dialogue about the shop itself, and what we are currently exploring.

From a Project Management perspective it should be:
1) Set a goal on what engine platform to roll out
2) Set definite timelines to match that end-goal
3) Deliver upon said goals

I'm not quite sure how to answer this. First of all, obviously we have internal goals and time-lines. The main problem is that from a player's perspective something doesn't exist until it is released and the players can get their hands on it. Honestly, I don't think we should have even have announced the engine until we were ready to announce a date or at least a rough time-frame. But there's nothing I can do about that.

Second point is that it's not just the engine. It's also the systems changes, and the new player experience. In a lot of ways, these three Big Features(tm) are highly related and there are inter-dependencies. And as I said, none of these "exist" until you see them (it's a bit like Schrödinger's cat). So to some degree, we have to balance the work here with game-improvements you actually do see. It's not as if we can do nothing to the game until those three are over and done with it, and this goes back to making choices. So there is definitely a path forward, but it's a bit more involved than may be readily apparent.

[Traderjill]

Ilayia- We all know that you're new to your role and Lindelu. Just keep in mind that from a customer perspective, Funcom (not you and Lindelu) is expected to honor their promises to the community. When that doesn't happen.. as it has not happened tons of times over the past few years, players feel cheated, lied to, wronged or whatever terminology you wish to use.

On top of that, most of us work (IRL) in deadline driven environments and anyone that is part of a project team is probably confused by the fact that you guys (Please read that as Funcom.. I couldn't care less who is performing what role within their company) don't seem to have an idea as to when your project will be complete... for years now.

From my vantage point, I've read your posts on the forums and thought they were 'interesting' but it seems like maybe your team isn't on the same page. I mean, you wrote about leveling.. getting to the endgame being the goal since there is where most new content is located (bringing this back to the original topic of leveling packs).. but then you guys nerf sk giving key quests when we have yet to be presented with another reasonable option. So while defending or justifying leveling packs.. you guys are, at the same time, removing faster leveling options and in no way doing anything to improve the overall player leveling experience.

The game experience is broken not just for new players but for everyone and some of the more recent decisions are breaking it even more for those of us that are trying to stick it out until you get things up to date. Why? I have no idea.. you're right.. as a player we dont' see the full picture that you see but we do see how your decisions immediately impact us.

[Lheann]

Lots of good info!

Thanks for the info dump. But really the observation of the cat does produce a defined state where as the Big Three are the cat within the box without observation. In a MMO players cannot cope with not observing. Ten years ago AO existed in a market that was small and the player base would wait months/years for an update. Today that is not case. You need a way to allow people to observe the cat without destroying the experiment basically. Otherwise people will speak with their wallets and leave AO. For as vocal as the forum folks are we all know that they are what 10% tops of the player base. Vocal means we are staying and frustrated, that other 90% or so is the part that will kill AO as they will just leave and take their money with them.

You mentioned what you can roll out while we wait. I will give you a HUGE one that would go a long way to making people happy. All nano duration changes that are planned for the 4 hour duration to get that now. Just saying, a small change that would make life easier for folks and earn a great amount of good will. I think the team needs as much good will as they can get right now.

As for announced schedules for the engine, well we had that several times and it turned into Soon(tm) which quickly became a joke across the forums. Saying soon really hurts more than it helps. I looked it up and the engine has been announced for right at 5 years. The engine has a full time team at FC working on it. AoC was released and updated during the AO engine quest. TSW was annouced and now looks to release prior to the AO engine. In all it makes us think FC does not really care if the AO engine update ever gets completed. The lack of a testlive version or even closed beta server really re-enforces that.

I just cannot believe that the constant delay of the engine is not obvious to the FC bean counters. I am worried AO will reach the point where it is better money sense to stop the effort and ride it out than to push forward and finish the engine.

Again thanks for the information.

[Zeephonz]

First of all, obviously we have internal goals and time-lines.

This is where the beef is. There is no articulation of any timelines, on any of Funcom's AO internal projects, to the community other than "soon(tm)". From a communications point of view that's a terribly bad way to be framing it, especially since it has now been years since initial announcements. Sure, it was funny at first, but "soon(tm)" stopped being funny about 6 months after Funcom announced it had decided to drop engine work, in favour of moving onto the Dreamworld platform. From the community's perspective, every time someone from Funcom says "soon(tm)", everyone reads "2 years +".

The main problem is that from a player's perspective something doesn't exist until it is released and the players can get their hands on it.

Not true. If the community has realistic expectations on delivery ("soon(tm)" is not realistic), and can see forward progress relative to FC's internal timelines, then you're more likely to have people along for the ride. As it is, you are now having to fight accusations of "oh, i bet they had some old screenshots lying around, and threw them up on the forums to shut us up". It's not true, but it's a result of FC's communication approach in my opening paragraph.

[Kuegen]

Wow, get over yourselves.

I don't see a problem here at all.

"Grinding" The word already has a negative touch.

Why would you WANT to GRIND your way through hecklers or any other content? Is it everybody's goal to reach a certain level, and the way there is boring?
I don't see why level packs are bad for those people. They can skip the parts they want to, and give FC a bit of an extra income.

There IS enough varied content to level without hecklers. It is just is not as fast.

So basically what you, Gatester and others are asking for, ARE level packs.

You skip the boring long parts, aka LEVELING and interacting with other people and enjoying your time.

What? All I'm saying is that level packs are a solution to the current grind, but I'm not asking for them, nor do I even think they are a good solution. If level packs are introduced, they should be introduced after the current leveling situation is fixed. If level packs are introduced first, there will be less reason to actually fix the leveling situation. I'm just saying order is important. Whether leveling packs in themselves would be *bad* I don't think anyone here is qualified of justifying, including myself, so i'm not addressing that.

[Cago30]

Hi Ilaliya,

Thank you for the information. I spoke from the perspective as if I was a CIO at your company so I went very high level with what I posted as perceived problematic issues with a major deployment (ex. the Graphics Engine upgrade).

I wish you all luck in moving us forward with Anarchy Online. AO has the best foundation with a game I have ever seen in terms of rules and gameplay. I've seen the rest and I want to stick with the best.

Regards,
Guapo

[Gridzfix]

Honestly, I don't think we should have even have announced the engine until we were ready to announce a date or at least a rough time-frame. But there's nothing I can do about that.

This very inconvenience is probably the main reason for the community's frustration (and for the receding number of active players) in the past years.
It is to my eyes (someone who's not completely unfamiliar with marketing) incomprehensible that you did not envision that back then.

[Kuegen]

This very inconvenience is probably the main reason for the community's frustration (and for the receding number of active players) in the past years.
It is to my eyes (someone who's not completely unfamiliar with marketing) incomprehensible that you did not envision that back then.

I don't know the whole story behind the delay, but i'm sure its not the devs fault. I mean, they started work on one engine, and then scrapped it for another? I dont see how they couldve planned that. Their first ETA might have been accurate, had it not been for this weird instance. I think after that it just went downhill, if they said "engine in 2012/2013!" back then, people wouldn't have been happy. So they continued throwing out ETAs and working their asses off yet still found more complications than they hoped to. Furthermore, I believe the whole graphics update is being done in Beijing or something? while the AO devs are in Montreal. I can imagine there being lack of communication of sorts. Honestly in my eyes I can think of tons of reason why the engine has been delayed so far. It probably wasn't a good marketing decision to announce engine rework before a significant amount of progress was made, but "good marketing decisions" are really only derived from the fact that people are whiny and immature. As a paying customer, it upsets me how much people whine about FC on these forums, when there's really nothing wrong.

[Raggy]

Furthermore, I believe the whole graphics update is being done in Beijing or something? while the AO devs are in Montreal. I can imagine there being lack of communication of sorts. Honestly in my eyes I can think of tons of reason why the engine has been delayed so far. It probably wasn't a good marketing decision to announce engine rework before a significant amount of progress was made, but "good marketing decisions" are really only derived from the fact that people are whiny and immature. As a paying customer, it upsets me how much people whine about FC on these forums, when there's really nothing wrong.

Engine was scrapped 2 years in to make all FC games run on the same platform.

Engine = Montreal
Char Heads = Beijing

[Thorneee]

Ilaliya, thanks for posting on the forums as much as you do, and letting us know your take on things.

Although, when reading some previous posts, including those from the Game Producer, I couldn't help but feel like :



I am strongly against buying levels. I know it already kind of happens with hecks and stuff, but this should not be encouraged.

I believe that a good part of the fun people are having while playing a MMORPG is improving their character. This is the basics of MMORPGs : do an action, either kill enemies, craft something, complete a quest, explore a new area, whatever, and your character improves as a result, gaining experience, becoming stronger, learning something new, acquiring new equipment...
I understand that enabling people to twink more easily or simply bypass the content they are bored with so they can enjoy what is really fun to them, is a valid reason for adding those level packs.
Although, it is important to remember the basics of the genre, that I believe many players still enjoy nowadays. I am afraid that too many changes in the wrong direction could easily break the game (if not already).

[Gorathon]

Why did you post a picture of Jackie Chan getting ready to stop a bullet with his hands?

[Zeephonz]

Why did you post a picture of Jackie Chan getting ready to stop a bullet with his hands?

Coz Chuck Norris was busy eating planets?

[Reids]

Hi Funcom,
I know I proposed doing this after you release the new engine but...

Would you consider a limited release of these level packs? Say have them available for only 2 weeks? You could gather statistics on actual demand vs. the amount of truly active players for example.

Thanks,
Guapo

So you can buy the levels for whichever character you want levelling? Nice try