Anarchy Online, Funcom and the Potential Future of the IP

[Windguaerd]

Sadly, this will be the last contribution I make to the AO Community. My wife passed away Jan 14 of this year, with the love of my life gone my mind was clouded every day and night. I needed something to occupy myself with, to soothe the pain somehow. I decided to write. What better than about the hobby that kept me entertained for over a decade?

So, weeks went by, months went by as I wrote the document. I must've re-written it at least a hundred times, revising it over and over. Today I reached the end, I'm out of gas. There is no more inspiration left, nothing more I feel I can write.

The document is titled "Anarchy Online, Funcom and the Potential Future of the IP". I think for the most part, only the hardcore AO fans will bother to read it. It is a long and detailed document. It's almost 40 pages long (you have been warned).

If anyone from FC decides to read it, wear a helmet because the words are brutally honest and not all is kind to the company (but still have hope in the people in it) in the Prologue.

In short, there is a prologue where I express my personal feelings about AO and FC and my point of view regarding the future of the IP in the form of either a prequel or sequel to it. I then move on to 3 parts. The first part about the prequel in a lot of detail and how I think would work, the second part about the sequel also in detail and finally in part 3 the things which applies to both regarding technology, features, community reach and marketing. The document will remain public until the end of time (or whenever goggle decides to no longer support goggle docs).

In the years I've been a part of the AO Community, I've had the honor and pleasure of collaborating with a lot of wonderful people, some even from FC and ARK. It was a good run, some of my best gaming years were in AO.

So, thank you to everyone I've crossed paths with here. I wish everyone the best and I hope you all continue to enjoy AO in one form or another.

This is goodbye.

[Transform]

Appreciated your work for the AO community. Very much appreciated and good luck with your next venture in RK4 .... For now

[RedWatr]

take care man, thanks for your massive contributions to a game I love. I'm sorry to hear about your wife, try to find peace of mind, and focus your energies into something good for you, something good for your life, we only have this one. /brohug

[McKnuckleSamwich]

My condolences.

Thank you for your contributions.

[Dysfunction]

Hopefully you'll come back to us someday! Sorry about your loss buddy :/

[Nuadha]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My prayers to you and your family, now and always.

Also, thank you for your massive contributions to this game.

[sezmra]

From me personally, I'm sorry to hear of your loss, Windguaerd. Your involvement in and passion for the AO community has always been appreciated and admired. I'm sorry to see you go, but I understand completely.

Thank you for all of your contributions.

[Tyfowler]

So I read it in one sitting on my smartphone. I know that it was a bad idea to read it on my phone but I don't always make good choices.

But you know what's a good choice? Reading this gentleman's well thought out and very in-depth document.

I particularly like the sequal deal. It works very well with what I would want in an mmo while keeping Anarchy Online the game we love.

I hope you have the best of luck in the future(possibly helping face AO2) and I am very sorry for your loss.

[XenonDe]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Thank you for your contributions to AO and I wish you the very best for your future.

[Ventor]

Best of luck Windguaerd and deeply sorry for your loss. I can't begin to imagine what you must feel losing the love of your life.

Thanks for all your contributions, I remember winning a contest where I got life-time subscription to AO and to this day I still use it!

[Winning]

I did read your document and while I somewhat agree with the feedback about Funcom I don't like the ideas in your prequel/sequel.

First of all, splitting the classes / powers etc using factions is a bad idea. You then proceed to take all of your good ideas, mash them together but the end result is a mess of things that wont fit together. Some of these features are only there to add frustration(Such as weapon reapairing). Others are just copy paste from other FANTASY role playing games. These fantasy game features don't work in other games already tried(Archage for example). And by far the worst idea in this document is the "Single main questline" and inclusion of other many side quests. If you take all the "modern" mmos such as TERA, ffxiv etc - these games are ruled by quests. These games are like single player games with other people running around. The beauty of AO is that its very player oriented. Players want to level, they team up with each other. This encourages finding friends and socializing. Quest usually means SINGLE PLAYER which is very bad. The exclusion being AOs dustbrigade quest which is in my opinion THE BEST quest in any MMO period. You do it with your whole team from start to finish. Its great. AOs "complexity" is actually a very simple concept executed well. For example the skill system, implants and twinking.

[Caloss2]

I am sorry for your loss, doesn't stop that gaping hollow pain when something reminds you of those you lost; it is early days Windy, there is no time limit to grief, and truly you never "get over it" you only accept it and let it become part of your inner tapestry as your journey continues.

One day, you will realise you are smiling again, take your time, and take care of yourself.

Much love

Carl.

[nat3s]

Thanks for everything you've done for the community.

So sorry for your loss.

[Nycrow]

I am deeply sorry for your loss. Memories are a real existence that you can choose to live in, please choose happy ones!

[drainbamage]

And by far the worst idea in this document is the "Single main questline" and inclusion of other many side quests. If you take all the "modern" mmos such as TERA, ffxiv etc - these games are ruled by quests. These games are like single player games with other people running around.

Giving players the ability to meaningfully progress outside of a team (or through automated party tools and the like) is the thing that saved MMOs from being nothing but poopsocker grottoes. Very few people want to be in a team all, or even most, of the time, because you're no longer going at your own pace, you're going at the pace of the team, and they are similarly constrained.

Furthermore, quests actually help make you feel like you're part of the world. I always hear people go on about the strength of AO's lore but the game does nothing to make you feel like you're a member of a powerful interstellar corporation, or a group of freedom fighters.

The beauty of AO is that its very player oriented. Players want to level, they team up with each other. This encourages finding friends and socializing.

It encourages rote and repetitive grinding... or, as is more common nowadays, it encourages AFKing on a hill while someone you paid to level you blows up hecklers.

Quest usually means SINGLE PLAYER which is very bad. The exclusion being AOs dustbrigade quest which is in my opinion THE BEST quest in any MMO period. You do it with your whole team from start to finish. Its great.

Or maybe you get halfway through and the team breaks up for any number of reasons, and you're left with a half-finished quest. Or you get to the Informant and nobody wants to do it right then and you end up waiting days/weeks/months to get it done.

AOs "complexity" is actually a very simple concept executed well. For example the skill system, implants and twinking.

Just the opposite; AO is a shallow game that looks daunting to newbies and outsiders because it is poorly constructed and obtuse.

[Tinypain]

I'm deeply sorry for your loss and I hope you can find peace over time. I also gave your doc a read...there is definitely some great ideas and good insight found within those pages. AO has been this complete mystery of a success to me. As much as the game has declined over the last decade it's amazed me how strong the community has been. I think back to the early days (I started in 02) and I honestly cannot compare the enjoyment/excitement from back then to any other game I've played to date. Several years ago as the population slowly dwindled I kept saying if only FC could hit the reset button and take the game back to pre-AI or even pre-SL, make the graphic update, and do some balancing this game would come back to life in a heartbeat.

Anyways...much respect, Windguaerd. See you on RK4.

[Windguaerd]

A few people have asked me to change the settings so they can leave comments (on goggle docs). It's been done.

[rhap]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

thoughts are with you.

[Windguaerd]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

thoughts are with you.

Thanks, gets better every day.

[lazarus]

http://www.vg247.com/2015/08/11/age-...m-up-for-sale/

This can be closer than ever