1 year on well nearly

Well its not long until AO reaches its one year mark, and I think this was as good as time as any to reflect on the year of AO gaming time.

I was in Mirc when we started talking about first thoughts about the game I will share mine.

I was at the time playing EQ but had readched the point where I was wanting something new from a game. Thats when I came across a review for AO, was interested by the future setting a change from the fansty world most role playing games are set in.

I looked at the promise from the games adverts and number caught my eye which lead me to believe the game was something special.

The points in " " are funcoms words from the box of the box

"The idea of a story arc which could be shaped by indivdual actions", of course I never expected to be the hero of a story but heck even to be a small part would be something. But just the idea of a story, a game in which the background would change. I expected each time I log on to find events around me would be different. I would have to read a sort of newspaper type mediuum in order to keep up with the changes.

"in addition to player generated quests" wow I had like the idea of being a sort of DM type person in a on-line game would be cool and its quite clear this is what was ment.

I had to import the game as at the time it was not on sale where i lived, when i arrived a read the manual from cover to cover. I was excited by the classes on offer, gripped with the idea of being a crat' walking the halls of power. The desciption hinted that if would make a difference being a human crat' as only these had an real power on the planet.

This lead me to think the crat class had a job, a role a carrer, I thought it will entail doing special jobs, field work, that I would have an office, attend special meetings etc. I fully expected each class to have a different role in the world and story.

Also I looked at the detailed back ground to the two sides, the personal described as part of the story. I thought this would be important, that the story would unfold around these few people. I expected to see them, I expected to be affected by them, I expected to learn about them as you would in a story.

As the game unfoled I got caught up in character creation, the planet was big detailed and had many different aspects. I was not bothered about quick leveling or P V P. I was blown away with the size of the place the unqiue monsters, the fact you had your own room.

It was not longbefore I ran accross one of the clubs where I fell into a group of roleplayers and spent many a great night acting out a role for myself and making new friends.

But all was not well lagg, problems with zoning, people cheating duping items extra was a pain, but in all I was not to bother at the start. I never questioned where the other things where, I fully expected them to be fixed soon.

After 3 months I did start to wonder when the story would start I was looking for a change the slog of leveling had kicked in and the parties at baboons was just one focus but I need to set it against other aspects to.

The first story event was great, the videos set the night up, the dark strange sky and the first pumpkin head attacking was a trill. That was the best night I have had in game ever a group of us rushing around trying to kill pumpkins to get a teddy bear for the mission.

Sure it was a small place and odd for a story start but well it was so unexpected and well thought out, little did I know it was down hill from there.

The story over the next few months unfolded before us in video form, I loved the bits about Radiman and Ross, but I just could not have cared less about miss Oak and her truck.

Why, well it had nothing to do with me, and that was the problem we had slipped into the story being told outside the game, while inside very little had changed.

I was not sorry to see the videos go as I expected the story to move heavly in game. Sadly this never happened in fact 3 months after the story started it stopped almost completely.

It was then I started to notice other things, like the appartment bug we had in July was still with us, trade skills did not work and most of the guild commands where bugged.

WE had the game director talk in posts about new appartment housing, about guild buildings, I was filled with these ideas laid out for us expecting them to be just months away. After 7 months from these first ideas they still have not been seen.

In fact now I think back there is so much that never happened, the player generated quests still dont work.

There is no real story and it is not shapped by anything let alone player actions.

The appartment bug still only allows 10 items and we have not heard a damn thing about the new appartment system talked about 6 months ago.

The guild system has been improved greatly but the guild housing we expected 4 months ago still has not turned up.

The vast trade skills are next to a waste of time and upwards of 40% of these skills dont even work.

Not to mention the idea of quests many are still broken and they brough in the bad idea of spawn limites and camping so hated in EQ.


A game will never meet up to the high goals we set for it, or even those the developers set down. But one year on is this game much different from EQ ?. I still find my character stuck in a level trend mill, with out really having much else to do.

The dymanic background of the story never got going, I dont feel any need to try and keep up with the story. Far from it I dont even know who the main characters are in the story let alone if there is any real plot.

After nearly a year I feel let down by this game, that is not to say it has been a waste of money, no far from it. But I have been worn down by the "GOOD Ideas" which have never been delivered. To say we have been lied to is strong but it does feel that way to me. I think we should have had those things promised to us, i did not expect them right away but from them to not exist after a year !!!! You have to question the focus of the game.

So what to the future, I would say it looks bright with the expansion pack, and talked about new features. But hang on they have yet to impletement the features from the released version do they expect me to pay for the stuff in game I should already have.

No the future is not so bright, I feel as if the trust I had in AO and FC is gone, I fully expect them to make promises and ideas but to never carry them out, we have seen the half baked story line and videos given up on when the going got hard.

I have seen the way the actions are defend, they say they are sorry but as yet no firm action or dates as to when stuff is going to be fixed. Its the same old line of soon, which in fact means never in FC terms for a lot of stuff.

Working as I do in an office world if FC where my contracted suppliers I would have ditched them long ago, perhaps even sued them for a clear breach in contract. But this is not the office but I am looking around for a change of supplier.

AO is not beyond hope, there is still time to rescue it but that work has to start now, before SWG comes out. I make no bones about saying I fully expect well over 50% of AO's population to jump ship then.

Time is running out FC, your game time clock is ticking, !!!!


Well ok tell me about what your hopes for the game was, did AO meet these and what do you feel about AO and FC. Also what do you think about the future of the game.

Of course you dont have to be as down beat as me, try to think of the good points to.

Kirrana

okay, that joke on the subject line was pretty lame.

Anyways, I had never played a MMORPG before this one, so I don't have any prior experience to compare to. However, I do know that RP-ing a bureaucrat has been a most rewarding experience.

The leveling treadmill is annoying, I think, but it doesn't detract from the gameplay. The only thing i'm disappointed with is the fact that bureaucrats still can't create missions. That would be really really nice.

Chances are decidedly good that I'll still be here when we actually hit the 1 year mark. I came here only after launch, so I wasn't subjected to the innane promises of the marketing department. I very well knew what was in and what wasn't... and honestly have no recollection of those quotes on the box - I don't read boxes anymore ;)

Bah, some might have already dismissed me as having blinders on. But I came in here looking for that extra detail that show in products that people care for. The puking customers in Rollercoaster Tycoon. The D-day mission in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. The swaying serenity of the trees in Rome-Red. While the texture and level designers have long since moved on. Their work of art still remains in the world of AO, which brings me immense joy.

I didn't come looking for story (at least I didn't pin my hopes on it). I had a nice movie collection for that. So I guess I was well insulated from the general set of disappointments most people express. Which isn't to say I didn't have any...

I guess my main disappointment is the FC policy that existing features are removed for the sake of security against duping and other exploits, all the while, neglecting to provide something in compensation. A good example of which was the user generated missions. When I came in, the interface was still there - they no longer exist. As much as I understand the value of security, balancing, and stability, I think FC forgot the value of customer relations. Like in politics, the tennant of never permanently taking anything away holds ever true in MMORPGs. This could be said of the animated series, or any other number of features in AO. It doesn't help that the live team is shuffled around tasks round-robin style before they even get a chance to actually finish a single task.

To the FC staff, all I can say is pick an item, finish it off, and cross it off your ever growing list. And for crying out loud, don't add another set of Miir underwear before you tackle the "removed because of exploit" list.


But all is not lost. At least FC has a good hands-off policy on its community. There's no crazy IP lawyers running amok in Oslo or the southeast US like for other MMORPGs.

As such, inventive fans have been left alone. Which is good for creativity as evidenced by the ever replenishing crop of fan sites. Newest of which is (at least to cross my desk)

http://beastiary.omni-tribunal.com/


At a time when most people just see levelling mills, there's a glimer of hope on the horizon... not from FC... but from the citizens of Rubi-Ka.


Tap

P.S. A note to FC. If you dust off those old features, removed eons ago, and reinstate them (with requiste security fixes), I'm sure the players will rejoice at this wonderful series of "new" features - considering that most players won't remember when they were there in the first place ;)

Features 'stolen' from us such as being able to drop what is 'junk' to my characters on the ground in Newland for newbies to pick up. Was one of my favorite things to do back when the game first started and I was level 45 (having learned to get out of the city and hunt Rhinos). Taken away because people were getting NODROPS to 'pop' out of their inventory onto the ground.

Features such as the aforementioned Player Created Missions 'stolen' from us because people were putting NODROP items in the Reward box.

Features such as the EXP from missions actually mattering. Taken away from us because people were getting teams of six and doing 36 solo missions for full Exp and leveling like crazy.

Features like Soldiers MK shields actually doing damage you could notice. We know the reason why the reflect damage was neutered.

Features like Neutrals being able to save and shop at all stores. Taken away because Clanners were shopping at Omni stores and using Omni armor before the side restrictions went in.

Features like CompLit and Psychology affecting prices. Expoited and then nerfed to almost nothingness.

The Trader being able to buff other people's CompLit removed because people complained about the Twinkers.

Features like being able to name your charmed creatures. Removed because players were leaving foul named monsters in all the playfields.

Features like Mult-ranged actually increasing your damage. Removed because of a single weapon: The Freedom Arms 3297.

Features like Range of Rifles and Nukes actually mattering. Removed because players would target a monster and run half a playfield away and hit 'Q'. This absolutely has to be returned to the game.

Features like the IP-Rings which were a nice unique thing to find once a month or so. Removed because some guy turned one of them into a thousand. Still got one with two charges left in my bank.

Things like Weight Encumbrance actually mattering. Removed because they could never get the backpacks to work. Strength used to have more meaning than simply wearing better armor.

Tied into the last point, Carrier Craft being removed. Once a way to carry a buttload of Ammo for your team removed because people would use them to over-equip Armor. Now with OE rules in the game, bring back the Carrier Craft.

All these were good points. Nice things that were in the game that were taken away because the exploits or imbalances couldn't be properly fixed quick enough.

Fix the exploits and bring back the features.

I haven't been here since BETA but the idea I was really excited about was Territory Exchange. That's not even on a list anymore now that Envisioned is gone. When I told people about the game this was the feature that made most people go "WOW, cool." Who knows when that will happen. I won't wait for the expansion...I really enjoy playing this game but it doesn't take one long to notice the flaws in FC's policies and relationship with the players.

You are right the clock is ticking and it's starting to tick faster. SWG-Beta 1 starts July 15 (not to mention the 3 or 4 other futurist MMORPG coming to market soon) and they just released the greatest marketing instrument in history, Episode II. The idea of being a Jedi is back in every Star Wars fans mind. It's put up or shut-up time. Impress and amaze the player base or watch the player base leave.

You wanna do Rp, They say. your too low to participate.

So you spend your time and money going to 150+ so you can


" Role play"

And you get to an event...and some Stupid gm starts yapping about something that hasnt happend...or not known of and sends people on little quests to kill someone, or do something.



Its not Rp, Its bull **** ;)

I've been here since beta....damn its been a painful time. So much of what we were promised just totally doesnt work, and I can see it never working. The story is finally getting somewhere finally, but its taken forever to get crawling along and seems to be only told through Diamondcut, Ignis, Xzique and the others. You miss one of their appearances, you miss a bit of the story and its a scramble to learn a bit more. But it does seem to be moving, and also seems to be gathering a bit of pace which is great :) Its just a shame that theres no kinda place where all the snippets from this kinda news is put...oh sod it I might end up putting that on the IRN if it wasn't for all the rumour and stuff...will see if I can find a good way to impliment that.

Some bugs I can live with, and who cares about the apartments as most the time I am out and about on the leveling mill. Would it be nice if it worked. Definatly but no point getting my hopes up as it won't ever happen. Its taken them a year to finally get somewhere about over equiping, and its going to be atleast christmas if not another year+ till balance between professions might exist (definatly doesnt at the moment *deep breath, damned MPs treated like gods*). I am used to bugs, I am used to lag, I came from UO which after 4 years was still filled with so many holes it would take a dumper truck full of plaster to full them in. AO started with hope, and things are changing slowly. The problem is that as others have said, SWG is coming, and although I can't stand anything with a Star Wars logo slapped on it, it will damage AO massively...the biggest thing to keep the people here is to get things fixed, get things moving, and make us see results.