Expansion Pack is a bunch of Crap..

[______________Zierow]

I have been a long time member of AO. And I am personally outraged by this announcement of the AO expansion pack. I have endured many of this games major bugs and malfunctions as I'm sure most of you have. And to have this expansion pack thrown down my throat is and insult and come it's release I'm gone.

I think it's pretty rediculous. And I know exactly what they are doing. They could easily update this version to include everything they need about Rubi-Ka. But Instead they know, or assume, that everyone currently paying for AO wil HAVE to buy the expansion pack in order to enjoy the fullness of the game. So in turn they make more money. To me this is deceitful, its a scam, and it's wrong. But that's just me. I guess this news hits a nerve with me more then I care to admit.

Either way, to go through the crap just to get the the point where AO is almost playable now to go back into bug hell? And on top of that pay FC more money for it? I just dont think I see that happening for me.

[Laeni]

They're just doing what every MMORPG has done. Every online game I have ever played has had expansion packs which you had to pay extra for.

It's a business mate. They can't make this stuff for nothing you know. And no one is forcing you to buy it. You can still continue playing the main game.

I for one will be buying the expansion pack.

[______________Wahoo.]

I'll buy as well, hurry funcom.. hurry!
/me waves money in the air
/s jobe .. jobe!!

[_______________Jinya]

I'm getting the expansion pack, and will happily shell out the money to get it. This is a game I enjoy, and if buying a dinky $30 expansion will keep it going, I'll do it in a heartbeat.

[Destria]

One other thing that is often overlooked regarding MMORPGs and expansion packs (or 're-releases') is that they are a vital way of getting the game back onto store shelves, and thus getting more subscribers. Sure, you can argue that they could simply repackage the game, such as their 'Game of the year' edition, but you can't keep doing that forever (though Half Life tried admirably )

[supergarr]

they planned this expansions since the inception of the game itself

[_____________Kasimir]

Besides..the expansion includes a hefty graphics revamp and entrirely new zones...we're talking hundreds of megs here..you wanna download that? me...heck yeah I'll charge up the ole cable modem and have it in no time..but the folks out there with dialup..feel my pity.

Plus, it's good marketing.

Plus, they need revenue to cover the massive cost of the serious changes that they'll be making, and whether you see it that way or not, the money they get from us ain't enough. This is just plain necessary, and a good thing. I'll buy.

[engelstein]

If it's what they say it will be, I'll pay $30 in a heartbeat. Patches are for making the game work better. If they want money for bugfixes, balancing, etc. I'm just going to leave. But this is honest-to-God NEW CONTENT. If that's not worth money, what is?

[______________Zierow]

And i'm willing to admit that....

It just scares me to think that after the trouble it has been since the begining. I'm just skeptical in the thinking that this expansion pack will be any better.

I do understand that all MMORPG's do this. I really do. As long as there is actual improvement. I may be able to see the light. But FC hasn't done much to reassure us of anything.

[_______________Macel]

The expansion pack looks nifty and all, but to tell the truth I'd much rather see a revamp of the gameplay engine. I dislike how meleers can hit ranged weapon users from almost the same distance (Im not a ranged weapon user either, I just think its kinda cheesy)..I also think ranged weapon users should be able to hit from further away. The engine seems a little laggy and I think they're trying to hide that by making melee and ranged weapons essentially the same thing.

[_______________Garzu]

I love it, more expansions plz

[_________Lodrin-Omni]

They are doing it because they need money. That's it.

Fixing stuff you already sold doesn't make any money.

Minor note, no MMORPG has ever improved it's gameplay through an expansion pack. EQ expansions sucked, UO expansions sucked, AC expansions sucked... AO won't be any different.

Personally, I'd actually pay 20-30 dollars if they fixed normal AO because I play this game alot. I mean, FIXED the weapons, FIXED the lag, re-did alot of interfaces (built in AOMD), FILLED up some non-used zones, etc... But I doubt anyone else would.

[____________Tempered]

1. Pay for an expansion for a seriously flawed game.
2. Jump ship to a new game engine, new content, state of the art graphics.

Um, think I'll take #2

I can think of 2 games that will be out at around the same time or slightly after their expansion pack. And I can honestly say that I respect the hard work and proffesionalism of one of those companies.

[___________Zeroshift]

Originally posted by Laeni
They're just doing what every MMORPG has done.

Not all, only the ones that hold no respect for their player base.
Asheron's call has released only one expansion pack in it's nearly three years since going live.
And that expansion pack included radical changes to the game mechanics that could only be done with an expansion pack.



AO's "pay for a patch" system is done to wrangle in new players and rake in some more cash to pay off their 13 million dollar development dept.




I think this expansion is an insult. The game is still beta quality and they are diverting all their energy to attaining new players than to accually keeping the ones that have been with them from the start. Maybe they figure we will put up with anything if we put up with AO's launch.




I for one will not pay $40 for a a collection of things that either should have been in from release, or are things that should be a part of the regular patching. Instead of releasing new content over the next few months they are hording it together and throwing it into a box for sale.




I doubt I will even be around when the expansion hits shelfs. If for some freakish reason SWG hasn't lured me away there is no F'ing way I will buy that expansion pack... I will simply quit rather than continue to pay $13 a month to play half a game without access to the new breed content or new areas.

[Ellusion]

A 20$ expansion pack every 3 months would do AO a world of good. I dont mind paying for content, and afterall, it might even help Funcom be able to hire some competent programmers.

[Laeni]

Oh whoopee, AC has had only one expansion pack. I guess that explains why it still looks like crap. Get ready though. They are bringing out a whole new engine which means that you'll have to buy not an expansion pack but a whole new game.

AO has more potential than any MMORPG I've seen so far. They still have to work on it and they are doing so. The expansion is new content and graphical changes. You DON'T have to buy it.

Every MMORPG is going to have expansion packs. You don't want your game expanded, doin't buy them.

[___________Zeroshift]

Originally posted by Laeni
I guess that explains why it still looks like crap. .

I guess some people are more into judging by looks alone. That is the most important part of a game isn't it?

[______________Nianna]

Originally posted by Lodrin-Omni

Minor note, no MMORPG has ever improved it's gameplay through an expansion pack. EQ expansions sucked, UO expansions sucked, AC expansions sucked... AO won't be any different.

I'll disagree there. I played EQ when it was first released and I played EQ after its expansions and it is way better now in my opinion. There was too little content for levels 35+ in the original game. The expansions have added tons of new quests to do, more trade skills to occupy your time, new places to visit, and significant interface enhancements. I'd estimate that the EQ world is three times as large if you have all the expansion packs.

Now there is a certain charm of a new game that is unequalled by an old game with some new parts pasted on that you can never get back just by adding an expansion. Overall I had more fun in EQ before the expansions than now, but that is not because the expansions have not added to the game, its because I've played the game so much that some things that were fun in the beginning aren't anymore. If there were no expansions at all, I can't see how I would have had any fun at all playing EQ after the first year though.