SWG may be the best thing for AO

[Elbo]

As the title reads:

Star Wars Galaxies may be the best thing for AO.

First: It will clear up some of the people who are just bored to death with the glaceral pace funcom updates the game and tries in vain to slow down the leveling so these people will have something to do other than trolling these forums.

Second: It will finally allow some of those people who always wanted to kill a NPC for his favorite drop (shades/vest/blackshirt/eye etc). This alone may be the best thing.

Third: It will perhaps allow people who stand around the grid access and lagging that area (you know who you are... the ones sitting on the ground chatting) to be on some other game lagging there favorite "grid point" up. (If your sitting around chatting.. go into a room)


I'm sure a few people will add other reasons.

No flames please...
(I know that won't happen)

[Bionitrous]

I agree with most of those novel points.

If I could convince my guild to move to Test Server, we'd actually be enjoying the game immensely. We could log on and decide what we wanted to do and have some fun with it.

After SW:G, I think RK1 will be more like RK2. If any of my guild hang around, I think the game might be fun again. If my guild dies, there will probably be some other org to join.

Not to say that I won't be trying to make a Neutral Bounty Hunter and wait for them to put the Hutt faction in so he can be a criminal as well. I'll be all over SW:G in hopes of playing a game with a real Skill Tree.

But, AO might actually become fun again.

Of course, they probably could have taken care of all of this if they ever paid any attention to these threads:

http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...threadid=16665
http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...threadid=14074

Post SW:G, you might actually be able to go track down a unique mob and call some buddies to kill him. You might be able to find the Lab Director not camped by a level 9000 Enforcer.

It could end up being the best thing for AO.

[___________xenomorph]

4th) pvp will no longer be broken, because no one will be on to pvp, except lvl 10 noobs that couldn't get SWG becuase they forgot to preorder thiers/ didn't know it came out.

5th) No need to nerf anything to slow down lvling since no one will be here.

6th) The lag in BS will be no more since there will not be any high lvls doing missions any more.

[Warlock]

Well since none of your point actually have anything to do with SWG specifically shouldnt this be happening shortly when Neocron gets released?

Or Earth and Beyond to a lesser degree (because its not as 'social' IMO)?

[Bionitrous]

Considering that neither of those two games are going to put much of a dent in AO's population, no. I dl'd Neocron last night and patched it up and shut down before even firing a shot (if I could even figure that out). It will have it's niche players but won't dent AO. E&B is the next game I'm gonna try. Been on the beta for a year and stilll haven't installed. Buncha guildies are enjoying it. (I miss ya guys, *sniff*). I don't think that will cause a mass exodus of the people we don't need in AO either.

AC2 will take a chunk of players. It already has. SW:G is gonna take a huge chunk of players. Not too many new people are gonna sign up for AO. Most of who are ever going to play AO are here now. We may get 10 new accounts a day and lose 5 per day.

I'd guess that SW:G will do at least what DAoC did. Last October when DAoC came out your head would spin from people running out the door. Yeah a couple thousand came back and we got some new signups.

This post actually got me looking forward to when AC2 and SW:G are released. Rubi'Ka might actually be a pleasant place to adventure in again. It's exciting to think that the game might be able to be played the way (I think) it was supposed to be played. If RK1 was split into 5 servers, the effect would be the same. It's just that I'm stuck on RK1 with my guild and have to deal with the lag and horse crap.

[______________Rogoff]

Novel points, as Bio said.

Another positive benefit is that AO itself will probably get some massive improvements to attract/retain players.

I remember when DAOC came out, and Verant stopped posting their server numbers (hehe). Within 3 months, they had made very deep gameplay changes to EQ, finally taking player feedback into account. Also copying some of the improvements DAOC had (chat channels, etc.)

DAOC caused more change in EQ than had happened in the previous 2 years.

Hopefully, SWG's competition will have a similar postive effect.

[Ghiggles]

Well I wasn't really all that excited about SWG... I mean yeah Ive heard about it but I really had no intrest in playing it or anything... THEN a good friend was telling me the things that you can do in it and ..AND that you can gain experience by Role Playing???!!!!!
Well with that tidbit of info I immediately went to the SWG site and checked out some of the things... before I knew it I was up way past 2am reading and reading and getting more and more excited.

*sighs* sad thing is that I don't think my ol' reliable computer will be able to handle that game SOOOOOOO Im currently saving up for a new one that I will hopefully have enough to get by the time or soon after the game is released... ( no Im not a loser and just wanting a new comp for a damn game ..though it is a good excuse.)

So till my piggybank gets fat enough to be sent to slaughter I will be doing what Ive been. Lately that hasn't been to much seeing how Ive pretty much gotten bored with AO.. and Ive just tried EQ and that game is ...well I wasn't impressed.

So thanks to a friend that plans on getting SWG Im now looking forward to it.. but I may be around on AO..note the word may.. when it does come out . If I am ... it may be worth it to stick around some and see what it actually does to the game.

[Lilyflie]

"Not too many new people are gonna sign up for AO. Most of who are ever going to play AO are here now"

You'll have to excuse my long post, but I am leaving the game in a week or so (due to financial reasons) and I have a lot of built up stuff I wanted to say )

That is a rather bold statement to make IMO. I have met more new people in the last few months than I had 6 months ago creating my first alt. People are still coming to the game, and it seems a lot of the sources for advertising (game magazines etc) are starting to talk about AO again, which will generate even more interest. Aside from the many funcom flames, mostly from people who have been here a long time, and who I see in a position to not even come in contact with new people, Good things have happened in AO (and some bad things, I'm not going to lie) and word has gotten out.

Is SWG going to be a great game, and steal a lot of the population of AO. Quite possibly, but for every star wars fan out there, I know there are just as many who would rather not have anything to do with it. Some of those people are in game now, and I am sure, as the game imporves and gets even more talked about, more of those people will come.

I find AO a extreemly fun game, until you get to lvl 110 or 120, and it wasn't just because of the easier ability to lvl before then, but becuase most people at those pre 110 lvl's are actually doing things, like exploring, learning about the environment, meeting the story chars, hunting.....after 110, I didn't find it was so much a lack of these things to do, but a lack of people who wanted to join you in doing them. The biggest enemy in AO IMO is a lvl mill.

I see everyone complaining now about this new patch. Some of it is valid. I agree the reflect bracers should not have been single wrist, and from what I hear tara is a pain in the butt, but there were some fun things added. The biggest complaint I hear is about the XP, and I believe that is a direct result of the post 100 lvl mill that everyone seems to fall into. No one wants to do it, because everyone wants to lvl. But that doesn't mean these new camps can't be fun, or that the new content is a waste and everyone should pack up and go to the next big game. Maybe its just that people want to get to 200 so they can say "hey look at me I'm uber".

Which is fine. I've been playing AC2 beta, and people who only care about lvl's and reaching the end of something may have a really good time there. I played the neocron beta, and those who would rather play a shooter will probably have a lot of fun there. I played earth and beyond, and for those who would rather solo a MMO game, well...here is your chance.

Every few months we hear about the "next big thing" that will kill the other MMORPG's, and yet they continue to survive. So saying that the playerbase is essentially done, or that everyone will leave when a certain game comes out, it doesn't hold ground....not yet anyway. Only time will tell.

seeing as this is the suggestion forum, I think I'll add a suggestion. More content between 100-120, other than static dungeons and team misson loot (not sure if there is much now after patch. It has been to soon to discover everything). I think this will slow down the desire to power lvl and keep people interested in the game and not thier lvl. And I am in no way saying we should not have post 150 content, I just think it is the lvl 100 hump that starts the ball rolling on the lvl mill.

Anyway, others will disagree, but this is taken from my experience in the game. I'm on my 4th char, and the first one I lvl'd to 139. I am still having a ball in game..(role play, exploring, hunting, missions...yup all that). I havn;t lvl'd in almost a month, well because there has been a lot to do. I think what is going to make and break AO in the long run is not what new game is coming out (as I try to stop ranting and get back to the topic) but what perspective the players who come and stay are playing from.

And I have no idea if that made sense, and I expect anytime now to have my post ripped to shreds. lol. Like I said, this is only coming from my perspective, but I am sure there are others who share it....I meet them everyday. Whatever game everyone ends up going to or staying with, I honestly hope they chose one where they have fun.

nuff said. I want to play not type, i got 9 days left. Hope to come back though...I'll miss it (not the boards though...they drive me nuts :P)

[Ghiggles]

Jesska I agree with your post 100%...

Ive been bored lately with AO because my main character (( this name Im using in my post)) is at lvl 114 and missioning is such a drag especially for a heal only doc.
I have noticed alot of new players,, or new characters whatever but the few I have run into with alts that I try to help out a bit are telling me that its their first time playing.

But I do agree with you.. I do like AO ..which is why I think EQ was so dissapointing for me. Though maybe its just me, My main is in a funk right now so playing her is kinda pointless.

I hope you get things worked out and come back maybe we could introduce our characters or something??.. anyway no flames here.. I agree with your post about the lvl mill and how it sucks to lvl past 100...or whatever...

and yeah the boards drive me nuts too... heheh :P

[Gearbox]

I sort of expect SWG to suck up alot of the AO player base initially, but boost AO's numbers again 3-4 months after it's release.

Star Wars is a huge name, and SWG will draw in alot of new players to the MMORPG genre- people who've never played these sorts of games before.

Some will eventually get bored, some will quit, some will want to try something else. When they do, I'd expect Earth and Beyond and Anarchy Online (the other big Sci-Fi MMOG's) to suck up a fair amount of them.

I remember the whole DAoC release as well. It did indeed pull alot of players from other games, but the majority of people I met there were completely new to MMORPG's. Three months later, most had quit and either gone back to single player games, or moved onto EQ, AC, or AO.

We'll see, I suppose.

[milestig]

Another thing that will affect AO I think is when the PS2 goes online in the US, alot of the younger customers will move to that I think especially with titles like Final Fantasy. Either way in the long run with All the new games coming out. AO will thin out pretty soon and Funcom will have to do some serious work to keep the customers. There are just way to many games coming out and that are already out. It's a matter of time. Personally though I like this game I dont think I will be leaving it until FC closes the game or goes under. I just think people need to realize this game is NOT EQ or UO or DaoC, so get over it and enjoy the game for what it is...or leave. Everything in this world has problems so stop complaining, take them instride and move on. Life and games are more Fun that way.

[Elbo]

SWEET!! I didnt get 1 flame!

[_________BoltGrinder]

I really want SWG to crash and burn.

Not because i hate star wars, or any of that. I just love irony =P

[Xaielao]

180'000 beta signups for SWG and counting. Thats more beta signups then the subscription base of any other MMO save EQ.

Saying SWG won't put a pinch on every other MMORPG is lying to yourself.

However AO won't die. It's to good a game to die. It may not have a hell of a lot of players (recent reports suggest 150'000 accounts, although I think it's more like 50-75k), and believe it or not, I know a lot of people who don't want to move to SWG, I'm a huge SW fan, been following SWG since it was announced (very active on the dev boards too), so it's hard to believe lol.

Also yes, we get a lot of new subscribers. Hell I have met more new characters with my new alt soldier in the last week then I have in the last 3 months.

Go to any other AO forum and you'll see a LOT of posts like this

"Thinking of leaving EQ/UO/AC/DAoC and comming to AO, can anyone tell me about it?"

"Has AO improved? Thinking of comming back"

Infact posts like these pop up on the Vault AO boards daily!

http://vnboards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=5216


I don't fear AO's demise, cause it won't happen.

[Kuro]

Originally posted by Bionitrous
Considering that neither of those two games are going to put much of a dent in AO's population, no. I dl'd Neocron last night and patched it up and shut down before even firing a shot (if I could even figure that out). It will have it's niche players but won't dent AO. E&B is the next game I'm gonna try. Been on the beta for a year and stilll haven't installed. Buncha guildies are enjoying it. (I miss ya guys, *sniff*). I don't think that will cause a mass exodus of the people we don't need in AO either.

AC2 will take a chunk of players. It already has. SW:G is gonna take a huge chunk of players. Not too many new people are gonna sign up for AO. Most of who are ever going to play AO are here now. We may get 10 new accounts a day and lose 5 per day.

I'd guess that SW:G will do at least what DAoC did. Last October when DAoC came out your head would spin from people running out the door. Yeah a couple thousand came back and we got some new signups.

This post actually got me looking forward to when AC2 and SW:G are released. Rubi'Ka might actually be a pleasant place to adventure in again. It's exciting to think that the game might be able to be played the way (I think) it was supposed to be played. If RK1 was split into 5 servers, the effect would be the same. It's just that I'm stuck on RK1 with my guild and have to deal with the lag and horse crap.

I tried E&B beta myself. It gave me the impression of a Single Player Game with Player Controlled Extras

Roughly translated: There was almost 0 interaction with anyone in the game. Maybe that changes higher up in the game. I didn't stick around to find out.

[Kuro]

Originally posted by Fion
180'000 beta signups for SWG and counting. Thats more beta signups then the subscription base of any other MMO save EQ.

Saying SWG won't put a pinch on every other MMORPG is lying to yourself.

However AO won't die. It's to good a game to die. It may not have a hell of a lot of players (recent reports suggest 150'000 accounts, although I think it's more like 50-75k), and believe it or not, I know a lot of people who don't want to move to SWG, I'm a huge SW fan, been following SWG since it was announced (very active on the dev boards too), so it's hard to believe lol.

Also yes, we get a lot of new subscribers. Hell I have met more new characters with my new alt soldier in the last week then I have in the last 3 months.

Go to any other AO forum and you'll see a LOT of posts like this

"Thinking of leaving EQ/UO/AC/DAoC and comming to AO, can anyone tell me about it?"

"Has AO improved? Thinking of comming back"

Infact posts like these pop up on the Vault AO boards daily!

http://vnboards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=5216


I don't fear AO's demise, cause it won't happen.

SWG will dent everyone's playerbase for at least the 1st month or 2. After that though, the market will stabilize. For every game that gets released there are people that simply hop from game to game, never staying anywhere for any real amount of time. SWG will grab those people immediately. Also there's the Star Wars license. That will grab a lot of players from all games as well, though ultimately it may prove to be a bigger headache than SOE/Verant anticipates.

My prediction of the market stabilizing is because of the fact that SWG is the first MMORPG with real potential to be a Crossover, a game that brings the license fans into the MMORPG genre. And that's exactly what will hurt SWG the most. When 'License' Fans meet Hardcore (or even Casual) MMORPG players, there's going to be a ton of friction. AO sees it when RPers meet Hardcore Players. Just magnify the the vehemence the 10x requirement needed to qualify as a Star Wars Fan. Veteran MMORPG Players will not react kindly to nerfs due to license issues (some of which have taken place already even in beta *cough* Sith *cough*). License Fans will not react kindly to the License obeying Game Mechanics (all you PvP fans take note: how do you balance a class like the Jedi in PvP when by definition they are UBER?).

And then there's SOE/Verant to sort just those issues out, with a batting average of about .800 with the Ban Bat

The only thing that kills these games are profit analysis and investor panic.

[Zed Dabucho]

i left UO and diablo II, to come to AO. even with the bugs and all hardships in AO. i will say i have had fun. my friend in (RL) got me hooked on AO, but he left the game back after the 12.6 patch. only thing that keeps me going in AO is the friends i have meet in the game.

now that SWG is coming out i am really looking to switch to a new game. it is not that i do not like AO. but i have to think a new game would be fun to get in to. and i know that 90% of the people i know in AO and RL(that play games) will be on SWG.

SWG will hurt funcom bad. i hate to say it but i think funcom will not be around to much longer after SWG comes out. you guys can say all you want about how AO will have no problem. and there will be less lag. all that stuff. but if SWG does what it says it will do then it will be the Death of not just AO but most of the Online games.

hate to say this but it is just the way i feel about this. you can say anything you want about this. but this is just my 2 cents.

[Kuro]

Originally posted by Zed Dabucho
i left UO and diablo II, to come to AO. even with the bugs and all hardships in AO. i will say i have had fun. my friend in (RL) got me hooked on AO, but he left the game back after the 12.6 patch. only thing that keeps me going in AO is the friends i have meet in the game.

now that SWG is coming out i am really looking to switch to a new game. it is not that i do not like AO. but i have to think a new game would be fun to get in to. and i know that 90% of the people i know in AO and RL(that play games) will be on SWG.

SWG will hurt funcom bad. i hate to say it but i think funcom will not be around to much longer after SWG comes out. you guys can say all you want about how AO will have no problem. and there will be less lag. all that stuff. but if SWG does what it says it will do then it will be the Death of not just AO but most of the Online games.

hate to say this but it is just the way i feel about this. you can say anything you want about this. but this is just my 2 cents.

What? You left UO to come to AO? How's that possible?!? Allegedly Everquest killed UO when it was released...

[Gearbox]

Originally posted by Zed Dabucho
... if SWG does what it says it will do then it will be the Death of not just AO but most of the Online games.

Been there, heard that.

UO will kill MUD's
EQ will UO
AO will kill EQ
DAoC will kill everything

Never happens. Once a Game leaves the fantasy land of gamers' heads, and enters the cold hard light of reality, chinks appear it's armor and it becomes... just a game. Every time.

But I'll say this much. It will be *very* entertaining to watch the community's response to SWG. It has so many elements to it that will make it either fun to play, or a blast to ridicule.

Either way, I win.

[______________Rhalla]

elbo this isnt a flame but ur wrong as h*** about 1 thing. people sitting around in tir grid does NOT, i mean NOT!!!!!!!!!! lag it down. i know i know, u dont believe me....ok heres my proof., try german server at 7am EST when 3 people are online.....ok now u still have the same opinion? hehe, FC will not spend the money, blame them, not the people chatting in tir grid. other than that, ur right, hehe