Monthly Development Update: February 2012

[Lheann]

When I first started in 06 I was on the island. I was lucky enough to experience the pre-nubIsland startup area which I loved, but have yet to sign the petition for.

Hmm played since launch myself. I always like the original genetics lab start up area. Had a much more SciFi feel to it. The mad scientists feel to it.

Arrival hall was nice as it still dumped you into the back yards prior to SL. Then with SL it added the Jobe option. It was not until AI released that it forced you to SL or Noob Island.

And there is one of the reason we have issues. The new character creation says Rubi Ka and Shadow Lands. But no where does it tell you what one gets you over the other. Some how it really is screwed up. It is like with AI release they decided to only cater to the experienced player.

What does this ramble really say? That they have dumbed down the start up experience so much that it is obvious why truly new folk go WTF and quit.

[Artona]

Do you find that stalling for time is much easier on a monthly basis?

I have no room in my signature. However for the lolz, here is Means hinting at a video of the engine within the next 3 weeks, in February 2010. Here he is in April 2010, laughing at the incoming vaporware jokes. Here is Cube being brought on, ostensibly to produce said video, in May 2011.

Here we are in March 2012.

yep

[Gunforhire]

Character wipe wont happen! I imagine a guy that plays the game since the launch , and then he loses everything he accomplished on 10 years ...that wont be fair and Funcom known that.

Why is it so hard for everyone to get it. There will only be 8 slots on the one server if you have all slots filled on both servers half of your toons get wiped the only way to save them is open up another paid account duh! FC will never increase the number of slots because then they make zero money on the merge, however, if you are dumb enough to open another paid account to save your toons FC wins. Just ask those on the German server and they will tell you that is how it went down. The same thing will happen with this server merge. You people are only dreaming if you think they care if you lose toons because you are the ones begging for the merge and they figure so be it. Unfortunately not everone agrees that there should be a merge, myself included. It would be interesting to see what the ratio of those who want the merge is to those who don't because certainly the ones who do want it are the loudest on this forum.

[bitnykk]

"I expect this (= new startup experience) to be ready for Live before the engine update and the profession changes". Idk exactly what step you're at on these different projects, but judging by what i read about engine and prof changes, i guess we could speak of a 2013 release, shall we ?

No irony or will to be mean, here, just trying to have a clever look on it all ; i must admit AO is more empty i've ever seen it since 2005, and i'm really wanting to see these things implemented to revive it.

[Kron]

FC is going to do what they want to do based on profit margins. They might well try to make it look like they are catering to player interests by quoting forum posts that align with what they are going to do anyway.
Most people don't bother to post thier preferences on the forum as they see the futility of it.
We are just the paying customers to be appeased a bit from time to time while the devs do what they will.
Now we get a monthly appeasement with a bit more meat with as few specifics as possible instead of weekly.
I don't see that the dev team has realized that they won't expand AO unless they do something about their communication skills.

[Mongoose]

Why is it so hard for everyone to get it. There will only be 8 slots on the one server if you have all slots filled on both servers half of your toons get wiped the only way to save them is open up another paid account duh! FC will never increase the number of slots because then they make zero money on the merge, however, if you are dumb enough to open another paid account to save your toons FC wins. Just ask those on the German server and they will tell you that is how it went down. The same thing will happen with this server merge. You people are only dreaming if you think they care if you lose toons because you are the ones begging for the merge and they figure so be it. Unfortunately not everone agrees that there should be a merge, myself included. It would be interesting to see what the ratio of those who want the merge is to those who don't because certainly the ones who do want it are the loudest on this forum.

Nice raging there. However, they will make money because people still buy 2nd accounts to dual-log.

FC is going to do what they want to do based on profit margins. They might well try to make it look like they are catering to player interests by quoting forum posts that align with what they are going to do anyway.
Most people don't bother to post thier preferences on the forum as they see the futility of it.
We are just the paying customers to be appeased a bit from time to time while the devs do what they will.
Now we get a monthly appeasement with a bit more meat with as few specifics as possible instead of weekly.
I don't see that the dev team has realized that they won't expand AO unless they do something about their communication skills.

Interesting rant, but have you not realized that FC makes profit from people playing the game, and the way to get the highest amount of people playing is by making them happy?
Obviously you can't make everyone happy, but making a few people upset in return for making more people happy is worth it.

[Gunforhire]

Nice raging there. However, they will make money because people still buy 2nd accounts to dual-log.

I dual log with a froob account and most people don't have 2 paid accounts to dual log, they have 2 paid accounts so they can play all the professions and because they love the game. But you seem to be missing the point and that is: Many people can't afford 2 paid accounts and they will indeed lose their toons. The real issue is how insensitive that is to people like myself who have played for many years and now will lose their toons because they either a) Can't afford another account as is my case or b) Do not want to pay for another account. I still think the server merge is a bad idea and will fare no better than when they merged the other server. Incidentally, one of the concerns about less people on Rubi-Ka than before to team with etc. is because a large number of paid subscribers are probably in the Shadowlands playing. That alone when it was released diminished considerably the day to day traffic on Rubi-Ka.

[MrMojoRisin]

I dual log with a froob account and most people don't have 2 paid accounts to dual log, they have 2 paid accounts so they can play all the professions and because they love the game. But you seem to be missing the point and that is: Many people can't afford 2 paid accounts and they will indeed lose their toons. The real issue is how insensitive that is to people like myself who have played for many years and now will lose their toons because they either a) Can't afford another account as is my case or b) Do not want to pay for another account. I still think the server merge is a bad idea and will fare no better than when they merged the other server. Incidentally, one of the concerns about less people on Rubi-Ka than before to team with etc. is because a large number of paid subscribers are probably in the Shadowlands playing. That alone when it was released diminished considerably the day to day traffic on Rubi-Ka.

Just start your deleted toons again, it's not that bad. gives you a chance to re-learn your newly balanced profession from scratch. It's just a game so people getting so upset about loosing some toons is sad really I get you'll have put in a lot of time into your characters but it's still just a game, to be played. Restarting isn't all that bad in my eyes.

[Aeliniyah]

Just start your deleted toons again, it's not that bad. gives you a chance to re-learn your newly balanced profession from scratch. It's just a game so people getting so upset about loosing some toons is sad really I get you'll have put in a lot of time into your characters but it's still just a game, to be played. Restarting isn't all that bad in my eyes.

Restarting might not be bad in YOUR eyes. In my eyes it is. Extremely bad.

I'd even say that if the rebalance changes things so much that we have to relearn our toolsets again from scratch, thats going to be very bad too. Not as bad as loosing characters though.

[Gunforhire]

Just start your deleted toons again, it's not that bad. gives you a chance to re-learn your newly balanced profession from scratch. It's just a game so people getting so upset about loosing some toons is sad really I get you'll have put in a lot of time into your characters but it's still just a game, to be played. Restarting isn't all that bad in my eyes.

May not be bad in your eyes but it is in mine.

[MrMojoRisin]

Restarting might not be bad in YOUR eyes. In my eyes it is. Extremely bad.

I'd even say that if the rebalance changes things so much that we have to relearn our toolsets again from scratch, thats going to be very bad too. Not as bad as loosing characters though.

But why? It's replay value..

[Raggy]

But why? It's replay value..

AO doesn't have replay value. It's just grindgrindgrindgrindgrindgrind.

[ManGarage]

hi video pls

[Kron]

Regarding the issue of losing toons it does seem to me that FC are listening on that one. I don't really care if I lose my rk1 rtoons as long as I have enough advance warning to strip them and transfer stuff to mules but I understand that its a concern for many and one that FC cannot afford to ignore.
Goose said -
"Interesting rant, but have you not realized that FC makes profit from people playing the game, and the way to get the highest amount of people playing is by making them happy?
Obviously you can't make everyone happy, but making a few people upset in return for making more people happy is worth it. "
I do realize that FC makes profit exactly as you state. My perception from conversations in game is that more are unhappy about some recent changes than are happy. S10 went from one extreme to another. I didn't delete my s10 twink and have another in progress as I predict that FC will settle for a middle path at some point.
My own current view, subject to capricious change, is that it would be great to have the engine, start up experience and rebalance on a new server for a while and leave RK1 and RK2 as they are. I suspect that the changes will need modifying with experience. It would give people a chance to play with the changes on new toons without making huge changes such as change of breed in their existing toons.
Then, after a few months re-evaluate and after the changes are fairly stable on the new server, merge RK1 and RK2 in a way that resolves possible upsets as Lindelu has promised will occur.
Then decide upon a point to implement the rebalance in the older servers after the servers are merged.
AO is a matured and very sophisticated game in comparison to newer MMORPG which appeal to younger people.
It is possible that FC intends marketing the game more strongly with the changes. If so there will be an influx of new players - I suspect that a totally new server devoid of veterans with 220 toons would be a better place for them. Vets could start new toons on the new server, of course.
Whether or not the vet server and the new server at some point would merge is something that I think we do not have enough data to evaluate at this time.

[drainbamage]

AO doesn't have replay value. It's just grindgrindgrindgrindgrindgrind.

Yeah, if AOs leveling game was remotely interesting then restarting might be okay. But it's not.

[Gunforhire]

Regarding the issue of losing toons it does seem to me that FC are listening on that one. I don't really care if I lose my rk1 rtoons as long as I have enough advance warning to strip them and transfer stuff to mules but I understand that its a concern for many and one that FC cannot afford to ignore.
I do realize that FC makes profit exactly as you state. My perception from conversations in game is that more are unhappy about some recent changes than are happy. S10 went from one extreme to another. I didn't delete my s10 twink and have another in progress as I predict that FC will settle for a middle path at some point.
My own current view, subject to capricious change, is that it would be great to have the engine, start up experience and rebalance on a new server for a while and leave RK1 and RK2 as they are. I suspect that the changes will need modifying with experience. It would give people a chance to play with the changes on new toons without making huge changes such as change of breed in their existing toons.
Then, after a few months re-evaluate and after the changes are fairly stable on the new server, merge RK1 and RK2 in a way that resolves possible upsets as Lindelu has promised will occur.
Then decide upon a point to implement the rebalance in the older servers after the servers are merged.
AO is a matured and very sophisticated game in comparison to newer MMORPG which appeal to younger people.
It is possible that FC intends marketing the game more strongly with the changes. If so there will be an influx of new players - I suspect that a totally new server devoid of veterans with 220 toons would be a better place for them. Vets could start new toons on the new server, of course.
Whether or not the vet server and the new server at some point would merge is something that I think we do not have enough data to evaluate at this time.

I really do not think FC is listening to the problems about a server merge. Nothing affected their decision to stop the German server merge and they decide to do this one nothing will stop it.

Just an FYI leaving the vets on old servers with no hope of them staying up is not the answer either. We all know those servers are doomed. The idea to have 2 obsolete servers running aside from the new one still ignores the problem. Now all the toons on both of those servers will be gone when, (if they do as you suggest), these servers are shut down probably within 6 months of the new server being started up. Migration of those toons to the new server will still be cumbersome and again half of them lost due to only 8 slots on the new server. There is no way to avoid losing toons if a server merge is done and I for one do not want a merge as I keep saying.

I do, however agree with most of your other points Go Red Sox

[Mongoose]

I dual log with a froob account and most people don't have 2 paid accounts to dual log, they have 2 paid accounts so they can play all the professions and because they love the game.

Really? I thought dual logging was slightly more desirable than just having the extra slots (especially with the current population where being able to buff or pocket yourself really helps)

But you seem to be missing the point and that is: Many people can't afford 2 paid accounts and they will indeed lose their toons. The real issue is how insensitive that is to people like myself who have played for many years and now will lose their toons because they either a) Can't afford another account as is my case or b) Do not want to pay for another account.

I see your point of view. Loosing some alts isn't exactly a good thing.
But there are ways they could implement it without permanently deleting excess characters.
If they merge servers and there is only 1 server, I would still prefer them to increase character slots to at least 10 or 12 per account.
Alts that lose out shouldn't be deleted, but kept safe so that you can transfer it at a later date if you choose to delete one of your existing ones. They should also allow a set number of free character transfers so at least you wouldn't have to pay for that.

[Ciassene]

I think there is an easier solution to this:

RK1 players get "Hero" infront of their nick, so Hero Darkempire
RK2 players get "Random Zero" infront of theirs

Yea, I vote for that too, as being a Hero in RK1 does mean that you are Random Zero in RK2, and being Hero in RK2 makes you a god in RK1 :/

[Gunforhire]

Moving right along. Where's the video?

[heilt-do]

Yea, I vote for that too, as being a Hero in RK1 does mean that you are Random Zero in RK2, and being Hero in RK2 makes you a god in RK1 :/

Hahahaahaha win win!