New interview with the head dude.

[Vinele]

In case anyone hasnt seen it:

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/g...-New-Role.html

[darknightt]

"I don't think there is any particular lack of content in Anarchy Online, so it makes sense to get the experience of playing the game to the best possible state."

New experience to bring them in. Old outdated content to push them away

[Vinele]

I think he ment more that the new experience need work more. If you are a fresh New player there is a lot of stuff to do that would all be new to them. Granted yes the stuff is due for an overhaul, but it's there.

[Aiken]

"I don't think there is any particular lack of content in Anarchy Online, so it makes sense to get the experience of playing the game to the best possible state."

New experience to bring them in. Old outdated content to push them away

You are aware that for a truly new player, all this 'outdated content' would be brand new & perhaps even exciting for them? Take off the jaded specs & try to get a little more perspective, it'll help.

[darknightt]

You are aware that for a truly new player, all this 'outdated content' would be brand new & perhaps even exciting for them? Take off the jaded specs & try to get a little more perspective, it'll help.

So screw the existing players.. Lets hope new people like the old stuff for 6 more years?
AO hasn't seen an expansion since 2006.....

[swirling-dog]

New players? lolz

[Vinele]

New players? lolz

Iv met a few brand new players in game since iv been back. They do exist

[Noer]

So screw the existing players.. Lets hope new people like the old stuff for 6 more years?
AO hasn't seen an expansion since 2006.....

Legacy of Xan was released in 2009.


What this game is needing is new blood, so its existing content that needs polished to make it more available to new players.
I totally agree on his view on that.

[hopeitworks]

I introduced this game to at least 30 people I knew; peeps who liked playing games. None of them are still playing AO. It's just too hard in the beginning. So FC has to fix that. And do a lot about stupid things players ( like me) don't like, but who are to old to change to another game :-) Anyone at FC noticed new games charging +/- nothing ? Only in game things ? I don't want to think about the 11 years of subscription I payed... O and don't let me pay to get my 16 chars in 1 server btw.

[Nival]

Change the GUI! Horrid looking compared to other games.
Make the tiny toolbar STANDARD ENABLED.
Change the mission/quest NPC talk windows, the wall of text move too fast and can be overwhelming for new players.

Killing tiny birds in the start of the game makes people laugh.



just a few cents :P

[Tradoroz]

"It's a lot of work and responsibility and no doubt I am going to get yelled at by three different fanbases."

I bet, respect for this man.

[tigerengi]

Question:
How do they want to keep the game attractive when the servers go down at least once a day?

[Ahndracorvid]

You are aware that for a truly new player, all this 'outdated content' would be brand new & perhaps even exciting for them? Take off the jaded specs & try to get a little more perspective, it'll help.

What this game is needing is new blood, so its existing content that needs polished to make it more available to new players.
I totally agree on his view on that.

^ What these people said. I'm actually relieved to see the attitude he's taking.

"It's a lot of work and responsibility and no doubt I am going to get yelled at by three different fanbases."

I bet, respect for this man.

^ Also this.

[MachSchau]

He didn't say anything new about AO that we dont know and that has been told to us for the past 1-2 years. Engine/starter around the same time, balance sometime down the road, then maybe another booster. But since we already know that the engine and starter are close to being done hes riding the coat tails of "yeah I totally oversaw this and totally brought it to light, I am soooo awesome".

I really see AO on the bottom of the totem pole as priority is concerned. Next booster probably 2016 and balance in 2015. Its absurd really. All these changes are/will take as long as it did the engine to be created, nearly a freaking decade. His mention of getting all 3 MMOs in step will probably equate to TSW seeing its promised regular content updates (which is what, 3 months?), AOC seeing 1-2 updates a year and AO seeing something new every 2-4 years.

He is just a newb about AO and probably wont do much with it other than what people may suggest. Yay for newbs!

[Psikie]

He didn't say anything new about AO that we dont know and that has been told to us for the past 1-2 years. Engine/starter around the same time, balance sometime down the road, then maybe another booster. But since we already know that the engine and starter are close to being done hes riding the coat tails of "yeah I totally oversaw this and totally brought it to light, I am soooo awesome".

I really see AO on the bottom of the totem pole as priority is concerned. Next booster probably 2016 and balance in 2015. Its absurd really. All these changes are/will take as long as it did the engine to be created, nearly a freaking decade. His mention of getting all 3 MMOs in step will probably equate to TSW seeing its promised regular content updates (which is what, 3 months?), AOC seeing 1-2 updates a year and AO seeing something new every 2-4 years.

I have to disagree with what you just said. I prefer to think that AO has really had 2 serious directors and the rest have been like placeholders. Perhaps the new guy will surprise us all with his consolidated team.

[Kane-Hart]

They hate adding new content to this game I see. They just want new blood nothing for us old folks. And in fact from my experience they will just ruin it for us and the population will die more.

[darknightt]

Legacy of Xan was released in 2009.

LoX wasn't an expansion, it was just a booster geared toward end game toons. Expansions bring more content. There is a HUGE gap between the start up experience and end game toons that need more.

[Notcrattey]

They hate adding new content to this game I see. They just want new blood nothing for us old folks. And in fact from my experience they will just ruin it for us and the population will die more.

You know veteran retention means almost nothing if you can't bring in new players.

It doesn't matter how damn good your retention is, you're going to lose most of them eventually regardless.

[Mastablasta]

So screw the existing players.. Lets hope new people like the old stuff for 6 more years?
AO hasn't seen an expansion since 2006.....

Well, if they get 10000 new players from steam and polish, then who cares about old players? the MMO business model revolves around people coming and going constantly. It stagnates to the current level of whining when that carousel stops moving.

[Kane-Hart]

Well, if they get 10000 new players from steam and polish, then who cares about old players? the MMO business model revolves around people coming and going constantly. It stagnates to the current level of whining when that carousel stops moving.

This is sad but so true, I always will speak up and say how companies are crooks. Downside AO never made it big like they wanted it to. But every MMORPG that has ever made it big or started at a good rate and went up actually drops in content updates. WoW of course is the best example but even the Eve-Online players are now noticing with their recent hit to 500k subs.

I guess in my heart I would love to see AO with tens of thousands of new players.

But at the end of the day I really hope they also focus on their only remaining players. Not a lot of them floating around with 2012 and 2013 signup dates.