Thread: Friday with Means - November 12th, 2010 - Changes large and small

  1. #201
    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    So, you dont like to have food served while doing an airplane trip either? You like to bring your own? Or, why do those damn bastids on business-class get all that space while you're stuck in the tight crowded space?
    Life is not a game. I play a game to escape from life.

    Perhaps it's pissing so many people off because we though FC was a better company than that, instead of offering insta-gratification to the highest bidder.

  2. #202
    The Portable Trader GMS will now be usable by everyone for a few bucks.



    ...

    What.

    Gee thanks FunCom. Screw individuality, screw interesting little tools, let's just hand them out to everyone! Oh, and "real life money won't get us power?" BUyable VPs don't fall under this now? People sell VP nanos (and now, armor) for credits... you're basically selling credits, now. This is insipid.

    How about doing something awesome and useful and improving the effing Trader shop?
    [[ RYUAHN | 220/21 Opifex Trader
    == Proud Member of Core ==
    [[ ALASTROPHE | 220/15 Solitus Martial-Artist

    Quote Originally Posted by Raggy View Post
    There is literally nothing wrong with {Shutdown Skills} in it's current incarnation. What should be being looked at is the reason why it's needed so much. E.g, the incredible amount of Alpha being thrown around and the fickleness of Evade profs.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cratertina View Post
    I walk in to BS... could not perk people... with 3704 AR and 300 AAD drain... NT facerolled me, shade instagibbed me, after a few minutes I just decided not gonna bother.

  3. #203
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamarar View Post
    FC is most likely the ultimate reason behind these "proposed" additions. Which means you're gonna get stuck with them anyways no matter how much feedback they get.
    Yes, they probably are the reason behind the changes. But I don't think they've realized the implications of letting people buy levels. Short term (maybe over the next year) it will increase profits slightly. Longer term, a year from now this will certainly hurt AO's profitability, drastically, and FC certainly doesn't want that. They need all the profit they can get.

  4. #204
    Can't believe no one has commented that this has been reduced to two mouse clicks
    Quote Originally Posted by Esssch View Post
    I think you're wrong. I think AO is the most balanced MOBA out there.

  5. #205
    Buy lvls when u already have a 220 is ok.
    Buy VPs is ok.
    Make OFAB armor YesDrop is ok.

    All things above at once is silly. Doesnt really break the game but... Will turn everything harder for newbies AND many ppl dont like/hate those things. And OMFG it allows trade between real money and AO creds.
    Lainbr - 220/30/70 Meta-Physicist Nanomage - E / Spirals - 220/30/70 Enforcer Solitus - E / Kokusho - 201/22/55 Fixer Nanomage - Equip Soon ;o
    Traderbr - 180/0/0 Trader Nanomage - / Kaoru - 60/0/0 Meta-Physicist Nanomage - totw semitwink
    Proud veteran of Spartans

    To devs: You failed redesigning MPs as NTs with pets. I want my debuffer back.
    Dreamer: Basically - I wish THIS much effort was put in to ALL profs rebalance docs.

    Kintaii: Genele is more hardcore than you, your guildmates, and anyone else you've ever played with
    Anarrina: Trust me, I'm not that scary in real life.

  6. #206
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamarar View Post
    Life is not a game. I play a game to escape from life.

    Perhaps it's pissing so many people off because we though FC was a better company than that, instead of offering insta-gratification to the highest bidder.
    Again, HOW is this impacting your gameplay? What is it about this shop that changes things for YOU?

    Me, to the contrary, believe that this is a good move by Funcom if it brings in more revenue from Anarchy Online. No MMO is based on charity. They cost money to keep on the net going from day to day. Now, Means said that AO isnt in any trouble revenue vice, but lets get real here...if the execs at Funcom says AO's time is up, then its time is up. Nothing Means can do about that. So its better to keep the game well above the red ink. It might even get Funcom to invest MORE into AO. Isnt that a happy thought to consider? YOU dont need to pay anything extra for it though because its based on choice. It's all those other guys who think their time is more worth than grinding out those levels or VP's and pay real money for it who would be footing the bill. I'm not saying it WILL happen, but I do hope it could happen.

    Look at what the RMT did for Dungeons & Dragons Online. It totaly revived the game. Look at the effort that Turbine is putting into DDO now that it has become a cash-cow. They are cranking out content faster than ever.

    Please try to relax a bit. YOUR game wont be impacted by this if you dont want to pay anything extra. Actually, it might even improve!
    Ingame names;
    Slayertank 220 enf | Slayerbabe 200 adv | Mythic 175 mp
    Xziztenzia 180 doc | Loveleet 205 engie | Babita 175 crat
    Slayershade 59 shade | Savio 213 NT (main) | Anlor 201 mp
    Slayerfixer1 213 fixer | Bjirk 220 sold | Murder101 178 trader |

  7. #207
    I approve of these changes.

    As far as buying levels goes, there are already dozens of ebayed 220 noobs running around who seem to have bought their accounts from others - if there's toon-selling going on (and really there's no way to stop that) it may as well be FC that gets the money for it.

    Some will be noobs and not know their prof. Some will figure it out. In other words, no different from the current kite noobs.

    In all, the only negative impact this will really have is on the finances of NTs at kite hill

    The ones who will buy this service anyway are the same who sit afk on kite hill all day, so it's not like we'll notice them missing from "real" teams.

  8. #208
    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    What is it about this shop that changes things for YOU?
    As I stated earlier: More people buying lvls = less people for me to team with between 1-200.

  9. #209
    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    So, you dont like to have food served while doing an airplane trip either? You like to bring your own? Or, why do those damn bastids on business-class get all that space while you're stuck in the tight crowded space?

    In real life companies segregate their customers and offer them scaling services based on their ability to pay. Nothing new to this.

    This trend has for quite a few years now been making headway into the MMO market, so it should be no surprise to informed people that it is now happening in AO.
    People that can afford luxury will buy it, but in the airplanes case they aren't buying reduced traveling time, the passengers all get there at the same time.They are simply buying convenience and extra service.In AO's case you are getting an extra service with the illusion of convenience.At the end you still have to buy all the AI armors, farm pande and gain AI lvls and LE lvls ect ect, and if one couldn't be botherd to lvl something to 199 I doubt that same person can be botherd farming all the other things that go with it.

    As for the MMO trends, based on my own MMO experience adding Micro-transactions is done by companies that are trying to milk a deflating product, e.q AION/NCsoft and any other MMO that has failed to reach the target audience and goals.
    Last edited by Coookiez; Nov 12th, 2010 at 21:10:30.
    Somebody lied.

  10. #210
    Quote Originally Posted by Coookiez View Post
    As for the MMO trends, based on my own MMO experience adding Micro-transactions is done by companies that are trying to milk a deflating product, e.q AION/NCsoft and any other MMO that has failed to reach the target audience and goals.
    Sounds like this is 9 years overdue then.
    Autohead 220/30/70 Solitus Soldier - Synergy Factor
    Auron 220/25 Keeper ::: Shadowslave 220/23 Shade ::: Radius 211/21 Nano-Technician
    Sunza 207/21 Martial Artist ::: Voss 182/15 Engineer ::: Shadowhead 150/16 Agent

  11. #211
    Quote Originally Posted by Autohead View Post
    Sounds like this is 9 years overdue then.
    More like 4 years.
    Somebody lied.

  12. #212
    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    - To purchase a "level-package" you are required to have a lvl 220 character. This means you have the basic grasp of how the game is played (unless its leveld by your friends and you havent done squat offcourse). People who hasnt understood the basic concepts of other classes by playing -1- character to 220 fails at much more than AO.
    Some of the classes have already been quite unique to play compared to others. Playing solja hardly teaches you how to heal others as doc. Or how to play a calmer. And they are making the classes even more unique now.


    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    - The "level-package" character comes naked and you need to equip it with everything (armor/weapons/nanos/etc). This obviously requires the purchaser to understand WHAT he needs to get. So even if he hasnt done it before, he now needs to get informed on what to equip on his character.
    All of which - apart from nodrops - will be buyable with Visa - thanks to Ofab becoming yesdrop (and nanos already were, smaller demand tho). Takes about 5 minutes to take a look on some sigs on forum to get an idea what to use your $$ for.


    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    - In all games bad players tend to get picked up on the social radar and avoided by other players.
    How exactly is creating more bad players going to improve AO? Even if we "avoid" them.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    - Removing the nodrop tag on OFAB means that it opens up a new venue in the marketplace. PVP'ers can sell products from their gametime to PVM'ers for credits. You dont HAVE to pay $$$ if you have credits. Prices will always be all over the place at first when new items arrive, so patience will pay off.
    Making BS run even less (can't complain too much here on RK1, heard TL5 BS is semi-deserted on Rimor thogh) does no good.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    - Being able to purchase VP is an OPTION (as everything in that shop is). You dont HAVE to buy it for $$$.
    As said, it's nost just VP being made buyable - with it, people can buy credits. And that affects the gameplay way more than FC or anyone can yet understand - and when real money has started being converted to credits, it's kinda hard to stop it if/when you realise things get out of control.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xziztenzia View Post
    I really dont get all the anger. This is life people, things change. Try to adapt and keep an open mind. You will still be playing your game your way no matter if they open up that ingame shop. Why does it anger you so that others might?
    It's no longer the same game many of us have fallen in love with over the years when your real-life wallet starts to buy you power. And it's not hard to see where this is leading. Some time ago Means stated they would never ever sell anything other than social items for real money. Last week we heard about XP stims for $ which were originally removed from trading due to "being too powerfull". Now they reveal tokens, VP, Reset points being for sale too. Buyable levels in the horizon. Really... it doesn't take Einstein to figure out where this leads.

  13. #213
    Carebear as the changes are, they arent that game-breaking. Even VP is really not that hard to get, especially when ofab items are not nodrop anymore and you can just pvp on your favorite toon for an alt.

    The only real problem i see are the crat/trader gms/bank items in there. Not sure what the deal with those is. In theory i dont see a problem with everyone being able to check gms from anywhere as its the bleeding future and we have smart phones as it is, but that would mean nerfing/removing one of the few unique abilities left in this game limited to a handful of professions and this trend is alarming to say the least. Some explanation would be nice from a credible source.

  14. #214
    Quote Originally Posted by freor View Post
    it's no longer the same game many of us have fallen in love with over the years when your real-life wallet starts to buy you power. And it's not hard to see where this is leading. Some time ago means stated they would never ever sell anything other than social items for real money. Last week we heard about xp stims for $ which were originally removed from trading due to "being too powerfull". Now they reveal tokens, vp, reset points being for sale too. Buyable levels in the horizon. Really... It doesn't take einstein to figure out where this leads.
    qft

  15. #215
    My forecast is that there will be sweatshops of credit/vp/money farmers in game to support FC.
    Of course, this is worst case scenario.

    However, this sets a new precedent in bought and sold "unintended" gameplay. FC potentially creates a system that is convenient to "play to play" sure... but after the amount of what i've seen players in game, is more along of the lines of "pay instead of play".

    Next thing you know you see an explosive number of PVP toons making notum wars happen on completely bought/farmed alts. Now, I realize this happens already, but lazy players often don't find the will necessary to make it happen. Now, its just a click away.
    Towerblock, 220/30/70 Engineer
    President of Steadfast

    And way too many alts...

  16. #216
    Sorry, I am giggling with the image of some raving mad lunatic being carried off in a straight jacket by the FC mods/orderlies.

    With that said, I have some reservations about the pay to level part. It is not quite something I can put my finger on, just sort of a bad feeling. But, I will admit I am only basing my opinions on what I see now, not what might be.

    I would ask what I hope is a simple question. What sort of population level does FC hope for (ofc, bazillions), or put more directly, does the current population level, if it goes neither up nor down work with the changes you have in mind?
    Liamboru 220 Engineer - Brianboru 220 Soldier - Padraigboru 150 Soldier - Tadghboru 60 Engineer - Cormacboru 15 Engineer
    ...and ofc, the army of buff hoes
    ------------------------------------
    PvPDood: Hey, come back and duel me again, I hardly ever get to fight a gimp like you! - Get a /tell like that and it sort of makes you want to evaluate what you thought was a twink!

    Walker
    : Anarchy! Anarchy! Anarchy! Anarchy!
    Texas Ranger
    : I don't even know what that means, but I love it!

  17. #217
    Quote Originally Posted by Dochollie View Post
    i wanna get my 215 neutral army ready xD
    lol

  18. #218
    Quote Originally Posted by LyrLazarus View Post
    Please please please do not allow people to buy levels. It would certainly make it harder for people at lower levels to find groups.
    I’m not saying I’m totally sold on the idea in general but I think the effect of buying levels on lower level players finding teams is being vastly overestimated. If someone has a 220 and they want a new twink of a given level- 60, 100, 220 etc... they’re not going to casually wander around joining teams of noobs to get there. They’re going to be powerlevelled and blow past low level players in hours if not minutes.

    This change won’t make things better for low teams, but I can’t see it having much negative effect either. I can’t imagine that there are currently hoards of 220s rolling new twink toons every day- slowly leveling alongside new players up to their desired level. I suspect it’s not all that common that a 220 rolls a new toon for the express purpose of twinking at a given level. How many 220s do this in a given day that we’d be robbing the low level players of their experience and wisdom by letting them jump ahead 50-200 levels?

    If someone does roll a new toon- to try out a new profession for example, there’s nothing that says they will automatically use the paid-level method. The experienced players who have 220s and want to take their time leveling and actually playing a new toon- while teaming and helping new players- will still do that. The people that will actually help new players won’t be using the “buy-level” method.

    If someone wants to powerlevel to a specific level, you’re not taking anything away from new players by letting him just BE there. You can’t force twink-minded people to level slowly with new players. They aren’t doing it anyway.

  19. #219
    Well if this goes thru I guess it is bye bye Ao, hello heck-noob online. I'm not interested in paying for this kind of game where you can buy levels, equipment and tokens.
    I'll wait to see if this really goes live, but if it does. Bye bye AO
    RK1 - Atlantean
    Lise "Gimpeline" Everwhite - Omni - Level 220/30/70 Martial artist
    Rudolph "Nissemann" Juhl - Omni- Level 220/30/70 Engineer
    Omni-Mining
    Mary "Gimpa" Wormwood 2xx/30/xx Advy R.U.R
    Josephine "Gimpyposer" Dredd 21x/30/70 mp Omni-Pol
    Jarwar 2xx/30/xx Crat Wanderers Sanctuary
    Proud member of Leet Protection Agency

  20. #220
    Having transfered a fr00b toon to a paid account not too recently (he was level 113), I personall shudder to think of starting a toon at lvl 199. Yes, you can immediate have your 1K board and a full set of OFAB armor/weaps. But dem caps. Unless you start at lvl 199/le 8/AI 17, it's still going to take you awhile to get up to snuff. At least if you are doing those as you go along, it doesn't feel like quite so much of a grind. Daily missions help of course, but starting a toon clean at 199 is not as awesome as it might sound.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gunfytr View Post
    I have played my toon 280 days. You have played ur toon 36 days. My toon is better. Get over it.

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