Friday with Means - November 26th, 2010 - Spreadsheet Assault

[Zeephonz]

The problem is that we aren't getting the environment we want out of the game anymore, the expectations we have of this game have been dramatically thrown out in the space of a month.

This.

The problem is, some people are seeing "gameplay" and "gameplay experience" as the same thing... unfortunately, I don't feel that FC have entirely got their heads around the difference either.


/pageclaim

[Siyra]

Accusing us prior to the fact of something we've pointedly said we're not planning on doing and ranting about how this is something "that we're definitely going to do" when we've made statements directly to the contrary is not only ridiculous but a waste of everyone's time who is involved.

I've been trying to say the same thing (admittedly getting lost in the standard troll action) and I doubt they'll listen to it even though it's from you. People are looking for an excuse to get mad, they're digging up everything new and old they can find to make the point that you (Funcom) cannot be trusted because you've gone back on your word before that you'll do it now again.

[Obtena]

Selling ways to skip the boring grinds that you yourselves (well probably not you specifically but the devs in general) put into game is a terrible design.

That's just your opinion. I really don't think it matters if it's terrible or the best thing ever. LIke this sense of morality is what drives anything in the game? They just decided to do it and if it makes them some money to allow AO to continue, WTF cares? If it fails, then it's back to the same old methods to farm VP for armors and nothing happens.

[Loucretia]

I've been trying to say the same thing (admittedly getting lost in the standard troll action) and I doubt they'll listen to it even though it's from you. People are looking for an excuse to get mad, they're digging up everything new and old they can find to make the point that you (Funcom) cannot be trusted because you've gone back on your word before that you'll do it now again.

Whatever you may have been trying to say you and certain others with a different opinion to you, have been major contributors to the trolling in this thread.

People are entitled to their own opinions about what significance the recent changes may have in the future. Constantly arguing between each other isnt going to change anybodys opinion, and is just pointless and counter-productive.

Kintai has stated his position, and I have absolutely no doubt about his integrity and I am sure he means every word he says. However, having been here close on 9 years, I have seen Game Directors and Devs come and go many times.

So I will limit my feedback to saying I dont like the Shop, it does impinge on my game experience without even clicking on the shop icon, and no arguments one way or another are going to change how I feel about it. I make no prophecy about where this might end up, I will just content myself with making my own decisions about the game as and when i need to.

I have made my point and I wont be responding to anyone who might wish to microdissect this post.

[Edta]

Kinda agreed with what Chrys said.

No one who utilizes the shop is more powerful than someone who has played the game and chosen not to purchase Funcom Points. .

It shocks me that FC keeps saying that you are not selling power with selling vp and tokens. But I start to understand that you mean you're not selling maximal power, which would indeed be even worse. I'll prove my point with graphs! I wouldn't say time needed to obtain it, is the only factor, but it's one way to explain it:



What bothers me most is that FC is making a promise and breaking it at the same time. Without this behavior I still don't like the itemshop, but I can accept it because:
- It brings in money for FC.
- It doesn't seem possible to get rid of credsellers so buying power with RL money is possible anyway, how sad that it is. Making it more socially accepted is still bad though.
- VP and most other things are expensive
(- As a neutral froob I'm actually not affected by tokens or vp, I have them neitherway)

[Gunfytr]

I hope "unworthy profession to team with, at end game content" will become quite the opposite, after the rebalance, so even I manage to get the damned thing, in a relatively normal way.

I think its more of a "You" thing, than a "Profession" thing.

Just sayin....

[Tazalanche]

Can someone please fix the "Mark Forums Read" error please?

[nanobots]

tbw. pandemonium sky dosent seem any upgraded at all

[Vhax]

tbw. pandemonium sky dosent seem any upgraded at all

It's not an upgrade
It's just showing it works now in the new engine.
AO's sky is quite complex and not trivial to show in the new engine.

[nanobots]

ahh kk, thanks for clearing that up

[fakiiri]

It's not an upgrade
It's just showing it works now in the new engine.
AO's sky is quite complex and not trivial to show in the new engine.

If thats the new engine in the pic I rather stay with the old one.

[Flipyap]

If thats the new engine in the pic I rather stay with the old one.

You don't want a better engine? Not only is it prettier, but it is also easier on your computer...

[haxi]

If thats the new engine in the pic I rather stay with the old one.

I am curious if those jagged edges will be staying with us in the new engine.

[Flipyap]

What jagged edges?

[haxi]

What jagged edges?

Pretty much any long edge that is at an angle has the stair-step effect in the screenshot.

[Flipyap]

Oh that... Try using an Nvidia (or *some* ATI) card(s) with AA enabled. That should help.

[haxi]

Oh that... Try using an Nvidia (or *some* ATI) card(s) with AA enabled. That should help.

Cool, can't switch cards or anything here (laptop) but the people taking screenshots should do what they can to improve the image quality.

[ElBoogy]

As far as i know there will be AA in the new engine, but it isn´t finished yet, so just keep on waiting

And if there is no AA in the game, you still can force AA with your gfx card driver

[Flipyap]

Cool, can't switch cards or anything here (laptop) but the people taking screenshots should do what they can to improve the image quality.

If they'd enabled AA, people would be all like:
"Nurf, this is just old engine with AA enabled. /ragequit"

[Pomidor]

Its not FC or AO fault, that grind is boring. Its lack of new players. I'll tell you why:

Its an MMORPG game, where you can play with many others during lvling - and its game experience, call it grind (aka hecks all time), call it exploring (aka outside XP), call it repetable assigments (aka TeamMissions). But when 6 players, veterans meet at 1 spot, they dont want to talk, to cooperate cause they know (or think they do) it all already, so showing off aint important while lvling, and from the other hand, there is no questions asked about gameplay/characters/classes or game mechanics. Then its turn out its grind.

If you have/had chance to be in team of newcomers, things geting differ. You can be a mentor (or close to it), guide ppl, show how good u are compareing to them, and actually then you see game from new perspectives, far away from grind, cause evey encounter is different for them, thus to yourself. I belive (I do!) that for ppl like me, that just want to play AO and do stuff here (boring or no), new Engine will get new blood to game, before FC starts to sell insta 220/30/70 and I will be forced to play by myself.