population is dead, give a free mounth to people who left?

[Louderer789]

When is the last time a free month was offered? A few years now maybe?

January 2012. When asked about free months (which had been a semi-regular yearly thing, or so it seemed) Ilaya said they would not give another one until engine/NPE. That was two years ago she said that...

[juggaloklown]

I reactivated a couple days back and I'm really in shock with how empty the game has become. It certainly isn't worth $15/month.. especially when you need multiple accounts just to get things done in a timely manner.

Thats what I been saying since 2010, I resub 1-3 times a year for a month on my account that has multiple 204-210 toons, they used to be 150-200 and I get them levels when I a few levels when I resub sometimes

Anyway, when I resub that account, it always feel like I have to resub my second account...which i sometimes do if I have fun the first week or two then bitch and moan to myself and the last two weeks or so.

Within and hour of resubing my 220 doc account I'm regretting it, yet I keep doing it even though I'm so mad that I wasted 30$ for two accounts.

I haven't played in 3 months and I'm starting to think about resubing my $5 account, but that's usually the catalyst.



The last time Funcom gave a free month that I remember was like the 2010 or 2011 anniversary .

Has there been any free months given since then?

[alexvsrb]

The problem is that Funcom really, seriously thinks that people are that stupid and gullible so that they should immediately pay for a sub of 3+ months for a game thats xx years old, and hardly even taken care of.
It's like the money you pay for the 1 month sub is not enough for them, I mean, only 17 euro?!

That kind of greedy attitude is what really stabs me in the nerves!

[Pomidor]

They've done too much work on it by now to abandon it, and besides, the new engine should perform much better on modern hardware (which has been a problem for some people), so there is that to consider. It's not all about the appearance.

I did not see any work - 1 short movie and few screens from last 2 years is nothing close to "much work" for me.

I stoped playing in september 2013, I read forums, which are dead like never before, some bla bla bla monthly (not)developement posts, and I would like to get back into AO, but its just too expensive to pay (I pay in EU).

FC should throw Free month, for sure, because many players that quitted in las 2-3 years are to scared to come back and pay for game, which is empty. Its 17,95 EUROS here, ffs - almost 23$ per MONTH - thats just horrible price.

[stonehaven]

i stopped playing a few years ago, I was hoping to see that the new graphics engine was released yet but sadly its not so no plans to pay money.

besides paying money for AO now is not wise with all the other competitors out there not charging anything at all like Aion, LOTRO, STO, Neocron 2, and so on....

I havent even looked to see how much AO is now days, sec gonna check in new tab..... "Yep still the same price's" disapointing. It's Shame, AO is still my faveorite MMOG for its skills system and much of the gameplay and missions its just getting old.

They need to just scrap the new engine for AO and make an AO2....

[Discipline]

Too much drama, so few solutions. Yeah, yeah, "FC doesn't listen.", we've all heard that before. And as much as it might be true, all this drama bullsh*t about the game being the same doesn't help anyone or anything. Apart from it being relative.

Control your attitude. FC's been through a lot of changes, especially as far as AO goes. If you analize, without any negative intent, what has been going on, you'll realise there is a reason for how the game has become. But keep making posts - hey Le-quack - to just express your drama doesn't help anyone and hurts the game even more.

If you don't like it, quit.
If you're staying, stop bitching about it and help.
If you don't wanna help, at least don't hurt it.

Go find replacement for the 2 people that left. Come up with a VIABLE solution explained in a friendly, I-want-to-help manner. Help the players. See the positive sides of AO (Yea, Le-quack, we know, there aren't any.) and promote that. You can do things, in the game and outside of it.

Stop the drama. It only fuels other's people drama and doens't lead to anything good.

[Le-Quack]

yeah we should say posetive things, come share with me and the rest what that would be please without telling a lie.

Go on funcom! good job.
ok i can say that, but it be a lie becose they havent done a single thing the last years that has done any affect for my gameplay. but please share with me what posetive things they have done the last years for you, i am seriously dying to hear you say something.
stop try to kill a ''troll'' when you havent anything better to say than me.
atleast i am honest, and in my eyes that makes me help the game allot more than you do by trying '' hey lets all hold hands and stay posetive'' sorry but i aint a priest.

[Discipline]

I didn't say that you're not honest, I said that your attitude is wrong. You're being honest, yes, but your honesty serves your negative attitude.

Again, your perception of things made you understand what I said wrong.
I never asked you to lie and say things that aren't true. I asked you to change your attitude and realise that if you actually cared about this game, you wouldn't do anything to hurt it. What you're doing now is only expressing your "dissapointment" and your negative feelings towards FC. Which, most of them, come only from your perception of things.

Last year(might not be accurate):
- itemstore: breed change(basically not having to reroll a toon), side change(same thing), token packages, 50% XP buff, buff cans, GRACE and a lot of other items that improved gameplay.
- graphic changes of rings, gems and other items (was last patch iirc)
- Insersion of GMI (think it is more than 1 year old?) - apart from the bugs people found and exploited it (could've happend to any1 else aswell, given the number of employees..)
- unique items this anniversary and the unique items inserted last halloween and Christmas
- reworked S10(might be a little older)
- insertion of dailies (they're older than a year)
- server merge

There are more, these come to mind right now.

The whole point is this: nobody tells you to ignore the facts. It's clear as day the game is not what it used to be. The population is a lot lower and there aren't many content update. That is true, noone is telling you to ignore it. But from seeing the facts and expressing them in a negative manner, having an attitude and bitching about it, it's a step that consist of you being ignorant.

Yes, it is complicated. If you had a toon on the test server or even on the beta server you could see for yourself and take part in the bug hunting too.

Mismanagement, lack of resources, developing other MMOs, archaic game, lack of devoted developers working on AO constantly. I mean its hard to do much of anything with 2 developers working on an MMO. Also I think the engine is being developed by devs that dont work on AO specifically.

Read these 2 comments. Read them and understand them: the situation can be understood. Having a crappy attitude about it, DOESN'T help in any way. The situation is kind of bad. But it could have been a lot worse. Lets focus on actually helping with a good attitude.

[Traderjill]

If you're staying, stop bitching about it and help.
If you don't wanna help, at least don't hurt it.

Personally, I don't feel staying silent is helping. I am very vocal about issues/concerns because the things I talk about are issues that are causing currently subscribed players to simply stop logging in. I'm talking about people with anywhere from a couple months to multiple years worth of paid time on their AO account(s) that simply won't log in because of things that can easily be fixed by Funcom.

Go find replacement for the 2 people that left.

I wish it were only 2 people. Anyone that knows me/knew me can attest that I used to raid pretty much all of the time. Now I can barely get enough people to do anything during my timezone. Yes, sometimes there are tons of people as well but more often than not, there isn't. My entire 'inner circle' stopped playing AO. That's everyone that I used to raid with on a daily basis and composed of something close to about 15 people.

Come up with a VIABLE solution explained in a friendly, I-want-to-help manner.

I have done this, many times. There hasn't been any progress as a result. The only thing I can currently hope is that now that Michizure is running things that at least we can expect better communication and someone that will actually read/understand/act on our concerns.

Help the players. See the positive sides of AO (Yea, Le-quack, we know, there aren't any.) and promote that. You can do things, in the game and outside of it.

I am currently working with 3 different newbies as part of my Adopt a Newbie advertisement. I am in the middle of working on a series of "Traderjill's Tips and Tricks" videos that outline everything from setting up your GUI to using team tools with plans to do some indepth How-to videos for all of the AO instances and raids.

I've said all of that to say that just because people are complaining (which is within their right as paying customers) doesn't mean they aren't doing everything they can to keep things going. Heck, I've spent more time testing stuff in the past 3 months than I have for any game I've ever played. And despite my efforts and the time I spend in game, I still do not believe it is worth the $14.95 monthly subscription when you compare what is available in this game to others. I play AO for my own reasons but I sure as heck would not recommend it to a single person I know (in real life or from other online environments) in its current state.

Stop the drama. It only fuels other's people drama and doens't lead to anything good.

Sometimes this is the case. I have noticed that on the forums it is very easy to 'turn the tide' on an argument when certain things are said by certain people (sometimes even me). But, if multiple people don't step out and voice concern on an issue.. then how is funcom to know it is a big problem?

I think coming on the forums with simple 'funcom sux' type statements is silly but most of the comments on the forums are way beyond that when it comes to explaining the problem and even proposing solutions.

[Discipline]

Totally agree Jill.

When I said "Go find replacement for the 2 people that left.", I was referring to Genele and the other person that left a few days ago. Said that in the spirit of "lets actually try to do something" instead of just raging out.

I agree with everything you said, things should be pointed out, by everyone that can do it, because it's within their rights and especially because it helps FC improve the game. What I said wasn't meant for those who actually do something and even if they don't, they point out the problems without adding negative, irrelevant, comments to it.
It was directed more to Le-Quack - and people that do what he does - 'cuz I kept reading his posts/comments and I kept seeing this crappy, somewhat superior attitude and pissed me off.

If you wanna point something out, do it with arguments and in a somewhat friendly or neutral manner. Don't do it with an attitude that blames or incriminates 'cuz that sets the ground as "me" against "FC". Instead of being "me, the client" vs "FC, the provider", be in a position of "me and FC" vs "the problem". That sums all I meant to say.

[Xootch]

they won't be replaced be cause ao is now developed by a blurry cloud called "the live team".

[Le-Quack]

it wouldnt hurt anyone to get froobs into shadowlands.
if were a new player in ao and were stranded in rk where no players are.. i problabe delete it after a few houers since nobady would help me know where to go etc.

shadowlands its kinda just to folow the road and you and the monsters increase in level, and the content is 10 times better looking.

and i dont see the critical thing to open upp shadowlands for froob with limited acces like they can enter but they get no acces to perks for example.. it would problabe bait the froob to subscribe allot more than beeing stranded in rk where there excist no information on where to go, and you are also all alone.
a toaly new guy wouldnt know that bor is the meeting place, or that there is a portal guy u can pay to get a key to enter Totw, and there is for sure nobady there to tell him that since the game is dead.

in shadowlands the new guy has people telling him where to go becose! there is people out there.
the froob easy reach level 80 in nascense playfield by starting off there and kill monsters on the road to he ends upp killing hecklers in core or two mountains. and at level 80 you problabe met many people and compared to rk where you basicly have to level alone and keep asking and pray for luck that someone answers you in Public chat.

[Krisalee]

Every MMO is dead, dying, and broken according to its own forums.

[Traderjill]

Every MMO is dead, dying, and broken according to its own forums.

hmm..

AO isn't dead, meaning that funcom has still continued to keep the servers up. It is also tough to say it is dieing because none of us know Funcom's short or long term plan for the game (heck, they might not even have a plan at all and taking it month by month).

When players say the game is dead, they are usually comparing the state of the game now with the state of the game that they recall when they started. For me personally, it feels dead. If AO were a person, I'd describe its current state as in a coma, brain dead and on life-support.

Anyway, I honestly don't believe you can even remotely relate the statements someone makes on the forums for other games with the statements being made on AO forums. Dead in other games is still 10x the in-game population of what we had even when the game was technically alive.

[Pafpuf]

A playerbase of 300 active players combined with ancient content doesn't really paint a picture of a live and kicking mmo.

[Gargle]

Haha yeah, a playerbase of 300 active players combined with ancient content doesn't really paint the picture of a live and kicking mmo.

Let's say the playerbase is 300. Let's say that the average amount of subscribed accounts per player is 2. That makes it 600 active accounts. Let's say just for fun that the average cost per account (excluding shop profits, other incomes and the discount for subscribing more than a month etc) is $15. That's $9000 dollars per month. Take Michi's salary out of that, and tell me if you can run Anarchy Online on that.

Conclusion: Playerbase > 600 active accounts.

[Traderjill]

Let's say the playerbase is 300. Let's say that the average amount of subscribed accounts per player is 2. That makes it 600 active accounts. Let's say just for fun that the average cost per account (excluding shop profits, other incomes and the discount for subscribing more than a month etc) is $15. That's $9000 dollars per month. Take Michi's salary out of that, and tell me if you can run Anarchy Online on that.

Conclusion: Playerbase > 600 active accounts.

And here we go again with the semantics issue. For me active players != active subscriptions. If you are not playing the game, I'm not going to call you an active player.

I know many active subscribers that don't even have AO installed on their PC (I have quite often done this) or that have it installed but hardly if ever log in. Those people are inactive players. For the purpose of a player commenting on whether a game is alive or dead, they are only going to consider people that log in to game.

[Gargle]

And here we go again with the semantics issue. For me active players != active subscriptions. If you are not playing the game, I'm not going to call you an active player.

I know many active subscribers that don't even have AO installed on their PC (I have quite often done this) or that have it installed but hardly if ever log in. Those people are inactive players. For the purpose of a player commenting on whether a game is alive or dead, they are only going to consider people that log in to game.

And here we go again with the semantics issue. For me it was just to point out that I think active number of subscribers are a lot more than people think. I never replied to your post or had any interest in your definition of active players. I merely wanted to say... the "game is dead" claim, is bull****.

[Traderjill]

And here we go again with the semantics issue. For me it was just to point out that I think active number of subscribers are a lot more than people think. I never replied to your post or had any interest in your definition of active players. I merely wanted to say... the "game is dead" claim, is bull****.

Of course the claim that the game is dead is not accurate. If the game were dead then none of us would be able to log in to play. I don't think you need to do any sort of math to know that.

So that brings me back to the point I made 2 posts up that when people say "the game is dead" they are obviously referring to something else. To address the technical definition of dead is pointless and just ignoring the message being communicated and focusing more on the terminology used.

[Gargle]

...we all know that it is not technically dead since we still get the option to log in and choose a toon to play.

The rest is not up to us. Unless you're going on a viral marketing campaign for AO? We can argue everything, but until Funcom actually does something...