Bioware's New Direction
Has anyone seen this yet? Not a whole lot being said right now, but what's being said is enough for speculation and opinion forming, and maybe other input that might be of signifigant value :D
Actually I am kind of excited about this. They are going to bein Austin, I wonder if that would improve my chances of working for them if I finished college up there. Would be cool to work with these guys, they are for the most part doing pretty good in my opinionand probably many others ;)
Edit: Though I am kind of nervous about the whole 'MMO' idea. Who knows maybe they'll head in the UO direction instead of WoW.
Ugh. I despise MMOs. Every game being made now is an MMO. No one wants to provide an enthralling single player experience. Instead, they want your monthly fee so they can dictate to you rules which they then proceed to ignore on a regular basis. Even if you play by their rules other players who flagrantly violate said rules are ignored, or farmers of one sort or another invade your space. Not to mention the number of people who play MMOs who are just plain jerks and idiots. To quote Penny Arcade, "Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad."
How many hours can we force someone to sit in front of their computer earning this piece of gear which we'll simply deprecate or change next release because it's overpowered, despite the fact that no one would have spent the time (or money on eBay) to obtain the item initially if it had the stats we're going to assign to it on revision?
I own every game Bioware has ever produced and I have a huge respect for the studio and their ability to do right. (I purchased an X-Box primarily for Jade Empire. There's a lot of other good games on the platform that I've discovered since then.) However, I don't believe an MMO can be done "right." No company wants to piss off their playerbase by making easy vs. normal vs. difficult classes, with ranging power. No company wants to alienate the farmers and lose thousands of accounts at once. No company wants to spend the time developing character classes which aren't simple copies of the fighter/magic-user/healer triad.
I have a level 60 rogue, a level 52 druid, and a level 51 warrior in World of Warcraft. I quit a few months after I hit 60 and realized that the entire game changed. WoW was a blast until 60 and then forced community service with the above anonymous Internet users made me realize how desperate I had to be to spend my time playing this game. But don't worry - WoW wasn't my first MMO experience. In Anarchy Online I managed to play a nanotech when they were completely frivolous (hint: opening day). In Shadowbane I managed to repeatedly lose every gold piece I worked for without noticing it being lifted. In Ultima Online I learned that folks who are willing to macro will always be in power. Asheron's Call is probably the only MMO I've been close to being satisfied with and even that required too much of an investment in time and energy to be worthwhile. Guild Wars is more of an FPS (IMO) but I do give them props for trying to free the player from the grip of the above problems - but the computer groupmates never compared to real ones. It's PvP centric nature doesn't gain it any points with me either.
Even in the original MMOs - MUDs - I found myself at the whim of implementators and other players in ways that I simply didn't enjoy. I remember having my pfile version forcibly upgraded and losing half my hit points... and becoming worthless as a tank. Thanks!
Dark Age of Camelot ended with every person being about PvP. This is another fact which disturbs me - why does every game end up being centered around PvP? Oh wait, I know. PvP offers a content free method for a game company to keep their playerbase online even longer. I don't want to PvP. I'd love to see multiplayer games which featured cooperative play (Halo? The original Doom?) rather than competitive play. Hell, in DAoC I couldn't get a group to romp through a dungeon because it was more important to go fighting an enemy which endlessly respawned in the frontiers...
Then again, I know I'm just dreaming.
Good luck Bioware. This is years in the future, I'm sure, but it's a product I won't purchase. Hurry up with NWN2. :)
How many hours can we force someone to sit in front of their computer earning this piece of gear which we'll simply deprecate or change next release because it's overpowered, despite the fact that no one would have spent the time (or money on eBay) to obtain the item initially if it had the stats we're going to assign to it on revision?
I own every game Bioware has ever produced and I have a huge respect for the studio and their ability to do right. (I purchased an X-Box primarily for Jade Empire. There's a lot of other good games on the platform that I've discovered since then.) However, I don't believe an MMO can be done "right." No company wants to piss off their playerbase by making easy vs. normal vs. difficult classes, with ranging power. No company wants to alienate the farmers and lose thousands of accounts at once. No company wants to spend the time developing character classes which aren't simple copies of the fighter/magic-user/healer triad.
I have a level 60 rogue, a level 52 druid, and a level 51 warrior in World of Warcraft. I quit a few months after I hit 60 and realized that the entire game changed. WoW was a blast until 60 and then forced community service with the above anonymous Internet users made me realize how desperate I had to be to spend my time playing this game. But don't worry - WoW wasn't my first MMO experience. In Anarchy Online I managed to play a nanotech when they were completely frivolous (hint: opening day). In Shadowbane I managed to repeatedly lose every gold piece I worked for without noticing it being lifted. In Ultima Online I learned that folks who are willing to macro will always be in power. Asheron's Call is probably the only MMO I've been close to being satisfied with and even that required too much of an investment in time and energy to be worthwhile. Guild Wars is more of an FPS (IMO) but I do give them props for trying to free the player from the grip of the above problems - but the computer groupmates never compared to real ones. It's PvP centric nature doesn't gain it any points with me either.
Even in the original MMOs - MUDs - I found myself at the whim of implementators and other players in ways that I simply didn't enjoy. I remember having my pfile version forcibly upgraded and losing half my hit points... and becoming worthless as a tank. Thanks!
Dark Age of Camelot ended with every person being about PvP. This is another fact which disturbs me - why does every game end up being centered around PvP? Oh wait, I know. PvP offers a content free method for a game company to keep their playerbase online even longer. I don't want to PvP. I'd love to see multiplayer games which featured cooperative play (Halo? The original Doom?) rather than competitive play. Hell, in DAoC I couldn't get a group to romp through a dungeon because it was more important to go fighting an enemy which endlessly respawned in the frontiers...
Then again, I know I'm just dreaming.
Good luck Bioware. This is years in the future, I'm sure, but it's a product I won't purchase. Hurry up with NWN2. :)
Have you tried Guild Wars?
They don't charge monthly fee's (though they also claim it's not an MMORPG) and it seems good so far. I'm just past what's considered the tutorial phase.
It has zero grinding and is mainly PvP based. I've only played on the roleplay part of the game so far and the quests so far have been enjoyable though quite easy. I hear once I'm the tutorial phase (which I've just passed) the quests become more difficult. Hopefully the rewards for the quests justify the quests difficulties... I'm bored of my lame Leather armour :)
[Edited by - TomX on March 19, 2006 9:55:10 AM]
They don't charge monthly fee's (though they also claim it's not an MMORPG) and it seems good so far. I'm just past what's considered the tutorial phase.
It has zero grinding and is mainly PvP based. I've only played on the roleplay part of the game so far and the quests so far have been enjoyable though quite easy. I hear once I'm the tutorial phase (which I've just passed) the quests become more difficult. Hopefully the rewards for the quests justify the quests difficulties... I'm bored of my lame Leather armour :)
[Edited by - TomX on March 19, 2006 9:55:10 AM]
Talonus, I don't think your blanket comments of "MMOs suck" is justified because you're not a fan of PvP. Have you tried non PvP-oriented MMOs?
This is completely your fault. One, you could of either played or partied with a scout, someone who is capable of detecting thieves. Two, thieves are revealed when they steal your gold, be more alert. Playing a game with the slogan "Play 2 Crush" and then bitching when you're taken advantage of by more cunning players is just wrong.
Obviously a player who puts more time into a game is going to be stronger than you. Does it really matter though? Once you've got your seven skills maxed, you're on an even playing field in UO. There are no classes which make one person stronger than the other.
Have you tried an MMO like D&D Online? It doesn't have any PvP (at all) and if you like Bioware games, it seems right up your alley. But seriously, don't bad mouth PvP MMOs because you don't like PvP.
Quote:In Shadowbane I managed to repeatedly lose every gold piece I worked for without noticing it being lifted.
This is completely your fault. One, you could of either played or partied with a scout, someone who is capable of detecting thieves. Two, thieves are revealed when they steal your gold, be more alert. Playing a game with the slogan "Play 2 Crush" and then bitching when you're taken advantage of by more cunning players is just wrong.
Quote:In Ultima Online I learned that folks who are willing to macro will always be in power.
Obviously a player who puts more time into a game is going to be stronger than you. Does it really matter though? Once you've got your seven skills maxed, you're on an even playing field in UO. There are no classes which make one person stronger than the other.
Have you tried an MMO like D&D Online? It doesn't have any PvP (at all) and if you like Bioware games, it seems right up your alley. But seriously, don't bad mouth PvP MMOs because you don't like PvP.
Take the combat system of Baldur's Gate and the depth of storylines offered by the MMO genre and what do you get?
Complete crap!
Bioware is not exactly well suited to making MMO's.
Complete crap!
Bioware is not exactly well suited to making MMO's.
Quote:imaginary guy with too much power
You mean we won't lose sale due to piracy AND we get to charge our customers over and over again every month? What the hell are we waiting for, lets make an MMORPG!!!
Quote:Original post by TomX
Have you tried Guild Wars?
They don't charge monthly fee's (though they also claim it's not an MMORPG) and it seems good so far. I'm just past what's considered the tutorial phase.
It has zero grinding and is mainly PvP based. I've only played on the roleplay part of the game so far and the quests so far have been enjoyable though quite easy. I hear once I'm the tutorial phase (which I've just passed) the quests become more difficult. Hopefully the rewards for the quests justify the quests difficulties... I'm bored of my lame Leather armour :)
They do have expansions every few months, where, if buy them amounts to about $10 a month though. The even better thing about that is that a late buyer (E.g. you) might want to get them, meaning they effectively get retroactive monthly pay. Talk about brilliant money making!!
Quote:Original post by Cypher19
They do have expansions every few months, where, if buy them amounts to about $10 a month though. The even better thing about that is that a late buyer (E.g. you) might want to get them, meaning they effectively get retroactive monthly pay. Talk about brilliant money making!!
I'm not quite sure why everyone is stuck on this idea that expansions are coming out every few months. Guild Wars came out a long time ago, and the first expansion isn't out yet. At this rate, you're looking at about $3-5 a month.
Other MMO's charge for expansions as well. Minus the cost of a full-priced expansion from that $3-5 a month and what is your monthly fee? Almost nothing.
Expansions aren't a charge one is forced into, either. There's a difference between upgrading your game now and then by choice, and being forced to pay just to keep the game at all.
Not only that, but the expansions are also stand-alone games, so it's possible to buy only an expansion and not the original game if you want. You could also go back and buy the original game for a fraction of the original cost at this point.
The idea that Guild Wars is somehow suckering people just like other MMO's is a myth. It is a far, far cheaper and more fair system.
Luckily, Bioware is also producing stacks of single-player games: their original IP in Dragon Age and Mass Effect intrigues and delights my role-playing sensibilities.
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