Those of you in the Age of Conan beta will probably remember various nights spent sitting in a bar, knocking back an ale, and beating the crap out of your up-to-then drinking partner. Of course, along with a few other features heavily advertised (npc raids on player villages, among others) for launch, are well aware that two years after Age of Conan’s launch, most of these features are set for a release date one week after never. Drunken bar fights were silently swept under the rug and haven’t been heard from since, at least until now.
But not in the game you’d expect. Taking a cue and miss from Funcom, ArenaNet announced that Guild Wars 2 will feature drunken bar brawls. Speaking in a recent developers blog, you will not only be able to get insanely drunk, but the ale you drink will have various effects, including a noxious belch that poisons anyone drunk enough to stumble into its cloud. Smash your stein over someone’s head, and use the remaining shard as a shank! Kick someone into a table, splintering it, and then beat them to unconsciousness with the pieces of the table. The goal is to play dirty, you’re in a drunken bar fight, not Sir Lancelot’s jousting academy!
ArenaNet wants bar fights to feel like true bar fights, otherwise “why bother having them?” Of course, there are more lighthearted activities to be had in your city of choice.
Those of you in the Age of Conan beta will probably remember various nights spent sitting in a bar, knocking back an ale, and beating the crap out of your up-to-then drinking partner. Of course, along with a few other features heavily advertised (npc raids on player villages, among others) for launch, are well aware that two years after Age of Conan’s launch, most of these features are set for a release date one week after never. Drunken bar fights were silently swept under the rug and haven’t been heard from since, at least until now.
But not in the game you’d expect. Taking a cue and miss from Funcom, ArenaNet announced that Guild Wars 2 will feature drunken bar brawls. Speaking in a recent developers blog, you will not only be able to get insanely drunk, but the ale you drink will have various effects, including a noxious belch that poisons anyone drunk enough to stumble into its cloud. Smash your stein over someone’s head, and use the remaining shard as a shank! Kick someone into a table, splintering it, and then beat them to unconsciousness with the pieces of the table. The goal is to play dirty, you’re in a drunken bar fight, not Sir Lancelot’s jousting academy!
ArenaNet wants bar fights to feel like true bar fights, otherwise “why bother having them?” Of course, there are more lighthearted activities to be had in your city of choice.
Good news everyone! The Aion server mergers have been delayed from the 7th until the 14th. More importantly, NCsoft has come forward with some information regarding how the new servers will handle the duplicate names. The system is pretty simple:
Upon server merger, all characters will have a one or two character abbreviation added to the end of their name, based off of the server they originated from. In the case of two players with the same name, with sixteen characters in their name, transferring to the same server, one will find their name changed completely.
All characters are being provided with free name change tickets, and getting your old name back will be a matter of first come first served.
Somehow I don’t think that this will tide over well with the Collector’s Edition customers, who will find their perk of early-naming-access is now essentially nullified not even a year after release, not to mention the other players who will log in to find themselves out of a name to someone who joined after they did. It does beg the question: Is having a policy of naming based on seniority (the older character gets the name), as most other MMOs do, such a bad thing that this is the better alternative? I personally don’t see too much evidence to support it.
This will break down into players bum rushing the servers minutes after the maintenance ends, likely bringing the server to a crawl, in hopes of getting their names back. Players will need patience on the day of the mergers, and the days following, as customer service will be oversaturated with new requests on top of their regular duties.
All Points Bulletin is in the middle of an identity crisis, as it would seem, where the developers need to pick a side and stick with it, as to whether or not the game is an MMO or a competitive shooter.
A'ridin on a pony
Realtime World’s Dave Jones predicted that reviewers would not be so lenient on All Points Bulletin, and he was right. So far, the reviews have been around the middle (average 5’s to 6’s out of 10), with the negative comments mainly focused on the idea that, for a driving and shooting game, the driving and shooting mechanics need quite a bit of tuning. A lot of good has been noted towards the customization features and the character creator.
All Points Bulletin is in the middle of an identity crisis, as it would seem, where the developers need to pick a side and stick with it, as to whether or not the game is an MMO or a competitive shooter.
If All Points Bulletin is an MMO, Realtime Worlds needs to flesh out the world which, as of right now, is quite two dimensional. I’m not asking for anything huge, like the epic quests in Lord of the Rings Online, but Realtime Worlds could definitely spruce up the world by hosting live story-driven events that allow both sides to be involved. They could run an overall story arc with developer presence akin to The Matrix Online, for example starting with the criminals attempting to blow up a building and steal secret files inside (not in that order). Whoever wins moves the story arc in a variety of areas.
On the other hand, if Realtime Worlds wants to bill itself as a competitive online shooter, then the shooting and driving mechanics need to be overhauled yesterday. In a game where chase missions are often and plenty, having driving being as painful as it is in All Points Bulletin is very off-putting, feeling as if you are behind the wheel of a consistently intoxicated driver. As many have also said, the shooting feels unresponsive and you don’t feel as if you are shooting a weapon when the person you are pumping a full clip into barely flinches.
On another note, if Realtime Worlds wants to bill APB as a shoot-em-up and not an MMO, you will likely see that subscription go out the door faster than with Global Agenda, and Global Agenda’s subscription portion was eons closer to the traditional MMO formula than All Points Bulletin is.
I like All Points Bulletin, and I did pre-order, and I have played several hours. I do admit, however, that the game appears to be torn between two genres, and may be trying to move in two directions at once in a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation.
Earlier this year I started Checking In With The Better Business Bureau, a segment talking about the consumer protection group with no authority. Back in February I checked up on a few MMO developers to see their scores, and this time I want to go more in depth on each company and their score.
For those of you who have forgotten or do not live in the United States, the Better Business Bureau is an independent organization that fields complaints and offers the company a chance to respond. The idea is to create a web of trusted businesses where people can check what is being complained about and how the company reacts to those complaints. When it comes to your score, a business can maintain a good score if they respond in a way that pleases the BBB.
Blizzard: B
Blizzard’s score has plummeted from February’s A+ rating. The BBB’s explanation is as follows:
“Recent complainants allege the company closed accounts on 130,000 users without providing notice, and accused them of using “hack” techniques to cheat on gaming. Most of these complainants deny any illegal usage, and in some cases, they challenge the company to provide them some proof of the alleged violation. The company responds in some cases concerning faulty servers by advising that new servers installed should remedy the problem. The company addressed a few complaints regarding account terminations by issuing the same letter in each instance of complaint, accusing the complainant of cheating, lying or using hack programs.”
Cryptic Studios: C+
Cryptic’s rating has remained steady since April, and the BBB has some kinder words for them than Blizzard.
“Our complaint history for this company shows that the company responded to and gave proper consideration to most complaints. However, more than one complaint is unresolved meaning the company failed to properly address the complaint allegations or their response was inadequate.”
EA/Mythic/Bioware: A
Technically lumped into EA, the BBB scores Electronic Arts with an A.
“When considering complaint information, please take into account the company’s size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm’s responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.”
Funcom: A+
Funcom is maintaining their A+, with surprisingly few complaints in the past year. The BBB had this to say:
“BBB had previously identified a pattern of complaints concerningcustomer service issues. The company discussed with BBB in October 2008 ways to correct the cause of the customer complaints. Complaints have decreased in volume since the meeting.”
Gala-Net: F
For those of you unaware, Gala-Net is gPotato, publisher for such games as Allods Online and Aika Online.
“Our complaint history for this company shows that the company responded to and gave proper consideration to most complaints. However, more than one complaint is unresolved meaning the company failed to properly address the complaint allegations or their response was inadequate.”
Jagex: C-
This is based off of one complaint.
NCsoft: B-
NCsoft is up, from a C- to a B-. According to the BBB, this is due to a few unanswered complaints:
Based on BBB files, NCsoft Corporation has a BBB Rating of B- on ascale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
Failure to respond to 5 complaints filed against business.
Sony Online Entertainment: A
Most of the complaints, according to the BBB, are from people who forget to cancel their trial accounts.
“Consumer complaints received by the BBB allege difficulty in using this company’s online gaming service and being over billed or billed after they cancel the trial offer. In response to these consumer complaints, Sony indicates that some of their games may come with a limited number of days of game-play with purchase of the game software…”
Square Enix: A
Along with Sony, score remains in place.
“Our complaint history for this company shows the company gave proper consideration to complaints presented by the Bureau.”
Turbine Inc. : A+
Technically now part of Warner Brothers.
The BBB had nothing of interest to note.
A few companies on the list slipped in the past couple of months, most notably Blizzard over that mass ban. I guess it depends on how these companies view the non-authority of the BBB that dictates their reactions.
More on the BBB in three months when I follow up this article.
The twenty five dollar mount appears to be catching on far more than anyone would have anticipated…or hoped. With World of Warcraft’s Edward Cullen-esque horse, followed by Everquest II’s prowlers of the night, and now Everquest’s armored horses, one must assume that there are enough people out there, somewhere who are buying into singular items that cost more than the client itself (in the case of the Everquest titles). I hear people complain that the communities do not want these expensive mounts, but numbers don’t lie, and neither does money. When these functions stop being profitable is when they will cease to be.
Among the list of previously-exclusive items being added to the Cryptic store includes an upcoming Galaxy-X class starship, and for how much, you ask, knowing full well because I spoiled it in the article title. The price is two thousand Cryptic Points, or as Cryptic puts it:
Twenty Five Dollars: USD
The price can be found through Rekhan, noted ‘Marketing Dude’, whose post I shall relay here in case it is deleted or altered at some point:
I have decided to retire the Month In Review sessions in replacement for what I call “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” essentially a recap of the month and a look forward into the coming month.
June, like any decent bridging sequel, brought more questions to the table than it did answers…
My favorite picture of the month.
I have decided to retire the Month In Review sessions in replacement for what I call “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” essentially a recap of the month’s highlights.
June, like any decent bridging sequel, brought more questions to the table than it did answers. There was plenty of recaps to be had, such as this one! All in all, June was an excellent month for information regarding previously low-key MMOs. We received a lot of information on Warhammer 40k, the new Star Wars MMO, an upcoming Mummy MMO, Jumpgate, Lego Universe, Project V13, among others.
Foremost, happy birthday to some of our old geezers who are still running around.
WWII Online: Battleground Europe (2001-Present)
Anarchy Online (2001-Present)
Star Wars Galaxies (2003-Present)
Sony kicked off the month with the “official” announcement of Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures. Intending to offer players an experience more akin to Free Realms (and built on the same engine), Clone Wars will follow a similar pricing format, with a multitude of mini-games, activities, pets, and houses for players to engage in. Aimed at a slightly lower age group than your Star Wars Galaxies or The Old Republic, Clone Wars is aiming to hit the net sometime later this year.
Lord of the Rings Online and Global Agenda are getting a lot more accessible, with the announcement of both games changing subscription models. Lord of the Rings Online will be taking on a freemium model, with the original game offered for free with bonuses, expansions, and more content available in one time purchases, or for a subscription fee. Global Agenda, on the other hand, is going the Guild Wars route, offering the entire game after purchase for no subscription fee.
June 9th saw the launch of Mortal Online, after a number of delays on the part of Star Vault, with issues of desynchronization, among others, plaguing the servers. Server stability is still an issue with Mortal Online, with a form of compensation on its way from Star Vault.
All Points Bulletin launched this month, with lead designer EJ Moreland taking a shot at the MMOs opening cash shops, by claiming that APB would not feature a cash shop, ever, before quickly retracting on his statement and saying that Realtime Worlds would only consider cashing in if the community asked for it. Given the response to other cash shop inclusions, expect a cash shop coming to a police department near you.
Darkfall still loves you, and here at MMO Fallout we love us some Darkfall. Since the title launched last year, Aventurine has been working around the clock trying to bring in new players, and keep them. Those changes have removed the $50 paywall and introduced initially a paid, now free limited time trial. New players will find themselves offered extra protection during their first days of game time, as well as the game constantly being balanced to lower the time it takes for players to become competent in PvP combat.
And while we’re on the subject of tweaking content to balance gameplay, how about removing a chunk of content for the sake of balance? Such is the case when Flying Lab Software announced that the higher end ships will be removed from Pirates of the Burning Sea for the sake of balancing the lower tiers of ships.
Not all was great on the western front, however, as this month marked the grand server merger in Everquest, leaving just fourteen of the original servers remaining. With what may just turn 2010 into a year for mergers, Sony later announced mergers for Vanguard, with NCsoft announcing Aion server mergers, both game’s mergers to occur in July.
There is plenty more that occurred in June, and you can read all about it in the MMO Fallout archives. Until next time, this is Looking Back, Moving Forward.
I’m not a fan of cross-platform games as the more systems that are added to the fray, the higher the odds for delays due to unforeseen problems on one system. The end result is that, in an attempt to please everyone in the crowd, the developer delays all of the titles in order to ensure a simultaneous release, even if it means a delay of up to a year or more. MMOs, thankfully, have not had this issue. Given their release dates, the rest of us can breath a sigh of relief that Funcom never decided to delay Age of Conan for the never-released 360 port, or Champions Online with the also-never-released 360 port, and now Star Trek Online for its now-canned 360 port. In the case of Champions Online, the 360 version was fairly close to release, shutting down due to issues with Microsoft.
So bully to PC and tough luck for PS3 as Square Enix decided that they will release the PC version of Final Fantasy XIV this September, while the PS3 version will be delayed until March 2011 (at least). The PC version will hit at the end of September, and not much has been said specifically what caused the PS3 version to be delayed.
Even more interesting was the announcement of pricing structure. Players will be given one player and one ‘retainer’ character. The retainer character essentially acts as an official mule, managing the player’s sales and storage. Creating alts is possible, up to 8, but each one will tack on an additional three dollars, a month, to your subscription. Given the versatility of the player (able to level up all jobs), and the possibility of Final Fantasy XI’s grind making its way to XIV, an alt is unnecessary.
More on Final Fantasy XIV as it appears. Hopefully we won’t see any 20+ hour Pandemonium Wardens.
Chronicles of Spellborn is a very important lesson in the realm of MMOs: If you don’t have money to fund your project, your game is going nowhere. The game launched in April 2009 in the US, and almost immediately afterward developer Spellborn Works kicked the bucket, dissolving into the vast nothingness of space. Acclaim announced that the game would be going completely free to play, with a big relaunch in the works to be released at some point in the future.
Since then Spellborn has been running similar to many of my local state and county parks. Technically open, but nobody’s mowed the grass in a year, and no one ever stopped by to open the gates to actually allow people to get in. According to my reports, playing Spellborn is a matter of getting files off of another website, because the client Acclaim offers doesn’t work, and neither does their patcher. Since the breakdown of Spellborn last year with Acclaim and Frogster taking over for the game in their respective areas, prospects have gone from poor to worse, and in all respects Spellborn is sitting in a comatose condition waiting for the plug to be pulled.
Well Frogster is the first to throw the switch, and Chronicles of Spellborn Asia-Edition will be heading for the crematorium. So far there hasn’t been any news on what Acclaim plans to do with the title, although the standing claim still points towards a miraculous reincarnation of the game under a freemium model.
The problem with Chronicles of Spellborn, and I don’t blame them for this, is Acclaim is likely seeing a dearth of excitement for this title. It isn’t often a title goes to sleep for as long as Spellborn has so far, and wakes up to find a large number of players still waiting on it. Life goes on, and sadly it is leaving Spellborn behind.
I’ll be watching Chronicles of Spellborn as more news appears, but for the tiny handful of you who are still holding on to the hope of a relaunch and reinvention, I have a friend named Gary Whiting I need to introduce to you.
Blizzard appears to set standards wherever they go. The latest venture? A sparkling horse. Not just any sparkling horse, a sparkling horse that generated millions of dollars for Blizzard over the course of just one day. Back in May, Sony Online Entertainment announced that Everquest II would be receiving a similar update. This horse, featuring glowing eyes, was much less sparkly, and wasn’t really a horse.
Flash forward one month and Everquest II’s older brother wants in on the cash pile. Not one, not two, but four mounts are available on the Station cash shop for Everquest, for just twenty five bucks a pop, one of which is pictured above.
So your guess is as good as mine as to which MMO will be following the $25 mount, but if I had to guess I would put my bet on another Sony title.
MMO Fallout 