My question is this: Is there more than one place to go past level 10? I have no problem with levels 1-10 being a linear "tutorial" where you test out combat and learn about your race. Once that is over I hope there are options as to where you go from there. Vanguard did this brilliantly.
This is still closed beta. many of the fan sites pass feedback to XLGames so if you have an interest in AA but some of the features make you cringe go to those sites and make your thoughts known. If enough people say the same thing than a developer would be foolish not to at least listen.
From the looks of it, AA will be just another grinder that has some sandbox elements. Now this is not a bad thing, it's just that just because you add in climbing trees and vines and also being able to cut that tree down, doesn't make for great gameplay. The game will probably be huge in Korea, and garner a much smaller following here in the west. Now i hope some people don't take my opinion as negative, it really is not meant to be.
... Please research the game before you come spouting out ignorance on this game, it's one of the only slightly unique concepts coming out atm. SWTOR is a wow clone much like Rift.... GW2... Rift clone, Wow is an EQ clone... Just leave it be and hope it provides a satisfying environment to play FFS
"Sometimes people say stuff they don''t mean, but more often then that they don''t say things they do mean"
show me a game with not linear zone progression. When you start of with level 901340 mobs around you, between level 1 mobs.
Everquest 1, Ultima Online, Darkfall to name a few. I'll give you examples:
Everquest 1:
Yes, most of the starter areas "cities" had rats and bats to bash on but also had plenty of other stuff mixed in. You could be happily slaughtering level 5 mobs and get run down by a level 35 hill giant. Todays gamers probably think thats not fun, but it added excitement to the game and gave higher level characters a reason to come back...ie. non linear.
Ultima Online:
Wander into the woods out of any city and you never knew what you were going to run into...bunnies...deer...EVIL EYES...ie. non linear.
Darkfall:
To a certain extent. Yes every city had some starter goblins. Outside of that it was camps of mobs that could range from low to high, some right beside each other. Another reason to come back to areas after you out level them. ie. non linear.
Well after watching all those videos I have a few things to say.
1. I hate quest hubs with the giant glowing "!" and "?". Also the fact that you can do these quests without knowing korean bothers me even more. Why oh why do I have to have my hand held every step of the way while doing stupid fetch/kill quests? This is the single worst addition to the genre if you ask me, and everytime I see it in a game I want to throw my monitor threw the wall. Make the content and battles interesting/challenging enough to where it's worth my time without some pointless npc telling me it's worth my time to get bonus xp. If there are quests where you go kill the goblin king after fighting waves of his minions up in his cave in the highlands because he drops you a cool bow, shield, sword, or whatever that's ok but pointless fetch quests for xp need to go.
2. Grouping! Is it even necessary or does it even add anything? I like grouping, if there is no benefit to it that's a bad things as far as I'm concerned. Soloing should be possible but should not the most efficient route. Also, if that goblin kings item is for level 10 you shouldn't be able to solo it until you're lvl 15-20, it should take a handful of level 8-10s to kill that jerk.
3. The environments look great, mobs look cool too, gotta love open world raid bosses or named monsters as some like to call them.
4. I hope I can turn off the damage numbers floating off of mobs, some people like this, I am not one of them but it should be an option to have or not have.
My hype for this game has decreased somewhat, mainly because of number 1, number 2 is still kind of yet to be truly seen. Same thing happened when I was hyped about Rift. I guess number 1. might just be one of those things I have to live with in this genre, it's sad but that appears to be what everyone else wants.
Well after watching all those videos I have a few things to say.
1. I hate quest hubs with the giant glowing "!" and "?". Also the fact that you can do these quests without knowing korean bothers me even more. Why oh why do I have to have my hand held every step of the way while doing stupid fetch/kill quests? This is the single worst addition to the genre if you ask me, and everytime I see it in a game I want to throw my monitor threw the wall. Make the content and battles interesting/challenging enough to where it's worth my time without some pointless npc telling me it's worth my time to get bonus xp. If there are quests where you go kill the goblin king after fighting waves of his minions up in his cave in the highlands because he drops you a cool bow, shield, sword, or whatever that's ok but pointless fetch quests for xp need to go.
2. Grouping! Is it even necessary or does it even add anything? I like grouping, if there is no benefit to it that's a bad things as far as I'm concerned. Soloing should be possible but should not the most efficient route. Also, if that goblin kings item is for level 10 you shouldn't be able to solo it until you're lvl 15-20, it should take a handful of level 8-10s to kill that jerk.
3. The environments look great, mobs look cool too, gotta love open world raid bosses or named monsters as some like to call them.
4. I hope I can turn off the damage numbers floating off of mobs, some people like this, I am not one of them but it should be an option to have or not have.
My hype for this game has decreased somewhat, mainly because of number 1, number 2 is still kind of yet to be truly seen. Same thing happened when I was hyped about Rift. I guess number 1. might just be one of those things I have to live with in this genre, it's sad but that appears to be what everyone else wants.
My thoughts exactly... especally number 1. FML I hate this quest system that has taken over the genre... people hate grinding mobs and are vocal about it, yet not many are vocal about these quest grinds that are far worse than just mobs.
People need to stop looking at all MMOs like they are a race to end game and you need to grind to get anything done.
Developers have constantly made additions to MMOs to allow people to play as they want, and AA is no exception to the rule.
Yes, there are quests, and they tell a story as is now tradition with quests. But like all MMOs, you aren't obligated to do the quests.
AA is built so that players can play however they want. Grinding mobs will give you xp, exploring will give you xp, crafting will give you xp, everything gives xp. When are players going to realize that xp is an afterthought. You should be playing the game, not constantly trying to advance. Advancement comes along with playing.
And then someone will complain how it's just another quest grinder. Well there is a lot more to the game than quests, doing quests is just one route. But in AA, if you feel like just going out into the world building yourself a house and developing a small farm to create your own business, you can, no questing required.
The only grinding anyone ever has to do is the grinding they choose to do. Players need to reevaluate their goals in MMOs. Do you want to just be max level and better than everyone? Or do you want to just have fun?
If you assume that playing animal crossing(farming) is fun for everyone that's fine. I think this game is definately aimed at a specific group of players which is fine, they found their niche.
If you assume that meeting every night under roofs for bosses waiting to be killed and going on a massive loot cycle over and over and over again is fun for everyone then that is not fine at all.
What I'm trying to bring to the conversation is that I think this game seems to have a niche community they are aiming for.
It might not be niche. You can't really say EVE is a niche game, can you? You think this game is aimed at very few people and only a handful of people enjoy this playstyle. This is not true, games like MO and DF are niche because of almost non-existant production values not because they provide something very few people enjoy. I can personally tell you I've never played a sandbox game and I am very excited for this one.
Buddy a niche has nothing to do with the number of people, but a segment of people. Im not saying few people will enjoy it, Im saying people who enjoy farming-esque(housing, farming, land-ownership and development) will like this game.
It's easy being a critic, while i agree you have some interesting points i don't agree with them at all.
Originally posted by Lexxer76
Pretty game, but i was expecting better combat systems instead of another clone.
Combat looks like RIFT/WoW. So far everyone is soloing and combat is tab, hot button, cool down. Mobs are leashed and just seem to roam aimless in fields waiting to be slaughtered. Absolutly nothing new here.
While it is tab targetting combat, i don't really see why this is so bad, it's a tried and tested system that works, of
course mobs are leashed and run around aimlessly, what did you expect, they have always done this, and there is
no need to change this
Quest hubs galore, quest tracker and even quest helpers/pointers.
While i agree that quest helpers/pointers is not needed, what is wrong with having quest hubs, while i tends to make the experience more on rails, that's not a given, but for the most part i agree here, but i have a hard time coming up with something that would work better
Killing mobs for EXP not even close to good as grinding quests confirmed on AA portal - another quest grinder? Really?
Again i don't see the problem here, while it would be great having grinding and questing be equal, lets face it, there are very few people who enjoys endlessly killing mobs, there would have to be more of them wandering aimlessly around, and that is something you seem to dislike.
Linear zone progression confirmed (At least for pre 20 levels)
This point i agree with completely, if that is true, that seems like a very bad thing, i've always hated that. I would love to be wandering around the first zone and exploring, when i find mobs much higher level than me, this gives reason for higher level players to come back to the zone again later, and helps prevent the feeling of empty zones when the population is settled.
Instanced dungeons and battlegrounds
I really don't see this as a bad thing, while i hope there are non-instanced dungeons also, i have no problem with instanced dungeons either, they are also a system that are very well accepted today.
Did we really need another one of these? I just don't think adding houses and farms to Rift or WoW makes it a sandbox (or a sandpark) .
I see alot of critique in your post, but no suggestions to as how it could be better, it always easy to say that you don't like something, but much harder giving constructive idea's/suggestions as to how to improve things.
Sigh*, I'm glad that there are very few people who believe, "Things work, let's just do that for the rest of eternity".
That not what i meant, but this is not some big company that has endless cash and therefore can not afford to be to innovative, so they take what they know works and adds their own slight touch to it, and i've yet to see anyone suggest something better, you didn't either, you just pop in and said "well thats bad... change it!!!!" without coming with any ideas or suggestions as to how things could be better, perhaps you have a brilliant idea, i don't know, but it couldn't hurt to put it out there..
I'm not saying that innovation or change is bad, but there is no need to change for the sake of change alone. If you think you've come up with a great idea, then by all means implement them in the game. But if you haven't then i don't see the problem with taking what you know works.
My thoughts exactly... especally number 1. FML I hate this quest system that has taken over the genre... people hate grinding mobs and are vocal about it, yet not many are vocal about these quest grinds that are far worse than just mobs.
Largely because more than their dislike for grinding quests is their need to level, nice shiny new skills. 'Leveling' is time invested with nearly all mmo's, the better ones give a variety in how that time can be spent. However in my experience gamers take the path of least resistance, if quest grinding is quicker then quest grinding it is.
----- The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
Whether you meant it or not it is what you said. Sticking with the tried and true can work in some cases, but I think people are looking for more now. Also, we are not game developers we are players so just because we don't have some amazing idea about how to fix a problem like quest hub grinding doesn't mean developers shouldn't strive to fix it or come up with something new and exciting.
Here is an idea for you though when concerning quest hub grinding. 1. don't do it.
Whether you meant it or not it is what you said. Sticking with the tried and true can work in some cases, but I think people are looking for more now. Also, we are not game developers we are players so just because we don't have some amazing idea about how to fix a problem like quest hub grinding doesn't mean developers shouldn't strive to fix it or come up with something new and exciting.
Here is an idea for you though when concerning quest hub grinding. 1. don't do it.
Actually i agree with quest hub grinding, it's boring and there is no need for it.
What i would like to see is more meaningfull quests, longer and with more meat (Like a singleplayer game) make it a long chain and make the reward worth it. This would mean far less quests, but the ones left would be much more interesting, and the incentive to do them might be bigger. Will this work in an MMO, i don't know, but i would like to see someone try.
Will you might not be a developer, you seem to know that you don't like it, then what would make it better for you?
I'm a firm believer that you can't just say you don't like something without giving reasons as to why, or how to improve it. If you can't put that into words, then how can you say you don't like it or it could be made better.
As i also stated, there is nothing wrong with trying something new, but there has to be a reason for it, but if you can't come up with ideas, who's to say that the developers can, and if they can't i see no problem with taking a system that works and using that, that is after all how most things gets done today.
You say that people are looking for more now, but i haven't seen anyone come with ideas or suggestions as to this fabled "more", mostly everyone just says something along the lines of "It sucks, do better" which is neither helpful or interesting.
So if I can't come up with an good idea when I say I don't like something I shouldn't be able to say I don't like it? Well I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Like I said earlier I am not a game developer, they are the ones being paid to come up with new fresh ideas and move the genre along. We the players will play the games if they are good and complain if they are bad. We don't have to come up with new ideas it's not our job to. You proposed a new idea though about making quests strung out more and making them more in depth and though there might be less they will be better quality. That's a start and sounds like something I would like.
My problem is if we used your logic though, that if we can't come up with a solution for the problem we can't complain in other areas of life you'll see how silly that really is. I don't know how to fix the unemployment problem but I can still say I don't like it, I don't know how to fix the awful education system in the US but I can still say I don't like it. I don't like some movies but I can honestly say I will never be able to make a movie better than even the worst director yet I an many others still complain when it is bad. Why? Because the thing is I'm not the one being paid to fix these problems. I get paid to do a certain job and when someone comes to me with a complaint I don't tell them they have to come up with a solution, I do some research, consult with peers, and come up with new solutions myself, then I run it by the person who complained and then implement those solutions if they ok them. Why should game developers not be held to the same standards? We say that we don't like something, they come up with a solution, consult with some of their peers, ask the players we say "hey that sounds cool", then developers implement it.
So if I can't come up with an good idea when I say I don't like something I shouldn't be able to say I don't like it? Well I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Like I said earlier I am not a game developer, they are the ones being paid to come up with new fresh ideas and move the genre along. We the players will play the games if they are good and complain if they are bad. We don't have to come up with new ideas it's not our job to. You proposed a new idea though about making quests strung out more and making them more in depth and though there might be less they will be better quality. That's a start and sounds like something I would like.
My problem is if we used your logic though, that if we can't come up with a solution for the problem we can't complain in other areas of life you'll see how silly that really is. I don't know how to fix the unemployment problem but I can still say I don't like it, I don't know how to fix the awful education system in the US but I can still say I don't like it. I don't like some movies but I can honestly say I will never be able to make a movie better than even the worst director yet I an many others still complain when it is bad. Why? Because the thing is I'm not the one being paid to fix these problems. I get paid to do a certain job and when someone comes to me with a complaint I don't tell them they have to come up with a solution, I do some research, consult with peers, and come up with new solutions myself, then I run it by the person who complained and then implement those solutions if they ok them. Why should game developers not be held to the same standards? We say that we don't like something, they come up with a solution, consult with some of their peers, ask the players we say "hey that sounds cool", then developers implement it.
Your attitude is exactly what i see as a problem, you continue to say that just because it's not your job you are not required to do anything to make things better but are still allowed to complain, that makes you a complainer, and you're contributing absolutely zero to any solution because you fully expect other people to do it for you.
What i'm getting at here, is that you yourself have to take some responsibilty to get things to change, instead of just leaning back and say "Well this sucks, but i don't want to think about how to make it better so i'll just complain and let others find a solution". If you want something to get better start coming up with ideas yourself instead of relying on others doing it.
Game developers aren't some magical beings infinitely smarter than you and me, they are human beings just like us, and we have the same capability to come up with ideas as they have, and who's to say that our ideas aren't great.
The real problem with responses like "This Sucks, make it better" is that it contributes absolutely nothing to a discussion. As a developer a response like "I don't like quest hubs because they seem to be there solely for the quests, and the quests are usually boring fetch x, kill Y, deliver Z things, i would like something different but i don't know quite what, but lets discuss this" brings much more to a developer reading this
The player doesn't like quests hubs
Quests are boring, and to generic
They feel like quest hubs aren't part of the world
Now the two statements said exactly the same, but one proposed, albeit indirectly, some form of solution to the problems.
And i do think this goes for any real life situation too. Lets take your unemployement example, i don't know the situation in the US as i'm not from the US, but i'm not just going to complain about it, while i fully agree that it is unlikely that any one person can come up with a solution to such a complicated problem, it doesn't give them the right to just sit back and complain that it sucks. While you may not get paid to do something it doesn't mean you can't do something or shouldn't do something. Perhaps finding people who also thinks that unemployement sukcs, sit down with them and discuss the problem, perhaps you can actually come up with some suggestions as how to improve the situation, whether those suggestions makes sense or not and can actually be done isn't as important as the fact you actually thought about what was wrong and came up with something instead of just complaining about it, send it of to the relevant people and they may see something they missed.
Take your movie example, if you find a movie bad, then explain what it is that was bad, and how you would think it could be better, that's far more constructive to the producer/director than someone just saying the movie sucks. While you may not have the best ideas it's still valid opinions that they can use in the next movie.
I've spent so much time writing up ideas for MMO developers on their forums and elsewhere that at this point I can't make myself provide a reason. Almost all AAA MMO companies are going to do what they want to do, when and how they want to do it, because their publisher says so. So while I prefer to read/write constructively, the MMO powers that be haven't really been a place where constructive criticism has been heard. Blizzard, Sony, and Square have all pushed bad things out that they knew ahead of time the players would hate. But it brought in new box sales, so who cares?
I've spent so much time writing up ideas for MMO developers on their forums and elsewhere that at this point I can't make myself provide a reason. Almost all AAA MMO companies are going to do what they want to do, when and how they want to do it, because their publisher says so. So while I prefer to read/write constructively, the MMO powers that be haven't really been a place where constructive criticism has been heard. Blizzard, Sony, and Square have all pushed bad things out that they knew ahead of time the players would hate. But it brought in new box sales, so who cares?
While i certainly feel your frustration, having done the same thing myself, that doesn't mean that i will give up, as giving up will result in even less change. It's not easy to keep coming with constructive advise/ideas when you feel like you're never being heard, i almost certain that most developers still listen and consider ideas from gamers even though there is little evidence to support it in the form of actual implemented ideas, it may also be possible that our ideas are just bad, that doesn't mean we should refrain from coming up with them.
Comments
My question is this: Is there more than one place to go past level 10? I have no problem with levels 1-10 being a linear "tutorial" where you test out combat and learn about your race. Once that is over I hope there are options as to where you go from there. Vanguard did this brilliantly.
This is still closed beta. many of the fan sites pass feedback to XLGames so if you have an interest in AA but some of the features make you cringe go to those sites and make your thoughts known. If enough people say the same thing than a developer would be foolish not to at least listen.
Just not worth my time anymore.
From the looks of it, AA will be just another grinder that has some sandbox elements. Now this is not a bad thing, it's just that just because you add in climbing trees and vines and also being able to cut that tree down, doesn't make for great gameplay. The game will probably be huge in Korea, and garner a much smaller following here in the west. Now i hope some people don't take my opinion as negative, it really is not meant to be.
AA will WRECK ALL!
AA Will FAIL!
AA IS A ASIAN GRINDER!
AA is a WoW Clone!
AA is UO 2.0
AA is a meeting you attend
... Please research the game before you come spouting out ignorance on this game, it's one of the only slightly unique concepts coming out atm. SWTOR is a wow clone much like Rift.... GW2... Rift clone, Wow is an EQ clone... Just leave it be and hope it provides a satisfying environment to play FFS
"Sometimes people say stuff they don''t mean, but more often then that they don''t say things they do mean"
Everquest 1, Ultima Online, Darkfall to name a few. I'll give you examples:
Everquest 1:
Yes, most of the starter areas "cities" had rats and bats to bash on but also had plenty of other stuff mixed in. You could be happily slaughtering level 5 mobs and get run down by a level 35 hill giant. Todays gamers probably think thats not fun, but it added excitement to the game and gave higher level characters a reason to come back...ie. non linear.
Ultima Online:
Wander into the woods out of any city and you never knew what you were going to run into...bunnies...deer...EVIL EYES...ie. non linear.
Darkfall:
To a certain extent. Yes every city had some starter goblins. Outside of that it was camps of mobs that could range from low to high, some right beside each other. Another reason to come back to areas after you out level them. ie. non linear.
To save people the time, here is the link to the English stream when it comes up
Well after watching all those videos I have a few things to say.
1. I hate quest hubs with the giant glowing "!" and "?". Also the fact that you can do these quests without knowing korean bothers me even more. Why oh why do I have to have my hand held every step of the way while doing stupid fetch/kill quests? This is the single worst addition to the genre if you ask me, and everytime I see it in a game I want to throw my monitor threw the wall. Make the content and battles interesting/challenging enough to where it's worth my time without some pointless npc telling me it's worth my time to get bonus xp. If there are quests where you go kill the goblin king after fighting waves of his minions up in his cave in the highlands because he drops you a cool bow, shield, sword, or whatever that's ok but pointless fetch quests for xp need to go.
2. Grouping! Is it even necessary or does it even add anything? I like grouping, if there is no benefit to it that's a bad things as far as I'm concerned. Soloing should be possible but should not the most efficient route. Also, if that goblin kings item is for level 10 you shouldn't be able to solo it until you're lvl 15-20, it should take a handful of level 8-10s to kill that jerk.
3. The environments look great, mobs look cool too, gotta love open world raid bosses or named monsters as some like to call them.
4. I hope I can turn off the damage numbers floating off of mobs, some people like this, I am not one of them but it should be an option to have or not have.
My hype for this game has decreased somewhat, mainly because of number 1, number 2 is still kind of yet to be truly seen. Same thing happened when I was hyped about Rift. I guess number 1. might just be one of those things I have to live with in this genre, it's sad but that appears to be what everyone else wants.
My thoughts exactly... especally number 1. FML I hate this quest system that has taken over the genre... people hate grinding mobs and are vocal about it, yet not many are vocal about these quest grinds that are far worse than just mobs.
Buddy a niche has nothing to do with the number of people, but a segment of people. Im not saying few people will enjoy it, Im saying people who enjoy farming-esque(housing, farming, land-ownership and development) will like this game.
That not what i meant, but this is not some big company that has endless cash and therefore can not afford to be to innovative, so they take what they know works and adds their own slight touch to it, and i've yet to see anyone suggest something better, you didn't either, you just pop in and said "well thats bad... change it!!!!" without coming with any ideas or suggestions as to how things could be better, perhaps you have a brilliant idea, i don't know, but it couldn't hurt to put it out there..
I'm not saying that innovation or change is bad, but there is no need to change for the sake of change alone. If you think you've come up with a great idea, then by all means implement them in the game. But if you haven't then i don't see the problem with taking what you know works.
Largely because more than their dislike for grinding quests is their need to level, nice shiny new skills. 'Leveling' is time invested with nearly all mmo's, the better ones give a variety in how that time can be spent. However in my experience gamers take the path of least resistance, if quest grinding is quicker then quest grinding it is.
-----
The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
Whether you meant it or not it is what you said. Sticking with the tried and true can work in some cases, but I think people are looking for more now. Also, we are not game developers we are players so just because we don't have some amazing idea about how to fix a problem like quest hub grinding doesn't mean developers shouldn't strive to fix it or come up with something new and exciting.
Here is an idea for you though when concerning quest hub grinding. 1. don't do it.
Actually i agree with quest hub grinding, it's boring and there is no need for it.
What i would like to see is more meaningfull quests, longer and with more meat (Like a singleplayer game) make it a long chain and make the reward worth it. This would mean far less quests, but the ones left would be much more interesting, and the incentive to do them might be bigger. Will this work in an MMO, i don't know, but i would like to see someone try.
Will you might not be a developer, you seem to know that you don't like it, then what would make it better for you?
I'm a firm believer that you can't just say you don't like something without giving reasons as to why, or how to improve it. If you can't put that into words, then how can you say you don't like it or it could be made better.
As i also stated, there is nothing wrong with trying something new, but there has to be a reason for it, but if you can't come up with ideas, who's to say that the developers can, and if they can't i see no problem with taking a system that works and using that, that is after all how most things gets done today.
You say that people are looking for more now, but i haven't seen anyone come with ideas or suggestions as to this fabled "more", mostly everyone just says something along the lines of "It sucks, do better" which is neither helpful or interesting.
So if I can't come up with an good idea when I say I don't like something I shouldn't be able to say I don't like it? Well I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Like I said earlier I am not a game developer, they are the ones being paid to come up with new fresh ideas and move the genre along. We the players will play the games if they are good and complain if they are bad. We don't have to come up with new ideas it's not our job to. You proposed a new idea though about making quests strung out more and making them more in depth and though there might be less they will be better quality. That's a start and sounds like something I would like.
My problem is if we used your logic though, that if we can't come up with a solution for the problem we can't complain in other areas of life you'll see how silly that really is. I don't know how to fix the unemployment problem but I can still say I don't like it, I don't know how to fix the awful education system in the US but I can still say I don't like it. I don't like some movies but I can honestly say I will never be able to make a movie better than even the worst director yet I an many others still complain when it is bad. Why? Because the thing is I'm not the one being paid to fix these problems. I get paid to do a certain job and when someone comes to me with a complaint I don't tell them they have to come up with a solution, I do some research, consult with peers, and come up with new solutions myself, then I run it by the person who complained and then implement those solutions if they ok them. Why should game developers not be held to the same standards? We say that we don't like something, they come up with a solution, consult with some of their peers, ask the players we say "hey that sounds cool", then developers implement it.
Your attitude is exactly what i see as a problem, you continue to say that just because it's not your job you are not required to do anything to make things better but are still allowed to complain, that makes you a complainer, and you're contributing absolutely zero to any solution because you fully expect other people to do it for you.
What i'm getting at here, is that you yourself have to take some responsibilty to get things to change, instead of just leaning back and say "Well this sucks, but i don't want to think about how to make it better so i'll just complain and let others find a solution". If you want something to get better start coming up with ideas yourself instead of relying on others doing it.
Game developers aren't some magical beings infinitely smarter than you and me, they are human beings just like us, and we have the same capability to come up with ideas as they have, and who's to say that our ideas aren't great.
The real problem with responses like "This Sucks, make it better" is that it contributes absolutely nothing to a discussion. As a developer a response like "I don't like quest hubs because they seem to be there solely for the quests, and the quests are usually boring fetch x, kill Y, deliver Z things, i would like something different but i don't know quite what, but lets discuss this" brings much more to a developer reading this
The player doesn't like quests hubs
Quests are boring, and to generic
They feel like quest hubs aren't part of the world
Now the two statements said exactly the same, but one proposed, albeit indirectly, some form of solution to the problems.
And i do think this goes for any real life situation too. Lets take your unemployement example, i don't know the situation in the US as i'm not from the US, but i'm not just going to complain about it, while i fully agree that it is unlikely that any one person can come up with a solution to such a complicated problem, it doesn't give them the right to just sit back and complain that it sucks. While you may not get paid to do something it doesn't mean you can't do something or shouldn't do something. Perhaps finding people who also thinks that unemployement sukcs, sit down with them and discuss the problem, perhaps you can actually come up with some suggestions as how to improve the situation, whether those suggestions makes sense or not and can actually be done isn't as important as the fact you actually thought about what was wrong and came up with something instead of just complaining about it, send it of to the relevant people and they may see something they missed.
Take your movie example, if you find a movie bad, then explain what it is that was bad, and how you would think it could be better, that's far more constructive to the producer/director than someone just saying the movie sucks. While you may not have the best ideas it's still valid opinions that they can use in the next movie.
I've spent so much time writing up ideas for MMO developers on their forums and elsewhere that at this point I can't make myself provide a reason. Almost all AAA MMO companies are going to do what they want to do, when and how they want to do it, because their publisher says so. So while I prefer to read/write constructively, the MMO powers that be haven't really been a place where constructive criticism has been heard. Blizzard, Sony, and Square have all pushed bad things out that they knew ahead of time the players would hate. But it brought in new box sales, so who cares?
While i certainly feel your frustration, having done the same thing myself, that doesn't mean that i will give up, as giving up will result in even less change. It's not easy to keep coming with constructive advise/ideas when you feel like you're never being heard, i almost certain that most developers still listen and consider ideas from gamers even though there is little evidence to support it in the form of actual implemented ideas, it may also be possible that our ideas are just bad, that doesn't mean we should refrain from coming up with them.