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General: New Column: MMOWTF
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
Dan Fotier debuts his new column on MMORPG with "Lessons Not Learned". In this first edition of his weekly articles, he looks at Dark and Light. Check back every Monday for a new edition of MMOWTF.
| So there I was sitting at my PC, staring at the screen wondering how to start off my new weekly column. It should be something appropriate and it seemed like I should start things off with a bang. In the midst of this pondering this, my trusty Yahoo Instant Messenger cheerfully advised me that I had a new e-mail and thus this rant was born.
In my inbox was mail from my friends over at NP Cube, makers of Dark and Light. The introduction line reads: "The Ganareth Tour will give newcomers to the world of Ganareth a taste of many of the world's most addictive elements. It can be downloaded at no cost." |
You can read more here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Couldn't agree more with that article. In fact, the failure of Dark and Light (along with SW:G NGE) made me want to learn how to program my own games. So I guess that might be one possitive or the whole thing, for me personally.
It's this example, along with many others that jade people more and more to small companies. I've seen some very beautiful work from several "indie" devs. They actually work part time on their projects, they take all of their free time and pour their hearts into making a game that might actually be different than everything else out there.
Then of course now a days everyone wants to make a game. Everyone has "the idea" that would make every gamer "happy". Unfortunately few realize the sheer volume of time and effort it takes to build a game. To organize people and get them motivated to make your project your "idea". Heck, even to build a proper website and community forums. It's a pain staking process making everything come together.
Let's just hope out of all the failures like Dark and Light we come out with at least a more informed customer than anything and not a bunch of people who will never again show support for a small company.
It just seemed abusive.
Regardless of whether or not Dark and Light is a poster child for badly implemented online games, there are better ways to get the point across than being nasty about it.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
On a less existential note, I hate DnL, too. But I think I hate people more. The biggest drawback of DnL is that it will further inspire all the sheep to initially judge a game not by its merit, but by how deep the company's pockets are. Yeah, a lot of people got burned in the wallet by DnL. Well, I am going to put this as eloquently as I can:
Screw you. Screw your stupid faces.
The most perfunctory of investigations would have revealed well before launch that DnL was a train wreck. With the amount of information we have at our fingertips these days, one who feels duped or deceived by the makers of DnL only has oneself to blame. There are plenty of expressions detailing the separation of stupid people from their money. I'll leave you to choose one that suits your fancy.
People shouldn't equate DnL's failure to absolute futility for small companies. BountyGreg has it right: EvE is still one of an MMO player's best options today. A lot of people may not like it, but at least it helps to fill a niche.
As far as I'm concerned, MMO makers should be allowed to spend their money the way they want to. If a company wants to use their money to make a giant paper bag, fill it with crap, and light it on fire, then, well, more power to them. I'll judge a product for myself when it comes out. Really, who wouldn't do at least a little of their own research into something that they will potentially spend months of real time playing?
In the end, more companies making more games equals more diversity, a thing I'm sure we can all agree is severely lacking in the industry today. No one's forcing you to play DnL (and if someone is, you can send them straight to hell, courtesy of me).
The article could have used a bit more substance to it.
"Don't take candy from strangers."
"Look both ways before crossing the street."
"Do
A mindless rant like this doesn't deserve to be called a column. There are no suggestions for improvement, nor even any mention of what is actually wrong with the game, other than repeatedly asserting that it's terrible.unto others as you would have them do unto you," and most importantly,
"if you don't know how to run an MMO please do yourself a favor and
stop because all you will do is embarrass yourself and make fans of the
genre less likely to take a chance on less well known projects and push
them towards cloned grindfests... with elves."
It's not easy to make a game, and people aren't evil for failing at what they set out to accomplish. At least these guys aren't wasting other people's air by making non-helpful, useless complaints. If you're going to be rude to people, at least have justification other than "because you guys know how bad it is."
I felt like saying something because it is "columns" like these that make me stop checking MMORPG.COM because they are inane and useless. Tell me about the game, tell me what should have improved, tell me WHY you didn't like the game. What goofy tactics were used up till now? Et cetera, et cetera.
Meh.
I thought DnL sucked and I was one of the suckers who bought a pioneer account...I finally got my refund though...but, as hobo says...if your going to use an article to rip DnL and NP Cube...say why your ripping them.
What, in your opinion as a columnist for MMORPG.com, did NP Cube do wrong, and what was wrong with their game?
The article could have used a bit more substance to it.
I felt like both of these comments summed the article up nicely. Yes, it was basically just a rant on how poor DnL was, and yes, it was a bit abusive, but at the same time, it lacked the substance to justify the abuse, and perhaps give the abuse a bit more punch. It assumes the reader already knows all there is to know about DnL, how it promised the world and delivered on nearly none of it, other than, from what I understand, creating an absolutely gorgeous virtual world to run around in. So, it's like paying a monthly fee to be an interactive member of a video card test demo, then? See, I don't know, thus the question mark. I would like to have seen more comments LIKE this rather than just a glorified DnL forum rant repackaged into an "editorial." While some of the editorials I've read at mmorpg.com have been excellent, I am getting to the point where I'd like to see far fewer of them, if it means that they will contain a bit more substance. No offense to the writer, but I have come to expect more from editorials than this.
You've probably got the toughest audience to please, so I admire the fact you giving it a crack, but give us something more to think about, please. Good luck with it!
And for those who like to live eternaly on hope and vapor we bring you
http://crusade.qol.com/
looks like someone took hope from DnL that there is a blind fanbois born every minute and decided to try it again
I miss DAoC
People here always smash anyone with personal views, so I guess it's easier to just find out what people don't like and just join the chorus.
I am looking forward to yet another article bashing SOE over changes to SWG next week; not saying I liked those changes, but that's another topic that's sure to win some cheers of approval.
Your're in for a pretty boring life unless you take some chances, at the very least you could try getting in Beta programs to sample whats out there fromk Indy developers.
Heh indy developers you realise that is where most of the innovation and new ideas spring from then companies like Blizzard and SOE snap them up and claim them as there own.
I guess you have no time for indy music, movies or anything else indy.
Thats the problem with 'so-called' industry pundits (Game/Movies/Music et al), they feel that they can put an OPINION out there and have it treated as fact, without any real substance to the comments.
Was Dark and Light a dissapointment ? Yes
Are NPcube Trying to Turn Things Around ? yes
Am I holding my breath for the game to become what it could have been? No
But those are just my opinions, having at least tried the game I hope they do turn it around, however nowhere do I see the editorial writer stating that he has even played the game which in my opinion gives him no right to jump on the bandwagon about how bad the game is.
I hope the editorials improve because based on the first offering its about the only direction left for them.
100% agree
Oh great, another rookiee with inspirations to become another game develper. Hello Dracis, long time no see. I am sure you have learned from the mistakes of DnL and SWG:NGE so that at least puts you a step up from most others. However, there is one major thing lacking in the MMOscape. Originality and creativity. That seems to have no place in the market these days. Were a game could stand on it's own merit and not be leaned against a specific genre or title from a movie/book/comic. Sure Age of Conan looks promising, but its not original. Stargate Online is cools seeming, but based on a TV show? LotR, Star Trek Online and countless others are still to come. Where are the orginal thinkers? Maybe it isn't the genre as much as it is the game mechanics yourself.
It seems to me that most developers lack any real creativity, they are just simple 'code monkeys' as I once heard them called. Then there are the Dev Egos. Trust me, Vuuar thinks he is far more relivant than he really is.
Everything seems to be Fantasy MMO now. I have a million ideas for games. I can't code worth a crap. It takes a marriage of both good ideas and strong coders. Someone has to be willing to take a chance and not go for the 'WoW Effect' as it has been called. If you build it, they will come, is a line that comes to mind.
MMO creators and wannabes, its time for something new and fresh. Right now I spend more time using Hamachi to play with friends and guildies than an actual MMO. I sense the return of the LAN game if the MMO world doesn't get its head out of it's proverbal butt.
MMOWTF is by far the best title yet btw. Nice one.
Lahari
Originally posted by lahari
I will agree that the title caught my attention, but I don't consider it that "great." Everyone knows what the "F" in WTF stands for, and as an editor of what I hope aspires to be a respectable website, one should not use, or allude to, profanity. I can think of any number of other ways to grab people without sinking to the level of using the F-bomb, such as MMOWTB, MMOWTH, MMOMIA, etc. I thought those up off the cuff just now, and I don't claim any special writing talents or creativity, and I imagine all of them would work equally well and convey your message with a bit more class.
Wow, you really showed me.
There's one thing I can't figure out about this article. Did someone actually get paid to write this? I expect this kind of idiotic ranting from a forum post, but you're telling me this kind of thing is actually going to be considered content for this site in the future? If I wanted to read immature whining from manchildren who are mentally incapable of handling a failed MMORPG, I would go to the SWG Veterans forum.
Enough dwelling on the unpleasant, though. Since we're talking Dark and Light, lets draw a comparison here. I can see a few similarities between that game and this article.
Dark and Light: Obvious garbage which anybody with a shred of intelligence could tell would end badly.
This article: Obvious garbage which anybody with a shred of intelligence could tell would end badly.
Dark and Light: Loved only by hardcore MMORPG fanboys too blind or stupid to see the truth behind the game.
This article: Loved only by hardcore MMORPG fanboys too blind or stupid to see the truth behind Dark and Light.
Dark and Light: Actually worthwhile to read about, since the details of the game's production and promotion were enough to make one stay away from the game.
This article: Actually worthwhile to read about, since the details of the article are enough to make one stay away from anything written by this author.
Maybe the D&L developers could hire this guy as a writer? He seems to share their style.
I agree, this "column" isn't any better than a random, mediocre flame post about D&L.
D&L is run but incompetent idiots and they're still trying to milk other idiots. I should become a column writer, woot!