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Matrix Online, Horrible failure or most underrated MMO?
jokerdhell
Member Posts: 52
Which is it?
Comments
it flaws and I know that, but this game is definitly better then what
most ppl (who never played it) think and say.
so it is Underrated, if you played the game you know this is true...
The Illuminati Gaming Society
Most definately underrated. Of course it has some slight problems, but what MMO doesnt? And even then said problems are getting worked out patch by patch.
Overall its a good time to be jacked in. Things improving all the time, content being added, bugs being fixed, community being great as always, devs down to earth, live events and story missions ever deepening. A good time indeed.
Overratted.
If it wasn't for the Matrix name it would have been Vaporware.
The Illuminati Gaming Society
In buying a game, there are certain things that appeal to you, which help you make the decision to purchase it in the first place. Being a fan of the Matrix films (including the Animatrix, which really swept up my decision to purchase MxO), I'm interested in the game for the license more than anything else.
The first Matrix had so much depth to it, and applying it to a virtual world is what needed to be done. Yes, MxO has done that in various ways, but it's still lacking in that department (Not because the Devs choose not to do it, but because it's difficult to even begin such a task, yet alone implement it). Therefore, if you bought this game because someone said "Try it out, it's aweome. You'll love it.", then you're already setting an incredibly high standard for MxO before you've played the game. Without researching it, you wouldn't know about certain aspects MxO has to offer.
MxO has a great community, and all the time there are community projects in the works. Player Events range from common get-togethers, tournaments, to highly evolved player driven storylines. PvP is something that truly masks what MxO has to offer. Combat was big in the movies, but in an MMO environment, that can't be all MxO should offer it's playerbase.
MxO is the type of game that can't appeal to the hardcore MMO-goer unless they're interested in things other than player vs. player combat. In saying there is a lack of content, you'd just be proving to the rest of the MxO community, that you rushed your way to level up... while ignoring the subtle gameplay in between.
Before MxO was launched, much time was spent building on various storylines. Yes, the "Main Storyline", involving Morpheus, Niobe and the lot is what would drag most people here, but it's obvious that looking at it realistically, is there a reason those operatives/characters alone would be the focus of an entire universe?
Live events used to drive the main storyline, and in my opinion, until SOE took over, the Live Events Team did a fantastic job. Morpheus wasn't a characters that went around parading the streets like he knew everybody. To meet him as a character, was an honor... You had to do something in order to be called upon by him and other characters like him. At this point, Live Events are shared amongst whoever is online, not who can get the job done. I still believe that this was a major blow to the future of MxO. The efforts you spend in an MMO should be rewarded and allocated in the same direction.
Without taking Live Events in mind, MxO is still a game that is said to have little-to-no content. It's underrated for that reason. People aren't taking the time to really invest an honest interest in the world MxO has to offer. Exile Hideouts and Exile Contacts bring much to the table, yet they're commonly ignored. Everyone is rushing to get to level 50 in order to PvP with the big guns, and at that point, you've lost the opportunity to give yourself a challenging adventure.
So, it may have failed in the eyes of those who only gave the game a slight glance, but to those who are genuinely interested in the MMO, it's been a major success.
The live events were a great idea and one of the key USPs for the title. Sadly, the netcode wasn't designed well enough to cope with so many people, so it was incredibly laggy and ultimately frustrating. Live events would have improved I think, but when the game was bought by SOE that whole chunk of the game experience seemed to disappear or was cheapened. I gather that things have improved though.
Exile hideouts were completely unimaginative. I think I described them as searching for the "Holy Grail in Milton Keynes" at the time. They were just so bland, when there was such potential for special environments, even random physical puzzles and colourful bosses.
It makes me feel sad writing about it and don't think I really want to list all it's flaws, but the major one at launch was the poor state of the overall game. I enjoyed the company of some really great people and I'm sure some are still enjoying themselves and its RP potential. Unfortunately, most reviewers can't include 'the community' in their rating consideration and MxO had too many flaws as an MMO to be considered more than a passeable one.
It certainly wasn't a horrible failure to me and maybe now it could be under-rated, if they've improved major gameplay issues, but I think I was generous to give it 79 at the time. You have no idea how much flak I took for that decision...
Played for a month and I agree with Baff.
11 days, finished all the content on the 8th. Spent the last three days sitting on a park bench looking at the pidgeons. On day twelve I managed to get the AIM messenger to work and could chat without even launching which was an improvement.
11 days, finished all the content on the 8th. Spent the last three days sitting on a park bench looking at the pidgeons. On day twelve I managed to get the AIM messenger to work and could chat without even launching which was an improvement.
HAHAHA. Not only is it likely a total falsehood you finished all the content in 8 days (every collector/hideout item? Every neighbourhood contact? Every hardline and all access codes?) but the fact you mentioned AIM alone means your opinions are based on over a year ago. AIM went out with the transition to SOE, where we got in-game email (which thankfully doubles as a storage bank) instead.
SkyJackal, You reek of fanboy.
I'm glad you enjoy the game. People like you are the reason it still exists. However, you do not need to play the game for an extended amount of time to figure out if you like it or you don't. I don't agree with that whole philosophy what so ever in any instance. I know I don't like sitting around in airports. By your logic, If I sat around longer I just might start to like it. Na uh.
I played closed beta to release. Didn't particularly care for it then. Then the game was sold off to SoE because it was a failure. Then I played the 14 day trial back a few months ago. Less bugs same round about thing. Don't like it.
People play it for 2hrs and put it down. There's a reason for that.
I agree entirely, MMOs are a very personal thing and sometimes they just arn't the right 'one' for certain people.
What i was pointing out was merely the flasehood of having completed the content in that period of time, not his dislike of the game.
And the other point is that while yes someone may dislike a game, it may not 'feel' right, there may be too many bugs or too little content but the thing is... a year and a half on... a lot of things can change. Bugs can be fixed. The game can be greatly improved and polished. Content can be added. In all these cases MxO has done just that so to have an opinion based on facts so old and and portray them as absolute isn't exactly good imo.
And if you're referring to the fileplanet trial i would just like to express my hatred for that trails timing. It ended just before the mission archive and the real content 'push' occured.
I don't need to own every item to finish the content. You might feel that way, I don't. It isn't getting that final +3 Sword of Avenging that makes a game enjoyable for me. I'm looking for a little more than that.
But yes if it make you feel any better, in 8 days I don't suppose I owned every single item ever included in the game. Just slot after slot of womens clothing.
A year and a half on not much can have changed. They don't have a programming team big enough to add almost anything, and the game hasn't generated enough income to warrant an expansion. Your stuck with what you've got. If you enjoy it, fine and good for you.
Don't bother wasting my time that the bugs have been fixed or new content has been added. Or local servers added. It took me 8 days to discover everything two full blown and dedicated production teams made in a 3 year period. How much longer will it take me to explore what a couple of tech support chaps have added over a year and half of maintaining 6 Sony games at the same time?
Honestly, exactly how many man hours of programming do you think Matrix Online see's in a week. 5? 10? 20? I doubt if the game has developed more than 1/150th of it's original retail content. Good for you if thats enough to make the difference to you. Excuse me if I'd rather buy a whole new world to explore for the same money.
The last two development teams didn't even write the code, they have no idea what it means let alone how to improve it. It's on it's third set of devs. They are just modders, nothing more. Let me guess the new missions are exactly the same as the old missions but with different text introductions. Even if they were something truely different and intresting, is that all that's changed in a year and a half.... Some missions and some bugfixes? Am I supposed to suddenly be impressed. Was that all this game needed to make it worth the effort?
Don't get me wrong, this game had it's little moments, but unfortunately after 8 days they ran out. Stopped happening. Just like with MSN, you could make your own interacting with people if you wanted too, but then MSN is free, and there are so many other multiplayer games available.
Sorry you didn't like AIM, I thought it one of the games few innovative features. A friendlist and comms tool that can access the players inside the game without launching. You could for example see when you friends were ingame and then launch. Or chat to the player while you were in the airport or at work.
Seriously now, every post you make has me laughing inside.
Tech support chaps you say? Maintaining all of SOE's games? 3 dev teams?
Try members of the original team, try MxO specific, try never had any sort of 'new' development team.
Try shutting your mouth with that utter unbacked bs.
And this item thing... right, what level did you get to? How many ability trees did you try? How many access codes (allowing you into the rescricted areas of the city did you have?)
And new stuff... let me see...
Stability and lag are much improved.
CR2.0 (aka the combat revision. wait... how is that at all possible with tech support who don't know anything about the code hmm?) balanced, streamlined and added new strategies to combat and removed zero-sum gameplay. Also overhauled the entire game's clothing and loot tables giving more variety and a carefully spread out level spectrum.
Unnumerable bug fixes.
Many, many, many little features added/fixed.
Email system.
Pandora Box Quests. (New content for level 30-50 With hand crafted new models, new textures, new items, new locales. Also a lot fo replay value)
Missions Archive. With several reward items including chapter specific special fx and org specific clothing (these span the entire game's storyline critical mission history, so thats... ~225 hand made missions.)
White hallways/Org specific meeting constructs. Again, more new textures and models. Now with level combat sims modeled after major storyline characters such as Morpheus, the assassin and the twins which provide the ultimate end game team challenge.
Prop Vendors (adding over 100 RP-useful items)
Zero One construct end game quest which pits player against player in a fight to get the most machine parts for the ultimate end game clothing item (with a brand new model/texture) the Area K Trench.
The upcoming in-game halloween event sees the game world using a new skybox, new moon texture, new hardline textures, new club light textures, makes available over 10 different halloween masks (transforming the players into their favorite exile character models), halloween only zombie npcs with their own models and textures, their own fighting animations and their own virus. A zombie virus which will infect players, turning them into the undead too. This in turn gives the player the 'zombie bite ability' which allows them to spread the virus too.
The devs have recently gone over all the game's old weapon textures and spruced em up with specular and bump mapping too. Just in their spare time.
And much, much more
Also, the RSIs looking the same was fixed with CR2.0. There isnt the 'one' outfit anymore (remember those blasted red derin trousers?), CR2.0 spread the loot spectrum right out with new tables/items/buffs. Now theres variety, real variety of both buffs on clothes (amoured and shielded stuff is useful now) and the clothes themselves (since about 95% of the games clothing now have buffed versions)
Choosing/Finding an outfit thats both for your clothing style and has good buffs for your loadout is now a lot more advanced than just buying some item off the marketplace. It actually gives incentive to actually go and missions/kill mobs/find coders. And heck, dare i say it, its fun too.
There are so many ppl saying 'this game sucks, let's move on to another
game'. well if you think so about the game, I don't give a shit and
move on as you say, don't come here complaining about the game.
But you all come here to complain about the game, so you do put some value in the game, while saying you don't
to get back on the topic: everybody likes different kind of mmo's, we
can't change that. Try to respect each others choice of what game they
play...
The Illuminati Gaming Society
A new skybox!
WOOT. I bet that took all of 7 minutes to make.
.
New items. WOOT. I bet they took all of 5 minutes to make.
Any old plum can add this stuff.
New Textures! WOOT. another 5 minutes effort.
Why does this impress you? You could add it yourself quicker.
Do any of these new missions involve going into a building and either, stealing something, talking to someone, killing someone or rescuing anyone? (There is one more mission type I can't remember from the 5 dynamic generations).
.
The original dev's stopped working on Matrix when the game development was shelved by Monolith. A second team restarted the project when Warner bought Monolith. Now it is supported by a third team at Sony. Monolith went on to make FEAR and have just finished the FEAR expansion. They haven't worked on Matrix for a long long time.
.
The lag in Matrix Online is caused by the geographical locations of the servers. You can't bugfix the laws of physics.
.
Do you still get those borked unkillable people in combat? Packetloss victims just standing there like dodo's?
First of all, read my post above...
second, you are wrong on this one. When SOE took over MxO they hired
the old devs, so the same team untill this day is still the same (maybe
there are some exception, maybe some ppl where moved, maybe some new
guys moved in, but there isn't a total new team)
Oh and about making everything in 5 minutes, why if you know so good
how to make a game, why are you here whining about a game instead of
making a super game yourself in 15minutes...
The Illuminati Gaming Society
Does anyone have a trial key so I can log in and decide for myself?
PM me plz
I've read your post already thanks. Is there something in it you would like me to address?
It's not the old team. It might be a couple of members from the old team, The old team has been making FEAR. They may have a couple of muppets who weren't useful enough to the company to be hired for FEAR. That's it. Someone low enough paid and dispensable, like a beta tester manager or something. All they need is the name so that they can sell the fans on the continuity.
No offense, but if you are playing this game and think adding a skybox is new content worthy of a paycheck, you might want to consider making a super new game for yourself. You are more than capable.
BloodWork, do you have a Buddy key I can have?
I got the game installed... Need a key for the trial.
PM me plz!
Well, i think my work here is done. Now everyone can see you for the total uneducated bullshiter you are.
You've proved you have absolutely no knowledge of game design or implementation. 5 minutes to make new high quality models and textures, put em together as an entity in the game tools, create stats and any new abilities, get the ai and animations working bugless, hook em all up to the games numerous databases and implement then em into an MMO build? Record yaself doing it (since its soooo easy ¬.¬) then i might actually take a word of what you say seriously.
Nor any realible background information.
FEAR and MxO were developed by entirely different teams. This as confirmed several times during the SOE aquisition as people were concerned it may affect FEAR. Yeah, thats right, the games were in development at the same time (kinda hard for a single huh? Not to mention thinking FPS and MMO development could be handled by the same people is a wee bit far fetched)