Let me assure everyone that all beta testers went on about balancing issues all the time (and other issues). Many, including myself stopped testing all together.
Cryptic had the attitude that they are going to make it the way the wanted it and that it would be all right on release. Their argument to testers was that "they saw everything" and players only saw what they wanted to see.
I know its no "city of heroes" but the game play is so different, so linear and boring that I doubt i'd ever buy it anyway.
I would guess that the vast majority of paying players joined the game after the Open Beta had ended. So to them the game is just the way it is.
When I was in Open Beta the game was fun, I'm now a paying customer, and the game is still fun. I think it was a solid launch. It's an unfortunate situation that MMO's always seem to get launched with a bag full of problems. But the industry is slowly learning. The number of times the servers have gone down unannounced, or I've had issues logging in, or been kicked from the game I can count on one hand. And that seems to be a general feeling from those who play the game. Other than a few mission bugs and the whole retcon issue, things are not too bad in my opinion (or maybe I'm just a bit easier-going!)
If people are complaining about gaps in content only a few days after go-live I'd suggest it's the wrong MMO for them, and ask what they actually expected in that short amount of time. If people have that much time on their hands (40-50 hours to level Cap in 6 days since Euro launch) this is not the game for them.
It's not really acceptable launching a huge patch on Day 1, as it just smacks of being poorly conceived and a knee jerk reaction - but it wasn't game breaking, and one thing is for sure - things will change again.
To those on the fence with this game I would definitely keep an eye on it - it has the potential to become something extremely fun if you get out of that Everquest/WoW mind set - this is not a hardcore MMO in the sense that there are few rewards for Raiding etc, and unlike WoW the game does not begin at level Cap (which does raise the question of longevity, but I'm sure that will be addressed in time). Those who love to grind for Epic gear will be disappointed. What you'll find in CO is similar to CoX, it's as deep as you want it to be (up to a point) and fun to dip in and out of. It seems like the devs can get on with adding content and further improving the experience rather than firefighting server/shard/usual launch issues.
I haven't purchased this game... Being the UBER fanboi of gaming in general that i am i have been traveling across the US hitting cons/ect. Today i'm home and celebrating my birthday and i read this...
It should come as NO SURPRISE that OPENING DAY had a patch that "fix't stuff"
As for the comment "whats open beta for" its to make sure the game will stand up, NOT BE PROLIFIC OUT OF THE BOX!!! if that was the case there would be tons more hits and tons less misses...
no MMo can pul that off... there is just too many builds out there. unless they beta test every system and you just cant do that. from what iv gathered these changes were mecahnic based - fair enough- bad form on cryptics end on not awarding points back for builds... even the evil empire WoW does that they they start oogling your class goodies too much!
I have a lot of hope for this game... one of them was that maybe the QQ would stay in another game i guess somethings will never change... If you dont like it dont subscribe, call up the company let htem know how displeased you are with your purchase and im sure theyll be happy to return your money - the games less than a week old.
The problem with gamers is if they like a game they will play it. If that game discovers a cure for cancer, the population that doesn't have cancer will be QQing because the game didn't discover a cure for (insert illness or issue here).
Never seen an mmo that did not have problems of some kind at launch from big to small, it is a brand new game, it will have some gowing pains, all games do, after fixes the next big complaint will be not enough end game content, thats always in there in about a month.. Thats why I never rush out to be the first on any mmo...if your new to the mmo world if you can't get use to change mmo's might not be for you... Expect many patches tweaks to game play and balance passes in the first 6 months to a year depends on the dev's..
Smoothest launce is probably Lotro (but I don't how the older games faired), and this patch would of probably been welcomed if a simple free respec was issued aswell. Unfortunatly for me this games need more than just a balance upgrade for it to warrent a buy as it just wasn't the game I thought is was going to be.
Anyway, I hope Cryptic can pull this off and let the game be a success (by that I mean actually making a profit) because I'm not sure if the box sells are that great. Anyway hopefully the 360 version will be more fun playing with a controler but even then the game still needs to improve on content.
I'd like to issue a challenge to all the whiners who claim their build is no longer viable. Let's see em, post your specs so the community can judge whether or not you're full of crap. All the above people who have cried like Cryptic stole your wallets, lets see your specs so the rest of us can see just how 'gimped' you are. Playing alot of these builds I haven't seen anything that's gimped. I see builds that cannot tear through the game at lightning speed. I'm assuming by gimped you're just mad that you can no longer solo the game in 3 or 4 days. So lets see em. Post those gimped specs that no longer allow you to kill a single thing if you have the guts or at least tell us why you feel gimped. Like the internets said, pictures or it didn't happen.
Generally speaking, the launch day patch mostly affected those who leaned heavily on their passive powers. It used to be that all you had to do was take a passive defense, maybe advantage it up a little, and now you can pretty reliably tank about a half-dozen to a dozen foes without much fear of death. Now, if you want to tank, you need to take more than one power to do it with.
I've had some pretty lengthy discussions with the people on the Chmpions Online forum, and those who were in an Uproar were generally the minority, and were basically hung up on self-destructive thought processes that once something has been put in the game it will never change. Which, of course, is totally wrong if you have any idea of how MMORPGs are built: they are perpetual works in progress in which anything can change, and this is what makes them interesting and worth $15/mo.
So, the people who were lost by this launch day patch were largely a lost cause and the developers sure aren't going to miss them because apparently these people were hoping to strangle the game to death from stagnation.
See you later, chumps - have fun strangling Aion to death. Oh, and a little tip: you guys should probably stick to single player, non-subscription-based games if you want ones tha never change.
There is such a thing as going too far - changing the game so radically that it plays nothing like it did before. See: Star Wars Galaxies NGE. However, simply making the game a little harder is very far from that.
From Daeke: So please, hop into the game and play for a while so that we can get the hard evidence for our next step.
Nice idea, except of course people whose toons were badly affected by this couldn't hop onto the game and play it because the second they stuck their now defenceless head out of the door, a newly heavily buffed enemy lopped it off with a single swipe. My only option was to delete and start over. It rendered the early start completely wasted. And they're not done yet, there are more nerfs coming.
I haven't yet decided if it's best to avoid levelling toons to high levels for now so they can be deleted without too much time wasted or just go for it and hope they fix the respec system so it's affordable.
I believe there are just as many posting they like the changes as those hating the changes.
After reading through some of the posts ( all day mind you ) it seems the big issue are with those who have characters already in the 20-30 lvl range. Since they are that high in so short a time I would tend to agree that SOME type of change to the system was warranted.
Howerver, Like I said there. If someone wants to make the FOTW uba-build and levle to the end game and PvP the whole time. Let them. I like more of the variations that are currently available and do not necessarily like to be the same cookie cutter build everyone else uses as the best of the best.
It is mostly the PvP types that use the FOTW builds and that keeps it balanced for them cuase they are all usin the same crap!
This is so true. I played the game in beta and I am loving the game once it’s live. Tell me a game where I can kill an elite/master villain NPC and 2+ adds/BaFs/henchmen without CC or Healing. I can do this after the so called “nerf” the game makes you fill like a super hero. Seems everyone wants the “I hit 2 buttons so everything should die.” For my play style this game is a sign of relief.
I will never accept any nerf to my characters, period. So, it is a good thing I am not playing yet.
See, why I am playing a game where I INVEST thousands of hours on 1 character, always advancing this character, if this advancement is subject to constant changements based by the whim of the devs? If you want to nerf and change rules, why bother with levels in the first place? Remove the grind completely or enforce and support your rules, once and for all, either way totally, but not both.
For me it is time Cryptic answer this basic questions: Levels and rigidity, or game rules change which may alter the game completely and no grind at all. Those walking in the middle of the road, they get slammed.
You have to reach a point where there is a choice, levels/grind or nerfs/majorgamechanges. Changing the rules AFTER player grinds is a slap in the face of those players, it is a: we don't care about your FUN.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Comments
I was in the closed beta for months too.
Let me assure everyone that all beta testers went on about balancing issues all the time (and other issues). Many, including myself stopped testing all together.
Cryptic had the attitude that they are going to make it the way the wanted it and that it would be all right on release. Their argument to testers was that "they saw everything" and players only saw what they wanted to see.
I know its no "city of heroes" but the game play is so different, so linear and boring that I doubt i'd ever buy it anyway.
I would guess that the vast majority of paying players joined the game after the Open Beta had ended. So to them the game is just the way it is.
When I was in Open Beta the game was fun, I'm now a paying customer, and the game is still fun. I think it was a solid launch. It's an unfortunate situation that MMO's always seem to get launched with a bag full of problems. But the industry is slowly learning. The number of times the servers have gone down unannounced, or I've had issues logging in, or been kicked from the game I can count on one hand. And that seems to be a general feeling from those who play the game. Other than a few mission bugs and the whole retcon issue, things are not too bad in my opinion (or maybe I'm just a bit easier-going!)
If people are complaining about gaps in content only a few days after go-live I'd suggest it's the wrong MMO for them, and ask what they actually expected in that short amount of time. If people have that much time on their hands (40-50 hours to level Cap in 6 days since Euro launch) this is not the game for them.
It's not really acceptable launching a huge patch on Day 1, as it just smacks of being poorly conceived and a knee jerk reaction - but it wasn't game breaking, and one thing is for sure - things will change again.
To those on the fence with this game I would definitely keep an eye on it - it has the potential to become something extremely fun if you get out of that Everquest/WoW mind set - this is not a hardcore MMO in the sense that there are few rewards for Raiding etc, and unlike WoW the game does not begin at level Cap (which does raise the question of longevity, but I'm sure that will be addressed in time). Those who love to grind for Epic gear will be disappointed. What you'll find in CO is similar to CoX, it's as deep as you want it to be (up to a point) and fun to dip in and out of. It seems like the devs can get on with adding content and further improving the experience rather than firefighting server/shard/usual launch issues.
I haven't purchased this game... Being the UBER fanboi of gaming in general that i am i have been traveling across the US hitting cons/ect. Today i'm home and celebrating my birthday and i read this...
It should come as NO SURPRISE that OPENING DAY had a patch that "fix't stuff"
As for the comment "whats open beta for" its to make sure the game will stand up, NOT BE PROLIFIC OUT OF THE BOX!!! if that was the case there would be tons more hits and tons less misses...
no MMo can pul that off... there is just too many builds out there. unless they beta test every system and you just cant do that. from what iv gathered these changes were mecahnic based - fair enough- bad form on cryptics end on not awarding points back for builds... even the evil empire WoW does that they they start oogling your class goodies too much!
I have a lot of hope for this game... one of them was that maybe the QQ would stay in another game i guess somethings will never change... If you dont like it dont subscribe, call up the company let htem know how displeased you are with your purchase and im sure theyll be happy to return your money - the games less than a week old.
The problem with gamers is if they like a game they will play it. If that game discovers a cure for cancer, the population that doesn't have cancer will be QQing because the game didn't discover a cure for (insert illness or issue here).
Never seen an mmo that did not have problems of some kind at launch from big to small, it is a brand new game, it will have some gowing pains, all games do, after fixes the next big complaint will be not enough end game content, thats always in there in about a month.. Thats why I never rush out to be the first on any mmo...if your new to the mmo world if you can't get use to change mmo's might not be for you...
Expect many patches tweaks to game play and balance passes in the first 6 months to a year depends on the dev's..
Smoothest launce is probably Lotro (but I don't how the older games faired), and this patch would of probably been welcomed if a simple free respec was issued aswell. Unfortunatly for me this games need more than just a balance upgrade for it to warrent a buy as it just wasn't the game I thought is was going to be.
Anyway, I hope Cryptic can pull this off and let the game be a success (by that I mean actually making a profit) because I'm not sure if the box sells are that great. Anyway hopefully the 360 version will be more fun playing with a controler but even then the game still needs to improve on content.
I'd like to issue a challenge to all the whiners who claim their build is no longer viable. Let's see em, post your specs so the community can judge whether or not you're full of crap. All the above people who have cried like Cryptic stole your wallets, lets see your specs so the rest of us can see just how 'gimped' you are. Playing alot of these builds I haven't seen anything that's gimped. I see builds that cannot tear through the game at lightning speed. I'm assuming by gimped you're just mad that you can no longer solo the game in 3 or 4 days. So lets see em. Post those gimped specs that no longer allow you to kill a single thing if you have the guts or at least tell us why you feel gimped. Like the internets said, pictures or it didn't happen.
Generally speaking, the launch day patch mostly affected those who leaned heavily on their passive powers. It used to be that all you had to do was take a passive defense, maybe advantage it up a little, and now you can pretty reliably tank about a half-dozen to a dozen foes without much fear of death. Now, if you want to tank, you need to take more than one power to do it with.
I've had some pretty lengthy discussions with the people on the Chmpions Online forum, and those who were in an Uproar were generally the minority, and were basically hung up on self-destructive thought processes that once something has been put in the game it will never change. Which, of course, is totally wrong if you have any idea of how MMORPGs are built: they are perpetual works in progress in which anything can change, and this is what makes them interesting and worth $15/mo.
So, the people who were lost by this launch day patch were largely a lost cause and the developers sure aren't going to miss them because apparently these people were hoping to strangle the game to death from stagnation.
See you later, chumps - have fun strangling Aion to death. Oh, and a little tip: you guys should probably stick to single player, non-subscription-based games if you want ones tha never change.
There is such a thing as going too far - changing the game so radically that it plays nothing like it did before. See: Star Wars Galaxies NGE. However, simply making the game a little harder is very far from that.
Never played it. Never will.
From Daeke: So please, hop into the game and play for a while so that we can get the hard evidence for our next step.
Nice idea, except of course people whose toons were badly affected by this couldn't hop onto the game and play it because the second they stuck their now defenceless head out of the door, a newly heavily buffed enemy lopped it off with a single swipe. My only option was to delete and start over. It rendered the early start completely wasted. And they're not done yet, there are more nerfs coming.
I haven't yet decided if it's best to avoid levelling toons to high levels for now so they can be deleted without too much time wasted or just go for it and hope they fix the respec system so it's affordable.
This is so true. I played the game in beta and I am loving the game once it’s live. Tell me a game where I can kill an elite/master villain NPC and 2+ adds/BaFs/henchmen without CC or Healing. I can do this after the so called “nerf” the game makes you fill like a super hero. Seems everyone wants the “I hit 2 buttons so everything should die.” For my play style this game is a sign of relief.
Hehe... I am reading this, and...I smile.
I will never accept any nerf to my characters, period. So, it is a good thing I am not playing yet.
See, why I am playing a game where I INVEST thousands of hours on 1 character, always advancing this character, if this advancement is subject to constant changements based by the whim of the devs? If you want to nerf and change rules, why bother with levels in the first place? Remove the grind completely or enforce and support your rules, once and for all, either way totally, but not both.
For me it is time Cryptic answer this basic questions: Levels and rigidity, or game rules change which may alter the game completely and no grind at all. Those walking in the middle of the road, they get slammed.
You have to reach a point where there is a choice, levels/grind or nerfs/majorgamechanges. Changing the rules AFTER player grinds is a slap in the face of those players, it is a: we don't care about your FUN.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren