Like almost every MMO out there, the population will likely decline to a significantly smaller player base than it had at launch and then hold steady for quite a few years to come.
Seems each game manages to attract it's niche across the long haul, and in most cases that's a pretty small player base.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Took me around 2 days to hit 60 with a TR (I know, I'm terrible). I can't say that rushed...really.. All I did was play through the base quest content casually and do a few foundries for the daily ADs.
Without the foundry the content in this game would be trivial. With the foundry, it still lacks end-game content; there is no significant tie in between the foundry and the best gear in the game yet.
I think it behooves cryptic to let the player base design the end-game dungeons with moderated content (to ensure no more "ogre push" exploits).
Foundry quests are definitely sort of the novelty factor to this game, but once you hit 60 they just become a daily chore for AD as you get no other reward (once you're in level 60 greens).
I'm not going to make any ridiculous claims like the population is taking a nose dive, but you can see different metrics that indicate the standard down trend for a newly released MMO and unlike many MMOs this games leveling curve is almost a straight line.
There are no alternate quest paths, no different starting areas, few classes (they are obviously in the process of adding more, but the same content is the same content at the end of the day) and very trivial character progression.
They could make leveling a lot harder, sort of forcing you into the foundry, which wouldn't be that bad of an idea, or they could tie in the foundry better with end-game content.
You wanted us to get back to the other points you made, so I will. Have you fully geared out this TR of yours? I mean, do you have full Castle Never gear and max level enchantments?
If not, then you can't really say that it is lacking in content. There are lots of dungeons already at end game, and the next tier (Gauntlgrym) is due in a few weeks. I would hardly call this game end game light. It has way more stuff to do at end game than SWTOR had at launch. And this is looking to be padded out nicely very shortly.
As for the Foundry. I already use it to level my alts, like you have said the in-game levelling content is fairly linear. Although you can level entirely through the Foundry, PvP, skirmishes or dungeons rather than ever doing the solo quests again on an alt. This is more than most games offer. There are a few questlines I do for the rewards (the two other bag slots) but other than that I spice it up with new Foundry quests.
Max level enchantments are sort of the carrot on the stick for gamblers. You don't need any max level enchantments to do any of the content, since the marginal benefit of each enchantment level is the same. Level 6 enchantments, which are reasonable to attain are sufficient.
My TRs GS was only 9k, so I wasn't fully farmed yet, but.....almost all of the instances (elites and excluding vault, which is rather short to boot) leading to Castle Never are essentially repeats of the earlier versions with harder mobs.
I wouldn't use SWToR as a good example for an MMO teeming with end-game content, not to mention that its leveling curve was much, much steeper, so that you had plenty to do before you hit end-game.
If you want to argue that "you're not done with the game unless you have the highest possible GS", then so be it. I don't agree. I like to see a lot of new things, i.e. different content. I rarely stick around to do the same thing over and over again, or else I'd still be playing WoW (or EQ, or some old-school Korean game)
Even so, people in PvE guilds, as one poster had mentioned not too long ago on these very forums are rushing through content and getting through Castle Never within 2 days (of playing time) of hitting max level, so even if getting the best stuff suits your fancy, you're not going to stick around for long if you're a hardcore PvE'r.
While people use the foundry to reduce the tedium from the doing the same quests over and over again (besides the bag quests up to and including graveyard), it could have much more meaning to somebody who likes to play casually solo, or in small groups of friends.
For me the foundry had some of the most interesting content in the game, especially the innovative (but incredibly frustrating) jumping foundries (May's trick jumping is a great one! I strongly recommend it.), but that content loses its appeal once the end-game content takes over and you stop getting any reward for enjoying yourself in foundry content (you're forced to do them quickly for the AD rewards as the in-quest drops become meaningless).
Even so, people in PvE guilds, as one poster had mentioned not too long ago on these very forums are rushing through content and getting through Castle Never within 2 days (of playing time) of hitting max level, so even if getting the best stuff suits your fancy, you're not going to stick around for long if you're a hardcore PvE'r.
That player isn't going to find many MMOs that will hold their attention long because devs do not and will not design to accommodate their playstyle. It's a waste of time to do so.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Even so, people in PvE guilds, as one poster had mentioned not too long ago on these very forums are rushing through content and getting through Castle Never within 2 days (of playing time) of hitting max level, so even if getting the best stuff suits your fancy, you're not going to stick around for long if you're a hardcore PvE'r.
That player isn't going to find many MMOs that will hold their attention long because devs do not and will not design to accommodate their playstyle. It's a waste of time to do so.
Maybe not, but that player is going to be the majority of the end-game crowd once WoW hemorrhages more players.
Players have more skill today than they did back in the day, at least on an average level, because so many people have gone through WoW end-game content again and again over the years.
"Spank and tank", googling tactics, etc. is all commonplace and expected for most people who want to seriously PvE.
If you're not in it for the challenging end-game, you're in it for the leveling and the leveling part sadly is trivial.
Comments
Like almost every MMO out there, the population will likely decline to a significantly smaller player base than it had at launch and then hold steady for quite a few years to come.
Seems each game manages to attract it's niche across the long haul, and in most cases that's a pretty small player base.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
The biggest bull i have read on NW forums so far.
You didn't rush and hit 60 in 2 days? all right.
Max level enchantments are sort of the carrot on the stick for gamblers. You don't need any max level enchantments to do any of the content, since the marginal benefit of each enchantment level is the same. Level 6 enchantments, which are reasonable to attain are sufficient.
My TRs GS was only 9k, so I wasn't fully farmed yet, but.....almost all of the instances (elites and excluding vault, which is rather short to boot) leading to Castle Never are essentially repeats of the earlier versions with harder mobs.
I wouldn't use SWToR as a good example for an MMO teeming with end-game content, not to mention that its leveling curve was much, much steeper, so that you had plenty to do before you hit end-game.
If you want to argue that "you're not done with the game unless you have the highest possible GS", then so be it. I don't agree. I like to see a lot of new things, i.e. different content. I rarely stick around to do the same thing over and over again, or else I'd still be playing WoW (or EQ, or some old-school Korean game)
Even so, people in PvE guilds, as one poster had mentioned not too long ago on these very forums are rushing through content and getting through Castle Never within 2 days (of playing time) of hitting max level, so even if getting the best stuff suits your fancy, you're not going to stick around for long if you're a hardcore PvE'r.
While people use the foundry to reduce the tedium from the doing the same quests over and over again (besides the bag quests up to and including graveyard), it could have much more meaning to somebody who likes to play casually solo, or in small groups of friends.
For me the foundry had some of the most interesting content in the game, especially the innovative (but incredibly frustrating) jumping foundries (May's trick jumping is a great one! I strongly recommend it.), but that content loses its appeal once the end-game content takes over and you stop getting any reward for enjoying yourself in foundry content (you're forced to do them quickly for the AD rewards as the in-quest drops become meaningless).
That player isn't going to find many MMOs that will hold their attention long because devs do not and will not design to accommodate their playstyle. It's a waste of time to do so.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Maybe not, but that player is going to be the majority of the end-game crowd once WoW hemorrhages more players.
Players have more skill today than they did back in the day, at least on an average level, because so many people have gone through WoW end-game content again and again over the years.
"Spank and tank", googling tactics, etc. is all commonplace and expected for most people who want to seriously PvE.
If you're not in it for the challenging end-game, you're in it for the leveling and the leveling part sadly is trivial.
I just don't understand why they though D&D fans wanted a highly linear action-based game with cookie-cutter classes.
I never once felt like I was role playing in Neverwinter. It did remind me of the many 3rd-person shooters I've played though.