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Albion Online Director Recaps Mobile Launch, Talks What's Next | MMORPG.com

SystemSystem Member UncommonPosts: 12,599
edited July 2021 in News & Features Discussion

imageAlbion Online Director Recaps Mobile Launch, Talks What's Next | MMORPG.com

The mobile launch for Albion Online happened earlier last month and in the weeks since, the team has had time to look back. The latest Dev Talk includes Game Director Robin Henkys discussing the launch and looking ahead to what's next.

Read the full story here


Comments

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    What's next? How about putting in some of the development time to the PC version which was put on hold to do the mobile?
    Gdemami
  • KnightFalzKnightFalz Member EpicPosts: 4,582
    Scot said:
    What's next? How about putting in some of the development time to the PC version which was put on hold to do the mobile?

    Won't they both now be developed concurrently? That would seem necessary if people are supposed to be able to move freely back and forth between them.
    [Deleted User]
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    KnightFalz said:
    Scot said:
    What's next? How about putting in some of the development time to the PC version which was put on hold to do the mobile?

    Won't they both now be developed concurrently? That would seem necessary if people are supposed to be able to move freely back and forth between them.
    Fair one, but development on the PC was held up to launch the mobile, if now done concurrently PC players will never make up what they lost.
    Gdemami
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    tzervo said:
    Scot said:
    Fair one, but development on the PC was held up to launch the mobile, if now done concurrently PC players will never make up what they lost.
    Mobile development was always on their roadmap afaik. Personally I never cared about a mobile client (even when I was playing the game) and I would prefer them to invest all development resources to the desktop client and game features, but many players do some of the in-game activities on mobile and they always wanted that client, even complained it took that long. It makes sense for S.I. to work on it as well.
    Originally releasing AO only on mobile would also make business sense, that's the problem, business sense is moving gaming away from PC and console owners.
    Gdemami
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    edited July 2021
    tzervo said:
    Scot said:
    tzervo said:
    Scot said:
    Fair one, but development on the PC was held up to launch the mobile, if now done concurrently PC players will never make up what they lost.
    Mobile development was always on their roadmap afaik. Personally I never cared about a mobile client (even when I was playing the game) and I would prefer them to invest all development resources to the desktop client and game features, but many players do some of the in-game activities on mobile and they always wanted that client, even complained it took that long. It makes sense for S.I. to work on it as well.
    Originally releasing AO only on mobile would also make business sense, that's the problem, business sense is moving gaming away from PC and console owners.
    They were never going for a mobile-only game. Even those players that do some of their activities on mobile play primarily on the desktop client afaik (i.e. for PVP or high-end PVE stuff like hardcore expeditions). Remember, it is a single shard game, where desktop and mobile players share a single world.
    To me that is not a good thing. We know that mobile players do not expect the same sort of game that PC and console players expect, mobile players are far happier with MTX, bare bones UI, simplified everything. The mobile version hangs like an albatross around the neck of the PC one, they can't put anything in mobiles can't handle because of power of system or just screen size.

    I am not saying there is no utility, I see that, players find it handy to be able to do something in game while away form the PC, but that comes at a cost, which to me is too high.

    All that said, I should point out that AO is the only darn indie MMO that seems to have found its feet. Hopefully Crowfall will launch successfully this year but SotA is still floundering.
    Gdemami
  • BloodaxesBloodaxes Member EpicPosts: 4,662
    edited July 2021
    I don't know. It's an interesting compromise having the same account usable on PC and Mobile. There are some aspects in MMOs that can be quite monotonous.

    With a mobile version, one could go harvest materials, craft or whatever on the go, then continue playing the game on PC whenever they can.
    Post edited by Bloodaxes on
    [Deleted User]GdemamiNepheth

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    edited July 2021
    Bloodaxes said:
    I don't know. It's an interesting compromise having the same account usable on PC and Mobile. There are some aspects in MMOs that can be quite monotonous.

    With a mobile version, one could go harvest materials, craft or whatever on the go, then continue playing the game on PC whenever they can.
    The same thing could be said for every MMO in existence, do we want gaming pushed into the mobile market more and more? Mobile has led to mobile customers starting to dictate what gaming is, having people who only game on mobile bringing their expectations to gaming is detrimental. The players have asked for it, but I don't think they realise where this is going.

    We have seen this before guys, it is not new. Do you think console gaming has had a good effect on the PC? When games got made on consoles first, what are those console ports like? When games were made with the idea of cross play, the console holds back the PC version. Mobiles are far worse than consoles, they are as bad for consoles as the are for PC. If the PC were lifting mobile games this would have a good side, but all see is PC and consoles catering for mobile play.
    GdemamiNephethBrainy
  • BloodaxesBloodaxes Member EpicPosts: 4,662
    ....This game is more akin to runescape which already can be played on phones due to having a huge grind to level skills. I wouldn't expect an action mmo working nicely on a mobile phone either.

    As I said, if the mobile version is only able to alleviate some chores (crafting, material gathering, etc) from your main account I see no issue with it.

  • NephethNepheth Member RarePosts: 473
    edited July 2021
    It actually plays great on mobile. I'm not a mobile gamer. The only game other than Albion that I keep on my phone is Heartstone for some quick fun while I'm shitting that's all. But these days thanks to this mobile client, I find myself running solo dungeons on my phone while I'm on the bus etc. It plays great, feels great and it has 0 performance issues with some mid tier phone like A72. Albion is turning into one of my favorite mmos of all time and this mobile version was a huge surprise that I didn't expect to like. Runescape mobile plays like shit compared to this one. There are even youtubers who exculasively play on mobile for months ever since Sandbox Interactive released that virtual controller style gameplay on the mobile client.


    [Deleted User]
  • RenoakuRenoaku Member EpicPosts: 3,157
    edited July 2021
    Game is still nothing but a ZERG fest especially ZVZ, and ganking / abuse of in-game mechanics via skip zone and filling zones during ZVZ...

    EVE Online actually takes skill :P
    Gdemami
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,423
    Nepheth said:
    It actually plays great on mobile. I'm not a mobile gamer. The only game other than Albion that I keep on my phone is Heartstone for some quick fun while I'm shitting that's all. But these days thanks to this mobile client, I find myself running solo dungeons on my phone while I'm on the bus etc. It plays great, feels great and it has 0 performance issues with some mid tier phone like A72. Albion is turning into one of my favorite mmos of all time and this mobile version was a huge surprise that I didn't expect to like. Runescape mobile plays like shit compared to this one. There are even youtubers who exculasively play on mobile for months ever since Sandbox Interactive released that virtual controller style gameplay on the mobile client.


    Nepheth said:
    It actually plays great on mobile. I'm not a mobile gamer. The only game other than Albion that I keep on my phone is Heartstone for some quick fun while I'm shitting that's all. But these days thanks to this mobile client, I find myself running solo dungeons on my phone while I'm on the bus etc. It plays great, feels great and it has 0 performance issues with some mid tier phone like A72. Albion is turning into one of my favorite mmos of all time and this mobile version was a huge surprise that I didn't expect to like. Runescape mobile plays like shit compared to this one. There are even youtubers who exculasively play on mobile for months ever since Sandbox Interactive released that virtual controller style gameplay on the mobile client.


    And that's why this is so dangerous for gaming as you said, "There are even youtubers who exclusively play on mobile". This is the issue, PC and Console becoming replaced by a inferior platform. Gamers are being naïve if they see this as a tool that helps the PC, it is replacing the PC or placing restrictions on the design of PC games.
    Gdemami
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