ODDS AND ENDS #4

First, kick me for not updating and then I’ll get on with it.

Done? Hopefully this is the last of these damned accursed mixed bag posts. There was no opportunity to update last week due to some crazy times at work helping prepare for a get-together that’s occurring this week. I hear there will be games.

And with the news already starting to leak out of E3, let’s get this post over and done with.

…In the MMO equivalent of walking in on your mother and father engaging in a heated session of unbridled monkey-sex, MMO observers and players across the internets gave a collective doubleyoo-tee-eff to the news that Vanguard was no longer with Microsoft and that Sigil had entered into a co-publishing deal with SOE. Rabid Vanguard fans – those that would fervently defend the game even if fetuspaults were implemented. You know the type – who had bashed SOE for the past few years and saw Brad McQuaid as a walking vial of Jesus juice have only just now been returned to their homes after shuffling around their neighborhood streets aimlessly.

Various theories as to the nature and reason of this deal have been offered up, and I’m sure you’ve read a few, but I want my turn dammit.

The Reason

Vanguard has been in development, at least under the roof of Microsoft, for pretty much 4 years. We know this because a comic tells us so.

Now, 4 years is a long development time. Even for an MMO. Especially one that is still having its basic mechanics redesigned in “Beta”. Whatever your personal thoughts are of Microsoft, it is a business. And as such, Microsoft had been increasingly putting the lean on Sigil’s shoulder for them to show some results and to begin earning back the money Microsoft had been forking out. To be specific, someone at Microsoft said “Release the damn thing”. It’s likely someone else said “Cut back on those damned features that are taking too damn long”. I think the people at Microsoft say “damn” a lot. This case is alluded to in one of Brad’s typically long discourses.

We get to become a co-publisher and have the control we feel we need to really achieve all of the ambitious plans we have for Vanguard, both before and after launch, and with fewer pressures from outside entities to change this or that, or to scale back this or that.

Eventually, Sigil was given something akin to an ultimatum – to release or leave (which is the flowery euphemism of “release or we’ll cut you off”). We know that Microsoft isn’t afraid to let something go, even when they’ve poured heaps of cash into it, if that something doesn’t look like it’ll make them money any time soon (hello Mythica and Asheron’s Call). With the prospect of the Vision being sullied, Sigil took this opportunity buy back Vanguard and look elsewhere for a publisher.

Consisting of ex-coworkers and decision makers that believe in the hard core DIKU-clone model that Vanguard is striving to achieve, SOE was a logical choice.

The Deal

Sigil – So, Sigil gets to release Vanguard as they want it to be. Or at least, further away from what Microsoft wants it to be. And as the main crux of the deal goes, Sigil gets access to SOE’s operations and distribution infrastructure, as well as SOE’s marketing team. Whatever your thoughts about SOE are, these departments are some of the strongest in the MMO industry. Sigil also claims to retain all gameplay related decision for themselves.

Now, while this is nice in theory, I know of no publisher that has never tried to offer feedback like “Hey, you think it might be a good idea to change this class a little?” let alone hold back from requesting a number of changes to be made before a milestone. The history between the two companies only further increases the chances that some requests are adhered to in order to facilitate the friendship.

SOE – Seemingly the biggest grinner to emerge from this deal, SOE has been able to remove a potential competitor from the field and make it earn them money. And on the Station Access subscription no less! I’ve got to wonder what Sigil got in return when Smed said “Tell you what. We won’t start you off as a stand alone title in an effort to earn more cash for the first few months. We’ll put you straight onto the Station Access! How do you like them apples?”.

More importantly, SOE is now in a prime position to buy Sigil, as it did to Verant before it. This fact has not gone noticed amongst Sigil.

Microsoft – Regardless of what Brad is currently saying about Microsoft still gaining something out of this deal in the form of a title that will utilize its Vista features – some day - , the fact remains that Microsoft spent money in order to lose potential money. Microsoft was once offered exclusive rights to GTAIII (and ultimately its subsequent two sequels), but turned it down. So, I must question the business decisions of Microsoft sometimes. But is that the case here, or did Microsoft see something they did not like? Open Beta should prove to be interesting…

…Which leads me onto this week’s Beta leaks from the FOHrums.

One.

176 has been the magic number for the past few days whenever I'm on, and I do try my best to actually test the content and give feedback. There's alot of shit in the game that makes no sense, specifically the complete lack of direction at low levels, the terribly bugged animations and...god, lots else. The most amazing thing is the game somehow manages to be so complicated and so mind numbingly simple at the same time. I have 6 buttons to push in a fight, and combined theres something like 30 different effects I can push out as a ranger. Holy shit, that is the most pointless shit I've ever seen, and I don't even want to go into it.

The term 'placeholder' has never been used so liberally with a game. Placeholder animations, placeholder sounds, placeholder dungeons, placeholder content, placeholder hair ect ect ect. Here's an idea, why don't you actually finish one fucking aspect of the game before you submit it for testing? It just diminishes the experience otherwise, and it is fucking LUDICROUS how bad it is.

With that said, I STILL have faith in the game for some reason. If made concise the combat system has the potential to be pretty fun, and the non cookie cutter dungeons are pretty good. Of course there's something like 3? non CC dungeons.

Two.

I decided to try my luck and start a new character and give myself a fresh view of the game. All I have to say is this...

If they can get off their asses and fix the fucking newbie areas maybe so many people won't be disenchanted with the game. I played for a week, a few hours a day, and I borderline hated the game because the starting area blew so god damn much. All I wanted to do was leave the place, because every dungeon was the same and the outdoor mob placement was abysmal ect ect. This isnt' even to mention how terrible the quests and story were in the area. Yet with all this said, the newbie area I started in yesterday gave me the complete opposite feel. The story was good, the direction was actually novel and ...present, and the combat mechanics weren't convuluted and pointless. The game seems to be really hit or miss so far, and before you bitch about it I give feedback or at least report bugs every day. I'm allowed my opinion, and maybe if I post it here they'll get some embered kindling in their britches and fix the problem. I don't post here to say "lol cool nda man game sux =)', but rather because I think alot of the testers who post on the boards are retards. I think you guys are retards too, but you don't have stacking mental deficiencies, and your second hand feedback is more useful.

Three…

I can't break down every single detail of why this game sucks because, while i don't like it or intend to ever play it again, I don't have some personal vendetta against it or the developers. I'm partly to blame for the horrors I have witnessed first hand by downloading and installing this 20gb version of original EQ.

It doesn't attempt anything new, infact it disregards any and every improvement made to the genre since original EQ. It runs like pure shit on every computer, and it's a mystery why, because it's ugly, bland and unimaginative. It's like someone gave a bunch of retards the ability to bump map high resolution textures and let them have at the world.

The models are ridiculously bad. You'd think since they recycled 1 model for every single race in the entire game that 1 model would atleast be decent, it's not.

This game has no direction whatsoever, if someone told me the developers had been locked away in a basement somewhere since the release of EQ I would believe it. These people simply don't have it in them to make an entertaining, current mmorpg.

If you pine for the days of sitting with a group killing things over and over in some random, barren location, and wish not only that you could revisit your days of killing wildlife in the karanas, but do it with sub 15 fps, then Vanguard is the game for you.

I really can't go into depth beyond that because this game is that vapid, it has absolutely no depth to it. I can't tell you gameplay element x doesn't work nearly as well in this game it does in WoW, because this game doesn't have it. It has running around killing things and it has sitting around complaining about how shitty it is.

the most generic korean mmo has more going for it than Vanguard. I can't think of anything else to say beyond that.

I don't like the game, and I don't understand how anyone who has played it could. I'm not trying to convince you to love or to hate it without playing it, doing either would be pretty dumb on your part. All I can do is call it like I see it, and I see a trainwreck.

…The Chinese WoW site has released information before the North American site. As usual. This time, it’s the Tier 3 equipment found in Naxxaramas, to be patched in 1.11. Stats and screenshots here…

…Rob Pardo gets listed in TIME Magazine’s “TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World”. Rob joins other great video game developers such as, well, nobody. Rob is the only game developer listed. No Will Wright. No Shigeru Miyamoto. No Derek Smart…

…Joystiq offers a glance at the MMOs shown, and rumored to be shown, at E3 this week. Since then, Naughty America: The Game, published unsurprisingly by Naughty America (the name alone should tell you what this company primarily deals in. If your head met with a thick plank of wood on your way to work this morning, Google is your friend), has been banned from E3. The next innovations in real-time booby jiggleation are still to take pride of place in various locations on the E3 showroom floor…

…Allakhazam drinks some baby blood and is taken under the wing of IGE. People that pay Allakhazam money are not happy, Jan.

Allakhazam, admist the Sigil and SOE news, ponders the meaning of strife.

Let’s see a company determines that it needs to involve itself with another company that it had previously criticized because of a pure business decision related to keeping their company alive and their ongoing projects viable. When criticized by their fans, they point out quite correctly that even though there is a relationship there, they have retained all critical control over the most important aspects of their business and the only changes will be for the better.

Where I have heard that story before? *Allakhazam looks in bafflement at the e-mail from Sigil refusing to meet with him at E3*

Someone had better hide this, and any knives, from Allakhazam.

…A live-action Warcraft movie is coming soon to a cinema near you. I smell an Oscar if they go with these people…

…The Station Access subscription receives a price hike. The cost of the subscription remains the same in my house. I can’t help but feel adding some casual games that are easy to make and run would help flesh this offer out a bit. Kinda like Yahoo Games  (but on a bigger scale and add the Elves, guns or pirate hats where necessary) or Ragdoll Kung Fu via Steam. Casual online games are, in business terms, the cat’s pajamas right now, and would offer customers an SOE-related activity to undertake during downtime that doesn’t take the greater amount of time required to log into another MMO, find a group, look at a vendor, still find a group, check your friends list, offer to pay for a group, and then go hunt…

…Aggro, my vote for the Internet’s Man of the Year, has a write-up on the two latest Everquest II announcements; “The Fallen Dynasty” Adventure Pack, and the next expansion called “Echoes of Faydwer”. The former introduces an Asian theme. The latter introduces playable fairies. All we need now is the tentacles…

…Blizzard unveils details about upcoming class talent changes. Shamans (Noooo, not Shamen) get a look at, but still remain inferior to Paladins in PvE. At hearing this, Paladins bring up the whole “Paladins are inferior to Shamans in PvP” debate. Blizzard, how about we just let the new races be the opposing side’s unique class and get this whole thing over and done with? I hear making balancing easier is a good thing.

Mages get their peek and cry nerf. Let’s just put Mages on both Horde and Alliance sides and call it a day.

Druids are told that Innervate will become a learnable spell at level 40. And yes, I cried tears of joy. You don’t know what it’s like to be the Innervate bitch to my guild’s main Priest. Now, some people are saying that this’ll just encourage Druids to do nothing but use forms all day in a raid, to which I reply “ppbbbbttttt!”. A good Druid will do what is best for the good of the raid – whether that is to heal and Innervate or to help damage a trash MOB. You can feel free to kick those other Druids. That’s your right. They probably went Moonkin anyway…

…MindArk, developer of RMT-based Entropia Universe, announces plans to introduce an ATM card that will allow players to withdraw real world money from assets within the MMO. MindArk may have never been asked about the game by the Internal Revenue Service or by U.S. law-enforcement agencies, but I can’t imagine those guys being quick to react to emerging online fields, especially one still seen as a juvenile pastime by many suits in power. So, how long will it be until we see real world laws put in place to prevent exploiting and to bring taxes upon these earnings?...

…An ex-GM that worked for Blizzard Europe spills the truffles on his ex-daily routine and what it is like to work for his ex-employer. Needs more dragon…

…From the Straight-Outta-Left-Field Department, Tulga Games announces an expansion for “the award-winning” (huh???) Horizons, and unveils another title in the form of Dark World Online – a “modern-horror” MMORPG. Looks like someone secured some funding…

…Speaking of which, David Allen starts a new company and announces his new MMO. Only this time he promises to keep his feet firmly on the ground and his head out of the fucking clouds. Double cross his heart. The press interviews have already begun.

MMORPG.com:Are you worried about the prospect of a game that encourages religious crusades and other potentially sensitive topics in light of our real world political climate?

David Allen: Not really. We have purposely stayed away from the term “Religion” in Crusade since the game has nothing to do with it.

Well, thank God that you’re keeping clear of “Religion” and are only using terms like “Crusade” and “Deities”. Oh crap, I just said “God”…

…A pre-E3 Tabula Rasa video emerges. If I was Richard Garriot I’d unleash my joke about Tabula Rasa going through a redesign right…about…now…

…A pre-E3 Warhammer: Age of Reckoning video emerges. It’s like the Tabula Rasa one but without any actual gameplay. Clearly, the Elf hitting with his staff was OOM…

…Star Wars: Galaxies is due for another combat revamp which plans to introduce some fairly basic elements. Insert punchline here…

…Blizzard’s war on the evil-doers (I’m picturing legions of men twirling their greased-up mustaches) is examined. Remember, it’s not friendly fire if you don’t know them…

…A South Korean court orders NCSoft to pay $4.25 million to victims of hacked accounts. North America cost NCSoft a considerably bigger sum…

…In an attempt to muffle the constant catcalls of “Too brown. Broooooown.”, Vanguard releases a screenshot showing nothing but green. That’ll throw ‘em!...

…Australian developer Auran announces a PvP-centric MMO called Fury. I’ll be keeping my eyes on this title for two reasons; 1) someone is once again trying a PvP game in an industry where some naysayers naysay them and 2) they understand what a jumbuck is without Googling it…

…The EQ Progression server is official branded as “The Combine” server, officially announced, and officially dated for June 2006. Big rush to flavor some pre-Luclin delights with numbers quickly dropping off is my call…

…In their latest Battleplan, Blizzard declares war on its servers. One day later, the servers return fire…

…Information on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ (the abbreviation sounds like a disease) guilds and prestige classes is released. Who cares? Bring on the bar fighting…

…Microsoft buys Massive Inc. Planetside to have more Halo-like elements than just its gameplay…

…The beards at Terranova question what’s next for MMOs. Mobile phones? An embrace of player created worlds? New business models? Men without tights? Rainbow treats for everyone? While I personally feel it’s the player created content that will arise from the suggested events, an important question to also ask is “When is what’s next for MMOs?”. I don’t see DIKU’s vice-like grip breaking soon…

…Some information on the Vanguard Ranger is released. Um, is it just me, or isn’t the Ranger’s “unique method of creating combat chains” the same way a Warrior performs combat chains?...

…And finally, random observation of the day;

DAOC has a large number of people grinding PvE in order to enter Battlegrounds.

WoW has a large number of people skipping Battlegrounds in order to grind PvE.

We need to get these two to go on a date so we may worship the offspring.