And that makes it a problem for the game since there is TONS competitive games out there....
Players do not enjoy having to spend countless time to "catch up" with existing players in order to be competitive.
And what happens when they realize, after initially trying the game out, that in order to be competitive they have to spend an enormous time to earn the gold needed to buy the items which they feel they need to be competitive ?
They ask themselves why bother and move on to some other game....
And Ultima Online looses subscriptions...........
Popps...you are making it sound like NO ONE can compete.
That is patently untrue.
ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE...even you...can compete, if they so choose.
If not, then they can blame all of their pathetic circumstances on why they can't keep up with the older players.
Or, if they are like really successful people, they will find a way to rise above the current circumstances, to achieve the desired result.
You and Chaos and everyone else that thinks that EVERYONE should have ready access to simply EVERYTHING in the game, even times that are long gone, but you seem to forget one of the most important edicts of real business:
Do everything you can to keep current customers. They are far more valuable than a new one may be.
Then, to keep the business alive, new customers must be attracted. In a game environment, that means that the game can't be TOO hard...or TOO easy.
You want to have all new players have EVERYTHING available to them that any other player has, and I say no. That is not what would keep
me playing UO.
If I logged in and hit a big red Easy button to have Arties and Armor dropped in my bank account, and didn't need to hunt, run vendors, etc. I would quit.
And, as a demographic of the game for 12+ years, I would say I am not alone.
You are confusing "Ease" with "Effort".
They are very different animals. One leads to a person expecting simply everything to be available just the way, and when THEY want it (like a Coffee Shop or Grocery Store...different business model).
This is not what works in a competitive environment. To keep customers interested in competitive environment, they need to "Compete". This excludes everyone having exactly the same thing, for varying amounts of Effort.
Otherwise, both sides would win in a soccer match. But they don't. One side wins...the other loses.
In UO, if you are able to attend the event, you make it to the game. Otherwise, you "Forfeit" your game.
This can happen to people in a championship game they have waited YEARS to play, Popps. YEARS of real expense...driving kids to and from matches...YEARS of this.
If the team is late to their Championship Match, they "Forfeit" their prize, or even chance at it, and then they lose.
Now...I wanted to state all that to hopefully put a cork in your "UO will fail because it's just too HARD!!" diatribe.
However, the imbuing scenario, itself, should be evaluated. I have nothing to gain in terms of stockpiled items I can sell, or previously imbued items I covet.
However, it would seem that the reason for the change, albeit possibly valid, and meant to address something deeper than we are able to know...could be repealed with enough thought and reasoning.
Undoing it simply because Popps says that new players won't have the ability to imbue a Violet Courage or an Arctic Death Dealer...well...I say bullspit...complete bullspit.
Popps...I must say...you greatly underestimate the power of the human spirit for achievement, and goal consciousness. I will admit that it is a tough balancing act indeed...but you are way out there saying that new folks just can't compete. Not ALL new folks can compete. But, people have been competing in UO...in whatever sandbox method makes them the happiest for over 12 years.
Just because your subjective view says that most quit as soon as they try the game, and you know 4 people that left because they can't compete...way too small a slice to think it is valid for everyone, for sure.
Still competing...still here. Simply stated...all of the other MMOs need customers too...we can't hog them all.