The client is the FRONTEND of the game. It is what the game is judged by when people see the box in the shelves or look at screenshots on the web. It is the most important factor that will determine if EA finally can win new customers for UO, and if UO can flourish once again to a new golden age.
If this time they do it right, UO actually has a good chance to win thousands of new players, as (from a content point of view) it is one of the best and versatile MMORPGs on the market already.
If I had to design a new client, I would focus on:
Actually, I would even think about finally letting the old client die, if the new one is really really good. I know, some old-timers would whine about it. But I'd rather lose 100 veteran players and gain 10,000 new players at the same time, instead of carrying this old crap around for another year. The old client inhibits innovative changes to UO, and THAT is a problem! (One reason why Windows is a crappy operating system is that they try to be compatible to 10 year old software and do not dare to cut off old technologies.)
Also, having 2 different clients always means, that one client will do a certain thing better than the other. Today, you cannot PvP with KR, as you have slight disadvantages. If (hypothetically) there was no 2D client, it actually would be balanced again.
IF THEY DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME, UO WILL ONCE AGAIN FLORISH!
The lack of new players is the root of many of our problems in UO today. This needs to be solved with top priority!
If this time they do it right, UO actually has a good chance to win thousands of new players, as (from a content point of view) it is one of the best and versatile MMORPGs on the market already.
If I had to design a new client, I would focus on:
- adopting most of the legacy client functionality and handling
- enhancing this functionality with important features like hotbars, better macros, map functionality, etc. Just stuff every modern game offers today.
- doing a GREAT job concerning artwork (this is what new players look at!)
- excellent QA to make sure it has few bugs and runs with good performance (KR ran well a few months ago, but meanwhile it has become slower)
Actually, I would even think about finally letting the old client die, if the new one is really really good. I know, some old-timers would whine about it. But I'd rather lose 100 veteran players and gain 10,000 new players at the same time, instead of carrying this old crap around for another year. The old client inhibits innovative changes to UO, and THAT is a problem! (One reason why Windows is a crappy operating system is that they try to be compatible to 10 year old software and do not dare to cut off old technologies.)
Also, having 2 different clients always means, that one client will do a certain thing better than the other. Today, you cannot PvP with KR, as you have slight disadvantages. If (hypothetically) there was no 2D client, it actually would be balanced again.
IF THEY DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME, UO WILL ONCE AGAIN FLORISH!
The lack of new players is the root of many of our problems in UO today. This needs to be solved with top priority!
