craftable academic bookcase *pic*

[Elthairen]

It's not up to players to treat UO/EA like a charity case. If I screw up with my business, I don't get handouts - I get my arse in gear and work harder till I'm sorted out again.

Have you ever taken an entry level economics course? UO's financial issues have much less to do with EA than you are accusing them of and everything to do with Supply and Demand. When UO first came out it was huge. People everywhere all the time. The smallest house in the game selling for like 50 bucks on ebay when I started in 1999. The reason for this is there were two big names in the MMORPG world. UO and Everquest. Then Asheron's Call came out and UO lost some players. Dark Age of Camelot came out and UO lost some players. Final Fantasy Online came out and UO lost some players. See the pattern here? On top of this technology got better. 3D games came out and UO lost players. UO's aesthetic quality is absolutely horrendous compared to most games on the market right now and that has cost them a lot of players. They WANTED to improve the game, but they made the mistake of listening to the players.

You see, to truly bring UO up to date with the times, and for it to keep up with the other games on the market would require a complete revamp of the game. They would have to write an entirely new game, and they wanted to do that. They can't just swap out some pictures and make it as pretty as World of Warcraft, or Lineage 2, or City of Heroes/Villains, or Star Wars Galaxies (gods that is a gorgeous game, shame they screwed it up).

We kept them from keeping up with the times. They wanted to do UO2 and we screamed and yelled because we didn't want to have to start over and rebuild what we had already spent a great deal of time on. In the meantime they tried to do a 3D client for UO1, in an effort to keep players they were already losing to more beautiful games. We cry about how much it sucks, which it does suck, but there's only so much they can really do and keep us able to not rebuild our stuff.

Now the window of opportunity is passed. Ultima Online is off the map and for them to successfully bring out a good 3D game that is up to par with today's technology would likely require an enormous expenditure in advertising and promotion to have any chance of success. So UO is stuck gasping for air so that we can hold on to our pixels we've spent over a decade collecting.

You speak of how we need to hold onto our money because the economy sucks. It is that mentality that makes our economic problems even worse. You have to spend money to make money. We have to spend money for businesses to make money. Businesses have to make money to keep people employed so that people can make money to spend. It's a nice, pretty, basic economics circle. As the economy gets worse and worse and people spend less and less money on things such as online games what do you think is going to be one of the first games EA cuts out?

EA's not the charity case here. We are.

 

[Elthairen]

Actually that letter was written a day or so after EA made an announcement of major project and jobs cuts due to lower than expected earnings. It was made to inform the players UO wasn't one of those being cut.

The point still stands however. Do you think the WoW devs need to make those kind of posts when Blizzard makes a little less money than expected?

 

[Shelleybean]

I'm not sure I'm understanding where this second spawn is. If I was in the right building, all I could see in there was rooms with beds?

When you first enter Bedlam, there is a cemetery in the south west corner with a small building. If you run into the building it takes you in the Champ area. That's the spot where Hawkeye Pike took his screen shot. However, the books do spawn in the building with the beds. I acquired them last night from there.

 

[Wenchkin]

The point still stands however. Do you think the WoW devs need to make those kind of posts when Blizzard makes a little less money than expected?

Well, different companies have different press policies for one thing.

And honestly, if you thought EA were struggling that much, it would be daft to give them money. If it's that bad, you'll find your money gone and the game with it...

But what's worst, UO gone or UO going further down the river for another 11 years, because EA don't care for it? How long do you listen to empty promises before the penny drops?

Wenchy

 

[Elthairen]

At what point have I said that EA was struggling? EA is by no means struggling, may not have gotten the profits they expected, but not struggling, and I've never said they have. What I HAVE said is that UO is struggling. It is struggling to bring in enough revenue for EA to justify keeping it active. UO has been a sinking ship for years. As much as I love the game, it's a fact.

There are 2 primary things, as far as I can see, that have kept it afloat as long as it has. One is the enormous amount of content that keeps the loyal players here, and keeps other players coming back after they've explored other games. The other is, while often a bit underhanded, at least semi-intelligent marketing strategies such as this one with the bookshelves.

They are currently playing 2 big trump cards to bring in revenue. One is the bookshelves. It's something that we've been begging for for years, and they know we will buy them. The other is bringing Seers back, ie... Event Moderators. Another thing we've been begging for since Origin did away with all the volunteers for fear of being sued. The event moderators is a huge card to play as it may well bring some people back to the game.

I, personally, don't listen to empty promises. I don't care what they say is going to happen. When it happens, if I like it, cool. It's not what they are going to do that has me playing this game. It's what they've already done. So to me, UO gone is far worse, because then I can't play it at all. As for how long I will play before the penny drops. Well I'll play until the game is no longer fun. Until then I'm going to do my part to help make sure it stays open so I can keep playing.

It's not about charity to EA, it's not about making sure EA's taken care of, it's not about any of you. For me, it's all about me. I like playing the game and I wanna see it remain open therefore I'm going to put the money I am willing to put into it, into it. I just hope other folks feel the same.

I'm not saying anybody should spend their life savings on the game. But if you like playing, and you can afford to drop an extra 10 bucks here and there, then why not? If you don't like playing it enough to do that, then by all means, don't do it.

But quit knocking them for doing what they need to do to keep the doors open. They're not holding a gun to your head and making you spend the money. They're not hurting anyone. They're just running a business.

Bugger me I'm long winded.

 

[HD2300]

They should have titled the craftable bookcases, "bookcase with very rare books".

You just feel like they dont really think things through.

From the PvP standpoint, it is great for PvPers that EA has someone who is proactive now.

But EA also needs to hire someone equally proactive and passionate like Connor who really understands the game from the PvE standpoint, 85% of their customers. A PvE "expert" would ensure that additions and changes made wont alienate customers.

 

[Wenchkin]

At what point have I said that EA was struggling? EA is by no means struggling, may not have gotten the profits they expected, but not struggling, and I've never said they have. What I HAVE said is that UO is struggling. It is struggling to bring in enough revenue for EA to justify keeping it active. UO has been a sinking ship for years. As much as I love the game, it's a fact.

Well you can call it what you want hehe. I honestly don't want to debate over one word I posted I'm human, so sometimes I interpret things differently to how the OP writes them or their intended meaning.

There are 2 primary things, as far as I can see, that have kept it afloat as long as it has. One is the enormous amount of content that keeps the loyal players here, and keeps other players coming back after they've explored other games. The other is, while often a bit underhanded, at least semi-intelligent marketing strategies such as this one with the bookshelves.

They are currently playing 2 big trump cards to bring in revenue. One is the bookshelves. It's something that we've been begging for for years, and they know we will buy them. The other is bringing Seers back, ie... Event Moderators. Another thing we've been begging for since Origin did away with all the volunteers for fear of being sued. The event moderators is a huge card to play as it may well bring some people back to the game.

But we're forgetting something here, players have lived without bookshelves all these years. This is a very simple item which should be easy to craft. It's the same as our existing bookshelves, but with books. There's no way of dressing it up into a rare as EA are trying to do. It's a basic furniture item to have books in your shelves. If I have to spend millions to simply decorate a rune library, it'll never be done. We still have decor tools and doom books etc to do our own versions. Which is just what I'll keep doing.

I, personally, don't listen to empty promises. I don't care what they say is going to happen. When it happens, if I like it, cool. It's not what they are going to do that has me playing this game. It's what they've already done. So to me, UO gone is far worse, because then I can't play it at all. As for how long I will play before the penny drops. Well I'll play until the game is no longer fun. Until then I'm going to do my part to help make sure it stays open so I can keep playing.

Well, maybe one day you'll think you were quiet too long as I thought. Trust me, I spent many years not even looking at UHall, let alone getting into heated debates here. Then thought screw this, I care about this game and I want it to get better. The last thing I want is for UO to die, but throwing money at EA won't guarantee its survival. EA need to make the game great enough that players keep coming in to replace those who quit. UO has competition, and needs to rise to the challenge

It's not about charity to EA, it's not about making sure EA's taken care of, it's not about any of you. For me, it's all about me. I like playing the game and I wanna see it remain open therefore I'm going to put the money I am willing to put into it, into it. I just hope other folks feel the same.

EA can have my money too. When they do a good job. So alongside the great content lately, if they were to change this bookshelf thing it might help persuade me to stick around. But a game overrun with cheats and these stupid carrot dangling marketing tricks just sours UO for me. I'll come straight back when I see a change for the better, but EA don't get unconditional support from us all.

I'm not saying anybody should spend their life savings on the game. But if you like playing, and you can afford to drop an extra 10 bucks here and there, then why not? If you don't like playing it enough to do that, then by all means, don't do it.

If you get paid for shoddy work then where is the incentive to do better? If you make money whatever you do, that's when you think "ah stuff it, why make the effort, not like they'll quit!". We may be a small passionate player base, but that is no reason to screw us for money.

But quit knocking them for doing what they need to do to keep the doors open. They're not holding a gun to your head and making you spend the money. They're not hurting anyone. They're just running a business.

I'll give the thumbs up where due and when it's not I'll say otherwise. It's just called feedback. I think EA are wrong on this one. I think they could do better, so I'm saying as much. If we all go around with the happy face how do EA learn what works or doesn't? It's precisely because I want EA to come up with the goods that I say what I do. I don't want to quit, I love UO! I met the man I love in UO lol. I would love to tell friends the game was so good I couldn't stop myself spending cash on it. But that just isn't true.

Wenchy

 

[HD2300]

What I HAVE said is that UO is struggling. It is struggling to bring in enough revenue for EA to justify keeping it active.

50k subscribers => ~$7M
100k subscribers => ~$14.4M
Thats without token sales and asian boxed editions.

If it gets down to 20k subscribers, I'd start getting worried, but that is still a long way off.

 

[Lord Drakelord]

damned scary place to wander in to just to steal a book pile

Specially for a thief, I rather go to Doom then to Bedlam, at least in Doom there room to run, in Bedlam you have no where to go except out.

 

[Uvtha]

I dunno, Its not all about profits aparantly, and the profit number is MUUUUCH lower than whats being made via subs.

They did have designs to shut the game down, so my guess is its more about growth than profits. UO is not growing, I think we all know that.

 

[kelmo]

*smiles* Come see me, Rat... I have something for you.

 

[laurlo]

wish it was affordable.

 

[Pandora_CoD]

Is this item still the same way? Where the academic books are almost impossible to get or did they finally change this?

 

[Gheed]

Two spawn in bedlam... roughly once/week

 

[Cogniac]

I blame Japan.

Remember the "11th Year Collection" that is still for sale on UOGameCodes.com? Yeah. Sakkarah made those...as Veteran Rewards. Apparently, UO Japan saw them, said "DON'T MIND IF I DO" and just started selling them. So the next time you see fancy new items on the Japanese UOStore before anywhere else, they probably got there first because UO Japan stole them.

I remember Wilki mentioning way back that they were working on making it so that all bookshelves would become full if you put books in them. They probably got it almost finished, and then UO Japan got hold of it and decided to monetize a basic concept of reality (when you put books on a bookshelf, suddenly the bookshelf has books on it WHOOOOAAAAHHHH).

EA, being EA, is not going to turn down an opportunity to make money, no matter how much international corporate backstabbing was required to bring it about.

 

[Fink]

I've been incredibly lucky snagging those academic books, 25 so far.

I've had nothing for quite a while now but, as I said, I consider myself lucky to have had such a good run. I kept a few bookcases, sold some to get a little gold together, and gave about half of them away to libraries & museums.

I guess the rarity is to preserve the value of the MTX version - which already has superior functionality - but I think the spawn needs to be randomised.

 

[kelmo]

Two spawn in bedlam... roughly once/week

Psst... There are three that spawn down there. *winks*