UO's Future - Why can't we find anything out?

[Uriah Heep]

@ Sauteed;

Long long ago, I logged in one day and all my stats were -10. I checked everything, nothing was on to cause it. I hadn't been under curse or anything when I logged out. So...Page a gm, a counselor shows up, asks me what was up, said "oops" that has to go higher than me!
A few minutes later a GM shows up, tell me to get nekkid (I hear that alla time ) and said to be patient. About 5 mins later he comes back visible and tells me Im good to go, get dressed and go play. I asked what the prob was, he said somehow my char had become corrupted, and had I not called, I never would have gotten those stats back...it was not something I could just play thru and it would correct itself.
A few years ago, I walked into shame on day, and it was pitch black. I checked, yeah, had nightsight on an armor piece. Pulled it off, put it back on, nothing. Went to the house and got a couple of nightsight pots. Went back to shame, drank one, nothing. went outside the dungeon, drank one, back in, still night. Logged out, back in, still night. Called a GM, he supposedly came, never saw him, just had the [ talk thing going on. Said there was nothing that could be done unless I wanted to delete that char and start over...
And so was the demise of Colonel Angus (SNL fans know).
So even tho we are in the wrong thread for this, yes! fixing the stuff that breaks is as important or moreso to the players than trinket packets and stuff...put it on the codesite, some will buy and EA will have the income it would miss from not making boosters, etc. and the overall gaming experience will be enhanced where *maybe* the vets would stop closing accounts.

 

[Sauteed Onion]

And I apologize to woodsman, but I think somehow this is all kinda tied together. I'm concerned for finding out what's in the future for UO. I think it some form of acknowledgement that yeah it's got some bugs that yeah we've been ignoring for in same cases 15 years is a start. Status bar bugs, like go take a new character, just make one on a random server, or hell got to test and do it. Walk outside new haven, go get you a stack of spectral spell binders. don't kill them till they've got you with a curse, or corpse skin, mind rot.. those timers on those debuffs will go down, even the effect will wear off.. but those status icons, stay on your bar. The fix, is to cast it on yourself and then let the timer time out on it.. and then the icon will disappear. That should not be the fix man. This is how this comes off to not just a new player, but an old one.

Oh bugs? Well the fix is to just let them come up with a solution.. a work around. Then they can tell their friends how they dealt with it.

There is nothing that can be said to me at this point, until 1 there is acknowledgement that yes there are these bugs, and yes we've let them go on WAY too long, and yes we're sorry and will fix them immediately, to disprove to me that this is the mindset we are currently allowing to take the wheel in the game that we love.

But we got some harpsicords comin, don't forget to join factions for your superior artifacts.. thnx!

 

[Woodsman]

And I apologize to woodsman, but I think somehow this is all kinda tied together. I'm concerned for finding out what's in the future for UO. I think it some form of acknowledgement that yeah it's got some bugs that yeah we've been ignoring for in same cases 15 years is a start.

There is nothing that can be said to me at this point, until 1 there is acknowledgement that yes there are these bugs, and yes we've let them go on WAY too long, and yes we're sorry and will fix them immediately, to disprove to me that this is the mindset we are currently allowing to take the wheel in the game that we love.

It's a very good point, but honestly, bugs should not be considered a part of a game's future, they should be considered a part of the game's present that is worked on in an ongoing basis. This applies to every MMORPG out there.

But it's valid, because things are different than in the past. In the past, there was a part of the team dedicated to the future things like expansions, and there was a part of the team dedicated to bug fixes and current events.

We have a new producer, so I'm looking forward to her laying out a direction for UO, one that does include ongoing bug fixes, but also one that is actually about growing UO. All the bugfixes in the world will do us no good if no attempt is made to grow UO.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Yea, the thing about nostalgia - it only applies to those of us who actually remember playing games in those days! Dude, my first game was the pong console.

-Grimm

I agree with you, in general, that UO would benefit from a stylized art set that is uniquely UO. I also agree with you that trying to beat WoW is a failed task the moment it's mentioned, and should never be the end goal. But I think a WoW comparison applies here... the reason WoW remains attractive to many players (not all... there are some that decry its graphics) is that they do use a stylized graphic set. When you see WoW artwork, you instantly know, "That came from the World of Warcraft."

On the other hand, I think you might be discounting nostalgia a little bit (though I may also be reading more than intended). Yes, it only applies to those who have played the game, but... those are the people you want to continue to play the game after a graphics update. Yes, a small loss for a big gain is acceptable in some respects, but, alienating an older playerbase in hopes of a new one would be a huge mistake.

However, all of this said, I think that UO's current art style is, to some degrees, the unique style of UO. Now, I won't say that some of the 3D engines I've seen that recreate UO in 3D with the same base graphics are good. I think whatever happens would necessarily require adding detail... I think a good example would be the wood and plaster walls... you would keep the same basic look to it, but you would be able to see bumps in the plaster and grooves in the wood grain. The graphic style would be the same, but would add detail. And no, the detail doesn't have to hit "realistic." It could be stylized, but it would need to be consistent.

And that's the importance of ANY changes in artwork made... the update would have to match UO's particular style, but, pieces that have come later that didn't fit the style well should be adjusted slightly to bring them into alignment with the overall style. Not massive changes, mind you... but complete tilesets, fixes to things that didn't work out well, and so forth.


And... truthfully, I disagree that kid-friendly art would be the way to go. Not saying it would happen, just debating the point somewhat... I think that UO really lends itself to a more advanced, more intuitive playerbase. There is a lot that needs to be done for a new player experience to explain the skill systems to the average player, but even then, I think a more advanced playerbase is where this game's attraction lies. I don't think aiming the bar to a younger age would help, truthfully.

 

[Woodsman]

On the other hand, I think you might be discounting nostalgia a little bit (though I may also be reading more than intended). Yes, it only applies to those who have played the game, but... those are the people you want to continue to play the game after a graphics update. Yes, a small loss for a big gain is acceptable in some respects, but, alienating an older playerbase in hopes of a new one would be a huge mistake.

If that older playerbase was growing, it would be one thing, but they are not. At some point, if you don't move UO into the future, we won't be talking on Stratics about EA's UO, we'll be talking on Stratics about which free shard to play on.

However, all of this said, I think that UO's current art style is, to some degrees, the unique style of UO. Now, I won't say that some of the 3D engines I've seen that recreate UO in 3D with the same base graphics are good. I think whatever happens would necessarily require adding detail... I think a good example would be the wood and plaster walls... you would keep the same basic look to it, but you would be able to see bumps in the plaster and grooves in the wood grain. The graphic style would be the same, but would add detail. And no, the detail doesn't have to hit "realistic." It could be stylized, but it would need to be consistent.

And that's the importance of ANY changes in artwork made... the update would have to match UO's particular style, but, pieces that have come later that didn't fit the style well should be adjusted slightly to bring them into alignment with the overall style. Not massive changes, mind you... but complete tilesets, fixes to things that didn't work out well, and so forth.

Yes. It sounds like they are moving to 3D versions of all of the existing artwork, just bumped up in a higher resolution and still maintaining some of the look that we have with UO. I think that's the best hope for UO's future. Modernize is not the right word, but the closest I can find. Provide a high resolution version of the graphics that look recognizable to existing players, but that looks sharp to people who have never played. Keep UO's perspective, although it would be cool as hell for homeowners and miners to be able to rotate that perspective 360 degrees.

With Apple releasing a 2880x1800 resolution 15-inch laptop (and holy crap does it look gorgeous), in the next few years, all the other companies are going start upping the resolutions. Pretty soon, 1280x800 or 1280x1024 will be a resolution found only on tablets or 9-inch notebooks.

Mesanna has been with UO a long time, and she was around for the 3D stuff. I hope she meant it last January when she said she wanted UO around for another 15 years. It would be appropriate if she was the one to lay out an actual future for UO rather than what we have right now, moving from publish to publish.

And if they can move UO to a 3D system using the existing graphics style, later on they can offer other alternatives a lot easier and cheaper.

 

[Lord Frodo]

It's a very good point, but honestly, bugs should not be considered a part of a game's future, they should be considered a part of the game's present that is worked on in an ongoing basis. This applies to every MMORPG out there.

There comes a time when a UO Producer needs to say we are going to work on bugs until they are fixed. How many times have we heard in the past that BUGS were a high priority and yet here we are coming up on 15 yrs and there are a lot, I mean a lot, of bugs. I would accept them putting everything on hold until they fix the bugs and bring the EC out of test.

 

[Woodsman]

There comes a time when a UO Producer needs to say we are going to work on bugs until they are fixed. How many times have we heard in the past that BUGS were a high priority and yet here we are coming up on 15 yrs and there are a lot, I mean a lot, of bugs. I would accept them putting everything on hold until they fix the bugs and bring the EC out of test.

Bug fixes should have nothing to do with a game's future, because that is something that a team should be constantly doing. The fact that it is a big deal with UO does say a lot about the problem though.

I don't think UO can afford to just stop developing or planning new stuff and focus solely on bug fixes, because EA is not a very forgiving company.

And it's too late now - three months out from the anniversary, they need to be doing things to take advantage of the anniversary, like talking about the future plans, because it's publicity they will never get again (unless they make it to 20). They need to take full advantage of this publicity.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

If that older playerbase was growing, it would be one thing, but they are not. At some point, if you don't move UO into the future, we won't be talking on Stratics about EA's UO, we'll be talking on Stratics about which free shard to play on.

I didn't say anything about not moving UO into the future. I said that you don't want to abandon your existing player base in the hopes of gaining a new one. Imagine if they implemented a change tomorrow and 85% of the player base left, but the game gained in size to that remaining 15% of the player base. You'd now have a player base approximately 30% of the size of your original player base. Yes... it might be the largest influx of new players, but it could also be the largest outpouring of old.

Changes should both be able to hold onto existing players while attracting new ones. It is possible.

Yes. It sounds like they are moving to 3D versions of all of the existing artwork, just bumped up in a higher resolution and still maintaining some of the look that we have with UO. I think that's the best hope for UO's future. Modernize is not the right word, but the closest I can find. Provide a high resolution version of the graphics that look recognizable to existing players, but that looks sharp to people who have never played. Keep UO's perspective, although it would be cool as hell for homeowners and miners to be able to rotate that perspective 360 degrees.

I think if you re-read my post, you'll see I agree with you. In fact, I think I provided some examples to that effect. At any rate, I agree... it would be awesome to see UO in full 3D. I also think that 90% of the people who don't play 3D games because it "makes them sick" would find that yes, the mind takes a little bit to get used to them, but once you're used to them, you're fine. The problem is, most people hit that "I feel nauseous" point and keep going rather than walking away for a few hours, and then they do get sick and give up entirely.

But... that's neither here nor there, I suppose, as Diablo III shows there's PLENTY of room in 2012 for a top-down perspective game. That looks good.

With Apple releasing a 2880x1800 resolution 15-inch laptop (and holy crap does it look gorgeous), in the next few years, all the other companies are going start upping the resolutions. Pretty soon, 1280x800 or 1280x1024 will be a resolution found only on tablets or 9-inch notebooks.

Well, you know, it wasn't all that long ago that 1024x768 was the outlier among resolutions when 640x480 was a bit outdated and 800x600 was king of the world. But like all things, this has changed. As monitors themselves abandon the square or near-square box, websites will cease to be designed in 1024x768 for viewing sake (most square monitors are at this resolution or 1280x1024 these days), and end up with wide-screen resolutions across the board.

Mesanna has been with UO a long time, and she was around for the 3D stuff. I hope she meant it last January when she said she wanted UO around for another 15 years. It would be appropriate if she was the one to lay out an actual future for UO rather than what we have right now, moving from publish to publish.

I truly believe everyone who has ever worked on Ultima Online would like to see it last another 15, 20, 25, 30 years. It truly is one of the most unique games out there. But there's a lot of work over the next 5 years to ensure it lasts for another 10.

And if they can move UO to a 3D system using the existing graphics style, later on they can offer other alternatives a lot easier and cheaper.

Agreed.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

There comes a time when a UO Producer needs to say we are going to work on bugs until they are fixed. How many times have we heard in the past that BUGS were a high priority and yet here we are coming up on 15 yrs and there are a lot, I mean a lot, of bugs. I would accept them putting everything on hold until they fix the bugs and bring the EC out of test.

You might accept putting everything else on hold until all the bugs were squished. But I doubt everyone would, and that's only part of the problem. The other part is no one can quantify in any meaningful way just how long it would take to squash all the bugs, and no matter how many times someone thinks all the bugs have been squashed, they haven't. Bugs are a fact of life. The thing is minimizing their impact.

And yes, there are a lot of things that need to be fixed. They definitely need to be addressed. I think they'd save themselves a lot of headaches just by double-checking their publish protocol, because more than once in the past year fixes have been accidentally reverted in a future patch because an older version of the client was sent out in some manner that did not contain Fix A but did contain Fix B.

At any rate, there is really never a good time for all production to come to a halt on any game just for the sake of fixing bugs. Squashing major ones, yes. Minor ones definitely should be fixed as time allows, or as those systems are touched (which I hope happens), but I don't honestly know what their internal processes look like.

 

[Woodsman]

I didn't say anything about not moving UO into the future. I said that you don't want to abandon your existing player base in the hopes of gaining a new one. Imagine if they implemented a change tomorrow and 85% of the player base left, but the game gained in size to that remaining 15% of the player base. You'd now have a player base approximately 30% of the size of your original player base. Yes... it might be the largest influx of new players, but it could also be the largest outpouring of old.

Changes should both be able to hold onto existing players while attracting new ones. It is possible.

I think if you re-read my post, you'll see I agree with you.

My mistake, I misread what you said.

I agree that you can hold on to existing players while attracting new ones. It really helps if your existing players realize the need for new players and don't grumble when things are being worked on to attract new players.

One of the ways to hold onto players is communication. I'm watching the server transfer/merge drama play out with SWTOR on the SWTOR forums, and BioWare is keeping a lot of those people in the dark and it is causing all sorts of problems and panic. It's a good example of how a lack of communication or clear direction is throwing things into chaos. Secrecy is not good, not if you respect your players.

I'm so thankful for TheGrimmOmen talking about the graphics stuff, because otherwise I think most of us would assume that UO has slipped into some kind of maintenance mode and that the graphics upgrade had been canceled as well.

I hope that Mesanna has a vision and can communicate that. UO needs a clear direction as much as it needs a graphics update.

 

[Viquire]

I'm so thankful for TheGrimmOmen talking about the graphics stuff, because otherwise I think most of us would assume that UO has slipped into some kind of maintenance mode and that the graphics upgrade had been canceled as well.

I hope that Mesanna has a vision and can communicate that. UO needs a clear direction as much as it needs a graphics update.

I agree wholeheartedly on the thankfulness for communication. If I have a problem with stylization it would be in consideration of housing. Other games just do not have the level of interaction we enjoy when if come to creating your own space. I think we could play that up a LOT.

Cartoony graphics will not work towards that end, at least I have a had time envisioning it. Perhaps Grimm was thinking out loud about an alternate space to play in an Ultima world online. Because that would work, and bring us some attentions as well.

I'm for consistent play experiences that are reasonably bug free, less exploits, and more immersivness. Do those things and gamers will come.

 

[Woodsman]

I agree wholeheartedly on the thankfulness for communication. If I have a problem with stylization it would be in consideration of housing. Other games just do not have the level of interaction we enjoy when if come to creating your own space. I think we could play that up a LOT.

Cartoony graphics will not work towards that end, at least I have a had time envisioning it. Perhaps Grimm was thinking out loud about an alternate space to play in an Ultima world online. Because that would work, and bring us some attentions as well.

I'm for consistent play experiences that are reasonably bug free, less exploits, and more immersivness. Do those things and gamers will come.

What GrimmOmen is doing, high resolution versions of the existing graphics, and fixing a few things, is going to be the best way. I just hope it doesn't get delayed for other things, because UO needs to get a bunch of new players in. I've seen too many people quit lately, or start doing the 90-day thing.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

One of the ways to hold onto players is communication. I'm watching the server transfer/merge drama play out with SWTOR on the SWTOR forums, and BioWare is keeping a lot of those people in the dark and it is causing all sorts of problems and panic. It's a good example of how a lack of communication or clear direction is throwing things into chaos. Secrecy is not good, not if you respect your players.

Well, you're completely on point there, no doubt about it. And, no, it doesn't look good for SW:ToR. They've just barely hit six months old, and they're offering transfers off of at least 30 UO and 30 European servers -- my toon's on one of the transfer outs... It's not a good sign at all.

But... the problem with ToR is that it is an excellent single player game. In an MMO setting. With certain things that require multiple players to accomplish.

But Bioware didn't plan at all for end-game. And, if EA is being at all EA about things, they probably are reticent to pour more money into it to ensure that it continues to get the support it needs if subscriptions are down. I'll admit, my subscription comes due in July, and I've considered whether or not to renew. This can't be good for EA with two major licenses, one flopped and one in danger of flopping. Let's hope Bioware can stand up and do what's necessary to pull ToR back up by its first year. I think most MMOs have a rocky first year. But EA isn't exactly known for its patience.

I'm so thankful for TheGrimmOmen talking about the graphics stuff, because otherwise I think most of us would assume that UO has slipped into some kind of maintenance mode and that the graphics upgrade had been canceled as well.

I hope that Mesanna has a vision and can communicate that. UO needs a clear direction as much as it needs a graphics update.

Yeah... the communication level needs to be upped some, but I think too that UO's staff needs to be upped some in order for anything major to be accomplished.

Trouble is, UO's track record, whether at EA's own fault, or piddled opportunities by previous UO Dev Teams, makes it sort of unlikely that EA will bankroll anything major. And with ToR and WAR in the shape they're in... yeah. Here's hoping that at some point they look and say, "You know, we've got this game that's been up and running for 15 years..."

 

[Driven Insane]

I also think that 90% of the people who don't play 3D games because it "makes them sick" would find that yes, the mind takes a little bit to get used to them, but once you're used to them, you're fine.

So motion sickness is all in my head and I'll just get used to it huh? Sorry buddy, been getting motion sickness in games since the original Doom and I don't see that changing.

Besides, I'm not worried about it. UO can barely manage to keep the servers running most the time. I really doubt their going to dump the type of cash it would take to completely change UO into a modern 3D game.

 

[Woodsman]

Besides, I'm not worried about it. UO can barely manage to keep the servers running most the time. I really doubt their going to dump the type of cash it would take to completely change UO into a modern 3D game.

The graphics are being rendered in 3D already. The EC is at heart a 3D client - it's running on the same engine behind Warhammer Online, Dark Age of Camelot, RIFT, Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, and a slew of other games. It's just that the graphics have to be downgraded to a low-resolution 2D for UO.

I think you are confusing a first-person 3D perspective with UO's (and Diablo III's) isometric perspective. Earlier in the thread, somebody pointed out that Diablo III is living proof that you can have a 3D game and still maintain an isometric viewpoint here in 2012.

Don't forget, UO did have a true 3D client just a few years after it launched, and it maintained the same perspective we have now.

 

[Lord Frodo]

What GrimmOmen is doing, high resolution versions of the existing graphics, and fixing a few things, is going to be the best way. I just hope it doesn't get delayed for other things, because UO needs to get a bunch of new players in. I've seen too many people quit lately, or start doing the 90-day thing.

So why are all these Vets leaving? You have to stop the bleed before you can even think about putting new blood in. I find it strange that when I said fix bugs and get the EC out of test you say no but in this post you say the same thing. Please make up your mind. Vets are leaving because of the same oh, same oh. New players come in and have no clue as to what is what and the first thing they hear in Chat is all the BS. Like that is going to keep them. IMHO UO better find a way to keep the players they have, first. People that use to play read these posts and UO needs to bring them back, secound. UO then can look at getting new players, but first they need a New Players Training Ground. This game is like no other game going and the learning curve is so high that most new players just give up. Half the time when they ask for help they get a bunch of BS and no help. So what do they do, quit. I wish when a New Player came into that there was only one channel that they could talk on and buy either EM/UOStratics/Devs they would let selected players in it to go help them out or better yet let the EMs/Devs/UOStratics do it. Yes I know it sounds like programs we had but the main point is that #1 you would have no special powers and they would have to monitor that channel on thier own and no one else would be allowed to talk in it. You can not fix UO in 3-6 months.
Must dos
1 Talk to the players
2 Fix, fix, fix
3 Talk to players
4 Fix EC with the options to pick what graphics you want to see, this way CC users can still see old skool and maybe we could get to ONE CLIENT. I know I didn't just say that did I. Yes I am a die hard CC user and if you gave me CC graphics (ALL) I would do my best to use the EC.
5. Talk to players.
6. Trial accounts with no time limit with the same restrictions as now, just no 15 day.
and last but not least, you guessed it.
7 TALK TO PLAYERS.

 

[Woodsman]

Yeah... the communication level needs to be upped some, but I think too that UO's staff needs to be upped some in order for anything major to be accomplished.

They don't need to hire people to spend half an hour a week on sending out a message about UO's future. GrimmOmen's posts while he's waiting on stuff to render is a prime example of being able to find the time to communicate. They have a plan for UO already, it's not like they are pulling things out of thin air either - the graphics stuff that is being worked is an example of that.

It just needs to be communicated. I honestly believe they have things to communicate. Waiting until EA puts some kind of timer on UO is the worst time to decide to get serious about communication, and I still don't know why they aren't taking this opportunity to communicate with people who don't play, because there is only one 15th anniversary. Some of the people I've watched leaving lately would probably stick around if they thought there were things planned.

Their view was they put their houses on the 90-day times and they'll check the internet every now and then. Hell, I'm very near that stage again myself, but I'm hoping that Siege is what I need.

I don't know how much Mesanna communicates on Stratics and UOForums, but I can tell you that the majority of people I know don't read either site, and they usually don't read the Herald, but Mesanna or GrimmOmen or somebody needs to be posting to the Herald once or twice a week, and they need to have the client screens pointing people to the Herald. If they are at least posting on the Herald, maybe the gamer sites will pick it up and more people will see it.

Trouble is, UO's track record, whether at EA's own fault, or piddled opportunities by previous UO Dev Teams, makes it sort of unlikely that EA will bankroll anything major. And with ToR and WAR in the shape they're in... yeah. Here's hoping that at some point they look and say, "You know, we've got this game that's been up and running for 15 years..."

I wish they had taken the money they were putting into the Ultima facebook game and put it into UO, but regardless, UO had some bright spots in the last three years - the largest expansion with Stygian Abyss, the much-needed overhaul of fishing, the EM program.

At this point, as much as I disagree with a lot of past decisions, I don't really care about anything that happened before now or anything that can be given to me in-game. To me, it's about future stuff. Pixel crack will not keep UO alive and will not bring in new players.

I don't think Mesanna busted her butt for a decade just to be the one to have UO die on her watch. I just don't how know we open a dialogue with her and communicate that we don't care about the feel-good producer's speeches and letters that don't tell us much, that instead we want to hear about actual plans.

My fear is there are no plans, but then they wouldn't be doing all of the graphics stuff.

 

[Woodsman]

So why are all these Vets leaving? You have to stop the bleed before you can even think about putting new blood in.

At the risk of getting the thread locked since some might get upset at me saying this, most of the people I know who are leaving are leaving because they are bored, the live arc has no interest for them, and because they feel like UO is in maintenance mode. Some are going off to play Diablo III (or did), some are probably going to be playing other games like Guild Wars 2, and I think both groups might eventually come back, but some of the others are leaving because they are just not feeling engaged or enthused about UO.

I said earlier in this thread that based on comments and actions of the UO team, I can make a helluva case that UO is in maintenance mode, what with all of the secrecy and things like the graphics update being pushed aside, or I can make a helluva case that big things are being planned for UO with the graphics update and some of the other things. The problem is that not many people are trying to follow what's actually happening, and so they are picking the maintenance mode scenario.

but first they need a New Players Training Ground. This game is like no other game going and the learning curve is so high that most new players just give up. Half the time when they ask for help they get a bunch of BS and no help. So what do they do, quit.

I agree completely on that point, but there isn't enough staff or enough time. We got the New Player Guide that the EMs created. Like it or not, that is the new player experience of sorts. I was a bit upset when Jeff announced that they had decided to pursue a different direction than chasing after new players. That does nothing but feed right into the maintenance mode crowd.

1 Talk to the players
2 Fix, fix, fix
3 Talk to players
4 Fix EC with the options to pick what graphics you want to see, this way CC users can still see old skool and maybe we could get to ONE CLIENT. I know I didn't just say that did I. Yes I am a die hard CC user and if you gave me CC graphics (ALL) I would do my best to use the EC.
5. Talk to players.
6. Trial accounts with no time limit with the same restrictions as now, just no 15 day.
and last but not least, you guessed it.
7 TALK TO PLAYERS.

1. 3. 5. 7. Talk to the players - agree 100%. Some of the people I've seen leaving are doing so because they think EA has no plans for UO, that Ultima Facebook is going to be the new Ultima darling, and that things are just being maintained until UO dies.

2. Fix, Fix, Fix, is going on with every publish now. They can't halt the game just to focus on bug fixes. I was pushing that idea last year, that they take a month or two and do nothing but bug fixes, but that was before somebody told me the size of the team. This is something games must always be doing anyways.

4. Agree on fixing up the EC. If the high resolution versions of the current CC graphics look as good as they sound, I think plenty of CC players will give it a shot.

6. Trial accounts with no time limits, just the current restrictions. GOD YES! People who think UO needs some kind of F2P usually don't make the connection that if you took the trial time limit off, you'd have an F2P option.

 

[Woodsman]

I don't mean to drag Pinco into this but it's a good illustration of what the lack of communication and the lack of direction is doing to this game:

I'm here because there's still a tiny hope that something may change, but this hope is going to die permanently if their "great change" of the 15th anniversary is another flop ( = no client improvements)...

Pinco is the reason why so many of us are using they EC. They are losing somebody like Pinco, who has put in more effort and time into UO than probably anybody reading this thread who isn't an EA employee.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

So motion sickness is all in my head and I'll just get used to it huh? Sorry buddy, been getting motion sickness in games since the original Doom and I don't see that changing.

Yes... yes, that's what I said. Let's forget I qualified my statement with the figure 90%. Let's pretend I posted the following: Driven Insane's motion sickness is all in his head. Let's just pretend that's exactly what I posted.

Not that I'm sure it matters, but yes, 3D games in the past, and some presently if they use a different camera system, make me motion sick as well. When I start to get motion sick, I walk away from them, and come back later. After a few times playing, my mind is used to them.

Not that motion sickness has anything to do with your mind, your eyes, and the communication between them. Nothing like that at all.

Sigh.

Besides, I'm not worried about it. UO can barely manage to keep the servers running most the time. I really doubt their going to dump the type of cash it would take to completely change UO into a modern 3D game.

Hyperbole must be your best friend. Yes, they've had some server issues, but it's neither wide spread, nor indicative that they have issues keeping the servers running most of the time.

But hey... you enjoy your version of reality, and I'll enjoy mine.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

They don't need to hire people to spend half an hour a week on sending out a message about UO's future. GrimmOmen's posts while he's waiting on stuff to render is a prime example of being able to find the time to communicate. They have a plan for UO already, it's not like they are pulling things out of thin air either - the graphics stuff that is being worked is an example of that.

I wasn't indicating they needed to hire staff to communicate. I think they need staff to develop. At last count, I think there were 7, maybe 8 people actively working on the game. And that's across different areas of expertise. It's not a huge development team, and definitely not one large enough to implement anything large ina timely manner.

It just needs to be communicated. I honestly believe they have things to communicate. Waiting until EA puts some kind of timer on UO is the worst time to decide to get serious about communication, and I still don't know why they aren't taking this opportunity to communicate with people who don't play, because there is only one 15th anniversary. Some of the people I've watched leaving lately would probably stick around if they thought there were things planned.

Well, truthfully, look at UO at present. I wouldn't be communicating anything about its 15th anniversary without some sort of major announcement other than "We're still here, come check us out!" I agree, telling us there are things planned is a good idea, but those things (1) need to truthfully be planned, and (2) a majority [note, I did not say all] of them need to make it to completion. For the past four, five years, part of the problem has been communicated plans that didn't lead to fruition OR communicated plans that led to forced, poor implementation. Communication is half of the key... follow-through is the other half.

Right now, they're doing an okay job of communicating... getting better at it as well... and follow-through isn't too bad, but there's still this strange number of bugs that creeps from test to live without being addressed, and that's been a plague of UO for over a decade.

Their view was they put their houses on the 90-day times and they'll check the internet every now and then. Hell, I'm very near that stage again myself, but I'm hoping that Siege is what I need.

Well... you know... I don't disagree that UO needs a larger playerbase... slowly but surely the shards are coming to a grinding halt with the number of active players, and that's not really good for anything. Part of UO's attraction is the community of friends that continue to play. When that community becomes "a friend or two," people really start questioning why they still play.

I don't know how much Mesanna communicates on Stratics and UOForums, but I can tell you that the majority of people I know don't read either site, and they usually don't read the Herald, but Mesanna or GrimmOmen or somebody needs to be posting to the Herald once or twice a week, and they need to have the client screens pointing people to the Herald. If they are at least posting on the Herald, maybe the gamer sites will pick it up and more people will see it.

Most players don't read the official forums or official websites for anything unless something important catches their eyes on the login screen. Thankfully they updated their login screen some time ago to work to that end. I will say I think that as a percentage, more people read forums and the official site for UO simply because those of us presently playing are more likely to be the ones who have been active in communication regarding the game for some time. Not saying we all read and post, just that a larger percentage does here than other games.

I wish they had taken the money they were putting into the Ultima facebook game and put it into UO, but regardless, UO had some bright spots in the last three years - the largest expansion with Stygian Abyss, the much-needed overhaul of fishing, the EM program.

Stygian Abyss was definitely the pinnacle of recent UO history... fishing, sadly, was a limited market and remains so (it's why you get bonus storage space if you buy it... something for those who don't need or want new boats or fishing content)... and the EM program is exceptional! However, Stygian Abyss has been out for almost three years, and it was the last major expansion to the game. Heck, even High Seas is nearly two years old. Think about that for a moment. The last major piece of content added to the game was two years ago. Yes, I know there are the two add-ons that were last year's features, but... aside from some housing tiles and a couple of little gems, there wasn't much to either pack, and the Encampment system... sadly, unless Atlantic is using it to its potential, was a bust, by and large.

Yes, we're getting content, fixes, and new things... but it's on roughly a quarterly basis now, and there's no sign of anything huge on the horizon. Maybe they're keeping something big secret, but... I'd be honestly and truthfully surprised, especially given that the huge MMO focus of SW:ToR is not going well. We're part of a pool that continues to show that EA (not Mythic or Bioware specifically, because I think they try their best at any given time) still doesn't know UO was a success in the first place, and bought DAoC because it seemed at least as successful as UO. WAR and ToR are not mounting to be what I believe EA expected them to be. ToR had a great start, but... it's puttering out fast, and that's not good. For any of us.

At this point, as much as I disagree with a lot of past decisions, I don't really care about anything that happened before now or anything that can be given to me in-game. To me, it's about future stuff. Pixel crack will not keep UO alive and will not bring in new players.

Well... the importance of looking at the past is to analyze what worked, what didn't, what's been tried, and importantly how and why these things did or did not work.

I don't think Mesanna busted her butt for a decade just to be the one to have UO die on her watch. I just don't how know we open a dialogue with her and communicate that we don't care about the feel-good producer's speeches and letters that don't tell us much, that instead we want to hear about actual plans.

I'm fairly sure she's aware. I'm even sure that Cal was aware. The trouble is, for whatever reason, Mythic doesn't seem to want to dole stuff out in terms of future plans by and large. Some of this seems to be because the playerbase reads everything as promises, but I can assure them that this isn't something unique to UO or even Mythic games. ALL playerbases have that element to them. I think greater communication and follow through would be exceptional things. I hope -- pray, really -- that Mesanna and Mythic are willing to take the chance on greater communication, and when/if something falls through they explain why, and as much, have implemented other important things.

It's a balancing act, one not for the meek of heart nor weak of spirit. Truly, I think Mesanna could be the one to do this. I just hope and encourage her to do so.

My fear is there are no plans, but then they wouldn't be doing all of the graphics stuff.

Well... unfortunately all of the graphic stuff doesn't mean they have plans other than hopefully upgrading the EC engine/display, and with EA, we know it means nothing at all in truth. Think of how many major UO projects have been scrapped, how many times a development line has been set back either through EA decision or changing of the guard. It wasn't long before Sunsword took over that some major new systems were being worked on that we didn't see for many, many, many years. Some of the most recent releases have been follow-through on code that was being worked on and finally implemented.

I am with you in the hope that this all means something good.

But I'm also reticent to believe there's any major announcement for UO coming this year, and I agree, it's not good to let a 15th anniversary slip by without major note.

 

[Driven Insane]

I think you are confusing a first-person 3D perspective with UO's (and Diablo III's) isometric perspective. Earlier in the thread, somebody pointed out that Diablo III is living proof that you can have a 3D game and still maintain an isometric viewpoint here in 2012.

Yeah I know what you're saying and if that's the route they go I'd have no problem with it. But based on some of the posts here and the many references to WoW, you know what I mean when it comes to the type of 3d game I cannot and will not play.

Despite what some people think, motion sickness isn't in your head and it's not something you just get used to. When you've had 36 years of experiences of have to take Dramamine to fly on a plane, being unable to ride in the backseats of cars or play certain games for more than 15 mins without getting ill, I think I'm fairly familiar with what it means to have true motion sickness and not just someone getting a mild case of naseau from a video game.

 

[Lord Frodo]

Most players don't read the official forums or official websites for anything unless something important catches their eyes on the login screen.

WOW we have an official forum. JK

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Despite what some people think, motion sickness isn't in your head and it's not something you just get used to. When you've had 36 years of experiences of have to take Dramamine to fly on a plane, being unable to ride in the backseats of cars or play certain games for more than 15 mins without getting ill, I think I'm fairly familiar with what it means to have true motion sickness and not just someone getting a mild case of naseau from a video game.

Yes, yes... because, you know, I've denied that some people might actually have motion sickness.

I'm sorry that you seem to think my post was directed at you, and that there's absolutely no way possible for you to imagine that I could have included you in the 10% of people left out of the 100% of people that actually does have true motion sickness. The more you make yourself a victim of a phantom statement, the more I wonder your sincerity about anything you post. But please, carry on referring to something I didn't post.

 

[Petra Fyde]

play nice please?

I think the general concensus is, what we would most like is a 3d high resolution version of the familiar isometric view we know and love. The one that you can see a screen print from on absolutely any website, anywhere and say with complete certainty 'That's UO'

 

[Sevin0oo0]

EA (not Mythic or Bioware

That's another confusing area we don't find much about..

Lemme see if I can get this right...
UO being a franchise, being exclusively 'leased/rented' by Bioware from its owner, EA. EA has 'some' input to Bioware as they want that money to keep coming in from Bioware - it's only a money thing at this point. Bioware calls all the $ shots, but put Jeff in charge to be over that section of their assets.
Bioware has influence with Jeff because they want to continue making money off the product they're leasing from EA - still all about the money. Jeff is the business end of UO, ensuring it continues to make money (thus why he knew subs were up) - to this end he needs to be able to understand challenges in the MMO world, so when a team member approaches him with an issue, he'll know what the heck they're talking about.Just as EA and Bioware have 'influence', he has that with Bonnie, who he put in charge. IMO, That pretty much makes her the Ultima decision maker, with the bulk of content directed by her. I think Jeff and Bonnie come to consensus on UO's directional $ vision, then Bonnie implements and makes it all happen. SHE oversees the bulk of what's developed, making it occur in a timely fashion.

Further, Sounds like she has people she runs things by (thinks Kate for one) who helps make directional decisions from the group. Surely most have heard the term "a working boss" (kinda like a supervisor), I hope Mesanna stays that because once they become too far on the "management" end, they usually lose touch with the reality of everyday workings and goings on.

So who do we expect information to really come from? Probably not Jeff, except in a global $ense, I'm thinking Mesanna and a select few under her. I kinda look for a new spokes person to emerge, maybe Kate?

 

[RazicGL]

play nice please?

I think the general concensus is, what we would most like is a 3d high resolution version of the familiar isometric view we know and love. The one that you can see a screen print from on absolutely any website, anywhere and say with complete certainty 'That's UO'

Hit the nail on the head for me, don't get me wrong, i very much enjoy UO right now, and although I would like changes I dont have an issue paying for the current product.

I must admit though, I believe continued support / use of CC is hampering things! if they only had EC to worry about then they may have more time to communicate and work on making our beloved UO world all shiney and 3d like.

I always said I would not use the EC, just because I am a stubbor type thats had the game 1 way fr years and years.... now I only use CC on occasion and will use the enhanced client.... but only once its been enhanced by Pinco

 

[RaDian FlGith]

SevinOooO, as I understand it, EA presently wholly owns Bioware, and Mythic was just put under them. There was a time that EA's studios were separate entities (Origin, Maxis, Westwood, etc...), but then they started merging them into EARS and so forth... Sometime in the recent past, EA realized a bit of studio indepence was better than the Borg mothership, and so independent studios came back. However, when EA bought Bioware, they felt it should be parent to Mythic.

So essentially EA is making money regardless, but it seems UO is deeper and deeper from actual high profile importance.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

play nice please?

I promise I'm trying, but I'll do better to be good.

I think the general concensus is, what we would most like is a 3d high resolution version of the familiar isometric view we know and love. The one that you can see a screen print from on absolutely any website, anywhere and say with complete certainty 'That's UO'

While I'd love a fully 3D UO, yes, I'd be more than happy with a Diablo III-quality UO engine that looked and felt like the UO I love, but snazzier! Indeed!

 

[Petra Fyde]

I promise I'm trying,

When I say something like that to my hubby his usual response is 'yes dear, very trying at times'

 

[Woodsman]

Yeah I know what you're saying and if that's the route they go I'd have no problem with it. But based on some of the posts here and the many references to WoW, you know what I mean when it comes to the type of 3d game I cannot and will not play.

Totally agree - it would be foolish to take UO down that path of turning it into a first-person MMORPG, because then it would be competing with every other first-person MMORPG and that's not going to work.

I'm not advocating this, but if I recall correctly, the original Dragon Age Origins on the PC allows you to have an isometric view when you zoom out or hit a certain key.

I think the general concensus is, what we would most like is a 3d high resolution version of the familiar isometric view we know and love. The one that you can see a screen print from on absolutely any website, anywhere and say with complete certainty 'That's UO'

I think it's the best of both worlds - people who like UO's look and the CC graphics get to keep the look, and it allows UO to be modernized and it makes it easier for the designers and artists to add content to the game.

Making it easier to add content would please a lot of people as well - I don't think most people have a clue about the process of adding content. If I was an artist or designer and had to go through the current process that GrimmOmen and the others go through when adding content, I'm sure I'd pull my hair out quickly.

 

[Sauteed Onion]

A definate yes or no on the addition of cinnamon rolls would help me rest easier in the land.

 

[Woodsman]

@Sevin0oo0

SevinOooO, as I understand it, EA presently wholly owns Bioware, and Mythic was just put under them. There was a time that EA's studios were separate entities (Origin, Maxis, Westwood, etc...), but then they started merging them into EARS and so forth... Sometime in the recent past, EA realized a bit of studio indepence was better than the Borg mothership, and so independent studios came back. However, when EA bought Bioware, they felt it should be parent to Mythic.

So essentially EA is making money regardless, but it seems UO is deeper and deeper from actual high profile importance.

Last year or the year before, EA went through a re-organization. BioWare was promoted to the level of a full label.

There are 4 labels
1. EA Games (Battlefield, Need for Speed, online stuff)
2. EA Sports (Madden, Tiger Woods, FIFA)
3. EA Maxis (Sims, SimCity)
4. BioWare (Star Wars, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Ultima Online)

And by the way Ultima Online is actually mentioned on that page!

These labels are, according to the EA CEO, supposed to operate more autonomously than the earlier organizations under EA. Last year, the head of BioWare said BioWare alone was responsible for decisions about UO, not EA. That jives with what the EA CEO claims, and if you look at the organization chart, there are only 1-2 people between the head of BioWare and the EA CEO, and it may even be just one person between BioWare and the EA CEO - Frank Gibeau, head of EA Labels.

I believe that, because if you look at the organization, UO is way down the list, and with only one or two levels of management/bureaucracy above BioWare, anybody above BioWare is going to be mostly concerned about things like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars.

So I think anything that is going on with UO is self-contained within BioWare. If you read the article about the early days of UO, during the really bad turf wars that Garriott and others talked about in the Escapist interview, it was a lot easier for other people within EA to interfere with OSI/UO. Now that's not the case. BioWare is on the same level of EA Sports, unlike in the past when EA Sports screwed with other divisions.

It's good for UO, because as long as UO is profitable, it helps BioWare.

But it's frustrating because it feels like BioWare could be doing a lot more for UO. It's a whole label devoted to RPGs.

Instead nobody is sure what is planned for UO.

 

[Woodsman]

A definate yes or no on the addition of cinnamon rolls would help me rest easier in the land.

LOL.

Increasing the communication or dialogue does one other big thing for UO, besides attracting more people or reassuring current players. It puts a damper on the speculation. There is always some speculation, but the speculation I've heard since I've come back can be extremely negative. Look at the stuff some people were pushing with NetDragon replacing our UO, look at the stuff with some people claiming that UO is going to become a web-based game. It seems silly now, but in the past, you had people pushing that idea, and the devs were remaining silent about it. It allowed some people to really troll other players.

If you want a current example within BioWare, the SWTOR server transfers this week. The process itself was incredibly smooth, but the goals or plans were not clear, and so people weren't sure if they should be deleting characters and transferring, they weren't sure what would happen if they didn't transfer. You have two different speculations floating around - one that BioWare wants to reduce the number of servers, the other that BioWare just wants to balance them out. All of that work to make the process smooth, and they botch it by not making their goals or plans clear to players.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

When I say something like that to my hubby his usual response is 'yes dear, very trying at times'

I can't exactly argue that point...

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Totally agree - it would be foolish to take UO down that path of turning it into a first-person MMORPG, because then it would be competing with every other first-person MMORPG and that's not going to work.

I sort of disagree with that in spirit, but it's because I still believe UO provides an experience that only SWG ever came close to providing -- and which sadly got NGE'd to death by Sony/LucasArts... You actually "own" a part of the world ("own" in quotation marks to indicate that I understand we don't actually own our pixels), and while other MMOs may give you a virtual space, there are few that give you a "physical" presence within the game world. While UO is the pinnacle of self-design, SWG was actually the pinnacle of player-run cities.

I think if UO were to play up its strengths, and make efforts to explain how things like skill gain work (and how they differ from how a traditional leveler works), it could co-exist. It's unlikely UO could ever be a huge player in the market (along the lines of millions of subscribers), but if the game advanced, I could see it holding a nice market share. Even getting back to 250k subscribers would be nice, but imagine if it could hold an average of 300k to 500k... Personally, I don't think it's beyond reason, but it would definitely take a lot of work, marketing, and bringing various systems into line with each other.

 

[Goldberg-Chessy]

1) Everytime anything of note is mentioned a small but maniacal group of players rages and threatens to quit. Too many dramaqueens on these boards have nothing better to do then disect bs.

2) Maybe the producers understand that the obsessive 'must know everything' nutjobs are thankfully a small minority so they dont waste time vainly trying to make them happy.

3) Upset you dont know whats in store for the future? Uhh, thats just the way it is and always will be. Have fun and deal with it.

 

[Woodsman]

1) Everytime anything of note is mentioned a small but maniacal group of players rages and threatens to quit. Too many dramaqueens on these boards have nothing better to do then disect bs.

Although it's really for another thread (in Spiels and Rants), I do agree that there are some incredibly resistant to change, but thankfully the decision was made to work on moving UO forward. Even the "dramaqueens" as you describe them, have accepted that.

2) Maybe the producers understand that the obsessive 'must know everything' nutjobs are thankfully a small minority so they dont waste time vainly trying to make them happy.

I would say you were trying to get this thread locked by making personal insults, but then I don't think you're talking about anybody in this thread though - nobody wants to know everything, just that there is a future planned for UO.

3) Upset you dont know whats in store for the future? Uhh, thats just the way it is and always will be. Have fun and deal with it.

The fact that you've grown to believe that not talking about the future is "just the way it is" makes me think that either you haven't played any other MMORPGs or that you haven't played UO more than a few years. The Mythic MMORPGs are the only mainstream MMORPGs where there is a stigma attached to talking about future plans. Go to MMORPG.com, pick 10 different MMORPGs, get on their mailing lists, and you'll start getting emails every week about their future plans.

It's what companies do to instill confidence in new, current, and returning players. Past UO teams used to communicate with the players on this kind of stuff up until the past few years. As a matter of fact, a feature of the old UO website was set aside to talk about future plans. That's good for new players to see, and for returning players.

There is a good argument that UO's secrecy came about as a result of EA or Mythic or BioWare doing away with a dedicated UO community relations or community manager, but that's no excuse for a group as large as BioWare or a company as large as EA.

 

[Picus of Napa]

I would love to see a true monthly/bi-weekly/quarterly email indicating what the plan is with UO. As it stands the last few weeks have seen more "updating" posts from the team than in recent memory but they do not address the issues that both Goldberg's posting and Woodman's reply bring up. Players who have been here for a decade truelly love this game, there is not other reason why anyone would still play otherwise but after all this time invested everyone has 50 different valid ideas on what needs to be done. Graphics, bug fixes, speeder-hack issues, content, usage of lands, new player help and the list goes on near forever.

You can't expect that this forum, the only real place on the net with any slight contact from the dev team, isn't going to be hammered by drama queens it's the only shop in town.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

Don't feed the bitter, bitter troll Woodsman.

 

[HD2300]

OMG OMG. I wets meeself. Wilts bees one newest monster dish year. I kannots weights.

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

just that there is a future planned for UO.

Judging by the recent choice they made for the Producer, I would say there is a future planned for UO and it's bright. So no need for them to tell us that imo, why state the obvious. Let's just all hope Mesanna survives the dreaded Producer curse.

The fact that you've grown to believe that not talking about the future is "just the way it is" makes me think that either you haven't played any other MMORPGs or that you haven't played UO more than a few years. The Mythic MMORPGs are the only mainstream MMORPGs where there is a stigma attached to talking about future plans. Go to MMORPG.com, pick 10 different MMORPGs, get on their mailing lists, and you'll start getting emails every week about their future plans.

Personally I could not care less what other MMORPG's do. I don't care what graphics they have, I don't care if they let people know a year in advance what is coming up. Just because others do that does not mean UO should. I like the suprises, I like the tweaks that are needed but take some time to get corrected. The players should never know too much about what is coming up in the near/distant future. Teasers like Mesanna has been doing is more than good enough to walk the line between TMI and none.

It's what companies do to instill confidence in new, current, and returning players. Past UO teams used to communicate with the players on this kind of stuff up until the past few years. As a matter of fact, a feature of the old UO website was set aside to talk about future plans. That's good for new players to see, and for returning players.

Yepp. I remember that well. However all that did was lead to WAYYY more pancakes, griping, complaining and fit pitching because they were unable to put X or Y in exactly when they said they were targetting. The whiners and trolls made that fall by the wayside, in short... the player base it's self caused the downfall of that. What has changed in the few years it has been gone for the Dev Team to think it will not go that very way again? Nothing. Honestly it would be worse with some of the ones we have floating around out here these days.

However... here lately communication has been on the upswing as Jeff said it would and he has been true to his word so far. Now, with Mesanna at the helm finally I HIGHLY doubt that is going to decline, it may even pick up a bit, like she has been doing with her Sneak Peek's. And let's not forget about The Grimm one himself, posing away left and right like the muzzle that was seemingly in place has been removed. Sorry some folks can't see the huge steps that have already been taken, as usual for some folks nothing is ever good enough.

Nothing pejorative ever here, just my .02.

 

[Madrid]

Don't feed the bitter, bitter troll Woodsman.

We need an ignore and a dislike next to the reply & Like options.

 

[Tina Small]

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." - Bill Gates

"It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle money. It is the customer who pays the wages." - Henry Ford

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider of our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so." - attributed to Mahatma Gandhi (from a speech he apparently gave in Johannesburg, South Africa to immigrant Indians)

"I won't complain. I just won't come back." - Brown & Williamson tobacco advertisement

"Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business." - Zig Ziglar

"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." - Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart)

"If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends." Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com)

"Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it." - Peter Drucker

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

Agreed Tina, but NONE of the above had to personally deal with the kiddie mentality that most complainers have these days. Sometimes the customer who whines and gripes should just be told "Carry you damn business elsewhere" imo. I do it on a weekly basis, and my income does not suffer as a result.

It used to be "the customer is always right".... these days a large percentage of customers are just idiots.

 

[Woodsman]

edit, covered below.

 

[Woodsman]

Judging by the recent choice they made for the Producer, I would say there is a future planned for UO and it's bright. So no need for them to tell us that imo, why state the obvious.

Her being selected as UO's producer means nothing to somebody who isn't currently playing. She's a name to them, that's it. The UO Herald doesn't even mention the fact that she's been working on UO for over a decade. You and I instantly know that it's a big deal that she was selected, that she's worked on UO for over a decade. But a new player? There's nothing there to indicate why her being selected is a big deal.

Stop and think about that for a moment. The official website doesn't even mention the fact that she's got over a decade's experience of working on UO. This speaks volumes about the communication problems with UO.

If I were writing up that little press release, I'd make damn sure within the first few sentences that people knew that she's been working on UO for over a decade and that she has been a part of every expansion since Third Dawn, because that is a selling point for both her and UO. A huge selling point.

Personally I could not care less what other MMORPG's do. I don't care what graphics they have, I don't care if they let people know a year in advance what is coming up. Just because others do that does not mean UO should.

It's not about what you or I think, it's about attracting players and installing confidence. You can't attract people if they think a game is in maintenance mode. If they look at a website, and they don't see a clear plan for a game, if they don't even see screenshots, if they don't easily find major things that are being worked on or that were just worked on, then it does not inspire much confidence them in.

Yepp. I remember that well. However all that did was lead to WAYYY more pancakes, griping, complaining and fit pitching because they were unable to put X or Y in exactly when they said they were targetting. The whiners and trolls made that fall by the wayside, in short...The whiners and trolls made that fall by the wayside, in short... the player base it's self caused the downfall of that.

The whiners and trolls are less important than bringing in new players or even old players. Much less important. So what if somebody gets upset if something takes two months instead of two weeks? So what if somebody gets upset that there is a graphics update coming?

This game needs new players. If the whiners and trolls could go out and recruit 10,000 or 20,000 new or old players to come try UO every year, then fine, listen to them. Cater to them. But the whiners and trolls aren't able to recruit 10 or 20,000 new or old players.

At some point, the decision has to be made: Do we want UO around in 5 years?

If the answer is yes, steps need to be taken to make sure that UO is around in 5 years. That means attracting new players and getting old players to come back. That means the communication that is targeted towards new and old players has be to be bumped up.

Sneak Peaks are for us, the existing players. A harpsichord doesn't tell a potential player anything about a game. It doesn't tell them all the things that GrimmOmen is doing to make this a better game.

Right now the lack of actual communication targeted towards new or old players, and the UO Herald itself, are working against bringing in a lot of new players.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

but NONE of the above had to personally deal with the kiddie mentality that most complainers have these days.

The above weren't rules, they're concepts, and the 'kiddie' is the one that has the money in our case

 

[Blood Ghoul]

All games end sooner or later. About 16 or so years ago I played Neverwinter Nights on AOL.. Not the piece of crap that came out about 10 years ago..In NWN when you leveled you got a random number of hitpoints each time..so to get the max hit points you leveled and deleted a billion times. I had a max hitpoint Cleric/Mage and loved the game.. Then one day I logged in and the GM's were like "Its the last week of NWN.. Have a great time and thanks." One week later they turned the game off and everything we all worked for was gone. It was painful..but understand that someday it will happen to UO also. I hope it makes 20 years but hoping for much more than that is a pipe dream.

BG

 

[Uriah Heep]

As I remember it, there were two sections on the Herald, one called in concept (or something similar) that was ideas they were kicking around for down the road.
And another with a different name, but it was the rough list of what was upcoming in the next publish or two.

Yes, when what was on the developmental list didnt make it into production, there was lots of pissin and moaning. But that only proves the point being made here, lack of communication. When they had to scratch something, if they would have only pulled it off the list and noted it elsewhere, "Sorry guys, the coding for that made ships sail upside down" or something, everyone would have known it wasnt coming and why.

But we didnt even get that, it just didnt get put in, with no note about it, I guess they thought whatever the item was, no one would notice LOL.

*shrugs*

But tbh, I'm not sure daily novels would help us at this point. We are 90 days from the anniversary, and so far everything seems eerily quiet.