a minor suggestion for UO

Scribbles · Apr 27, 2015

Please stop working on the expansion.

Please fix all bugs before the release of anything new.

Releasing this expansion would be like a third world country building a water park in the midst of a drought.

Aran · Apr 27, 2015

All the bugs?

You don't want the expansion, do you?

Christina Kardos · Apr 27, 2015

Expansion = exciting! ppl will come back to check it out

Bug fixes = not exciting! No one will return to or try out uo if they fix whatever bug (well perhaps very few?)

I say keep working on the expansion. Fixing bugs is a never ending task with uncertain outcomes... they may even make it worse

Werent you quiting uo anyway or am I mistaken? Not that it matters.. you are still entitled to say whats on your mind. Just wondering, thats all.

Ender · Apr 27, 2015

I'd rather they quit working on currency conversion, work on bugs AND the expansion.

But given a choice between bugs and the expansion I'd rather see the expansion, they'll just break things fixing bugs.

Val'lyn De'ana · Apr 27, 2015

I hope they include a returning player promotion for the launch of the new expansion. Let people see what they are missing out on and hopefully get them to reactivate (like I did after the last one).

-Val'lyn

Merlin · Apr 27, 2015

Expansion more important than bugs, IMHO.

Is there a particular bug that the OP wants fixed first?

Scribbles · Apr 27, 2015

yeah i agree with all of you. I see a ton of pros to the expansion, i guess im just a little frustrated seeing all the posts about things not working in UHAll.

For me i think it would be optimal to release the expansion with a ton of bug fixes.

I guess im under the impression that even if the expansion brings new players or returning players... they will just leave because the game is buggy.

Old Vet Back Again · Apr 27, 2015

In all seriousness, didn't you just post a thread recently talking about how you are quitting? You then also updated your ICQ status stating the same and proceeded to sell the majority of your things.

Are you not quitting?

Scribbles · Apr 27, 2015

@Old Vet Back Again when you are as cool as i am, it takes a long while to quit.

Captn Norrington · Apr 27, 2015

Old Vet Back Again said:
In all seriousness, didn't you just post a thread recently talking about how you are quitting? You then also updated your ICQ status stating the same and proceeded to sell the majority of your things.

Are you not quitting?

I assume he meant it more as a "I'm going to get rid of most of my stuff and slowly step back from the game, then if I still want to leave completely in a few months I will" type of situation, not one of those drop everything and go that day type of things.

The Craftsman · Apr 27, 2015

The expansion is nothing more than a money grab. Bringing out an expansion when the game is in the state it's in is just broadsword fiddling whilst Rome burns.

Christina Kardos · Apr 27, 2015

Scribbles said:
yeah i agree with all of you. I see a ton of pros to the expansion, i guess im just a little frustrated seeing all the posts about things not working in UHAll.

For me i think it would be optimal to release the expansion with a ton of bug fixes.

I guess im under the impression that even if the expansion brings new players or returning players... they will just leave because the game is buggy.

Totally understandable! Did you have a specific bug in mind ?(@Merlin asked this already) Perhaps that insurance bug? Indeed it would be optimal to fix some bugs along with the expansion.

Scribbles · Apr 27, 2015

yeah as far as specific bugs....

1. insurance bug
2. items disappearing
3. shard transfers a.) the non vendorable item problem b.) people losing characters c.) not being able to log in after a transfer is done
4. account management system

There are a ton of others posted in UHall... just some examples. I know some of these are being worked on, but wondering where there priority is... Overall I would hate to see returning or new players come to the game because of the expansion only to realize the game is just as buggy as when they left. Seems like a wasted effort to me.

Tanivar · Apr 27, 2015

I rarely ran into bugs. Only problem one was the Fire Demons winding up halfway down the southern cliff in their hunting area and out of reach.

There are a lot of things to do in this game, post the bug, and go do one of the other many things to do.

Uvtha · Apr 28, 2015

Scribbles said:
Please stop working on the expansion.

Please fix all bugs before the release of anything new.

Releasing this expansion would be like a third world country building a water park in the midst of a drought.

Man my sentiment couldn't be more opposite. I pretty much stopped playing regularly when they stopped doing expansions regularly, I cant be alone there. Fix bugs sure, but this game hasn't had a major content addition since high seas which was 5 years ago, and I really don't consider that all that major in comparison to SA which was the next most recent which was 6 years ago. That's 1/3 of this games lifespan we haven't gotten a major content addition.

Fix bugs sure, but this game needs regular content addition of substance.

Tanivar · Apr 28, 2015

Uvtha said:
Fix bugs sure, but this game needs regular content addition of substance.

+1

Ultimaholic · Apr 28, 2015

Scribbles said:
Please stop working on the expansion.

Please fix all bugs before the release of anything new.

Releasing this expansion would be like a third world country building a water park in the midst of a drought.

You must be new here................

Scribbles · Apr 28, 2015

Uvtha said:
Man my sentiment couldn't be more opposite. I pretty much stopped playing regularly when they stopped doing expansions regularly, I cant be alone there. Fix bugs sure, but this game hasn't had a major content addition since high seas which was 5 years ago, and I really don't consider that all that major in comparison to SA which was the next most recent which was 6 years ago. That's 1/3 of this games lifespan we haven't gotten a major content addition.

Fix bugs sure, but this game needs regular content addition of substance.

I dont think your alone in that thought at all. However i will say this, Every bit of content that has been released the past 5 years has come out buggy. It has turned people away.

I get that the game needs new content to keep players around, but at some point it has to run properly to get the players to stay as well?

Im just as excited about the expansion as the rest of you, However, I feel like it will be a wasted effort when they release it and 19 other things crash because of it. So much so that a couple friends and I have started a betting pool on what will crash and how.

I really hope they nail it, but history has proven they cant do that.

Smoot · Apr 28, 2015

Uvtha said:
Man my sentiment couldn't be more opposite. I pretty much stopped playing regularly when they stopped doing expansions regularly, I cant be alone there. Fix bugs sure, but this game hasn't had a major content addition since high seas which was 5 years ago, and I really don't consider that all that major in comparison to SA which was the next most recent which was 6 years ago. That's 1/3 of this games lifespan we haven't gotten a major content addition.

Fix bugs sure, but this game needs regular content addition of substance.

i understand your reasoning, but to me UO isnt about content. Progression driven games are all about content, race to eat up the new content, get the new gear, do it quick becuase it will all be out of date in a few months when more "content" comes out. Thats exactly why i play UO because i dont have to do any of that.

While i agree that new content is always nice, i dont think its needed in UO at all. Players create the content in this sandbox game. Theres loads of new player content, as well as Broadsword sponsored content (EM events) that keep the game entertaining with something new every day of the week. While new permanant dev created content is always welcome, i dont think its needed.

What i would hate to see is another barrage of content that is so bad and short-lived that it gets burned out in the first 3 weeks (like high seas / blackthorns dungeon / revamped despise boss / etc etc. If this is to be the style of the expansion, its really not worth the effort put into it. Im hoping for the best, but the record for added content in UO is dismal. I do NOT want to have to buy an expansion just to be able to use 1 actually good item out of it (does anyone actually use anything other than corgul's sash from high seas?)

Merlin · Apr 28, 2015

Smoot said:
While i agree that new content is always nice, i dont think its needed in UO at all. Players create the content in this sandbox game. Theres loads of new player content, as well as Broadsword sponsored content (EM events) that keep the game entertaining with something new every day of the week. While new permanant dev created content is always welcome, i dont think its needed.

What i would hate to see is another barrage of content that is so bad and short-lived that it gets burned out in the first 3 weeks (like high seas / blackthorns dungeon / revamped despise boss / etc etc. If this is to be the style of the expansion, its really not worth the effort put into it. Im hoping for the best, but the record for added content in UO is dismal. I do NOT want to have to buy an expansion just to be able to use 1 actually good item out of it (does anyone actually use anything other than corgul's sash from high seas?)

People who run spawns and bosses with their guilds on a daily basis have already beat all current content to death. We've done everything, but gladly do it over and over again because UO is a game we love. However, that's certainly not to say new content isn't needed. It's 100% needed to keep things a bit fresh. Players want different and new adventures to do. EM events, while something new to do, isn't convenient for everyone based on timing of when these events happen. This is let alone the fact that doing an EM event that has 100+ people spamming the same spells, with 2 dozen drags on the event boss at the same time... something that simply doesn't compare to if there are new bosses to do with a smaller group of guildies (I won't even get into the number of drops per event topic).

Even if the amount of new stuff to do is relatively small (such as with the examples you noted above), atleast it's something. I presume it will atleast be a bit larger than Blackthorn's dungeon. I presume that people will still go run the bosses to collect all the new drops, even if 80% of them aren't UBER gear that is all that useful. And for that reason, people want to see it, want to do it, and feel that it is needed in UO.

Whether there is a new expansion or not, fixing bugs is always an on-going mission. It's not something that should halt all other production on improving the game.

Scott · Apr 28, 2015

@Smoot - nope, Corgul's sash is all... And half the time I don't use those!

@Ultimaholic - @Scribbles has been playing a long time and has been a major contributor to it's PVP events and across the rares community. Also been a big advocate for building player based events.

And finally, couldn't agree more Scribs. As much as new content is exciting, when I do monthly transfers and I lose items and now an entire transfer, character and all. I hate the account update and login process, I hate that I have to page a GM almost every time I transfer because items are no longer vendorable. Many major issues need to be addressed instead of pushing them off to work on new content.

"What's broke is only gonna become more broke if we stack new stuff on top of it."

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Uvtha · Apr 28, 2015

Smoot said:
i understand your reasoning, but to me UO isnt about content. Progression driven games are all about content, race to eat up the new content, get the new gear, do it quick becuase it will all be out of date in a few months when more "content" comes out. Thats exactly why i play UO because i dont have to do any of that.

While i agree that new content is always nice, i dont think its needed in UO at all. Players create the content in this sandbox game. Theres loads of new player content, as well as Broadsword sponsored content (EM events) that keep the game entertaining with something new every day of the week. While new permanant dev created content is always welcome, i dont think its needed.

What i would hate to see is another barrage of content that is so bad and short-lived that it gets burned out in the first 3 weeks (like high seas / blackthorns dungeon / revamped despise boss / etc etc. If this is to be the style of the expansion, its really not worth the effort put into it. Im hoping for the best, but the record for added content in UO is dismal. I do NOT want to have to buy an expansion just to be able to use 1 actually good item out of it (does anyone actually use anything other than corgul's sash from high seas?)

Well I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I've been playing this game since it came out, and I've pretty much done everything I want to do. Redoing some things is fun, but I need new things to keep me interested. I think one major addition per 5 years is not asking for too much.

Uvtha · Apr 28, 2015

Scribbles said:
I dont think your alone in that thought at all. However i will say this, Every bit of content that has been released the past 5 years has come out buggy. It has turned people away.

I get that the game needs new content to keep players around, but at some point it has to run properly to get the players to stay as well?

Im just as excited about the expansion as the rest of you, However, I feel like it will be a wasted effort when they release it and 19 other things crash because of it. So much so that a couple friends and I have started a betting pool on what will crash and how.

I really hope they nail it, but history has proven they cant do that.

*shrugs* I don't think I've experience a game ruining bug in a years and years. Compared to the first 3-4 years the game has been virtually major bug free in the last 5.

Scott · Apr 28, 2015

@Uvtha - those years were rough - agreed. Servers down for days, etc... But at least I wasn't getting characters deleted or very rare items being stolen straight off my mannequins or my old Phoenix deeds itemized and stolen. I've lost billions due to bugs - only to be told "sorry". I would take not playing for a day over losing my items and characters.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Scott · May 1, 2015

Speaking of, just transfered to LS last night. Packie of someone elses gold (53mil) was in my transfer box. When i get to LS, the packie is still sitting in LUNA on ATL and my character is on LS... TY game for allowing me to lose another round of gold! The worst part is that when you page or email, they get back to you in about 3days on average... Packie is already gone in just under 9 hours...

So no, don't give me new ****, fix your old **** and get helpful customer service that is somewhat timely!!!!

Scribbles · May 1, 2015

@Mesanna @Bleak @Kyronix your going to lose your loyal customers if you dont fix your current game. I love the idea of an expansion, but it seems you have enough on your plate.

Merlin · May 1, 2015

Scribbles said:
@Mesanna @Bleak @Kyronix your going to lose your loyal customers if you dont fix your current game. I love the idea of an expansion, but it seems you have enough on your plate.

They're going to lose loyal customers if the game doesn't provide any substantial update (such as an expansion), as well.

They need to work on BOTH, @Scribbles - not only existing bugs.

Kyronix · May 1, 2015

Scribbles said:
@Mesanna @Bleak @Kyronix your going to lose your loyal customers if you dont fix your current game. I love the idea of an expansion, but it seems you have enough on your plate.

If you are having specific issues please submit a bug to [email protected]. We try to include as many bug fixes as many possible with each release, including releasing full publishes with nothing but bug fixes.

Smoot · May 1, 2015

has there actually been any word on the expansion since the short video briefed over it? it really just might be an idea and not happening any time in the near future.

DJAd · May 1, 2015

Also I'm sure it was "mid May" for the new account management. How is that coming along?

Ender · May 1, 2015

Smoot said:
has there actually been any word on the expansion since the short video briefed over it? it really just might be an idea and not happening any time in the near future.

No, that's the only mention of it by any team member as far as I know.

Smoot · May 1, 2015

Ender said:
No, that's the only mention of it by any team member as far as I know.

heres hoping we get some more info. ive been mentioning the expansion to some friends but wouldnt really want to mislead or get peoples hopes up if its a very long way off or just in the earliest stages of "ideas"

Keith of Sonoma · May 1, 2015

DJAd said:
Also I'm sure it was "mid May" for the new account management. How is that coming along?

I remember "mid May" as well. I don't remember which YEAR though! It might be 2020. Assuming UO is still around.

Deraj · May 1, 2015

Any MMO is going to need new content, but UO doesn't really need it as much as a game like WoW, for example. Honestly, putting the ultra-polish on EC, fixing customer service, and revamping/polishing the UO experience would go a much longer way than a new expansion. But like Smoot said, UO's content is player driven. Foster shard communities, improve the multiplayer experience and the game will thrive.

azmodanb · May 1, 2015

Im down for new content. BUT PLEASE no more lands. Just add content to the lands we already have. Heh

wilki24 · May 2, 2015

Scribbles said:
Please fix all bugs before the release of anything new.

There is not a major game in history that has "fixed all bugs", just FYI. Certainly not an MMO.

Most have known shipped bug totals in the 10's of thousands.

They'd literally never ship if the threshold was "all bugs".

GalenKnighthawke · May 2, 2015

It always is sort of funny to see everyone's sets of concerns and how inconsistent they are with one another. We are a rough customer base to play to.

By way of advancing my own preferences (because, really, why not), I must point out that small and steady content changes and additions proved very popular with those of us who actually play. The Doom event, the Huntmaster, and the trade deals are the best examples. I quite honestly was surprised to see them going the expansion route given that the small, steady changes and additions route seems both easy to do and popular. (In at least one case, specifically the Huntmaster, Kyronix, admitted it was both easy and popular. For the others, I'm inferring that from available data.)

All I can say is that I hope the expansion is successful and that they can find the right balance between "getting it right" and "not making the customer wait too long." It's not easy with any customer base. Let alone us. We sort of need to accept the fact that we're crazy.

And that, once they've gotten some additional money out of us, they go back to the slow and steady content changes and additions model.

There are levels of what's called "maintenance mode" that I'm 100% prepared to accept for the rest of my days.

-Galen's player

Scott · May 2, 2015

Day 2 with no response from mesanna or gm's about my transfer problem!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Scribbles · May 2, 2015

wilki24 said:
There is not a major game in history that has "fixed all bugs", just FYI. Certainly not an MMO.

Most have known shipped bug totals in the 10's of thousands.

They'd literally never ship if the threshold was "all bugs".

and that went really well for diablo 3 didnt it....

Scribbles · May 2, 2015

Goldberg-Chessy · May 2, 2015

Shard transfers have been full of issues/bugs since they were introduced.
I did many the old fashioned way with tokens and I have done many since I received my shields when they first came out.
I personally never experienced any issues at all but I damn well knew everytime I xferred that I was taking a bit of a chance.
IMO shard transfers are the ultimate risk vs reward so don't do them if you are going to freak out over an issue.
You want to farm a dead shard dry? Great, but be prepared to take a hit.
You want to hop around showing off your shiny new suit or rares? Absolutely crazy imo but be prepared to take a hit.
You want to load up pets to maximize your shard hopping gains? Seriously? Get prepared lol.

When UO was introduced and flourishing I believe it had more than adequate staffing and it was still full of bugs.
I am really kind of sick and tired of people coming here 17 years later whining that they believe UO needs more staff. Everyone is an MMORPG staffing genius even though they have no real data lol.

And this is by no means directed towards the OP who I know to be a longtime solid player with a lot of common sense.

Scribbles · May 2, 2015

@Goldberg-Chessy Ditto Buddy. For the most part the point of the thread was priority management. I understand there will always be bugs, Just wish the staff was working on them instead of creating something that will ultimately create more bugs.

Any who, rant for me over, back to work. Have a good day all.

Flagg · May 2, 2015

Scribbles said:
Please stop working on the expansion.

Please fix all bugs before the release of anything new.

Releasing this expansion would be like a third world country building a water park in the midst of a drought.

Fixing bugs is boring. Releasing some mini-expansion is exciting.

Please release the expansion.

No MMO will ever be completely bug free. This is extra true for MMos running on mid 90's code. Start waiting for them to " fix the bugs" and trust me, you'll be waiting the day they pull the plug.

In some way, bugs are a 'pleasant problem'; You'll always have new bugs for as long as new content is being added. If they were to completely stop live development, then maybe some sole remaining dev could spend his/her weekends on going through every major bug left in this stagnant, stable and dead environment. Would that make you happy?

Depressing old login screen, god-awful soundtrack, default post-install settings from late 90's. Just few easy-to-redeem content bits that have, for 10 years, bothered me much more than a single bug, new or old, that I can think of.

Having pile of bugs here and there does not mean you should have your development come to a full stop til every last fraking one of them is found. This just isn't how development of anything works.

Scribbles · May 2, 2015

add another to the list.

https://stratics.com/community/threads/and-again-and-again-and-seriously.339779/

Deraj · May 2, 2015

I kind of like the way EVE does it. They have about two expansions a year. That's what they call them, anyway, but they may as well be glorified publishes; glorified in the sense that they have names which are cooler than "publish #X", cool intro videos and a lot of buzz, fanfare, and story. They're also free. Some of these expansions have added content and new systems, and some of them just improve, revamp and refine the existing content.

Lady Storm · May 2, 2015

My 2 cents worth in this matter...
This Expantion is to givethe game a lift and encourage more to return to the game with the added bonus of making new players come and try us out.
Stream is coming along too if i read what the Lead said corretly. That could mean hundreds of new players in a short span... a new and eger player base would go along way to help keep these people in.
I for one look forward to the upcoming publish and hope a few goodies are for me in it...
Think positive...
As for the bugs.......
Sugar so many bugs have been fixed its not funny.
Even one that was left there by all the other teams cause it was usefull.... they grabbed it and squished it!
So get off the high horse of Bug Bug Bugs.. and give the team some credit its due.

Ender · May 2, 2015

Several of those aren't bugs with the game and some are out of Broadsword's control even.

And again, Steam will do jack and **** for this game as long as it keeps the sub fee.

wilki24 · May 2, 2015

Deraj said:
I kind of like the way EVE does it. They have about two expansions a year. That's what they call them, anyway, but they may as well be glorified publishes; glorified in the sense that they have names which are cooler than "publish #X", cool intro videos and a lot of buzz, fanfare, and story. They're also free. Some of these expansions have added content and new systems, and some of them just improve, revamp and refine the existing content.

Not anymore. They're releasing on roughly 6 week cycles now.

The result has been a ton of much needed improvements to the game.

RL'S pker · May 2, 2015

Christina Kardos said:
Expansion = exciting! ppl will come back to check it out

Bug fixes = not exciting! No one will return to or try out uo if they fix whatever bug (well perhaps very few?)

I say keep working on the expansion. Fixing bugs is a never ending task with uncertain outcomes... they may even make it worse

Werent you quiting uo anyway or am I mistaken? Not that it matters.. you are still entitled to say whats on your mind. Just wondering, thats all.

It wont bring any pvpers back. Everything once again seems to cater to pvmers.

Keith of Sonoma · May 3, 2015

I just really hope that this "expansion" isn't just a way to blow smoke up our collective A**es. But it is REAL curious that, once it was "announced", we haven't heard a peep about it. Not even so much as a whisper from the Devs! Heck, if it does indeed come out, it may be 2017. It wouldn't be be first, or second, or... time something was "in the works" to find out later it was given up on. BUT, consider me "cautiously optimistic". Also, an official update would be AWESOME!

a minor suggestion for UO

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