Curse

distilledwill · Apr 14, 2009, 10:26 AM // 10:26

I always feel like GW is the underground MMO; barely any profit, fairly good player-developer interaction, easy to pick up - difficult to master, constantly changing.
The business model will probably not be a huge success. After the initial purchase spree when the game comes out, the income probably levels off at a low point where there are a few new players each month and a few current players purchasing something from the ingame store - but not a reliable monthly intake.

Unfortunately, its not a hugely stable system. At any point it could just bottom out - a new game offering the same plan but with better perks - game breaking crashes, bugs, hacks etc. It would be nice to see new games with the same plan, but if they're better than GW then GW would probably see itself die. (Im of the firm belief the game isnt dead as it is).

Xinix · Apr 14, 2009, 10:41 AM // 10:41

Some people are playing Runes of Magic, some kind of wow clone but it's free.

Lonesamurai · Apr 14, 2009, 10:56 AM // 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by UndeadRoadkill

I wanted to try that one, but I will not pay a subscription, so I never got into it. I heard it wasn't so good.

There are rumours of a fan revival on tabula rasa

Shall I post up any info that I get about it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xinix

Some people are playing Runes of Magic, some kind of wow clone but it's free.

I'm trying to play it at the moment as all my guild officers are RAVING about it... but I hate grind

all13d · Apr 14, 2009, 12:56 PM // 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by korcan

I just want a game where coop is the focus and finding a group isn't a pain in the ass.

Guild Wars has been out for 4 years now and it's basically evolved into a single player experience for the most part. Anyone that picks up the game now is really missing out on what made GW a great game at launch. The random pugging when I first started playing was by far the most fun I've ever had with an online game.

With the people we've got running around nowadays, who wants to PUG? 9/10 times you get a bunch of idiots who go and get themselves killed 5 minutes out of the gate. And then blame you for it.

It just isn't worth the trouble. Some of us like to play without rolling the dice on whether our allies will be marginally competent.

cellardweller · Apr 14, 2009, 12:58 PM // 12:58

Been through chronicles of spellborne and warhammer since winding down my GW "career", and spend most of my time thinking "I wish this was more like guildwars".

My hopes are pinned on champions next, but I'm sure I'll be dissapointed.

fusa · Apr 14, 2009, 01:13 PM // 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by korcan

Personally, I'd love to see Bioware stop all work on anything Star Wars MMO related and shift their attention to this genre.

They're working on Dragon Age http://dragonage.bioware.com/ It was suppose to be released already but looks like it was pushed back to end of the year. I was looking forward to it, but now that EA owns Bioware, I am doubtful I will buy it. Atari did a good job at ruining the Neverwinter Nights line of products (especially for online) and I'm sure EA won't be much more competent.

therangereminem · Apr 14, 2009, 01:15 PM // 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misa

Aion looks a lot like gw

its hardly anything like guildwars at all beenplaying it for a week now , and i will play it more whenit comes out in us , but its nothig n like guildwars at all more like wow kinda in someway linage in others and diablo in other ways kinda brings the best at of mmo's together,

Another Felldspar · Apr 14, 2009, 01:40 PM // 13:40

The instancing seems to me to be the biggest difference between GW and all of the other MMO's out there. I started with Guildwars and I just can't get into the persistent worlds -- if I kill a monster I want it to stay dead, and not respawn on my face when I'm fighting the next one. I hate spending long minutes walking somewhere; map travel is a killer concept. Those 2 things coupled up in the traditional MMO's -- spend several minutes walking to a dungeon, kill monsters along the way, finally get to the big guy and while fighting it in a prolonged battle have the respawn from behind tip the scales and player dies -- rez back in town and begin the whole process over again, having to walk/fight back to the dungeon again...

It just isn't my kind of fun.

When I say I want a game like Guildwars I'm talking much more about the way it plays than I am about the business model -- I'd gladly pay the subscription fees -- there just aren't any that I've found.

MuleGoon · Apr 14, 2009, 04:48 PM // 16:48

As was mentioned earlier, Runes of Magic (http://www.runesofmagic.com/en/index.html) is a free game that seems to have aspects of WOW and GW1 (I only played a couple of hours in it, so I can only say what I've read about it).

For the sci-fi (or sy-fy for the younger generation) interest, Anarchy Online is now available for free (both to download and play). It's an old game, but I played it religiously for years. Check it out at http://www.anarchy-online.com

Yichi · Apr 14, 2009, 04:54 PM // 16:54

Theres a few friends I played GW with that are now playing Cabal Online. Similar to GW and free. I just don't have the time to invest right now to get that heavily into a new game.

Empress Amarox · Apr 14, 2009, 04:55 PM // 16:55

I'm kinda looking forward to Aion, but not looking forward to a monthly fee.

keesie · Apr 14, 2009, 04:59 PM // 16:59

runescape 123456789

Shadowhaze · Apr 14, 2009, 05:07 PM // 17:07

None of the games I've played have been like GW. I think that's one reason I haven't abandoned GW. I do still play it, though not as much as I used to. Other mmos never hold my interest. And eventhough I've done most everything in GW on multiple chars, I still love the game. I just cannot for the life of me get into any others. I'm not sure if it's because of the grind, playstyle, or what...but they just can't grip me the way GW did.

I've been watching the new Star Wars game, but I really don't feel like pay to play something like I used for another game. The time I spent on it and it's cost per month wasn't worth it for me.

Sora267 · Apr 14, 2009, 05:29 PM // 17:29

The business model as it is probably isn't very successful, since it relies on constantly releasing new content. It hinders your developers from working on another game, and the only way to get any work done on a new game would be to ditch the older game entirely, which is what we're starting to see with GW. The concept of GW is great, but we're not going to see any GW clones with a similar business model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusa

They're working on Dragon Age http://dragonage.bioware.com/ It was suppose to be released already but looks like it was pushed back to end of the year. I was looking forward to it, but now that EA owns Bioware, I am doubtful I will buy it. Atari did a good job at ruining the Neverwinter Nights line of products (especially for online) and I'm sure EA won't be much more competent.

Actually, EA's been showing a lot of competency lately, Madden games aside. A lot of their recent releases have been quality over quantity, so I'm pretty sure that Dragon Age will be pretty good.

Minako Sawai · Apr 14, 2009, 06:02 PM // 18:02

Runes of Magic (F2P, item shop with rentals

) does have a dual profession system, but it is very limited compared to GW. I don't play WoW, but everyone I've talked with in RoM says the game is very very much like WoW. It is fun in its own way, but the combat is rather clunky compared to the fast paced multi-monster / limited skill bar design of GW. Has a much more involved crafting system for runes, weapons and armor, compared to GW.

If you enjoy combat with heroes/pets, then Ether Saga Online is a lot of fun. Another F2P (item shop, but just for vanity stuff mostly), but the pet part of the game is similar to using a hero, but you can fuse with it to gain its attributes, meld pets together to create something new; playing with just 1 at a time, but having 4 total available to use, can give them skills and equipment. Similar to charming animals in GW, you capture your pets, difference is just about all of the monsters can be captured and used a pet. Not sure if I'd want to see that in GW2 or not!

Oh, and the graphics are "ultra cute", but they grow on you. Besides, my little Shenzu Ranger is just so adorable.

Atlantica Online has mercenaries, but uses semi-turn based combat like a strategy game. Again, F2P with Item shop, very little character customization (at least so far for me), nice combat graphics, but the other graphics are so-so and the interface is a bit old fashioned with tiny text.

I haven't found much else that is very GW-like so far.

Painbringer · Apr 14, 2009, 06:47 PM // 18:47

Most investors want to follow The World Of Cashcraft. The “It’s free monthly” is a hard sell to a bunch of financial investors.

Oblivion is my new toy

Yeah its old but 20.00 bucks and a new challenge is fine for me for now. I still am FA now and then.

Lonesamurai · Apr 14, 2009, 08:34 PM // 20:34

Damnit... my guildies talked me into trying Runes of Magic today and I just realised I had been playing for 10 hours... FFS...

on that note though, its actually not bad (god damn I feel dirty for saying that)

CyberNigma · Apr 15, 2009, 12:33 AM // 00:33

I've been trying out RoM as well. It seems pretty neat. The idea was take wow and try to improve on it by changing some of the less desirable stuff in it. There are still Kil x quests though as with many mainstream MMOs. I am really hoping they don't go overboard on any grind/trademill to push the RMT. I would like to see a balance as I get further into it. I don't mind RMT to a point because it allows me to play catch-up rather quickly to other people I pay with when I have only a limited time to play and they can play most of the day. I just don't want to be able to 'win' the game by either paying RMT or by spending the most time.. Skill at the end would be nice. That makes it worthwhile to either RMT or TimeGrind because then you know those at the end still had to use some form of real skill to beat it/get endgame stuff.

RMT can be a good way to balance those with and those without jobs/infinite time/etc. Guild Wars did it very very well (balance those, not RMT) with Factions and Nightfall, even better with Prophecies than most MMos I've played. I'm only talking about play and progression in the game, not titles of course which cater to the ones that do have time and like to grind stuff like that.

Empress Amarox · Apr 15, 2009, 12:50 AM // 00:50

If GW1 is this bad now, imagine when GW2 is out and they're working on GW3... Instead of a 2 person Live Team we'll have a like... Half a person in their free time 30 mins a week Live Team.

Zahr Dalsk · Apr 15, 2009, 01:00 AM // 01:00

I do wish there was another MMO that placed skill over time played. Monthly fee would be alright, as long as there was no high grinding requirement and such things were purely visual (or if there was a Thief class, done proper Garrett-style :P ).