Loading... Make Blame, Not WAR

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Updated Thu, Sep 17, 2009 by Ethec

Welcome to the 1,166th edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news, coverage, and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

Executive Producer Jeff Hickman took the podium at Austin Game Development Conference and shared the biggest mistakes (and some of the successes) of Warhammer Online as he saw them. Many ex-WAR players are using the opportunity to vent their own views of WAR's shortcomings, so we'll try to separate face from fiction in today's Loading... Make Blame, Not WAR.

The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is The Pulse?).

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results:

Biggest movers today:

The Secret World (UP 8 to #12)
Global Agenda (down 3 to #15)
Lord of the Rings Online (UP 1 to #6)

Recent MMO Releases

8/4 - World of Warcraft Update 3.2 (content patch)
8/25 - CrimeCraft (release date)
9/1 - Champions Online
9/15 - Runes of Magic "The Elven Prophecy" (expansion)

Important Dates

9/15 - 9/18 - GDC Austin
10/1 - 10/3 - EVE FanFest

Upcoming Releases

9/9 - Dungeons & Dragons Online Unlimited (release date)
NEW - 9/22 - Fallen Earth (release date)
9/22 - Aion (release date)
10/9 - Cities XL (release date)
Early 2010 - APB

Loading... Daily

Much is being made of Jeff Hickman's comments about what went so wrong with Warhammer Online as reported by Gamasutra. To summarize his take on WAR's mistakes: 1) PvE content was too easy at the beginning, 2) WAR didn't have enough reasons for players to socialize, despite the game having social tools, and 3) the unimportance of the economy, which "brings people together". No mention was made about communication between devs and players, specifically the lack of an official forum at launch, or the single-biggest issue the average ex-WAR player is likely to point to: class balance.

Up until recently, the official word from Mythic was that the problems with imbalance were minor, that they had the numbers to back up their claim, and to be expected with a predominantly PvP game, and these were being addressed, as with any other MMO, in a series of tweaks. Whatever the reality about the severity of imbalance in WAR, and I'm certainly not going to play referee, I think it's unfortunate that Mythic didn't do more to at least deal with the perception of imbalance, instead treating it as a bromide.

Players who voiced genuine concerns about the game were mostly met with talk of live events and the Land of the Dead expansion. Well-intentioned marketing initiatives were viewed by players as misdirection, and the disenchantment only grew. Some sort of fan summit or elected player council, along with good faith action to redress some of the player complaints, might have done much to preserve the good opinion of many WAR devotees. Instead, it seemed to many like Mythic was constantly trying to change the subject or simply pushing forward on their own agenda, an agenda that failed to interest many fans of the game.

But, along with Jeff Hickman's more humble tack at AGDC, Mythic's perspective on balance seems to be changing with 1.32. From a Ten Ton Hammer interview posted today with Producer Josh Drescher:

"We're looking at (sort of broadly) trying to normalize abilities across both realms. We've kind of noticed over the past few months that there has been an up tick in dissatisfaction with some of the abilities that exist in one realm, but not the other... And then sort of on a per career basis, just making sure that everybody is as close to balanced as you can ever get in an MMO. Sort of tied to that, we're going to continue our struggle with crowd control, trying to make sure that is not a particularly frustrating experience."

I have little doubt that Warhammer Online will become a better and better game, and talk of the past is only really useful if it can enable future successes. Some of the MMOs coming to market are just as competitive and complex as WAR is, so in that vein, everyone has their own theory about Warhammer Online's downturn, so here's mine. When you make a competitive game, whether you like it or not, you incorporate the players into the design of the game and, to some extent, invite the players onto the development team. The more complex and competitive the game, the more the players feel like they should be part of the decision process, whether or not they really want to be part of the process. Consequently, if things go south, people start to bail - they feel obliged to take on more commitment than they signed up for. For, despite ever growing beta numbers, testing still requires an uncommon dedication and mindset, and that sort of selflessness is, if anything, on the decline in today's gaming culture. If, on top of testing the game, they have to fight to be heard, that just might be a bridge too far for even some of the most dedicated players.

Instead of addressing PvE difficulty, lack of socializing, or a lackluster economy, gaining and keeping the trust of the overwhelming majority of your players is critical. That what all this talk of running games as a "service" should boil down to. Too often, that "service" element is just an excuse for a premature launch, but that's another topic for another day.

What do you think? Instead of what did Mythic do wrong with WAR, what steps could Mythic have taken to help the game reach its potential? Do you disagree with Jeff Hickman that a big, sweeping revamp patch would be "a shot to the head" for the game? Your thoughts welcome in the Loading... forum.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Members Only: Ten Ton Topics forum

LotRO Siege of Mirkwood Questions Needed!

Today's epic thread is a bit of a tease (but not in a skanky way). I want you to consider becoming a premium member, so I'm going to taunt you with premium member exclusive goodies.

As often as we can, we give our premium members access to their favorite developers via VIP Access Interviews. Most recently, we carried their questions to PAX and brought back juicy details on Star Wars: The Old Republic. And now we want questions for Turbine on their upcoming Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Siege of Mirkwood.

If you haven't already, make sure to take a look at our popular Siege of Mirkwood sneak peak interview from PAX, then fire off your questions for the Turbine dev team. But just remember, only premium members can submit questions or access the exclusive premium forum. Not a premium member? It's easy to join the ranks!

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Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread

No quotes, just questions. Bring it!

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Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

10 new MMOG home-grown articles today! 39 in September! 991 in 2009!

Today's New MMO Coverage, Features, and Guides

RvR Fixes and Patch 1.32: An Exclusive Interview With Warhammer Online Producer Josh Drescher
One year ago today, Warhammer Online went live and the world of PvP hasn't been the same since. Mythic had been the granddaddy of Realm versus Realm combat for years, but even they had a few missteps along the way with Warhammer's release. Ten Ton Hammer recently had the chance to sit down with Associate Producer, Josh Drescher, and what an interesting interview it was. In a unique twist in the interview world, Josh stepped up to the plate and didn't beat around the bush with any answer.
EVE Online Sins of the Solar Spymaster #27 - The Five Types of Alliance Leaders
With Eve Online: Dominion's focus on involving more players in alliance life and warfare, The Mittani decided to examine the five types of alliance leaders for Eve Online. In the latest "Sins of the Solar Spymaster" he examines the various personalities that lead alliances in the universe of Eve Online ranging from the simple geek to one of the boys.
City of Heroes Going Rogue Q&A with NCsoft's Matt Miller
Going Rogue will introduce a staple comic book theme to the City of Heroes world - the slow descent of a hero into villainy, or the redemptive rise of a villain into more heroic pursuits. Not much is known about the transformation process or the pros and cons of switching allegiances, so we tracked down Exec. Producer Matt Miller for some answers on what Going Rogue entails. We'll also share some exclusive news on what Hero-Con attendees can expect at next month's event along with the latest info on Going Rogue.
NCsoft to Include Praetorian Clockwork Costume in City of Heroes Hero-Con Goody Bag
NCsoft is going big, super big, and wants you to be involved. This year, in San Jose, NCSoft is hosting the second annual Hero-Con, and this time you've got even more reason to attend. Included in the swag bag from the event is a Praetorian Clockwork code, which will transform the player into a very cool cybertronic machine. Click the link to have a look!
10 Reasons why Aion is your next MMOG
By now I’m sure everyone has heard of Aion, and some of you may be asking yourself that same old question…so why pick it up? Here’s are a few good reasons to head on over to your local retailer of choice, or pick it up through digital order before launch day on the 22nd.
Dungeons and Dragons Online - New "Demon Sands" Promo Video
If you've ever been to the desert, you know it can be a beautifully hostile place. Multiply that by about twenty billion and you'll get a bit of an idea how mean the desert can be in Turbine's newest adventure pack for DDO Unlimited, Demon Sands. Be sure to bring a a snake-bite kit.
World of Warcraft - The myth of the indispensible UI Mod
Is it possible to play without mods effectively? In this chapter we're here to say you can. Watch as we take a player of each archetype and throw them into a comfy chair of a powerhouse machine... with an empty UI folder on raid night. Can seasoned players still make the best of it? Or are people lost without their mod crutches?
World of Warcraft - Druid Theorycraft Series - The Feral Druid
The final edition of the theorycraft series for Druids focuses on the most popular spec of all, the feral druid. Pouring over the talent specs, glyphs and wondering how much of each stat you need can be a bit overwhelming for both new and veteran players alike. A quick and easy to understand guide to help you all sort it out awaits you, join Medawky and get the simple answer to the complex questions.
World of Warcraft - Raiding Isn't Everything
In response to the pitchfork crew that raised their voices in support of the article about players being overgeared and underskilled, Medeor brings the conversation back to center and reminds everyone that many of those who think they are in that 5% strata of "good players" probably aren't. And even if they are, they aren't having fun.
One Level Too Many: A Look at MMOG Addiction
We all have vices, habits , hobbies and interests, but when they cross the line to the point of obsession they can change from a pastime to something far more sinister. Have MMOGs become the hypodermic needle of choice for the tech generation? Were our Nintendos and Play Stations the gateway drug to a never ending hamster wheel of dependency? Join Medawky this week as he looks at the darker side of online gaming, the addiction factor.

Warhammer Online at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

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