by Dalmarus on Nov 19, 2007
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November
19, 2007 - By Dalmarus
This
week we
ran a fun
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=815">“What
If” poll. Assuming everything
in the game as it currently stands was fixed, the Ancient Port
Warehouse and
permanent flying mounts were both live, what would you like to see
added/changed in the game next?
The majority
of voters (over 50%) stated the first thing
they want added to the game is an AA (Alternate Abilities) system. This
addition would create multiple “fixes” for various
aspects of Vanguard as it
now stands.
The first
would be the ability to give the numerous level
50 characters currently in the game something to do, thus preventing
boredom
and possibly even departure. An addition of an AA system would give
something
new for everyone in the game to strive for. It would eliminate the
worry of
“Now what?” when maxing out a character’s
level. Not only will it provide a
great reason to continue adventuring, but it would also provide a very
needed
sense of character individuality.
The second
thing an AA system would provide may be a bit
of a release valve for the overcrowding pressures I expect the Ancient
Port
Warehouse raid area to experience for quite some time once it goes
live. There
are a large number of end-game characters that are already equipped
with the
best equipment currently in the game, and are bored senseless.
It’s fairly safe
to assume that the majority (if not all) of them are going to hit the
APW as
soon as it goes live. At the very least, relationships in the early
days of the
APW are going to be strained similar to packing a ton of rats into a
box.
The amount of
flexibility an AA system would provide each
character cannot be overstated. It’s the excitement of
continually striving to
achieve personal goals within the game that are the key to its success
at
earning a long life.
Since
the
induction of MMO’s to the gaming world, players
have clamored for choices. Choices in their character features,
abilities, and
play styles. Since the early days of Ultima Online and Everquest,
companies
have gone to great lengths to provide as much flexibility in these
categories
as they could. Those that
have done so continue to thrive and grow
today, while those that have not have gone to the great Zapper in the
sky.
This
week’s
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=815">poll
also had another interesting side effect.
I thought it was interesting that not a single voter chose
“Remove or change
the XP Loss Death Penalty”. That’s right, not one
single vote for that, while
choices such as “The UI needs to be improved
immediately”, “Give me some
relaxing side activities such as fishing”, and
“Other” each garnered multiple
votes.
If I had
listed the choice simply as “Removing the XP loss
death penalty”, I would understand that I might be in the
minority of wishing
the death penalty to stay the same. As it was worded though, no one
chose to
even have the XP penalty changed.
Personally, I
think that’s a significant indication that
of all the things players want to add or change in the game, the death
penalty
is currently at the bottom of most people’s list.
For me,
MMO’s are all about choice. Currently, Vanguard
gives me more than any other game I want to play, so I’m here
for quite a
while. In my opinion, adding an AA system will not only help retain a
large
number of players, but it may also lure back the majority of level 50
players
that have already left.
What do you
think?
Leave a comment href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=21167">HERE!
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