Game Director Letter - April 2013

[Halcon]

Thanks for the updates Joel. They all sound promising.

I am particularly looking forward to the unchained PVP. I have always thought that an even playing field is vital for the sake of fun and player retention when it comes to player involvement in PVP, and this definitely seems like a big step in the right direction.

Keep up the good work !

[Anubium]

The unchained pvp sounds great...as do the unchained dungeons. Might we assume that these new dungeons will drop rares for khitai gear also? Assuming they give better loot anyway.

And...are you going to open up more more battlekeeps if you are merging US and EU servers? Otherwise it might turn into a big free for all with only eight and 200 guilds wanting one.

[Azmith]

Eight BKs and 200 guilds wanting BKs means TONS of sieging, no? I think that's the way it should be. Nut up, not everyone should have a BK just because they want one, they should have to fight to have one, and keep one, period.

All and all Joel, good letter. Keep on this road, and get your designers busy on a few more mini game maps and I can see this game bouncing back, at least a little, due to the changes. Can't wait to stomp some new faces. I assume that during the merge phase, those of us stupid enough to transfer to a PVE server for PVP will have the option to transfer back for free, ya? One can hope :P

[bogus]

Ah and I forgot one thing, but it seem I wasn't the only one.

8th March:

We're actively working on the subscription value right now. The price won't change but the benefits very likely will increase.

As I said in the old forums regarding the current subscription:
"Too much stick, not enough honey".

We are working to sweeten it ASAP.

Letter completely missing that part also.

[freneticfangs]

I have played this game since release date.

Not once have I felt listened to until today.

Congrats, you will have my dollars again. My faith in AoC has not only been restored, but this letter has passed expectations.

I hope Joel gets a harem of females on their knees for these decisions.

Awaiting either server merges or some incentive to sub back for 6 months or a year.

[Azmith]

I have played this game since release date.

Not once have I felt listened to until today.

Congrats, you will have my dollars again. My faith in AoC has not only been restored, but this letter has passed expectations.

I hope Joel gets a harem of females on their knees for these decisions.

Awaiting either server merges or some incentive to sub back for 6 months or a year.

Good! Now I just gotta wait to transfer old Azmith back to Tyranny, and I can ignore the shitshow that is Deathwish... sorry DW, but there's just not enough happening anymore to stay interested... case in point, unsubbed lol.

[eliteknut]

What server do you play? US servers have declined significantly.

Im playing at Crom.

[Slith]

Unchained minigames seem neat but two things are essential for it to work: rankings and "prestige" vanity gear to have a way to show your prowness (weave epeen around) and to have a progression without just cramming in more stats and disbalance things further.

[SlightlyMad]

4.) We sign up for some open world PvP(sign up for some open world PvP??? WTF is he talking about?!) Hm, Cimmeria..conarch village playfield...excellent, let's do it.

Now there is a great idea! Creating pvp instances in hub cities!

Attackers and defenders of the hub cities. Upon entering the playfield you choose your side and it should simply be a team deathmatch. 24vs24, lasts for 1 hour, once or twice a day, event; no rewards or social rewards only, People should leave the area without hesitation if they want to without any *shame*, replacements shouldnt be a problem.

Btw, as dev letter suggests, there'll be a new minigame; hope they wont make another 12vs12 JS-like map. Instead, use the hub cities for brand new maxi-game content :P

[Redmeth]

A couple of suggestions as I see Joel is reading.

1. Please do something about KK to bring some freshness. KK is the most farmed instance maybe in the history of MMOs. Give the same loot to all 3 bosses. The tracking part is very annoying and after 2 years I just can't stand it anymore. It breaks the flow of the game and adds another 10-15 minutes maybe more to a chain of dungeons. Unnecessary frustration.

2. Keep revamping the classes. After nothing new in a few years most vets know the builds and classes by heart. It brings fresh air. HoX and Necro definitely could need some changes and more viable builds. Lots of useless feats and AAs. It can bring some people back.