Is this game dead?

[mrcorp]

AA was only balanced and good until the latest changes, starting with giving out 80 AA points to all players and 1 AA point per level.
That should be reverted.

actually, from a long term player, I can see some validity in this statement, assuming that AA was ok from the start, which is debatable and why you are getting LOLs right now from vets.

But from a business standpoint, they had to do it. They needed a hook to get new players in to the game, and that provided it. Smart move, but yes, watered the game down IMO. Why not just give everyone full AA. I know we all need a goal to work towards, but handing out AAs doesnt allow any of the new players that experience. I mean, everyone one of us went and got those first 4 AAs at 20 or 30 or whatever it was right away, and worked on repeated quest twice a day for 3 months? That doesnt sound like fun either.

[Rathothis]

But from a business standpoint, they had to do it. They needed a hook to get new players in to the game, and that provided it. Smart move, but yes, watered the game down IMO.

Why would AA get new players into the game? "We're doing something a bit like what they do in EVE" doesn't sound like a great selling proposition to me.

The truth is that they deliberately changed the focus of the game to repeatable content. AA simply is a means to give people a feeling of progress, even though they are actually doing the same thing over and over again. So it wasn't so much a hook to get new players, more a hook to keep existing players in the game.

As to why they switched to repeatable content, that's anyone's guess of course. My guess is that they knew that they would be switching most of their dev resources to TSW. So I guess I blame TSW for AA. But then I blame TSW for a lot of what went wrong with AoC

[Mustaine]

Why would AA get new players into the game? "We're doing something a bit like what they do in EVE" doesn't sound like a great selling proposition to me.

The truth is that they deliberately changed the focus of the game to repeatable content. AA simply is a means to give people a feeling of progress, even though they are actually doing the same thing over and over again. So it wasn't so much a hook to get new players, more a hook to keep existing players in the game.

As to why they switched to repeatable content, that's anyone's guess of course. My guess is that they knew that they would be switching most of their dev resources to TSW. So I guess I blame TSW for AA. But then I blame TSW for a lot of what went wrong with AoC

Sounds like you don't understand the advantages of AAs vs a player with No AAs. There was a gap and FUNCOM evidently believed that lessening the gap for new 80s would be a good thing. It's not a "feeling" of progress; it actually IS progress.

That did, in-fact, gimp the vets ... which always seems to be the answer. Never mind the time and effort they've put into the game.

I think they could revamp AAs a bit to make them more dynamic; as say how SMITE uses their abilities system. I'm just spit-balling, but it's a good system that is similar to AoC in some fundamental ways ~ so it's not a total rework.

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[Rathothis]

Sounds like you don't understand the advantages of AAs vs a player with No AAs. There was a gap and FUNCOM evidently believed that lessening the gap for new 80s would be a good thing. It's not a "feeling" of progress; it actually IS progress.

That did, in-fact, gimp the vets ... which always seems to be the answer. Never mind the time and effort they've put into the game.

I think they could revamp AAs a bit to make them more dynamic; as say how SMITE uses their abilities system. I'm just spit-balling, but it's a good system that is similar to AoC in some fundamental ways ~ so it's not a total rework.

I was simply replying to mrcorp regarding the business rationale for AAs - it's a system that encourages people to stay in the game, even when there's limited new content.

Now it's effects on gameplay are an entirely different story. I don't think many here on this forum will try to argue with you that the current system with its focus on passive boosts and the resulting power creep is good. I certainly won't.

[Hopsing]

That did, in-fact, gimp the vets ... which always seems to be the answer. Never mind the time and effort they've put into the game.
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I have a different point of view: i play since 2008 and since there are the free 80 AAs, i role a few new toons which i never would do without the free 80 AAs as I am totally bored on doing the same dumb factionquests day after day.

[Derled]

Hey i got point of view too, delete those shitty aa's from pvp servers OK? tanks having cc removes ( seriously??)

taking the shot,, battlefield commander..olp...necro dots last longer what ever the name is..jarring shot..deadlydraw...
conq having 40% crit rating + 17,5% from whirwlind always..

why the **** you put these shits in first place to pvp server? pvp is about skill and achieving stuff not a god damn gear / aa grind festival.. geez..

[bruceleroy]

[QUOTE=Rathothis;2094194]
The truth is that they deliberately changed the focus of the game to repeatable content. AA simply is a means to give people a feeling of progress, even though they are actually doing the same thing over and over again. So it wasn't so much a hook to get new players, more a hook to keep existing players in the game.
[QUOTE]

Not really sure I agree here. THe game has ALWAYS neen repeatable quests. Hell, the first 3 years or so there was only 1 80 zone. Mini games have been 4 maps for ever, with the addition of 1 new one over how many years? The same destiny quest for every toon?

I guess one could argue, AAs are different for each class. Although if you read class forums, its nothing more than one class complaining about another and trying to rework their class to be just like the other class.

Although I do agree with the progress bit, but giving AAs works against that concept.

I already had all the AAs I needed by the time they gave free AAs. Free AAs were not for vets, it was for new players to compete. This was requested and stated a lot over the forums, that's not an opinion.

[LunaticAsylumLA]

I already had all the AAs I needed by the time they gave free AAs. Free AAs were not for vets, it was for new players to compete. This was requested and stated a lot over the forums, that's not an opinion.

There was a strong and emotional dichotomy in whether people want that. Also, 160 points were given to both veterans and new players, effectively leaving the gap, but taking away hours of fun from the game.
Also, there were not a single thing in the game demanding AAs from a player. You could do a lot of instances (if not all) without them at all.

[Rathothis]

There was a strong and emotional dichotomy in whether people want that. Also, 160 points were given to both veterans and new players, effectively leaving the gap, but taking away hours of fun from the game.

It effectively narrows the gap a bit because some AAs are must have's (e.g. VoM for DT), some are very nice to have (e.g. passive prot buffs), and some are utterly useless (e.g. Immeasurable Empowerment). But in my view, it doesn't go far enough in doing so.

I fail to see your point that gaining AA is fun in and of itself. Doing things that make you gain AA can be fun, or they can be dull. For me at least, the fact that I get AA for doing them doesn't make them more or less so.

Not really sure I agree here. THe game has ALWAYS neen repeatable quests. Hell, the first 3 years or so there was only 1 80 zone. Mini games have been 4 maps for ever, with the addition of 1 new one over how many years? The same destiny quest for every toon?

Repeatable content? Not really, with the exception of Villas / Slaughterhouse and a few repeatable dungeon quests. The focus wasn't on repeatable content; rather, there simply wasn't that much content at all. This quite probably turned off quite a few more hardcore PvEers. But the nice thing about it was that the game didn't force you into a corset of what you had to do to be viable as a level 80 toon. You could spend a good part of your playing time RPing, or chopping trees, or goofing around on global, and still remain viable (if you were a decent player).

[barbaricwildcat2]

There was a strong and emotional dichotomy in whether people want that. Also, 160 points were given to both veterans and new players, effectively leaving the gap, but taking away hours of fun from the game.
Also, there were not a single thing in the game demanding AAs from a player. You could do a lot of instances (if not all) without them at all.

u didnt need to spend the AA pts if u didnt want them tho