What is the deal with the new patch?

[Rathothis]

It's quite sad to read this. As a TSW player I would like to add some information. All that new TSW content... we have been waiting for ONE new zone for years and it's still not complete and it looks like numbers of missions will be cut off. We lack any pvp update from the game launch. There is very limited endgame content. There are only 2 raids (and one of them has so badly designed rewards that most players ignore it). The scenarios has ended as half done... So it's far from ideal. Yes we got updates, but from the other side of view, we have nothing like Khitai expansion (and we will have).

I think it's not right to accuse TSW for state of AoC.

Just to be clear about this. Noone is complaining that TSW players are getting too much content. Recently, FC have had to make further cost cuts due to the performance of other games (in particular, Lego). I'm pretty sure that these affected TSW more than AoC (since AoC had already been in maintenance mode anyway). It's not like AoC players would feel gratified about that.

What we are disappointed about is just that FC decided long ago to put their bets on other games, instead of investing into AoC which in spite of all its problems, has still been their most successful MMO. This means that for a very long time, our sub money has not gone to the game we care for, but has funded TSW and, more recently, the Lego game instead. And when you look at Derek's estimate of AoC's cost, and at Funcom's financials, it becomes clear that those of us who still pay their subscriptions are still being milked to fund FC's other failures.

If FC just allocated a budget to AoC which correspond to its cost plus a reasonable return on capital (without having to fund other games), we'd be happy already. Sure that wouldn't give us anything close to an update cycle of games like WoW or EVE. But at least it would be a team size capable of completing mostly finished content that has been in the pipeline forever. And it would allow FC's marketing folks to at least spend some of their time on AoC - currently, it's only TSW and Lego.

[tapwater]

I don't considers layoffs right after releases since they're "normal process" in videogames. Studios don't keep all the people they hired to made the game when there's like 20 time less work to do. But yeah, they are numerically biggers than the one i presented. In the other hand, the 2013 Jan one was the worst cause it hitted the developpment process right in the heart and was the reason #1 we don't get crafting and Dragonspine in mid 2015. If i presume well, it was the closure of chinese branch of Funcom, who made Turan pack.

That's why it was most than unlikely that we'll get Tales of Hyboria content of the same side as Turan.

Now i'm thinking about it, they said the same about Kithaï expansion size when they developped Turan : "We can't and we won't develop large expansion like RoTGso we're aiming at smaller xpacs like Turan one" and then "Turan one was too big so we'll aim for smaller patchs but more regular ones" and so on until today with Vanaheim/Bluemountain mini-map smaller than 1 Turan solo-instance ;o

At one point, they can't shrink content anymore ?

Yeah, normally layoffs after a release is normal for standard games (I wonder how true that really is for a MMO that moves from one expansion into another). But I thought that wasn't the case for the AoC team after the expansion. My memory isn't perfect about everything way back then, but I thought the AoC team was under the impression there wouldn't be a big layoff, as they had plenty of work to finish that expansion and a new expansion already being thought about. The layoff hit them as a huge surprise, so they couldn't get the work done that they had planned.

Noone is complaining that TSW players are getting too much content.

Reading through this thread and elsewhere on the forums, I'm pretty sure lots of people are complaining that TSW players are getting too much content. Saying that TSW is getting all the AoC money is the same as saying TSW is getting too much content in comparison to AoC.

[Halfdead]

Clearly TSW gets a ton more love than this game.

Just on the account page.. you can sub for access to extra things per month or 1 time fee packs that offer large incentives like a lifetime sub and item shop discounts.

We as Aoc get lame sub offers twice a year which are worse and worse each time around. Who would buy a 1 time necklace that offers a hidden debuff...

TSW gets consistent dev interaction, and not just on the forums. Just last week there was a twitch stream of 2 devs and sezmra with giveaways showcasing new content.

Our interaction consists of Tomium letting us know the game will be down for maintenance. And usually writes TSW... lol

More and more people are throwing in the towel, and I don't blame them. There is no road-map at all for content in Aoc, nothing makes the test server, and multiple things are still broken. Achievements, troll rez bug, etc..

I still don't know how Funcom couldnt see that people would be upset Lol.

Its a great shame because I love what Cirith does, but honestly the new content has very little replay value aside from another long grind for the new rings.

[Rathothis]

Reading through this thread and elsewhere on the forums, I'm pretty sure lots of people are complaining that TSW players are getting too much content. Saying that TSW is getting all the AoC money is the same as saying TSW is getting too much content in comparison to AoC.

Relative to AoC, yes. But elsunga's point was that TSW's update circle was very slow in absolute terms. Some of that will be due to FC failing again with Lego. Clearly, there's no reason for AoC players to rejoice, because we did not benefit at all from resources on TSW being cut.

[Derek-Drake]

Yikes, maybe I've been wording my posts wrong. Let me be clear that I personally don't have anything against TSW, and I honestly don't even mind if they use AoC money to keep it going. Afterall, AoC is absolutely 100% on life support whether they'll come out and say it or not. What I DO mind, however, is seeing TSW get update after update which they are clearly using AoC funds to produce, and then when we DO get an update we have to PAY for it. That's utter bull defecation. Lots of it. Piled high.

Hell, I want all of FC's games to have so many players that they have to open new servers for all of them. I want so much money to roll in that AoC gets a new full expansion every year and new races/classes, AA's, crafting revamp, PVP revamps.. you name it.

Just don't marginalize us when the money isn't pouring in.

[Roragar]

Just to be clear about this. Noone is complaining that TSW players are getting too much content. Recently, FC have had to make further cost cuts due to the performance of other games (in particular, Lego). I'm pretty sure that these affected TSW more than AoC (since AoC had already been in maintenance mode anyway). It's not like AoC players would feel gratified about that.

What we are disappointed about is just that FC decided long ago to put their bets on other games, instead of investing into AoC which in spite of all its problems, has still been their most successful MMO. This means that for a very long time, our sub money has not gone to the game we care for, but has funded TSW and, more recently, the Lego game instead. And when you look at Derek's estimate of AoC's cost, and at Funcom's financials, it becomes clear that those of us who still pay their subscriptions are still being milked to fund FC's other failures.

If FC just allocated a budget to AoC which correspond to its cost plus a reasonable return on capital (without having to fund other games), we'd be happy already. Sure that wouldn't give us anything close to an update cycle of games like WoW or EVE. But at least it would be a team size capable of completing mostly finished content that has been in the pipeline forever. And it would allow FC's marketing folks to at least spend some of their time on AoC - currently, it's only TSW and Lego.

Good sir, I salute you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B01o2xtJwgk

[SYNDEM]

From the MMORPG.COM

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/g...nterview-.html

"Matthew explained that when running a game for seven years it really comes down to listening closely to your player base and working directly with them on feedback. They often open up the test servers to work with players on new items and incentives all the time."

uh ?? Really ?? Did i miss something here ??

"Matthew said that they plan to continue with more updates similar to Shadow of Vanaheim."

I m soo done with this ....

[Radicaltop]

Yes, it appears that AOC is moving toward a TSW business model in which all new content is released as adventure packs ("Issues") to be purchased from the game Store. If this move is necessary to keep AOC alive into the future, then the player base should support it. The new pack may be of lower quality than past updates but it is new content. Again, I would prefer this to seeing AOC shut down.

[xCodename]

Yes, it appears that AOC is moving toward a TSW business model in which all new content is released as adventure packs ("Issues") to be purchased from the game Store. If this move is necessary to keep AOC alive into the future, then the player base should support it. The new pack may be of lower quality than past updates but it is new content. Again, I would prefer this to seeing AOC shut down.

So you are Ok with paying a monthly fee for a game with bugs, low amount of content and updates you will only get for paying even more?

I rather see this game shut down it's is just not funny anymore what FC trys to do here... paying 15€ each month and finally after 2 years we get content which is recycled from 2008 content (atzel's fortress and armor pieces) and need to pay 20€ for it again? Not with me...

[Radicaltop]

So you are Ok with paying a monthly fee for a game with bugs, low amount of content and updates you will only get for paying even more?

I rather see this game shut down it's is just not funny anymore what FC trys to do here... paying 15€ each month and finally after 2 years we get content which is recycled from 2008 content (atzel's fortress and armor pieces) and need to pay 20€ for it again? Not with me...

I'm a US player, so I only pay $6 USD per month with the subscription bought on sale. The game is good overall and seems to have plenty of content from my perspective as a relative newcomer. If the only way to keep AOC going is to sell adventure packs going forward, then that is what Funcom must do.