Trademark law is such that you have to defend your trademark against any perceived threat, no matter how insubstantial, or you risk losing it later on if a bigger offender starts to infringe.
Blame the broken trademark (and copyright) systems.
An MMO should be either PvP or PvE. Trying to balance both means that they both end up mediocre and unbalanced to a degree. It also means a blander game in general as it requires watering down class specific mechanics that would be fine in one aspect of the game, but it overpowered or underpowered in the other.
I play MMOs for the social and PvE aspects. If I want to PvP, I play a game specifically designed for it.
@Xennkari Unless there are sufficient "safe zones" and repercussions for senselessly murdering other players, no amount of PvE will save this game from the niche hell that every other FFA PvP MMO ends up in.
Sure the concept of FFA PvP seems interesting, but the reality is much different. You will always eventually encounter players whose prime motivation is to beat down every other player within their reach. These PvP anarchists will do everything within their power to abuse the game system to suit their goal, and the only way to sufficiently keep them in check is to rig the game system against them, if not outright forbidding FFA-PvP in the first place.
The developers need to look at how SWG dealt with housing. When you walked into a house, you were seamlessly transported onto a separate instance server that dealt specifically with the internal housing areas.
I have no regrets. All the MMOs I have stopped playing over the years were with good reason. They stopped being fun.
As for Fallen Earth, the game was in a complete mess at release, and for some time after. If it were released in the state it is today, it would have been received far better. Though it's F2P now, and I don't touch cash shop ridden games.
If the current trend keeps up, they'll be interactive movies in instanced boxes that require players to purchase lock boxes from the cash shop that give players a chance at winning the items they need to progress past each cutscene.
"it's not so bad, at least it's not as bad as that other game..."
Give it a few months and it will be. People were praising LOTRO for doing F2P right... then Turbine added lock box gambling, and started selling statted equipment as "convenience" items.
F2P will always lead to invasive RMT, because companies will always keep pushing to make more profit.
Mojang can't use 'Scrolls' in any sequels to 'Scrolls,' lawsuit dictates
Mar 12th 2012 3:28PM (Joystiq)Trademark law is such that you have to defend your trademark against any perceived threat, no matter how insubstantial, or you risk losing it later on if a bigger offender starts to infringe.
Blame the broken trademark (and copyright) systems.
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes?
Mar 12th 2012 8:39AM (Massively)An MMO should be either PvP or PvE. Trying to balance both means that they both end up mediocre and unbalanced to a degree. It also means a blander game in general as it requires watering down class specific mechanics that would be fine in one aspect of the game, but it overpowered or underpowered in the other.
I play MMOs for the social and PvE aspects. If I want to PvP, I play a game specifically designed for it.
The Daily Grind: What game would you play if it had an alternate gameplay server?
Mar 9th 2012 8:35AM (Massively)I'd also play Fallen Earth again if there were a subscriber only server that had no cash shop tied to it.
Funcom stock price could 'double or triple' depending on success of The Secret World
Mar 7th 2012 11:28AM (Massively)The stock price could also plummet and become delisted if the game does poorly.
In other news, water is wet.
Pathfinder Online measures up player housing
Mar 2nd 2012 9:05AM (Massively)Unless there are sufficient "safe zones" and repercussions for senselessly murdering other players, no amount of PvE will save this game from the niche hell that every other FFA PvP MMO ends up in.
Sure the concept of FFA PvP seems interesting, but the reality is much different. You will always eventually encounter players whose prime motivation is to beat down every other player within their reach. These PvP anarchists will do everything within their power to abuse the game system to suit their goal, and the only way to sufficiently keep them in check is to rig the game system against them, if not outright forbidding FFA-PvP in the first place.
Pathfinder Online measures up player housing
Mar 1st 2012 3:26PM (Massively)Leaderboard: Lockboxes yea vs. lockboxes nay
Feb 27th 2012 12:43PM (Massively)I don't think anything further really needs to be said to explain why they're a terrible idea.
The Daily Grind: What MMO do you regret leaving?
Feb 17th 2012 10:21AM (Massively)As for Fallen Earth, the game was in a complete mess at release, and for some time after. If it were released in the state it is today, it would have been received far better. Though it's F2P now, and I don't touch cash shop ridden games.
The Daily Grind: What will your favorite MMO look like in 20 years?
Feb 15th 2012 10:10AM (Massively)City of Heroes introduces the super pack, players respond with rage
Feb 14th 2012 11:29PM (Massively)"it's not so bad, at least it's not as bad as that other game..."
Give it a few months and it will be. People were praising LOTRO for doing F2P right... then Turbine added lock box gambling, and started selling statted equipment as "convenience" items.
F2P will always lead to invasive RMT, because companies will always keep pushing to make more profit.