Can we play too ?

[mugendo]

I was happy and content in SWG from Beta to NGE, and to be honest with all here, I would still be there if it existed in it's pre-cu (original conception).
There were player cities and a player run economy that actually worked, everyone was dependant on another for EVERYTHING, we had shops and decor for our homes, cantinas and dancing events...in summary it was a social game where interaction was the ONLY way to survive and prosper.
But the wise folk who created this paradise decided the subscriptions were not sufficient to continue as it was, so they embarked on an ambitious plan to appeal to the wider audience....a sensible and logical progression.
The question they asked themselves "where are these hordes of players we want to attract"....and they concluded, "Hey, every Kid wants to be a Jedi!!"
In that moment of inspiration they threw aside the lore of Galaxies, and Jedi became the new fashion. And they came....in their....erm....dozens....

The subscriptions rose to new heights (mainly because the dedicated players were locked into pre-paid accounts) and the decision makers had found their holy grail. To thank the new players (who all chose Jedi) they were awarded prime time and full attention in the feedback forums. Of course the 'minority' of veteran players locked into their accounts could wait..(they were not going anywhere soon *chuckle*) .
So the jedi love had started, and they reported that folk ingame were "not being 'nice' to them", "were forced to pay for services and items", "were expected to socialise !!!"....

Of course this dire situation had to rectified before the Jedi left (with their Mommy's credit card details), so the jedi were granted.....self heal, innate armour, craft own weapon, and the grandaddy of all (in case anything was overlooked) Loot drop is far superior to anything that could be crafted.
The Jedi were a happy crowd now they were truly independant....during this time a lot of the veteran accounts had expired and they were 'free' to spend their money where they choose. Leaving behind a galaxy that had pulled apart years of community building and character creation.

And the Jedi were as happy as little kittens in a basket, the sounds of sabres flashing late into ....well whatever time kids go to bed....echoed around the vast empty cities and planets of galaxies. Those evicted from Galaxies arrived in Ryzom....and it is ironic we have the Title "refugee" as we enter this land.

The memories of 'those dark days' have faded into nothing and new skills and friends are made, the community is as welcoming (maybe more so) as the original galaxy forums. Everything is fine...the usual play balance issues to address is discussed...and everyone has the same vision.

Then I see over the last few months, the sabres are falling silent....and Ryzom looks for 'the holy grail of customers'..and I get very nervous when I put 2 & 2 together.

I have put my faith in one company and was rewarded with
"STFU NOOB, YOU READ THE EULA THAT GAME MAY CHANGE"
(and that is sony policy )

I know Nevrax is aware of all I have stated above. Please include them as prominent points in your decision when the Jedi ask if they can come and play in Ryzom.

[zarozina]

Well put

People are leaving Ryzom.

Make it stop.

[grimjim]

Originally Posted by zarozina

Well put

People are leaving Ryzom.

Make it stop.

Erm... other than Cho being, maybe, a bit premature things seem to be actually moving back on track lately.

The Ring is ideologically and philosophically something harking back to the original vision.

I'm concerned about the Kitin nest being phat lewt, but I guess we'll see soon enough.

Maybe Cho is to do with something we don't know about yet.

But... I've seen more people come back and more new people than people leaving for quite some time now.

To me that post says 'Look out! Don't try to popularise or you'll lose what you have!' and that's been a concern for me since the abrupt and sudden introduction of PvP. That Ryzom was chasing the 'popular market' and threatening to lose what it had. I've felt a lot more reassured lately on that score.

[rothimar]

Appealing to a broader audience isn't always a bad thing... catering to it is.

Ever make soup for a group of people? If you put equal parts of the favorite food of each person into the soup... you end up with something few of them would eat.

"But it has all your favorite foods!"

"Yeah... but they taste horrid together"

A good soup can be improved, but if you try to make it what everyone wants... you end up with something nobody will eat. mugendo, you've reminded me of something I was starting to lose sight of, and I am rethinking some of my recent ponderings... thank you.

[dollly]

it appears devs have no idea on how to cater to existing player's... since cho opened arispotle has lost atleast another 30 % of its players... how long til it's only me on the server... cos i aint leaving

[naratuul]

Originally Posted by dollly

it appears devs have no idea on how to cater to existing player's... since cho opened arispotle has lost atleast another 30 % of its players... how long til it's only me on the server... cos i aint leaving

Well I aint leaving either so that makes 2 of us

I played SWG and had a pre CU Jedi. When SOE tried to popularize the game they lost my money and the money of lots of my friends. Hopefully Nevrax won't fall prey to the same lunacy that SOE did.

[andypur1]

Originally Posted by dollly

it appears devs have no idea on how to cater to existing player's... since cho opened arispotle has lost atleast another 30 % of its players... how long til it's only me on the server... cos i aint leaving

And how many paying players did Arispotle gain when the Ruins of Silan went live? I still see more homins around than I did back in, say, June. Also, don't forget that college has restarted and so some people can't be around so much.

I'm generally missing most of the week due to work. and yes many old players have alts on Cho, but most have said that they will come back if needed for something.

[rothimar]

I haven't been in game as much as I would like lately do to moving, but I am almost done... after next weekend (as long as my internet is active on time) I will be back in force.

I don't plan on going any where... if anything, I am planning on trying to spark up some awareness of Ryzom anywhere I can. There are a LOT of gamers in the world, and a lot of gaming sites. Might help if people post about Ryzom on some of them.

Might sound "fanboy" to suggest it, but the more people that subscribe, the more development resources Nevrax will have to bring more content, finish existing content, and well... keep the power on.

[raynes]

I have no idea what the original post is all about. As far as I can tell it's about SWG. What does this have to do with Ryzom?

[katriell]

Originally Posted by raynes

I have no idea what the original post is all about. As far as I can tell it's about SWG. What does this have to do with Ryzom?

You didn't hear about the fall of SWG at the hands of a company seeking wide appeal and vast audience, and immediately link the incident to philosophical concepts of massive relevance to any decent (read: niche) MMORP game?