[Preview] ArcheAge: Is the Sand Leaving the Box?

SBFord

XLGAMES has been calling their MMORPG title ArcheAge a sandpark for quite a while now: a mixture of a themepark and a sandbox game. One would assume it's certainly a sandpark game. You've got trading along the vast seas, 120 different class combinations, castle sieging, housing, and more allowing for players to really leave their impact on the world. But wait a second, let's take a look at a recent update to the Korean version that has some people not quite so happy!

Read more of Jeffery Lerman's ArcheAge: Is the Sand Leaving the Box?

UNH0LYEV1L

Sigh...the only game i was looking forward to.

dave5698225

IMHO Trion really missed the boat on this title and should jump off this sinking ship ASAP. With the extensive story-driven and raid content that Wildstar provides, the massive PvP sieges that we have seen with the ESO beta or the minecraft-style world of EQ Next - how can anyone expect to compete in the MMORPG market without offering a solid title with a clear direction for it's players?

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see Trion drop ArcheAge and concentrate on Trove.

zevni78

What a weird world this has become where SOE are cited as the correct example to follow, and the sandpark title we where looking forward to commits all the themepark sins that have degraded this game genre for a decade.

 

It would break my heart to see XL Games abandon the vision this game was built on if we didn't have plenty of indie sandboxes on the way now, not to mention EQN and Landmark, and from Korea Black Desert looks rather nice.

zenomex

Dear god. Im so sad to hear this. I thought there were finally some games pushing the limit in the MMORPG genre, and I believed AA would be one of them. [mod edit]

zevni78

Originally posted by dave5698225

IMHO Trion really missed the boat on this title and should jump off this sinking ship ASAP. With the extensive story-driven and raid content that Wildstar provides, the massive PvP sieges that we have seen with the ESO beta or the minecraft-style world of EQ Next - how can anyone expect to compete in the MMORPG market without offering a solid title with a clear direction for it's players?

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see Trion drop ArcheAge and concentrate on Trove.

 

 

All very good points, I think Trion know which way the wind is blowing, and that sandbox is the most sensible design philosophy to follow if you don't want to risk a massive dev content investment. I guess they were hoping for a AAA sandpark they didn't have to put that much money in, with Trove as the little brother, but at this rate Trove may be there only hit game this year.

 

I dread to think the arguments between Trion and XLGames over AA, as its clear XLG has lost touch with not only their own player base but the direction the entire industry is heading. And to think early last year AA looked like the first true big budget game with sandbox mechanics that would reboot the mmo, and now it will end up being the only mmo not embracing player driven content. Instance grind, I mean seriously.

 

Now if you'll excuse me I've a giant tree made of marble and ruby to construct in Landmark.

 

Spawnblade

And greed kills another MMO.  These games that have cash shops despite having subscriptions absolutely sicken me.  Pity.  This was on my watch list as well.

 

Best of luck to Trion on getting out of the deal, assuming that rumour is true.  I wouldn't be surprised if it were, as Trion has displayed a very cool head in the past and generally worked to deliver what it knew players wanted.

 

Glad to see even the Koreans are getting fed up with the penile garbage shoved down their throats time and again.

RelGn

That does not sound so good.

 

mcrippins

Yikes..  been waiting for this game for so long, and my interest has dropped severely. I had heard things about 1.0 but didn't know it was this bad. Not sure how much power Trion would actually have to make changes, but I doubt it is much. I feel really bad for them now. Reminds me of another game this happened to. Sad day.

bcbully

I've talked to too many people who have played, I just can't get excited for this one. I still plan to take a look myself when given the chance, but I don't have much faith at all. 

aslan132

Nothing really to add here. I agree with pretty much everyone else, time for Trion to pull the plug if they can. Theres only so much of the game they will be able to influence as a publisher, its up to the developing team for most of the content and the direction of the game.

 

Trion has done a good job so far in providing free to play games that dont offer pay to win aspects. Even Rifts free conversion went of without going into the darkness. The need to distance themselves from developers like this, so they dont tarnish their reputation. Games like this just dont work in the US. Costumes yes, costumes with stats no. Theres just so much wrong with the direction AA is going, I hate to see it die before it even got a chance here.

Heretique

Game is officially dead to me. That's too bad.

GeezerGamer

Originally posted by aslan132

Nothing really to add here. I agree with pretty much everyone else, time for Trion to pull the plug if they can. Theres only so much of the game they will be able to influence as a publisher, its up to the developing team for most of the content and the direction of the game.

 

Trion has done a good job so far in providing free to play games that dont offer pay to win aspects. Even Rifts free conversion went of without going into the darkness. The need to distance themselves from developers like this, so they dont tarnish their reputation. Games like this just dont work in the US. Costumes yes, costumes with stats no. Theres just so much wrong with the direction AA is going, I hate to see it die before it even got a chance here.

If it even does get here. I wonder if Trion execs are cringing in their seats, discussing exit strategies if it becomes blatantly obvious this game will not succeed in the West.

bcbully

Wish they would have publised Age of Wushu....   They still have time to get BlackGold maybe.... 

Vorthanion

When will developers learn that it is we who drive the gaming industry, not them.  They may have had some leeway in the past when it came to grand mistakes and poor choices, but it doesn't work that way anymore.  You either listen to your player base or close down.  They are no longer competing solely with other MMOs, but also with other kinds of online media and they can't afford to lose focus and or make poor choices.

Joseph_Kerr

I lost interest in this one a while ago but this completely removed it from my radar.

tomy111

so bad

 

Mardukk

I don't like the limiting of what you can do in a day with the labor points....and now they let you buy more in the cash shop.  I don't like the labor point mechanic and I like the buy it in the cash shop even less.  Also having close the most powerful stuff in the cash shop is a big no no.  Daily and mindless instance grinding also suck.  I didn't think there was much they could do to make the game completely unappealing to me, but they have now done it.

Rogosh

Yeah I have lost faith in this game, hopefully its not Trion pushing for the crappy themepark that has changed it.

Saraliman

Russian publisher for ArcheAge Mail.ru did not apply this patch and won't!

So, at least one version is fine!

Plus right now I am playing Early Access BETA of AA RU.

I can't read there anything, but still I am having tons and tons of fun!

 

Whoever is saying that game is dead - you are just being silly, Koreans made a failure, but that does not mean TRION or Mail.ru will... 

tomy111

Originally posted by Saraliman

Russian publisher for ArcheAge Mail.ru did not apply this patch and won't!

So, at least one version is fine!

Russian language QQ

 

 

Saraliman

Dude, I am playing right now Early Access of AA RU, I can't read anything there, but still I am having tons and tons of fun.

Plus there are many players who are willing to help, sure some are rude on you about you speaking english at global, but w/e

 

My main point was - If korean's mayde failure with their patch that won't effect RU our NA/EU!

k11keeper

So I've been keeping an eye on this game for a few years now. Everything that has come out this past few months had turned me off and I think this was the last nail in the coffin. Dailies and mandatory instance dungeons oh and don't forget purchasable labor points... What a tragedy for the genre. What's the next hopeful game the genre will ruin!

MysteryB

Well never gonna play this now, I will pay a sub fee if it means everyone has to earn their armor and weapons etc. Cash shops that encourage pay to win show how money hungry some companies are and cash shops ruin great games imo

tomy111

if they care for players then will not make p2w

Shadanwolf

Originally posted by dave5698225

IMHO Trion really missed the boat on this title and should jump off this sinking ship ASAP. With the extensive story-driven and raid content that Wildstar provides, the massive PvP sieges that we have seen with the ESO beta or the minecraft-style world of EQ Next - how can anyone expect to compete in the MMORPG market without offering a solid title with a clear direction for it's players?

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see Trion drop ArcheAge and concentrate on Trove.

I would argue  Trion never jumped on this "boat" .