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Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning: Hickman Interview Part Two
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood sat down last week with Mythic Entertainment's Jeff Hickman to talk a little bit more about WAR. In this second part of the interview, Jeff and Jon talk about communication in-game, scenarios and more.
Jon's Question:
Have you thought about using a voice service in scenarios (and elsewhere) in the game?
Jeff's Answer:
“The answer to your question is yes,” he said, “there has been a lot of thought about it. We were walking down the road firmly about two years ago of putting voice into our game and we stepped back from that because as we started to analyze what it would mean for our game and the problems that could come from that, we actually backtracked.”
“That doesn’t mean we won’t do it,” he continued. “We do talk about it. It’s something that has a lot of interest to me, but I’m not sure if we’re ever going to do it, we’ll just have to see.” He went on to tell me not to worry, that it’s on his list of things to do.
Read the interview here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Lots of good answers that people have been asking about. Pretty much everything makes sense.
dont know when this was conducted but there is no answer to the area/chapter chat being too small to be adequate. i wonder if this simply wasnt an issue when he was interviewed or whether he just avoided it. maybe mmorpg failed at asking, please, stradden, can you pester him about this issue, i think we'd all love an answer on that subject.
overall a pretty darn good interview tho
good to see and i hope more come along soon!
dont know when this was conducted but there is no answer to the area/chapter chat being too small to be adequate. i wonder if this simply wasnt an issue when he was interviewed or whether he just avoided it. maybe mmorpg failed at asking, please, stradden, can you pester him about this issue, i think we'd all love an answer on that subject.
overall a pretty darn good interview tho
good to see and i hope more come along soon!
hahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha
Ahum..
AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Anyways, good interview. I was also hoping for a awnser about the regional chat thingy. To bad it isn't in
PQ's are awesome. My only problem with them is when I started headstart there were tons of people doing them. But my server was decidedly more Destro than Order to the point that Order was getting smashed consistently. So I rerolled on a more even server, and now after having missed the initial wave of players I often find myself alone at the pq's. It's kind of a bummer because I do enjoy the pq's quite a bit.
Also in the last week the number of players I have seen has dropped dramatically. I'm not sure what this means, if anything. I'm playing at the same time as I was before....
Hopefully they will have free transfers if server pops get too low. I know this is probably early to be talking about this, but playing by yourself is kinda boring and you can't fully participate in all the game has to offer.
Also I wish he would have talked a bit on the gold spammer issue. A guy I reported yesterday morning around 7 am pacific time was spamming me when I came home from work around midnight, so someone either isn't doing his job or the system of reporting is not working as intended.
Renown Gear is freaking terrible. The stats on the gear sets are all messed up, and they tried to compensate by allowing Talisman slots. The bottom line is that if you want decent gear in this game, forget the renown gear trash. Instead plan on grinding PQ's, PVE questing, and the rare win you might get in an RVR keep raid.
PQ's are ghost towns because usually there are only 1-5 people playing them, and they can't defeat the champion or boss mobs in Stage II/III. Instead they grind the Kill 50, 125, 300, etc mobs for Stage I and then let the PQ reset. Making the PQ mobs in stage II/III champion levels was a mistake IMHO.
This guy is out of touch with his playerbase, and it shows in this interview. If people want grinds, there's no reason to leave WOW.
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PQs are awesome. They're obviously the best when in a group but at least one of the three is ususally soloable so I don't know why people would complain about that. Plus you get influence so even if i'm doing a PQ by myself or even if I can't get to the final stage it's still fun and worth it.... people just like to complain but i think there is little wrong with it.
Sure has been a lot of interviews with them...not that i think they are trying to spin things or whatever.
Maybe someday they will have some useful information, instead of the attitude they keep putting out. Really if they can't handle people saying things they don't like, they need to find a new line of work.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
Attitude? I don't see an attitude.
I think the problem comes down to not having a central forum that they pay attention to. I know about Warhammer Alliance but do they watch this constantly? Are forums a good way to stay in touch with the community? Or is it a place for people to whine and complain?
Maybe a document with requests for fixes and/or ideas from the community at log-in. That way you get something from the whole community. Just some ideas.
I myself like to RvR and PVE. All the good armor I have found has come from PVE drops or from the Auction. PQ's are a challenge at part 2 and impossible at part 3 when alone. JMHO.
Well the funny thing is that at the moment almost the entire playerbase is camping inside warcamps like mindless zombies waiting for their next scenario to pop-up!
After chapter 6 all PQ's are deserted. Hardly anyone is doing them anymore.
RvR lakes are deserted. Hardly anyone botheres to do any largescale RvR, because there isn't any incentive.
Regular quests are hardly being done anymore. Especially from end Tier2 and up. Because the XP rewards of these quests are the exact same as the Rank1 and Rank10 quests. So questing becomes a boring, unfeasable grind.
So what you got at the moment isn't Warhammer Online, but Scenarios Online.
I would love to hear someone from Mythic about what they going to do about this? I hardly think they intended for people to perma camp warcamps and doing scenarios only! Day after day after day!
As that's what is basically going on right now. The XP and Renown you get through Scenarios is just insane, compared to the rest of the game.
Cheers
I haven't seen any issues with population, aside from the basic spreading out of players.
As for people complaining about PQs, I think what many haven't come to realize just from trying out the different PQs in each chapter is that of the three, there is always one that is much easier than the other two during Phase 2/3 (you can complete these with 1 tank, 1 healer, and 2 dpsing). Generally, that's the one everyone is doing because they realize it's easier and stick with it. Location is also a factor... the PQs right next to a town tend to be the most run, even if they're harder than others in the same chapter.
Also, if you are having trouble finding people, have you tried traveling between the different pairings to see which ones are popular?
I think WAR, more than any other game, tends to be a bit more divided. Not only are there three different areas to level/PQ in, you move on from one area to the next fairly quickly, so people get spread out. It definitely can be a problem if you don't keep up with the pack (or level beyond it), but there's nothing stopping you from grabbing friends to help with the PQs.
Good interview. I wish he would have addressed the chat interface and memory leakage problems. Otherwise, it was a good interview.
"In general there are two ways that you earn renown. You earn it from killing enemy players or participating in kills, and you earn it from healing. The renown is gained, whether from killing people or healing people, is shared within your group (a certain split of it) so participating with your group earns you renown. It really is that straightforward."
So essentially in the T2 scenarios (I haven't played any T3 yet), there is absolutely no point in flag capturing or carrying the thing (except for the renown points gained for killing the dude in order to take the thing). Yet, these acts are the keys to winning those scenarios!
Well, at least his comment is consistent with my play experience (no matter how much I disagree with it). I had a half dozen Phoenix Gate scenarios Monday night where I was the only person successful in taking the Destro flag (unaccompanied) and was generally responsible for 250+ points per round. And I consistently placed in the bottom 3 for renown earned.
So I guess I'll let someone else be the team player... just so I can try to catch up with my guildmates who are already a couple of renown ranks higher. Does that seem wrong to anyone?
dont know when this was conducted but there is no answer to the area/chapter chat being too small to be adequate. i wonder if this simply wasnt an issue when he was interviewed or whether he just avoided it. maybe mmorpg failed at asking, please, stradden, can you pester him about this issue, i think we'd all love an answer on that subject.
overall a pretty darn good interview tho
good to see and i hope more come along soon!
Whats nice is our guild just uses Vent. So chat is no problems with us.
My guild has vent too, but what about PUGs in scenarios etc?
What the heck is he talking about with regard to potential problems that in-game voicechat would introduce?
In LOTRO, which I still play (prepaid life), the in-game voicechat is a GODSEND for PUGs, even if some folks in the group or raid can only listen-in with no mic.
In LOTRO PvP in the Ettenmoors, it was a MUST in the 24-player raids, and toggling it on was required of all participants. The raid leader could usually enforce no-chatty discipline without a problem. It was great.
I really dislike how WAR does not have this feature, and it really gimps your ability to be effective in a PUG!
Also, I got to know people a little better via PUGs because we could actually converse.
I hope they introduce it in the game.
I see some important things from this enterview (english is not my first language, sorry in advance):
- First, they seem to follow what the community demands or point out as problems. Lets keep sending feedback.
- They are evaluating in-voice system. Which is a good thing. At least, they are considering it. I think it will help a lot to PUGs and such.
- They know they need to improve the chat system.
- They admit they are experimenting with something new: PQs. They point out something important thing too: while low tiers will have few players, it will have some. It will be their responsible (the players) to look around for others to complete PQs. And if there is no one else around, PQs werent though to be finished by soloers. Which makes sense to me. I know many wont agree. Anyway, in time, I think we will see that T1, T2 and T3 PQs are non important... nothing that they give you, prevails during more than a few ranks.
But even when this was the initial conecption for PQs and the way tehy understand it will work... they are looking into this and considering advanced PQs that do different things depending on how many people are there and that kind of stuff. This may be a very good solution... PQs adjusting themselves depending how many people participate in them... nice.
But they dont say things like "we will fix all tomorrow"... I think Mythic keep trying to not mislead us.
attitude rofl?
For your first section, I agree it would be nice, but it would enable it so that players don't have to go out and see the rest of the world. While I know they want the playerbase to be happy, I'm fairly certain a large number of designers want the players to see what they did.
On that second section, I believe the Armor Set he is referring to is one of those sets the Tome of Knowledge set unlocks. You get the piece of armor, it has a set (usually 1-2-3 pieces that go with it) and by collecting them all you get titles and other rewards.
This armor is actually the most powerful stuff you can get for the tier.
I'm interpreting here, but I think it was "these armor pieces are the most powerful you can get for that tier" those two just happen to be a set, so he uses the term Armor.
Ultimately i've found "best" gear happens to be dependent on what the player wants to do.
my armor is different from the other swordmasters in my guild, and we all seem to do just fine in RvR. Not once have I run up to an enemy player and gone: "oh, he has that gear, I can't kill him"
I'm not sure why they wouldn't introduce voice chat in WAR, but they should have. In DAoC, you usually could issue commands on the battlefield. In WAR, the combat is too frantic to type. If you're typing, you're not giving 100% to the fight, wich is needed most of the time to win. As for battlefield commands, I could care less about them. I usually am against voice chat, because I am a fast typer and an older gamer who believes chat is sufficient. However, WAR is slowly changing my opinion on the necessity of voice communication in modern day RvR. Battlefield commands are just another button to push that should be an ability instead.
As for PQ's, he is wrong. There isn't always a group somewhere in your Tier doing a PQ. There are usually stragglers grinding influence in various PQ's, but never enough to actually beat the Hero. I've been playing since release, in all 3 zones and on mutliple characters. He just isn't getting it with PQ's. PQ's really need to scale to the amount of people and levels in the area. For example, in DAoC there are instant dungeons that scale according to how many people are in the group and their levels. I understand that PQ's are new to the genre and when things are new, you make mistakes. Perhaps there is a reason for instances in other games; maybe I am starting to see their value. Of course, PQ's couldn't have the same loot available to a smaller group as to a larger group, because the reward would be greather than the risk.
As for RvR, he is underestimating what players find rewarding. A small chance of getting a nice piece of loot isn't rewarding for most people anymore. People want xp and reknown experience as well. The xp is dependant on fighting other players, as it should be, but players aren't really playing in those areas. In my experience on Phoenix Throne, Order side, when we do manage to get an Order warband together, Destruction soon joins the fray with more people and we end up not getting any xp anyways, just farmed. You need to kill an oponent in RvR to get reknown, which may or may not happen depending on numbers and the skill of the players involved. You get reknown for taking and defending an objective, but not enough to compete with scenarios. The key to bringing RvR to our servers is by 1) making the RvR lakes accessible from any Rally Master; and 2) Increase the reknown gain by taking objectives.
Lastly, we have the graphics debate. I appreciate the artistic value of the graphics and I like it. The technical value of the graphics is subpar for this day and age, but that's what the developer was aiming for and I am actually okay with this. What I am not okay with is the lag that I get in some scenarios that the subpar graphics is supposed to prevent. I believe it is lag that is making our Morale abilities not work, sending the message "Abiility Not Ready," even though it is lit up and actually ready.
About Me: I love WAR, even in its current state and will be a recurring subscriber. However, I can be objective and can point out flaws as I see them. WAR is the first game in years to actually grab me, third only to SWG and DAoC.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
I personally want more of an incentive to engage in RvR that goes way beyond trivial crap like gaining exp, renown points or loot. Why is everyone so bloody obsessed with gaining levels? What about actually having a decent reason to fight over an objective. Everyone is so utterly obsessed with "leveling up their toon" that no-one gives a shit about the actual war in Warhammer. Who cares if I get more or less exp for doing something? The little rewards we get are just side effects of our actions. Everyone goes up levels anyway and it doesnt make the game more fun to play. All that happens is that you just gain access to the next area.
I really dont think the whole level-chasing mentality is ever going to change in this game because essentially thats all this game seems to be about. Its all about rewards in the form of level progression. Everything in the game is just a themepark ride where everyone can watch their own character climb the inevitable ladder along with everyone else. It doesnt matter if you win or lose in this game because you will ALWAYS go up levels no matter what.
Hopefully when the chat system gets fixed so everyone in their respective realm can talk to each other we might start seeing the RvR areas getting used more. Hopefully each realm might actually start acting more like a realm rather than a gibbering horde of narcisistic level grinding phat loot farmers.
Just letting you know that those reasons to RvR (excluding exp, renown points, loot) are already there, you just havn't discovered them. Investigate more, you will see what you are contributing to besides yourself.
STOP WHINING!
I agree with what most poeple said here. PQs are a bit of failure. The first few were ok since they were new and I was able to find people to do them but later on they are all deserted...although I am on a low/low server. But thats the point they require a Full/Full server to even be possible. On top of that they are all the same. Kill 200 regular mobs. kill 50 champions. Kill 1+ heros. And these numbers just keep growing and growing. Not engaging at all.
I'd like to comment on the graphics part though. I don't know I think the art direction and art is fairly bland. Most notable the lighting and particle effects. Tkae this WOW screenshot of fire from an old engine
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/15/view/screens/house/4/display/11706
Now WAR's version of fire
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/239/view/screens/house/6/display/8364
WOW simply blows it away. Granted that is fire from the new expansion but WOW is still not even close to as taxing as WAR and it's lighting/particle/shader system blow it out of the water. I think WAR graphics are passable but everything is so flat and dull and it still lags on my just built 2000$ PC.
Did you even read the interview.. PQ's are designed ...DESIGNED with group content in mind. He stated they know some of them can be and will be empty....and you admit you are on a new low/low server.
What do you want the PQs to be? Give us an example.
{ Mod Edit }
I like how as far as graphics go he says they went for performance and optimization. WAR is hands down the most unoptimized game in existence. It looked like crap on my computer and played like crap.
The "most unoptimized game in existence" is hyperbole. Your retired from WAR? So you bought a retail copy, then retired in less then 2 weeks of launch? And did not even bother to finish the free month? I'm just curious...
It's not often you see a developer admit 'This is an experiment. We don't know, we're figuring it out as we go." Most of the time it's just hype and more hype about how great their new innovations are, I like how Mythic says that they're working on stuff. They've shown in the past that they mean it when they saw they're working on things, so I believe them when they say they're working on chat and PQ balance and such. They earned that.