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[Column] ArcheAge: Wishing for More Answers
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In our latest ArcheAge column, we take a look back at last week's interview with Executive Director of XL Game ArcheAge Division Yinzi Cheng and how some of the answers received left us feeling that we needed to poke a few holes in the responses. See what we mean and then head to the comments to talk it over.
One thing I've noticed is a contradiction in terms. XL Games calls it a dual currency system, but that is a little misleading. Currency refers to something that either represents a concept equivalent to money, or is otherwise something used to trade to get something in return. That's why some people think personal information is the currency of the digitally connected world: because information on how you use an app or service can be traded by an app maker for money to the right people.
Read more of Victor Barreiro Jr.'s ArcheAge: Wishing for More Answers.
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Comments
Imho there are only three questions that need to be asked.
1. Are Arch's still being considered for the NA/EU release?
2. What did XL Games learn from RU's response to this same model?
2. If Arch's are still being considered, is XL Games/Trion prepared for the revolt and petitions that this will produce with the NA/EU playerbase? The overwhelming opinion from the community is that no one wants them and many won't even play AA if they are implemented.
Which community?
Do you mean those 50 elitist guys playing in Korea thinking they can rule over all the other players who don´t even know about the game?
It´s good to know that Trion already made an official statement that they don´t care about their opinions. I for myself believe in the new system.
Not sure how you can come to this conclusion. Archeage is unique in the fact that prior to release there are many whom have actual experience with the game and are intimately aware of the game mechanics, This unique situation has lead to a very passionate community who yearn to be involved in the success of the game. How is it bad that these same players whom have the knowledge to state their concerns?
MMO's prior to release have always suffered from false promises and misdirection. With Archeage, this is much harder to do since many are already playing it and this is a good thing. If you look at Arch's though the lens of prior titles (mainly themeparks), you cannot compare those games to a game like AA which survives on a thriving player economy and OWPvP. The problem with Arch's is that they affect the core of the game in a negative way and is mainly there to combat bots while punishing all non-bots. Not to mention this is the model which provides the most profit to XL Games at once again the expense of it's player base.
If you want to ignore those with actual experience and knowledge of Archeage in favor the spin the devs put on what model they "want us to have" is a huge mistake. Take a look at what happened in Russia when they tried to implement this model and you will get a glimpse what will happen here if they invoke this model for us as well.
No one wants to rule over anyone but rather many want to use all they have learned about AA to make sure it succeeds here, how can that be a bad thing?
People you understand that this market to work will need tons of real money to be put it in function this mean lot of money should be transferred as a result in arch and trust me most of people will do one thing farm craft stuff to sell for arcs every one will do this. And very little will donate as an result gap between crafting and donating will be so hard that to be able to keep price with other from 2 hours farm for 1 arch after a while and because of 1000.. of bots because of F2p those 2 hours will transfrom into 10h 20h and so on for 1 arch with one word inflation like in Diablo 3
at beginning some items were like 50 $ later because bots farmed lot of these items price dropped so much that was no reason to use real money because you could by with 100k gold item which was 50 $ same will be with arch age A huge inflation
what is even worse is that arch will affect some of best aspects of game building and tax for it. Lets say you with your small guild built a huge castle you must pay the tax in real money
and you see those who thinks they will farm and they will make from this game like a job they will farm materials and sell for arcs this will not happen
90 % of all player base will do the same which mean amount of arc in trade post will be very little as a result with each day your items will drop in price also bots will play best part here coz they will farm a lot so game will become DONATE 2 WIN
Seems like the West always ends up getting the worst version of these games. Whether it is the payment model or content. Quanity, over quality is one the issues. Along with the redundancy in the MMO market.
Not holding breath on this release. The soon whacky subscription free will be forced to go F2P in a matter of a year or two. Right now I am playing JP ArcheAge and am enjoying myself quiet well.
Indeed..
I'm not at all in favor of selling labour points in the premium cash-shop for arc's. It's just so cheesy to sell how much fun can be had in a single day, sell progress, what you are capable of doing, etc. That's what Russia was planning, not sure if it went live.
Hmm.. my head is spinning .. I guess confusing cash-shops are more profitable than straight forward ones? Nobody will notice .. Mmm hmm...
To combat bots, I'd be in favor of B2P with a low-level only, restricted trial. At least a banned bot loses $50 (unless the account was stolen). Security may be an issue, and I'm not sure how much money Trion has to invest, thanks to the sinkhole Defiance, the television show expenses, and the layoffs.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
i havent been excited for an mmo in a long time...
AA made me curious again, that was many years ago.
The more info comes out the less excited i get.
Eve Online for the moment and soon Destiny / The Devision / Watch Dogs.
Yes i know it aint mmo's, but all the mmo's on the front page are not realy my cup of thee....not to mention all the failures we had past years.
I am starting to lose hope in this particular genre tbh -_-
The interview questions appeared to have come back on November 27 (Philippine time), a Wednesday. The article went up two days later on a Friday.
you kind of skipped over the important bit in your explanation of what happened. How exactly did their responses get pasted up, word for word, with no editing?
The whole ArchAge westernisation is a total mess and already too late anyway. The game dropped off of many people's radar by now, while other folks are just rightfully pissed about the whole farce this is. For month after month they weren't even able to deliver basic infos.
Getting Trion in charge doesnt make it any better, but i guess not too many western companies were keen on taking on this task -while on the other hand Trion nowadays seems rather desperately grasping for every penny there is to make.
I don't think that the game will leave much of a footprint on the western market and except for a few "i told you so"s there won't be much reaction to it. They have just missed it by at least one year.
Your comment can only be described as, "uninformed". You obviously have not played the game in any fashion or you would realize that while it can be compared on some levels, ArcheAge is unlike any game the West has seen in years. There are many systems that if not properly managed can destabilize the economy and actually chase players away. Some of us understand this because we spent a little extra money to gain access and see what all the fuss was about, and for that, we're 'elitist'? There are maybe 3 people whom I've seen that fit that description. Everyone else (including some folks that I fundamentally disagree with on some issues), ALL have the hope and success of the game at heart. No one wants to see it launched wrong, managed poorly and left to rot to dust when no one will play it because of convoluted payment models that don't work.
Steelwind's question stands.
Well in fact what I observed in russian community only about 5 % of gamers took part to do something about localization rest of players are dumb hamsters who are ready to eat any crap Even mail.ru F2p shit. I I think same is about EU USA player base a lot of people will found out of this game in last day before release people like us who know a lot of projects before release or huge announces are very little. we are very small % so no big loss also consider the fact that most today gamers are casuals and they are biggest player base.
I made a topic about AA messed up Currency in Russia only 2 k views and 10 replays
most of casuals don't care what to play.
I think this is also the reason why Trion don't say anything about their progress I suspect they don't want to spoil gamers interest in game before release but we informed gamers wont affect their income much because of our low numbers
Yet another mmo utterly destroyed by the payment structure put in place. I am done with any game that attempts to play me instead of me playing it and that is entirely the direction ALL non-sub games are going. It is the #1 destructive element to mmo development.
Just think about it for a moment. How can game play possibly be preserved when every addition to the game goes through the "how do we make money off this?" filter? It can't! Game play is game play. It MUST be 100% independent from the currency model to be a game. As soon as a developer considers how individual systems and items in game can make money the concept of the product being a game is destroyed.
It would be like a professional sport team fielding a player because he has more sponsors on his jersey over another player. At that point the game is destroyed and that is exactly what we are seeing in mmos today. Even the very thought of doing this alters how the game is played thereby destroying the concept of the game.
You stay sassy!
I'm not sure you can compare any game to how much of a fail Vanguard was. Archeage at least has some polish to it already.
That said "Wishing for more answers" seems to be the common theme whenever this game is mentioned.
+1Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington
Gold seems pretty pointless in such a game since you can only use it on npcs. If you want to purchase crafted items looks like you will have to spend actual money to do so. I don't know about you, I play games to have fun, when they become an investment they are no longer fun.
No matter how good gameplay is, I rather doubt such a payment model will bring big crowds in the west.
Guess we will just have to see what Trion brings to the table.
could really use a thumbs up/down system on this site
2 thumbs up anyway
Our job is not to help other people to do the job they are getting paid to do. Our job is to vote for or against the game and its structures ...what ever they turn out to be.
to embrace them or kick them down the stairs.
Hello!
That's a fair point. I received notice from my editor that the interview questions came back in, and I received an advance copy, but wasn't able to read it before the actual publish day.
Before any article goes onto the site, my editors look at it and do edits as needed. I can't speak for my editor in this case, but I'm guessing this was an editorial decision between instituting minor edits to ensure integrity of the official statements versus editing to ensure clarity of thought. Were this the case, the lack of clarity in explanation or of forethought is entirely up to the person writing the statements on behalf of XLGames.
The flipside of editing for clarity in this case, as I see it, is that we would be unduly putting our own understanding into the interview responses, when the readers may get a more honest (though perhaps seemingly unkind) impression of XL Games by reading their exact responses, verbatim.
A writer and gamer from the Philippines. Loves his mom dearly.
Can also be found on http://www.gamesandgeekery.com
Borderline racist comment... Why would it fail in all aspects just because it's Korean?