3. This game has been in development for over 8 years. Its been scrapped and redeveloped at least 3 times over that period. Its never a good sign when a game has 3 different developers before it even launches. First Sierra started it, then Vivendi took over, and finally turbine. And with each takeover, a new design began each time.
Just thouht i point out that turbine was hired by vivendi to develope the game. Vivendi held the license for the game and turbine purchased it from them. So no this game has not had three game developers. Other than Sierra only turbine has been developing this game. At one point as a sub developer for vivendi. Who never did a once of programing on the game they just told turbine what to program and were the direction they wanted the game to go in.
I think the game would have had a better chance of doing well if it had come out late last year or even this year. There are just to many big games coming. There are only so many players to go around. I do think it will do better than DDO, since players who are fans of lotr will likely enjoy it, unlike the fans of dnd.
DDO is not a flop or even a bad game. It just got boring faster than your typical mmorpg. Turbine has been fixing that by adding more stuff. The game is doing fine.
OUch i really hope this isnt true. I'am much of a solo-player myself alot of time. It would suck big time if solo guys are weaker and dont get traits. That would be the same as saying you ve to go in a team or you suck. Why did they say that you can solo the entire game?? they did say that, i guess they dont want to support it and want to focus on teamplay. Got any source on the fact that solo players will suck? i would like to read it.
Originally posted by admriker4 Will gamers be willing to even look over LOTR after DDO flopped ?
First things first. There is a misconcpetion that DDO flopped. With the stellar success of World of Warcraft, it stands to reason that perceptions of success would change dastically. When holding the success metric to WoW numbers, it is easy to say, flop. When held to the important metrics, held internally of course, DDO is not as stated. Is it a breakout success, no. Is it a success, yes. It is not the traditional MMO, nor is it the type of game that everyone wants to play, but there are certainly people who are fans of the game play and functionality offered by DDO.
Originally posted by admriker4 What chance then does LOTR have of breaking the mold and being a success? Turbine isnt known for making decent MMO's. Their record is dismal in the field. Reviews from E3 dont exactly set our expectations high either. Phrases like "nothing new" and "boring" were tosses around. Turbine even admitted it didnt add anything innovative. Translation, a clone of games we already have so whats the reason to buy this game then ? The gameplay itself better be fun or watch it fail. Finally, one can infer how the game is doing in beta by the blank reviews. Take a look here at all the blank reviews... http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/setStart/21/gameId/45 My guess is they violated the NDA and therefore mmorpg.com blanked them out.
Or they are the typical people who log in to slam the games that they don't like, or support the games they believe they will. On-line polling is one of those...not exact sciences. You can never really tell what you are getting.
As far as Turbine not making decent MMO's... I find this an interesting statement. There was a time when the big three were UO, EQ and AC. They were the first benchmarks and other games came along, improved upon existing systems and added some new spin that attempted to hook players. Some catch, some don't. Looking through the existing MMOs one sees that the big three are still alive and well. Again, they do not share WoW numbers but they are still in existence and still doing well.
See above for comments on DDO.
Flog AC2 as much as you will. It didn't find a market. 'nuff said.
Originally posted by admriker4 Why would someone risk losing their beta account unless they no longer cared to play and test it. The answer is quite simple, the game stinks. My faith is shattered and it would take a miracle for turbine to do something to pull this out of the discount bin over the next few months. Back to reading the books I guess
So...you've played? Or have you made some assumptions based off of empty reviews?
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
I wasnt aware that DDO flopped. Fair amount of players in there a few hours ago.
Nevertheless LOTR looks worth a go IMO.
I used to visit this site a lot however in recent years it has become the home of negative forum posts, illogical opinions and tantrums so I visit less often.
Played or Beta'd: UO / DAOC / Horizons / EQ2 / DDO / EVE / Archlord / PirateKingsOnline / Tabula Rasa / LOTRO / AOC / Champions / Darkfall / Mortal Online / DCUO / Rift / STO / SWTOR / TSW
I think it's pretty well accepted the game is a flop. Yes, WoW changed the "metrics", under a million subscribers is less than a verified success today. However, I think even 200,000+ is at least sustainable and would show some level of success.
As to the main question, there are two ways to look at it. On one hand, the design team for LotRO is a seperate entity from the DDO team. The same company can produce completely different games with completely different development teams. On the other hand, the same execs that allowed DDO to become what it became are the ones that would have to give direction and oversight to the development of LotRO.
Was DDO the result of the parent company taking too hands off an approach? Or was it a result of active support of bad ideas and design?
Also, the impression of many outsiders is that the early beta testers of DDO somehow solidified into a base of people who supported an extremely niche, anti-profitable game design. The feedback cycle, rather than helping to identify design flaws that would negatively impact commercial appeal, seems to have reinforced bad game design.
If the beta community is too elitist and "niche", it can become very counter productive for game development.
After reading the preview posted on this site this weekend, I have some optimism for the title for the first time in a long time. If Turbine has really learned from past mistakes, those failures may benefit this title, rather than setting precedence for another failure.
"its begining to seem like AC1 was a fluke, and the money they made off of it they are becoming the Ewe Boll of MMORPGs"
"I think the game will draw in a lot of hard core LOTR fans yet to me it just seems like a generic MMORPG. It doesn't introduce anything new to the MMO world, its one thing to keep a few tried and true features and a whole other to have nothing but, and one of the great things of the books/movies is the epic-ness of it all. How can LOTRO portray any sense of epic-ness with 1000 other people in a server? It just seems like its a medicre MMO trying to ride the Lord of the Rings namesake. "
If you take the number of hardcore LOTR fans, then subract the number that will play an MMO you get release numbers...
Then subtract the number that are offended by it: you get numbers 30 days after release
Then you subtract the number of people who are bored/fed up with it, then repeat that every billing cycle: the number of people lost each month
Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written with his own blood. -Nietzsche
nothing has influenced gaming more than Dungeons and Dragons so one would assume the MMO version would have to be great. Yet it will go down in MMO history as one of the most disappointing MMO's ever.
I could be wrong but isnt DDO a Dungeons and Dragons game online ... and not a traditional MMO in the true sense of an MMO game? That being so, isn't DDO not a failure as an MMO?????
nothing has influenced gaming more than Dungeons and Dragons so one would assume the MMO version would have to be great. Yet it will go down in MMO history as one of the most disappointing MMO's ever.
I could be wrong but isnt DDO a Dungeons and Dragons game online ... and not a traditional MMO in the true sense of an MMO game? That being so, isn't DDO not a failure as an MMO?????
Your Wrong
j/k i think DDO was a step forward for turbine wasnt a great game but does have a fan base none the less
DDO was not the worst game I've played but it was in no way what i would have expected for a game with the name Dungeons and Dragons. I was disappointed to say the least.
Comments
Just thouht i point out that turbine was hired by vivendi to develope the game. Vivendi held the license for the game and turbine purchased it from them. So no this game has not had three game developers. Other than Sierra only turbine has been developing this game. At one point as a sub developer for vivendi. Who never did a once of programing on the game they just told turbine what to program and were the direction they wanted the game to go in.
come out late last year or even this year. There are just to many big
games coming. There are only so many players to go around. I do think
it will do better than DDO, since players who are fans of lotr will
likely enjoy it, unlike the fans of dnd.
your typical mmorpg. Turbine has been fixing that by adding more stuff.
The game is doing fine.
First things first. There is a misconcpetion that DDO flopped. With the stellar success of World of Warcraft, it stands to reason that perceptions of success would change dastically. When holding the success metric to WoW numbers, it is easy to say, flop. When held to the important metrics, held internally of course, DDO is not as stated. Is it a breakout success, no. Is it a success, yes. It is not the traditional MMO, nor is it the type of game that everyone wants to play, but there are certainly people who are fans of the game play and functionality offered by DDO.
Or they are the typical people who log in to slam the games that they don't like, or support the games they believe they will. On-line polling is one of those...not exact sciences. You can never really tell what you are getting.
As far as Turbine not making decent MMO's... I find this an interesting statement. There was a time when the big three were UO, EQ and AC. They were the first benchmarks and other games came along, improved upon existing systems and added some new spin that attempted to hook players. Some catch, some don't. Looking through the existing MMOs one sees that the big three are still alive and well. Again, they do not share WoW numbers but they are still in existence and still doing well.
See above for comments on DDO.
Flog AC2 as much as you will. It didn't find a market. 'nuff said.
So...you've played? Or have you made some assumptions based off of empty reviews?
I like this quote. It keeps me going.
I wasnt aware that DDO flopped. Fair amount of players in there a few hours ago.
Nevertheless LOTR looks worth a go IMO.
I used to visit this site a lot however in recent years it has become the home of negative forum posts, illogical opinions and tantrums so I visit less often.
Played or Beta'd: UO / DAOC / Horizons / EQ2 / DDO / EVE / Archlord / PirateKingsOnline / Tabula Rasa / LOTRO / AOC / Champions / Darkfall / Mortal Online / DCUO / Rift / STO / SWTOR / TSW
I think it's pretty well accepted the game is a flop. Yes, WoW changed the "metrics", under a million subscribers is less than a verified success today. However, I think even 200,000+ is at least sustainable and would show some level of success.
As to the main question, there are two ways to look at it. On one hand, the design team for LotRO is a seperate entity from the DDO team. The same company can produce completely different games with completely different development teams. On the other hand, the same execs that allowed DDO to become what it became are the ones that would have to give direction and oversight to the development of LotRO.
Was DDO the result of the parent company taking too hands off an approach? Or was it a result of active support of bad ideas and design?
Also, the impression of many outsiders is that the early beta testers of DDO somehow solidified into a base of people who supported an extremely niche, anti-profitable game design. The feedback cycle, rather than helping to identify design flaws that would negatively impact commercial appeal, seems to have reinforced bad game design.
If the beta community is too elitist and "niche", it can become very counter productive for game development.
After reading the preview posted on this site this weekend, I have some optimism for the title for the first time in a long time. If Turbine has really learned from past mistakes, those failures may benefit this title, rather than setting precedence for another failure.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
Ummm fontar... the game is in closed beta. They don't have any paying players right now.
I'm a little confused. If it's DDO you're referring to, whats the point on an LOTR forum? Different devs, you know.
Let me combine two other posts here:
"its begining to seem like AC1 was a fluke, and the money they made off of it they are becoming the Ewe Boll of MMORPGs"
"I think the game will draw in a lot of hard core LOTR fans yet to me it just seems like a generic MMORPG. It doesn't introduce anything new to the MMO world, its one thing to keep a few tried and true features and a whole other to have nothing but, and one of the great things of the books/movies is the epic-ness of it all. How can LOTRO portray any sense of epic-ness with 1000 other people in a server? It just seems like its a medicre MMO trying to ride the Lord of the Rings namesake. "
If you take the number of hardcore LOTR fans, then subract the number that will play an MMO you get release numbers...
Then subtract the number that are offended by it: you get numbers 30 days after release
Then you subtract the number of people who are bored/fed up with it, then repeat that every billing cycle: the number of people lost each month
Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written with his own blood. -Nietzsche
Your Wrong
j/k i think DDO was a step forward for turbine wasnt a great game but does have a fan base none the less