To be briefe on this one...all cash shops should be like LOTRO, as it dosnt imbalance the game what so ever
Thing is, you can't compare the two games like that. Lotro is a PvE only game, so even if it had overpowered products in the cash shop, no one would see it as P2W. Only in pvp f2p games do people ever whine and cry about it being P2W.
There are no 100% free pvp games.... Nothing good in life is 100% free for that matter. So if money really is an issue, so much so that you can't afford a 15$ sub every month, or you can't fork out a little cash for cash shop items; then it's time to get off your ass and find a job....
To be briefe on this one...all cash shops should be like LOTRO, as it dosnt imbalance the game what so ever
Thing is, you can't compare the two games like that. Lotro is a PvE only game, so even if it had overpowered products in the cash shop, no one would see it as P2W. Only in pvp f2p games do people ever whine and cry about it being P2W.
There are no 100% free pvp games.... Nothing good in life is 100% free for that matter. So if money really is an issue, so much so that you can't afford a 15$ sub every month, or you can't fork out a little cash for cash shop items; then it's time to get off your ass and find a job....
While you're right about not comparing either games, League of Legends is a prime example of how microtransactions should be done in a PVP game. Why do I say that? Because the only thing which forces players to spend real life money in that game are decorative skins. Sure, if you don't spend money you'll be behind those who do.. which isn't a problem.. but they don't have skills, items, classes, etc that are strictly for people who put in money. Everything else can be bought with time and dedication.
I mean.. I'm not saying it would work for UWO. But I do think if they went in the direction of maybe experience boosters, decorative sails/paint, character skins, mini pets, etc it would be a lot more beneficial to the game than stuff like the op describes. But I guess it's easier said than done.
Also, it's very unfair of you to suggest that people should "get off their ass and find a job." Just because people don't have money doesn't mean they don't have a job. There are a lot of factors - rent, utilities, food, clothing, tuition, children, etc.
And just to clarify, I do have a job and probably make more money than most people do. Did I spend a single buck on UWO even though I played almost non stop for 3 months? NO. I felt the whole cash shop, bonds etc was for milking the customers, and I eventually stopped playing and quit the game. Where did I spend my money? I probably got $200 worth of games in the last few months. I even bought expansions for a game to support the company even though I could have downloaded them all for free. I even paid $40 for lego star wars and dont regret it, cause its fun
But I do regret wasting my time playing UWO, I hoped and waited for them to correct their mistakes and then Gpotato took over... If anyone loves these games I suggest try the original old Uncharted waters, at least it has an ending and u dont have to spend real cash...
Cagan's latest post summarizes matters for me as well. I made a big deal of uninstalling the game on the anniversary of my first playing it, but I had last logged in sometime in August, and the last time I logged in to do anything more than make my company contributions was in May, June perhaps.
Why? Tired of sailing back and forth from port to port, tired of being stuck in a loser nation I was even encouraged to defect from, tired of seeing the same little cheaters getting ahead and treating others who played more honourably as deadweight, tired of seeing decent players leave overnight and never return, tired of being barked strategies from five-year-old sources by players who were not supposed to play on this server in the first place, tired of Netmarble's approach to the game. At the end of it, I regret all the time I wasted there, too.
Cagan's latest post summarizes matters for me as well. I made a big deal of uninstalling the game on the anniversary of my first playing it, but I had last logged in sometime in August, and the last time I logged in to do anything more than make my company contributions was in May, June perhaps. Why? Tired of sailing back and forth from port to port, tired of being stuck in a loser nation I was even encouraged to defect from, tired of seeing the same little cheaters getting ahead and treating others who played more honourably as deadweight, tired of seeing decent players leave overnight and never return, tired of being barked strategies from five-year-old sources by players who were not supposed to play on this server in the first place, tired of Netmarble's approach to the game. At the end of it, I regret all the time I wasted there, too.
Hi Vetarnias,
While I accept both yours and the ops reasons for no longer playing UWO, they do in fact have subtle differences, both are however valid.
On topic, Cagan felt the cash shop was badly presented especially the huge investment bonds which were eventually removed from the premium ticket lottery along with the special ship permits that many players objected to. The way the game is structured even some of the less game breaking items in the cash shop like the 30-50% bonus items are essential to buy to counter the heavy grind for those that wish to progress at any reasonable speed.
There is no question the cash shop was poorly implemented with mistakes, for many westerners the whole idea of gambling with premium tickets to obtain unique items with big advantages or powerful ships is a complete turn-off, it is still unbalanced in that respect.
With reference to your individual additional reasons for leaving:
1. Tired of Sailing back and forth from port to port.
This can get boring for traders so most players mix their game by changing jobs to adventurer or maritime or doing quests which adds a great deal more variety to the traders game play. Naturally sailing is a big part of UWO which is the main reason a lot of people play but of course it does not suit everyone.
2. Tired of seeing cheaters getting ahead and treating others who play more honorably as dead weight.
This I know is true and it also applies to some players that like to boast how good they are or make fun of others that they think are too old or play too slowly. There are also other prejudices that they use to make it look like there are misfits in their game that should not be playing. The best thing here is just to ignore them as they exist in many mmos, in many cases they cheat or multi but even when they don't they are often never as elite as they think they are.
3. Tired of seeing decent players leave overnight and never return.
This happens far too often in UWO and is often caused by players feeling lost or alone as they spread out to explore the world. For most of the first year there was no world chat and even today it is still a cash shop item that hardly anyone uses. The highest point of player loss is when newbies lose their ability to casual chat or the ability to enter school chat after graduating from school. At that stage they have often not found a suitable company to join so feel cut off.
Global chat should always be freely implemented with bandwidth plus spam control, it's good to talk. Players often need help but are too proud or feel too isolated to ask. Also I would like to see more clearer defined goals with social community bonding features that draw more players, companies or guilds together.
4. Tired of being barked strategies from five-year-old sources by players who were not supposed to play on this server in the first place.
This is a tricky point due to the fact that Netmarble are based in Korea which is one of the banned regions for UWO global. Due to this there is likely to be empathy for other banned regional players from countries like China in-game where UWO fans lost their server. This in itself is not bad for populations but some of their old server or previous game knowledge is often used to cheat or get ahead making others feel they can never win.
Sadly multis have been allowed to proliferate catering for the cybercafe culture that exists in many eastern countries where accounts are often shared by several players.
5. Tired of Netmarbles approach to the game.
UWO is a huge mmorpg so naturally there is a learning curve for NM, they also appear to rely on experienced players that may not be allowed to play here so they tell you they are from Singapore etc. Some of these players obtain benefits by collaboration with GM's. This then causes player suspicions or mistrust which is the reason I no longer play.
A lot more emphasis is needed to improve the overall fair-play standards leading to an open trusted company image with global credibility imo.
LOTRO is a pve game, so there really is no "win" in the competitive sense of a pvp game. f2p pve games can really be f2p if you have the time and it's fun for you.
I would never play a "f2p" pvp game, even if it seemed fair at the beginning, once they get you hooked, it will go p2w.
Please don't take this post the wrong way. It's not an attack on anyone. I really actually don't care what people believe in politics.
Anyways...
Over the years I've come to the realization that these MMO developers are just a bunch of greedy Republicans who just can't get enough money in their fat Pulsaty hands, Sitting at a desk somewhere, some nappy looking Mother-eFFer who's 60 pounds overweight, stuffing their faces with a big fat cheese burger and eating bon-bons. And at the end of the day collecting money off a bunch of moronic gamers who actually fork out hundreds of dollars just to be #1 in some video games that most of the world dosn't even care about.
It makes me sick
*This outburst was brought to you by that Trashy Trash*
:P
And to think I was starting to believe people were getting smarter.... Bah.
Honestly though, it is a F2P game with a cash shop; they are going to try their hardest to get you to sink money into it. I do however think that selling something in the cash shop that makes you immune to pirate attacks is rather game breaking to say the least.
After the new dungeon launch and TOR fail I was checking out the forums if the game is getting better and maybe I should consider returning...
Glad I checked the forums:
" Yes UWO is turning pay to win. I remember they promised UWO will never be pay-to-win, they would only add items that would make gameplay more comfortable and faster. NC ships, sails and armors should be removed"
This game is just designed for subscription mode, Japanese server is a good example.
When being ran under prop purchase mode, it would become a pay to win game from the very beginning. What's worse, Koei-Tecmo is so weak at designing a prop purchase mode with not too bad game experience for this game.
Many of my freinds feel the same way, we got shafted bigtime because Netmarble is hosting our server, they are one of the worst pay 2 win game hosters.
I stopped spending $ on UWO because Netmarble is destroying my favorite game of all time. They seem to have no problems taking high end items available to "end game" players and selling them for cash.
I have to say I'm glad I checked this thread out. I was considering trying UWO out, as I loved the old UW games for SNES, but now that I know all of this I won't be bothering.
I have to say I'm glad I checked this thread out. I was considering trying UWO out, as I loved the old UW games for SNES, but now that I know all of this I won't be bothering.
This thread is old hat, things have changed and the community is getting on fine.
There is no obligation to use the cash shop, ships can be built in-game. There is so much content to play in UWO without ever using the cash shop if you have the time.
It's not pay to win unless you want to purchase items that help you along more quickly which also helps keep the game going.
If you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the game largely is, if not pay to win, then at least pay to have a chance. Because it's going to take you a long time to be a good pirate without an NC ship.
If you're not into ship combat, then paying a bit for special shipbuilding permits will be very helpful, but that's cheap and nothing else in the item mall matters much.
Players can always purchase a decent combat ship from a shipbuilder or player bazaar using in-game money or better still get to know a shipbuilder that won't charge you a fortune, this is where being part of a guild or company that has some lvll19 shipwrights who enjoy building them is very useful.
Getting an NC ship requires an element of cash shop gambling which can be expensive without luck so be warned that it is easy to lose $100 and still not get the ship you want which can be very frustrating, in short the cash shop could be improved.
Pretty much everything can be a grind without using the cash shop for something, it's best to plan or put in a special effort when Netmarble hold the bonus fame or exp events to help things along combined with the 30% exp bonus items.
It's a question of how viable you can be at lower levels. For adventuring, if your ship is only 3/4 as fast as someone else's, quests take you a little longer, but you can still do them. For trading, if your ship only has 3/4 as much cargo as someone else's, you can't get as much profit from a single trade run, but you can still get a lot.
For pvp combat, if your ship is only 3/4 as fast as that of the guy you're fighting, then he can run away from you if he wants to, but it's a lot harder for you to get away from him. If you also only have 3/4 as many sailors aboard your ship, then those battles probably aren't going to end so well for you if the battle doesn't end in a retreat.
Now, eventually you can get high enough level to get a nice combat ship without having to get an NC ship. But it's the difference between getting a nice ship at battle level 50 versus having one at battle level 20. Lower level players might not fare so well in combat because their skills are lower level, too. But pirates who would be quick to jump on you if you're in a pinnace would tend to shy away if they see a custom la royale.
Even at the high end, combat is also pretty heavily skewed in favor of NC ships right now. The problem is upgrades. My large schooner can't be upgraded past 2/4, because to go above that requires a port with more than 65k development. When the El Oriente expansion arrives, the cap on port development will be raised from 65k to 70k, and then I'll be able to fully upgrade my ship. But for now, I can't.
Now, a large schooner isn't much of a combat ship, even if fully upgraded. But the same problem affects combat-oriented ships, too. A la royale isn't as good as a custom la royale (item mall version of the same ship) if the latter can be upgraded further than the former. With El Oriente, that distinction goes away, but we're not there yet. And how about the Super Frigate? That requires battle level 66, which is above the current level cap of 65. The NC version can be used now, and even if you could build a Super Frigate (which I'm not sure if you can yet), no one would be able to use it.
I'm an adventurer, so this isn't a problem for me. The clipper that I have is arguably the fastest ship in the game right now. The only NC ship that isn't clearly worse for adventuring than my clipper is a modified tea clipper, which once upgraded, has the same vertical sails as my clipper, about 5% higher horizontal sails, and maybe 10% slower acceleration. The other alternative is a large clipper (which has no NC version) that would be unambiguously the game's fastest ship, except that it can't be upgraded past 2/4.
But if you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the pay to win claim has about as much merit here as it does in a lot of other item mall games.
long live the "turbine method" and L2's method of free to play, i haven't seen a good one besides those 2.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
I'm an adventurer, so this isn't a problem for me. The clipper that I have is arguably the fastest ship in the game right now. The only NC ship that isn't clearly worse for adventuring than my clipper is a modified tea clipper, which once upgraded, has the same vertical sails as my clipper, about 5% higher horizontal sails, and maybe 10% slower acceleration. The other alternative is a large clipper (which has no NC version) that would be unambiguously the game's fastest ship, except that it can't be upgraded past 2/4.
But if you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the pay to win claim has about as much merit here as it does in a lot of other item mall games.
Don't forget the Cash shop sails...They dont lower your turn rate and have higher ratings...the fastest sails u can get in the game is $$$$$$$
to upgrade your ship for most speed is $$$$$
to go even faster out of combat to catch those traders - speed boost cash shop item $$$$$$$
my best memory from the game when I was playing:
Come on join our race around the world event!
Make sure you get the speed boost item from our cash shop to stand a chance!
But thats not enough to win, also buy our TELEPORT to port item to make sure u are ahead of game!!!
LOL
people used teleport scrolls to hop ports and then used speed boost.
My time with a fast clipper was like 4-5 hours someone won the race with 45 mins or smthg ridiculous like that...
I'm an adventurer, so this isn't a problem for me. The clipper that I have is arguably the fastest ship in the game right now. The only NC ship that isn't clearly worse for adventuring than my clipper is a modified tea clipper, which once upgraded, has the same vertical sails as my clipper, about 5% higher horizontal sails, and maybe 10% slower acceleration. The other alternative is a large clipper (which has no NC version) that would be unambiguously the game's fastest ship, except that it can't be upgraded past 2/4.
But if you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the pay to win claim has about as much merit here as it does in a lot of other item mall games.
Don't forget the Cash shop sails...They dont lower your turn rate and have higher ratings...the fastest sails u can get in the game is $$$$$$$
to upgrade your ship for most speed is $$$$$
to go even faster out of combat to catch those traders - speed boost cash shop item $$$$$$$
my best memory from the game when I was playing:
Come on join our race around the world event!
Make sure you get the speed boost item from our cash shop to stand a chance!
But thats not enough to win, also buy our TELEPORT to port item to make sure u are ahead of game!!!
LOL
people used teleport scrolls to hop ports and then used speed boost.
My time with a fast clipper was like 4-5 hours someone won the race with 45 mins or smthg ridiculous like that...
Fun times...
JOIN uncharted waters! Help us milk the cow!
You do have to pay some for special shipbuilding permits. But those aren't very expensive, and the upgrades are permanent. I paid $10 once. I've upgraded four ships so far, though three of them are going to be upgraded further. (I'm on the way to do two of them right now.) And I'll still have some of that $10 left over.
NC sails are a lot more expensive, as you claim. But they're barely relevant to gameplay, as hardly anyone uses them. They're expensive, and only a very modest improvement. The main full rigged sails that are commonly crafted in-game are +21 vertical sails, +24 horizontal sails, -1 turn speed. There is a +22/+25/-1 that is also crafted, but not so commonly used because it's so expensive. Meanwhile, the modified full rigged sails from the item mall is +26/+30/-1.
So the NC sails are 25% faster than the crafted ones, right? What happens if you put four of them on a fully upgraded clipper, instead of main full rigged sails? Your vertical/horizontal sails would go from 411/495 to 431/519. Congratulations, you just spent $60 to make your ship 5% faster for a while. Until the sails wear out. Sorry, but I can't be bothered to care. Stick those sails on a battle ship (which probably can't take four of them, anyway) and it will still be slower than a clipper.
The craftman's full rigged sail in the item mall does avoid the turn speed penalty. But it's also slower. If the turn speed penalty is a problem, then upgrade your ship with a painter rope. Congratulations, you've now negated the turn speed penalty at a cost of about 4 million ducats and $0.40. And permanently, too, rather than only until the sails wear out.
Yes, the sail speed amulets are a bigger deal. A slower ship with a 30% speed boost can sometimes catch a faster one without the speed boost. But those only apply outside of battle, so if your ship would be faster outside of battle if not for the speed amulet, then you'll still be faster in battle even with the speed amulet. And if you see a pirate coming for you, you can log off.
I have to say I'm glad I checked this thread out. I was considering trying UWO out, as I loved the old UW games for SNES, but now that I know all of this I won't be bothering.
I got to the front page and saw the treasure chest lottery... I know how that game works... Spend money and get crap most of the time for the out-side chance of something really good...
Not interested. Been there. Done that. Won't play any cash-shop game where you have to play a friggin' lottery to win.
And I'm not against F2P cash-shop games. I'm against the lottery kind. Those are all designed to milk you dry as fast as possible if you want any chance to succeed.
I don't like the treasure box, either. So you know what I do about it? I don't buy anything from it. Besides, there's nothing in there--including the ships--of much interest to me.
Of course when someone wants to spend money in the cashshop, then only the sky is the limit. But... all the content is available for everyone without paying a cent. When someone doesn't want to pay, they aren't locked out of anything.
Don't forget the Cash shop sails...They dont lower your turn rate and have higher ratings...the fastest sails u can get in the game is $$$$$$$
to upgrade your ship for most speed is $$$$$
to go even faster out of combat to catch those traders - speed boost cash shop item $$$$$$$
I agree with some stuff, specially about maritime. But not the rest. And races have always been a joke, even races over europe and in the old days (2010) only the people buying 30% buffs would get a chance. I don't even bother with races.
Im mostly trader these days (some adv too), and we CAN have ships with the sail improvements without going to NC.
My current big trading clipper has like 100/100 (can go up to 110) on (NC) sail improvements and 5 22/25 studding sails, which comes to like 451/539 speeds. All you need is ducats, the ship cost me 60 million since it was upgraded (normal BTC is 40 45m) and each 22/25 sail about 7 mil. It requires level 64 to sail, so if you have the level for it, im sure 60M aren't hard to come by anyway. Sure i could be even faster if i was buying speed boosts, but this is already very acceptable, and im quite pleased with it (i.e. little over 40 days to reach Southeast Asia from Lisbon).
Pirates, speed boosts or not, aint getting there. The big clipper is already the only ship to equip 5 sails, put sail enhancements and acceleration on top of that, and you're the fastest thing ingame, only behind the same Clipper on speed buffs, and the L64 Adv Clipper.
The 50x20 (1B) bonds have been removed, now all you have is a one time 50m investment, and that costs nearly 20$, so that deterred alot of players from port flipping with NC, things are getting back to normal, and alot more fair.
Theres still plenty to play in UWO, and since im a fan of the game, i just got back from a 7 month break a month ago to play it some more. So far so good.
P.S.: to anyone thats thinking of trying the game out for the first time, or coming back, maybe you should. The pay2win deal, has been as badly milked by netmarble as it has been by frustrated players. The latter is filled with misconceptions and false facts.
I have to say I'm glad I checked this thread out. I was considering trying UWO out, as I loved the old UW games for SNES, but now that I know all of this I won't be bothering.
I got to the front page and saw the treasure chest lottery... I know how that game works... Spend money and get crap most of the time for the out-side chance of something really good...
Not interested. Been there. Done that. Won't play any cash-shop game where you have to play a friggin' lottery to win.
And I'm not against F2P cash-shop games. I'm against the lottery kind. Those are all designed to milk you dry as fast as possible if you want any chance to succeed.
Yeah I was looking at this game for a try but after reading all the posts about the CS and P2W I will pass. I do not mind CS as I play a couple games that use them. But I am completely against P2W. Think I will just wait for Path of Exile or even better a beta key for it.
Yeah I was looking at this game for a try but after reading all the posts about the CS and P2W I will pass. I do not mind CS as I play a couple games that use them. But I am completely against P2W. Think I will just wait for Path of Exile or even better a beta key for it.
You should still try it actually. Alot of people in here are crying about stuff that doesn't make the least difference and/or have quit before they saw any changes, but still come on the forums talking like they know about it (plus posts going on 6 months).
You dont need any sort of lotteries to play the game, or even to be good at it. Yes, there are certain advantages in using the CS, that is obvious for this or any other CS game, specially in maritime for UWO, but otherwise there is nothing that playing and using ducats (ingame currency) can't handle.
Alot of the items and ships you see people crying about on here, besides being cash shop items, can also be bought with ingame currency if you can afford them, since they are tradable, and theres plenty of market. Even my Alt character has an NC ship just with a few ducats hehe.
I never wasted a dime in UWO and i do fine at nearly max levels with a main.
the bottom line is, p2w is frustrating , deceptive , and just generally too greasy a system of financing a game of this quality.
i loved the original snes game , and when i found out there was a modern remake i was ecstatic. so i investigate to find out where i can get this game , if its not available in a nearby shop perhaps i can get it through steam (or a simular service)
i find out its mmorpg , um.....ok , this could still be cool , mmorpg ruined the ff franchise for me , but i still look optimistically to the experience. when playing the original uw snes i ocasionally thought that it would be great if there was some way to make it multiplayer, so i look forward to an epic social gaming experience. i finally find the official uwo site where the game can be downloaded , i see that the download is totally free , decent ! , but i also see a prominately featured section advertising special items that you get with nc, oh no! simple arithmatic: f2p+purchasable items=p2w. now my optimism is finally starting to waver , however i am in denial that they did this to the revamp of one of my all time favorite games so i download. after downloading i am looking at the netmarble launcher window and ....account balance ....click on "add nc" and low and behold the familiar payment options with paypal and credit card logos.
still i move on to the game now armed with asumptions and suspicions that i will be cut off at any point with a request for money (greasy greasy greasy!!) , but you see it looks so awesome i have to fall into the trap. its a pretty sweet game, i am just finishing up the school missions (tutorials) and it seems pretty decent so far but i am worried about hitting that inevitable point where the ONLY way to stay competitive is to pay some , as yet unknown , sum of money. i explored a little and talked breifly with some other players and i fear that NC is going to be an increasingly neccesary element that can't be worked around. i am seriously thinking about forgetting about the whole damn thing , because i am too proud to get played for money like a fool ; this is why i don't go to the strip clubs no more.
this is what i would like to see happen with UWO: they will never do this,by the way, because in my experience companies like this never correct their mistakes because they equate it with admitting failure, but anyway here i go.
1. honest up front p2p , straight up subscription fee with no additional charges or purchasables, and a reasonably brief trial period for new members ; just so they can see if they like the game before they sink any money into it. i understand something like this needs to be funded somehow but don't insult me by trying to trick me into it.
2. an offline version of the game, that you can get in disk form from an office supply store, or paid download from the company servers , something more like a true sequel to UW:NH.
i really liked the original UW and i fear this greasy p2w BS is ruining the franchise for all time , and i'm doomed never to see a true sequel , or spiritual successor to UW: NH
this all brings me to the big question , which i am not sure was completely answered in this thread: bottom line ; is it worth while to keep playing w/o NC? , or should i just mark this as the death of UW ?
Comments
Thing is, you can't compare the two games like that. Lotro is a PvE only game, so even if it had overpowered products in the cash shop, no one would see it as P2W. Only in pvp f2p games do people ever whine and cry about it being P2W.
There are no 100% free pvp games.... Nothing good in life is 100% free for that matter. So if money really is an issue, so much so that you can't afford a 15$ sub every month, or you can't fork out a little cash for cash shop items; then it's time to get off your ass and find a job....
While you're right about not comparing either games, League of Legends is a prime example of how microtransactions should be done in a PVP game. Why do I say that? Because the only thing which forces players to spend real life money in that game are decorative skins. Sure, if you don't spend money you'll be behind those who do.. which isn't a problem.. but they don't have skills, items, classes, etc that are strictly for people who put in money. Everything else can be bought with time and dedication.
I mean.. I'm not saying it would work for UWO. But I do think if they went in the direction of maybe experience boosters, decorative sails/paint, character skins, mini pets, etc it would be a lot more beneficial to the game than stuff like the op describes. But I guess it's easier said than done.
Also, it's very unfair of you to suggest that people should "get off their ass and find a job." Just because people don't have money doesn't mean they don't have a job. There are a lot of factors - rent, utilities, food, clothing, tuition, children, etc.
Currently Playing:
Nothing.
And just to clarify, I do have a job and probably make more money than most people do. Did I spend a single buck on UWO even though I played almost non stop for 3 months? NO. I felt the whole cash shop, bonds etc was for milking the customers, and I eventually stopped playing and quit the game. Where did I spend my money? I probably got $200 worth of games in the last few months. I even bought expansions for a game to support the company even though I could have downloaded them all for free. I even paid $40 for lego star wars and dont regret it, cause its fun
But I do regret wasting my time playing UWO, I hoped and waited for them to correct their mistakes and then Gpotato took over... If anyone loves these games I suggest try the original old Uncharted waters, at least it has an ending and u dont have to spend real cash...
Why? Tired of sailing back and forth from port to port, tired of being stuck in a loser nation I was even encouraged to defect from, tired of seeing the same little cheaters getting ahead and treating others who played more honourably as deadweight, tired of seeing decent players leave overnight and never return, tired of being barked strategies from five-year-old sources by players who were not supposed to play on this server in the first place, tired of Netmarble's approach to the game. At the end of it, I regret all the time I wasted there, too.
Hi Vetarnias,
While I accept both yours and the ops reasons for no longer playing UWO, they do in fact have subtle differences, both are however valid.
On topic, Cagan felt the cash shop was badly presented especially the huge investment bonds which were eventually removed from the premium ticket lottery along with the special ship permits that many players objected to. The way the game is structured even some of the less game breaking items in the cash shop like the 30-50% bonus items are essential to buy to counter the heavy grind for those that wish to progress at any reasonable speed.
There is no question the cash shop was poorly implemented with mistakes, for many westerners the whole idea of gambling with premium tickets to obtain unique items with big advantages or powerful ships is a complete turn-off, it is still unbalanced in that respect.
With reference to your individual additional reasons for leaving:
1. Tired of Sailing back and forth from port to port.
This can get boring for traders so most players mix their game by changing jobs to adventurer or maritime or doing quests which adds a great deal more variety to the traders game play. Naturally sailing is a big part of UWO which is the main reason a lot of people play but of course it does not suit everyone.
2. Tired of seeing cheaters getting ahead and treating others who play more honorably as dead weight.
This I know is true and it also applies to some players that like to boast how good they are or make fun of others that they think are too old or play too slowly. There are also other prejudices that they use to make it look like there are misfits in their game that should not be playing. The best thing here is just to ignore them as they exist in many mmos, in many cases they cheat or multi but even when they don't they are often never as elite as they think they are.
3. Tired of seeing decent players leave overnight and never return.
This happens far too often in UWO and is often caused by players feeling lost or alone as they spread out to explore the world. For most of the first year there was no world chat and even today it is still a cash shop item that hardly anyone uses. The highest point of player loss is when newbies lose their ability to casual chat or the ability to enter school chat after graduating from school. At that stage they have often not found a suitable company to join so feel cut off.
Global chat should always be freely implemented with bandwidth plus spam control, it's good to talk. Players often need help but are too proud or feel too isolated to ask. Also I would like to see more clearer defined goals with social community bonding features that draw more players, companies or guilds together.
4. Tired of being barked strategies from five-year-old sources by players who were not supposed to play on this server in the first place.
This is a tricky point due to the fact that Netmarble are based in Korea which is one of the banned regions for UWO global. Due to this there is likely to be empathy for other banned regional players from countries like China in-game where UWO fans lost their server. This in itself is not bad for populations but some of their old server or previous game knowledge is often used to cheat or get ahead making others feel they can never win.
Sadly multis have been allowed to proliferate catering for the cybercafe culture that exists in many eastern countries where accounts are often shared by several players.
5. Tired of Netmarbles approach to the game.
UWO is a huge mmorpg so naturally there is a learning curve for NM, they also appear to rely on experienced players that may not be allowed to play here so they tell you they are from Singapore etc. Some of these players obtain benefits by collaboration with GM's. This then causes player suspicions or mistrust which is the reason I no longer play.
A lot more emphasis is needed to improve the overall fair-play standards leading to an open trusted company image with global credibility imo.
I think most "f2p" pvp games go to p2w.
LOTRO is a pve game, so there really is no "win" in the competitive sense of a pvp game. f2p pve games can really be f2p if you have the time and it's fun for you.
I would never play a "f2p" pvp game, even if it seemed fair at the beginning, once they get you hooked, it will go p2w.
EVERY F2P game (and ANY game with a 'cash shop') is pretty much 'Pay to Win". There is no mystery here.
And to think I was starting to believe people were getting smarter.... Bah.
Honestly though, it is a F2P game with a cash shop; they are going to try their hardest to get you to sink money into it. I do however think that selling something in the cash shop that makes you immune to pirate attacks is rather game breaking to say the least.
After the new dungeon launch and TOR fail I was checking out the forums if the game is getting better and maybe I should consider returning...
Glad I checked the forums:
" Yes UWO is turning pay to win. I remember they promised UWO will never be pay-to-win, they would only add items that would make gameplay more comfortable and faster. NC ships, sails and armors should be removed"
This game is just designed for subscription mode, Japanese server is a good example.
When being ran under prop purchase mode, it would become a pay to win game from the very beginning. What's worse, Koei-Tecmo is so weak at designing a prop purchase mode with not too bad game experience for this game.
Many of my freinds feel the same way, we got shafted bigtime because Netmarble is hosting our server, they are one of the worst pay 2 win game hosters.
I stopped spending $ on UWO because Netmarble is destroying my favorite game of all time. They seem to have no problems taking high end items available to "end game" players and selling them for cash.
see more here:
http://www.netmarble.com/forum/Forum/ForumPostListView.asp?fid=34&tid=10621&st=1&pg=2&ipg=1&kwd=&sop=1&tm=3&pid=
so back to Skyrim for me I guess....
I have to say I'm glad I checked this thread out. I was considering trying UWO out, as I loved the old UW games for SNES, but now that I know all of this I won't be bothering.
This thread is old hat, things have changed and the community is getting on fine.
There is no obligation to use the cash shop, ships can be built in-game. There is so much content to play in UWO without ever using the cash shop if you have the time.
It's not pay to win unless you want to purchase items that help you along more quickly which also helps keep the game going.
If you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the game largely is, if not pay to win, then at least pay to have a chance. Because it's going to take you a long time to be a good pirate without an NC ship.
If you're not into ship combat, then paying a bit for special shipbuilding permits will be very helpful, but that's cheap and nothing else in the item mall matters much.
Players can always purchase a decent combat ship from a shipbuilder or player bazaar using in-game money or better still get to know a shipbuilder that won't charge you a fortune, this is where being part of a guild or company that has some lvll19 shipwrights who enjoy building them is very useful.
Getting an NC ship requires an element of cash shop gambling which can be expensive without luck so be warned that it is easy to lose $100 and still not get the ship you want which can be very frustrating, in short the cash shop could be improved.
Pretty much everything can be a grind without using the cash shop for something, it's best to plan or put in a special effort when Netmarble hold the bonus fame or exp events to help things along combined with the 30% exp bonus items.
It's a question of how viable you can be at lower levels. For adventuring, if your ship is only 3/4 as fast as someone else's, quests take you a little longer, but you can still do them. For trading, if your ship only has 3/4 as much cargo as someone else's, you can't get as much profit from a single trade run, but you can still get a lot.
For pvp combat, if your ship is only 3/4 as fast as that of the guy you're fighting, then he can run away from you if he wants to, but it's a lot harder for you to get away from him. If you also only have 3/4 as many sailors aboard your ship, then those battles probably aren't going to end so well for you if the battle doesn't end in a retreat.
Now, eventually you can get high enough level to get a nice combat ship without having to get an NC ship. But it's the difference between getting a nice ship at battle level 50 versus having one at battle level 20. Lower level players might not fare so well in combat because their skills are lower level, too. But pirates who would be quick to jump on you if you're in a pinnace would tend to shy away if they see a custom la royale.
Even at the high end, combat is also pretty heavily skewed in favor of NC ships right now. The problem is upgrades. My large schooner can't be upgraded past 2/4, because to go above that requires a port with more than 65k development. When the El Oriente expansion arrives, the cap on port development will be raised from 65k to 70k, and then I'll be able to fully upgrade my ship. But for now, I can't.
Now, a large schooner isn't much of a combat ship, even if fully upgraded. But the same problem affects combat-oriented ships, too. A la royale isn't as good as a custom la royale (item mall version of the same ship) if the latter can be upgraded further than the former. With El Oriente, that distinction goes away, but we're not there yet. And how about the Super Frigate? That requires battle level 66, which is above the current level cap of 65. The NC version can be used now, and even if you could build a Super Frigate (which I'm not sure if you can yet), no one would be able to use it.
I'm an adventurer, so this isn't a problem for me. The clipper that I have is arguably the fastest ship in the game right now. The only NC ship that isn't clearly worse for adventuring than my clipper is a modified tea clipper, which once upgraded, has the same vertical sails as my clipper, about 5% higher horizontal sails, and maybe 10% slower acceleration. The other alternative is a large clipper (which has no NC version) that would be unambiguously the game's fastest ship, except that it can't be upgraded past 2/4.
But if you want to be a pirate or a bounty hunter, then the pay to win claim has about as much merit here as it does in a lot of other item mall games.
long live the "turbine method" and L2's method of free to play, i haven't seen a good one besides those 2.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
Don't forget the Cash shop sails...They dont lower your turn rate and have higher ratings...the fastest sails u can get in the game is $$$$$$$
to upgrade your ship for most speed is $$$$$
to go even faster out of combat to catch those traders - speed boost cash shop item $$$$$$$
my best memory from the game when I was playing:
Come on join our race around the world event!
Make sure you get the speed boost item from our cash shop to stand a chance!
But thats not enough to win, also buy our TELEPORT to port item to make sure u are ahead of game!!!
LOL
people used teleport scrolls to hop ports and then used speed boost.
My time with a fast clipper was like 4-5 hours someone won the race with 45 mins or smthg ridiculous like that...
Fun times...
JOIN uncharted waters! Help us milk the cow!
You do have to pay some for special shipbuilding permits. But those aren't very expensive, and the upgrades are permanent. I paid $10 once. I've upgraded four ships so far, though three of them are going to be upgraded further. (I'm on the way to do two of them right now.) And I'll still have some of that $10 left over.
NC sails are a lot more expensive, as you claim. But they're barely relevant to gameplay, as hardly anyone uses them. They're expensive, and only a very modest improvement. The main full rigged sails that are commonly crafted in-game are +21 vertical sails, +24 horizontal sails, -1 turn speed. There is a +22/+25/-1 that is also crafted, but not so commonly used because it's so expensive. Meanwhile, the modified full rigged sails from the item mall is +26/+30/-1.
So the NC sails are 25% faster than the crafted ones, right? What happens if you put four of them on a fully upgraded clipper, instead of main full rigged sails? Your vertical/horizontal sails would go from 411/495 to 431/519. Congratulations, you just spent $60 to make your ship 5% faster for a while. Until the sails wear out. Sorry, but I can't be bothered to care. Stick those sails on a battle ship (which probably can't take four of them, anyway) and it will still be slower than a clipper.
The craftman's full rigged sail in the item mall does avoid the turn speed penalty. But it's also slower. If the turn speed penalty is a problem, then upgrade your ship with a painter rope. Congratulations, you've now negated the turn speed penalty at a cost of about 4 million ducats and $0.40. And permanently, too, rather than only until the sails wear out.
Yes, the sail speed amulets are a bigger deal. A slower ship with a 30% speed boost can sometimes catch a faster one without the speed boost. But those only apply outside of battle, so if your ship would be faster outside of battle if not for the speed amulet, then you'll still be faster in battle even with the speed amulet. And if you see a pirate coming for you, you can log off.
I got to the front page and saw the treasure chest lottery... I know how that game works... Spend money and get crap most of the time for the out-side chance of something really good...
Not interested. Been there. Done that. Won't play any cash-shop game where you have to play a friggin' lottery to win.
And I'm not against F2P cash-shop games. I'm against the lottery kind. Those are all designed to milk you dry as fast as possible if you want any chance to succeed.
I don't like the treasure box, either. So you know what I do about it? I don't buy anything from it. Besides, there's nothing in there--including the ships--of much interest to me.
Sounded interesting with so many talking about it the last few days, then i read this thread. NOPE.jpg
Of course when someone wants to spend money in the cashshop, then only the sky is the limit. But... all the content is available for everyone without paying a cent. When someone doesn't want to pay, they aren't locked out of anything.
I agree with some stuff, specially about maritime. But not the rest. And races have always been a joke, even races over europe and in the old days (2010) only the people buying 30% buffs would get a chance. I don't even bother with races.
Im mostly trader these days (some adv too), and we CAN have ships with the sail improvements without going to NC.
My current big trading clipper has like 100/100 (can go up to 110) on (NC) sail improvements and 5 22/25 studding sails, which comes to like 451/539 speeds. All you need is ducats, the ship cost me 60 million since it was upgraded (normal BTC is 40 45m) and each 22/25 sail about 7 mil. It requires level 64 to sail, so if you have the level for it, im sure 60M aren't hard to come by anyway. Sure i could be even faster if i was buying speed boosts, but this is already very acceptable, and im quite pleased with it (i.e. little over 40 days to reach Southeast Asia from Lisbon).
Pirates, speed boosts or not, aint getting there. The big clipper is already the only ship to equip 5 sails, put sail enhancements and acceleration on top of that, and you're the fastest thing ingame, only behind the same Clipper on speed buffs, and the L64 Adv Clipper.
The 50x20 (1B) bonds have been removed, now all you have is a one time 50m investment, and that costs nearly 20$, so that deterred alot of players from port flipping with NC, things are getting back to normal, and alot more fair.
Theres still plenty to play in UWO, and since im a fan of the game, i just got back from a 7 month break a month ago to play it some more. So far so good.
P.S.: to anyone thats thinking of trying the game out for the first time, or coming back, maybe you should. The pay2win deal, has been as badly milked by netmarble as it has been by frustrated players. The latter is filled with misconceptions and false facts.
Yeah I was looking at this game for a try but after reading all the posts about the CS and P2W I will pass. I do not mind CS as I play a couple games that use them. But I am completely against P2W. Think I will just wait for Path of Exile or even better a beta key for it.
You should still try it actually. Alot of people in here are crying about stuff that doesn't make the least difference and/or have quit before they saw any changes, but still come on the forums talking like they know about it (plus posts going on 6 months).
You dont need any sort of lotteries to play the game, or even to be good at it. Yes, there are certain advantages in using the CS, that is obvious for this or any other CS game, specially in maritime for UWO, but otherwise there is nothing that playing and using ducats (ingame currency) can't handle.
Alot of the items and ships you see people crying about on here, besides being cash shop items, can also be bought with ingame currency if you can afford them, since they are tradable, and theres plenty of market. Even my Alt character has an NC ship just with a few ducats hehe.
I never wasted a dime in UWO and i do fine at nearly max levels with a main.
the bottom line is, p2w is frustrating , deceptive , and just generally too greasy a system of financing a game of this quality.
i loved the original snes game , and when i found out there was a modern remake i was ecstatic. so i investigate to find out where i can get this game , if its not available in a nearby shop perhaps i can get it through steam (or a simular service)
i find out its mmorpg , um.....ok , this could still be cool , mmorpg ruined the ff franchise for me , but i still look optimistically to the experience. when playing the original uw snes i ocasionally thought that it would be great if there was some way to make it multiplayer, so i look forward to an epic social gaming experience. i finally find the official uwo site where the game can be downloaded , i see that the download is totally free , decent ! , but i also see a prominately featured section advertising special items that you get with nc, oh no! simple arithmatic: f2p+purchasable items=p2w. now my optimism is finally starting to waver , however i am in denial that they did this to the revamp of one of my all time favorite games so i download. after downloading i am looking at the netmarble launcher window and ....account balance ....click on "add nc" and low and behold the familiar payment options with paypal and credit card logos.
still i move on to the game now armed with asumptions and suspicions that i will be cut off at any point with a request for money (greasy greasy greasy!!) , but you see it looks so awesome i have to fall into the trap. its a pretty sweet game, i am just finishing up the school missions (tutorials) and it seems pretty decent so far but i am worried about hitting that inevitable point where the ONLY way to stay competitive is to pay some , as yet unknown , sum of money. i explored a little and talked breifly with some other players and i fear that NC is going to be an increasingly neccesary element that can't be worked around. i am seriously thinking about forgetting about the whole damn thing , because i am too proud to get played for money like a fool ; this is why i don't go to the strip clubs no more.
this is what i would like to see happen with UWO: they will never do this,by the way, because in my experience companies like this never correct their mistakes because they equate it with admitting failure, but anyway here i go.
1. honest up front p2p , straight up subscription fee with no additional charges or purchasables, and a reasonably brief trial period for new members ; just so they can see if they like the game before they sink any money into it. i understand something like this needs to be funded somehow but don't insult me by trying to trick me into it.
2. an offline version of the game, that you can get in disk form from an office supply store, or paid download from the company servers , something more like a true sequel to UW:NH.
i really liked the original UW and i fear this greasy p2w BS is ruining the franchise for all time , and i'm doomed never to see a true sequel , or spiritual successor to UW: NH
this all brings me to the big question , which i am not sure was completely answered in this thread: bottom line ; is it worth while to keep playing w/o NC? , or should i just mark this as the death of UW ?