Nightfall! and NCSoft

os008 · September 2006

Hi everyone,

I have played both parts of this game (Prophecies and Factions) for a total of 600 hours, now i want to express my opinion about some things, and i hope that if i'm wrong about something u would correct me ...

1- The original game's price is still the same even though a year and a half have passed, any game that gets older its price gets lower.

2- If u buy the original and then Factions u don't get a discount, i mentioned this cause the RP part of the game (PvE) is too short and most people complained about the flaws in it, mind u, i LOVE this game, and even though i play Everquest2 now, i still miss GW badly, and wish they would improve the PvE part, cause PvP in this game is not my thing, it's too boring (my opinion and some others) and sometimes too team based, so that if one person makes a simple mistake, booof ur team is gone, well, maybe i'm not good at PvP, but that's not my opinion alone actually.

3- I made a new account for Factions (for my own reasons) and was shocked to find out that the Skills in the original isn't in this one too, this was a major disappointment, first, there're some skills that r way too good in the original, didn't log to Factions for a couple of months now, maybe they balanced it, but tell me, how can they give an advantage (even if by a slight 1 damage more) from a similar skill to someone who bought both parts over someone who has either only (in PvP that is, it doesn't matter in PvE), and above all that, it costs u 50$ (last i checked) to get the full set of original skills, wouldn't it be better to buy the game :P

4- Till now they haven't made a decent (or rather simple) Personal Store for the players, and we're still plagued by the spams in the town channels!

5- I love the new idea of Heroes, it makes the game a bit more interresting, and i thought about that feature long time ago when i first bought the game and wished they would add it someday, and my dream came true :P, but y wouldn't they add a really simple and small feature ... Customization, and i mean in appearance, i don't know about technicality, but changing the name of the Hero wouldn't hurt their DB (Database), maybe the appearances would take too much space there, but not the names really, anyway, great idea otherwise, wish SOE would apply it in Everquest for the soloers there.

6- MOCHOOOO lag, when i first bought the game last January i didn't have any at all, since before Factions came out by a month or something and they game has been very very laggy, isn't it supposed to be instanced, meaning, u get ur own copy on ur own computer, y do u need to connect to the server every second as if u're playing Everyquest 2.

7- Jumping, i remember the guy who reviewed the game in Gamespot was a bit annoyed by it , still remember it till now, but i don't care about it, BUT, they also should remove those obstacles that prevent u from walking into empty spaces sometimes, u can't see what's holding u up, but u can't move in a straight line sometimes.

8- They removed MasterCard payment, they said it's for Fraud reasons, but about the legitimate users, well, they appologised for the inconvenience really, i respect that, but can't someone con them using other Cards as well? this isn't something to whine about really, it's their right

9- Please please please, NC work on ur actors, i guess u know what i mean

10- The final strew that made me write this thread ... Pre-Ordering, first y dont' they support it themselves, second, i can't find a direct answer in any store about whether the package they're offering have an Extra Chr Slot or not, that's all i want, that extra slot, maybe this is how it goes for all games being Pre-Ordered, i don't know really, never tried before, but y not support it themselves, they have their own store!

11- Why wouldn't they offer a certain number of chr slots for sale, meaning ... if they can offer an Extra Chr slot for free with any Pre-Order then they can offer the same SINGLE slot for sale for a certain price too, how can i play Nightfall if i dont' have a slot open, should i delete a chr i have which i paid a lot of effort into creating?!

12- Finally, y not give a bonus to someone who buys the original game THEN Factions THEN Nightfall, doesn't that customer deserve some special treatment (and there're a lot who bought all the parts and willing to buy more).

Just to clear things out, i LOVE this game, i really like how it came out, but the above things really annoy me a lot, i never criticize anything except when i like it, cause i like it, i want it to be the best out there, so don't take this the wrong way, i'm not trying to flame the company, on the contrary, i'm opening a discussion about those things so that if i'm wrong about something someone could correct me, and maybe the rest would reach the company's ears!

note: sorry about the (r, u, y ... etc.) too used to them and that's a long post to check every word i'm saying twice :P.

VGJustice · September 2006

I'll try to answer your questions.

Originally posted by os008
1- The original game's price is still the same even though a year and a half have passed, any game that gets older its price gets lower.

Actually, the original game is cheaper. In my area, I can now purchase GWP alone for $20 USD. That's $30 USD cheaper than it was at release.

2- If u buy the original and then Factions u don't get a discount, i mentioned this cause the RP part of the game (PvE) is too short and most people complained about the flaws in it, mind u, i LOVE this game, and even though i play Everquest2 now, i still miss GW badly, and wish they would improve the PvE part, cause PvP in this game is not my thing, it's too boring (my opinion and some others) and sometimes too team based, so that if one person makes a simple mistake, booof ur team is gone, well, maybe i'm not good at PvP, but that's not my opinion alone actually.

I actually agree with you about the PvE in Factions lacking polish. I turned to WoW because I didn't care to play GW anymore, despite how much I enjoy the game. But, the discount would defeat the basic idea of how GW was intended. Each chapter is supposed to be full price (for at least the initial time period) so that NCSoft and A.Net can keep their servers up. This was the plan they came up with, and I doubt that they'll change that now. Besides, each chapter is optional, unlike many other games.

3- I made a new account for Factions (for my own reasons) and was shocked to find out that the Skills in the original isn't in this one too, this was a major disappointment, first, there're some skills that r way too good in the original, didn't log to Factions for a couple of months now, maybe they balanced it, but tell me, how can they give an advantage (even if by a slight 1 damage more) from a similar skill to someone who bought both parts over someone who has either only (in PvP that is, it doesn't matter in PvE), and above all that, it costs u 50$ (last i checked) to get the full set of original skills, wouldn't it be better to buy the game :P

Sort of. I assume that paying the $50 for the skill pack would be about the same as "paying for time". And you're right, it is cheaper to buy the original game instead of the skill pack, but not everyone has the time needed to unlock 400 skills.

As for skill balancing, they have balanced and rebalanced skills for months, including reducing the damage of Eviscerate at its top end. If there is a true imbalance, A.Net does indeed fix the skill and rebalance the game. They have to, it's what the game is built on.

4- Till now they haven't made a decent (or rather simple) Personal Store for the players, and we're still plagued by the spams in the town channels!

After coming from WoW, I can attest that even a global Auction House does NOT eliminate chat spam. But, it does reduce the ammount and an AH is one of the most requested upgrades. Rumor has it that there will be one, but likely not until 2-3 months into Nightfall. It'll be great to have it, but don't expect chat spam to go away.

5- I love the new idea of Heroes, it makes the game a bit more interresting, and i thought about that feature long time ago when i first bought the game and wished they would add it someday, and my dream came true :P, but y wouldn't they add a really simple and small feature ... Customization, and i mean in appearance, i don't know about technicality, but changing the name of the Hero wouldn't hurt their DB (Database), maybe the appearances would take too much space there, but not the names really, anyway, great idea otherwise, wish SOE would apply it in Everquest for the soloers there.

Yeah, I agree. I'm pretty excited about Heroes too. But, I havn't heard anything yet, and the game isn't technically released yet, so I doubt that anything is set in stone yet.

6- MOCHOOOO lag, when i first bought the game last January i didn't have any at all, since before Factions came out by a month or something and they game has been very very laggy, isn't it supposed to be instanced, meaning, u get ur own copy on ur own computer, y do u need to connect to the server every second as if u're playing Everyquest 2.

Partly to constantly save your progress. Don't forget that your character is stored on their end. But, there have been a lot of lag issues, some of them due to server load, others due to any number of other things. It could even be your GW.dat file being super huge and fragmented to all heck. Basically, if you have lag you're going to need to figure out why on your end because there's just too many variables. But, I'm willing to bet that it's because of more players online than normal.

7- Jumping, i remember the guy who reviewed the game in Gamespot was a bit annoyed by it , still remember it till now, but i don't care about it, BUT, they also should remove those obstacles that prevent u from walking into empty spaces sometimes, u can't see what's holding u up, but u can't move in a straight line sometimes.

But, this game isn't about that. This isn't like a classic MMO where it's do anything anytime. You move out into an instance with an express purpose rather than just explore and mess around. Thus, invisowalls. They're annoying, but it's also kinda part of the PvE game.

Also, /jump

8- They removed MasterCard payment, they said it's for Fraud reasons, but about the legitimate users, well, they appologised for the inconvenience really, i respect that, but can't someone con them using other Cards as well? this isn't something to whine about really, it's their right

This really isn't the place to complain about that because there's nothing we can do about it really. I guess that it doesn't really matter in the long run because GW doesn't charge a monthly. Any time you add something to your account (baring additional character slots, of course) you could purchase at a store instead, or from some other online store. If they had problems with fraudulent MC's and they couldn't get the money that they deserve for their product, then I don't really blame them for not accepting any MC.

9- Please please please, NC work on ur actors, i guess u know what i mean

Not... really. I assume you mean their voice talent, in which case that's going to change from game to game, or not at all if that's the style they're going for. If it bugs you that much, mute it going into a cutscene.

10- The final strew that made me write this thread ... Pre-Ordering, first y dont' they support it themselves, second, i can't find a direct answer in any store about whether the package they're offering have an Extra Chr Slot or not, that's all i want, that extra slot, maybe this is how it goes for all games being Pre-Ordered, i don't know really, never tried before, but y not support it themselves, they have their own store!

This is EXACTLY the reason that I purchase my games from a physical store. Service reps! I went into my local Game Stop and asked about the GW Nightfall Bonus Pack, which includes an additional character slot in addition to the two you will get if you add it to an exsisting account. I now know that I will recieve one for my preorder when they get them in stock (they hadn't recieved any yet) and I know that I will not be charged extra for it like some online places do, and I know that I don't have to get the special eddition to get the bonus pack like some places make you do. Basically, it pays to shop around.

11- Why wouldn't they offer a certain number of chr slots for sale, meaning ... if they can offer an Extra Chr slot for free with any Pre-Order then they can offer the same SINGLE slot for sale for a certain price too, how can i play Nightfall if i dont' have a slot open, should i delete a chr i have which i paid a lot of effort into creating?!

I'm sure that Nightfall will add 2 additional char slots to your account when you add it on. There's no reason for it not to for exactly the reasons you stated. A.Net takes care of its customers, believe it or not.

12- Finally, y not give a bonus to someone who buys the original game THEN Factions THEN Nightfall, doesn't that customer deserve some special treatment (and there're a lot who bought all the parts and willing to buy more).

Yeah, people like me. I know where you're coming from on that one. Honestly, I'm not sure. I personally am satisfied with the game that I've got now. I don't need to be further rewarded for having bought all the games. Besides, it'll likely be some corny mask or title, maybe a minipet. I don't need anything that superficial. But, I don't speak for everyone. Personally, if you really want that idea to come about, I'd suggest that you think it through and figure out what it is that you want. Something specific. Then, make a topic in the various Suggestion threads over at GWOnline or GWGuru. Devs read those forums more often than this one, and there's a wider user base to help you refine your idea if it really can hold water.

Just to clear things out, i LOVE this game, i really like how it came out, but the above things really annoy me a lot, i never criticize anything except when i like it, cause i like it, i want it to be the best out there, so don't take this the wrong way, i'm not trying to flame the company, on the contrary, i'm opening a discussion about those things so that if i'm wrong about something someone could correct me, and maybe the rest would reach the company's ears!
note: sorry about the (r, u, y ... etc.) too used to them and that's a long post to check every word i'm saying twice :P.

No worries from me. I'm in the same boat, as I've already said several times. And I don't care about the "r" "u" "y" stuff, because I can tell you're not some random flamer or troll bait. Beyond that, I guess we can both wait it out for Nightfall and see where things go from there. And we all hope that they improve the game as much as they have from the begining (I've been online since a week after release). They've made an awesome game, that much is for certain.

Bent · September 2006

Diablo II which is from the 90s is still selling for 30bucks it's expansion LoD is still selling for $30. Good games prices go down very slowly. Sucky games are bargin bin w/in 6months.

pbradish · September 2006

Originally posted by os008 8- They removed MasterCard payment, they said it's for Fraud reasons, but about the legitimate users, well, they appologised for the inconvenience really, i respect that, but can't someone con them using other Cards as well? this isn't something to whine about really, it's their right

-= I own an ecommerce site and can fill you in on MasterCard. Many merchants don't accept them because of the chargeback policies - MC is a hot bed for fraud.

os008 · September 2006

Thanks for taking the time to reply, i live in Egypt and i can't order from anywhere except from Amazon.com, OR, from an online shop that doesn't ship anything ... software download only, so u see my dilemma, if it's true that if i buy Nightfall i would get an extra 2 slots even after release, well, then i can manage to get a VISA from a friend of mine and let him buy it for me if it gets improved the way i wish it to be, we'll see anyway.

I wish they would remove that Chargeback Policy, it's a stupid thing to invent, like giving the thief the tool to steal easier .

I will send to the Customer Support and ask them about the 2 chr slots, thx guys .

grimboj · September 2006

Yeah if you visit stores it will be much cheaper. Once there is a physical copy of the game it costs money over time to keep it stocked so stores will gradually lower the price to get rid of it. Factions might not be as cheap but prophecies should be $10. NCSoft have no overheads and are trying to catch people who dont want to wait to go out and buy it.

os008 · September 2006

Originally posted by grimboj
Yeah if you visit stores it will be much cheaper. Once there is a physical copy of the game it costs money over time to keep it stocked so stores will gradually lower the price to get rid of it. Factions might not be as cheap but prophecies should be $10. NCSoft have no overheads and are trying to catch people who dont want to wait to go out and buy it.

Will try to get it as a boxed game, but shipping it here costs me double its price nearly, it's too cheap and shipping is very expensive, and Amazon has it for 30$ minimun, which would cost me a total of 30+30$ to get it here, which isn't worth it really!

I think i will stick with downloading games and might check first to see if i get that 2 chr slots or not.

Anyone know if there's any stores online that sell Serial Numbers only of the games, like when u order from A-Net online.

JelloB2000 · September 2006

Originally posted by os008

Originally posted by grimboj Yeah if you visit stores it will be much cheaper. Once there is a physical copy of the game it costs money over time to keep it stocked so stores will gradually lower the price to get rid of it. Factions might not be as cheap but prophecies should be $10. NCSoft have no overheads and are trying to catch people who dont want to wait to go out and buy it. Will try to get it as a boxed game, but shipping it here costs me double its price nearly, it's too cheap and shipping is very expensive, and Amazon has it for 30$ minimun, which would cost me a total of 30+30$ to get it here, which isn't worth it really!
I think i will stick with downloading games and might check first to see if i get that 2 chr slots or not.
Anyone know if there's any stores online that sell Serial Numbers only of the games, like when u order from A-Net online.

http://www.direct2drive.com/ is one legit company for buying digitally downloaded games (but doesnt have Guildwars). I have seen some other retailers that sell cd-keys but they arent registerd companys so I dont trust them. The NCSoft store does not offer pre-realse bonuses or collector cd-keys, so if you buy there you "only" get the chapter(s) themselves.

NCSofts own digital-store probably cant lower prices because of contracts with retailers (Valve & Vivaldi(?) had a dispute in court when HL2 was released for example).

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