'The Coyote' weighs in on this.
This is going to be my comentary and I've decided to look at this from a number of perspectives.
So let's cut to the chase, and get started on this issue
and believe me, it's going to be a long one...
First off...
Yep, that is pretty much how I interpreted it too...
However, soon we will see the anti-MA-machines (you know, those who have no life at all, so they sit around at a forum complaining about a game they dont even play anymore) sizing it up to a "giant loss", "the sky is falling" and "MA going down, EU will stop existing"....
My response to those who are complaining about the game would be, “Well first off why aren’t you doing something to fix the game? Like sending in complaints or comments at the website? After all to be honest MA/FPC doesn’t read these forums, or they hardly read them at all. However by folks sending in a comment or complaint directly using the website’s support service do they fix the problem.. Other than that they’re just whining about a problem they don’t want to fix.
Now if they haven’t played the game and are complaining, then your point definitely makes sense, and in fact the question would be, “Why are they even on EF Forums. Frankly, EF Forums is for commentary about the game, and if you have NEVER played the game, then why complain about it, Again referring back to my comment in the last paragraph (if you’re not going to help, then get out of the way, and let others do their job by sending in support cases.
I think that those who haven’t played the game hasn’t even bothered to try the game. And without their support, then what’s the point of being here in the first place?
Well, the good thing is that the depositing from the players are pretty much at the same level as in 2008, i was a bit worried it could have gone more.
And here’s where I’m in agreement. After all I’ve noted some of my old friends who left the game in 2008-2009, actually returning to the game to see how it’s improved or even changed. And frankly these people are having to literally ‘re-learn’ the game over. After all this goes back to a famous scientists comment about ‘evolution’ (Namely Charles Darwin). Those who learn to adapt to the game will survive, those who don’t, won’t survive and will be forced to adapt or die.
I think this about sums up that point.
Vice versa really - FPC was created so it can be sold off and MA will be just the platform developer.
And thus we’re talking about FPC (one of the planet partners) that is being sold off (and it’s content) to whoever will buy it, and thus the new owner will develop the content. (Thus in a way, Calypso could possibly change for the better, as the new owner could infact improve on the ideas (plus, if they work with other planet partners, and learn what they’ve done, Calypso might go from being just a second rate world, to a quality world). But again I stress the issue that goes back to my original point.. if People don’t send in support cases then how will the new owners know what to fix?
As for MA (The Platform Developer) they will keep going, and offer the platform to whomever wants to use it. Because we’ve seen that the platform does work (within reason), and that with proper guidance and things only get better. And this is in part because MA can allow the developers to make changes within the platform guide lines, in order for the developer to succeed.
That could just be FPC buying themselves out.
A loss is still a loss but it does show that they're not making a game that the existing playerbase want to deposit as much into anymore.
That’s another possibility. After all maybe FPC Is doing this so that they can in a way get more developers into their group and thus allow them to develop the game more to their liking. A good analogy might be that MA is the landlord, and FPC is the tenant, and maybe FPC wants to develop the game their own way, (or make improvements), but the landlord has the final say in the matter.
So we could see a split here which could lead to FPC trying to develop the game in a different way.
i see the same as masta due to world wide crisis a small dip in the business model but the sky isnt falling
we just have to ride it out
Yep, and in fact, Skull, the issue of challenge here is basically two fold.. It’s like I said earlier, it’s a case of ‘adapt, or die’ scenario. Those who learn to adapt to the game, will do so, those who fail to do so will leave. (and in the end, they’re really the losers here because of the fact that they failed to ask questions about the system, or even failed to make comments to the proper channels.
As for myself, I’m going to ride this little bump out. Because that’s what I see it as, a bit of a bump, nothing more nothing less.
Unless the loss actually is because their expenses has gone up rather than that their income has gone down?
I still think that the biggest problem (for player retention) is that loot is so unbalanced (need fewer ATHs and HoFs, less big-loss hunts, more stable returns)
I would rather get 80% back 3 times in a row than getting 60% back once, 120% back next time, then 60% again... (as an example)
Agreed, after all a lot of people who have quit (initially) are coming back, (with better computers to play the game), and thus are in fact trying to re-learn the game. (and frankly it’s going to be the ones who’ve adapted, who are going to be the ones teaching the old players who left, how to learn to adapt.
As for the loot returns, I feel that MA should be a bit more consistent and balanced when it comes to the loot (and the rewards) earned by the players. Currently the mission rewards are I feel are unbalanced, and thus this is why some people are disgusted with the game at the moment.
But if MA were to rebalance the loot, and thus give folks a fair shake for earning their rewards, would there be a retention, and maybe even a chance for this game to grow into something that is enjoyable for a larger variety of people.
Is this the new sky is falling thread with the usual cast of characters with inaccurate and/or misleading information?
More than likely. But then they’re ignorant of what is going on, and in fact those who usually who scream “The Sky is Falling” have never played the game in their life.
It’s funny, cause in reality, if they’ve played the game, and had learned to adapt to new situations, would they be able to understand that this is nothing more than ‘change’ in the development in a game.
Other than that, yep you’re right, “The Usual Suspects” who complain, and who do nothing to fix the issues. ‘Nuff daid.
But is natural when a company invest they lose money the first year.
Which is very true. Most companies (Be it gaming or not), usually have their growing pains in the first year of business. And FPC is no exception to the rule here.
Because FPC was initially to be a separate entity from MA, and thus it’s really up to them to survive or be bought out. It’s really up to FPC to decide what to do. MA really I feel has no real say in the matter, other than maybe telling FPC to either improve their system or be sold to someone else, or be liquidated.
So at this point, the ball is in FPC’s court as to what they’re going to do.
yep, alot got spent in the last year for sure.
Actually, considering the world financial situation over the year or two, it's not as bad as I feared it might be. Hopefully if they manage to get it all back by the end of the year, things will pick up again.
Well simply put things are a bit better than they were a year or even 18 months ago. The entire world (not just the US), was in a slump, a recession as it is being called, and things were indeed weaker than they are now.
But in the last 18 months, I think the world has gotten their act in order, and thus things are indeed getting better.
MA will still be in controll of the platform and the balancing. So in other words we will still be betatesters on a live server and the balancing will suck
But by not commenting to MA (or FPC directly), does this statement hold true, but if no one complains, about how bad the loot is directly to MA or FPC, do they really know how to fix it?0
And therein lies the rub. Because folks are sitting around doing nothing about it, then nothing gets done.. So then the question is.. What are YOU, the Player going to do about it? Just sit around and do nothing and let it go at being sucky? Or will you send in a support case and tell them that the loot sucks, and that it needs to be rebalanced. After all I see a lot of folks saying a lot, but doing nothing to fix it..
As for me? I’m wiring support cases.. After all it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
FPC is the one being sold. Who knows?
That’s just it, we don’t know. But we do know that in a lot of ways, FPC hasn’t always delivered the goods, and in a way, in a timely manner. But then again will the new company be any better? Again we don’t know. But until we do know, let’s leave it as “Uncertain”
In Closing:
Personally the issue of FPC being sold off, might be a good thing in the long run, cause whoever gets the planet, might take the game to a new level, and might be able to do something with it.. It’s funny I mention this, but about 6 months ago, a player friend of mine, stated that a lot of things in game weren’t in place, and that his decision was that he would ‘wait and see’ what happened to the game.
Now six months later, he likes where the game has gone.
Another gamer friend of mine has been out of game for 2 years now, and just recently he too returned to the game, and he doesn’t like what has happened. He thinks the game sucks. But then had he been here since the onset of VU10, and had the same attitude that the first player did, would he realize that you have to approach these issues with an open mind.
And in the idea of this, I think personally if MA wants to sell off Calypso to another company, then they have the right to do so. And who knows? Maybe Calypso will be a better planet than if it were controlled by FPC. But in the end, FPC laid the foundation for other worlds, like Rocktropia to be developed, and I think ND Studios has a better idea on what works and what doesn’t. All because FPC showed us what not to do when it comes to gamin.
As for the players? I think they need to be supportive of this move. And not see it as a “Sky Is falling” Scenario.
Because in the end, the game developer (FPC) really has been closed minded, and has thus done things the wrong way (in aspect of the players), but conversely the players haven’t helped FPC to know what to do.
So in the end, where does the blame lie? With both the player and FPC equally. After all we’re supposed to be testers and tell Them (the planet partner) what works and what doesn’t. and it’s up to them (The planet partner) to solve the problems.
Because without both parties working together the system will fail, but if we work together then it will be a better game.
And that’s my 2 PED’s worth.
Ben Coyote a.k.a. “The Blind Sniper”