Free for All: How I'm preparing for the release of Wakfu

@Cyroselle At first glance, their "free to play" is a total joke. You cannot group or trade with someone unless you subscribe. Thats like giving someone a chair leg and calling it free to sit.

@Eric Francis Let's just settle this right now. Check out the homepage. As of the time of this writing, you see the word "subscribe" twice on the front page. I do not see the words "free-to-play" anywhere: http://www.wakfu.com/na/mmorpg

Now, we can call it whatever we want. There IS an element of freeness to it. You CAN play for free. You cannot play every single part of the game for free, no, but you can't do that in a subscription based game either.

It's a freemium game. A velvet rope model. An optional sub model. An unlimited trial.

Either sub or not, but why don't we discuss the finer points of the game instead of going back and forth over "how" free it is. If you don't want to pay, you don't get access to every single thing in the game. :)

Beau

@Beau Hindman

Honestly... I've been avoiding Wakfu articles since deciding to finally throw in the towel and uninstall it ~ *(been playing in the betas since 2008-2009).

This game just simply isn't ready for launch and is run by a bunch of self involved, retards *(Ankama).. now that may come off mean, but really what else can you call people that ignore their community to the point of saying "you're just a player, you wouldn't understand".

During EVERY beta, the players were ignored or told to shut up at some point ~ more often then not, due to the devs being unable to fix a long standing bug ~ case and point was the "ZERO TIMER GLITCH"... which after almost a year of plaguing the testers, a normal player finally figured out the fix... that's right!... A PLAYER!

Beyond that, when they retracted their "proposed" F2P model w/cash shop ~ and said not only will it be subscription based.. but they'll STILL have a cash shop for bonus gear/pets/ect.. the long standing players threw a fit and pointed to the fact that Wakfu was a niche game.. and that limiting any new potential players in ability was stupid *(as it would drive F2P players away, causing the world/community to feel empty).

Their response "We appreciate your concern, but you must also understand; you are just a player and do not fully realize the scope of this game".

The final nail in the coffin was when they decided to post an official launch date *(Late Feb) despite massive bugs/exploits and next to no real content in-game.

This of course was during the open beta ~ saying that EVERYTHING would be fixed and continuelly updated throughout the rest of the year.

but... anyone who's ever been a part of a "real" open beta, knows.. that this close to launch, NOTHING major should change in the coming patches.. just a few minor fixes here and there *(polish) so the game could have a better chance to launch without any issues.

ah.. but I digress.. they didn't care and only wanted to move on to merchandising the game.

As is, the F2P "elements" make it nothing more then a demo ~ you can't vote, or affect the ecosystem, you can't group or even mint kama... hence why I say "demo" and not "free trial" ~ as you do NOT get to "try out" anything that makes the game unique/special.

Whats worse, a few of my subscribers *(youtube) that still play, posted private bug report vids showcasing more then one item duping method found since the official launch yesterday..

It's sad to see a game with so much potential run into the ground like this.. if it weren't for the beautiful art direction, no one would even bother with such a broken game.

@Beau Hindman

But the terminology is all wrong.

Imagine 5 years ago a game company putting ads out there that you could play their game for free.

You go to their web page, download the game and you get a demo with some ads in-game telling you to buy the game.

Thats basically whats this "play for free" thing is.

A game like Fallen earth, you start to approach alot more what a free to play game is to me.

This is just a demo.

@Eric Francis Of course its a bit subjective what consists of a free to play MMO, but i think that this is an acceptable definition of free to play:

You get most of the game free, and you can pay for completion.

Removing the ability to trade between players and group is demo territory to me.

@Everfaust

I find it a little disingenuous to complain about "content" for what is quintessentially a sandbox game.

As long as all the moving parts are there (and as far as I can tell, they are), it is not at a lack for content... unless there's just not enough players populating the game world, since they're the ones that make up the meat of the "content", as it were.

@Eric Francis What you are describing is a free client with many free features, but with many paid features as well. In other words, freemium.

As I said, if they called it a subscription based game people would just say "Oh, cool, an unlimited free trial" or "Cool a freemium game." That's all it is. Again, I've yet to see "free-to-play" plastered across their site.I just don't see how they are using trickery or pulling wool over someone's eyes. A game like Fallen Earth is closer to that, but even then it's all on their website, explained.

The point is, there is a lot you can do for free. Whether it's a stretch to argue it or not, I will promise that there will be a lot of players who pay absolutely nothing and still have a good time. You either stay hung up on the definition and forget the game (which is fine, I've ignored some games because of payment model before as well) or just find a way to enjoy yourself. I hope you do, it's a wicked game! :)

Beau

@Beau Hindman & @Zyrusticae ~

See, this is why I avoid these articles.. new people legitimately think "this" is a sandbox game or that as Beu says "is wicked".

Both are simple opinions with nothing to back them up other then your lack of knowledge.

Look at the facts:
1. Dungeons ~
Hand full of them at best, P2P players will not bother with astrub dungeons as there's little to no actual point *(you level far faster then struggling to beat any of the lv10-15 dungeons there) making the reward *(gear) worthless as you can reach lv20 in bout a day or so.

As for legit dungeon rewards... you've got gobball dungeon.. and uh... celestial dungeon.. hmm........... yeah, that's pretty much it for sets.

You might go to dhreller dungeon in Bonta *(if they ever put it back in the game) ta get the authority hammer or some of the kama gear but really that's it for early-mid game dungeons.

Yes there are also Nation specific dungeons *(like the Snapper in Sufokia) ~ however, they only exist to cater to the pointless boost exp system for dungeons ~ as there are no bosses/special loot. Thus making them a waste of time.

For those interested in "lore" for dungeons.. sadly, you'll also be disapointed as there isn't any ~ other then THE few in astrub, the crow dungeon/special boss and the final one *(where you fight the creature that beat the 12 gods).

Tho I think it's more boredom then not, for him as he beat GODS and you with your gimp spell exp/stats and a hand full of other players would only be there to amuse him rather then affect a legit story defining outcome.


Now lets look at professions:
You have waaaaaay more then a handful of them... BUT they're nearly all pointless ~ why? cause you can get better gear by killing mobs.

tho at least some of the higher level armor/weapons are some what useful.. unlike cooking/baking that have no useful craft past lv15 *(for the time sink you'll invest).

Sadly, it doesn't matter which profession you pick.. as they still take a guilds effort to level up in a timely fashion *(you'll be making HUNDREDS of useless items that no one wants or needs for anything.. just to level up ~ good luck mindlessly gathering those mats if you're solo).


Now... onto the ecosystem:
No point.. does nothing but slow down player progression or create a small sense of accomplishment for bout an hour or two when you first start playing the game.

Furthermore, a small guild can wipe out national resources fairly quickly if they get bored *(happens a lot after the first few weeks).

Any bonuses you "had" will now be gone and you'll be forced to replant them or try to stop the people doing this ~ good luck, as the CP system is again... pointless, they'll have LOADS more CP then they'll lose killing you and wiping out your stuff, thus will never go to jail or become a criminal..

lol, just hope they don't rig a vote for Gov.. and raise taxes/make it illegal to kill specific mobs.

As is, it's like a 2nd job that has NO reward/payment for your investment. This is one of the very VERY neat features the dedicated players were interested in and ultimately disappointed by ~ due to the poor direction/lackluster design of the game.


Onto common misconceptions/Interests of the game:

Q: Professions, handfull of dungeons and FISHING!?.. must be a Sand box?

A: No, wakfu is not a sandbox.. at least not any more then a CD can be called a coaster ~ Why? Because there's no actual point to bother investing your time in one thing over another *(you'll be no different then anyone NOT wasting their time) ~ Thus there's no purpose to the many "time sinks" in-game ~ all it really is, is a grind simulator.

**note: for a real sandbox reference, check EVE online ~


Q: Wakfu is a Tactics based game.

A: Perhaps.. but not really ~ as the mobs never evolve or get any stronger/smarter ~ they just start stacking on the steroids and boost HP/dmg... completely removing any sense of challenge or accomplishment in the game.


Q: PVP!?

A: You can gank or be ganked at any level past Lv15.
NO, you cannot turn it off.. or stop those lv95's from killing you at the market or while picking berries at lv19 ~ ENJOY! ^_^


Q: Quests and Lore?

A: Nope... there are NO quests outside the tutorials in incarnam or astrub intro *(gather 3 feathers to pick a nation).

Lore is also a bust.. to know everything bout the game and actually have a good time, just watch the animated show ~ well, that or spend a few hours walking around each nation after browsing the Wakfu wiki to see a couple of neat tid bits bout how the world was flooded by a crying baby *(the dude that beat the gods).


Q: I has useless junk.. and LOTS of it.. where the NPC's at?

A: Sorry.. there aren't any of those ~ best you just chuck those in a bin or something.. maybe even try to trick a nub into taking them off your hands? ~ really, 80% of the stuff you get ingame is worthless.. so get use to it.

***note: this is where crafting could've shined with a "breakdown" or harvest mechanic for useless gear/items *(like gems and what not in other games).


Q: THIS GAME IS FUN!?

A: Yep, it can be and depending on your level of tolerance for stupid/skill less time sinks, you might have a blast for a few weeks or so.


>>>>>>>>>

tl;dr ~ Waku isn't a sand box, has no defining fun factors *(other then a wannabe "turn based tactics game" at first glance).

It's a prime example of how a great art direction can carry an ultimately broken and flawed game.

Call me a troll or downvote if you want.. but I spent a lot of time playing this game through out all it's redesigns over the past 4 years ~ in the hopes it would even SCRATCH the surface of it's potential... only to be slapped in the face, called a retard by the dev team and expected to pay for a game that's still in beta..

@Everfaust

It's a shame that you don't like the game, clearly it's not the right fit for you. But that's life, I suppose. Can't please everyone.

I, for one, love it. It obviously doesn't have as much as content as Dofus but what little it has, I find great.

This is very much an old-school game at its core.
They give you some animals to kill (or breed), some places to explore, some skills to level, some pets to take care of, some stuff to gather and craft, a small house to decorate and then send you on your way. That's pretty much all there is to it.

It takes me back to my Ultima Online days, to be honest. Right down to the "ganking" part (except I don't actually drop stuff in Wakfu).

You know, players making their own fun, like it used to be before the "Rise of the Theme-park." Some people still crave that...

@Wensbane

Hmm, more jaded then anything..
It doesn't take a genius to see how to make this game great or even "above average".

Many ideas, concepts and suggestions went through the forums and closed betas *(v2 was prolly my fav to a point).. but when looking back, you see nothing but a history of ignorance and self justified BS from the devs.

They would often not only ignore us, but also do a 180 on what the community was even asking for ~ and instead nerf/re-vamp a class that had no viable reason to be touched.

You can say you like the game, but what drove the real fans away was the fact the game would never be as good or even remotely as close to what had been suggested to the devs over the years.

Simply put, we *(the community) designed a battleship ~ and the devs gave us rowboat ~ so it's impossible for us to accept the current condition of the game as legit or even worth bothering with.

lol and of course why it's so irritating when people praise the game for being "wicked fun"... as it's nothing compared to what it could be.

ah well, the game will die eventually or continue to struggle till a real company decides to fill the niche that wakfu/dofus have been exploiting for so long..

@Everfaust

I have never seen someone so angry over a $6 monthly sub before.

Dofus has the same model, I thought everyone assumed Wakfu would adopt the Dofus model. I don't think anyone reasonable person felt there was a bait and switch here.

From the official forum threads I've read, seems like when the model was announced that you turned on the game. Are you going to keep trolling it or move on with your life?

@(Unverified)

lol, that's cute ~ I dislike the direction of the game and post valid reasons behind my "opinion" and you conclude I'm trolling.. XD

""the game is bad and you should feel bad for liking it!?""

haha... is that what you expect me to say?

Sorry, but I'm not "angry" bout the sub.. if you'd read any of my actual post, you'd know that.

as for you going to the official forums.. or basing your "view" of my opinion there of ~ it puts you at a disadvantage, seeing as 10+ of the legit threads from players talking bout the history/direction of wakfu and ankama were deleted long before that payment model was announced.

at the end of the day, you like many in this thread are stating your observations on incomplete facts and assumptions.

like I told many before you, am I happy the game will fail? ~ no, but I still get a certain sense of satisfaction from seeing a self involved dev team watch their project die due to lazy practices.

if anything, it's something to remember as how NOT to make a game :P

lol, anywho ~ doubt you read any of that.. so I'll just step away and get back to my life, I suggest you do the same.. that is.. unless wakfu is still more fun to talk about on forums rather then actually playing ^_^.

@Everfaust
You mirror my feeling on the matter.

Even thou I only played it for a short while, it feel like an empty world with utterly pointless activities, and in no way/shape or form a sandbox.
A grind simulator, that sounds about right.

It's always sad to see a game with so much potential get pissed away by a dev team that just doesn't know what they are doing, and doesn't know how to work with their community.

Unfortunately it reminds me of my times with Mortal Online and it's dev team, Starvault. Had a good idea, and drove that idea into the ground.
Then turned around and expect a sub for it. Yeeeeeah, not going to happen.


What I've learned over the years is that 'potential' is worth less this bugger all.

Now Arenanet, theres a dev team who know what their doing.

@nimzy

Iop is good but not *that* good. They are the most straightforward class to play, I suspect Anakma balances the other classes around the strength of Iop. I don't remember them ever really being overpowered, but they certainly were never underpowered.

Iops a fine choice to roll, but a little too bland my tastes.