faralorn

On the bright side, one report I have read by a player reaching L50 in the Korean release says that PvE MOBs look very much different than they do in WoW and many other point and clickers. No rats, pigs, carrion birds, wolves, cats, rhinos, bears, alligators, raptors, spiders, etc. This, I think, is a very nice touch and alerts players to the fact they aren't in Azeroth any more. I've seen centaurs in one game play video. Ah, well, the game isn't perfect. But what is?

All games nearing release will be hyped. Arenanet seems to be doing an exceptionally good job of marketing. Aside from the occasional trailer and generic press release ArcheAge has offered little in this regard. This is not surprising as there is not yet a U.S. publisher for the game. Its time will come in a year or two.

Game of Thrones invites my attention to the poverty of the MMORPG game worlds we amuse ourselves with. A good story well told is such a pleasure. Clicking on a two-inch high NPC in order to read a text box that tells me to kill 10 rats doesn't quite do it for me.

Right with you on Vindictus. It has, perhaps, the simplest combat system of any Asian action MMO and I think that was a very good choice. It is easy to learn and great fun to play. The first time I seized an enemy by the throat and threw him over a precipice to his death I was absolutely delighted. While it is an action combat MMO I think that much can be learned from it in making more entertaining MMORPGs in the future. Fights are to me ever so much more fun than point and clickers.

@Puremallace

I see you are out trolling again.

Total goodness! The quality of art direction in this game is awesome.

Last quarter Activision Blizzard reported record net income. The company evidently knows what it is doing and reports of WoW's imminent demise are premature.

Rift: Planes of Telara is yet another point and click game. It is unusually polished and has some neat features. While the chrome and bodywork are refreshingly different from WoW the chassis, engine and drivetrain are essentially the same. Both WoW and Rift are excellent point and click games.

WoW's combat system is derived from stat table and dice roll games played on table tops nearly fifty years ago. Way back then there was no other practical way to simulate combat in a game. Over 90% of what players do in WoW is aimed at improving stats in order to gain access to more content. This includes crafting, AH activity, solo and group PvE. At present all subscription fantasy MMORPGs adhere to this old model. This is the only flavor on our menu.

Competitors who want to take a large piece out of Blizzard's hide are well advised to provide something very different in the way of combat systems and the gear grinds typical of point and click, stat-driven games. TERA Online and GW 2 seem to be steps in the right direction. At present they seem to be the only games that will have an outside chance of luring dedicated players away from WoW and then retaining them.

@Dunraven

Blizzard netted $170 million in profit last month. Don't make things up.

@Borick

Alas, I have no idea of where you are coming from. The point I am trying to drive home is based on microeconomics. The game industry is a highly competitive, global business. It is not a college campus with tables, banners, pamphlets and protests. It is a harsh, demanding world where failure means being out of a job.

Threads like this are also plagued by ignorant Monday Morning Quarterbacks who have never lifted a finger to develop a game or bring one to market. They are like film critics who couldn't make a decent movie if God ordered them to do so. They are great at finding fault and nothing else.

I believe that those who managed to raise the money to develop a new game know a heck of a lot more about what it takes than the noobs on this and other threads who think that they know best. There is nothing wrong with the MMORPG market. Lots of very bright people and experienced people are working hard to create a very rich array of products.

And finally, the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights will not soon be amended to include the right to look cool.

@Borick

Alas, I have no idea of where you are coming from. The point I am trying to drive home is based on microeconomics. The game industry is a highly competitive, global business. It is not a college campus with tables, banners, pamphlets and protests. It is a harsh, demanding world where failure means being out of a job.

Threads like this are also plagued by ignorant Monday Morning Quarterbacks who have never lifted a finger to develop a game or bring one to market. They are like film critics who couldn't make a decent movie if God ordered them to do so. They are great at finding fault and nothing else.

I believe that those who managed to raise the money to develop a new game know a heck of a lot more about what it takes than the noobs on this and other threads who think that they know best. There is nothing wrong with the MMORPG market. Lots of very bright people and experienced people are working hard to create a very rich array of products.

And finally, the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights will not soon be amended to include the right to look cool.