Remianen
06-23-2007, 04:34 PM
One reason why I typically avoid official forums like the black plague becomes even more annoying in beta phases. The people who feel the need to constantly harp on the fundamental differences between the game being tested and whatever the **** their favorite game is/was (WoW and SWG being the most frequent culprits). These are usually people who play very little (10 hours a week, if that) but want the game designed/changed/overhauled to fit their playstyle and/or preferences. The problem arises when developers actually pay these people attention and make wide changes that totally bork a game's playability overall.
I don't like that, at all. I've seen games bastardized in this fashion far too often. I've seen games, even post-beta, changed dramatically in an attempt to appeal to these kinds of folks (who don't appreciate subtlety and complexity, generally speaking). I log in, play, and submit bug reports and suggestions ingame using the tools provided to me. I do not feel the need to posture and pontificate on forums trying to make it seem like wholesale changes are needed or the game is doomed. I saw that happen in EVE beta ("You can't have worldwide PvP. No one will play!"), I've seen it in LOTRO ("Without player housing, this game will fail!"), and I'm seeing it in games currently in various stages of beta testing ("I need a reason to be doing what I'm doing!"). I think every game should have its own personality in the marketplace. If everything is a clone of something else, people will usually gravitate to the original, exacerbating the consolidation issue and making other developers feel more boxed in than ever. I don't want a "next SWG" or "next WoW", I want a NEW X or NEW Y.
I play a lot of MMOs and spend a lot of time in them. I don't like retreads or games trying be other games (or games changing to try to be other games) and don't play them. I like games with unique personalities and features (like MCC in Sword of the New World). I can usually fire off an email or PM to a developer or community rep to further explain suggestions I make. I don't need Jim MyfirstMMOwasWoWbutI'veneverhit60 to validate my suggestions. I make the suggestion and let it go, leaving the people whose livelihood actually depends on the project to decide whether it fits or not. I don't need or like the tired Baptist preacher-esque harping ("And the MMO Lord said *hah* that you must have *hah* sidekicking in your game *hah* or it will burn in the fiery fires of instantly discounted hell *hah*) that seems to pollute many beta forums like human waste in the noonday sun, attracting similar "forum flies".
I don't like that, at all. I've seen games bastardized in this fashion far too often. I've seen games, even post-beta, changed dramatically in an attempt to appeal to these kinds of folks (who don't appreciate subtlety and complexity, generally speaking). I log in, play, and submit bug reports and suggestions ingame using the tools provided to me. I do not feel the need to posture and pontificate on forums trying to make it seem like wholesale changes are needed or the game is doomed. I saw that happen in EVE beta ("You can't have worldwide PvP. No one will play!"), I've seen it in LOTRO ("Without player housing, this game will fail!"), and I'm seeing it in games currently in various stages of beta testing ("I need a reason to be doing what I'm doing!"). I think every game should have its own personality in the marketplace. If everything is a clone of something else, people will usually gravitate to the original, exacerbating the consolidation issue and making other developers feel more boxed in than ever. I don't want a "next SWG" or "next WoW", I want a NEW X or NEW Y.
I play a lot of MMOs and spend a lot of time in them. I don't like retreads or games trying be other games (or games changing to try to be other games) and don't play them. I like games with unique personalities and features (like MCC in Sword of the New World). I can usually fire off an email or PM to a developer or community rep to further explain suggestions I make. I don't need Jim MyfirstMMOwasWoWbutI'veneverhit60 to validate my suggestions. I make the suggestion and let it go, leaving the people whose livelihood actually depends on the project to decide whether it fits or not. I don't need or like the tired Baptist preacher-esque harping ("And the MMO Lord said *hah* that you must have *hah* sidekicking in your game *hah* or it will burn in the fiery fires of instantly discounted hell *hah*) that seems to pollute many beta forums like human waste in the noonday sun, attracting similar "forum flies".