Shroud of the Avatar - Release Day

Originally Posted by rune_74
They had more players when they went persistent(Real Launch) 2 years ago.

Already has a free 2 play mode now.

Can't wait for Garriott's pubic hair auction, it will be glorious!
Then he shall invest that money in food for his dog… I mean, this marvelous game!

Originally Posted by Carnifex
I know one thing for certain, I'll never give this clown another dime of my money. Not to him, nor any project that he is ever remotely affiliated with, ever again. I really should have know better, I suppose.

While I agreed with you; you really couldn't see what this was going to be from the kickstarter? The entire month it ran it was nothing but discussing online play and social aspects. Also Garriot has for years only had a hard on for online and social play so wasn't any surprise to me.

He says things like the only reason he did single player games was the tech wasnt available to make online games when he started. Lucky for us I guess? Every interview I have EVER heard him do he seems utterly clueless why the single player Ultimas were so beloved. That leads me to think maybe he just got lucky somehow with right place right time…but you don't get lucky 6 times in a row so who knows…ha

Maybe it wasn't so much that he got lucky, but the limits of the tech (fortunately) held him back from doing stupid things. Once the shackles were removed, he was free to be stupid full-time.

Originally Posted by Saxon1974
While I agreed with you; you really couldn't see what this was going to be from the kickstarter? The entire month it ran it was nothing but discussing online play and social aspects.

Yup. I was very interested but I decided to wait and see. While the campaign was running it became obvious that single player wasn't going to be their main priority.

Quite honestly, I am beginning to question how important Garriott even was to ULTIMA VII and VII Part 2. By that time he wasn't a lone ranger anymore, doing all the programming, story, etc. I'm starting to believe that most of the success of ULTIMA VII was due to other people, and that maybe Garriott's reputation is mainly built on just one groundbreaking idea (that being winning ULTIMA IV by becoming virtuous vs. killing foozle) and then looking at that theme through different prisms in U5 and U6.

I can almost definitely say ULTIMA VII PART 2 was mostly Warren Spector. And this is the game that really expanded and filled in the blanks in Ultima's lore and history.

Originally Posted by HellRazor
I can almost definitely say ULTIMA VII PART 2 was mostly Warren Spector. And this is the game that really expanded and filled in the blanks in Ultima's lore and history.

The guys is credited as "Director" but certainly not in the writers, designers or even producers in the Serpent Isle part. He was credited as Designer in the Part one though so you are probably right.

I remember my first MMO, UO. And even if that kind of game was more in line with what he loved and his "strong points" it was really awkard: The game was awesome but exactly not for what he thought would make it great.
The population splintered in dozens of community villages run by players while avoiding when possible the official towns. The danger was not what the game could throw at you but the Pks you could meet in the wild. And obviously no one gave a flying care about the original story or the Virtues.

Originally Posted by ChatMiauleur
The danger was not what the game could throw at you but the Pks you could meet in the wild. And obviously no one gave a flying care about the original story or the Virtues.

You know, this is a pretty good point. UO was all about the PvP.

Sure, I visited the player houses of girls who wanted to roleplay, but the boys were all about the PvP builds and any PvE done was just to search for spare weapons. No one ever actually wore their rare metal armour unless it was well hidden under a robe.

So, with this in mind, how is the PvP in SotA? Is there full loot PvP? Any PvP arenas or other PvP focused activities?

Originally Posted by Carnifex
One day I hope someone explains to me how one person, who obviously at one point understood what makes a great game and how to deliver it, absolutely forgot everything they had learned in a matter of a few years. It's like having a perfect formula, and instead of using it, just opting for chaos theory.

Not a great misery really (at least not in my opinion): think of Roman Empire, Blueberry or Remington. Call it "victory disease" or "resting on one's laurels" but it's just hubris and her twin sister - inability to adopt to the new circumstances.

I really don't get this project… It isn't only the execution part which is lacking. At some point of the development the team must have just decided to ignore lore, storytelling, gameplay and just focus on digital house market and other sellable goods. Had this been a neat singleplayer game in the spirit of Ultima games, he would have had an instant winner in his hands. I don't get why people want to do online stuff so bad. It is much more expensive to break through. Garrett already burned himself with the Tabula Rasa.

Not to mention the fact that after returning from SPACE, Garriott just wanted to do an other fantasy MMORPG! How uncreative! With all that life experience, he could have done something really amazing.

Originally Posted by Dez
I really don't get this project… It isn't only the execution part which is lacking. At some point of the development the team must have just decided to ignore lore, storytelling, gameplay and just focus on digital house market and other sellable goods. Had this been a neat singleplayer game in the spirit of Ultima games, he would have had an instant winner in his hands. I don't get why people want to do online stuff so bad. It is much more expensive to break through. Garrett already burned himself with the Tabula Rasa.

Not to mention the fact that after returning from SPACE, Garriott just wanted to do an other fantasy MMORPG! How uncreative! With all that life experience, he could have done something really amazing.

They abandoned all of it about 3 months after the kickstarter when Darkstarr was hired….I truely believe he pushed the online mmo.

OOC, how many folks are playing it?

I backed it as KS, expected single player game, which didn’t happen but played a lot of UO when it came out with my best mate 20 years ago.

Ignoring the weird negativity, and now coasts apart, we jumped in…and are having a blast. Emergent narratives like UO! Complex and amazing crafting system! A world which offers actual quest decisions which matter, customization I’ve never seen in a UO and maybe the best community in MMOs. I’m a believer, I guess, but YMMV. (Just got a text right now from my friend that he took the day off from work to play)…but I’d give it a chance.

Yes, I do understand lack of single player game. Woulda been nice.

Not me, at least not yet. I just finished a game that took me almost three weeks, so I'm going to be a bit picky with my next choice.

Originally Posted by scottmbruner
OOC, how many folks are playing it?

I backed it as KS, expected single player game, which didn’t happen but played a lot of UO when it came out with my best mate 20 years ago.

Ignoring the weird negativity, and now coasts apart, we jumped in…and are having a blast. Emergent narratives like UO! Complex and amazing crafting system! A world which offers actual quest decisions which matter, customization I’ve never seen in a UO and maybe the best community in MMOs. I’m a believer, I guess, but YMMV. (Just got a text right now from my friend that he took the day off from work to play)…but I’d give it a chance.

Yes, I do understand lack of single player game. Woulda been nice.

This It's the first time in a long time I've seen someone post a positive view of the game, and a constructive instead of defensive one at that. Thank you. Still won't be buying the game, but nice to hear there are some backers who're getting enjoyment from it.

So apparently when a backer asked if there was going to be a wipe because he had waited until launch to start he was told he should be thankful of those that tested(exploited) systems to give him a perfectly balanced game….

The most fun I have in a MMO is when the server launches and everyone is running around at low lvl. That would upset me if people had lvl 50 characters on launch day with a bunch of nice items.

Originally Posted by Hastar
The most fun I have in a MMO is when the server launches and everyone is running around at low lvl. That would upset me if people had lvl 50 characters on launch day with a bunch of nice items.

Yeah. I don't play MMOs anymore, but same here. Having the world "start" like 2 years before the game is released is one of the most bizarre and ludicrous things I ever heard of. I am sure the motivation was money though, probably needed to make things "permanent" in order to keep cash flow coming in from virtual real estate sales, Lord British pubic hair sales, and all the other garbage they're hawking.

Am bored, made an observation just now - according to Steam SotA has 439 in game at the moment. By way of comparison…. There are 16,385 playing ESO through Steam (which you don't need to do). NWN:EE, came out same day, has 1484 (also doesn't have to be Steam). Over 17,000 playing Skyrim. 4,369 playing FONV. Kingdom Come also out recently has 9,600. Not very promising MMO numbers 2 days after launch.

Originally Posted by Stingray
Yeah. I don't play MMOs anymore, but same here. Having the world "start" like 2 years before the game is released is one of the most bizarre and ludicrous things I ever heard of. I am sure the motivation was money though, probably needed to make things "permanent" in order to keep cash flow coming in from virtual real estate sales, Lord British pubic hair sales, and all the other garbage they're hawking.

Shouldn't be that hard to have several fresh servers though? Or are there too few players to have multiple servers?

Originally Posted by KaosWarMonk
Am bored, made an observation just now - according to Steam SotA has 439 in game at the moment. By way of comparison…. There are 16,385 playing ESO through Steam (which you don't need to do). NWN:EE, came out same day, has 1484 (also doesn't have to be Steam). Over 17,000 playing Skyrim. 4,369 playing FONV. Kingdom Come also out recently has 9,600. Not very promising MMO numbers 2 days after launch.

Don’t need Steam for SotA either, but I’m sure its numbers are awful anyway.

Originally Posted by TomRon
Shouldn't be that hard to have several fresh servers though? Or are there too few players to have multiple servers?

I think their highest stated number ever was 1000 players. Pretty pathetic over all.