Devs, The game will be dying

**Arjun** · 10-07-2010, 03:56 AM

Originally Posted by Thyrant

i didnt have the best Weapon, in never spend time in farming.
i have just 65k Gold, i only selled 1 Weapon for 20k. i didnt have the time, to Sell pinks in the Game.

Yesterday we need 2 Hours, to beat the seceond Map.
Cause, the Players allways leave the Game.
You cant get a strong Party. Every People does what he wants, rushes directly into the death.

We need Guilds! Were i can Trade Weapons, not sell. And play together.

soryy for my English, iam German

Don't Stress Bro - Same thing on my side. Never thought would gather sooo much gold. Just keep u'r eye's open in town is all. Pay attention to wht people are buying - B> So and So and So and So of Thoth. If you happen to have it. Start Negotiating.

Seriously. I happens to score an Alien Blaster Back in AO2. . .a lvl 43 one. Was just going to my stash in town and started speaking to someone looking for an Alien Blaster. 300k. right there. I was like - OOookaaay.

Same with Zuraz Shock Lance. . . was just running the lvl with a team not farming as such. . .killing D'jinns et al. . got to boss. . one shock lance - zuraz. Two day's later - another. Sooo was not going to sell . . or even try so hard to sell. . .as you said. . hardly have time to play so much. Can't bother standing around to sell stuff. . . .walking through town saw someone asking anybody for shock lance of zuraz. . so to show off I said I had one. . .he said lemme see in trade. Puts 700k gold. I didnt even ask for it. Again. Said. . .Oookay. Tick.

Soo just keep going with the flow I say. And Stop. . . Look . .. and Listen. Every now and then.

**Galois** · 10-07-2010, 09:48 AM

This has been a really good read. I don't post much at all (I'm more of a reader) but I wanted to echo some of the thoughts raised.

I am personally loving AO3, although I will admit it is a large step up in difficulty from most of the previous content. I've only been completely through it twice with my pally and have only hit the first area with my bird, as I've been replaying the early levels a lot.

I dont believe that the problem is the difficulty itself, but rather, as other players have mentioned, that there isn't an organized way to play. I personally believe that guilds will do wonders for the game, as like minded players will be able to organize and tackle the game based on their play styles. The trouble I have run into is that when the party wipes a few times, or even once, players give up and leave. Another player (I apologize for not specifically calling out names-I'm posting from my iPhone so going back in the thread is difficult) mentioned that he had the same issues: the party breaks, reforms and is less organized with each iteration.

Another issue is the divide in the player base. With just about any MMO, especially those that are easily accessible, the player base divides into a "casual" group and a "hardcore" group. From that point, it becomes incredibly difficult for the developers to make everyone happy. If they cater more toward the group that doesn't sink hours each day into the game, they lose the interest of the more frequent players. One needs to look no further than the wait between AO2 and AO3: how many posts were there of people being fed up with low level quests taking but a day for level capped players to exhaust, begging for more high level content?

The tricky part is that the "hardcore" group tends to be smaller than the "casual" group, so many times the former group gets left out. One thing that might help would be to have two versions of new content: a more accessible version in which players can still reach level cap, and a harder version in which the enemies are stronger but drop much better loot. That way, both camps can feel happy with their purchases.

**Fyrce** · 10-07-2010, 02:12 PM

I have to comment about the grouping thing: Yes, there seem to be lots of people who quit out just because of a death. Die, leave. I say good riddance. Usually in a group of 5, after suffering a few deaths, you know who the persistent ones are. You can also start to call out some strategy, since they already know straight rushing won't work. I've noticed many times the ones who quit are the ones rushing about on their own anyways. You do not need those in your party.

If you're short hands, start going down your friends list and invite. You can start with classes you need and then all friends. If that doesn't work, then your partner (there almost always is someone who sticks it out with you) invites. It usually doesn't take long to get a group together. Several times, I've found friends were running the same dungeon level and were also short of hands. We combine games and viola! Lots of fun. As a last resort, look at the games list and find another game playing the same dungeon and join that one. Try to take your persistent buddies with you if you can or explain you will invite when there is space. They might be your new friends (see below). And when you join other people's game, you know the rule: it's their game, let them lead or tell you what they want to do. Don't run off on your own and NOT contribute to the group.

Which leads to the "make sure to friend anyone you find who plays the game the way you like to play". I admit I used to friend everyone I played with and I still make sure there's at least one friend in the crash areas (Ao2:6, Ao3:2), but that gets frustrating if those are people who frustrate you. So friend after you've played with them a bit; it only takes a couple fights to tell which you like. Eventually your friends list will consist of people who play about the same time as you in very similar styles or who enjoy your company. Then your invites form a very nice group.

Which also means you need to remember to NOT friend or unfriend people you do not enjoy being with. That way you do not invite the people you do not like or who play very differently than you. If should only take a few good pick-up games to get a nice friends list going.

Which also means your friends list is now your guild.

Lastly, if there's something you like doing, a particular dungeon you like, a task you need to do, then host your own game. When your friends know what you do, they'll join you or ask about it or invite you when you're on. Viola, more fun in the void!

Of course, there will always be random people who join and you WANT random people to join; it's how you meet new players and make new friends. There is a usefulness threshold here, of course, though last night, there was a very useful level 30 mage in Ao3:2 who was better than some of the higher level players so try not to judge too early. With that mage, a level 30s bird, another bird and two tanks, we defeated the Keeper. Loved it and of course, they are now friends. Note: the group only had ONE mage and it was a level 30 mage. Not 31. 30. And we defeated the Keeper, the one some people say they were stuck on. I am not going to say I would invite level 30s first but they will level and they will still be on the friends list. I can't even remember how many level 45+ people popped in and chickened out (prob because of the level 30s) before this group meshed.

Ao3 will weed out the weak ones; trust it (LOL).

And of course, when games fill up too quickly, be polite and tell people that you're sorry the game's full, or that someone else joined, or that you will invite next game, etc. And if you say you are inviting them, then invite them or make sure they know the game filled up too fast and there's a next time. Be nice. Of course, if you are rude a lot, your friends list will likely shrink because I am pretty sure I am not the only one who uses the friends list to mark those whose play I enjoy.

**Gator** · 10-07-2010, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by Futumsh

Or you could, you know, gear up on the lower bosses while you level to 50, rather than complain about doing content above your level and needing elixirs to do it.

Not a nice response from a dev. I think you should be careful about what you say as a developer and be nicer to the people who are paying good money to play your game.

**Arterra** · 10-07-2010, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Gator

Not a nice response from a dev. I think you should be careful about what you say as a developer and be nicer to the people who are paying good money to play your game.

dude a little late with this. don't u dare start another flame war...

**Azrael** · 10-07-2010, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Thyrant

I have not so much Time to play every Day many Hours.
i Have one Tank Warrior on Lv 46, leveld up on the normal way. 3 Weeks playing, a few hours a day.
Yesterday i played Ao3, crazy.

i didnt have the best Weapon, in never spend time in farming.
i have just 65k Gold, i only selled 1 Weapon for 20k. i didnt have the time, to Sell pinks in the Game.

When i hearded that Peoples spend 200k and more Gold to play Ao3, iam wired.
i dindt have so much MOney, i think, i never will.

Most of my Pinks, i spend it for new Players. i thought its the right way.

Now i have to farm, and Sell Items, against my nature.
Just to beat AO3.

Yesterday we need 2 Hours, to beat the seceond Map.
Cause, the Players allways leave the Game.
You cant get a strong Party. Every People does what he wants, rushes directly into the death.

We need Guilds! Were i can Trade Weapons, not sell. And play together.

soryy for my English, iam German

You can add me in game "Ogrim" and play in my games. We finish maps quickly.

**Lesrider** · 10-28-2010, 10:29 PM

I wasted about 10k trying to help a friend beat the overlord to unlock victory lap. Everyone took tank pots, and before you know it, I was the only one still fighting, downing health pots like there's no tomorrow. Till finally my tank pot wore off and I died. Game over. All that cash gone and didn't even kill the boss.

I've returned to farming cash in ao2 with my Mage so I can save up enough money to buy armor for my chars. This is no fun -- the exciting part of the game is loot drops! But if I can't fight the bosses that drop the armor without having the armor, how can I ever get the armor?!? It's a vicious circle.

And then there's the problem of players with full armor wanting to rush all the bosses, when there are members of the party who don't have strong enough armor to do that. So half the team wants to clear while others want to rush and everyone ends up dying if the rushers won't comply.

It's gotten to the point that I'll only do ao3 if a few specific friends of mine are online, because I know they won't rush into a game and get us all killed.