State of the Game

spordelia

Champions, this is a crisis.
Hard not to sound just completely tone-deaf (also unhinged, lame, possibly idiotic… among other things) with this being just a game and everything that’s going on in the world, but here we are. Or well, I am.

I’m going to sound like a mighty ***hole – and I’ve always *despised* similar words and behavior towards Devs, that I’ve either been told of or witnessed myself over the years – the irony’s not lost on me. But enough is enough. Amateur hour is over. This little internship has lasted 5 long, VERY destructive years. Champions Online is literally unrecognizable, at this point. It has driven away so many GREAT players and people, instead nurturing a different, toxic and uncaring kind. Normalizing what can only be described as unprofessional behavior; cheap, unqualified, sloppy “content” and services, shady practices, lots of excuses and many passes given.

We are NOT in good hands, nor in good company. We need pros on board, talented, capable, knowledgeable individuals who can turn this thing around and back into a superhero MMO, based on the HERO Games System! Who treat this like the business that it is, who value and nurture their *loyal* player base – not the “Dev”’s little clique of freaky beasts going to raves and playing grab-*ss in Ren Center all day long, while censoring forum posts willy-nilly like it’s their stupid Discord channel. Or casuals who don’t give a f* and will move on to the next game where they can troll and measure e-peen, in the drop of a hat.

So. I probably could have said things in a more diplomatic and constructive manner, but I stand by all of it (and this post won’t stay up for long anyway, plus I might get a ban, so whatever). Nice clearly doesn’t work here, I’m done wearing rose-colored glasses and being understanding. Change doesn’t happen by laying down and taking whatever crumbs of bull***t are thrown one’s way. And we are in desperate need of change, and of hope. Across the mf’n board.

/rant



That’s all. Everyone have a beautiful day!
Love,
Spordelia.

holloweaver

I'm really surprised by your post.
I used to read your suggestions and love how you were talking. I used to read your off-topic funs. Then you went quiet and now you're back all "doom doom this is the end".

As you can expect, I've my own perception on CO situation which is different from yours but hopefully not in opposition.
So let's start.
Note : don't take it personally if I'm quoting and answering point by point.

"Champions, this is a crisis."
Here, I disagree because it's a very short term perception. As far as I remember, CO had always been in a bad shape. Poorly managed by the 1st dev team who deserted it as fast as they could for NWN. Poorly handled to PWI who were certainly not aware how unrepairable this mmo was. And finally poorly supported by the playerbase who don't care how the game is butchered patch after patch as LTS is providing them with way enough privileges to cover the damages anyway.

"Normalizing what can only be described as unprofessional behavior; cheap, unqualified, sloppy “content” and services, shady practices, lots of excuses and many passes given."
I agree. As I've explained in a different post : in mathematics a number is true when it is relative, i.e. : when it's possible to compare these numbers.
Therefore the moment this dev will apply the change on Sorcery passive, the numbers on the auras will not be relative anymore because there'll not be comparable anymore. This change is about to turn true numbers into falsified/invalid numbers.
This is worse than dangerous. This level of game mechanics' destruction is just unacceptable.
And that's just for the piece of the iceberg I've seen.

"We are NOT in good hands, nor in good company."
Here, I've to disagree again. Not that the call is wrong or bad but the conclusion is too simplist.
"We're not in good hands." Correct. The actual dev is actively showing that she doesn't know the difference between to know and to can. Things she can do but she doesn't know what she's doing.
"We're not in good company." Wrong. CO is still alive because PWI wants it alive. Lucky we are that Nexoff didn't bought this game.

"back into a superhero MMO, based on the HERO Games System!"
Agreed. When someone sells a product as this (or that) and then the product is not conform to its description, it doesn't work.

"their *loyal* player base..."
So loyal that they're either leaving or sleeping on their LTS privileges and don't give a damn.

As I said, I always enjoyed to read your posts on the forum and I'll miss you.


Now that I'm done picking and quoting your points, here's my perception.
Some are claiming that the ship is sinking, some that the ship has already sunk and some that the ship still floats so all these are just tales.
But if we reposition these allegories toward their original target they're aimed to. What we see, is closer to this : this ship (CO) is not sinking and can not sink because it's already laying at the bottom of a dry sea (playerbase insufficient). Years after years, destructive patch after destructive patch, the playerbase became so dry that this ship doesn't sail, doesn't sink, doesn't drown, doesn't move, doesn't go anywhere. It just doesn't at all. Nothing. And paradoxically it can't go worse either.

spordelia

Trust and believe, I’m not enjoying this. And it wasn’t sudden at all, it’s been a long and torturous process. Observation, discussion, numerous tries to reason with, offer constructive criticism, possible solutions, suggestions (begging!), you name it. Hope, positivity, leniency (to a fault, at times). I’ve done it all. Look up my post history: I’m not one to just put stuff down because I’m feeling like it, but I have gone out of my way to compliment a job well done – even if it was not for my tastes, on a personal level. And I’ve supported this game… A LOT. For ten years, LTS or not. I’ve more Zen in my account than I know what to do with.

As of 2020, I’d decided: “CO will see my money when I see something I like” – as it sorta felt like, I’d been bamboozled into funding a small and very specific portion of the player base, someone else’s enjoyment of the game, definitely not my own. That happened 2 times (one of which I kind of jumped the gun, but didn’t regret it). No one’s fault but my own. But moving on, this isn’t about me.


Please correct me if I’m wrong, but your reply (to me) it largely reads like: “this has been the status quo – yes, it’s all gone to s**t – but it’s nothing new, so we just accept it for what it is.” Which is one of my points, exactly: we shouldn’t. I won’t.

holloweaver

I wish it wasn't the status quo but fact is that they've the power to do whatever they want and we've the power to... spend money or not. That's not really enough to change anything or it would already had changed a few things in our way, right?

Paradoxically, at this point the answer is most definitely in our hands but not this way. I believe there's a quote saying "If it's not done the way you want then do it yourself." And that's it. I believe that if we want better, responsible and skilled devs, we'll have to find them ourselves.

Lots of players are already behaving like they're in a post-apo movie (such as the intro of Alita), wandering the wasted lands in hope to find some spared and intact vestige of an old-time working relic (Dark Speed, Dark Aura, etc...) that the devs have not yet broken beyond repair.

jaazaniah1

I just can't figure out why the dev is doing what the dev is doing (maybe there's an explanation on the Discord thing, but there is way too much noise to signal there). There's probably not a player who doesn't want to see the power revamps carried through to completion (assuming they are done well). I'd wager that no one would have prioritized nerfing a relatively minor aspect of the game (vehicles) that took time away from something far more desirable. Feels like such development as we have is driven by whim, rather that a consistent plan.

jonesing4

jaazaniah1 wrote: »

I just can't figure out why the dev is doing what the dev is doing

Yep, the great unanswered question. I don't want to pile on, and holloweaver is right in that this isn't really a doomsday scenario. It's just the same thing that's been happening for years. I'll keep playing, and probably will until they shut off the lights. It just doesn't seem like anything they've added/subtracted in the last few years is going to help keep those lights on any longer, or help me have more fun.

Long ago I started dreading patch notes. If we could stop 'development' and just add costumes & auras while keeping the servers running, I think we'd be coming out ahead. My two cents.

spordelia

This is what I mean by normalizing things that just aren’t normal. I mean, a couple of you guys sound like a depressed wife with a black eye, looking at a doomsday clock like “Oh, well”. You become part of the problem when you enable that stuff.

And I’m not a headhunter for PWE/Cryptic, I don’t get a fee from them, am not looking to and have better sh*t to do. What IS in our hands, as paying customers, is to speak up against what’s wrong and demand a better bang for our buck.

holloweaver

I cancelled my gold subscription since OnAlert update so hmm no, I'm not a paying customer.

jaazaniah1

I'm LTS. They pay me to play. I've never seen "demanding" have any affect on devs in this game.

I really hoped that the TT revamp would entice some of the players who recently disappeared from the game to come back, but, sadly, that doesn't seem to have happened/

speanoz

I do admit, I've often joked around about how my time is being wasted writing up my comprehensive power framework suggestion threads.

jaazaniah1

Interesting. At the time of the day I am usually on I did not see what you describe (i.e. multiple runs) and I have not seen players I was hoping would come back (or thought might come back), but maybe they did come back and they are just on when I am not.

Still sounds like the devs spent too much time on vehicles. If they had left 1) alone they wouldn't have created the cascade of effects that they tried to cludge fixes for.

spordelia

Well, how the mighty have fallen. Not a lot of fight left, as I’ve pointed out, the game has nurtured a different kind of player. But what’s with this general state of apathy, conformism and (contrived) indifference? Honey, I almost feel like I need an upper or something, and if I stick around too much, I’ll enter a crippling depression and go like deep-throat a shotgun that’s been dipped in acid, wrapped with barbed wire, equipped with a grenade launcher and pull the trigger. I mean, Jesus Christ…


So. As per y’all, it can’t get any worse, yes? I used to take solace in the fact that, even if the new “content” (term used loosely) wasn’t up to my tastes or standards, I’d still have all the stuff from before and that I loved. But that’s no longer viable, is it? I’ve been dreading patch notes since the “Dev” (term used loosely) has been keen on going back and fixing destroying things that didn’t need fixing, from when the game had better funding, skilled professionals, art direction… all of that good stuff. Just making up as she goes along, unable/unwilling to deal with her own shortcomings – and they are legion – as the lead Developer of a superhero game. Going into hiding or hiding from her immediate view, what’s/who’s inconvenient or brings forth inconvenient truths. But they don’t really go away, do they? Very much alive and evident in the “state of the game”, for which she’s responsible. And there is no hiding from that.

Our best shot – even if it's a longshot – it’s a new Dev team, like I said, with a healthy and united community to help guide and hopefully bring us home again, back on track. Or else, yes, we’re f****d and a half.

spordelia

speanoz wrote: »

I do admit, I've often joked around about how my time is being wasted writing up my comprehensive power framework suggestion threads.

Honey, I’ve been there.
Know that your work is appreciated by many and that not all hope is lost. Keep doing what you’re doing!

spordelia

Yeah, I’mma let it die. I’ve already pushed this… I think beyond my comfort level and w/o a full deck or I would’ve gone a different route. Not worth my conscience…

speanoz

spordelia wrote: »

speanoz wrote: »

I do admit, I've often joked around about how my time is being wasted writing up my comprehensive power framework suggestion threads.

Honey, I’ve been there.
Know that your work is appreciated by many and that not all hope is lost. Keep doing what you’re doing!

I appreciate your encouragement very much!

All these forum shenanigans going on, I wasn't even notified of your response. I suppose you've got every reason to be as concerned as you are!

mastercontrol7

Here a better look at the state of the game

https://steamcharts.com/app/9880

mastercontrol7

jaazaniah1 wrote: »

I'm LTS. They pay me to play. I've never seen "demanding" have any affect on devs in this game.

I really hoped that the TT revamp would entice some of the players who recently disappeared from the game to come back, but, sadly, that doesn't seem to have happened/

it doesn't take a Revamps to bring people back Jaaza, that stuff doesn't work unless it fixing something that is unplayable, at the Case right now New TT Lair is semi Unplayable, unless you break your theme, or going min/max your build.

if they wanted people back all they had to do was Bring back Eidolon that would have worked really, but sadly that didn't happen and it really too late for it make an impact now...

screwthisprocess

I am shocked the game is still going to be honest.
There are so many mmo and coop games out there
CO is lost in the shuffle, and any idea of a revamp will not help unless it involves launching a new game. The ship has sailed on this mmo.