A message to the developers: Please Reply

Illusion - Heavens Tear · October 2008

This topic is getting beaten to death and I hope at some point you listen to your user base and implement change.

You have developed a wonderful game. As a matter of fact this is probably one of the best MMO's ever made. The amount of detail and thought that went into this game is amazing. Granted I feel that it is missing a "true" story line but that issue is for another post.

You (the designers) have made an almost perfect business plan and implemented it into the game. Cash shop is not necessary for anyone pre level 40ish. That's great, play the game for 40 or so levels and pay nothing, get us hooked and its working. The problem lies past level 40ish which starts to require your 2 most important classes to cash shop (Cleric's and Barbarians). Here is where the problem lies. Currently these 2 classes require charms in order to be effective at their job. At this point the bosses are way to overpowered and the classes underpowered. The use of charms become a money sink and is turning away your users. I personally do not use charms as I do not need them, yet. I do however run a guild and I am having my higher level members leaving the game almost on a daily basis due to the cost restraints of the game.

As I am sure you are aware the average price for pay to play MMO's is around $12-$15 a month. This "free" to play MMO should not cost the end user more than that a month to play. When it starts to cost users 30,40,50,60 bucks a month to play this game effectively to me that shows either a lack of business economics on your part or just plain greed. You can have a user pay $15 bucks a month for years or a user pay $50 a month 2 times and quit. Granted you will have users with deep pockets who are willing to keep dishing out the money but the ones willing to pay $20 a month will far outweigh the ones willing to pay $50-$100 a month.

If you live in the United States I am sure you are aware of the financial crisis we are in right now. Gas has tripled in price within a few years, food cost's have almost doubled, people are losing their homes left and right and the list goes on and on. We play video games to relax, unwind and leave our worries behind for a few hours. When the cost of a GAME starts to become a financial burden as well I can guarantee you that you will lose 99% of your gamer base.

This issue is something I recommend you fix and fix soon. The longer you wait to analyze your statistics the more users your losing. As soon as the next great MMO comes out which has a better financial structure for its users Perfect World International will be a thing of the past for a majority of us.

For now, back to leveling my Wizard and running the guild

Think about what your users are saying, without us you are nothing.

ps I do cash shop

evolxx · October 2008

excellent and well put.

Kingofhearts - Heavens Tear · October 2008

evolxx, your sig doesn't make sense to me, no matter how I try and wrap my brain around it....can you explain? (sorry if I'm straying a little here)

xauss · October 2008

they will delete / lock / move this thread to the appropriate section where cash shop gripes can be buried.

they already know all this, and made a mistake in not setting all prices roughly 120%~150% of MY prices, which would have been accepted by most players.

what remains to be seen is what proportion of players will move to the 'located across the atlantic PW servers hosted by a different company and who promise similar pricing to MY - but who we mustn't mention'

erethizon1 · October 2008

The real problem is one of player attitude. Players honestly expect to be able to fight powerful creatures non-stop with no downtime. The only way to do this is to spend a lot of money in the cash shop. If people tolerated slower experience gain and let people rest between battles then healing items would only be needed for those occasions when you are fighting something truly powerful and not for everyday experience gaining.

Illusion - Heavens Tear · October 2008

erethizon1 wrote: »

The real problem is one of player attitude. Players honestly expect to be able to fight powerful creatures non-stop with no downtime. The only way to do this is to spend a lot of money in the cash shop. If people tolerated slower experience gain and let people rest between battles then healing items would only be needed for those occasions when you are fighting something truly powerful and not for everyday experience gaining.

To some extent I agree with this. However, when the Barb in one of my FB29's burns through a silver charm to tank the boss, that's unacceptable, he was level 39 btw, with a cleric in the party. Maybe the cleric was being lazy I don' t know for sure. Even still the boss's in this game are way overpowered compared to player level.

erethizon1 · October 2008

Illusion - Heavens Tear wrote: »

To some extent I agree with this. However, when the Barb in one of my FB29's burns through a silver charm to tank the boss, that's unacceptable, he was level 39 btw, with a cleric in the party. Maybe the cleric was being lazy I don' t know for sure. Even still the boss's in this game are way overpowered compared to player level.

That I do indeed agree with. The bosses are amazingly powerful (though I suppose that is why are relatively rare).

As for the cleric laziness, that probably has something to do with it too. I have even had people tell me not to bother healing them because they had a healing charm on. I imagine a lot of clerics mostly stop healing once they see that the tank is self-healing. I usually try to heal people with charms just to save them some money, but even I am not as diligent about it just because I know their life is not truly in danger.

I wonder what the designers really intended when it comes to boss fights. I do not know if the plan really was for the same group to do 20 FB29's in one night as a way to gather rare items or not. (I am not saying you are doing 20 a night, but I do have been part of groups that set up chat rooms and invite everyone they can to do their FB for them).

Fatburger - Lost City · October 2008

xauss wrote: »

what remains to be seen is what proportion of players will move to the 'located across the atlantic PW servers hosted by a different company and who promise similar pricing to MY - but who we mustn't mention'

LOLZ u talkin bout the version of the game that was supposed to launch in mid september and now they saying maybe mid october? u know wut im talking bout the site that tkaes 30 secs just to load 1 page from the message board? yeah, that game is really gonna run as smoothly as a swiss watch. b:chuckleb:chuckleb:chuckle

lirdor · October 2008

erethizon1 wrote: »

That I do indeed agree with. The bosses are amazingly powerful (though I suppose that is why are relatively rare).

As for the cleric laziness, that probably has something to do with it too. I have even had people tell me not to bother healing them because they had a healing charm on. I imagine a lot of clerics mostly stop healing once they see that the tank is self-healing. I usually try to heal people with charms just to save them some money, but even I am not as diligent about it just because I know their life is not truly in danger.

Well cleric working harder to heal isn't exactly saving any money either. Considering while a tank can go through his guardian charm, to prevent that a cleric pretty much has to burn out a full spirit charm on a single boss as well. The big thing is that there's no real way to make MP regen and planning a legitimate balance in this game.

While I hate WoW with a passion, healing, conserving MP, preventing yourself from running out of MP, gearing yourself appropriately so so that you can make 1 tank of MP last the battle was the strategy.

In PW, that's not really an option. The tank is guaranteed to die, if the cleric is not burning at least 100 MP a second, and well, mp regen rate with max buffs and gear is... maybe 15 a second?

Also since the main heal is a HOT, there's not really a strategy timing factor that can be used. You have to have several heals stacked before the damage hits, rather then after, so you can't really plan or react. Kind of annoying in my opinion because it takes most of the skill out of healing, not really a thinking job, just a having enough money. and pressing the button the most times in a row.

Naris - Heavens Tear · October 2008

Illusion - Heavens Tear wrote: »

To some extent I agree with this. However, when the Barb in one of my FB29's burns through a silver charm to tank the boss, that's unacceptable, he was level 39 btw, with a cleric in the party. Maybe the cleric was being lazy I don' t know for sure. Even still the boss's in this game are way overpowered compared to player level.

A barbarian with an hp charm can tank just about any boss. However, in the case of magic bosses a wizard/venomancer/cleric (preferably wizards due to shields) is a far, far better tank that'll not need charms assuming they have a competent healer or two. MP gain can be done through apothecary manufactured potions.

I do think the game becomes too hard without use of charms and guardian angels, but people who say that you NEED money after level 40 are wrong. Get yourself a good group of like minded (and skilled) players in a nice faction with various classes and you'll be fine.

Vallren - Lost City · October 2008

Naris, while you are true, MOST people arn't as good as they think they are, and from an economical standpoint, that is the majority. If a majority of people cannot find that ideal sync and group, thus having to pay money for things, the problem still exists.

Not to belittle anyone but that is honestly the truth. You have to consider everything when talking economics and skill level is no exception.

crimezone · October 2008

so far i've been thinking of buying a charm once..but 2 be honest being a lvl 30 cleric..i don't need any..a well timed mp pot or 2 does the job 2 keep healing for about 5 min...so if i take 100 mp pots with me i can last for at least an hour or so...if i'm really constantly casting, and that's not even needed very often...

if you are in a good faction or have a nice group of players 2gether they'll sponsor some mp pots to keep it payable..it's all about giving and taking...

acolyte · October 2008

I agree with the barbs and charm, my barb wouldnt stay alive if he didnt have his charms when boss tanking.
Thats also why i made the "why cant clerics heal" post lol
Anyway, like i said in other thread i wont be buying any more from cash shop.
I joined this for the "free game play" part and yes i did buy some cash items but that has stoped.
Like someone told me in a reply no1 will invite you to anything if you got no charms ect.. and so i will quit this game when that hits in.
To me its just another game and i have no problems at all to just delete what i have buid and move on b:pleased
And as it is now, Eq was much more cheaper to play by just paying the monthly fee lol

russel · October 2008

This game can be perfectly played without spending $$
If you do a FB and nobody wants to use charms, get a WB and 2 EP's. EP can use the regen potion that can be made with pharmacy..
Or get 3 WF's and let one pet attack and 3 WF's heal.

If you want to level fast you need to spent $. If you want to use little $, you level slow.

russel · October 2008

acolyte wrote: »

I agree with the barbs and charm, my barb wouldnt stay alive if he didnt have his charms when boss tanking.
Thats also why i made the "why cant clerics heal" post lol
Anyway, like i said in other thread i wont be buying any more from cash shop.
I joined this for the "free game play" part and yes i did buy some cash items but that has stoped.
Like someone told me in a reply no1 will invite you to anything if you got no charms ect.. and so i will quit this game when that hits in.
To me its just another game and i have no problems at all to just delete what i have buid and move on b:pleased
And as it is now, Eq was much more cheaper to play by just paying the monthly fee lol

It is BS. A Barbarian don't need charm to tank bosses......
Get decent healers in your party.

acolyte · October 2008

russel wrote: »

It is BS. A Barbarian don't need charm to tank bosses......
Get decent healers in your party.

lol.. well there isnt any "sign" on the clerics so you cant see who is and who isnt one.

So its Not BS!

russel · October 2008

acolyte wrote: »

lol.. well there isnt any "sign" on the clerics so you cant see who is and who isnt one.

So its Not BS!

Well what's wrong with asking what level the heal spells are of a cleric?
And if you working with strangers, get an extra cleric. Make sure they got regen potions or a charm. Before entering make sure everybody know it's role..

Tara - Lost City · October 2008

Totally agree with the poster this must stop these money sinks are driving many away i'm tired of paying hundreds of dollars just to have some fun in a game sure the title says free to play but i'd love to see anyone actually get high in this without the need too Cash shop to win please lower Potions in game make materials buy able in a NPC and lower the terrible Cash shop prices Hieros either add them in game or remove them completely please..b:irritated

eva08 · October 2008

they'd probably bring in more $ if prices can be lowered more, but that's not going to happen when there're plenty buying the $50 mount. oh well, it's a good thing i guess, adc would be even more crowded if more ppl could afford these huge rides.

erethizon1 · October 2008

Tara - Lost City wrote: »

...Hieros either add them in game or remove them completely please..b:irritated

That is one statement I totally agree with. At least if they were not in the game people would learn how to play without them and people that do not use them would not be discriminated against. Granted, I am against potions in general for the same reason.

And (to acolyte) if you really believe that clerics cannot heal properly then (as a cleric) I am all for your spearheading a campaign to make our spells more powerful and mp efficient. I too would prefer it if we could keep everyone alive in boss fights without anyone needing to use charms or potions. Unfortunately, that is not the way they designed the game.

Illusion - Heavens Tear · October 2008

I can not speak from experience on the whole charm issue with barbs and clerics, I can only speak of what I see within my faction. I am losing barbs once they reach higher levels and the complaint that I am getting is the constant need for charms. I would like to think that I have a well rounded guild and from the FB runs I have done with them everyone seems to be doing their job properly. However as I am participating in the FB myself I cant keep constant tabs on who is keeping the tank alive at all times (the charm or cleric). I have to assume from what I am told by people leaving the game in whole is that it is an issue with the dynamics of the game itself.

To take the other side of the issue this game can probably very well be played without cash shop. Here creates another problem though. We live in a gimmie gimmie gimmie society. We want results and we want them now. The majority of gamers do not want to wait for the tank to heal. They don't want to wait for the Cleric to rest back his/her MP. They do not want to wait to be level 39 to do their FB29 (in my opinion when the boss should be fought). These issues are breaking up the community in my opinion. There seems to be a real lack of teamwork and comradery in this game and that's how the developers want it. How do I know this, take a look at the facts:

There is no monster "claiming". this causes us to get pissed off at each other for KS'ing.

The window for getting your drops is only 30 seconds. The spawns of the mobs are pretty close together in this game which it makes it easy to get aggro while fighting another mob. If your trying to avoid death you are more concerned about killing the aggro then getting your loot thus losing your window.

There is no limit on how much land a faction can control.

There is no kind of GM control over world shouts.

I can go on forever about it but you get my point.

The bottom line is Perfect World is nothing more than a business trying to make the biggest profit margin possible with their product. They have not listened to their players and their requests. They have not implemented any change in the positive direction. The only thing I have seen so far is additions to their cash shop. What good is a company that does not care about their customers?

Perfect World has been silent on the most core issues of this game and in my opinion will not speak up because either they know we are right or the changes we request will cost them money. The thing they don't seem to understand is that not addressing these issues may be saving them money now but they are losing users in the process. Do they really have a way of tracking this, no, we don't subscribe to the game. A player can just walk away and never log in again. By the time your statistics show a decline in sales your players have been gone for months.

Perfect World listen to your user base, show us you care. I know your reading this right now yet you have nothing to say. Sad really...

nounours · October 2008

you know what , u can just go back to pw-my.
As to me what i see is this: an improuving game, not like pw-my or other f2p boring games. Besides do you think a game sould be made to make people lv fast?
The problem with pw-my is that charm's prices re too low, so u see people lv realy fast. Yes i do agree that its unfair to some class, but its the fact.
About F2p games, i do prefer them cause at least u dont lose ur char if u stop paying it.
I ve never played p2p, but iam sure of 1 thing, in f2p ur char is saved for ever.
Pwe has already put prices down, lets not keep brothering them.

Sry again for my bad english, im fr.

strahd · October 2008

The charm issue is in my opinion not an issue. You can get many things to improve HP/MP regeneration such as buffs and potions / apothecary filters. For instance, there are potions that regenerate 3000 MP in 30 secs (thats 100MP/sec) and my personal favourite that increases mana regen by 50 / sec for 10 mins (same exist for HP). By now you are at 150 / sec for at least 30 secs not counting your stats (Vit increases life regen Mag increases Mana regen) or a healer you might have or your recently manufactured robe with +5 health regen. And those potions arent difficult to make at all. Just 25 herbs for every 5 pots. You get an average of 2 herbs / plant you harvest so all you have to do is roam around and harvest 15 plants. You can also fortify yourself against damage so you wont have to rely on regeneration. Again the apothecary offers a wide selection of easily manufactured charms (what an advertisement :P )that reduce physical damage you recieve by 33% for example.
And of course you can add the human factor in. Get some friends...a versatile group and everyhting will be better. Its and MMO so try to cooperate with others instead of grinding at the same place, hunting the same mobs each on his own. (Btw ksers don't get quest kills so the experience they leech is nothing to be mad at). We pulled a FB (of our own level) with only one DD and no tank at all. In fact it was a legendary (:P) group of 4 clerics and an archer. Sure we didnt finish it in 20 mins (more like an hour and a half) sure we died a couple of times(or 2 couples of times hoho) but , hey, thats the game and we had a great time.
If you wanna go alone or you want to be 150 lvl in a week then yes you NEED cash shop. If you just wanna lay back and enjoy the game no need to sweat.

The only REAL problem for me is safe and inventory capacity. You need to gather so many things (materials, herbs. potions, drops, quest drops) and you have nowhere to keep em thus ending up motionless on the battlefield trying to weight wether it would be better to keep those light leggings or that ring you just got while the carnage rages around you. I have expanded my safe to its full (???) of 4 rows i have passed all the lower ingredients i don't need to friends and still my safe is FULL and my inv has 4 spots left at most. So they only cash ,in my opinion, needed for the game is the inventory expansion stone as there's no quest ,that i know off, for that.
All the above of course is my personal opinion which might as well change as i go on to higher levels. For now i'm well around 50ish with 2 chars and a few 30ish.

Edit: Other factions can limit the number of territories held by one.
GM's can't implement common sense on other players. (Sadly)
Please do go on so we can discuss. Thats why we are in this forum.

And the name may be perfect world but as you know perfection is an elusive illusion. There will always be things you dont like but someone elses does and vice versa.

And ofc it is a bussiness.No one will make smth just for the masses to enjoy. But the decision is on the "customer".
And if i were you i would wait at least until the open beta mark wears off to see if there's any improvement.

erethizon1 · October 2008

The inventory and safe extension stones were the first (and only) things I got from the cash shop as well. I spent my first 2 million coin getting those items and it was totally worth it.

santanika · October 2008

easily put: want the prices lowered? then STOP buying zen. stop giving them money. stop buying it, then they have no choice but to listen.

Robb - Lost City · October 2008

the devolopers are chineese and would not understand this.

Feraldreamzz - Sanctuary · October 2008

I agree with strahd. I recently found the benefits of the Apothecary, and wow, there's some really fantastic stuff in there. Pick up those herbs you need as you're fighting mobs. Doesn't take much time. Those items will make your game play so much better.

Items I currently use:

Life Powder: Regen HP 50/sec for 10 minutes
Focus Powder: Regen Mana 50/sec for 10 minutes
Chao Powder: Recovers 2000 HP in 30 sec
Orb of Vibrating Light: Recovers 4000HP in 30 sec
Jade Powder: Recovers 3000 Mana over 30 sec

And it's FREE! Just takes a bit of time to gather the herbs. Either pay with real cash, or do a little work to get it for free. And......you don't have to do your FB's right when you get the quests. Wait a bit so you're better prepared to handle it.

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