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Rampager
Site Admin
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 51
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 Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:57 pm Post subject: Mark Jacobs about Warhammer Online MMORPG (2005) |
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These comments were made by Mark Jacobs on sites such as the Warhammer Unofficial Forums, the Warhammer Alliance, etc...
but they are addressed to the whole community of warhammer online fans so enjoy this compilation :
23 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
First, I want to thank everyone for their kind words regarding the announcement of our first Warhammer game. Everyone at Mythic is quite excited about the possibilities that this partnership with the fine folks at Games Workshop with bring about to both companies. Secondly, as to the game that we have begun work on, it will be a game that is focused on the RvR aspects of Warhammer. We will reveal more details over the coming months but for now, I think the best way to describe the game I have envisioned is the simple phrase "This time it's WAAAGH!" Third, I apologize in advance for what will be infrequent appearances here and other Warhammer-related sites. It's not that I don't love to chat (as the guys at GW can tell you, getting me to shut up is more of a problem), but I have a game design to work on after all.
To answer some brief questions that have popped up here and on other forums:
1) This is not a continuation of the Warhammer Online project. Mythic is working closely with GW to create a new vision for a Warhammer online game.
2) The development time-line for the game is a tad over 2 years but given our experience and existing code-base (Dark Age of Camelot, Imperator and others), we believe we can meet that schedule.
3) We want to pull in as much material from the Warhammer material as we can to make this a great game. I don't care where it comes from, if it's Warhammer (Fantasy Battles, RPG, Warmaster) and it also can be part of a great game, I want to try to fit it in this game. This game will not be DAoC2 with the name of Warhammer attached.
4) RvR does not equal PvP. DAoC is not a PvP game and neither will be this game. We want people to be able to roleplay and we also want them to be able to play the game without worrying about getting ganked from the moment they enter the game by someone more powerful than them.
5) The building and maintaining of community is quite important to Mythic whether it is in the game or out of it. The reason we don't host our own forums is that we either do it well (which means full-time admins, added costs) or we would rather not do it at all. We will consider setting up our own forums for this game but most likely, they will be private to keep the noise level down. Now, if we make them private, we will of course invite all the people who have been participating in forums like these to join us. We will also have ultra-private forums for beta-testers as we do for DAoC and Imperator.
6) As to the question of religion in Warhammer, we expect it will play a role. Religion doesn't in Imperator because Imperator is meant to be a pure sci-fi game. We'd be foolish to do the same here.
7) As a friend of mine at GW says in describing what we want to do with this game, Warhammer will not be happy-clappy land, we'll leave dancing orcs, prancing elves to other guys. 
8 ) I have a long-standing relationship with a number of the people at GW, and I hold them, and the IP, in the highest regard. Nothing that we are doing is in any way a sign of disrespect for what has gone before. It's a new day, a new vision but the old world.
Best,
Mark Jacobs
President/CEO
Mythic Entertainment
P.S. It's going to be a lot of fun...
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23 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
A few more quick notes:
1) We are not intending to do a "purist" version of a WH-based game. Why? Well, first, there is no such thing. Warhammer is an incredibly rich environment which not only supports various games but the individual games have changed over the decades. Additionally, even if we were going to focus on one particular game (let's say the FRPG) and even on one edition of the rules, there would still be disagreements over things like rule interpretations. I prefer to look at what we are doing in terms of our game(s) being a "true" interpretation of WH. Now, this is not to say that this is the AMAZING, LAST, FINAL and PENULTIMATE TRUE version of WH but rather simple our attempt to create a great game that feels like it belongs to the WH world. Of course, we will disagree over what is true WH or not but that's why we will have lots of help in order to ensure we deliver on what we promise.
2) Both Mythic and GW are in agreement that we can create an RvR game that is based on the WH IP. So, for a little while longer, have some faith that we have way to allow for various sides to beat each other over the heads with really nasty weapons (and magic, don't forget the magic) in a way that fits in with the WH IP. Remember, this world has been around for a long time and if you search the IP carefully, you will see lots and lots of opportunities for all sorts of mayhem. We will talk about how this will work in detail once we get to the next stage of the project.
3) In terms of Mythic running out of money when we are working on this game; no worries there otherwise GW would have gone running off in the opposite direction when we worked this deal out.
4) In terms of the art look, we will not be attempting to recreate WoW nor WO as neither look fits what we want to do here. One of the great things about WH is that it is an incredibly rich world (from an artistic sense) and we can draw on different looks in order to make our vision come to life. The only thing I can assure you is that some of you will disagree with whatever look we pick, that is the nature of this business. No worries though, as long as you keep the rotten fruit and vegetables coming our way along with the criticism, at least we can keep feeding our team late into the night.
5) To answer Linhart's questions (can't have you burning to death, at least not for two years), yes, this will be an advancement-based system. Even if it is RvR-based, we don't want it to be Warhammer: Doom, this will be an RPG. As to dynamic player-influenced content, yeap, that's part of the plan.
One last little bit before I go is that as we develop this game there will be times where we will disagree with each other. You may think that I or my company are a bunch of barely-skilled chimps who haven't the vaguest idea of what we are doing. While I hope that isn't the case, all I ask is that we are polite and respectful to each other. If that simple request is met, we will continue to be able to engage in discussions and information-sharing here. One of our rules is that the team will never attack any poster personally nor rudely (and if they do, it will never happen again) and I hope that the posters here follow the same rule. If so, we'll get on just fine. Again, I am simply asking that players express themselves in a civilized, polite and professional manner and not that they simply parrot the Mythic/GW line.
It's going to be great, glorious fun and I'm looking forward to the next two years with great anticipation.
Mark |
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25 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Regarding GW's input in the whole design process I think it is safe to say that they will quite involved with it and not just protecting their IP. It's safe to say this because the process has already started. We'd be foolish not to try to use all the resources we have at had to do this project and that means talking to some of the GW guys and get their thoughts, ideas, etc. on what they would like to see in this game. While Mythic is indeed driving the design, we are doing that in close consultation with the GW guys. The initial vision for the game may have started with me but by the time it is done, GW, other Mythic personnel and maybe even people who post here and in other places may see some things they suggest in the game. FYI, I'm currently combing through hundreds of pages of documentation from guys at GW and elsewhere to see what ideas can become a part of this game.
In terms of making this game like WoW, not likely. I have the utmost respect for Blizzard and a long-time friendship with a number of people there. Their game is their game, just as this will be our game. I have no more desire to make this game like WoW than I do like EQ, WO or any other game out there. This game needs to stand on its own, apart from what has gone before.
Finally, as to skill-based vs. advancement-based, the game will be advancement-based. Now, do we want the game to feel grindy? Nope, not at all but nor do we want to make it so somebody comes in off the street and can, due to superior reflexes, hardware setup, etc. be able to kill players who have been playing the game for a while. For those gamers, Doom, Unreal, etc. are a better choice than this game will be. At its core, this game will have more in common with an RPG rather than an FPS.
Mark |
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25 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
A couple of quick points here. First, before anyone gets too concerned about what is or is not going to be in this game, allow me to at first get the first draft done of the game design document. Now, feel free to offer ideas, suggestions, etc. (maybe we should create another topic?) but before anyone gets upset, at least let the ink dry on the first 100 pages or so.
Second, I happen to like the career system as well and one of my initial challenges is figuring out how to incorporate it into the game. On one hand, it has some very cool, very GW-type stuff but on the other hand, it must be pared down to fit this kind of game. The other challenge is to incorporate it in a manner so it isn't "grindy" but still rewards people who have had more success in the game. If we want to draw an analogy from Mythic's own games, I want this aspect to feel more like Imperator than DAoC. By this I mean, lots of fun missions and very little (if any) missions (or simply grinding) of "go kill 1000 orcs, 200 chimps and 50 halflings (well, maybe halflings ), for all that, get one bubble of experience. Our focus is on the endgame for WH; which is the RvR conflict and the rewards and challenges at the high-end not creating thousands of quests, 100s of NPCs to keep players entertained for days, months, years, etc. One thing for sure, there will not be any "kill 100 wolves to get one special wolf pelt" kind of quest in this game. And the first one at Mythic to create such a quest will end up as Skaven-chow.
Mark |
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25 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Nope, no dry pages yet. Working on it though I'm still suffering from E3-lag so I won't get back to writing full-time till tomorrow. I have been reading a lot though and yes, to answer a question, what I have been reading is everything that has gone before from anybody who apparently has ever written a document regarding WOL. If my head doesn't explode (Osiris, you can have first crack at the tasty bits!) first, I expect to have read all the material by sometime tomorrow.
As to halflings and Giggles idea for a quest, FYI I have already asked whether GW would consider a) halflings as the other, other white meat; b) allowing us to treat halflings as sporting objects for the players.
Also, one last bit. When I chat here I will try not to respond directly to people not because I am rude but rather when I do that, sometimes other people get annoyed that I am "ignorning" them and their idea(s). So please don't take offense if I don't cite or respond to people directly. In the case of Giggle's quest idea, it was just too funny, appropriate and fits with my sense of humor, not to cite him.
Okay, I was wrong, one more little bit. I tend, at times, to try to be funny, at times sarcastic (usually in regards to myself, Mythic) in these posts. Credit my British (East End, London) dad and my American mom (Bronx, NY) for the really strange combination of humor that I will display as we get to know each other better.
Mark |
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26 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Just so we have our definitions straight:
1)Grindy - Actions (quests, NPC hunting) which must be repeated ad nauseum in order to progress through levels. These actions, which on an individual level might be fun, when put back to back are anything but fun. By my defintion, RvR is not grinding (since it *can* be different all the time) but RvR can certainly be dull. The trick is to make RvR as fun as possible and not grindy.
2) Skill-based game - A game which relies on the individual ability of the player alone and not on statistics, abilities, etc. on the player's avatar to determine success. Doom, Unreal, etc. would be examples of skill-based games. These games are also referred to as "twitch" games.
3) Level-based game - A game which relies on the statistics, abilities, etc. of a player's avatar to determine his success. Advancement can be tied to avatar skills directly (Skill System = Lookee, I have a 55% chance now to hit with my axe) or by level (Level System = I'm level 10, I hit 55% with all my weapons). Almost all CRPGs (there may be exemptions though none come to mind) are level-based games as is the Warhammer Fantasy.
As of now, I see this game being a level-based game that utilizes a robust skill system as part of an over-arching career system. I also want Mythic to create a game that you can play as an individual or as part of a group. Obviously, the WHFB system is geared to armies and the WHF ruleset is geared to small groups. What I can tell you now is that the RvR scheme that we are looking at would involve things that you can do a) solo; b) with a small group; c) with a large group and in big-hunking battles. The game will also include lots of things you can do without having to go into battle against other people.
Also, please, please I ask you all down on bended knee not to read too much into things you might think I am saying, hinting at, etc. in my posts. That leads to confusion, confusion leads to stress, stress leads anger and anger, well, that leads to counseling, lawsuits and hurt itty-bitty feelings and you know, we can't have any of that here!
Mark |
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28 May 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
1) Finishing the first draft of the character section of the document and, as of now, there is a career system in this game. I think we can make it work so we are going to give it a shot. When I cut down on the list some more, I'll let you guys know what we are thinking of.
2) All US/European servers will be run by Mythic. We announced the opening of a European office for Mythic a couple of weeks ago and we have every intention of hosting/running those servers.
3) The focus of this game will be on RvR and we want players to gain the vast majority of their skills, experience, fame, etc. through RvRing. Now, keep in mind that RvR doesn't always mean PvP.
4) We plan on following the same approach as we did with DAoC in regards to free content and retail content. Nobody has given out more subscription based content than Mythic has with DAoC (and we are not done yet) and we hope to do the same here. As the ad goes, membership has its rewards.
5) Skills, there will be lots and lots of skills and a lot more complex combat system that WFRP.
6) In terms of this game being "Warhammer like" all I need to say right now is that, for example, in the character section, all the stats we are using are directly from the WFRP as are most of the racial bonuses, benefits, etc. This game will look and feel like a WH game right from the beginning, period. To do otherwise would run counter to my reason for getting the license to do this game (and other games), because the IP has value in terms of its depth of content and loyal fanbase. No matter what we do, I'm sure we will set off some fireworks, but in the end, I know that GW (and most of its fanbase) will agree that this game is indeed worthy of being considered a Warhammer game.
Mark |
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6 July 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Just a quick note to say that I have returned from a week in Nottingham meeting and working with our friends at Games Workshop. It was an incredibly productive week and I can say without any fear of contradiction, that they exceeded all of my expectations. The game design that we have been working on at Mythic was meant with much nodding of heads (in a good way, not nodding due to boredom or the contemplation of one's feet). Further, they were active and contributory participants in the discussions and the ideas/concepts/etc. were flying fast and furious. One of the things that impressed me the most was the understanding of MMORPGs (and what makes them successful) that the guys at GW have already. The game is very much on-track and from my perspective, I think we are actually ahead of where I thought we might be at this point. While I can't reveal anything now, I will begin revealing details about the game by the end of August once the initial design is locked down. I will say though that I expect that most (never all) of you will like what we are doing in creating this game. While we have a long way to go, we are off to a fantastic start and I expect that in the not-too-distant future, you'll agree with us.
I am not prone to hyperbole but I and the WH team at Mythic are truly excited by where we are in the process and what we are driving towards. And, if I may speak for GW, so are they. It's going to be one heck of a ride...
Mark |
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6 July 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Crafting will be an important part of this game but keep in mind the following core principles:
1) All major crafting skills (leaving room just in case we want to do some pure "fluff" ones in the future) are geared to the waging of battles both on the large and small scale.
2) The crafting system will not require you to create 100s of items to advance a level, rank, etc.
3) The crafting system must be enjoyable, otherwise why bother?
4) The system will not encourage farming, whether for loot or through the crafting system.
5) They will be a wide range of items available for creation and use. WH is full of great and glorious items and so will our game.
6) The game will not be all about the Phat Loot though.
Mark |
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7 July 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Jumping in with both feet and without concern for life and limb, I say:
Buff - A spell, ability or other thing that temporarily enhances a player(s) or heal.
Buffer - A class of player whose main purpose is to buff another player.
BuffBot - A second character that acts as buffer, without the risking life or limb, primarily through the use of ranged buff spells. The buffbot is usually kept in a safe area and used by a player to buff his own (or other player's character).
So, in a nutshell, we like temporary buffs/healing and such things are part of WFRPG (but not always from player's actions) but I don't want Buffbots in the game. Keep in mind that people will buy a second account since there are a ton of people who want another account for their significant other (or kids). Also keep in mind that some people confuse Buffers and Buffbots and no MMORPG that I know of says that people can't be Buffers nor that players are limited to one account. I can promise that this game will have a much different system for buffing than does DAoC and we will prevent, as much as possible, Buffbots in this game.
Mark |
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20 July 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I'm not surprised that this week's announcement regarding Imperator has some people concerned here. Frankly, I would be as well if I wasn't working at Mythic. The reasons for Imperator being postponed boiled down to one reason, the game wasn't shaping up to be as much fun as we hoped. In other words, it wasn't a great and glorious game as we want all our games to be going forward. It was easily the hardest decision I've ever had to make in all my years in the industry as not only was it "my baby" but it was the first product Mythic was ever going to be very late on (assuming we put it back in production at some point). It doesn't do Mythic any good to produce a mediocre game especially when the cost of doing that game will exceed 10M USD. So, for now, the product is shelved until we determine if it can be made into a great game. If at some point in the future we think we can make it into a great game, we will put it back into production. I believe in the IP and I also believe that there is a great game there waiting to come out. However, as Mythic is an independent developer, we must make decisions that are good for the company over the long-term and not based on short-term needs. I hope that the community sees this as a very positive move for WH since the desire to produce only top-quality games not the revenue that Imperator would have produced or the desire of its creator to see it through, is what drove this decision.
In what this means for WH, besides the stuff above it means:
1) A small team (less than 20) has already been assigned to work on WH starting this past week. Now, this team is a lot larger than would have been assigned at this point without the IO postponement. This will speed up the pre-production phase of the game.
2) A full and experienced team will move on to the project ahead of the initial schedule (assuming the pre-production continues to go well) with almost every member of the team having online development experience. We had been looking for lots of new team members for WH but now that isn't necessary. This will also speed up the development of the game.
3) Mythic will be focusing on two projects instead of three over the next two years.
4) Fans/potential fans/haters won't have too worry about what a problem with IO will have on WH development or Mythic's finances.
5) I've always said that you can learn more from a failed project than you can from a successful one and we have already learned a lot of very valuable lessons from IO and will learn more as we review what went wrong.
So, as the GW guys and I have already discussed, this is a great decision for them and WH fans. They too believe in quality first and foremost so they understand and support why we did what we did. Personally, it was tough for me and the people at Mythic who believed in the IP but if I can't separate my own love/support for a game (especially one I created) and my role as CEO, I'm failing the people who make Mythic what it is, a leading developer and a great bunch of guys and gals. In my heart, postponing IO was the right decision and if we bring it back in the future, it will be the right decision then.
Mark
P.S. I have no worries about the same fate befalling a WH game. With the GW IP, the help/support of the folks at GW and Mythic's development experience and love of the IP, we are in unbelievable shape already. If we mess up on this one, we deserve whatever fate befalls us. |
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24 August 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
As promised, here’s my August update on the state of Mythic’s Warhammer MMORPG.
1) We have received approval from GW on the initial game design for the game. What this means for Mythic is two-fold. First, we have created an initial design that the GW guys actually like and are excited at the thought of seeing online. Comments such as “The only thing I don’t like about it is that we have to wait two years to play it!” have made the Mythic team smile from ear-to-ear. Secondly, It means that work can begin at full-speed on certain parts of the approved material. Thus, I can say without any doubt that we are right on schedule.
2) The game will take place “out-of-time” with all the current GW material. With GW’s help, Mythic will sketch out a new time period for the game’s setting. This will allow the teams more freedom in creating content that is tailor-made for this game without worrying about contradicting existing GW material.
3) The game will be heavily-Warhammer. Not heavily-influenced by WH, not flavored with juicy bits of WH, but heavily-Warhammer. We are drawing on all the WH fantasy material no matter whether it comes from the Warhammer Fantasy Battles or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, etc. We will be pulling in as much material as we can in order not only to create a great game but to create a great WH game. An example of this would be our implementation of the Career System from the WFRP or using a particularly iconic High Elf unit within the game as something the player can aspire to become.
4) The game will be RvR-centric, focused on the ongoing battles between three separate groups (more information on these groups down the road).
5) The playable races that will be represented in the game are Humans (Empire), High Elves, Dwarves, Dark Elves, Chaos (more to come on this, sorry for being vague), Orcs and Goblins. While we want to do almost all the other races (except Halflings, who are a race best served over a net at about 100MPH), we don’t want to overreach right from the beginning. We plan on, of course, expansion packs that will bring the other races into the mix down the road. Not having Skaven, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, etc. in right from the beginning was not an easy decision but the important thing is to bring in enough races to make it fun but to do so in a way that allows us to more easily balance the game and create specific content for the races that is both fun and true to WH. The temptation to add more races is quite strong but our goal with this game is not to try to impress the player with how much stuff we can throw at you but rather we want to impress you with what we do throw at you (we only choose the best rotten and decaying food substances to toss at you!). In other words, quality not quantity.
6) GW has been very kind and extremely helpful in sharing their knowledge, thoughts, ideas and most importantly, access to Bugman’s Bar, as the project continues to evolve. We have been fortunate enough to work with folks such as Rick Priestley, Alan Merrett, Gav Thorpe, John Blanche and others (the list goes on and on) right from the beginning. The GW people are also continuing to be part of the development process as they continue to share their input with us. The best part of this is that it is a collaborative effort with both sides focused on one goal, to create the best RvR-centric MMORPG to date. We have been fortunate to work with great licenses and licensors in the past but GW has taken the crown (and the throne, the jewels and a serving wench or two as well, damn them!). The approval process has been run professionally and in a timely manner and that, in and of itself, would give GW the crown. However, when you throw in the fact that when this game is released it will not only be GW approved but it will contain lots of new bits that GW has created for use in this game, it is clear that working with these guys has been nothing less than glorious.
7) Magic will play a large role in the game. We are taking all the material contained in the IP and expanding on it while maintaining the core WH magic system. I know that some people here are hoping that magic would be less of a role in this MMORPG than other MMORPGs but as GW would tell you, magic is everywhere in the world of Warhammer. Make no mistake about it, magic will play a great role in the game but it will be WH magic, not D&D magic.
8 ) The RvR and combat systems in this game will not be DAoC2. While I don’t want to go into details now (for competitive reasons), what we are creating for this game is tailored to this game, to the IP and to make this a next-generation game.
9) Our artists have, so far, created and nailed (from a WH perspective) a great look for this game. While we have quite a ways to go our guys have, I think, even surprised GW a little bit in how quickly we have grasped the WH IP. With all the input we got from our last trip to GW, I expect that both WH fans and gamers new to the IP will love the look of the game. While we are not ready to post anything yet, I can tell you that the look is not a clone of World of Warcraft but neither is it a clone of Dark Age of Camelot. The look is unique to this game and very, very WH (okay, I’ll tell you this much, our concept art for the Dwarf showed him with a beer mug in one hand ).
10) With the postponement of Imperator and the fact that DAoC’s next expansion in coming out soon, we will be able to almost fully staff the WH team ahead of schedule. What this means is that we will be able to make a big splash at E3 2006.
So, that’s it for now. I’ll be back on these boards in September with more news and updates. |
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24 August 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Realm imbalance in this game is a primary concern of ours. We have some rather unique and interesting ways of dealing with it which, I'm sorry to say, I won't talk about it now. However, please keep in mind that it is our #1 concern in both the short and the long term. It doesn't do us any good to design a great game that two months out is so imbalanced that our playerbase drops to nothing. We have learned a lot from DAoC (as well as other games) and we expect to use that knowledge to all of our advantages.
Couple of other quick notes:
1) We are not targetting this game at WoW's audience or WoW's numbers. To do so would require us to create a PvE-centric game and not an RvR-centric game. While we would love to get WoW's numbers (who wouldn't right?) that is not our focus for this game.
2) DAoC was never a niche product, even in light of WoW's numbers. At its peak, it was the #2 US online game trailing only EQ. Even today it's worldwide numbers are quite good. Keep in mind that DAoC is a monthly subscription game (and we only report subs who are currently paid up as monthly subscriptions) as opposed to how many of the Asian games (and some US games) charge overseas. This is not to minimize the extraordinary success of games like Lineage and now WoW but to some extent it is, at times, comparing apples and oranges.
3) Also keep in mind the difference between saying a server supports 30K people and 30K simultaneous people. Unless I'm mistaken, a WoW world/server/shard does not support 30K simultaneous people and they are much more akin to how EQ, DAoC, AC, etc. handle population load. When they say a server is at low, medium and high pop they are referring to the total population of the server which usually translates to how crowded it will be at peak times. Again, I could be wrong about this but I don't think I am.
4) For this game we certainly don't want a single world which can support even 10K simultaneous players unless we were sure that would make for a better game. Now, experience tells me that it wouldn't, that if you have too many people in your realm, then everything is crowded and dealing in non-instanced areas is more of a pain. The focus for this game is to create the best RvR game out there if it that means we need to up our simultaneous populations, it is easily done. If we go smaller, than is easily done as well. The way DAoC was designed was that we could have larger worlds by adding more machines to each world's configuration. We know that works so if we believe that it is in our best interest to have larger worlds, we have larger worlds.
Mark |
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19 September 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Just a quick note (couldn't resist based on the topic)...
1) No female Orcs or Goblins. We do realize that not having a female greenskin race will may women less likely to choose to play a greenskin but: a) this is Warhammer and there are no female greenskins; b) this is Warhammer and let's face it, most women wouldn't want to play a proper looking greenskin anyway; c) this is Warhammer, not another game that has Orcs in it.
2) As to the other races, where there should be attractive female avatars, we will have lots of attractive female avatars.
Mark |
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19 September 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Chaos will be its own realm but that's all I'll say about Chaos for now mainly because we haven't gotten around to fully fleshing it out yet. It isn't slated to be fully fleshed out yet for quite a while. The thing to keep in mind is that we believe Chaos will be the most difficult of all the realms to "get right" and we want to take our time in order to do so. So, I can say without any fear of contradiction that we will reveal little if any, information about Chaos until the middle of next year.
Mark |
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27 October 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
First, glad to see that this site is back and fully (?) operational, it would have been sad to see you go. Second, you guys might want to go to our main Warhammer site, there's a tasty tidbit there.
As to the update, it's still in the works. We had some of the fine people from GW here last week and much joy-joy feelings resulted. We've sent part 1 of a big (well, Ogre-sized actually) to them and assuming we don't cause GW to suffer any downtime (due to hernias resulting from picking up the material), I'll have a lot more to say after they have a chance to officially review and comment the material.
What I can tell you now is that as of this writing we are still right on track overall and actually a bit ahead of our projections in certain areas.
Mark |
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27 October 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
A few things, as to W.A.R.:
1) It is an acronym.
2) You won't have to wait months to know what it stands for, that would be cruel and silly.
3) Once the title is revealed, it will seem more important, I wouldn't waste your guys time.
4) Much more coming very soon. We've just gotten some approvals back from GW (on material they saw when they were here) and we're looking quite good.
I appreciate your patience I can promise you (and I don't say that often) that you'll be a bit surprised at where Mythic and WAR is right now. And with that in mind and since you guys seem to want some more info (can't imagine why??? ), I'll tell you this much:
1) We just passed our first playable milestone with the game and as of last week, I was able to log into the game as one of the races.
2) While we still have more to add to the game's terrain system and to the character animation system, thanks to the WAR programming team, what I already saw would establish WAR at the front of the pack of MMORPGs.
3) The art team is creating fantastic versions/visions of the Warhammer material from everything from concept art to in-game visualizations.
3) The content team is busy creating tons of rather interesting and amusing things for players to participate in.
4) The design team is creating game systems that not only are true to the WH IP but challenging, engaging and most importantly of all, fun for the players.
5) And yours truly is happily torturing Halflings.
Mark
P.S. All of the above is true than the torturing Halflings. Every since F.E.T.I.S.H (Folks for the Ethical Treatment of Insane Short Humanoids) can around, I'm not allowed to torture Halflings any more. Bah...
P.S.S. I had actually planned on posting a bit more than my original post here today but the banshee's call of a migraine drove me out of the office. However, since I didn't and I'm feeling much better now, I'd thought I'd share a bit more info.
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12 November 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
While I won't go into detail about the name and the reason behind it yet (we have a new newsletter we hope to have out next week), I'm glad to see you guys like some of the possible names we have kicked around. Finding the right name is always tough and it is quite an important decision. We actually came up with the name while we were at GW the first time. GW came up with one part of the name and I came up with the other part, perfect teamwork!
Sorry I've been a bit behind on my postings the last couple of weeks but we've been rather busy in Va. during this time. Between reading about 1000 pages of quest documentation for the game and other Mythic stuff, I have been rather swamped. I will pass on some bits of dev information though:
1) We are way ahead of schedule in certain parts of the game and on schedule everywhere else. We have a major internal milestone coming up before the end of the year and I have no doubt the team will be able to achieve it. I will also tell you that milestone is centered around combat between two of the races in the game.
2) The first few quest documents (they range in size up to almost 600 pages) have had some really, really great stuff in them. With any new team (even if the team is made up of vets) working on a new project, it takes them some time to find "their voice" and to get things right. The team is well on their way and I hope to be deafened by that voice over the next few months. We are doing some things that are unique as well as improving on some things/themes we have used in the past (which is how it should be). We haven't been afraid to chuck out some stuff that either wasn't great or was too derivative. The team has prove they are up to the challenge and I think you'll like the result. You'll find all sorts of fun stuff contained within the quests and GW believes that we have captured the feel of both the general WH IP as well as the specific IP goodness that belongs to the races we have created so far. With all the help and talent from the GW side combined with Mythic's talented folks, we are creating some great stuff already and it will only get better.
3) The game client gets better every week, the world gets more detailed and visually richer. I'm not one of those guys who continually heaps praise on people except when it is earned and I've found myself telling Rob (co-founder of Mythic) and the guys just how pleased I am with their work. It's really beginning to look very much like a WH world and just not a nice-looking but generic fantasy world. There's an old saying that goes "The devil is in the details" and that applies here as well. Creating a cool-looking world is well within Mythic's abilities as we have done it before. The challenge here is to create a cool looking 9and playing of course) world that screams WH from the top of its lungs (right before the lungs are removed and roasted of course). By the end of the year I have no doubt that anyone who knows the WH IP either the FB FRPG will be able to look at what we are doing and say that we are creating a WH world. While some may not think it's "their vision of WH" no game, film, whatever will be able to go from one media to another without hearing the same complaints. The GW guys (so far) give it a bigs thumbs up and our team (many of whom were already "true believers" of the WH IP and others who are becoming so) also give it the same stamp of approval. Come next year there are going to be a heck of a lot of surprised people at what we have been able to accomplish so far and how WH translates so, so well to these types of games.
4) We had a number of companies who are interested in working with Mythic on WH (and other projects) and their reaction to WH has been nothing less than great. Developers can easily fall in love with their own projects but when other companies do that as well, you know you have something special on your hands.
5) Once the next newsletter comes out I'll be back here to talk about the things that are contained in it as well as other new stuff.
Mark |
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15 November 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
In trying to analyze what our core gameplay system is going to be, some of you have had some very good guesses. What I'll tell you for now is the following:
1) This game is designed to take advantage of all the WH races (not at launch though of course). Thus, any game design that didn't allow the players to play as members of the various races would not be considered.
2) We are long-term believers in the value of PvP, RvR and PvE game-play. We believe each has a valuable role to play in this game.
3) Both existing backstories written by GW and those that we are writing for this game, fit beautifully with the type of game we are creating. There is nothing (so far) that we have written that breaks with the WH IP in a way that would make GW say "STOP, DO NOT PASS GORK/MORK, DO NOT COLLECT A PILE OF DUNG!"
4) We are also long-term believers in the value of Community and communities. As such, it would do us little good to have a game where players feel like they have entered an empty world and they don't need to rely on anyone's help in order to succeed. However, we also recognize the need/desire of many players (I'm one of them) to follow a more reclusive style of gaming. Like everything else, there is a fine balance here that must be handled carefully.
5) As always, we are not trying to make DAoC II, WoW 1.5 or anything other than WAR I. There's stuff in the game design that MMORPG players will already be familiar with and lots of stuff they won't. These days, no game is 100% revolutionary nor will WAR be 100% revolutionary (and frankly, in the history of games, very, very few have been truly revolutionary). What we are doing with WAR though is spend the time and money to make every thing that is in the game great.
Mark |
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24 November 2005
| Quote: |
Folks,
I promise you that it will not be five months before you see game content contained in the newsletter. As I said in my letter, we want the newsletter to both inform and excite the community about WAR, Mythic and Games Workshop.
Also, it is our plan to have every newsletter professionally translated into multiple languages (based on demand) and sent out to all subscribers simultaneously. It's just one of the ways that we want to show the community that we see WAR as truly a game for a global audience and not just for the US (with everyone else coming second, third, whatever).
I've been creating games for a long time (and boy, does it feel that way at times) and I can honestly say that our relationship with GW and how GW and Mythic are cooperating on this project is unlike any other licensing deal I've either worked on or heard about in the industry. I expect great things from everyone connected on this project and so far, I haven't been disappointed. With the newsletter, I want to share some of that with the community and hopefully they will share in my excitement and enthusiasm.
Let me share one little tidbit of information with you. Yesterday I met with an editor from a very prominent magazine from a country outside the US. For now, WAR is not being shown to any writers. At the end of the interview (which was about Mythic in general and DAoC), I asked him if he wanted to see a piece or two from WAR. He said yes and I took out a couple of pieces of concept art for the a race. He asked one question "Is this how it will look in the game?" and I said yes. His eyes grew quite wide and he then proceeded to spend a fair amount of time speaking quite excitedly with his interpreter. When he stopped talking, the interpreter looked at me and said simply "He wants to play the game now!"
Mark
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Last edited by Rampager on Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Rampager
Site Admin
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:44 am Post subject: |
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24 November 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I promise you that it will not be five months before you see game content contained in the newsletter. As I said in my letter, we want the newsletter to both inform and excite the community about WAR, Mythic and Games Workshop.
Also, it is our plan to have every newsletter professionally translated into multiple languages (based on demand) and sent out to all subscribers simultaneously. It's just one of the ways that we want to show the community that we see WAR as truly a game for a global audience and not just for the US (with everyone else coming second, third, whatever).
I've been creating games for a long time (and boy, does it feel that way at times) and I can honestly say that our relationship with GW and how GW and Mythic are cooperating on this project is unlike any other licensing deal I've either worked on or heard about in the industry. I expect great things from everyone connected on this project and so far, I haven't been disappointed. With the newsletter, I want to share some of that with the community and hopefully they will share in my excitement and enthusiasm.
Let me share one little tidbit of information with you. Yesterday I met with an editor from a very prominent magazine from a country outside the US. For now, WAR is not being shown to any writers. At the end of the interview (which was about Mythic in general and DAoC), I asked him if he wanted to see a piece or two from WAR. He said yes and I took out a couple of pieces of concept art for the a race. He asked one question "Is this how it will look in the game?" and I said yes. His eyes grew quite wide and he then proceeded to spend a fair amount of time speaking quite excitedly with his interpreter. When he stopped talking, the interpreter looked at me and said simply "He wants to play the game now!"
Mark |
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25 November 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
My thoughts on Collector's Edition, Expansion Packs, Veteran, etc. rewards are actually quite simple:
1) Any thing that you can get by simply buying it (CE,EXP) but that is either more expensive (CE) or in limited quantity cannot be an item that gives a player an advantage in PvP. I believe that if people want to buy a CE like WoW's where they get a nice bit of fluff, they should be able to. However, I draw a major line in the sand when it comes to an item that can give the player an advantage. You could still have a CE-sword (different design, even better effects) but it must have no advantage over a sword that a player can get in the game through questing, PvP, etc.
2) I'm a big believer though in Veteran Rewards both from the fluff side and even if the item can help in PvE (and possibly PvP). I believe that many online game companies haven't done enough to thank their long-term players. At Mythic, we tried to do with the free expansion-packs. One exec at another company (that will go nameless) tried to convince me that Mythic's free stuff was not a good idea and was hurting the industry. We expect to do the same thing with WAR. We want to have a mixture of free stuff and paid stuff and this could also take the form of some VRs. Now, we need to be very careful here because we don't want a player who got a VR to become "uber" but we do also want to thank him/her for their patronage. MMORPGs are not FPSs, there will always be an advantage for the player that has played longer (assuming two players are equal in real-world skill) as the player who has played longer has gotten access to more stuff in the game (being higher level). I see VR as being no different that that. Again, keep in mind that my progressions would be:
Fluff -> Personal (non-fluff) -> PvE (minor) -> PvE (greater) -> PvP
Where you start by giving fluff and then work your way up to PvP stuff later on.
Mark |
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3 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Rest assured, Mythic will not be hosting public forums for this game. Private, tester-only forums are something we have had for years but Mythic-moderated public forums are not in the cards now or most likely, anytime in the future. While there are some really good reasons for having them there are also some really good reasons for not having them. With that being the case, it is better for Mythic to focus its resources on the game and not on running and responding on public forums.
FYI, we have wrestled with this subject for years. In the end, I've never spoken to a developer of a large-scale (either in terms of success, scope of the project, etc.) game that could say with a straight face that the experience of running their own forums was overwhelmingly positive. Now, keep in mind it's not that Mythic can't handle criticism but very quickly forums can degenerate into nasty, hate-filled places where almost anything goes and their usefulness for discussion/debate/information ceases. As a company, Mythic posted a lot both prior to DAoC's launch and for quite a while afterward until I got tired of death threats (one lovely chap posted a message on Christmas Eve along the lines of "I hope you and your son are in a fatal car accident this night") and unbelievable amounts off obscene and vulgar comments directed toward Sanya (our Queen of all DAoC media ) and other Mythic personnel. Such is the nature of open, public and free forums (even with great mods) especially if the game is successful. As a long-time poster (always under my own name), I've always been amazed at the stuff that people will say given the anonymity of an alias (which I why I post under my name and require that Mythic personnel (in the course of business) do the same) and protection of the Internet.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I couldn't agree more. Implementing a college magic system for WAR is one of our greatest challenges. We have to balance the needs of the players, the desires of the players (two totally different things), the WH system and just plain fun. What I can tell you so far is that the system feels very WHery and is fun for the current crop of MMO players (DAoC, EQ, WoW, etc.).
Keep in mind that we don't want to alienate players who actually want to play a magic-using character nor do we want to alienate the player who wants to play a "tank-like" character. And to make it ever more difficult to balance, we need to make sure that these guys can do battle with and against each other in a balanced way. It's no fun for a mage to get one-shot killed every time by a tank nor would it be fun for the tank to get fireballed from a distance and similarly killed. As GW will tell you, there's a ton of magic in the WH world but not so prevalent that it's disposable, cheap and meaningless.
What I can tell you is that if you are expecting to see an "exact" duplication of the magic system from either WFB or WFRPG, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you are looking for a system that utilizes the key elements of the magic system (oh, let's talk about the role of Chaos for a starter) and then expands and contracts the systems where necessary to make a fun and great MMORPG, that you'll like the system. Like almost everything in WAR, when you see the system you'll say "Yeap, it most assuredly is Warhammer. It may not be WFB or WFRPG exactly but it is Warhammer."
As always, for every person who posts here I'm sure he/she will their own view on what is essential for this game to be Warhammer. And, as always once again, we know that there will always be some, because we've changed/omitted/ignored a part of WH that they love, will say that the system is, for that reason, truly not Warhammer. And, as always, if I can look at the guys at GW and see that they are smiling at me (but not holding sharp and nasty-looking weapons and standing next to a very large pot of boiling liquid), then I'll be satisfied that we held up our end of the bargain.
Mark |
P.S. FYI, a lot of the notes I wrote up on the magic system for the initial game design were quoted directly (and boy oh boy, do I mean directly) from writings of certain people at GW.
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6 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
For what it's worth:
1) I hate professional farming/farmers and companies that make money off the same. We've been presented with numerous opportunities to make money from such groups/companies and have strongly rebuffed every one. I have taken a strong public stance on this issue and will continue to do so.
2) I dislike the need for players to have to farm in order to advance
3) I like game systems that discourage/prohibit (1) and don't require (2).
4) I'm involved with designing the game systems for WAR.
Where do you think we want to go with the game?
Now, keep in mind that I also like rewards for players, loot, treasure, etc., that can be earned by a player's actions whether through questing or RvR or PvP. There is a way to design systems that are less farmable/exploitable and everything is on the table here.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Ah, this is another of my favorite subjects. Here are my thoughts:
1) Long travel times, if used as a time sink, are bad.
2) Travel times, if used to enhance immersion (cool scenario, dangerous areas, surprises here and there) and if used judiciously, are good.
3) Long travel times, even if done well, get to be annoying and serve as negative reinforcement once a player has played the game for a long time.
4) Veteran players should have faster means of movement than new players as long as such movement advantages do not distort RvR.
5) In the end (after a year or so of playing, if not sooner), 99.9% of all players hate any system you have in-place for travel that is not instantaneous no matter whether it is immersion-breaking or not unless they gain an advantage through that system.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Well, I did say that the game wasn't going to be 100% revolutionary, but that doesn't mean that it won't have a lot of revolutionary features. I'm generally very, very careful about what I say for both ethical and legal reasons.
So, if the question is: Is this going to be WoW with the Warhammer brand attached to it? The answer would be No.
If the question is: Is this going to be DAoC with the Warhammer brand attached to it? The answer would be No.
If the question is: Will this game have systems/paths/etc. that are seen in other games, the answer is of course, Yes (just like every other game under the sun).
If the question is: Will WAR be a game that adds some great new, revolutionary stuff to the genre (and probably it's own share of mistakes too, no game this complex is flawless), the answer is Yes.
If the question is will this game be a fine addition to the Warhammer universe, the answer is It better be or you'll find me wandering the streets of D.C. mumbling to myself.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Rosso6,
No worries, I don't think you really venting and ranting at all. I'll let you know if I think you crossed the line.
You make some good points, some of which I agree with and some of which are already part of the game. There are some things I do disagree with, and I'll explain two of them at least:
>>>>and the power spread between a new character and a veteran has to be fairly small. Will Warhammer lose the level 60 vs level 1 paradigm?
Here's a point that I will always disagree with, whether it is WAR, DAoC or any RPG. If the goal is to create a game where point spread between a totally tricked out veteran and a newbie is small or non-existent, then that runs counter to what we are doing here. Quake, DOOM, Unreal, etc. are those types of games and not RPGs. I can't think of a single RPG (MMO or standalone), where a totally tricked out character (by the end of the game) couldn't kick the snot out of a new character. This is something that has run through the RPG genre for decades and it is practice which I support 100%. It's also one that is 100% supported by the WH material and by GW. 1 on 1, a fully tricked out veteran will always be able to kill a newbie (assuming that both actually know how to play the game and didn't buy their characters) without too much difficulty. WAR is, a MMORPG and as such, will have levels/progressions/etc. (I'm being vague on purpose) that are closer to RPGs (and to the WH material) than an FPS. I'm truly sorry if you feel that we are looking toward EQ when we do stuff like that but it's actually based on the RPG paradigm and not the MMORPG paradigm (also keep in mind I created my first MUD about 20 years ago) and especially not the EQ paradigm. It's one I like and that is core to this game. However, if you are afraid that the game will be like other games, including DAoC, in its level progression, it will not be.
>>>>RvR has to be available in some capacity (other than battlegrounds!)
WAR, at its heart, is an RvR game and it would serve no purpose if the player couldn't get involved in RvR very, very early. Keep in mind that the last thing you would want though is the guys who have never played WAR (let alone an MMO), charging through areas and messing things up. We must allow the player time to get comfortable with the game and actually understand what he is doing before he must interact with other players, otherwise you could end up driving away a lot of prospective subscribers. If people leave WAR because they don't like RvR or PvE or WAR at all, we can accept that. What we shouldn't do though is put them in a position where they really can't judge what RvR is about and then decide to quite because they were thrown into a situation which they couldn't handle. Now, does this mean that every player will have to PvE 100 hours before they have the opportunity to RvR? No, that would be absurd for WAR (which is why I threw out such a large number). Does that mean you will be able to RvR, very, very quickly. Well, that's one of the things we are working on now. All I can tell you is that it will be very early in your career and the types of RvR action we will have is varied, challenging and different from what we have done in the past.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
>>> Mark walks over to a giant can and opens it. A host of worms comes out...
Folks,
Well, let's see what trouble I can get myself into here today eh? Okay, first some basic thoughts:
1) As President of Mythic I must separate my wants from what is best for the company and for GW ignoring what (2) thinks, taking into account the laws and customs not only of the US but overseas as well.
2) As Lead Game Designer, I must look at what makes a great game regardless of what (1) thinks.
3) As Mark Jacobs, private citizen, I have my own thoughts on whether and how games should be rated, what games should and should not be created, and sold to the general public.
4) As Mark Jacobs, ex-lawyer, I have great concerns regarding censorship no matter which side of the fence it comes from.
Okay, having said all that, where the heck do I stand on this issue? Well, it's actually quite simple:
1) WAR will have a Teen rating. The reasons for this have to do with all of the above. While a MA game could garner us additional press and potentially another demographic of user, MA games face legal hurdles all over the world. While it is true that there are certainly different types of MA games, my feeling is that if really wanted to do an MA game, we should go all out and really, really do an MA game, why pussyfoot around.
However, doing such would engender far too many problems around the world and, from a business perspective, not be a smart move (regardless of the success of games such as GTA).
2) I do not believe that an MA game will attract a "better" audience (in terms of RPing) than a Teen game. From our experience we have just as many brain-dead, rude, vulgar, racist, hate-mongering individuals regardless of age. The Internet, for good or ill, allows people to act anonymously. This results, many times, in people acting like jerks. MMOGs take that to the next level. The amount of bannings that we have gone through in four years due to the type of behavior described above is staggering. Sometimes they are kids, sometimes they are adults. I truly wish this wasn't the case but sadly it is.
3) An MA game would do very little to ensure that the players who joined us would be "better" players. My gut is that it would actually be the reverse. That players would come in expecting that they could get away with more than they could in a Teen or Everyone game.
4) Being a Warhammer game doesn't require that everything is over-the-top bloody, gruesome or that everything is dark, dank and depressing. While there are aspects of the WH IP that embraces that, it is not the entire IP. WAR will not be cartoony (nor sunshine and light everywhere) but it won't be the 3Ds.
5) We will run RP servers, just as we have in the past, for players for whom RP is more important than some. We will not require every person on every server to RP for three simple reasons: 1) It would require so much staff to enforce that we would have to charge double or triple the normal price; 2) Not everyone is capable (due to age, lack of experience, ability) to RP well. I'm not about to tell a 10-year old (who is trying to play the game and is not acting like a jerk) that he has to RP as well as a 30-year who has been a LARPer for 20 years; 3) We want all our users to enjoy our game as long as they follow the rules (in terms of vulgarity, abuse, harassment, etc.) or on the specialize servers, the rules of those servers.
Believe me, I would love a world where everybody was a good or great RPer, where I would be free of the Leet Spk (or however it's written) and guys playing out of character (begging for free stuff, talking about sports on main chat, etc.). We can do some things to make it less intrusive (chat and all that). We can create customized servers (RP) and we might be able to go farther. However, at the end of the day, WAR is a game and a MMORPG at that. Given the differences we see even in our small community already on such subjects as Magic in WAR, I can't imagine the differences we would see if we tried to implement a RP-Only system throughout all our servers.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
>>>> Will Mythic...
Regarding RP servers, Mythic has always been very attentive to the RP servers that we have run. So much so I can attest that my CSRs have been harassed, insulted and attacked publicly for their actions in support of the RP servers. Now, as always, nobody is perfect and things, especially in a MMOG can fall through the cracks at times but that we have been diligent in maintaining our RP servers. The amount of bannings that we have done on these servers is, quite frankly, ridiculous (in terms of their numbers) but necessary to maintain a good server. Again, we are not perfect but we try really hard and are always trying to improve. Given the importance of WAR to Mythic, I think it is a safe bet that any RP servers we launch will be well-maintained and monitored as necessary to ensure a good experience as long as the players are realistic about things like response times. There is always a balance and while we would love to have enough CSRs that we could answer 100 complaints a minute per RP server, that is not realistic. We also have to balance the type of complaint based on severity (somebody is stuck in the geometry versus somebody who heard somebody else talk about the New York Yankees) of the complaint. This is especially true at launch when no matter how solid the launch, the first couple weeks are quite difficult. And as far as chat logs go, we keep very, very good logs.
Mark |
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7 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I love, love this subject. Today I was cited as "an outspoken critic of sales of in-game items for real world money" in a MMO periodical. I've actually been a critic longer of voice chat (when run by the developer/publisher). My dislike has always boiled down to the following reasons:
1) Bandwidth usage - If your VC solution consumed a lot more of the developer's bandwidth, that would cause the game to cost more per month or the developer cuts back in other areas.
2) CPU processing - Just as our servers process each message that is sent by the players to each other, if our servers would also have to process the messages, what does that do in terms of cost and/or game performance.
3) Potential negative effect on RPing/immersion - As you guys have already pointed out, a lot of the enjoyment that comes from looking and conversing with a good-looking member of your preferred gender is spoiled when that hottie Dark Elf female sounds like your old high school principal.
4) Negative impact on gaming outside a small group - While voice chat can work great with a small group (especially if they are used to working with each other), the chaos that could ensue from trying to interact with a group even twice your size with VC is even worse.
5) Negative impact in large scale interactions - This would be a nightmare.
6) Legal and technical issues regarding the recording/monitoring of a Mythic VC system. As anyone who has ever run a MMOG can attest, there are all sorts of bad people out there and all of the companies have to deal with them. VC, if run by the game company, just makes it that much worse.
Now, we will not prevent people using it themselves if they want to but Mythic will have no part/control of it at the present time.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Micah,
Actually, I was quite active and the main voice of Mythic on the boards prior to the launch of DAoC (throughout the development process) on the Vault and other places. It wasn't until well after the launch that because of the nonsense (threats, profanity, etc.) that I left my usual haunts. I actually miss this stuff a lot and I hope I'll be able to post/chat/interact here for quite a while. As long as stuff stays civil and stays on point, I'm happy to participate. The trouble is that too often that isn't the case especially when I can't answer people's questions (for a host of reasons) or simply choose not to or they don't like my answers, that things can get ugly. That's why I won't promise to post every day or even every week nor would I promise to answer all questions.
As always, I tell people that neither I, nor anyone from Mythic, will ever lie to them but that sometimes things change (for better or worse) and that I and my company will always try our best to deliver on everything we hope to deliver and why promises from me are few and far between but when I so make them we deliver (even if it takes longer than we hoped).
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
For me, I'm looking forward to playing a Dark Elf. (Ruh uh, now the wails and lamentations will start, "The DORK ELFS WL RCK If Mithc PLAYS THM!!!!"
Also, no perma-death (no surprise there) and players will absolutely be able to have more than one character per server (once again, knowing Mythic, should be no surprise).
Mark |
P.S. I'm also looking forward to playing most of the races in the game. Not all, but almost all, though I will play them all during development. I'm good at breaking things during beta.
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Ack... No, in all my years playing online games I've only once played a female character. While I enjoyed looking at the female avatar more than I did a male avatar, the baggage that went along with it (constant Are u a rl grl?) and stuff like that (but I also got offers of a lot of free stuff) confirmed all the things I had heard and seen from players over the years. Now, if you see a male Dark Elf character whispering psychotic things, that might be a different story.
Mark |
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8 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I need to speak theoretically here since I can't comment on exactly how our death penalty works because that would tell you other things as well (and given the fact that you guys have been pretty clever so far on some of things I've seen here, I'll be more circumspect than usual).
I hate the loss of levels at this point, for MMORPGs. I find them a perfect example of negative reinforcement and I wouldn't enjoy playing any game in which I lost a level or more. Death penalties are necessary though in any of these games for a host of reasons but especially so when people are really doing dumb things. Now, when I say dumb things, I mean things like "Hey, let's see how many times I can run up to this dragon and attack it!!!" or "Hey, even though I'm a relative lowbie I'm going to keep charging through this crowd of angry greenskins!" Now, when dumb isn't so dumb, like when the player is doing those sorts of things in order to annoy other players, a stiff death penalty can be quite useful. So, my ideal game doesn't punish me for doing what I was supposed to be doing, punishes me when I was really being a jerk and in-between there is a penalty that reminds me that things aren't as easy as they seem all the time and that I need to play smarter the next time.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
JonesyMan,
Yes, you are reading too much into it and, in all fairness, you did miss my point about players "doing it to annoy other players." In theory, do I think it's fair to punish someone who has decided to try to wreck the enjoyment of other players? Yeap, I sure do. I don't want someone punished for getting their group killed, nor do I think the death penalty should punish someone for doing something silly but if the person is playing the role of a griefer, do I think in theory the penalty could be worse, yes I do.
Keep in mind that no matter what the penalty is it isn't going to be very harsh. I don't want any death penalty to be the thing that convinces the player to leave our game.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks.
Some more thoughts:
1) I love the death realm idea but it would not be original. Legends of Kesmai was the first pay-for-play online game that used that kind of system back in the late-80s. Other games have done it since. However, that system only works well in a solo-only or solo-oriented game because you don't want to kill the fun of grouping in PvE because somebody got killed and how the group has to wait XX minutes for the player(s) to return from the death realm. We did talk about doing something like it for WAR but in the end, my belief is that it would end by discouraging people from taking any kind of risk in PvE.
2) I hate corpse runs, I HATE CORPSE RUNS, I REALLY, REALLY HATE CORPSE RUNS (Don't hold back Mark, tell us what you really think, please!!!). There is no way that WAR will have corpse runs. I've always found them at best, slightly annoying and at other times, unbelievably frustrating. I've had far too many bad experiences with them to allow them in this game.
3) Experience debt and things like them have been discussed for WAR.
4) Survival bonus is a good idea but one that is easily exploited.
5) Back in the mid-80's when I created Aradath I had something called the House of The Dead, that if you paid them prior to your adventuring, would resurrect you. If you died, you would be recalled to HotD and you would safely rezzed there. If you hadn't paid them you would have gold removed from your account if you wanted them to rez you. While that idea wouldn't work well here (running in a text mud from HotD to anywhere was no big deal, here it would be), the idea of something like that here is something I'm thinking about as well.
6) While WAR is set in a pretty tough place, this is still a game and that means it is supposed to be fun and still dangerous. Death must have a sting but not be so bad that players are so afraid of dying that it changes their play patterns to avoid routine deaths.
Mark |
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9 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Ah, another topic on which I am known to drone on and on about. In a nutshell:
1) Player created content for an MMO - In theory, it rocks. It so totally rocks that I've always wanted to have lots of player created content in our games.
2) In reality, player created content in an MMO is an absolute nightmare in a developer/publisher controlled environment. Why? Lots and lots of reasons. Some of them:
a) If there is an review process, this takes time and money. Taking time and money means that the costs get passed on to the players in one form or another and time means other things aren't done that could be done.
b) If there is no review process, unless the ability to create content is incredibly limited, the players could create content that gets the developer in loads of trouble (See the Marvel vs. Cryptic Studios (City of Heroes) lawsuit) or causes lots of uproar (Hot Coffee Mod).
c) Even with the review process, (b) can happen.
d) Most of the stuff created isn't great or isn't finished. Not everyone was meant to be an artist, programmer, content designer etc. and if you look at the history of Muds, Mods and other user-created content, much of it isn't very good. Would any developer want paying (or potential paying) customers to see stuff that isn't very good?
e) Paying customers get annoyed when you tell them that what they created isn't acceptable for publishing. The last thing I want to do is lose customers because we put in a feature that was designed to make customers happy (this applies to the quality point above as well).
I could go on and on about this for a while but I'll save the droning for another subject, another time, another place or bat channel.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Bluestrike,
Well, going into (b), the point you raised "disclaimer..." is one of the points that Cryptic has said "We told people not to copy images of copyrighted material but hey, they did it on their own." Marvel's reply to this was "Cryptic put in all these specific things (capes, belts, colors, etc.) so of course they knew that people were going to create images that were identical or identical enough to our material." Now, I could go into it more but I won't. Suffice it to say that a disclaimer is a good start but even with that, it is hardly a shield of invulnerability against potential trouble. As to the Hot Coffee Mod, that was just an example of how bad (press-wise) it could get.
Basically, a very simple way to look at it is that the more power you give the players, the more oversight you need and the more likely that something bad is going to happen. OTOH, giving the player's very limited tools (like putting together parts of a ship, like a LEGO set) is very safe and really doesn't fall into the category of player created content, as it really is no different than a crafting system that let's you put together items. Allowing people to upload images from their computers that they have created themselves (without the use of a developer tool kit), now, that's player created content and that is very dangerous. Frankly, I pretty much guarantee that in a large scale game (100K+ users), it would take a significant number of people all of about 5 minutes to start uploading all sorts of bad stuff. All one needs to do is talk to people who have been running their own games with such tools or Mod-makers, to see what I mean.
So, to summarize. User created content which can only be created with very limited dev tools = good and reasonably safe, user created content that come from any source and containing just about anything = bad and very dangerous.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Another subject near and dear to my heart. As far as advertising in WH goes:
1) In-game advertising, not a chance.
2) Load screen advertising - Not likely. The only reason I'm not saying not a chance is that quite frankly, we haven't even discussed the possibility. I think it is also not a chance but I don't want to eliminate the possibility 100% (instead it's 99.9%)
While in-game advertising can be effective according to recent studies and while there is an argument that in certain types of games it can actually add to the realism or while it can be used to defray costs, I'm really dead set against it for WAR. When I play games the last thing I want to see are adverts. Here in the States (not sure what's it like elsewhere), we have adverts everywhere we go and I for one am tired of seeing them.
Mark |
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12 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
A few points:
1) We are not doing a 40K-based game and anything that indicates otherwise is incorrect.
2) We are evaluating Ageia and looking at how we can incorporate aspects of the system from both a software and hardware basis. Under no circumstances will we require players to have any sort of chip, card, etc. for physics for WAR.
3) Read #2 again.
Mark |
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15 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Few quick points:
1) The World of Warhammer is not the World of Warcraft (though GW used the name first ).
2) If you look at the world as a whole (and not your favorite books/armies as we are all likely to do), you will see a world that is quite rich and varied.
3) I guarante you that WAR != WoW != EQ2 != DAoC, etc. Like the books, expect the areas that belong to a specific race to reflect that race's soul/character/power/etc. The Orc areas really look like they are Orc areas and when you look at their structures, it all fits together nicely.
4) The whole world is anything but happy-clappy but it is also not Dark, Dank and Depressing. If the whole world was DDD, the uniqueness of each of the races and their environments would be lost.
5) Keep in mind that WAR is about battle on different scales between the warring groups. We need to make sure that the game runs well even if there are a ton of things on the screen. That invariably involves some tradeoffs. So far so good though.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Well, let me tell you why we did it:
1) To prevent spying or worse, having a friend who specifically is helping another friend by messing up his side (false information, failure to act or take the wrong actions).
2) Any real communication between the realms would bring out the worst in some people. We thought it would be a CSR nightmare and we would have been right. We knew what would happen ("HAHAHA you suck monkey balls!!!!, I F***ed you up, I F***ed you up!!!!", etc.,etc.,etc.) and frankly the fact we get enough of that nonsense between people of the same realms, tells me everything I need to know. And let me tell you, the things that people say in these games even shocks me at times and as anyone who knows me can tell you, my language can be quite colorful at times. And as we all know, even if we put in the world's smartest word filter, it would be only as smart as a fairly dumb player. No matter how clever we are, the players who want to find a way around such a system are smarter and more determined than us.
3) And even if we could eliminate the possibility of profanity, the last thing I want to see happen is some great battle (small scale, large scale, doesn't matter) ruined by some mental midgets spending there time insulting the guys who are losing or who have just lost. There is nothing fun about being the target of crude, boorish behavior (even if from a real boor).
4) Taunting, for example, if done properly can be funny but for many, if not most players, taunting is little more than crude insults that are neither funny nor even on-target.
All in all, I wish we could have a system where people could communicate and even though we tossed around ways it could be done without a ban, we couldn't come up with one (especially in a RvR game where competitive juices are running quite high) that wouldn't, in the end, be more trouble than its worth (exploitation, drive some users away, etc.). Time and experience has proven we were right on this point.
Thus, rest assured that true inter-realm communication will not be possible.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Great topic, some interesting points on both sides. Let me make a few now:
1) No griefers. I hate griefers. Griefers for me are people whose sole purpose when they grief is to ruin the experience of somebody else (or the developer). Griefers have no reason to exist on a pay-for-play game. In the real world, nobody would defend the right of someone to ruin somebody's life just because it is fun for one of them. This is a rule that will always apply in any game Mythic does as long as I'm there. On the other hand;
2) I like PvP as a game system, I've liked it for over 20 years and will continue to like it but;
3) PvP is a real struggle to balance. I've seen more systems claiming to have perfectly balanced PvP systems and I'm yet to see one that works on a large-scale MMO or one that is better than what Mythic came up with;
4) RvR is great way for people to engage in PvP through consensual battles. While players can grief in RvR, it is very different from griefing done elsewhere. Within an RvR system as well as a PvE system players can be;
5) Evil if done properly can be fun without being griefing. It's not easy but its possible. I think that there is also a different between (forgive the use of D&D terms, they actually apply nicely here) Chaotic Evil and Lawful Evil. I think griefing is Chaotic Evil but Lawful Evil would be possible.
In the end, one think matters, the strength and the enjoyment of the community as a whole. If we lose some users because they can't "Roleplay an evil guy" because we won't allow them to gank and re-gank the newbie areas or some other people because "It's not fair that he can kill me because he has been playing the game 6 months longer than me and has a ton of items and advanced skills/abilities (see, I didn't say levels) oh well. Bye-bye, ta-ta and don't let the virtual door hit you on the virtual bum on the way out. We will create a great game for a large audience and not for a very small minority who get their jollies from doing everything they can to make the other person so mad they would rather quit than go through that experience again.
This game is supposed to be fun, challenging and a place where you will want to stay a long time and one where you can feel like you are accomplishing something. There is nothing fun nor challenging about getting killed repeatedly by more experienced players (when you have no chance to win) who have decided to treat you as their own personal pinata, it's simply dumb and why would you want to stay then?
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Consensual - Going into a dangerous area, going into enemy territory, etc. It does not mean getting somebody's permission before killing them. That would be silly here.
Flagging - Not going to happen. I believe I'm actually the guy who used PvP flagging/switch for the first time (not sure on this though) back in '85. If used properly, it can be quite useful. It doesn't fit into WAR at all.
And I agree, evil should be more subtle than simply going up to a guy and killing him easily 5 times in a row because he's level 1 and you're level 4,999.
Mark |
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25 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
This is my personal opinion this time and not one that speaks for Mythic (since we haven't discussed it). I dislike beta slots for pre-ordering a game. To me, it speaks a bit of desperation by the developer (now, this is not true every time nor for every company/game). Beta slots should go to the true fans of the game (those that have been following it for a long time) assuming of course that they can meet eligibility requirements (hardware, not working for a competing game company, age, etc.). Pre-order perks (fluff or special non-RVR stuff) are just fine. If WAR is not a good enough game to attract lots of beta interest nor to sell enough copies to succeed on release, then Mythic has failed and no amount of "Here Boy, Here Boy, Jump (pay) for Beta" stuff will save us. I also expect that we will look at opening the servers a day earlier for pre-orders as CoH did as that really allows for us to take some of the demand off the servers/bandwidth on day 1 and 2. Mucho kudos to Cryptic, that really was a good idea. Even though DAoC had the best launch of any MMO at the time and it still ranks either as #1 or #2, given what we hope will be the greater success of WAR, if we can spread the load a little bit, that will be fine by me.
Now, I know somebody will say "But, if people get a one day jump on me, that will be soooo unfair!" The fact is that since WAR will not be wide- open PVP (meaning PvP every spot on the map) and that people almost always will have some time advantage over another (people who take off work to play the game on release as opposed to those who have to wait a day or two to play it or those that can't get a copy for days), that time differential is a fact of life anyway. If we can, by allowing some people to get in a day early make it a better launch week for everyone, I'm all for it.
I believe we will do that same thing that we will do some of the same things we did with DAoC to help select our beta testers. While the contests will continue to run, we will be choosing people from these and other boards, fan sites and offer them beta invites at some point if we like what we see from them. Now, it is crucial to note that saying "WAR IS GOING TO ROCK, WoW SUCKS!" and nonsense like that will do you no good at all. I, and others, will be choosing people based on their ability to think critically, the knowledge they show on the boards and the attitude they show on the boards. To paraphrase a line from a movie (which I do all the time), I can't abide save-asses and I won't tolerate kiss-asses and I have no time for we're going to kick-your asses." The beta-testers who will be most useful to Mythic are those that can look at our game and are willing to spend the effort in telling us what they think in a polite and professional manner just as I, and everyone at Mythic, knows that we need to do in dealing with you. I want people who know Warhammer and have experience with at least one MMORPG. And most of all, I want people who want to help us make the best game out of the WH IP that we can.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Quoting from MBJ's "Rules for Players & Game Developers"
Rule #1 - Never trust any company's screenshots until the game goes LIVE
Rule #2 - Never trust a screenshot that you didn't do yourself
Rule #3 - Never trust yourself
In all seriousness, screen shots mean nothing. Over the years I've seen too many developers cheat with screenshots, demos, etc. to ever believe anyone unless I know them personally. BTW, is this not a slap against Sigil or Bethsheda, I know both of them quite well. Also, keep in mind that until you see how an engine performs under the conditions it was intended to perform (lots of things on the screen, lots of effects, etc.), comparing screenshots from early development is about as useful as predicting the winner of the World Cup a decade in advance.
Now, should you trust early screenshots you see from Mythic? Only if you take them for what they are, shots from the game (I refuse to put up rendered shots unless we say "Hey, here's an rendered shot!" and I don't think we've ever done that), that show the art style and general look of the game. As development continues more things will be added to the game (and the shots look better) and sometimes things have to be taken away (if performance is an issue).
Over the years I've seen games whose screenshots made the game look incredible but when you played the game it wasn't and I've seen games whose screenshots didn't do it justice. Know that we are going for something between "Cool, that is simply unbelievable" and "Hey, that 5FPS really sucks dude!" WAR must look totally next-gen but still must be able to support high-framerate RvR battles or we're halflings on toast.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
You will be seeing a lot of the world... Not as much as I would like (I'm a greedy sort when it comes to that sort of stuff as well as for Cherry Twizzlers) but more than enough for all. The areas we've chosen for development will make most people very happy and I'm looking forward to seeing them online and not just in concept art. There are some really challenging areas in the WH IP and Mythic loves a challenge.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
A bit of a reality check here folks:
1) Not all online gamers have broadband. Based on our experience with DAoC, there is still a quite sizable percentage who are still on dialup. This is especially true in the US and some European countries. IN my case, for example, because of where I live I cannot get high-speed broadband unless I wanted to pay a ridiculous $1,000 per month.
2) Not all broadband connections are created equal. Satellite broadband (which a lot of people have) is great for downloading but lousy for online gaming. My ISDN connection is great for game playing but it's download speed isn't up to what other people get.
3) Retailers don't like games that are simultaneously available for direct download. Given the already short supply of PC shelf space, if a retailer has a choice between two games of equal quality where one is available only in retail versus one that can be acquired through DD as well, which do you think they will choose?
4) While shopping on the Internet has increased year after year, most people by far prefer to go into stores to see the product. Gamers are no different. Those who are hard-core fans might not care (since they are going to be buying the game anyway) but those who really don't know about Games Workshop, Mythic, etc. may want to see the box before they buy. For many gamers (and especially for parents), seeing the box in the store makes the game and the company more 'real' and makes their purchasing the game more likely.
What this all means is that Mythic's plan is to make a major push for WAR at retail (comparable with WoW, EQ2, etc.) and have DD an option for down the road. Our work with Darkness Rising has given us all the experience and tools we need to make that happen.
As always though, we will have all our bases covered and are prepared to do whatever is best for WAR. If PC shelf space continues to shrink and/or we don't have a great retail distribution partner lined up (highly unlikely) we could do it ourselves or through DD. We have some interesting ideas on how to do that as well as usual.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I can't go into too much detail here as doing so would reveal a bit too much information too soon but I'll tell you this, when I write my game design document I include a section called "Guiding Principles" in which I detail the key points for the game. One of them is as follows:
"Players must at all times feel like they are on a exciting journey to great power"
So, fit that principle in any way you want into this discussion.
Now, I know that 100% of the PvE content in this game won't be brilliant, no game is 100% anything. I do know that from what I've read so far, our PvE content is better than any game we've done in the past and is better than what we've seen from our competitors. We're doing some very cool PvE stuff but as always, it's the execution that counts not just the planning.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Kilrogg,
I couldn't agree with you more. Hopefully we've learned from our mistakes as well as from our successes. Based on my playing of lots of MMOs though, we weren't the first and certainly not the last to repeat that mistake. If it makes you feel any better, in my design document I addressed travel time sinks directly and made a point that there better not be any in WAR. Travel from areas can take some time (no insta-ports all over the map) but using time as a time sink to slow down player advancement speed is a no go in WAR.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Well, as much as I would love to implement most things listed in this topic, it would be quite impractical for any large-scale MMO to do so. Keep in mind that we are hoping to have a game that has at least as many subscribers as DAoC had at its peak and we are hoping to have a lot more than that. If that is the case, here are some things to consider:
1) If we have something like 250K subs in US/Europe (DAoC numbers) and each player can have multiple characters, my CSRs would be reviewing anywhere from 500K to 1M names a year (and it could be higher). The amount of manpower it would take to do that would be unbelievable and given the creativity of players, lots and lots of names would still filter through.
2) If we force players to make unique names across all the servers, within a year or so (if not a heck of a lot sooner), most of the good names would be gone and players would really be scrapping the bottom of the barrel. This idea has been used before in MUDs of course but to try to do it across hundreds of thousands of subscribers (and don't forget turnover, DAoC has gone through over 1M players in the US alone), it would be a disaster.
3) One of the ideas I'm still toying with is generated names only at low level (remember, low level != a levelling system it's me being generic), with the player then being able to choose his real name in a naming ceremony at some point early in the game. This has two effects: First, it reduces the amount of work my CSRs have to do early in the game's life. I think I've said elsewhere that some players choose the most offensive, insulting, racist, bigoted, etc. names imaginable (humanity lost IQ points from my perspective after I saw the amount of bannings we did in the first month of DAoC for naming violations) when choosing their name. By not allowing them to choose a name at first, this will cut down the number of times the CSRs have to change names early on. It will also allow people who are unfamiliar with WH time to familiarize themselves with the IP and choose a good name. The other major advantage is that by the time that a player gets to choose their name, they have spent more time in WAR and are less likely, I hope, to want to get their named changed or themselves banned from the game. What I'm thinking about is a two-tiered system where you are first allowed to pick your first name and then, when you have really accomplished something, your surname.
4) One of the other ideas I've kicked around is allowing duplicate names but only if we allowed people to select a point of origin so that Mark Jacobs of Virginia would be different from Mark Jacobs of Maryland but that has its issues too.
5) Titles are something we intend to implement in some form.
6) We will always have two types of servers, RP and non-RP. The RP servers will be more strictly enforced for everything RP while the non-RP won't be. Having only RP-servers comes way too close to imposing a very rigid system on what should be a relatively flexible and very fun game experience. We will never create a large-scale MMO in which everyone would be expected to be great RPers as that is way, way too much to ask of people considering the differences in age, country, style and work for my CSRs.
7) The Gamer Tag idea is an interesting one, I'll think about it a little bit more before commenting.
Mark |
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27 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
First, I hate the word nerf as it was created in an attempt by disgruntled players to help rally people against balance changes in changes. I generally think its use should be reserved for only major downward adjustments made by the developer. Today, if a game company makes any change, no matter how small to the game, some players scream NERF! Second, time for another couple of rules:
1) No MMORPG has ever, nor ever will be balanced as a whole - These games are simply too complicated.
2) Most game systems within a MMORPG will not be perfectly balanced (same reason).
3) No combat system that involves complicated, diverse and ever-increasing abilities/skills will ever be balanced.
4) No complicated game system, no matter how well designed will survive intact from design to final form. Once players get involved and when tens of thousands of players get involved, all sorts of unexpected things happen.
5) The only way to have a balanced combat system in a game which features RvR is to have very few options and characters that are essentially clones of each other.
So, no matter whether we have a TL system for WAR (we will) nor even if we had the money that Blizzard has, if we want to system that is fun and constantly changing and widely diverse, the game will never be perfectly balanced. Now, in terms of our reaction time, keep in mind that every single time we change anything in the game, it will provoke howls, cheers and/or yawns. We take our time and even then we sometimes still make the wrong call. MMORPG developers are pretty much stuck in a no-win scenario. If we do nothing, we get B&M at. If we react too quickly, we get B&M at. If we react slowly, we get B&M at. Heck, even when we don't nerf and instead up abilities of other classes/races/etc. to compete, we get B&M at by the people who enjoyed their uber status. One of the things I truly hate about being a large-scale game developer is that no matter what we do, there will be a number of annoyed and vocal players who will scream until their lungs give out about how awful, terrible and stupid Mythic is. We do our best (it's not like we enjoy being yelled at nor the fact that some people are unhappy) but it will never be good enough for some.
So, we will, as always do our best to make sure that the game is balanced as it can be at launch. We will run though a long beta test but in the end, we will have to continue to balance the game after launch.
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Garth,
You would think it is that simple but sadly, it isn't. We only make money if people are happy so everything we do is geared to making the best game for the vast majority of people. This will, we hope, lead to making the maximum number of people happy for the longest period of time. However, when it is a player's class that is adjusted because of a power edge it shouldn't have had, well, then it is some evil plot by some people at Mythic who are out to get [fill in the blanks]. Developers, especially of MMOs, cannot win and will never win when it comes to this issue.
In the end, Mythic deals with the criticism, suggestions, desires better than any other large-scale MMORPG developer. Whether it was certain of our policy of rewarding people for giving us suggestions we used, for reporting bugs (I was doing that back in the mid 80s), our TL program (first in the MMORPG industry), our Strike Teams (first as well) and lots of other things we do that don't get a lot of attention, we have done some very smart (and dumb too, sadly) things. We will do this and hopefully more for WAR and anything else that we might do in the future. The problem is, no matter how much we do, there will always be a number of vocal and angry people who will spend days fuming, seething and posting attacks on us. We can take the criticism when we are wrong but the personal attacks, lies and nonsense that have been posted over the years is just insane. It is, at times, so bad that one has to question what kind of human being is on the other side.
Mark |
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29 December 2005
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
Ah, a nice juicy rumor. Well, I'll tell you this much:
1) WAR is intended for the PC only (at the present time)
2) Microsoft and Sony have been very good to us
3) We have some people doing some cool things in terms of the consoles already
4) Nothing is written
Mark |
| Mark Jacobs - CEO Mythic wrote: |
Folks,
I won't comment on any GW/Climax stuff but I can tell you that WAR is 100% new Mythic/GW stuff. No art, animation, code, sound, music, etc. is being used by Mythic in the creation of WAR.
Mark
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