releasing information

[toray]

So... Brickhouse isn't going to release anything more about skills or magic until Beta. No skill tree examples, no sample tree that shows how one might choose to specialize in something or diversify for the same cost, etc. Nothing for us to comment on. Ok.

But what about races, backstory, artwork, gods, politics?

I understand the decision not to focus on the website, or to go to the extremes Artifact Entertainment has done with Horizons, soliciting user input on everything they show off. I don't like it, but I can understand that you feel your efforts will pay bigger dividends working on the product. The fact that Horizons has garnered a huge following already due to their marketing style may not make up for the perceived earlier death due to lack of interest due to knowing too much...

So, uh, why are we here? Proof of concept to your employees doesn't cut it.. yes, you can draw a few fans onto the board with basic teaser information. But I don't see how that's proof of concept... we're so sick of the poor quality and balance issues in the existing games that we're grasping at straws...

Bah, I'm just grumpy because I've been hammering away at the idiot developers on the live team at Turbine (Asheron's Call) about the cost vs effectiveness of their skills, and they acknowledge that there's a problem, and refuse to fix it, because it would Nerf those users who rerolled to exploit the failures in the skill system. I just don't want to see the same thing happen here.

[fredrick]

I feel the same way you do in many respects Toray... primarily because I'm suffering withdrawals from online gaming (Quite EQ due to lame customer support), and am using this messag board as a life-line until the next cool looking game comes out.
I must say however that there needs to be a point where we let the programmers do some... programming. They're a fairly small team.. particularly for a project of this scope; and while I'd love for them to be on my ICQ hot list so I can ask them all sorts of details, that's probably not the best thing for any of us... particularly if you're like me and counting the days until beta.

I think the main reason the skill/magic information is not something to get too hung up over is that they're probably going to do some serious tweaking to it during the beta.. maybe even try out more than one system.
Also, while we are able to enjoy participating (or at least having feedback into) the design of the game flow, I think it's worth keeping in mind that the game's not even in closed beta yet.. chances are balance issues will have to wait until then to be addressed.

LOL.. ok, that's all I have to say about that. A lot's been going on lately, and I'm a bit scatter-brained.

Anyway, I look forward to being able to discover how the whole system works.. hopefuly a pleasant surprise :)

[Lordosis]

Perhaps I was a bit too harsh yesterday, maybe if I got out to see the light of day more often I'd be in a better mood. Of course we'll release background info and small pieces of "spoiler-type" info as we go along. Truth be told, we don't have the entire world laid out, every detail of every race, religion, NPC, etc. What we do have are a lot of sketchy ideas that we've had from day one, and now we're starting to get a nice stream of 3D models and areas of the world laid out that will serve as inspiration to us as we go to flesh out the details. Rolfe is the best dungeon master this side of Mars, so the storyline and quests won't dissapoint you.

In response to your implication that Horizon's marketing is better than ours I say: Duh! But it's a qualified Duh, since we have no inclination to be like them. Their projected budget is 8 million dollars, ours is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller, roughly three orders of magnitude smaller. So they need on the order of a THOUSAND TIMES MORE customers than us to break even. Taking that into account, I'd say we have them beat in the marketing department, relatively speaking. Beat to a bloody pulp you might say.

And why are you here? I'll tell you why: I don't know! No wait, I do know. Because Arcanity is going to be the best AND the cheapest second generation MMORPG. Please don't think that we are going to keep our loyal visitors in the dark, that isn't what I meant to convey by my last post. If anything is apparent from our message boards, it is that Brick House is very open with our game and design ideas.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Don't worry too much Rich. I think we are all getting anxeious to play. :) I think everyone is going into withdrawals. I know I am. I can't stand to play any of the mmorpg's out anymore so I am ready for the next one to get here. Everyone is so interested in how Arcanity is going to turn out that they want to know everything now. Just feed us alittle now and then as you have been and maybe we can stave off the DT's until Beta. :rolleyes:

[efz88]

Yes my with drawl is so servire seeing how all summer and alst year i was playing EQ and UO every single day. Now siting and giving my views on a new game. Im get a bit ittchy. I dont need the detals if i got the game but other then that tesers are good.

[triangle]

everquest currently has 300,000 subscribers. they get 3Million a month...... and they are not using that to get more and better programers and artists. I quit EQ. many of my friends would quit EQ if there was something else out there but AC. when all of the other MMORPG come out EQ will feel like their ship is sinking and all the rats are leaving... :) heh

verent is more concerned about keeping the game the way it started (since it was a success) then they are in improving the game.

the one thing everyone expects from a MMORPG is that it will change over time... the MMORPG that is able to change the fastest will grab and keep people.... everyone likes to be the first to discover a new skill, spell, or item.

the way i see it... when a MMORPG stops growing it dies.

i think that a MMORPG should start out with skills and stats and items that are smaller and have more stuff introduced every 15 or 30 days. i would realy like to play a game where more new stuff is comming out then what i can explore for myself. :)

[triangle]

i would also like it if all the items in the game at release are the only ones that the monsters drop. i would like for the people to researce and be able to build better items... basicly history be fixed at release and let history be writen by the players... why would a new item have a 500 year history? why not have the items made and have its maker and wielders listed on it somewhere. (wielded as in the people using it gained a few levels using it.)

maybe make an item that has a long people list become a perment item that wont decay. that would be sold and bought for more money... etc. :)

(btw... i know these ideas are hard to incorporate and dont expect to see them in the game :) )

[Saint Faucet]

why would a new item have a 500 year history?

If the world were starting from scratch, this would be true. The world of Novus, however, is not starting from scratch. True most of the world was changed/lost after the Cataclysm spell was cast, but that was several hundred years ago in-game. A lot can happen during that time...

How old is the Declaration of Independence? It's a couple of hundred years old now, but it certainly has an important history attached to it. Okay, that's probably not a good example since it's just a document. How about the Spear of Longinus then? It's supposedly the spear that pierced the side of Christ while he was on the cross. Now granted I don't know most of this item's history or supposed abilities/powers, but I do know that Hitler was after it with a bloody passion during WWII along with a bunch of other holy relics. That was less than a hundred years ago, so I'd say that item has some sort of recent history attached to it.

If you had a madman trying to acquire an item in your possession, wouldn't you want to know why he was sending groups of soldiers after you to get it? If you had the item, wouldn't you want to use it as bait in a ploy to potentially destroy the madman? And after all this is said and done, wouldn't the item now have a further history attached to it that your descendants could study and learn from?

I'm all for player-made items (if they can be implemented), but the historic ones need to be included too. They help flesh out the story and the world. They also give us plot devices to use with quests... even if they have no innate special abilities to grant.

[Wrentia]

As long as you add it in a new area that hasn't been explored yet. Also, lets say the goblins have a legend that a towering member of their race's history that carries the Spear of Torment will be reborn someday. Brickhouse could then roleplay the Goblin in an event or create the NPC Goblin just arriving in an area gaining control of those goblins and marching to war. Anything can be added and fit into the game, as long as its done properly. However, if all of a sudden every goblin started dropping some new spell component that was just added for a new spell, that would be a wrong way to do it.

Just my thoughts...

-Wrentia

[UBIK]

that sounds pretty cool what your talking about here, i think having a sword autographed by say "Arch Bishop Ubik" and "Sir Lancelot" would be pretty cool, and cost a bunch since everyone would want it :)

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Aye, I think it is fun to go questing for unique items in the game...such as the Goddess Kymeri's katana of light, but I don't want to see 500 people with my favorite sword. I am sure that our boys here will figure out how to keep that down. They have already said that the game would center more on skills than equipment. Also a good weapon doesn't necessarily need magic to be good. A well balanced/made katana made by a master blacksmith such as Miamoto Musashi is still prized today by collectors. The guys also said that they would like to implement player made magic weapons/armor. Pay several of your enchanter friends to get together and make you that awesome sword you want.

[UBIK]

ok how about a weapon signed by "Goddess Kymeri's and Arch Bishop Ubiks thing of slaying/light/ect..." i would pay big bucks for that.......

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Ok, but you have to be the archbishop of my religion. Bask in the Light as the most favored(uh only) priest of my order.

[BelDragos]

Not to get technical but the most famous sword of Musashi is the wooden one he used after he realized that nobody could beat him. He realized he didn't need the best sword ever created. As a matter of fact the best documented fight was when some enemies attempted to ambush him near the seashore and he disguized himself in the seaweed and took all four with a broken oar! After that fight he gave up metal blades and defeated everyone with a wooden practice sword. This is the best example from history that illustrates what the staff is trying to explane about the skill levels being more important than the equiptment. Read The Book Of Five Rings by Miamoto Musashi for more information.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Yes, I know that Beldragos. Using his name was just a example. I have read the book. I agree that a master swordsman should be able to beat a apprentice everytime, even if that apprentice is useing Goddess Kymeri's sword of light.

[Edited by Kymeri mac An Iolar on 11-09-2000 at 08:17 AM]

[fredrick]

I'm sorry.. I have to ask. Is:
Only fools rush in where Gods fear to tread
an RPG adaptation of the quote:
Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread

?

I figure an RPG's likely the only place you'll find where people acknowledge gods are likely to fear treading anywhere.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

yeah

[BelDragos]

The only problen I have with your quote is the fact that you want to become a Goddess.

That makes your position a bit sticky.