rmillard wrote:Sorry, based upon my terse post I'm not surprised you came to that conclusion. I didn't post the whole story of why I'm leaving (described ad-nauseum in other threads by many more articulate than me about dwindling player base and lack of content, etc.), this just happens to be the last straw for me at least....
Well if you're worried about dwindling playerbase, then the merger should help address that concern, given that out of hours players and overlap of game time, especially on weekends, will provide more players to interact with, more goods in the shops, etc etc.
Content?
We seem to have events, whether player or guide run every other day, and usually something including plot/lore of some description every week.
You should really stick around and give it a chance IMO.
As to the other problems, Nevrax aren't a Sony or a Blizzard, blowing cash on a massive TV blitz was never going to happen. IMO they spent their advertising wisely, trying to get a word of mouth thing going through webcomics and other ways of getting the word across.
I think their main barrier has been the cultural difference between Europe and the US, something I have some experience with in direct relation to games.
As a sweeping generalisation US gamers are less patient, less accepting, more likely to whinge, demand, complain etc and less willing or able to accept something different. That can be good, it does drive companies or groups to provide more.
As a sweeping generalisation again European gamers are more patient, more accepting of delays and more interested in ideas and concept than execution necessarily. (We can also be a bit arrogant, condescending and elitist).
Ryzom needed good word of mouth and, to an extent its gotten that in Europe. In the US though it seems that it didn't get that, even though its launch and its delays are much less bad than some of the collosall cock ups seen in other MMO launches and patches.
No good word of mouth, no penetration of the US market, especially when put up against the likes of WoW, CoH etc, which appeal more to the casual gamer and those who don't necessarily want to think or create.
Ryzom is, to me, a roleplayers mecca. The relative absensce of metaplot and led-by-the-nose quests has led to players filling the gap with roleplay and events, using the game, world and playerbase more as a toolkit within which to make their own speculations and relationships.
That's why I'm going to stick with it to the bitter end.
I think this merger is a grand thing and I look forward to meeting all these new people.
Don't think the US is the only one with concerns about this though!
As I mentioned, playstyles are quite different, I'm worried about more competitive and aggressive players from the US server, I'm worried about the culture of whining and complaining I see on the forums here coming into Arispotle. The US players seem to have concentrated on hardcore levelling more than most Europeans and that also worries me as its an emphasis and playstyle I don't like, the US seems to be more pro PVP.
We have our concerns too!
One of the things you guys were complaining about was lack of events and content, we seem to have it coming out of our ears.
So what do you say? We'll give you a chance if you give us a chance.
