Erling Ellingson posted some extremely general time frames for upcoming content on the official forums here.

His post:

I wish I could, but at this point we can't give any specific dates. The PvP update -is- coming soon, and we are very sorry that we did not reach the date we originally set for it. But we want to get this one right, so we're taking our time with it. It is definitely a priority for us to get it out soon, and we hope that you will feel that your patience is rewarded with a truly epic update. That will be up to you to decide!

As for Commons and Ymir's Pass (and the connecting dungeon named "The Amphitheater"), that's a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect. Again, I don't want to give any dates, but it's something that will come out in the forseeable future. The same goes for the dungeon set in Thunder River. House of Crom is further down the road. Note that is extremely important for us to get content updates out as soon as possible as we really need to keep you guys entertained. The armor is getting very much done at this point so that shouldn't be too far off.

I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to.

I personally, and everyone at Funcom, appreciates your patience!

So to me this reads as:

1. PvP update before WAR comes out.

2. Ymir's Pass and Commons, areas that were slated for launch but pulled, will be ready after WAR launches.

3. House of Crom and its multi raid group gimmick: The proverbial carrot. Edit: Re-reading the description on the House of Crom it doesn't actually sound any different from Main/Cistern as far as multiple groups go.  We all know how great those dungeons are shared

Edit: Oh and I thought the armor was done.  We're getting conflicting reports from the same guy.

more of the same. Theyve been saying the pvp patch and new content is coming soon forever.

Things must be bad if EE actually speaks to the customers! Wow, someone from FunCom actually took the time to post a message...I'm amazed, though I laugh at his "soon",  "upcoming patch" continuation.

Go EE! Keep 'em paying...just one more ($15) month baby!

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

Originally posted by S1GNAL

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

 

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

I think it is more that they have learned the hard way that setting dates carelessly is not a good idea. The blow-back is bad, especially since they are going on two months behind.

They have finally realized they bit more than they could chew and are diplomatically trying to acknowledge that?

Not as much as he appreciates Donuts.

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by S1GNAL

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

 

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

 

I think it is more that they have learned the hard way that setting dates carelessly is not a good idea. The blow-back is bad, especially since they are going on two months behind.

They have finally realized they bit more than they could chew and are diplomatically trying to acknowledge that?

If thats the case, then they must be half incompetent. Other companies set times for their updates, why not Funcom. Even more since AoC is a new game, and should by newer and improved standard have just as good or better communication. We are living in 2008, not 1999 anymore.

Seriously, if you cant see why they do this, then ok! The only income for funcom is their hopeful customers, who thinks the PvP update is coming in 2 weeks to a month. In reality it could be 2-3 months away.. and what about all the other content updates. Why should any customer be willing to pay their subscription? Just cos they believe in Funcom's speculations of "near future"..

Hope is all they have left, its a really sad way to live

Originally posted by Unfinished

Not as much as he appreciates Donuts.

 

and not as much as he  appreciates your subscription fees!

lol...sorry....but he really does make soe and smedley look good

Posts like Erlin Ellingson's has only 1 intended goal:

To keep stringing players along with a carrot for months on end, whether or not they actually do what they say they would do.  And during this entire time of you hoping they bring about something, they just keep taking your money.

A sucker's born every minute.

I fell for that s**t before in another MMO, I'm not falling for that cr*p again.

Originally posted by Warmaker

Posts like Erlin Ellingson's has only 1 intended goal:

To keep stringing players along with a carrot for months on end,

I bet i know where he got that goal from. He did the "carrot on a stick" quest in WoW, had a revalation, and that is now his business motto :D

Originally posted by S1GNAL

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by S1GNAL

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

 

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

 

I think it is more that they have learned the hard way that setting dates carelessly is not a good idea. The blow-back is bad, especially since they are going on two months behind.

They have finally realized they bit more than they could chew and are diplomatically trying to acknowledge that?

 

If thats the case, then they must be half incompetent. Other companies set times for their updates, why not Funcom. Even more since AoC is a new game, and should by newer and improved standard have just as good or better communication. We are living in 2008, not 1999 anymore.

Seriously, if you cant see why they do this, then ok! The only income for funcom is their hopeful customers, who thinks the PvP update is coming in 2 weeks to a month. In reality it could be 2-3 months away.. and what about all the other content updates. Why should any customer be willing to pay their subscription? Just cos they believe in Funcom's speculations of "near future"..

 

Hope is all they have left, its a really sad way to live

Thank you. I was going to post the same thing heh.

Most companies will set a date they expect to release updates by and then if they find they won't, they evaluate the situation, determine what still needs to be done, and come up with a new release date. Most companies will even share this information with the public to keep them informed.

That he's using such ambiguous descriptions as "in the foreseeable future" and "a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect" gives me the hunch that  they either have too little confidence to meet any date they do set.... not even a tentative one.

Or... they're feeling their way along and really have no idea how long it's going take.

If that's the way the work was "scheduled" all throughout the development process... it's no wonder the game is in such shambles.

And didn't they use "sooner or later" in regard to something else that was supposed to be in already?

That's pretty bad.

Originally posted by WSIMike

Originally posted by S1GNAL

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by S1GNAL

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

 

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

 

I think it is more that they have learned the hard way that setting dates carelessly is not a good idea. The blow-back is bad, especially since they are going on two months behind.

They have finally realized they bit more than they could chew and are diplomatically trying to acknowledge that?

 

If thats the case, then they must be half incompetent. Other companies set times for their updates, why not Funcom. Even more since AoC is a new game, and should by newer and improved standard have just as good or better communication. We are living in 2008, not 1999 anymore.

Seriously, if you cant see why they do this, then ok! The only income for funcom is their hopeful customers, who thinks the PvP update is coming in 2 weeks to a month. In reality it could be 2-3 months away.. and what about all the other content updates. Why should any customer be willing to pay their subscription? Just cos they believe in Funcom's speculations of "near future"..

 

Hope is all they have left, its a really sad way to live

 

Thank you. I was going to post the same thing heh.

Most companies will set a date they expect to release updates by and then if they find they won't, they evaluate the situation, determine what still needs to be done, and come up with a new release date. Most companies will even share this information with the public to keep them informed.

That he's using such ambiguous descriptions as "in the foreseeable future" and "a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect" gives me the hunch that  they either have too little confidence to meet any date they do set.... not even a tentative one.

Or... they're feeling their way along and really have no idea how long it's going take.

If that's the way the work was "scheduled" all throughout the development process... it's no wonder the game is in such shambles.

And didn't they use "sooner or later" in regard to something else that was supposed to be in already?

That's pretty bad.

 

 

I agree. Too make a long story short, FunCom had pathetically bad (non-existent) communication, illogical nerfs and no general direction. Meanwhile, the players are making their own undocumented patch notes, because the devs don't document them for the players. Un-frikken-believeable!!

EE can say ''soon'' and ''upcoming patch'' and ''we're trying'' all he likes. Truth is, a much more polished, much less bugged, better communicating dev team game is being released very soon.

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by WSIMike

Originally posted by S1GNAL

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by S1GNAL

"I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to."

 

Only reason to not set dates, is cos its too far into the future to predict. And also keep their customers living in hope they would not live in if they put out the dates.

 

I think it is more that they have learned the hard way that setting dates carelessly is not a good idea. The blow-back is bad, especially since they are going on two months behind.

They have finally realized they bit more than they could chew and are diplomatically trying to acknowledge that?

 

If thats the case, then they must be half incompetent. Other companies set times for their updates, why not Funcom. Even more since AoC is a new game, and should by newer and improved standard have just as good or better communication. We are living in 2008, not 1999 anymore.

Seriously, if you cant see why they do this, then ok! The only income for funcom is their hopeful customers, who thinks the PvP update is coming in 2 weeks to a month. In reality it could be 2-3 months away.. and what about all the other content updates. Why should any customer be willing to pay their subscription? Just cos they believe in Funcom's speculations of "near future"..

 

Hope is all they have left, its a really sad way to live

 

Thank you. I was going to post the same thing heh.

Most companies will set a date they expect to release updates by and then if they find they won't, they evaluate the situation, determine what still needs to be done, and come up with a new release date. Most companies will even share this information with the public to keep them informed.

That he's using such ambiguous descriptions as "in the foreseeable future" and "a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect" gives me the hunch that  they either have too little confidence to meet any date they do set.... not even a tentative one.

Or... they're feeling their way along and really have no idea how long it's going take.

If that's the way the work was "scheduled" all throughout the development process... it's no wonder the game is in such shambles.

And didn't they use "sooner or later" in regard to something else that was supposed to be in already?

That's pretty bad.

 

 

I agree. Too make a long story short, FunCom had pathetically bad (non-existent) communication, illogical nerfs and no general direction. Meanwhile, the players are making their own undocumented patch notes, because the devs don't document them for the players. Un-frikken-believeable!!

EE can say ''soon'' and ''upcoming patch'' and ''we're trying'' all he likes. Truth is, a much more polished, much less bugged, better communicating dev team game is being released very soon.

 

So very true. What is going through Funcom's heads this weekend? You better believe some of thier people are in the War free weekend too and right now they are proabally telling themselves they are freaking screwed.
 

1. The devs never imagined War would be released before November. Giving them more time to fix stuff before everyone jumped ship. When they heard September 18th you could have heard a pin drop in Funcom's offices I bet.

2. They are checking out War and seeing it is well done and more complete thinking they would see something different when they logged in, again thinking they would have more time.

3. EE is giving no dates on the patches because he knows they will not be ready by September 18th and even more people would jump ship and they need to keep what ever subs they have for now.

Originally posted by octa

1) -is- coming soon

2) to get it out soon

3) a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect

4) come out in the forseeable future

5) further down the road.

6) out as soon as possible as we

7) shouldn't be too far off.

Wow. That's some vague time tabling.

i hate when people project

who said im f***ing patient b**ch?

but thank you for not lying to us

Originally posted by miagisan

Originally posted by Unfinished

Not as much as he appreciates Donuts.

 

 

and not as much as he  appreciates your subscription fees!

 

lol...sorry....but he really does make soe and smedley look good

You think Smed is gonna send them a Thank You card?

Originally posted by Sabradin

i hate when people project

who said im f***ing patient b**ch?

but thank you for not lying to us

 

I love MMO companies that expect patience and yet keep charging $15 a month.

Don't expect or even hope for patience when the meter is running.

All I can say is you're damned if you do and damned if you don't .

Originally posted by Malickiebloo

All I can say is you're damned if you do and damned if you don't .

That's because they have very little "Do" and a whole lot of "Don't".

Originally posted by octa

Erling Ellingson posted some extremely general time frames for upcoming content on the official forums here.

His post:

...

I wish I could, but at this point we can't give any specific dates. The PvP update -is- coming soon, and we are very sorry that we did not reach the date we originally set for it. But we want to get this one right, so we're taking our time with it. It is definitely a priority for us to get it out soon, and we hope that you will feel that your patience is rewarded with a truly epic update. That will be up to you to decide!

...

As for Commons and Ymir's Pass that's a little bit further down the road but not too long I expect. Again, I don't want to give any dates, but it's something that will come out in the forseeable future.

...

House of Crom is further down the road. Note that is extremely important for us to get content updates out as soon as possible as we really need to keep you guys entertained.

...

The armor is getting very much done at this point so that shouldn't be too far off.

...

I know it can be a bit frustrating not to get any dates on this, and I hope we can put some dates on it at a later stage. We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to.

Is it just me or does he sound like one of those dodgy tradesmen that you hire to do renovation work on your house (plastering, plumbing etc) but who then takes over two months to complete something that was originally promised to be completed in two weeks. "Sorry Guv, I just can't get the Parts"!

Good grief, the game came out at the end of May & now at the end of August they sound even more vague & non-committal than they did at the start. I can remember feeling optimistic about their post-launch promises as they seemed to be fairly candid, but now three months later they still haven't got their act together and are issuing mumbling crap like this.

That last paragraph about "I know it can be a bit frustrating..." is completely outrageous. He might think he is giving the impression of sincerity, but does he have any idea how patronising it is to use phrases like 'We know it's important that you guys have something to hold on to'?

Sorry Erling, but if you want earn people's patience you are going to need to do better than that!

I see EE and AA is working overtime these days. BB (Baghdad Bob) must be proud.

Originally posted by Xris375

I see EE and AA is working overtime these days. BB (Baghdad Bob) must be proud.

Posting news for those that appreciate doesn't break a sweat unlike gold selling. Do you not think he is doing the right thing? After all loads of people including myself have been saying for a long time where is the communication - so some comes along as its slated to the Nth degree?

At the end of the day I just want FC to come out and be honest about the past, present and most importantly the future.

Originally posted by AmazingAvery

At the end of the day I just want FC to come out and be honest about the past, present and most importantly the future.

Wow, pinch me, I agree with Avery 100%.

The word "soon" seems to have a definition all its own when used by funcom devs.  As I recall Gunz Googenheimer or whatever his name is, the lead guy, sent out a letter just after release that was similar.

In that letter he promised all those same features plus more including thousands of armor sets and kept saying it was all coming "soon".  That was about three months ago.

Soon could mean next year for all we know.

I agree it would make sense for fc to get the pvp patch out before WAR launches except for one thing.

They have been unable to patch the simplest problems without introducing major new bugs.  I'm sure they realize this as well as anyone. 

What would be more devastating, no pvp patch or a hopelessly bugged or underwhelming pvp patch being introduced just prior to WAR launch?

I'm guessing they won't risk it.l

Originally posted by AmazingAvery

Originally posted by Xris375

I see EE and AA is working overtime these days. BB (Baghdad Bob) must be proud.

 

At the end of the day I just want FC to come out and be honest about the past, present and most importantly the future.

True enough...

And if this is the beginning of them turning over a new leaf.. well it's about damn time.

Regardless... still got a long way to go.

- Have to start giving better time-frames than the vague ones they've been giving.

- Have to be consistent and keep folks updated as the changes come about... A token update here and there, consisting of "soon" and "in the foreseeable future" is not going to cut it.

- Have to deliver on what's being discussed and not say it just to get people's hopes up; dangling that carrot to keep them paying one more month... or perhaps, to just "get the players off their backs"

- Have to stop trying to pull the wool over people's eyes, trying to pass off content that was supposed to be in the game already as "new content". Gamers - especially with MMOs - are *way* too observant to pull that off.

Many players pay attention to everything that's said by the reps for any MMO. Every article, interview, video, press release, new-clip, etc.. And they hold them to every word.

It really kinda surprises me that after running AO for so long, they still don't realize... or at least don't fully appreciate that.

If they can cover those things, and do it consistently, and AoC does begin to improve in the process... eventually... opinion of FC will begin to change... Won't be easy though. They've burned a lot of bridges and earned themselves a bad rep.