I tried it yesterday and gonna keep on trying it today.

So what does this game has bad that made it fail from p2p? I mean this is one of the first "f2p" mmorpg that I didn't yawn after a few minutes. It has nice customizations and can make your character look how you want it with whatever weapon you want, amazing graphics, an interesting story and atm seems a strategical battle system.

I'm in no way trying to advertise the game or hyping it up just so you know I'm just curious on how this game gone to f2p when it was p2p.

I am downloading the game right now. I am curious on how it is. I have read that it is an unique MMO experience and that it has sandbox qualities. I hope it works right and is fun. If not I will be frustrated cause it is taking me 12 hours to download. Can you give me any insight on how the game plays etc?

God Bless,

Dustin

†

Well, it's visually very beautiful and seems to have a lot going for it.

However, the tutorial is dreadfully dry (unless they changed it) and by the time I finished the tutorial and got into the game and they asked me to run around and find towers to get reports I had to sit back in my chair and say "no, no more, at least not with this game and not now". And removed it.

So in saying that I do not have any extensive time with the game but that one quest sort of took the life out of me at that moment. I'm sure there must be more to the game but I just couldn't give it the proper time of day. At least when I tried it.

So knowing that, if you are really interested in the game then just prepare for the start to be a little lack luster.

One major reason is how they split up the world, especially Europe, into little distributorship conclaves that made no sense to anyone outside the company.

From what I've read, the game had some issues at launch, (what game doesn't) but from my observations, inept marketing and distribution did as much as to kill this game as anything else. (also a familiar story in this industry)

Well for now I didn't find it boring so that is good I need some game/s to waste time till FFXIV I finished 90% of the pc games I purchased which is starting to get costly when I finished them in 2 days or a week each xD

The game itself had a ton of potential. I'm honest not sure what went wrong, but it wasn't the game itself. Sure it could use a little work, but it was still better off than most MMOs at launch. Looks great, unique combat...

I think the real problem was something on the devloper side... either running out of money to support it, and change up in the staffing or something along those lines.

Originally posted by Kyleran

From what I've read, the game had some issues at launch, (what game doesn't) but from my observations, inept marketing and distribution did as much as to kill this game as anything else. (also a familiar story in this industry)

 

 Well first off the game had some bugs but overall it was a very smooth release as far as stability goes and fun. The game was a ton of fun. Marketing and distribution was horrid as well as patches took for ever to hit the US. Not that there was many to begin with.

 Where the game really failed. Well that is the question. There was no sense of accomplishment first off. A lack of group zones like the instanced zone called Exarch. That instance was awesome. (needed lots more of these type of zones at the high end). No raiding at all. Now that the game is ftp there are no more patches or improvements coming so it is what it is. Which is to bad, the game had tons of potential because it was so fun to actually play.

Thats my 2cents anyway

Originally posted by Dillig

Originally posted by Kyleran

From what I've read, the game had some issues at launch, (what game doesn't) but from my observations, inept marketing and distribution did as much as to kill this game as anything else. (also a familiar story in this industry)

 

 

 Well first off the game had some bugs but overall it was a very smooth release as far as stability goes and fun. The game was a ton of fun. Marketing and distribution was horrid as well as patches took for ever to hit the US. Not that there was many to begin with.

 

 Where the game really failed. Well that is the question. There was no sense of accomplishment first off. A lack of group zones like the instanced zone called Exarch. That instance was awesome. (needed lots more of these type of zones at the high end). No raiding at all. Now that the game is ftp there are no more patches or improvements coming so it is what it is. Which is to bad, the game had tons of potential because it was so fun to actually play.

 

Thats my 2cents anyway

 

I was going to make a similar thread aswell but so far im having alot of fun in the tutorial, last time i played was in the closed beta and i seriously didnt know what was going on so had to leave. The new tutorial is ALOT better and gives alot more information but in regards to why the game failed. Judging from the main forums it seems like there were alot of bugs, lack of patches and overall support for the game. My question to a someone who played the game would be, what exactly does the game lack gameplay wise? I mean is there like no raiding/ dungeons, too much grinding, no content besides doing quests, unbalanced pvp if there is any and ye stuff like that.

At first, the division of Europe is key: Don't include the UK in the release plan, don't put any efforts into Scandinavia. Germany and France will have their own servers, so you make sure that nobody is left to inhabit the "international server". The few Benelux players will drop the game soon. You also remove all release momentum with this strategy and it creates a nice initial release atmosphere as a plus.

If the game would just not appear on the shelves, that's one thing. But you can do better. Combine this strategy with digital distribution to maximize the effect. Use the international, free, global internet and even make the game free to download and play (the first few levels). Just be sure to prevent the free playing by using extensive IP-Blocks. Now people cannot play the game with their friends and you prevent international guilds to pick up the game. 

For the finishing move tell the few remaining players that they can play with the release of the game in their territory, whatever that is -- since you know, you made sure that you even divided Europe. Keep the confusion on a maximum level so you make sure the players lose motivation soon. The release of Wrath of the Lich King will also help a lot.

Then go into another beta for the new territory. It doesn't make sense, but remember: confusion is king. It also buys you time. Because in the meantime the developers are still releasing decent content updates and some players just won't go away. You can't have that. Claim that you will do marketing to keep them quiet. Time is on your side.

  At some point just post a memo somewhere that the game is now considered "live" in the rest of the world. Since players have complained all the time, drop the IP as well. That's right. There is no need for it anymore anyway and you need to maintain good face. Just make sure that you don't do marketing with the good news or something, keep a low profile with that. Just continue with the confusion strategy: employ marketing terms such as Freemium to make sure that you neither the subscriber audience nor the free 2 play audience understands anything. Remaining players are effectively scared off by not updating news and with lazy community management. And when developers do to much: fire them. You can't have counterproductive developers.

Well heres a general review of what to expect:

The world is top notch, and the quests were entertaining.  not open world, zone map based.

FFA pvp (did they have pve servers?) 

The classes are all hybrids, all classes heal, all classes dd, all classes buff.  No real cross character buffing/healing as far as i was aware either.

The buff system is quite unique and plays a huge role in pvp (each attack usually buffs you a point or two or debuffs your oppenent a point or two in one of the  3 buff categories, run speed, attack speed, attack dmg.....you can have up to a 50% increase or 50% debuff in these categories....this is all done though attacks)

The combat system is kind of fun, after the learning curve and you get enough skills to fill out your deck.  Twitch based hit/miss.

Pvp is long, very drawn out, expect ties in pvp ( based on it getting boring)

Levels dont mean much.

Equipment means nothing but looks.  Any weapon, any armor, any class.  Take time to make a really cool character at creation, that armor setup is gonna be bood for a very long time.

I was a rune mage weilding a massive 2h sword, in partial plate/cloth, that was able to hit hard melee, heal myself a bit, and cast a few magic skills.  It wasnt what i wanted, and they didnt offer what i wanted, but atleast it played fun.

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Not sure what f2p is going to bring to the game.  Or how it will work.  All i know is that when a game goes item mall f2p its over for me.  Was expecting to return to this game after they finished adding all the content ect.

All i know is that when it wasnt f2p, there was a medium sized community playing, not like it was dead (mabey in eu it was).  I suspect accaim tweaked the fck out having a game that wasnt f2p.

I know I was really looking forward to this game.

Acclaim was probably a really bad choice. I just didn't feel like dealing with all their BS and gave up on it.

I'm thinking the same thing might have happened in Europe.

---

So now you may deal with Acclaim, but not all the BS from the beginning. You don't set high expectations

so you are pleasantly surprised. Let's hope it goes somewhere, but I doubt it (original company bankrupt)

Originally posted by neoterrar

I know I was really looking forward to this game.

Acclaim was probably a really bad choice. I just didn't feel like dealing with all their BS and gave up on it.

I'm thinking the same thing might have happened in Europe.

---

So now you may deal with Acclaim, but not all the BS from the beginning. You don't set high expectations

so you are pleasantly surprised. Let's hope it goes somewhere, but I doubt it (original company bankrupt)

Spellborn did not want to publish themselves, had big problems finding publishers for their game, ran out of money, settled for publishers like Frogster and Acclaim that are actually into the F2P segment of the MMO business.

The game was good and enjoyable except for the lack of players. The latter was caused by the absence of any marketing of the game and way too many servers at launch. Lack of players did cause players to leave and made it worse up to the point it was no longer fun to play the game.

Spellborn Works BV went bankrupt, sold the game to Frogster, Acclaim kept its license for the game, European servers were closed down. End of story so far.

Frogster is redesigning the game to make it suited for their F2P model. Nothing is known about what they are doing, but the whole affair did drive the vast majority of fans away. The game will try to make a come back, but it will be for a different audience. And, most likely, it will be a different game.

I can't see what's wrong with this game , it's THE best free game out there , i mean how the heck did they changed it to free.:S And why ppl aren't playing it i dont get it xD graphics rock , a lot of things to do in game , quests not only go kill 5 of these and that's it , gameplay awesome innovating , totally rocks:P it's a shame it didnt succeed .

Originally posted by selobthegod

I can't see what's wrong with this game , it's THE best free game out there , i mean how the heck did they changed it to free.:S And why ppl aren't playing it i dont get it xD graphics rock , a lot of things to do in game , quests not only go kill 5 of these and that's it , gameplay awesome innovating , totally rocks:P it's a shame it didnt succeed .

I believe that the audience for p2p and f2p games differ. A game that has not established itself and makes the change has to invest in finding new players. Neither Acclaim nor Frogster is advertising the game at the moment. My guess is that there will be more advertising when the game relaunches in 2010.

Originally posted by selobthegod

I can't see what's wrong with this game , it's THE best free game out there , i mean how the heck did they changed it to free.:S And why ppl aren't playing it i dont get it xD graphics rock , a lot of things to do in game , quests not only go kill 5 of these and that's it , gameplay awesome innovating , totally rocks:P it's a shame it didnt succeed .

Personally I don't like the fact that you can pick up your appereance at the character creation, like in CoH
The idea that my character will look the same forever put me off big time.
I also don't like the fact that classes can do everything, there is not diversification, and I like classes to have a particular role, since I prefer a group based play style.

This game is just too generic and too casual, but that's my personal opinion.

You get new gear from quests and probably from some bosses you can have different appearance later on.

Originally posted by bloodaxes

You get new gear from quests and probably from some bosses you can have different appearance later on.

I thought you'd get some kind of add ons which you could embed in your armour to make it more powerful, but the look of the armor would stay the same...............

Originally posted by ste2000

Originally posted by selobthegod

I can't see what's wrong with this game , it's THE best free game out there , i mean how the heck did they changed it to free.:S And why ppl aren't playing it i dont get it xD graphics rock , a lot of things to do in game , quests not only go kill 5 of these and that's it , gameplay awesome innovating , totally rocks:P it's a shame it didnt succeed .

 

Personally I don't like the fact that you can pick up your appereance at the character creation, like in CoH
The idea that my character will look the same forever put me off big time.
I also don't like the fact that classes can do everything, there is not diversification, and I like classes to have a particular role, since I prefer a group based play style.

This game is just too generic and too casual, but that's my personal opinion.

... 1) U can change appearance later in game as the above guy said just not usual as in other mmos 2 ) classes can't do everything that's a big lie .. lol , maybe at low lvls u can do some heals even if u are a warrior or something but when u lvl up and change classes u get more specific skills and roles , there is group style in the game and it's not casual at all oO 

Nono you also can get new gear and can even change their colors ingame but I heard it's not cheap.

In the beggining you get a shoulderpad from one of the quests but It was black and white and my gear was all red and black so didn't equip it then later on I got a weapon from another quest.

The equipments/weapons you get ingame are different then the ones you can choose form in the customization screen.