We're mad as hell about iOS games that cost money, have ads, and/or any IAP at all.

True, and also points to a larger point. You CAN'T compare this to desktop MMORPGs. You can compare it to games like Yslandia and Pocket Legends, which I own both and have tried on several occasions to play and enjoy, and this game blows them out of the water in my opinion.

Standing back and looking at it, this is a huge gamble for gameloft. So I don't begrudge them for not spending the immense time and money in developing absolutely every piece of content, end game pvp and what not for the initial release. They put together a mostly complete game with a lot of potential and room for improvement and expansion to test the waters.

So far they have at least done server maintenance twice in less than 2 weeks as far as I know and gameloft employees are active on the official forums, so at least we know they didn't do their usual release the game into the wild and forget about it. So far anyway.

 

Yes, you can, particularly if it's when talking *content* and *price*.

It's kind of silly that the same crowd who wants to pimpslap the sort who thumps their chest that the game they paid $2 for 3 months ago is now free dammit! due to their lack of perspective is also the same crowd who wants to suddenly pretend an MMO exists in a vacuum by virtue of being on iOS. Selective perspective, brilliant

 

I'm hopeful that they will grow the world as well. I think that they wanted to test the waters before going all in to see what kind of response they get. Hopefully they are satisfied that they have something big on their hands and it is worth supporting. I know I am having a great time!

-Greg

 

It doesn't exist in a vacuum here, but the fact of the matter is traditional MMOs of the scale found on a PC that are not small-time studios/indie are what people *are* comparing O&C too. And those titles they are comparing to started out with much larger budgets and timeframes ($50 initial cost + $15/month) whether they are purely IAP now or not. You can do a lot more with a lot more money and a bigger team, regardless of the platform.

 

I remember WoW wasn't all that the first week it was out either...

 

You can compare but the games are not on equal footing. The PC is a much more powerful system with much higher resolution screen and a keyboard. I think they did an amazing job of translating the experience to a touch screen. Much better than those that have tried to do the same thing for a gaming console I think. Still need to wait on the richer content and understand your point about free games having more end game but I'm thinking the end game will come if the $ flow in. Gameloft will make a business decision and I'm hoping that the game will be popular enough that it can support continued development. The framework is certainly there for amazing things.

 

Not what I said at all, in fact, the opposite of what I said.

You are indeed the sort who bitches about people complaining about games going free and you are indeed the sort who is claiming it's unfair to compare this game to the larger market.

So, take your smarmy kthx and direct it somewhere more applicable.

If it's fair to say someone is being a ninny for posting self-righteous rants about how a dev has wounded them and their honor over dropping the price on an iOS game when these same games would cost $10 or $20 or another platform, it's equally fair to point out you can get better developed MMOs for $0 on other platforms.

----

Perspective is exactly what it's supposed to be, you step back and you consider things coldly and without emotion. O&C, for an iOS game, looks great, no question. Value wise, for an iOS game, it's competitive. Content wise, for an iOS game, it's competent if not outstanding. BUT, you can't just consider iOS in whether it's a good MMOG or a good value for an MMOG, because there are half a dozen games that will never cost you a penny that will give you a better MMOG experience out there right now for the downloading if you consider MMOGs outside of iOS.

So, as the best MMOG I can play on iOS, award to O&C. Best MMOG I can play on the toilet without awkwardly balancing a laptop, award to O&C. Best MMOG I can play for a year for less than one month of WoW or Rift costs, well, O&C wouldn't even make the ballot. That is simply being honest.

 

Please, go download Forsaken World or 4Story, play for a few weeks, and then post.

Arguing from a position that doesn't exist in reality is not the best stand to take. These aren't small time and indie studios, and these games were developed and launched as free games, and they are definitely a bigger endeavor than O&C.

My point, which people seem to be going out of their way to miss is exactly what PA noticed right off: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/5/2/

I'm not saying O&C is a bad game, or that it's insanely expensive, or that it sucks because it doesn't have the sparkly graphics of a 5 y.o. PC title, but I am saying it isn't worthy of the sort of blanket free pass that so many are willing to lob its way because they are so excited by the novelty of a game like this on their i-Device.

 

These games were also developed for a much more established and a much larger marketplace.

 

I think what you are missing is that some of us don't use computers for games. It's like saying that the ps3 has a better game. It doesn't matter because I don't have a ps3. I do have a PC and I used to play EQ & WoW on my PC but since I got my iPad I find myself only wanting to play games on it so what exists for the PC is really not relevant to me (though I may break down for Diablo 3). I don't think that O&C is getting a free pass but rather I think it is an eye opener that a game like this is available on a mobile platform and it is done well enough to bring hope for rich content in the future (giving GL the benefit of a doubt and as I've posted above, I think the business case exists for them).

I'm having a great time playing and I'm not stuck in my basement office on my PC so that is really what matters to me.

 

You just need to set up your PC in a room with some sunshine dude.

True, but this also leads one to question what he/she is doing with their life and may possibly throw them into a deep depression.

 

No, not what I'm missing. Nor was my discussion about the pricing of O&C itself in any way, but I see the mods have moved it to their "You're a whiny turd" thread, so I guess I might as well take the hint after this post and stop trying to help blind people see.

MMOGs are a distinct genre of game. They have been around for well over a decade now. There are pricing, content, and baseline mechanics standards that have been established over that time. No matter what the platform, people will judge your game by how good of an MMOG you have delivered taking all factors into account of which cost and platform are only contributors.

My point, which people seem so gosh darned in a hurry to skip over, is that O&C fails at delivering the content for its price on ANY platform. It may or may not become a worthy game over time, but excusing the complete lack of normally included endgame activities, grouping mechanics, class diversity, etc., simply because it's on iOS is to miss the forest for the trees.

If somebody made a Super Mario styled Platformer and didn't include jumping would you say, "Well, it's on iOS...."?

I'm more than a little perplexed at the lack of objectivity at the game itself.

As an iOS title, O&C may indeed be mind blowing and push the envelope at what we thought was possible, but as a game in the abstract from its particular genre, it's acceptable to maybe just slightly above average at best.

 

Almost your entire original critical argument is based on pricing! "If 'X' game can be free and contain all this then O&C should have it for $7."

Again I maintain this release is GL testing the waters of the marketplace. If the reception is good and servers stay full and money is coming in then they will put the time and money into it to add those other common features of an MMO.

Now if a couple months go by and there hasn't been a major update or at least an announcement of one with details then I will gladly come back here and lick your boots

 

1. You sound like a broken record,
2. you sound like a broken record,
3. you sound like a broken record,
4. you are repeating yourself,
5. your alwaysthesame opinions get boring.

Get the idea?

Don't like it? Don't buy it. For heaven's sake: don't discuss.

 

Well, when you keep telling people the sky is blue and they keep yelling back, "no, tomatoes are red", you assume there might be someway of conveying that isn't what you said since surely somebody understands English and constructive critique. However, I'm starting to assume that isn't the case. I feel like I've fallen for arguing with the blind men and the elephant in this discussion.

 

Perhaps it is your communication skills that are lacking?