A couple of genuine concerns

We just came back after a long break of not playing, and figured post wipe was the best time to do so. There are clearly many improvements, graphical, UI, etc, even some obvious combat fixes, but overall, I guess not to the level or state I would have assumed the game would be by this point in time.
I am concerned about a couple, of what I would consider obvious things. First of all I have beta tested many games so I understand, yes, this is beta, but there is just a very clunky and unpolished feel to the game that was pretty much there the last time we played. Again, I get that this is beta but as it is beta, what surprises me even more than what I would consider an overall lack of progress, is the amount of energy and focus being pushed on "for cash" in game items.
I am concerned about this for a few reasons, first and foremost because my wife and I contributed what I would say by normal standards, was a considerable amount of cheddar. We would have gladly (preferably) done so without the in game items (had that not been the situation) just because we were so excited about the prospect of "THE ONE GAME", and genuinely speaking, it is a slippery slope when you garnish support with in game items as an incentive, especially to the tune and impact that these cost and have, ie Castles, tax free lots, etc.
Which brings me to my next point: Feeling as I do, I find it a bit egregious of the devs when I keep logging into the game and the very first message on the screen is regarding using rl cash to expand my bank. It's like, hey welcome to your great escape, let's drag you back to the real world. Again this is beta so I understand this may not be common procedure during the released version of the game, I also understand when you log in is the optimal time to advertise, but how fine a line are we at this point in the game so to speak, between pay to support and PTW? Is this something we can expect post full release? I think most people can agree, PTW is tantamount to suicide for mmos these days, and it leaves behind a handful of dedicated whales in the fragments of what could have been. In hindsight it just feels like the whole house sell off was just not a good thing.
I know how hard people have worked and continue to work on this game, but in all honesty and in a very short time, I have all kinds of flags going up, and again, I am just genuinely concerned. To say we had/have high hopes for this game would be a huge understatement, I just don't want to see this lady turning into a, well, not a lady.

 

I see this is your first post here. Welcome to alpha, not beta, and early release.

Playing a work in progress is not for everyone. The dev team has been quite clear for those who have followed the game that alpha persistence does not mean game release. If you like testing, give it a go longer and maybe your perspective will change. Else come back in six months or so and hopefully things will be closer to release.

Cheers!

 

This is my first post here! Ok, first of all, my bad, I thought this was not only beta but semi close to release due to the final wipe. Which brings up a new concern: If full release is not around the corner, is this not a bit early for a final wipe? Will we in fact maintain everything we achieve now post actual release? And thank you for the quick response.

 

CRAP man!!! CRAP!!!!!! Concerns! Serious concerns!!! Better get out now!!!!!!!

*can i have our pledge??

~edit~ sorry man, but alot of us are having a blast in this game right now /edit~
~edit #2~ don't have weird concerns in public, just play the game or quit. /edit #2~

 

Not really if you think about it, Imo more mmos would benefit from launching more quietly like this than the usual fanfare of hype then falling flat on their face, then spending another 6 months getting it to launch state by which time
its too late as youve already had your main launch push. Better to get it all stable with smaller numbers and get it all tight before the actual launch. Nearly every mmo Ive played at launch could have benefited from a more cautious launch.

Re you 1st post, they do need to make money somehow as non sub and all cashshop stuff is about as un-pay-to-win as it can be without not selling anything.
Also incase your not aware you CAN buy things like the bank slots for ingame gold, also things like the crowns of the obsidian (ingame real cash currency, 1$ = 1 crown) also are rare ingame drops
and have higher drop rates in pvp zones & I believe are lootable.

 

I didn't say I wasn't having fun, I said I was having concerns all of which I'd say are at the very least valid. If fun was my concern I could go do a lot of things for free. Just protecting my investment.

 

We'll be getting the economy rolling, which will obviously take a lot of tuning. This is an important first step and best done as soon as possible. This will be a player-based economy. It needs to be balanced and convenient to post-release players. That's what us Early Releasers are here for to create the world that new players will enter.

Secondly, I hope you'll take time to look around. There has been great progress in scene and town creation - check out some of those vistas. NPCs, particularly along the Love path are engaging. The Starting scene on the Isle of Storms is something the Dev team can be proud of. I hope you took some time with it.

I admit, I'm a dedicated fan who's been plugged in here from the start. I overlook flaws and have faith that they'll be fixed. I've seen how the team has successfully served two masters - the introduction of new features while keeping a world playable 24/7.

 

Oh, I can assure you, if this was the absolute final wipe, I will be doing a lot more than looking around. It was just daunting leveling skills and crafting knowing they were going bye bye in the not so distant future. My tenacity will be fully restored knowing I will be doing it for good this time.

 

I do not think that is the case given they are sold in the add-on store for real money.

 

Some time ago, 25 releases or so before this one, I could roam the map in a very short time. Alone, no one else was usually around. At the time the game was very crude. I watched it develop on great areas, dungeons, wildernesses and towns, many of them... Today we can go to Soltown and find it crowded. It's a big change! The team is working fine and the direction is true, albeit the progress might feels slow. We have to wait until the vision of Lord British manifest itself.

 

@Darkmelons I see this concern voiced a lot:

"Why is the game advertising other things I can spend real life money on? Why do they send me weekly newsletters promoting items for sale!"

The game has no monthly subscription free. An add-on store has been discussed since the days of the Kickstarter. People are upset that an indie game with a relatively small budget is trying to pull off a rather ambitious game with no subscription fees and how dare they try to make money?

Without getting into specifics, I can say there are a lot of people at Portalarium working for next to nothing as a labor of love. And game developers put in long hours. Just to be clear, these guys are not greedy.

 

Here is how it was discussed by Richard during the Kickstarter

They have every right to make money and sell items. However, what Richard said here in an interview given during the Kickstarter certainly doesn't outline anything like what we have now.

Not saying it's even bad. They can sell whatever they like. But the add-on store is certainly in a very different place than it was discussed during the Kickstarter. Which, again, is their right.

 

I totally understand feeling a bit perturbed when you spend a lot of money to support a game you believe in, but then end up with a game that is pretty much a Free to Play game. I don't think the higher tiers understand the feeling as much as those of us lower down the chain do - I often feel like I get more in Neverwinter than I do here. I mean I backed this game for more than I paid for my Dark Souls 3 collectors edition with all the extra stuff. And... I feel a bit... well... cheated. And I certainly didn't get decent combat like I did in DS3.

There is a youtube video that has been passed around here a few times - The Fee to Pay Video. That is how it feel currently.

What is most frustrating is that there are a lot of great ideas here and some really nicely developed systems. There is a real gem here but it is so unrefined and burdened by other baggage. Despite all that I do hope it is successful. =/