Open interview about SotA

redfish · Feb 26, 2018

@Lord_Darkmoon

Yea, part of my concern have been how the term MMO has set player expectations, where the game features are now constantly compared to features of existing MMOs. As I understood it, part of the original impulse behind going with "Selective Multiplayer" as a term instead was also to not give SP RPG fans the wrong impression, to not set the wrong expectations that this would just be a typical MMO; not just in terms of hie many players would be in their game, but that the gameplay when playing solo would be as reasonably possible close to what they'd expect in a single player game. The Ultima games were referenced to -- in contrast to how the typical MMO tends to be about grinding rather than story and meaningful role-playing.

But it has set expectations, as you have MMO websites comparing it to what they expect from MMOs, and I feel keeping up with those types of public relations has impacted the development process.

Corv · Feb 26, 2018

Lord British said: ↑

I share your need of large text these days! I will add a Jira for that! I think most everyone would agree that each new early Ultima tried a variety of new things with EACH installment. Those that worked out well, we deepened in the next game, those that didn't got revised for the next game. The impacts of "selective multiplayer" storytelling will have the same future works. As we learn better how to tell stories meant for YOU the MAIN character (while allowing you to hang out with friends), we will adopt those into each new episode.
- LB
Click to expand...

I enjoyed the huge text in Ultima 7. I loved Ultima 7 dialogue in general, succinct but immersive. No need for wall of texts to convey a good storyline. (Still miss the narrative text -> https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...eeds-to-learn-from-ultima-vii-dialogue.88186/ )

Antrax Artek · Feb 26, 2018

Lord British said: ↑

Shroud of the Avatar does not fit cleanly into most existing genre archetypes. We planned and built a game that would have an open multiplayer mode, similar to what was found in many MMOs. Based on our desire to have everyone on a single server though, it would have player limits per zone and unique instancing solutions. We suspected that due to those design decisions, it would be potentially confusing if we pitched the Kickstarter as a traditional MMO. That is one of the reasons we chose early on to try to market the game using the term “Selective Multiplayer”. However, that term was confusing to most people and now we often use the term MMO, despite our design differences from traditional MMOs.

We planned and built a game that can be played both online and offline. When playing alone, or with your party, or in the open mode, there is a deep story where each player could have a compelling journey from start to conclusion. That story feels akin to journeys in the Ultima games we created before Ultima Online. Parsing words (or plans) for anything much deeper is fraught with error and risk. We pitched ideas that we knew would evolve with time (stating that as we went), and indeed they did evolve.

Many have argued both sides of which type of game is it first. Is it more of an MMO or more of a story driven game? The answer has always been both. It is true that the features matured earlier on the MMO side, but this is just a consequence of the development strategy. The story has always been driving vast swaths of the development goals. The primary cities, main plot NPC’s, adventure maps, all exist to serve the story. We wrote the story and those supporting elements before starting development on most other aspects of the game.

While marketing folks have found value in using historical terms like MMO, I have always felt it is a “new type” of experience, this “selective multiplayer”. However, marketeers naturally want to start from a basis that potential buyers can relate to. Therefore you will see traditional terms like MMO in marketing materials that have to communicate in a single line, the totality of expectation. As we mentioned above, our attempts to get people to adopt the term “Selective Multiplayer” were unsuccessful and we have since fallen back to using the term MMO.

Our great partners at Travian noted that after people play offline for some time, they very well may enjoy playing online afterward, eventually proceed to play with a party, and then perhaps even advance to playing in open multiplayer. If we can convince people to play all of the modes, it keeps them in our ecosystem, which of course is good for the community and the company.

Telling a story in a potentially multiplayer setting does have some challenges. For example, it is more difficult to kill off an NPC in one person’s world, but not everyone’s. We can address this in solo player zones, which we do periodically throughout the game, but we have also explored changing the NPC out ONLY on the screen of the player who expects to NOT see that NPC/State (example in Ardoris). I am pleased with both these storytelling strategies. Over time we will find new methods and get better at the ones we have unearthed in this episode! Tracy Hickman and I are framing book two now and discussions on Episode 2 began long ago.

Online and offline are both key areas for development. I did not pick a “favorite child”; we regularly focus back and forth between them. I do think it’s fair to note that we often focus on online during telethons, as they are focused (at least in part) on needed fundraising. We have found backers enjoy the opportunity to find a reason to continue to support the project. We have found more ways to offer “value” to online players, than we have found to offer “upsales” to offline players. While this may feel biased towards online players, offline players also benefit because all those items get added to the offline mode for free and are available for purchase in-game for gold (no real currency required).

While I admire and learn from level based games like World of Warcraft, we set out to make a game where all areas are open to exploration at all times, versus being level gated. Parties can be formed with players of highly varied levels who can all play together. I believe we have delivered this very well. I find that my developer-buffed characters can be easily beaten by skilled but lower level characters, and that my low level characters can adventure with high level characters and still be of use.

We believe RMT (Real Money Trading) cannot be stopped, and while we will do everything we can to fight illegal behavior, as is often associated with botting, we think the best defense is to be close to that economy, so that we can monitor and influence what goes on. People who want to buy gold, will. Most would rather find a legitimate way to do it that supports the community rather than risk the eBay paths that likely do risk funding illegal activities.

I have heard a few of the MMO player types argue for “getting in at the same time as everyone else” and pitch that we should have another wipe at launch. However, a healthy online game will always have new players coming in as old players leave. In the past we always described WoW’s success as a boon to ALL MMOs as they brought tons of new players to online gaming. Each year millions of new players came to WoW and millions of others leave and look for other great online games to play. We cannot cater to only the “I must be there at the beginning” crowd, as they are too small a group and will not stay until the end... a hundred years or so from now.

I hope this addresses some of the questions that have been asked. By no means do I expect them to persuade you that we have, or have not, met the goals you think we should have prioritized to make the game what you believed, and hoped, it was intended to become. That is only for you to decide. SotA has been a rare opportunity for players to see how the sausage is made from inception to completion. Because we did it in the open, starting from the design docs, SotA has actually changed far far less than most games during the development process, specifically BECAUSE we already had public expectation, which does not occur with traditional development. I am VERY happy with what SotA has become, I feel it has met and exceeded the plans we set forth five years ago. Of course there have been changes, improvements and omissions, but if anything, “creeping featurism” has been our biggest change. While this has added time and cost, it has delivered a game with far more depth and quality than we could have accomplished in a shorter time or with less money.

I do interview, podcasts, and blogs with all levels of press almost as often as I am asked. We are currently planning dedicated press events in the US and Europe, and are happy to include any press in those events. If you or others in the press wish to be included, please contact us at support@portalarium.com, or PM @Berek or @Cerus here in the forums. This includes any requests for interviews.

Lord British
Click to expand...

Interesting and wise words. It was a pleasure to read.

jammaplaya · Feb 26, 2018

Professionalism and courtesy prevailed. Good! Bravo!
Some of the critics of LB should take LB as an example of how to behave. You don't need to belittle people to criticize the game.

MrBlight · Feb 26, 2018

jammaplaya said: ↑

Professionalism and courtesy prevailed. Good! Bravo!
Some of the critics of LB should take LB as an example of how to behave. You don't need to belittle people to criticize the game.
Click to expand...

Lol. Your my favorite person on the forums.

@Lord British

My only issue with your responses is this
" SotA has been a rare opportunity for players to see how the sausage is made from inception to completion. Because we did it in the open, starting from the design docs, SotA has actually changed far far less than most games during the development process, specifically BECAUSE we already had public expectation, which does not occur with traditional development."

I just feel this is an underlaying problem some people have with the development team.
The crowdfunding, pitch and build method you used to do SoTa is not some ground breaking process.
SoTa quite literally is one of thousands of games developed this way.
The constant implying by your staff that it somehow invented the process, bothers me. It bothers me because there is standards in this form of development that people will and do hold your team to.
I personally found SoTa to be one of the games that have changed the MOST from the start. Now im not neccisarily saying the changes were BAD, at least not all, but this general response to it, and claim, a lot of people find false. ( ImO and judging by some other posts )
IMO I think you guys should move away from the 2 ideas that your development style was "Rare/Unique" in this day and age, and step away from claiming few changes were made from pitch to delivery.
This will continue to lead to quotes, and posts of players that always seems to end with the response :"Don't lawyer me bro".

Other then that, thanks for making real responses on the forum.

jammaplaya · Feb 26, 2018

MrBlight said: ↑

This will continue to lead to quotes, and posts of players that always seems to end with the response :"Don't lawyer me bro".
Click to expand...

Yes, and we need to be careful about using such responses this day and age as well. Some people hear that and say "hold my beer!"

Deadly Habit · Feb 26, 2018

Taking the new game SP, MP, MMO as a new game type I would cite Wurm Unlimited as a pioneer.

Mykll · Feb 26, 2018

jammaplaya said: ↑

Professionalism and courtesy prevailed. Good! Bravo!
Some of the critics of LB should take LB as an example of how to behave. You don't need to belittle people to criticize the game.
Click to expand...

"Don't quote me without citation. -- Corv."

Lord British said: ↑

Shroud of the Avatar does not fit cleanly into most existing genre archetypes. We planned and built a game that would have an open multiplayer mode, similar to what was found in many MMOs. Based on our desire to have everyone on a single server though, it would have player limits per zone and unique instancing solutions. We suspected that due to those design decisions, it would be potentially confusing if we pitched the Kickstarter as a traditional MMO. That is one of the reasons we chose early on to try to market the game using the term “Selective Multiplayer”. However, that term was confusing to most people and now we often use the term MMO, despite our design differences from traditional MMOs.

We planned and built a game that can be played both online and offline. When playing alone, or with your party, or in the open mode, there is a deep story where each player could have a compelling journey from start to conclusion. That story feels akin to journeys in the Ultima games we created before Ultima Online. Parsing words (or plans) for anything much deeper is fraught with error and risk. We pitched ideas that we knew would evolve with time (stating that as we went), and indeed they did evolve.

Many have argued both sides of which type of game is it first. Is it more of an MMO or more of a story driven game? The answer has always been both. It is true that the features matured earlier on the MMO side, but this is just a consequence of the development strategy. The story has always been driving vast swaths of the development goals. The primary cities, main plot NPC’s, adventure maps, all exist to serve the story. We wrote the story and those supporting elements before starting development on most other aspects of the game.

While marketing folks have found value in using historical terms like MMO, I have always felt it is a “new type” of experience, this “selective multiplayer”. However, marketeers naturally want to start from a basis that potential buyers can relate to. Therefore you will see traditional terms like MMO in marketing materials that have to communicate in a single line, the totality of expectation. As we mentioned above, our attempts to get people to adopt the term “Selective Multiplayer” were unsuccessful and we have since fallen back to using the term MMO.

Our great partners at Travian noted that after people play offline for some time, they very well may enjoy playing online afterward, eventually proceed to play with a party, and then perhaps even advance to playing in open multiplayer. If we can convince people to play all of the modes, it keeps them in our ecosystem, which of course is good for the community and the company.

Telling a story in a potentially multiplayer setting does have some challenges. For example, it is more difficult to kill off an NPC in one person’s world, but not everyone’s. We can address this in solo player zones, which we do periodically throughout the game, but we have also explored changing the NPC out ONLY on the screen of the player who expects to NOT see that NPC/State (example in Ardoris). I am pleased with both these storytelling strategies. Over time we will find new methods and get better at the ones we have unearthed in this episode! Tracy Hickman and I are framing book two now and discussions on Episode 2 began long ago.

Online and offline are both key areas for development. I did not pick a “favorite child”; we regularly focus back and forth between them. I do think it’s fair to note that we often focus on online during telethons, as they are focused (at least in part) on needed fundraising. We have found backers enjoy the opportunity to find a reason to continue to support the project. We have found more ways to offer “value” to online players, than we have found to offer “upsales” to offline players. While this may feel biased towards online players, offline players also benefit because all those items get added to the offline mode for free and are available for purchase in-game for gold (no real currency required).

While I admire and learn from level based games like World of Warcraft, we set out to make a game where all areas are open to exploration at all times, versus being level gated. Parties can be formed with players of highly varied levels who can all play together. I believe we have delivered this very well. I find that my developer-buffed characters can be easily beaten by skilled but lower level characters, and that my low level characters can adventure with high level characters and still be of use.

We believe RMT (Real Money Trading) cannot be stopped, and while we will do everything we can to fight illegal behavior, as is often associated with botting, we think the best defense is to be close to that economy, so that we can monitor and influence what goes on. People who want to buy gold, will. Most would rather find a legitimate way to do it that supports the community rather than risk the eBay paths that likely do risk funding illegal activities.

I have heard a few of the MMO player types argue for “getting in at the same time as everyone else” and pitch that we should have another wipe at launch. However, a healthy online game will always have new players coming in as old players leave. In the past we always described WoW’s success as a boon to ALL MMOs as they brought tons of new players to online gaming. Each year millions of new players came to WoW and millions of others leave and look for other great online games to play. We cannot cater to only the “I must be there at the beginning” crowd, as they are too small a group and will not stay until the end... a hundred years or so from now.

I hope this addresses some of the questions that have been asked. By no means do I expect them to persuade you that we have, or have not, met the goals you think we should have prioritized to make the game what you believed, and hoped, it was intended to become. That is only for you to decide. SotA has been a rare opportunity for players to see how the sausage is made from inception to completion. Because we did it in the open, starting from the design docs, SotA has actually changed far far less than most games during the development process, specifically BECAUSE we already had public expectation, which does not occur with traditional development. I am VERY happy with what SotA has become, I feel it has met and exceeded the plans we set forth five years ago. Of course there have been changes, improvements and omissions, but if anything, “creeping featurism” has been our biggest change. While this has added time and cost, it has delivered a game with far more depth and quality than we could have accomplished in a shorter time or with less money.

I do interview, podcasts, and blogs with all levels of press almost as often as I am asked. We are currently planning dedicated press events in the US and Europe, and are happy to include any press in those events. If you or others in the press wish to be included, please contact us at support@portalarium.com, or PM @Berek or @Cerus here in the forums. This includes any requests for interviews.

Lord British
Click to expand...

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Buying-and-Selling-Virtual-Items-on-eBay-/10000000004609906/g.html

eBay started removing digital items in January 2007. Still worried about eBay? But they do allow digital items from Second Life, because they do not consider Second Life a game. Or are you thinking that Shroud is more Second Life than a video game and thus would be allowed on eBay as well?

What about all the different websites selling your digital items outside of these forums (that I thought was not allowed, everything must only be done in Player Marketplace on these forums)? How are those different websites different from eBay? Especially considering you take zero responsibility for RMT. If you allow it but don't properly back it with safeguards, how is any of it different from eBay, on your forums or not?

If the amount of telethons, RMT and focus on the cash shop was told up front and center on the KS page, this would not have been funded.

Rufus D`Asperdi · Feb 26, 2018

Blackghost said: ↑

Are you sure?
Click to expand...

Yes.

The only thing new I learned from LB's answer post was how to arrange an interview.

jammaplaya · Feb 26, 2018

I think the point here is that Richard coined the term MMORPG. It's only natural that us peasants will get confused about such terminology as "selective multiplayer" and have different expectations of what that means, BUT doubts regarding whether or not the good Lord British has known the difference have been wildly preposterous.

Glad to finally have a well worded explanation at our disposal to counter those who accuse the developers of malfeasance or lies, which I have no doubt will continue to occur. Go forth Avatars and spread the good word!

Many thanks to Lord Darkmoon for asking those difficult questions and to Lord British for graciously and gracefully responding.

Last_Crusader · Feb 26, 2018

What a great response by @Lord British himself.
Thank you for that.

I think that sums up the "disappointment" a lot of backers had. There were expectations (either made up in our own heads by nostalgia or misinterpreted in the marketing push) that just haven't come to fruition (or "changed" over time as he said).

Personally .. I was hoping for a WoW-like world (a massive world to explore with little or no load screens) with Ultima-like story with the ability to share that world with friends without the MMORPG aspects. Basically .. a game with a huge open world to explore with quests like Fallout or Skyrim within an Ultima context .. with the ability to have people join your own game .. like Diablo, Astroneer or Terraria.

Who knows .. I've been away for a while. I've been waiting for launch and here it is soon.

Impress me SOTA. Despite being a huge fan of Lord British and his work .. I can't recommend the game to non-backers yet. I just personally think they would be less than impressed.

Paladin Michael · Feb 26, 2018

Last_Crusader said: ↑

What a great response by @Lord British himself.
Thank you for that.

I think that sums up the "disappointment" a lot of backers had. There were expectations (either made up in our own heads by nostalgia or misinterpreted in the marketing push) that just haven't come to fruition (or "changed" over time as he said).

Personally .. I was hoping for a WoW-like world (a massive world to explore with little or no load screens) with Ultima-like story with the ability to share that world with friends without the MMORPG aspects. Basically .. a game with a huge open world to explore with quests like Fallout or Skyrim within an Ultima context .. with the ability to have people join your own game .. like Diablo, Astroneer or Terraria.

Who knows .. I've been away for a while. I've been waiting for launch and here it is soon.

Impress me SOTA. Despite being a huge fan of Lord British and his work .. I can't recommend the game to non-backers yet. I just personally think they would be less than impressed.
Click to expand...

This is just Episode 1.
Basic programming is done so far.
Now extension can be implemented.
I think it will grow like WOW did ...

And don't forget: Story feedback can improve the game in a great way - therefor it needs to take a few minutes for (bug)reporting and constructive feedback

smack · Feb 26, 2018

Lord_Darkmoon said: ↑

Hmmm are they really not neutral or do you think this because now you know who I am and dissect every article for negative elements?
Click to expand...

I kinda already knew who you were for quite some time, but it wasn't my place to disclose that. You have a right to a voice as a player and backer on this forum, and you have a right to a voice as a journalist on external sites. Whether you chose to disclose you've been a backer in your articles or disclose that you've been a journalist here, has been up to you. My only disagreement was your claim to neutrality as a journalist. I don't expect impartiality or balanced opinions here in these largely anonymous forums for players and backers.

In any case, glad to see you got your questions answered.

Deadly Habit · Feb 26, 2018

While I appreciate Richard's response I also feel like a good chunk of questions Darkmoon asked and those of in the wing cou;dn't put so elaborately have gone unanswered that over the years we just want clear answers too. Apparently I'm part of the, "organized hate/troll campaign" surrounding the game for being critical of a game I met some great people in and fell out of grace with by partaking the reddits.
I want this game to be a success and thrive, but the single player Ultima style gameplay needs to be addressed and the devs be honest about it. This is a MMO and the SP is an MMO without the online experience. If they'd just say so I think a lot of the "trolls" would move on.

I know I've also said some much harsher things on the reddits which I believe or I wouldn't have posted them.

My main point I wanna say is this being a Kickstarted and backer based game it has more scrutiny and at every turn a non statement becomes paranoid delusions about the worst case scenarios. I think as a community we want and are deserved some clarity from the devs about the direction this and future projects are going especially if as alluded before EP2 is dependent on a crowdfunded effort.

StrangerDiamond · Feb 26, 2018

Lord_Darkmoon said: ↑

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer some of the questions and help clarify things.
I really appreciate that.
I think it all comes down to expectations, maybe some wording and marketing.
I would have prefered the term selective multiplayer for a new type of game. Using the term MMO simply sets some pre-defined expectations which I think don't do the game justice as a whole aspect of the game is not really acknowledged. Maybe this ist part of the confusion and some of the frustration...
I learned something from your answers which might help me see things in a different light from now on. So thanks for that.
I wish you all the best with the game and hopefully you believe me as I really mean this honestly.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Told you not to give up, that you'd get your answer, that you'd find the truth

Beaumaris · Feb 26, 2018

Dear Lord Darkmoon: I'd offer this ray of sunshine. You have more than 14,000 'likes' here. I cant say that 14,000 people have ever liked anything I've done!

Last_Crusader · Feb 26, 2018

Paladin Michael said: ↑

This is just Episode 1.
Basic programming is done so far.
Now extension can be implemented.
I think it will grow like WOW did ...

And don't forget: Story feedback can improve the game in a great way - therefor it needs to take a few minutes for (bug)reporting and constructive feedback
Click to expand...

It's been how long? 5 years. "Basic programming is done so far" ... that just feels like the "it's in alpha" excuse.

It is "launching" (whatever that means) in 29 days. The game is complete to Portalarium. It is what is is. The game on launch has to impress the backers that haven't played it every day (or like me, left, waiting for it to be "complete") and it has to impress new players who maybe never heard of Ultima or Lord British. Can it do that?

Like I said, I've been away for a while .. I hope it impresses me. As a fan of Ultima, I really do. And I hope it impresses the general public enough to check it out for it to be considered successful AND expand and extend. Otherwise all this has become is a small group of people paying a smaller group of people to develop a digital playground for them to play in.

GraveDncer · Feb 26, 2018

Lord British said: ↑

Shroud of the Avatar does not fit cleanly into most existing genre archetypes. We planned and built a game that would have an open multiplayer mode, similar to what was found in many MMOs. Based on our desire to have everyone on a single server though, it would have player limits per zone and unique instancing solutions. We suspected that due to those design decisions, it would be potentially confusing if we pitched the Kickstarter as a traditional MMO. That is one of the reasons we chose early on to try to market the game using the term “Selective Multiplayer”. However, that term was confusing to most people and now we often use the term MMO, despite our design differences from traditional MMOs.

We planned and built a game that can be played both online and offline. When playing alone, or with your party, or in the open mode, there is a deep story where each player could have a compelling journey from start to conclusion. That story feels akin to journeys in the Ultima games we created before Ultima Online. Parsing words (or plans) for anything much deeper is fraught with error and risk. We pitched ideas that we knew would evolve with time (stating that as we went), and indeed they did evolve.

Many have argued both sides of which type of game is it first. Is it more of an MMO or more of a story driven game? The answer has always been both. It is true that the features matured earlier on the MMO side, but this is just a consequence of the development strategy. The story has always been driving vast swaths of the development goals. The primary cities, main plot NPC’s, adventure maps, all exist to serve the story. We wrote the story and those supporting elements before starting development on most other aspects of the game.

While marketing folks have found value in using historical terms like MMO, I have always felt it is a “new type” of experience, this “selective multiplayer”. However, marketeers naturally want to start from a basis that potential buyers can relate to. Therefore you will see traditional terms like MMO in marketing materials that have to communicate in a single line, the totality of expectation. As we mentioned above, our attempts to get people to adopt the term “Selective Multiplayer” were unsuccessful and we have since fallen back to using the term MMO.

Our great partners at Travian noted that after people play offline for some time, they very well may enjoy playing online afterward, eventually proceed to play with a party, and then perhaps even advance to playing in open multiplayer. If we can convince people to play all of the modes, it keeps them in our ecosystem, which of course is good for the community and the company.

Telling a story in a potentially multiplayer setting does have some challenges. For example, it is more difficult to kill off an NPC in one person’s world, but not everyone’s. We can address this in solo player zones, which we do periodically throughout the game, but we have also explored changing the NPC out ONLY on the screen of the player who expects to NOT see that NPC/State (example in Ardoris). I am pleased with both these storytelling strategies. Over time we will find new methods and get better at the ones we have unearthed in this episode! Tracy Hickman and I are framing book two now and discussions on Episode 2 began long ago.

Online and offline are both key areas for development. I did not pick a “favorite child”; we regularly focus back and forth between them. I do think it’s fair to note that we often focus on online during telethons, as they are focused (at least in part) on needed fundraising. We have found backers enjoy the opportunity to find a reason to continue to support the project. We have found more ways to offer “value” to online players, than we have found to offer “upsales” to offline players. While this may feel biased towards online players, offline players also benefit because all those items get added to the offline mode for free and are available for purchase in-game for gold (no real currency required).

While I admire and learn from level based games like World of Warcraft, we set out to make a game where all areas are open to exploration at all times, versus being level gated. Parties can be formed with players of highly varied levels who can all play together. I believe we have delivered this very well. I find that my developer-buffed characters can be easily beaten by skilled but lower level characters, and that my low level characters can adventure with high level characters and still be of use.

We believe RMT (Real Money Trading) cannot be stopped, and while we will do everything we can to fight illegal behavior, as is often associated with botting, we think the best defense is to be close to that economy, so that we can monitor and influence what goes on. People who want to buy gold, will. Most would rather find a legitimate way to do it that supports the community rather than risk the eBay paths that likely do risk funding illegal activities.

I have heard a few of the MMO player types argue for “getting in at the same time as everyone else” and pitch that we should have another wipe at launch. However, a healthy online game will always have new players coming in as old players leave. In the past we always described WoW’s success as a boon to ALL MMOs as they brought tons of new players to online gaming. Each year millions of new players came to WoW and millions of others leave and look for other great online games to play. We cannot cater to only the “I must be there at the beginning” crowd, as they are too small a group and will not stay until the end... a hundred years or so from now.

I hope this addresses some of the questions that have been asked. By no means do I expect them to persuade you that we have, or have not, met the goals you think we should have prioritized to make the game what you believed, and hoped, it was intended to become. That is only for you to decide. SotA has been a rare opportunity for players to see how the sausage is made from inception to completion. Because we did it in the open, starting from the design docs, SotA has actually changed far far less than most games during the development process, specifically BECAUSE we already had public expectation, which does not occur with traditional development. I am VERY happy with what SotA has become, I feel it has met and exceeded the plans we set forth five years ago. Of course there have been changes, improvements and omissions, but if anything, “creeping featurism” has been our biggest change. While this has added time and cost, it has delivered a game with far more depth and quality than we could have accomplished in a shorter time or with less money.

I do interview, podcasts, and blogs with all levels of press almost as often as I am asked. We are currently planning dedicated press events in the US and Europe, and are happy to include any press in those events. If you or others in the press wish to be included, please contact us at support@portalarium.com, or PM @Berek or @Cerus here in the forums. This includes any requests for interviews.

Lord British
Click to expand...

Well done sir

Barugon · Feb 26, 2018

Lord British said: ↑

Shroud of the Avatar does not fit cleanly into most existing genre archetypes. We planned and built a game that would have an open multiplayer mode, similar to what was found in many MMOs. Based on our desire to have everyone on a single server though, it would have player limits per zone and unique instancing solutions. We suspected that due to those design decisions, it would be potentially confusing if we pitched the Kickstarter as a traditional MMO. That is one of the reasons we chose early on to try to market the game using the term “Selective Multiplayer”. However, that term was confusing to most people and now we often use the term MMO, despite our design differences from traditional MMOs.

We planned and built a game that can be played both online and offline. When playing alone, or with your party, or in the open mode, there is a deep story where each player could have a compelling journey from start to conclusion. That story feels akin to journeys in the Ultima games we created before Ultima Online. Parsing words (or plans) for anything much deeper is fraught with error and risk. We pitched ideas that we knew would evolve with time (stating that as we went), and indeed they did evolve.

Many have argued both sides of which type of game is it first. Is it more of an MMO or more of a story driven game? The answer has always been both. It is true that the features matured earlier on the MMO side, but this is just a consequence of the development strategy. The story has always been driving vast swaths of the development goals. The primary cities, main plot NPC’s, adventure maps, all exist to serve the story. We wrote the story and those supporting elements before starting development on most other aspects of the game.

While marketing folks have found value in using historical terms like MMO, I have always felt it is a “new type” of experience, this “selective multiplayer”. However, marketeers naturally want to start from a basis that potential buyers can relate to. Therefore you will see traditional terms like MMO in marketing materials that have to communicate in a single line, the totality of expectation. As we mentioned above, our attempts to get people to adopt the term “Selective Multiplayer” were unsuccessful and we have since fallen back to using the term MMO.

Our great partners at Travian noted that after people play offline for some time, they very well may enjoy playing online afterward, eventually proceed to play with a party, and then perhaps even advance to playing in open multiplayer. If we can convince people to play all of the modes, it keeps them in our ecosystem, which of course is good for the community and the company.

Telling a story in a potentially multiplayer setting does have some challenges. For example, it is more difficult to kill off an NPC in one person’s world, but not everyone’s. We can address this in solo player zones, which we do periodically throughout the game, but we have also explored changing the NPC out ONLY on the screen of the player who expects to NOT see that NPC/State (example in Ardoris). I am pleased with both these storytelling strategies. Over time we will find new methods and get better at the ones we have unearthed in this episode! Tracy Hickman and I are framing book two now and discussions on Episode 2 began long ago.

Online and offline are both key areas for development. I did not pick a “favorite child”; we regularly focus back and forth between them. I do think it’s fair to note that we often focus on online during telethons, as they are focused (at least in part) on needed fundraising. We have found backers enjoy the opportunity to find a reason to continue to support the project. We have found more ways to offer “value” to online players, than we have found to offer “upsales” to offline players. While this may feel biased towards online players, offline players also benefit because all those items get added to the offline mode for free and are available for purchase in-game for gold (no real currency required).

While I admire and learn from level based games like World of Warcraft, we set out to make a game where all areas are open to exploration at all times, versus being level gated. Parties can be formed with players of highly varied levels who can all play together. I believe we have delivered this very well. I find that my developer-buffed characters can be easily beaten by skilled but lower level characters, and that my low level characters can adventure with high level characters and still be of use.

We believe RMT (Real Money Trading) cannot be stopped, and while we will do everything we can to fight illegal behavior, as is often associated with botting, we think the best defense is to be close to that economy, so that we can monitor and influence what goes on. People who want to buy gold, will. Most would rather find a legitimate way to do it that supports the community rather than risk the eBay paths that likely do risk funding illegal activities.

I have heard a few of the MMO player types argue for “getting in at the same time as everyone else” and pitch that we should have another wipe at launch. However, a healthy online game will always have new players coming in as old players leave. In the past we always described WoW’s success as a boon to ALL MMOs as they brought tons of new players to online gaming. Each year millions of new players came to WoW and millions of others leave and look for other great online games to play. We cannot cater to only the “I must be there at the beginning” crowd, as they are too small a group and will not stay until the end... a hundred years or so from now.

I hope this addresses some of the questions that have been asked. By no means do I expect them to persuade you that we have, or have not, met the goals you think we should have prioritized to make the game what you believed, and hoped, it was intended to become. That is only for you to decide. SotA has been a rare opportunity for players to see how the sausage is made from inception to completion. Because we did it in the open, starting from the design docs, SotA has actually changed far far less than most games during the development process, specifically BECAUSE we already had public expectation, which does not occur with traditional development. I am VERY happy with what SotA has become, I feel it has met and exceeded the plans we set forth five years ago. Of course there have been changes, improvements and omissions, but if anything, “creeping featurism” has been our biggest change. While this has added time and cost, it has delivered a game with far more depth and quality than we could have accomplished in a shorter time or with less money.

I do interview, podcasts, and blogs with all levels of press almost as often as I am asked. We are currently planning dedicated press events in the US and Europe, and are happy to include any press in those events. If you or others in the press wish to be included, please contact us at support@portalarium.com, or PM @Berek or @Cerus here in the forums. This includes any requests for interviews.

Lord British
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I wish that I could Like this post more than once.

Earl Atogrim von Draken · Feb 27, 2018

Last_Crusader said: ↑

It's been how long? 5 years. "Basic programming is done so far" ... that just feels like the "it's in alpha" excuse.
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Man I badly wanted to stay out of this topic but I have to chime in here.
I see your point. But Blizzard had always more money and a bigger team.
We have the bad habit of ignoring that 12.5 Mio in founding is nothing. Its a joke compared to what big company's burn on IP and production.
So what are we expecting? I expected too much as well for a very long time, ignoring that I actually like playing the game and fixing on my personal expectations instead. Now I am focusing on what I like and I think we got a pretty darn good game for 12.5 Mio.
Beside, SC is the proof that even 12 times the money doesnt guarantee a smooth and calm development ^^

We have to face it. The game is what it is. R51 will bring the last round of patches and some kind of surprise as the meteor indicates and that will be the game we get.

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