"Rage On-line" through the eyes of an orc-producer

Author: Svyatoslav Torik
Source: PC GAMES number in January 2010	22.01.2010

Verbatim report Nezebgrade, 24/11/2009. Statement by the responsible orc shaman Torega the first open meeting of the Union's imperial journalists. Comrades! Colleagues! Citizens! Crying shame is happening in the online-client sector of domestic game industry! Six years ago we were sitting in this room, got acquainted with the first national client development, called "Sphere". Convenient system of payment, the Russian-speaking, original features - all gave us hope, and colleagues. Hope that this segment of the industry have a chance. But she was killed. Cruelly, coldly, cynically, to terminate! Developers using the childish naivete of the target audience is gradually ruined standing all their achievements. They mocked us, bullied, violated the civil rights and violated public morality (one story with an epic shield that costs)! Worst of all, they announced "Scope 2"! What luck, colleagues, and that the project seems to have been successfully crash into the pipe. Agree, we have every right to expect from Allods Online works on all of these mistakes! The history of the vast number of client MMORPG is simply obliged to show the developers of the Astrum Nival, in which direction to move. Accumulated experience of both foreign and domestic colleagues had its say. But what do we see? Misery and ruin! Pain and suffering! Someone shouted "murderer of Warcraft"? Have conscience, comrades, "Rage Online can only kill your spare time. Shaman Toreg own persona. With native pig! Login screen Allods Online subtly reminds the loading screen WoW. I apologize for the lengthy introductory monologue, and colleagues. This minute turn to the specifics - start with the so-called entry points into the game. Interval between the first appearance of the player in the world Allods Online and torque a full comprehension of all the major gaming knowledge is accompanied by training. Typically, training consists of theory (an online guide, "tutorial") and practice (performance of tasks and guidance "tutorial"). With this double-trained and experienced game designers repeat the same item several times to secure information. Naturally, they never throw a player into a powerful tornado information, where you can easily get disoriented in an event. What we see in "Rage"? Informational chaos, which, I confess, at first got lost and I - grated MMO-roll, according to the publisher. We are seeing kutsee, ragged training, trying to teach the waltz tempo players the basics, but ultimately more confusing. Supposedly, the developers themselves realize this: in attempting to reduce the information burden on the players they cut "tutorial" to two or three terse lines at every stage. But this is not an option! There is not a comprehensive encyclopedia (where are you, tradition Civilization and X-COM?), Nor any other source of information. But you can be right in the game give a link to the forum Allods Online in which players create their own, detailed and comfortable (though not online) guide for the game. Yes, in "Rage Online coloring definitely more fun than in WoW. If even the scorpions so cool to differ ... What are you talking about? Examples of lack of information? Please. Why is that the ability to "Lightning" and "Whirlwind" recharged at the same time, I know already once spent a precious skill point? Someone had warned me that spell "Healing Potion, requires certain supplies, which are at the tips or words? How is calculated the level of the object, if it does not specify the requirements for character level? And how do novice in the game know what level of subject? Why have removed the absolute value of the health of monsters in favor of the interest rate? This, dear colleagues, only a small portion of highly topical themes! I also want to draw your attention, the citizens, the following features of the game. Perhaps, its most actively discussed time and again, completely openly. This lack of function avtoataki. In a typical MMORPG player simply presses the button does not "blow", it includes a mechanism for automatic attack which is repeated this time without user intervention. Thus he gets the opportunity to more closely monitor the progress of the battle, or distracted by other things: view the inventory or the characteristics of a character assessment of damage inflicted - yeah whatever! The result is obvious: the game does not manage to turn into a routine, one-button, allowing you a variety of experiences and really enjoy the process. The difference between the Moonglade realm of nature and the fact that the "Rage" Shaman, Druid pagans - the only ones who can visit this cozy world. But no, we are original in all, Rush a centuries-old way and not thinking about the consequences! In fact, it turns out that the local base attack equated to any other reception, it did not have any advantages! As a consequence, the player is secretly inclined to the more expensive class of resource (mana, energy) techniques and spells. And how to increase revenue this resource, if it ever goes to zero? Quite right: gear, potions, runes, blessings and other "consumables" that forever is not enough money. Money and the same outfit, in turn, are taken from the crystals, which are bought for real currency. Long, at first non-obvious, but a logical chain of evidence, and colleagues. 'd Better take the money immediately for avtoataku, so though it would be more honest. Excuse me, Comrade Chairman, I perfectly understand your hint. Yes, citizens, I am so frustrated that he is ready for hours listing all the pitfalls and mistakes Allods Online, but alas, the rules! Turning to the most topical subject: paying gaming service. From the magazine tasks in the game at all the trouble, particularly with scrolling text: the quest every time you want to look for work. Formally, "Rage Online" are being tested, but is that an excuse? Access to the game is open for all comers, and the game offers services that are sold for real money. And then someone can tell the difference between an open test and release? Very true: removing or zeroing of the characters and rewarding the most active testers of gaming opportunities. This is common. Arises, however, another matter. Why holders generally can afford to release for sale a product, while calling it incomplete, in the process of testing? Yes, Comrade Chairman, we all understand: the status of "release" for the MMORPG does not change anything. Today even the campaigns are organized in the open test. All the same patches will be released, will develop a game, will come and go players. So, again, for that matter, let's call a spade a spade: "Rage Online" - is released on sale and online distribution of a commercial product. Which already makes a profit to its developers and owners. Lone Kvestodatel somewhere in the desert - in the course are the most popular MMO-stamps. Must ask the question: what is so hurried a publisher? Representatives of the studio insisted that the game will be released in March 2009. But once to postpone the opening test, and could still take a little time for polishing, especially because the results have already been closed testing. The answer to this question, comrades, on the surface. Autumn - the best time to enter the Russian market: interest in Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, and even World of Warcraftza summer cool down. Of the strengths of today's competitors just Aion, but this game is purely bourgeois, and the localization of the leaves with a noticeable delay. At the time of reading this report with an uncertain squeak completed the second phase of closed beta Russian Aion, that I have personally seen as something that will play out after the New Year. However, tired of Allods Online, players will be happy to be mistaken for Aion, the more there is nothing as expected is not planned. On the other hand, if the creators of "Rage" podnazhmut on the pedal and slow down the release of new patches, Russian Aion at the time of its release will be only a basic audience. But for this, I stress, AO developers have to work hard. Air elementals are everywhere, but the taste and color of each artist's own. What do we have to hope, the citizens? Imperial - hence soundly, we were taught fathers and grandfathers. Fatherland - is what we live. But if a person lives homeland for us? Focuses on whether the experienced players in online battles or prefer to turn toward the West (not a secret that the partner abroad have long been found)? Improve the information content of a game as a whole? Fix a grammatical error in a task? Let us examine whether the experience of leading developments in the genre? Add a set of mouse buttons, more convenient camera and the ability to listen to music without stopping? Redo log is the most uncomfortable problems have ever met in my MMORPG? Permit to install modification of the interface? Will introduce a mini-map (at least for the money, I implore you)? In the end, whether to abandon the spread of terrible damage, and other characteristics, which is the same monster can be defeated as ten seconds or two minutes? My answer is, comrades, banal: time judge. But while it understands and considers the arguments, let's face it: today's "Rage Online" do not look like the excellent MMO, which we were promised. Thank you for your attention. Original ideas, even if born elsewhere, too, there is a place in the AO.