RE: MQ's Low Popularity (Full Version)

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Jamesl64 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/20/2010 16:51:58)

To me, it's the grinding. OH MY GOD the grinding.

Idea: You know, how many non-web RPGs have a 100-EXP system, where the EXP gained from defeating an enemy decreases the higher level you are compared to the enemy? Well, having a system like that would probably be extremely helpful for MQ.




Pyronix15 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/20/2010 20:55:20)

Why not recruit more artists/coders off the galleries?

Its how aqw is getting its newest artists.

Or is the problem funding?




EinhanderX01 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/20/2010 23:20:48)

Just a friendly reminder, this IS NOT a thread for complaints. Any of them, especially written negatively, are against the Rules and WILL result in a warning. ~Ein

With that said, I'd just like to remind others of my earlier post regarding the alterations to the EXP/Credit setup. As for pricing, sure that might needs some looking into, but for the most part, it seems reasonable.

Of course, there was still the Rebalancing Project along with the Revival Project that was meant to give some of the older and earlier equipment a bit of a better use and advantage to allow newer players to handle most of the early quests with less difficulty than before, while still encouraging gradual leveling to allow some early build-up of Credits for the (current) Lower-Middle equipment (level 20~28), where equipment begin to start showing off more advanced gameplay styles (which officially started with the AHMs, though we all know that they are not as modern as later level 21+ equipment).

Grinding is normal for all of AE's games, much less any major online game. There isn't a special passphrase or code that will allow instant leveling or credit gain like in other self-contained and marketed games (sorry, no "L1, R1, L2, R2, Left, Right, Up, Down, Select, Start"). We all must live with the necessary evils of grinding. But when a grind to the next level results with a large sum of credits, that's not necessarily a bad thing. But, again, like I mentioned in an earlier post, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of adjusted leveling system akin to AQW's, where it's slightly faster to reach an old level cap (33 in MQ's case), then has either a normal/current or longer requirement to reach the latest level cap (40).




spihp -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 0:09:35)

Honestly I feel that one cannot complain about the hardships of farming until they have leveled up to level 40 or near that point and even then when I got to level 40 I feel like I can't complain since I used the X-boost which made it a WHOLE lot easier to level up also i used the Generic Clover blade which also increased what I had gained. Leveling to Level 40 can take FOREVER but I guess one could say the rewards are worth it.




UndeadKen -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 0:15:37)

For some players i ask people in AQW
they say MQ is weird....




Peachii -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 0:49:40)

I accept the fact that all AE games require grinding in order to level up to a certain phase.
But can MQ make grinding more fun? I know its a 1-1 mecha combats, but both our mecha and enemy's mecha should show more creative styles and offensiveness/defensiveness, rather than "I hit you, you hit me back". I would like to point out about the "Battle" button located at the bottom of the screen that enemy seems weaker than usual, I know there's also a button for SC called "Hard" and "Extreme" modes, but reasons will be objected below.

I know this is not a complain/suggestion thread, but I would like to point out that MQ 1 vs 1 mecha combat seems a little lack of creativeness in enemy/player's offense. I think players would like to see more stuns, paralyse, misses, anti-bullets, reflective/offensive shields (equipment parts), etc etc. I remember last time there was an enemy mecha which have 100% anti-bullet, I'm not sure I think its at the Classes in Gears University, which means you hit him with bullets it will have 0 damages. That's the kind of thing that should be introduced more often.

-Peach




The Game -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 1:15:29)

One of the problems I see with MQ is it's lack of strategically potent opponents. It was mentioned before that MQ suffers in relation to popularity due to the strategic value placed on new mechs, and this is very true. The general audience that MQ and AE as a whole caters to, kids, value the power of such mechs as Warbear over strategic mechs such as Deranged Clown, which is my personal favorite, but I digress. This point has already been established, but I would like to dig deeper into the heart of this matter by asking, while there is a plethora of items released every week, what is the effective value of such items in the first place? Furthermore, what is the actual need or niche such new items fulfill or cover?

MQ is in my top two favorite AE games, but with that being said, I have quit playing it three times since it's inception due to frustration. As it stands, I have gotten back into MQ and I am glad to see that the major premise for my latest departure has been addressed. Back to the matter at hand, I do not really understand or comprehend the justifications behind releasing so many new items every week, or almost every week. Take, for instance, my situation. I have been on the hunt for a defense-boosting FS ever since I missed out on Ticklish Zorbo, and I have since noticed that a majority of newly released items are either offensive based with high critical rates on hits, progressive damage boost, or some other form of damage boost or defensive based with the capacity to lower the foe's defenses and so on. I like the variety and all, but is it really variety when it seems like too many items have the same abilities and capabilities?

Keeping that point in mind, too much emphasis has been placed on releasing items for the sake of releasing items; when there are too many alike items on the market, their general value depreciates, sort of like the effect overproduction has in the global economy. The notion that the worth of items is moot is compounded by the fact that there are too many laughably weak monsters on which to use these shiny, new items that are released. Because of this weakness in monsters, I personally have little to no reason to actually purchase these new items as long as my default weapons do not prove to be liabilities. For the sake of customization, I am always on the lookout for that missing piece that perfects my combo, but this does not really increase the worth of 95% of the items released. Not to beat a dead horse, but the similarities in weapons does not exactly advance the cause of bolstering worth and value anyways. Not only that, but the repetitive ranking quests to unlock all-too-similar items is not appealing to me either.

I do realize that there are other potentially more serious matters, but I would welcome more competent monsters so that I actually have a reason to take interest in the new items; this can be achieved to it's full potential if MQ sees more variety in it's items so that players, when faced with tougher monsters, actually have a wide range of items that fulfill as many niches and gaps as possible.




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 6:37:21)

I think the Staff should fix the Above mentioned problems rather than doing the Yokai Saga now.I really like the Yokai release and storyline but the reason why im saying this is because not many people have finished the prerequistes and some are too lazy to finish them.Even if the new C-Mail system WAS released people would get bored at doing all those quests and thus will make them Leave MQ.If they improve the Grinding problem and the Repetitive gameplay players would be more intrested in doing the quests and thus the player base will improve.The way i see it this would be a Benefit to both MQ and its Players.




Pyronix15 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 9:38:59)

I don't see the problem with such long prerequisites. If you did in fact not complete all the objectives, that means there is something new for you to do, which means you're release is whatever you didn't complete. New releases should only be for people who've beaten every other release, and therefore have nothing to do.




Draciane -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 9:42:12)

agree with the point above. Locking Yokai is definitely a good thing (one of the best decision for MQ thus far), and the only people that are pissed off by this are already existing old players. The new ones will always have something new to do up until they reach that point. Before that, except if they read all the previous DN, they might not even know about this place, and it will come as a surprise at one point.

@EinhanderX01: I'm aware of this whole perfect ratio of getting enough credit when you level up to buy new stuff. BUT this ratio won't be broke if you boost both the XP and Credit rate at the same time. Double both, or even triple both at the same time, that way, your perfect ratio is in no way broken. You'll only get to the next level 3-times faster than right now. Even with triple the current amount of XP credit, casual players will stilll have to farm a LOOOOOOONG time to even get a level. It would be like going from Snail speed to Turtle speed...it's still slow, but at least we see some kind of progression, which could keep players interrested longer. And maybe, who knows, make them create secondary at one point, which would keep them even longer playing MQ

I'm really interrested to know the percentage of MQ account with at least a LV20+ character

And after that the percentage of MQ account with at least a LV40 character. I'm really curious about these numbers




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 9:50:07)

@Pyronix15 and Draciane-I never said to remove the prerequistes.I just suggested to Make the gameplay more fun and easy to make them DO THE QUESTS for yokai.Do you guys think a new player will play the WHOLE of Westion without getting bored?.




Draciane -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 9:54:02)

Of course he will be bored. THat was one of my previous point. Less ranked quest. Westion in all about Ranked Quests (and Wars, and non-stop repetitive battle...argh, still have nightmare about the 100 battles elevator). I don't know if it's possible to rebalance the whole planet now that its story is over. But they sure need to take a lesson from this and try to make the next sagas less about Ranked quest. Like I also said in a previous post, the way Necryptos was handled is near perfection. Pure genious and one of the best saga (if not the best) I've played in MQ, if not an AE game. I'm sure a new player who begins with this saga can become addicted to MQ for real. So maybe offer this kind of saga to the new player in the future (outside the main story scope, since it's locked before a certain point)




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 9:59:06)

Yes Necryptos was one of the best sagas i played as well.But there are two problems with it.One is that it was intended to be Lvl 20+ while players stop playing when they reach levels 12-18.Another was the look of the Vampire Lords.........................




Draciane -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:02:01)

Yes I admit that the design of the Vampire was very "AQ first-gen"...but I'm OK with it, I was figuring that it was just another artist who was making his teeth in MQ (can anyone confirm, I was away for 6 months like I said). But anyway, it's true the saga could be too harsh for newcomer, but if they do another side-planet the way they handled Necryptos (which mean a little bit of everything: Mech Fight, On-Foot mission, puzzle, mini-game, joke reference (I'm still recovering from the "Castle"), great new look for classic character (Safira), and a clear, self-contained storyline. All that combined show everything MQ has to offer in one planet, and without any kind of ranked quest repetition. How can you beat that), but for, let's say, people around LV10 or so, it could show them the great potential of MQ, and that would hook them to the game in hope of seeing other saga like this




Pyronix15 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:21:27)

I still have yet to see an area as detailed as the crypt area. I enjoyed exploring the area just too read the text on each tablet and learn the vampire history.

And every time you beat a zone, you unlocked a shop that you most likely need to beat the next round, each shop slightly more powerful than the last.. It started off easy with ghouls, then to mosquitoes, and finally to vlactik knights.

As the posts above have claimed, perfection.




EinhanderX01 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:26:19)

The thing is, we've already started a Saga, and just entered a new planet. And so far, what limited Staff are on hand at this time are already working to fix the current issues (such as Prerequisites), while also working with whatever upcoming release there is. Until the Dragonoid Saga is complete, I don't see the release of a non-storyline planet at this time.

Furthermore, there's isn't much reason to release an entire side planet and its sidestory just for the low levels, though there are benefits in that it would add a lot of low level equipment as a stopgap measure in place of the on-hold Rebalancing and Revival Projects (and would provide a good excuse to borrow my sibling's lower level account just to play it).

The alternative to a new low level planet is to just add a few new low level missions (along with reward equipment) to Soluna, or restructuring Zargon to be a bit more interactive and enticing (and could do with a minor rebalancing of the rather below-average weapons there).




Peachii -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:28:47)

Planet Necryptos was a perfection, I wish the upcoming planets/wormholes could do an example of it. But recent Yokai release...I saw ranked trainings :( lesser of it would be better. [:)]

-Peach




Draciane -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:31:54)

Indeed Peachii, when we got to Yokai, and that the first thing I saw as a quest was a ranked one, I was very affraid for the future. Granted it's only the beginning, let's hope the ranked formula won't be the dominant one on Yokai. Yokai have the potential to expend the on-foot engine to new level, which could then impact the rest of the game to make it a more diverse one, which would give another reason to like MQ...we'll see how it turns out...




EinhanderX01 -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:37:22)

It was supposed to be a memorable homage to the early Soluna side missions. At least, according to the Staff.

I personally thought it was a painful homage (esp. considering the rolls on Westion not so long ago).

Regarding ranked rolls, if it's to be included, I much prefer Planet 51's version; where you had 2 possible ways of ranking up; Instant Fight + Rank Roll or Timed Challenge w/ Gradual Enemy Lvl Increase + Guaranteed Rank upon Time Challenge Success. A third version that is somewhere between the two in difficulty but has a Roll Limit cushion of at least 30 (meaning nothing below rolling a 30 after maybe the first 5 or so ranks) would work as well.




Draciane -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 10:46:21)

Yeah I was ALMOST forgetting about that. Indeed a good way to maybe make planet like Westion a less painful experience overall would be maybe to include an auto-rank option now. I mean, when it was first released putting a dice roll was maybe a way to extend the time of the quest (a la AdventureQuest armor trainging). But this was then, and this is now.

Once a new player have finished with Soluna storyline he goes to Westion. I can already see the picture from here. He does one quest, fail non-stop his dice roll, after a LOOOOONG while, he finally managed to get to the top Rank, go to the next quest...only to see another ranked quest asking a dice roll. After 3-4 times of those, he would get totally bored (who could blame him, even more if he is totally unlucky), and would leave.

The player have to feel some kind of progression in his gameplay. This is how you make a fun game that people want to continue. Ranked quest are tedious, but if at least, each quest would give us an auto-rank, or the possibility to have one, I guess people would feel more inclined to continue moving forward, instead of fearing the chains of failure. It might not kill the repetition...but at least it would kill the feeling people could have of not advancing forward at all




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 11:59:46)

I think it is time that Stats played an important role outside of mecha battling.Posting about Stats,They really need an update.Power,Luck and Accuracy are the only Stats that are used these days.The other three are.......well......ummm Under Powered?.Really guys do you see anyone use effeciency or perception in the Powerfull mech builds thread?.Saying about Effeciency,With the release of the Earth Day Panels it has REALLY become useless.




neo_manni -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 13:42:40)

are you serious, how can you say that MQ is my 2nd favorite game that I play. it truely rocks




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 13:49:26)

@neo_manni-Its not me saying.Go and ask the players of the other AE games and see what their Opinion is.Players don't actually play around very much to see MQ's features.




Maegwyn -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 14:43:58)

I'm still on page 2, but I just wanted to say quickly that this is absolutely terrific input.

Naturally I'm of the opinion that MQ is a great game with some flaws that need addressing and improving so that it will be of even better quality. The MechQuest team is full of talented and dedicated people working together - including Warlic, by the way - I'm working with Warlic at this precise moment in fact. (Everyone always worries about losing Warlic, but he's seriously not gone!) We have a list of unfinished-as-yet projects (the S.O.O.N. List *snicker*) and also new things in the works. And 24 hours in each day... And sometimes I am sad when a release is perceived as 'small' when I know how many hours it took how many people working with such dedication to get all the components ready to roll.

So, reading about the things that frustrate people is exceedingly useful - it's always nice when everyone likes a particular release of course, but looking at the game from an overall perspective and seeing what isn't keeping people interested, or driving people away, or making people think it isn't something they'd even bother making an account to check it out is incredibly valuable.

My personal and unofficial opinion is that as stressful as meeting the obligation of having 2 releases per week was, I actually miss having the Wednesday mini-releases. We still try to get a Monday bugfix release out as often as we can, which is important, but it's not something new to look forward to logging in and playing. I do like having a good-quality big Friday and it's much easier to achieve that goal when the entire week is leading up to getting Friday really great. But that said - the game isn't just about its weekly new content. So there's a balance between improving things that exist and fixing things that aren't working right or aren't balanced well and also bringing in new content. And while it's a surprise to me to find myself missing those Wednesday minis, and have some ideas I might toss at Korin, at the same time I do think it was a very wise decision. Even if we had 50 people on the MQ team. Which we don't - we just have a small-ish team of intense people who work like maniacs [:D]

And now, back to working with Warlic and Korin on today's release!




Diark -> RE: MQ's Low Popularity (5/21/2010 15:06:36)

@Maegwyn-I was reading your post and this idea struck me.You guys should have another day in the Week in which Game-Balancing issues can be solved.Maybe on a Wednesday?.This might increase a Player's Intrest as he might want a Certain item to be Buffed/Nerfed.This also gives you more time to work on those Gremlins.




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