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Ranloth -> Omega and the fallacies with going back to previous phases (2/18/2014 13:12:35)
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First of all, follow the rules. Devs don't delete the bad stuff about the game, but rather the Forum AKs/Mods if rules aren't followed. Also, the post will be split into two sections: Omega and why "bring x phase back" won't work.
Omega is far from being over, but there are still things which are yet to be implemented - as it was promised upon its release. People got their hopes up, and ended up being disappointed because it wasn't what they were expecting.
It's not a perfect phase. We've had a lot of downs, compared to ups. [1] Flawed stat progression at the beginning of Omega, when Str and Support builds were running amok + the HP (and EP) nerf. [2] Imbalanced cores due to lack of EP cost, which was corrected months later. [3] Lackluster releases, in terms of content and balance - due to other projects taking priority (not necessarily good for the game).
Then there was change from passives to actives, which players were afraid of - and some did see why it was done -, especially due to already low playerbase. The change wasn't as bad as I've personally expected, but there were also quite flaws, when [4] some passives were severly underpowered, and [5] Str and Support builds were running amok once again, due to many nerfs here and there.
Going back to promises, some did go through quite well. No restrictions on equipment, which allows easier build creation, but at the same time, it's easier to abuse builds. Having said that, it does promote diversity due to lesser amount of restrictions, but it's players' choice to abuse the mainstream builds or be creative - something that is out of Devs' control.
Of course, having all weapons be the same isn't necessarily that good. Some items lost their value, especially if they are coreless weapons, and you could say that ED was "AQW'fied", but not exactly. Personally, I'm 50/50 about it and suggested different weapon leans just to make some builds more diverse, and give a small incentive to buy more weapons - instead of constant retrains here and there, or other weapon having core which works better with build y than build x.
Removal of P2W advantage has also been a step forward. Players decide whether they want to spend money, instead of being forced to do so, just to be able to compete - and not be a punching bag. For a business, it's a crucial step forward, because not everyone like being forced to spend money or suffering, or even quitting, but want to buy a small amount of Varium as a test and then see if they like it.
On the other hand, there are plenty of disappointments when it comes to what was promised. I was looking forward to new cores, and - as it stands - I am still greatly disappointed many cores were put onto promotional weapons (self explanatory), but the ones available in-game are lacking. Sometimes, there are coding issues in the way (see: Dead Battery), but balancing them is also an issue. At the same time, basic cores don't require that extensive testing - such as pure damage boost. Xendran's thread has many cores, and some are very basic and simple to balance - and these would be perfect, for the time being, to fill in the niche.
Some poor balance decisions are also not-so-good and could've been carried out better. One could be a bit more testing for 'passives to actives' and making the new actives a bit more creative, rather than being somewhat bland in terms of effect.
Onto bringing the older phases back. Yes, people don't like the change and yes, you cannot please everyone. Devs and players should be very much aware of this by now. But what will bringing back the old phases do? Are those supporting the cause, expect players to flock back to ED?
Removal of P2W advantage: This was one of the turn-offs for players, and they ended up quitting because of it. Linking back to the above, removal of the advantage was a business decision and Devs were very much aware it will cause players to quit. Going back to P2W era will NOT bring players back. Why? Some players enjoy not being forced to buy Varium - unless it's a promo advantage for a year (which may be overpowered) - and it may result in pushing even more players away.
Enhancements: Removal of enhancements - which is essentially same as above - did not get positive reactions from everyone. They were Varium hogs as well, which wasn't really perfect, and enhancing with Credits was a disaster. This is one of the reasons why I prefer current weapon system - which is all weapons being the same. The refund was also low*, which was one of the turn-offs for many players as well. In fact, this was likely the biggest turn-off for players, not the Omega release itself.
Fun fact: Upon Arcade's re-release, NightWraith has spoken with players in-game, and they've asked if we really liked these old enhancements. Players did want them back, and they are back - it's called Legendary Mode; you pay Credits/Varium and upgrade your items, but this time, you work for it as well.
Old features: Not everyone liked those, and not everyone like the current ones either. You cannot please everyone, but the game has to go forward - not back. Some changes are perceived as going back, but that's players' opinions and not Devs' view on the game. After all, it's their vision of EpicDuel, not the players'.
Temporary removal of NPCs: Many players didn't like this either, but it was justified by ED being a PvP game, not PvE. They have counted as PvP wins in the past, and some players - even though NPCs are back now - dislike the fact they cannot get near perfect ratio due to lack of P2W advantage and NPCs not counting as PvP wins. Rest assured, they are back, have their own column, and there's a daily limit to them.
Even if you reverse all these changes, players will not come back. What would get them back is a 100% refund, which AE would never give (+ you've agreed to it upon registering to the game), and being able to win a lot more, due to F2P players being punching bags. People dislike paying and being on par with those who've never paid, but Varium serves as a shortcut now and it does give you temporary power advantage - farming Credits takes time and you may lose a lot more, compared to those who pay and have Varium to purchase exclusive cores (promos) and upgrade items to their level with little to no effort.
* We are NOT eligible for any refund from Artix Entertainment. Have you read the Terms and Conditions, you would be aware of this. This includes removal of a paid feature - this is also covered in the T&C under changing players' experience of the game.
Keep it civil. It won't get taken down as long as it won't end up in pure complaint thread, because it isn't. Players have created plenty of these kind of threads, they went sorta viral, and got taken down due to the vast majority not following the rules - and not Devs being "scared to face the truth"...
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