Mark Jacobs on WAR 6-month state of the game
by Brooke Pilley 
Mar 11th 2009 at 2:30PM
Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online
Mark states that the next iteration in this series of patches (1.21) will fix 400+ more bugs, attempt to balance the careers even further, and deliver more new content. The 1.21 patch will launch next month. Details on their 1.3 patch are a bit foggy, but they may deal with items from the following list, which Mark calls the "Eleven Enticing Enhancements" list for WAR:
- Client/Server performance in RvR
- Bug & Polish
- Open RvR in general
- Keeps in general
- Keep Defense
- Battlefield Objectives
- Zone Capture
- Zone Capture rewards
- City Raiding for fun and profit
- Career Balancing
- Scenarios
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
derella said on 2:41PM 3-11-2009
Quotes from Mark Jacobs in August 2008:
“...if you’ve seen a game consolidate servers, you know it’s in deep, deep trouble.”
“Look at us six months out. Look at us six weeks out. If we’re not adding servers, we’re not doing well.”
That's the state of the game.
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TheDrago said on 2:49PM 3-11-2009
Going out on a limb here, the the economy was just a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit different back when Jacobs made that statement you are quoting.
But hey, never let bitterness cloud your judgment, right?
Brian! said on 10:01PM 3-11-2009
Yeah,
Normally I would say that WAR is in hardship due to the lack of players they were hoping for. But the economy does suck so bad, many people don't want to have too many MMO subs out there (if any) and like it or not, WoW still has a hold on most.
Still, WAR is fun and getting more fun all the time. They are working to improve things, which is more than can be said about many other MMOs. So there is movement and it still has a place in a crowded market.
Mythic needs to get a little kick start though before Champions, Jumpgate, Earthrise and others hit the market though with new and interesting offerings.
darkstryke said on 2:55PM 3-11-2009
That's the modus operandi for Mr. Jacobs, say one thing that makes sense then pretend it was never said or done.
WAR can be summed up as this: The game has severe flaws that extend right back to the design doc, that cannot be fixed without vastly altering what they have produced. WAR only exists because there is a lack of mainstream alternatives in the genre for arcade PvP, and they rely heavily on the new shiny carrot to keep people around.
Subs were dying very fast so they bring back the KotBS and BG, which brought a spike in resubs for a month or two, then people realized it's still the same broken Warhammer Online, and quit again. Now they bring back the Choppa and Slayer, again to get the spike in resubs, and again it will ultimately fail due to the broken gameplay.
I wonder what the game will look like in a year or so, will there be another 8 classes as they have to add two extra ones when subs dive every 2 months post shiny new carrot? Will they even still be around after the market really gets tough and we all know how EA likes to keep a struggling franchise around forever ;)
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derella said on 3:07PM 3-11-2009
Blaming it on the economy is silly. Software and console sales are up from the same period they were at last year. I haven't heard anything about WoW losing subscribers.
Why is the economy singling out WAR?
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TheDrago said on 4:16PM 3-11-2009
WOW has been around for years. People are naturally going to stick with what they know, ESPECIALLY when the economy goes bad. WAR is a totally new title, and for people to drop their money in an economic crisis on a totally new game is very hard.
Oh, and there are other games besides WOW, pal. Just because they're numbers have not been drastically affected doesn't mean the rest of the industry isn't hurting. EA and Mythic did have to lay off a ton of people because the corporation needed downsizing after all the banks closed.
Stop viewing this through the prism of what things were last year, or even 6 months ago. For a new title like WAR to still have 300K people playing, in this economy, and post-Liche King is quite good. Lots of people canceled subscriptions to games because they lost their jobs and needed to tighten their belts, and if they kept one subscription around, it was likely WOW.
Why? Because it has been around for years, and has over 10 years of hardcore game fanatics to pool from. Titles like WAR don't have that.
The Claw said on 6:51PM 3-11-2009
"Why is the economy singling out WAR?"
Devil's Advocate: because WAR is, at it's heart, a game with some nice ideas, but poorly implemented. It's the sort of game that people might play as a second-choice MMO when they're a bit bored of their first choice, but it's simply not good enough to ever appeal to the mass market as a first-choice MMO.
And when times are tough, it's the second account that goes. The first-choice MMO is still unbelievable value for money and the cheapest fun you can have during a recession.
WrrLor said on 3:12PM 3-11-2009
More to the point, why are you if you clearly do not like the game?
The guy is a showboater, oh well. The game is what it is. People that like it do and people that don't like it hang around on forums and sites taking their time to bash it.
/shrug
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derella said on 3:20PM 3-11-2009
I don't typically bash WAR, actually, though I often explain why I no longer play it when it comes up.
The reason I'm posting this, is because I find Jacobs to be an arrogant douche. During the interview I quoted, he not only made that statement, but then cited another developer's game to back up his statement. If he's going to take cheap shots at struggling games(which are still operational, I might add), then he deserves to have the same thing done to him.
JP said on 3:29PM 3-11-2009
Mostly a nice adress. Seems like a lot of overhaul for 6 months out though.
I'd like to know what the beta tester's feedback was about T4 and the way the campeign works. Also, how long was it tested?
All in all though, I'd certainly be revisiting the game once those things have been implmented (well, that's if I don't have my wife and bro-in-law making me stay w/ their new found love of AoC). ESPECIALLY if the White Lion becomes... you know... a playable class.
But this...
"Given the proximity of these two releases, I think it is pretty safe to say that these represent one of the largest (if not the largest) amount of new content, tweaks, adjustments, etc. to any MMO over the course of several months."
... Tweaks and adjustments? Yes. More then any I can think of. Is that a good thing that so many are required? Up to individuals. New Content? Hardly. Week long events, and new classes do not equal the amount of actual content that many other games have released in 1-2 patches. Off the top of my head, CoH has issued HUGE *free* content updates that parralell, if not exceed these patches.
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TheDrago said on 4:18PM 3-11-2009
CoH episodes are the standard for free patching content.
Zinsncabs said on 7:31PM 3-11-2009
CoH? The standard? How so? We're talking about a game that launched nearly 5 years ago and has only released 14 issues. Now granted, these issues are carry more content then a typical MMO patch, but I wouldn't call them the standard.
Try Asheron's Call which offers a dynamic game supported by monthly content patches and has been doing so for nearly 10 years.
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Jess said on 5:37PM 3-11-2009
Three things stop me from re-subbing to WAR:
1. Mark Jacobs and his rampant hypocrisy, assinine statements ("WAR was the first game to give players a class for free") and over-all megalomania in regards to WAR.
2. The existence of World of Warhammercraft Battlescenariogrounds in the game, period. DAoC did not have even opponent instanced RvR. Ever. Period.
3. Flagrant disregard and violation of established Warhammer lore. (generally not as important for an MMO, but Mythic rapes an established IP like nothing before.)
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Calvin said on 7:18PM 3-11-2009
In response to #2, no one forces you to do scenarios... Open RvR has better rewards now.
-Drexel- said on 6:02PM 3-11-2009
TheDrago, I would put Eve against CoH for free content/upgrades/patches any day of the week. They both should be looked at when a new game is looking for a business model. Eve's free expansions are a major part of it's retention rate IMO, along with it's ability to scale from "crap-through-mud" looks all the way to "zomg HD pwnsomeness" depending on computer specs.
Jess, I personally think being too much of a stickler for lore can often hurt a game. Take SWG for example...sticking to the lore when breaking it would have made for a better gaming experience is one of the major reasons it tanked. Sometimes lore is great in a book but turns out to be epic fail as a game mechanic. The developer needs to carefully consider the need for gameplay to be fun with the lore...if fun will be effected, screw the lore I say.
As far as merging servers, the guy couldn't win either way. If he doesn't merge them he's not listening to his playerbase and failing, if he does merge them his game is dying and crumbling and doooooooooom and glooooooooom!!!!! Basically the haters come out and slam MJ, Mythic and WAR for every article that comes up about it. All that being said the server merge comment he made back then was awfully cocky and you can bet you'll never hear another comment like that out of the guy.
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fester said on 8:48PM 3-11-2009
Regarding server mergers, maybe Mark Jacobs shouldn't have made such dickhead comments about them back in Aug 2008? He's only in a "lose-lose" situation because he placed himself there 6 months ago. Frankly, someone in his position should just be keeping his mouth shut..the more he talks, the more fuel he provides for the WAR-haters.
Also, blaming the economy for WAR's failing is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever seen on this website.
MrGutts said on 8:15AM 3-12-2009
I guess he forgot to remind everyone that 43 servers are set to close in North America and Oceania, and 20 in Europe.
Guess it wasn't worthy of him to bring it up or not important to him.
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B.Ennis said on 12:11PM 3-12-2009
If you're going to engage in character assassinations make sure you keep your guns on the target. Talk shit about Marc all you want, but don't trash WAR if you don't play it. As a current player I know it's not perfect, but I'll be damned if I'm not gonna give the most responsive and speedy developers of any recent game a chance to iron that 'ish out.
Regardless of what Marc said 6 months or more ago doesn't address the fact that NOW server merges are vital. WAR isn't a PvE-focused game, having 3 people on your server is not cool and certainly isn't fun.
The live event content updates are fun, I don't care that they aren't huge because this lets me have more of them per year than just the standard RL holidays in most other games. To me this style of content is vastly superior to, say, rep grinds. Also, please do consider the fact that no one has any idea how much content is coming with the final Tomb Kings zone release.
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Jack said on 12:29PM 3-12-2009
Please not blame the economy for bad games like that look at Warcraft still going strong and even make more them before!
Warcraft Online is crap plan and simple I played the trail the last week and goto say it Graphics are just plain bad sure the water and everything look fine but the design is what doing it for me unlike the great designs of the World of warcraft here we got crappy block houses. The classes are just plain boring to play I try them all. The fighting system is slow and complete copy/pass of other games!
The Realm pvp is a lot of bull like it all does kinda suck its no better them any of the WoW battle grond. The world is pretty small and does not look connected and there quests are plain bad! Also the interface is really bad and the title system is just over done big time
Look to me like they loss more money on marketing them game design games like this need to be burned badly worst them Age of Conan even. If Age of Conan was release 2 years later with no bugs and full content like the first zone in the game it sure was a hit!
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clive1 said on 3:13AM 3-17-2009
"recently delivered a whopping patch that fixed over 500 bugs"
And introduced 800 new ones.
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