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The Other Side of the Looking Glass - Friday, November 3, 2006
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Jacked Out

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mitez wrote:

Archive missions, do you not see that people cant just catch up using archive missions, the main reason is that they take very long to complete so a whole chapter could have gone by the time they even get through them all and attempt to catch up. Also i think cinematics do not help, i find they are good but only for an introduction to the missions that follow. 

Also someone else said it was like a TV show if you miss it you miss it, well then you've just written off MXO to die as soon as the long term players go. 

Good point. I can't really contradict you, besides pointing to the fact that MxO, a medium telling an ongoing storyline (and just to emphasize it again, the storyline is probably the main reason why this game exists), just works the same as a TV show.
If you join somewhere at season 5, you do have to catch upon the first four seasons on DVD before actually getting what's going on (though it's probably going to take less time, but then again, computer games generally take more time). Those who've watched from the start on are in the best position.

I'm not saying it's necessarily convenient for new players, but that's just the overarching principle/problem with any ongoing storyline, not just with MxO.

However, not 100% of the archive missions are needed for understanding the storyline, since they often go quite into detail and portray little struggles that make the plot more dense but aren't really needed for understanding (let's say, the 2.1.1-2.2.4 missions as an entity could be simply described as the Machines constructing and testing a flit gun, Zion brewing up and testing insecticide, Machines and Zion combining their efforts and results and the Merovingian constantly trying to disturb their plans; 2.2.5 revolved around the Assassin's hover barge which leads to cinematic 2.2; apart from a few possible details, this would suffice for future understanding).
Keep in mind that there are quite a few easily accessible fansite summaries - on MxOResource, MxOArchive and MxOStory. Maybe more. Those are great for quickly catching up and getting a picture, while constantly enriching it with details and "life" through archive missions and others.

Of course, cinematics aren't sufficient, as aren't missions or missions combined with cinematics, but without the Sentinel or live events. The storyline is told via multiple interacting mediums, so you won't have a full understanding without all of them whether in the current storyline or in the past storyline. However, cinematics, Sentinels, DN1 archive, archive missions and live events from chapter 4 on build a rich story archive resource.

I also don't think making the two "splinter organizations" to independent ones which they are is a bad idea in theory. I don't see one single point speaking against it apart from maybe PvP unfairness (which is a moot point anyway because Zion also outnumbers the rest). But there do seem to be heavy difficulties with the feasibility, so I'd just forget about it for now.
I do think it should be allowed to lower the story content density for a limited duration, if, on that account, permanent improvements for the game are made (e.g. I would accept for the storyline and content to be put aside for a few months at all to completely fix interlock). But constantly writing missions for EPN and CYPH would drain the resources forever, not just for a limited period.

Sorry for the partially off topic post.

Message edited by zeroone506 on 11/05/2006 08:29:02.




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PBlade wrote:
mitez wrote:
PBlade wrote:

There's nothing to compromise, Dire. What can they do? Remove missions - Zero would have a fit, not to mention there'd be no other real way of delivering the monthly storyline developments effectively.  Remove Live Events - The boredome would encroach even more than it does now, regardless of whether new content is being developed or not. Plus people would be in uproar over the fact that they were promised Live Events, SOE takeover or not.

I emphasised on the part that i do not want to remove missions but merely cut down on them to allow them more time to create gameplay content.  Also as for live events, yes they should stay but how the *CENSORED* do i feel that im not a person whos allowed to stay on my PC till ridiculous times to catch them, there are many who have no choice but to miss out on these live events.  However like i said live event does a lot for the majority so im having to sacrifice there and just suck it up.

And I can catch them? I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking at this from the perspective of the majority, don't be so introverted.

I also know youre a semi-insomniac lol.  But seriously what time do they come on at, on some weekenights im on until 11pm, i think thats a fair time to stay up till after that it will get tiring for the next day where i have to wake up at 6am and go to school.  So saying that if you can catch them anyone can catch them is stupid as some people stay up all night would that justify live events being on at 4am GMT huh, after 9/10 it becomes unreasonable to the majority of Non-US players.
 
As for you saying that no-one new could understand where the storyline is anymore, it's just a bogus point. The archive missions were introduced for the very reason--alongside other, more rewarding, contenting reasons--to alleviate those worries and allow those who had missed the storyline in the past to repeat it just as we did when they were first released. Plus there's a wonderful little cinematic page in the loading area where they can catch up on the cinematic past of MxO.

Archive missions, do you not see that people cant just catch up using archive missions, the main reason is that they take very long to complete so a whole chapter could have gone by the time they even get through them all and attempt to catch up. Also i think cinematics do not help, i find they are good but only for an introduction to the missions that follow. 

Also someone else said it was like a TV show if you miss it you miss it, well then you've just written off MXO to die as soon as the long term players go. 

I find that something of a flawed judgement. If we take the TV show as our metaphore, and make the Archive missions video recordings you've taped so you can watch them at a later date, then the scenario pans out like: You miss a program, BUT YOU'VE TAPED IT. You miss a few of the programs, BUT YOU TAPE THEM. So you're watching through the re-runs when you realise you're going to miss the current episode if you don't stop watching the re-runs. So you stop and watch the current episode, safe in the knowledge that when you return to the re-runs at a later date, then the peices will slot together.

Sorry thats just bloody stupid, in youre desperation to counter my argument you didnt think about what you were writing.  Again continuing with youre story of a TV show, i havent seen 24 but i guarantee that if u watch the 13th episode you will be totally confused and not all the pieces would add up and it would ruin the suspense of watching the first few episodes.  You just cannot pick up half way through the storyline, its very very difficult, it is not something that you can just do at the click of youre fingers. 

Its just not right that the game relies so strongly on a piece of content that only some can get the full benefit of.  I feel many, if spoke truthfully would admit and say that for a new player the storyline is very difficult to catch up on but then again its also hard to catch up on because it has a lot of depth which i compliment.    

Truly dude, you can't aim at specific parts of the game and say they have to be compromised, as the real problem is, due to the technicalities of MxO being somewhat foreign and at times downright confusing to some of the dev team, they have to stick to what they know best while working on new things. What they know best, be it for better or for worse, is episodic content, as you people keep calling it.

I'd just like to quote "they have to stick to what they know best" in particular.  So are you telling me this game has nothing new to offer, the dev team do not dare to try new things so we should just get used to the same old same old and watch how they make the same thing again and again with a different spin on it. 

Not at all, i'm saying that they know how to do certain things and, as such, it's easier for them to continuously crank out episodic content WHILST WORKING ON OTHER THINGS. It might not be the most effective, efficient way of creating new content, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I look forward to luggables a great deal, but I look forward to the next chapter of the storyline just as much.

Ah yes the devs are just after the most simple way they can "satisfy" us until eventually the game ends.  You're right this isnt the most effective way of creating new content and im just saying my piece of how the cookie should crumble.   

Again im just comprimising the part which gets the most attention as, bug fixes can never be comprimised as they are needed to making the game flow, now that leaves Content and episodic missions (or mission system w/e floats youre boat).  Now if we cut down on content there would be nothing left to give so it would be a stupid idea so the missions it is.  Im sure by just cutting each one down by 1 or 2 could keep the storyline going but also increase the speed of which content is realesed.

I think that's a fine idea, really, other than between the end of the last mission and the next patch there'd be something of a void to be filled in terms of the episodic content. There'd be no missions to feed Live Events, and for the last few weeks of a patch--remember, we're running on a 6 week schedule--would be filled with even more boredome than the current times inbetween are. Logistically, it just wouldn't work. 

Youre right, that last week is just filled with fun fun fun now that ONE crit is placed there.  Seriously we have waited long enough without content, we lived through a time where crits were completed on the first day leaving us "bored" for the remaining 5 weeks. 

However with 1 week less we may also have other things filling our time remember you forget that atm all we get is crits but with my idea we might get more content as well, i remember how much time people spent trying to get the Area K, that was just a tweak now a real content addition would occupy even more time, PB still entertains people to this day, archive missions are just a long boring road to get that 1 kool looking item. 


As for new organisaitons, that idea should never even get mentoined as a possibility, if you think about it, youre precious live events would then be cut down per org, the thought put behind each missions would have to be cut down and the devs would have to rush doing them.  New orgs are just a bad idea, i barely see an advantage to having them, even PvP would be worse.

Lol. "Your precious Live Events"

So i presume you agree new orgs is a big NO NO.

Sorry the whole quotage system is completly broken now lol, ive tried to break things up.  There all new text is in blue.



Message edited by mitez on 11/05/2006 09:26:49.


Jacked Out

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Just a few remarks I'd like to comment on:

Sorry thats just bloody stupid, in youre desperation to counter my argument you didnt think about what you were writing.  Again continuing with youre story of a TV show, i havent seen 24 but i guarantee that if u watch the 13th episode you will be totally confused and not all the pieces would add up and it would ruin the suspense of watching the first few episodes.  You just cannot pick up half way through the storyline, its very very difficult, it is not something that you can just do at the click of youre fingers. 

Its just not right that the game relies so strongly on a piece of content that only some can get the full benefit of.  I feel many, if spoke truthfully would admit and say that for a new player the storyline is very difficult to catch up on but then again its also hard to catch up on because it has a lot of depth which i compliment.

You're right once again. But you forget the fansite summaries -- just as summaries for the first 12 episodes of "24", these can provide the basic knowledge to enjoy the current storyline (except directly preceding ones such as chapter 5 at the moment, but that's relatively little). Does it take the tension away, also from redoing them in the archive version? Does it take the feel of all the story already behind you? Sure, but that's for the past storyline, for what you've already missed - not the current one.


However with 1 week less we may also have other things filling our time remember you forget that atm all we get is crits but with my idea we might get more content as well, i remember how much time people spent trying to get the Area K, that was just a tweak now a real content addition would occupy even more time, PB still entertains people to this day, archive missions are just a long boring road to get that 1 kool looking item. 

See, another example of how different people's tastes and interests can be. Area K is a thing I don't even bother about -- I have absolutely no interest in farming NPCs or an NPC for items. I also have no interest in the archive mission rewards, and it's not boring for me because I look at the texts and the story background rather than the repetetive and monotonous gameplay process.



Systemic Anomaly

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I'm just gonna do away with the bits we've already debated, it'd be easier, methinks. The  box  things won't go away, though. >.<
I also know youre a semi-insomniac lol.  But seriously what time do they come on at, on some weekenights im on until 11pm, i think thats a fair time to stay up till after that it will get tiring for the next day where i have to wake up at 6am and go to school.  So saying that if you can catch them anyone can catch them is stupid as some people stay up all night would that justify live events being on at 4am GMT huh, after 9/10 it becomes unreasonable to the majority of Non-US players.

My comment was actually made, not to say 'if I can catch them so can you', but to say 'I miss them too, regardless of my insomnia or not' but you've got to see things on a grander scale, not just what pleases you as an individual.

Sorry -- No you're not. SMILEY --thats just bloody stupid, in youre -- Are you misusing "you're" just to annoy me now? >.< --desperation to counter my argument you didnt think about what you were writing. -- On the contrary, I had every thought placed in what I was writing. --  Again continuing with youre story -- Metaphore -- of a TV show, i havent seen 24 but i guarantee that if u watch the 13th episode you will be totally confused and not all the pieces would add up and it would ruin the suspense of watching the first few episodes.  You just cannot pick up half way through the storyline, its very very difficult, it is not something that you can just do at the click of youre fingers.

I think you'll find the archive missions start at the beginning of the storyline, not in the middle. And MxO has nowhere near the amount of depth and clarity of 24 SMILEY It's nowhere near a viable comparison. However, i'll grant that picking up from any old point is never easy. However, something i've noticed about MxO is that, while knowing the past is helpful, most chapters are a standalone entity, so they can be understood from--at the very least--a primitive level, allowing time for people to go back and learn the rest and get a better understanding. And then there are, of course, the coveted fan sites.

Ah yes the devs are just after the most simple way they can "satisfy" us until eventually the game ends.  You're right this isnt the most effective way of creating new content and im just saying my piece of how the cookie should crumble.  

That morbid outlook will never do...Where's Nurse Ratched when you need her...


Youre right, that last week is just filled with fun fun fun now that ONE crit is placed there.  Seriously we have waited long enough without content, we lived through a time where crits were completed on the first day leaving us "bored" for the remaining 5 weeks.

You forget that we weren't always on a 6 week schedule. In fact, we used to be on a fortnightly/monthly schedule. But you're point's taken, nevertheless.

However with 1 week less we may also have other things filling our time remember you forget that atm all we get is crits but with my idea we might get more content as well, i remember how much time people spent trying to get the Area K, that was just a tweak now a real content addition would occupy even more time, PB still entertains people to this day -- I do my best SMILEY --, archive missions are just a long boring road to get that 1 kool looking item.

In your opinion. One man's trash is another's treasure: It's a famous hobo saying but I guess it rings true here as well. SMILEY


So i presume you agree new orgs is a big NO NO.

If they had the manpower to do it--why the hell not? But they don't, so don't even go there.

Now that was a mess.

Message edited by PBlade on 11/05/2006 10:00:30.





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Ok all quotes are gone ill just pick the bits i need:

PBlade said: My comment was actually made, not to say 'if I can catch them so can you', but to say 'I miss them too, regardless of my insomnia or not' but you've got to see things on a grander scale, not just what pleases you as an individual.

Ok so wait thats two people, so from my stats 2 UK people 2 people cant catch them which interpruts to 100% of UK players unable to catch them.  Now from just talking to people i know that WERE not the only ones in this situation so its not individuals its a considerable amount of paying customers. 

Ok next concerning catching up with storylines.  I think Zeroone506 is right that there are websites which help you catch up on the story, which i think should be in game so its easy for new player to access, generally i think everything necessary should be accessible in game, there should be no major reason for people to do their own research. 

Also yes chapters are "stand alone" but they all still require background information, information that new players are unable to catch up on.  Remember chapters are like one scenario or scene, but if you put them all together you get the story, yes you may understand the chapter but do you understand story? 

Finally some ppl prefer story others prefer content.  Now this all bottles down to what we were argueing about, im saying that there should be a little more time used on content and a little less on story as i think even you can agree that more time is used to fuel the story and not gameplay content.  This then makes a nice balance between the two different types of players. 

Finally its good to see youre agreeing on the orgs argument, yes if there were more developers anything is possible but theres not so we gta find ways to work around this. 

Brodcast depth The Debate club lol



Jacked Out

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On a more unrelated note, I think it's a bit false to say the chapters were standalone entities, even on the surface -- and I supposed you do mean the chapters, namely 1-6. Even if you mean the "main plots" that very loosely fit into the chapter classification, even those are interwoven enough to dismiss them as standalone entities. Mostly, the ones begin before the others end (example: Assassin and commandos), and tidbits of them are already distributed all around earlier story content (Cryptos, case theft).

And to repeat it once again, the plots hardly fit into the "chapters". Assassin: 1.3-3.1, commandos/General/Merv 2.3-4.3, lots of EPN and Cyphs inbetween, first Anome plot 5.1-5.2, the more specific one 5.3-now.

Completely off topic, but I had to point that out. Also, with all the story content distributed over the cinematics, the interacting story missions, events/event posts and the Sentinel, aswell as the never ending implementation of the complex City underground and mysterious "LESIG" plots -- don't you think MxO can at least compare itself to "24", in terms of storyline? I know it can't in terms of "direction", layout, concreteness and the like.

The Debate Club Debates in broadcast depth


Message edited by zeroone506 on 11/05/2006 12:24:19.


Ascendent Logic

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sounds great walrus,

we know there is not enough people anyways for new

Org in game, I would like to see more events then anything

else tho and less criticals would help,keep up the good work

cant wait see whats next!



Virulent Mind

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Holy hell folks, talk about debating an issue SMILEY

Seriously, I have to thank the devs for their honesty with us all. Plus, I always prefer quality over quantity.

Thanks,

Katzung



Mainframe Invader

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I know this is an old topic but couldn't you just get more hired staff to manage the Cypherite and E Pluribus Neo orgs to make them happen? or perhaps bump up the price of the monthly subscription perhaps? yeah i know that second option is not a populer one, but you sure theres no way of implementing new orgs without sacrificing luggable and etc updates? SMILEY

 
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