Mistryl .... :eek: :eek: :eek: If only I were so smooth as the chap standing next to her. He obviously didn't win a beauty contest, so he must be as smooth as Mr. Bond.
Mistryl .... :eek: :eek: :eek: If only I were so smooth as the chap standing next to her. He obviously didn't win a beauty contest, so he must be as smooth as Mr. Bond.
Mistryl has the sweetest demeanor and incredible eyes! I swear, when I walked over to the booth, I felt as though I was visiting long-time friends. They were all so very friendly and hilarious. I wish I had more time to simply hang out with them, but we were all at E3 for work purposes so off I went to do my industry thing. I wish I could have stayed for the Fan event. That's the second one I've had to miss! :(
This year's NCsoft booth was not the same booth as last year's, but because The Mutaytor band played both years, I can see how it might look that way.
I wasn't there last year so I was going based on what people told me. Like I said, I actually really liked your setup, especially in comparison to the stuff like SOE's and Nintendo's booths where it was all private and separate and annoying to get into.
I had a great time at E3 and really enjoyed seeing Choch again and meeting L2Girl. Overall, I thought E3 went very well and it was great to see so many L2 players at the Player Meetup in Mission Viejo.
I want to address some points that are brought up in the editorial, however.
First of all, NCsoft's philosophy of product showing at E3 is similar to almost all game companies in that we view it as a venue to showcase new products. We did not show CoH/CoV at E3 either, and we have Issue 7 coming up for that product. So, to in any way imply that by not having Lineage II playable at our E3 booth is some kind of "disrespect" or neglect for the product is pretty spurious.
Secondly, the critiques of the size of the North American Lineage II staff are also pretty ill-founded. Given the responsibilities we have, our L2 team is very well balanced. Of course, I have never seen a MMO player say "you have too many people on your team!", so this is really more of a generic issue. In any case, just because only a few people from the L2 team have gotten out and about at conventions, etc. doesn't meet there are only a few people on the team. Again, this is a procession from false logic and incomplete observations.
I will say that the comments regarding the "speed dating" interaction between Choch and I are pretty accurate, though. :)
I did enjoy meeting members of the L2 community, and hope to see more of you soon at future events!
First of all, NCsoft's philosophy of product showing at E3 is similar to almost all game companies in that we view it as a venue to showcase new products. We did not show CoH/CoV at E3 either, and we have Issue 7 coming up for that product.
I did like your booth better than SOE's booth but they did at least have one station up outside for every single one of their games (including EQOA)! Besides, I'm not saying DON'T show CoH/CoV (if you had new content to show I think you should've shown it as well, I was just under the impression that for CoH/CoV you didn't have a stable build together of the next issue unlike C5 Korean PTS client or at the very least, an E3 trailer, which I actually thought I missed somehow until I tried to find a copy of one somewhere on the official site and couldn't) I'm just saying show L2!
Perhaps that's the downfall of having free expansions. You don't view them as a new product. Because I'll bet if we had to pay for Chronicles (which I'm glad we don't), you would have had something up for E3. So how about we have our cake and eat it too. From a pricing perspective, you don't view Chronicles as new products, but from a marketing perspective, you do!
Secondly, the critiques of the size of the North American Lineage II staff are also pretty ill-founded. Given the responsibilities we have, our L2 team is very well balanced. Of course, I have never seen a MMO player say "you have too many people on your team!", so this is really more of a generic issue. In any case, just because only a few people from the L2 team have gotten out and about at conventions, etc. doesn't meet there are only a few people on the team. Again, this is a procession from false logic and incomplete observations.
Like I said, I do think you have a great staff on L2 and I know there's staff members I haven't met yet :) But when it takes months, so much time in fact that the next chronicle is already in testing in Korea, before the NA official site gets updated with C4 info (good job finally getting parts of that done btw, it looks good), I have to assume its because you don't have the resources (and in this case, i am assuming resources = staff and not technical knowledge or access to game data) to do it faster because I know you have the technical ability and I know its something the L2 Team has wanted to get done for us. That's just an example of the sort of thing I see that makes me think that way.
If that's faulty logic, then oh well and of course everything I think and write is based on incomplete observations because if I knew absolutely everything about the Lineage II team, I think we'd be both be very very afraid!
You're right, it has sadly these days become very frequent that any lacks will be blamed on either a lack of staff or incompetence of staff. Heck, you should see the official UO forums, everyone is going on about there's not enough staff even though the development team and staff has grown by some 20% over the last year.
Heck, sometimes I fall into those misconception traps myself. And of course then there are still the odd issues of L2 marketting.
Sov, that would be me rigging the set to fall on you so I could cut in line, you lady killer.
Here's my plan for next year:
1. Schedule monthly shower the week prior to E3.
2. Go to E3.
3. Slap on some premium cologne, like Old Spice.
4. Bust out my special occasion pocket protector.
5. Recite lines from John Hughes movies to the lovely Mystryl.
6. Call Sovrath from jail to help with bail.
Hmmm...I didn't like the editorial overall. It was an opinion piece, which I understand, but it was wrapped in a blanket of "journalism" and as a former daily newspaper reporter...well...I just didn't agree. :)
I respect the uber love you have for L2, but be practical. NCsoft would shoot itself in the foot if it went to ANY convention as important as E3 and showed freakin "Lineage 2" or "COV" on the show floor amidst all the NEW games.
That, darlings, would do more harm to L2 than you realize.
I know I come off as a geekette L2 fan, but my real-life job is working with the gaming industry day in and out. Doing business development means I have to decide whether a company is worth risking relationships with.
NCsoft is smart, and thank god they are. They get a lot of heat as a company and they don't deserve most of it. I've seen the whiners and *****ers and to be honest I ignore most of what they say because of how they choose to say it, and they dont have a deep understanding or any actual experience in the gaming industry. Playing a game all day doesn't make you an industry professional; it makes you a customer.
We all want L2 to not only survive but to thrive, but at what cost? Letting the company that birthed it suffer? Nahh...I know you guys aren't saying that at all. You're just extremely zealous in your desire to see L2 everywhere. But NCsoft had better show it can play with the behemoths. "Go big, or go home."
L2 and COV are OLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD news. And I dont care how many chronicles come next; its dated, old, and about as interesting to mainstream gaming media and the business side of gaming as lava lamps.
What's hot? Tabula Rasa, Aion, Dungeon Runners, etc etc. Why? They all show how far the company has come thus far and they are all smart games with smart hooks. NCsoft had better showed it was **** and on top of this industry or even I would have returned to work and called Richard Garriot to say, "Hmm....you guys aren't doing too well, huh?"
I speak from experience when I say I've seen an IP, which had some good buzz, fade out of the limelight only to be reborn a while later -- and reach the potential people envisioned for it.
Don't be so blinded by your missperception of what NCsoft's intentions for L2 in NA are. If it gets replaced by Aion, for example, more power to them. Aion would have to be incredible to replace or overtake a game like L2, IMHO. And I'd rather switch to Aion if that were the case cause I like seeing this industry move forward through its products. :)
I respect the uber love you have for L2, but be practical. NCsoft would shoot itself in the foot if it went to ANY convention as important as E3 and showed freakin "Lineage 2" or "COV" on the show floor amidst all the NEW games.
Then why show old trailers at all? I may be shooting myself in the mouth if they actually did have one and I somehow missed it, but I don't think they did, for the first time. And do you think that SOE for example, shot itself in the foot showing their old games as well as their new ones?
L2 and COV are OLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD news. And I dont care how many chronicles come next; its dated, old, and about as interesting to mainstream gaming media and the business side of gaming as lava lamps.
What's hot? Tabula Rasa, Aion, Dungeon Runners, etc etc. Why? They all show how far the company has come thus far and they are all smart games with smart hooks. NCsoft had better showed it was **** and on top of this industry
See I view Chronicles as expansions (same with issues in CoH/V). Don't you think that if they were paid expansions, that NCSoft would probably show them because that would be new news and they'd want people to buy the expansions? If you said no, why? If you said yes, why not extend that line of thinking to the free expansions?
And yes, I know they should hype all of their new games and they did an excellent job of that. But expansions can also be new and ****, especially if they get developed that way. Look at GW Factions, WoW: Burning Crusade, etc. they're also new, **** and hot because they're being developed & marketed that way. And if you don't think that when the next expansion (not issue, paid expansion) for CoH comes out, NC won't market it and show it at the next trade show and make it all new and ****, well I'll be surprised by that.
Also, L2 has come a very long way from its initial state. Many of the problems and perceptions that former players and media members who only looked at L2 at launch have been addressed. But they don't know that. And while there have been some re-reviews and some people have relooked at L2 since launch, it seems to me that a majority hasn't, showing it at E3 seems to me to be a good chance to reach those people again.
It seems to me that it should be possible to showcase all of the new amazing stuff you have going, progress as a company, all that good stuff you talked about, while also showing that you're applying that thinking to the current games you are publishing and you're developing them further and making them exciting as well.
And if you look at the fileplanet download list, the Lineage II NA C4 client has been downloaded 266,994 times in the past THREE months. Now we all know there aren't that many subscribers in NA, which means there's a huge audience out there that they haven't tapped into.
And I'd rather switch to Aion if that were the case cause I like seeing this industry move forward through its products.
Oh so would I. And I was tremendously underwhelmed by the MMO showing at E3. There were a few bright spots, and I know I missed looking at some games like WarHammer, but almost everything (there were exceptions of course) seemed like just rehashing of old ideas.
Although i havent gone to an NCSoft showing at E3 because its never near me (Rhode Island) it sure looked like a good time. I would have liked to thank Mistryl for unbanning my forum account :)
Choch, honeyboo, you're arguing "what ifs" and I'm not.
YOU:
-- IF chronicles were paid expansions, NCsoft would PROBABLY show them.
ME:
-- Chronicles are not paid expansions. To guess or assume what NCsoft would do under hypothetical scenarios isn't fair.
YOU:
-- expansions can also be new and **** (and you sighted WoW, GW, etc).
ME:
-- Sure, hon. How many games did Blizzard have to sink their marketing millions into at E3? How many did NCsoft have? Studios (NC is both studio and publisher) decide at E3 what makes the most sense to show. The first choice and best choice is their newest stuff. Why? Because the company is building on its branding image -- they make MMOs. They show they are at the forefront of the genre and as such, they'd better show some innovative stuff or they croke in the industry's eyes.
IF it is the only product a company has released then all their marketing dollars will be bent on it. IF a game was an international success like WoW is then you bend all your marketing dollars on it's second great expansion.
L2 is not an international hit. It rocks Korea. :) We love it, but I also have to deal with NC IRL outside of my gamer girl persona. So I guess I view their motives and actions with an unbiased eye because I know what they're dealing with as a business. They've made extremely smart business decisions, whether you believe me or not. :)
So, that said, let's just agree to disagree so we don't turn this thread into something it wasn't meant to be. ;)
Nooot quite sure why you directed that whole long post at me. The only point that could fit onto me might be marketting. Which doesn't really have anything to do with E3, but other matters discussed elsewhere.
Sov, that would be me rigging the set to fall on you so I could cut in line, you lady killer.
Here's my plan for next year:
1. Schedule monthly shower the week prior to E3.
2. Go to E3.
3. Slap on some premium cologne, like Old Spice.
4. Bust out my special occasion pocket protector.
5. Recite lines from John Hughes movies to the lovely Mystryl.
6. Call Sovrath from jail to help with bail.
Just call me from the emergency room as they will be in the middle of my torso replacement :D
It's interesting to see the marketing differences between L2 and say, the new Guild Wars or COV.
It is clear that L2 is market differently but I don't know why. I don't think it is because the company isn't behind it 100%. It might be because it already has such a large playerbase that they want to put their money toward games that they feel actually need it.
It could also be that they have have taken into account the type of player that plays each type of game and that different forms of advertising work more effectively with different demographics.
Also, in the end, there is only so much time and so much money. I know when the numbers for subscribers comes out, people start multiplying that by the monthly fee and they come up with the amount of money that L2 is making.
But that is not quite how it works. Besides a whole host of costs and fees including operating budgets, salaries... whatever, it is also possible that they need to funnel some of that money into new projects.
I do have to say that there are things about L2 that I love and things that disspapoint quite a bit.
I will be curious to see how the game grows, especialy from new games coming out, whether they be by competitors or by NC Soft themselves.
So, that said, let's just agree to disagree so we don't turn this thread into something it wasn't meant to be
But that's exactly what this thread was meant to be! Among othe reasons, I wrote that to spark discussion about Lineage II, MMOs in general, where L2 and NC fit in and all this good stuff! Debate and discussion are healthy and the fact that people enjoy reading and writing about L2 is a sign of a thriving community :)
I wrote that to spark discussion about Lineage II, MMOs in general, where L2 and NC fit in and all this good stuff! Debate and discussion are healthy and the fact that people enjoy reading and writing about L2 is a sign of a thriving community :)
Or that there are a few players sitting in a Maytag Box out in the middle of nowhere underneath the Jersey Turnpike, writing their L2 manifesto and gently cradling an AR 15 Assault Rifle, all the while muttering in a subdued but impassioned voice "I am the Angel of Death, the time of purification is at hand".
Or as you say it can be the sign of a loving, thriving community. Either way, I'm currently eating a peppermint Patty.
imo, i'd love to actually even remotely come near a convention of any size that has anything to do with electronics..... don't even mention games.... i'd be all over it.
but yes, i'd have to say some if not most of the things lineage2 staff has decided on has been quite smart.
I find lineage2 in NA doesn't have much of any excistance in terms of say mentioning it in a large crowd and expecting someone to have heard of it... (in comparison to say WoW which is no serprise even though i find it to be WAY to bad of a game).
IMO, i'm sure when Lineage3 comes this way, were going to see quite a show for it... i think it'll have a fairly large ammount of success if it does indeed go well. I'd expect more people to be aware of it. But then again, that's speaking of an unannounced product ;)
It's way bigger than just your everyday farmer. Raid boss farmers are taking away END GAME content which lets your high level players advance. If you can never SA your weapon ...what's the point?
Did either of you bring up the issue of raid boss farmers? Since honestly they are the biggest issue with L2 imo.
Thanks,
LianLi
I brought up farmers in general, not specifically raid boss farmers since to me, they're just an extension of the larger problem.
Hmm not quite ...
Raid boss farmers could be wiped by adapting the hassle we have to go through to get A / S gear...
Edit : and Soul Crystals ofc...
I'm assuming you mean by making it easier to get that A/S gear so that there's less of a need for raid boss farmers....again, that issue and line of thinking can be applied to everything through the time of L2, not just raid bosses.
I'm assuming you mean by making it easier to get that A/S gear so that there's less of a need for raid boss farmers....again, that issue and line of thinking can be applied to everything through the time of L2, not just raid bosses.
Not exactly. As said by LianLi, some parts are exclusive, some not.
It's fun to take a Raid Boss. We should be able to do so.
Also, since ToI quest is a piece of crap, Raid Bosses are the primary source for high end gear. That's why they're camped. Farmers don't play for fun nor XP.
Give the players an efficient way to get high end gear and the farmers won't have to camp raid bosses.
(yet hard if you will but possible as it ain't now - Look for Bighands thread about it)
The only way to get farmers off raid bosses is by making them not worthwhile, which can't be in anyone's interest.
However, I must admit - it is much, much easier to recognise a raid boss farmer clan than any other type, so bans should be dealt out swiftly. It's also always a tremendous boost for the believe in NC's ability to handle the farmer problem when one of these prominent clans disappears.
Yea, she dumped me. She served me notice over Myspace.com
I think you need to date a higher quality of woman. Not only am I friends with my ex'es but we get each other b-day and christmas presents every year.
Friendship first, everything else comes later and you won't have to deal with looking at a MySpace website all the while some guy named "gunner" is sending your ex flirtatious notes:
"Hey babe, love what you wrote me yesterday! What a foxy little minx you are. Did you dump that lawyer dude yet? 'Cause I got tickets to the skateboard expo and me and Sly are gonna check it out. It's gonna be so boss. You should come."
Officier : Sir ! FREEZE !
Dark : Yes ?
Officer : I hear you are troubling the peace.
Dark : No I'm not.
Officer : Let's see your papers.
*hands over ID*
Officer : OH ! Hello Darkmotion. Have you been offering mustache rides again ?
Dark : Yeah.
Officer : You know you can'T do that.
Dark : Yes I can. I have this permit from the dept. of transportation. Also my rides are free. Wanna try ?
Officer : *blushes* I'll pass. Stay out of trouble Dark.
Dark : You know I can't promise you that.
Officer : Yes, yes I know.
Yea, she dumped me. She served me notice over Myspace.com
I think you need to date a higher quality of woman. Not only am I friends with my ex'es but we get each other b-day and christmas presents every year.
Friendship first, everything else comes later and you won't have to deal with looking at a MySpace website all the while some guy named "gunner" is sending your ex flirtatious notes:
"Hey babe, love what you wrote me yesterday! What a foxy little minx you are. Did you dump that lawyer dude yet? 'Cause I got tickets to the skateboard expo and me and Sly are gonna check it out. It's gonna be so boss. You should come."
Word up, homey.
That last bullet that I missed was a life changing one.