Think about how much of this game is determined by the players. The economy, castle ownership, the community- the players make each server come alive. I think we should bring that energy offline as well.
Many of us have complained about NCSoft's marketing of Lineage II, so why not do something about it? What hurts the game most of all are the negative reviews it often receives on online store and gaming community sites. Their opinion of the game is no more valid than yours so why let them go unchallenged?
The Lineage 2 Epic Collection will be released soon which offers the opportunity to review the game anew at many online sites and stores. Take a few minutes and write a positive review for the game. Who knows- with enough new people coming into the game and a greater presense in the gaming community, we might get those server transfers one day afterall. :D
I did Barnes and Nobles. Should be up within 3 days. Here is what I wrote...
Are you a Hardcore gamer ?
This game has been out for over 2 years now. With around 70K subscribers this game has risen in numbers over the years. The game is an MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online). It follows a story of 12 chapters, and we are currently on the 5th chapter. Each new chapter (update) is free, wich is cool (considering you have to pay for expansion packs in other games). The game is very intuitive to play and the graphics and gameplay are top notch. There are several events and new content added. The community is very interesting, the game even has it's own radio station. So why isin't this game more mainstream ? Well, it's because of it's best feature : PvP. The PvP in Lineage II is the best you can get at the moment on the market. There is a penalty for death, and you can lose your gear. You also turn chaotic and receive Karma if you PK other players. This makes you an open target for other players. The economy is player driven and very balanced. The perfect example that this economy model is excellent is that in Korea, the currency of Lineage II (adena) is considered as an acceptable form of currency. In North America, bots and e-bayers are numerous, proving that there is real life interest for this game (this is illegal and you may get banned if you engage in such activities). All in All, it's an excellent MMO, that like good wine, gets even better as it ages. Have Fun ! ™
This is a great idea to post these reviews. However I believe that this cannot be a one sided cause on the player base to get the word out about the game.
I belive that NCSoft also should advertise the game a lot harder than what has been done so far. TV, radio, billboards, etc.. should all be looked at and used. Again the player base can only do its part to a point.
Actually, word of mouth is one of the greatest advertising tools. If your not passionate about the game...and not telling ALL your friends to play...and quit playing that horrid game called WoW...then your not doing your part.
Now, I love this game...but I have to say one thing. NCsoft hurts themselves with a great deal more with other issues rather than lack of advertising. What the heck does it take for a GM to get in freakin game...and go to any catacomb...wall of argo...and many many other places....and see that bots are infesting our servers beyond belief. I'll go to a cata, search every room....cant find a free room...due bot trains in each one.
Now, Im not crying and sitting around doing nothing...I get on my Bounty hunter and I free up a room or two when I need one. But what about new players...who get in for the first time...and despite all NCsoft's efforts to make the game more "beginer friendly" they cant find suitable hunting grounds that aren't filled with bots.
When will NCsoft take this issue seriously?? When will they actually do something??
I heard that the guy who did the stabbymcstoo comics got perma banned for using third party software. I can remember hunting with stabby several times, even getting pmed asking me to go hunt. Not once did I ever get the impression that this guy botted...or did anything illegal ingame. The guy was a solid player, and seemed to be a really good guy. And he gets banned? Lets say he was doing something illegal...he fooled alot of ppl if he did...and hid it well. But what about the hundreds of bots that are not even making an effort to hide it? That are out there right under everyones noses?? Someone explain to me how it can be that it goes unnoticed. Its insane. ppl in some clans/alliances...use bot trains to Power level their ebayed toons to 76+. Its sad and pathetic. And we expect new players to want in on this mess? I can see a steady decline of players, I go to alot of the places I used to hunt...and they are either ghost towns...or infested with bots.
*Disolve* Lineage II, Chaotic Throne....2007.
The newcomer walks the land of aden, searching for someone to talk to..to hunt with. Every encounter with someone he quickly realizes that they are not really there. AFK? No, cant be..they are moving. Every hunting ground...every catacomb...every field...nothing but mindless drones of bots roaming the land. And thats it, the last real (non bot) L2 player logs out forever. Leaving behind thousands of bots. Servers eventually collapse. Noone left to feed the farmers, none left to buy the adena at itemgarden, IGE or ebay. Noone left to spend 200mil on a helm.
The future of Lineage II.
Someone call Al Gore..tell him to forget Global warming...we have a bigger crisis on our hands :P
Ya gotta watch those bots........ i was pk'd the other day as i logged in for an evenings hunting.... by a bot that i had trained and pk'd a couple of times in Pilgrims just 2 days earlier lol
Oh the shame......
Review done btw, along the same lines as everyone else.
Current scores
Gamestop - 4 stars out of five with three 5 star reviews on the front page - yeah!
Amazon.com - 5 stars out of five with one review showing . . . we'll take it for now, but I know more people hit the site than that. ;)
Barnes & Noble - 5 circles out of 5 with two reviews showing. Maybe Amazon and B&N are just slow in posting reviews- anyway it's a perfect score. ^^
Rock-on, people! :D
Keep those reviews coming- and now, phase two of our mission: word of mouth. Since I'm sure all of you are well into Phase 2 generating both interest and odd looks, we'll move on to Phase 3: 1up.com.
1up.com is a major gaming site that is sorely out of touch when it comes to Lineage II. Their latest review for the game was posted on September 6th, 2004. Also- consider how the game is score: 5.1 out of 10 from editors and 8.5 out of 10 from actual players. I have emailed them before about updating their reviews for Chronicle 3 and nothing happened. With the Lineage 2 Epic Collection now available (yet, they make no mention of the product even existing), it is time to remind those guys at 1up.com that Lineage II is still here and better than ever. Show those WoW fanboys what a real PvP game is made of. :D
It is sad to see a game like this go unnoticed for the most part by online gamers, the graphics are outstanding and in my opinion (feel free to disagree) the games UI although simplistic works! Unlike most MMO's you don't need to have a whole junk load of mods to be efficient in any class you play. Overall for an average player this game is tops. World of Warcraft seems to be dominating the world of MMo's, for the life of me I can't understand why. At high levels it is completely raid based, you can't get anywhere without a guild that has 40+ hard core raiders, and if you aren't one of those hard core raiders you are crap out of luck! Lineage 2 has been the greatest game I have ever played since I am not a hard core raider, I can keep progressing at my own pace and I don't need to rely on a clan or have to put in 3 or 4 hours at a time to complete a raid just to be considered for a 'epic' drop that you probably wouldn't get anyways. The people who I have come to know on Lineage2 have always been incredibly helpful in every aspect, from donating old gear, sps and ss, offering information, and assisting in every other way imaginable. The environment that the players bring to this game is unquestionably what makes it great!
I don't care if more players join, to many could just muck up the great thing we already have working for us. :)
Lineage2 RAWKS!