I was wondering what people thought the future of the game is. I returned briefly about a 5 year absence and all the same systematic bot problems, lack of a middle class, and horrible support remain. Lineage Eternal I know is 'Diablo style' but seems to be the primary focus as not much seems to have been done or planned for the last 5 years besides quest/mob additions.
Lineage 1 and Lineage 2 still have big market share in Asian market. So for NCsoft to release something big of same genre would be questionable.
GW2 is coming out soon, I think they want it to be their next step.
One thing for sure, the next Lineage game will the one on what hundreds of clone games will be based on, but I doubt NCsoft keen on releasing their big hit for another 5-7 years. (And if their ideas for that game going to get stoles by some amateur developers that will get postponed even further >_<;;)
There are only few companies that can create game that will be a major hit for years to come, problem is, those few companies sit on good market shares with their current titles. All we get is half done games from various smaller firms with some good ideas but no $_$ to back it up.
From my experience Lineage 2 is a game you cannot return from. It's just addicting in so many ways. First time I heard my friends talking about this game, back in C1 I made fun of them. Cause we only played CS back then, we didn't play MMOs. Then I promised them, I would never play a game like this one.
It took me only 30 minutes to get hooked for good. How much can someone do in 30 minutes? I haven't stopped playing ever since. There was times that I stopped playing for a small period of time but then I came back, fell even deeper.
So Lineage 2 is not dying, even with Official servers going free 2 play there is still hundrends private servers out there with descent amount of players and minimum bots. The only thing that is killing this game for us is NCSoft. Bad client and server support! It's not that I haven't enjoyed my stay here so far, it's that it sucks big time seeing this game over taken by bots and RMT companies. And we're not talking about the average botter here. You all have seen the trains in talking island/gludio.
But enough with all the reports, NCSoft knows about them. They're not stupid. They just don't wanna do something about it, yet. Maybe they will, I'm sure they will. One day. Until then we all gotta do what we gotta do. Play the game, report bots, keep playing. I wanna finish this long *** post by saying this;
Sometimes I think the new Lineage 2 players are totally new in the world of video games or at least at the Online game area.
Mate!!!!
NCwest: 5 servers mostly full all.
Innova: 16 servers mostly middle-high populated all.
And in Asia are about 4-5 times more server in the different countries with normal/high traffic.
Is it sure, that you play with the Official Lineage 2 and not on a private server?
Lineage Eternal has 0 business with Lineage 2, LE is a total different game in every form from the Lineage 2.
Lineage-Lineage2-AION-GW2-LE-CoH have and will have its own fan base, next the fact, that they are MMOs total different styled games aren't clones of each other.
I was wondering what people thought the future of the game is. Lineage Eternal I know is 'Diablo style' but seems to be the primary focus as not much seems to have been done or planned for 5 years besides quest/mob additions.
The development of a new update takes around 2 years, so as long as L2 stays in the top 10 or 20, the game will exist for two years to come. RapidBlades from Rochand (http://boards.rochand.com/index.php) is closely observing those trends. You might want to send him a PM over there for more information :)
As far as the future of Lineage 2 as managed by NCWest is concerned, that is a different thing. I could well imagine that there is some sort of internal deadline, a date by which it must create a profit, otherwise it will be shut down like Lineage 1. That's what I would do in Kim Taek-jin's place, also to escape the clutches of Richard Garriott :D
L2 is dying from being morbidly obese and full of cancerous growth that are bots, rude players and hackers. It has been laying in it's death bed with doctors that have no proper tools or cure, looking on (NCSoft West) as the apathetic medical insurance fat cats (NCSoft Korea) are going about looking into finding something else to fund. Save L2, NCSoft. Bring back P2P
Wouldn't worry about Lineage Eternal, we won't see that game for anther year or more, L2 will still be going at the time, just because we have some annoying issues that will get fixed eventually doesn't mean it dying not yet at least
Actually Exteel was a good model to show NC Soft what may happen if you make a game that is F2P / pay to win instead of F2P / Pay to enhance. Most games that are pay to win atm are dying, while games that don't hamper people if they don't pay have alot more people playing, and buying items.
I was wondering what people thought the future of the game is. Lineage Eternal I know is 'Diablo style' but seems to be the primary focus as not much seems to have been done or planned for 5 years besides quest/mob additions.
No its not , but nowadays there are too many kids - clueless ******s , since its a f2p game . Most decent players are gone .
I prefer L1 to L2, so I'm waiting for Eternal anxiously, as an old L1 player I can barely wait to play a Lineage 1 with next generation graphics and an improved and stunning gameplay, as we can see in that movie.
I hope the next 2-3 classes to be announced are: a Necromancer , an assassin, or who knows, a druid. 3 classes were announced so far but the devs will announce 2 or 3 more classes soon, my suggestion: Necromancer, assassin and druid will be perfect!
I don't know if orcs will be playable race since there are no orcs in L1(only mobs).
Actually Exteel was a good model to show NC Soft what may happen if you make a game that is F2P / pay to win instead of F2P / Pay to enhance. Most games that are pay to win atm are dying, while games that don't hamper people if they don't pay have alot more people playing, and buying items.
Exteel went down because it was always a niche market.
It was hardly P2W, the only cash-shop exclusive part that had any use was the Bastion head (HP head). Even then, Spazmok head is an equally good choice for a bit more energy regen and more skill slots (although I personally use Zeeker for style).
Ballistika Arms, Legs. Spazmok Core. Dispenser booster -- considerably one of the best all-purpose loadouts -- all non-coin parts. Beamspitters were also heavily nerfed (they were never OP IMO) and Peagles took over.
It was far from P2W. Lineage 2 is P2W simply because there are R-Destruction scrolls in the NC store. Nice money maker NC has going on there.
I prefer L1 to L2, so I'm waiting for Eternal anxiously, as an old L1 player I can barely wait to play a Lineage 1 with next generation graphics and an improved and stunning gameplay, as we can see in that movie.
I hope the next 2-3 classes to be announced are: a Necromancer , an assassin, or who knows, a druid. 3 classes were announced so far but the devs will announce 2 or 3 more classes soon, my suggestion: Necromancer, assassin and druid will be perfect!
I don't know if orcs will be playable race since there are no orcs in L1(only mobs).
thank god there will be more classes. when i saw the video i was dissapointed becuase of the limited selection of classes ps the archer seemed the worst. but they better make Orc a playable race!! Ultimate Skill : Devour Target
Lineage II is not dying by any means. In every game, even the Pay to play ones, there is bots, exploiters, hackers, griefers and everything else you can imagine. Granted, in some games it is worse but many people like myself who is in fact new to Lineage II enjoys the game for what it is. Even though the game has been out for many years and is in fact still going should be a good signal that is it not going anywhere.
There is a simple solution to the game. If you do not like it, simply find something else, it really isn't that hard to do. I like how competitive this game is. If someone starts trying to ks me, or train me or harass me, I am sure as hell not going to back down even if the odds are against me. I can't begin to tell you how many friends have made that started off as enemies. As for the people who claim to quit, well, I have seen a few in game rage and QQ about it so often and that they are quitting and yet, I still see them in ToI & GC slaving away for that precious exp to get those lvls.
Personally, I am greatful it is free to play. Were it to ever go pay to play again, I'd sub in a heart beat.
L2 is dying from being morbidly obese and full of cancerous growth that are bots, rude players and hackers. It has been laying in it's death bed with doctors that have no proper tools or cure, looking on (NCSoft West) as the apathetic medical insurance fat cats (NCSoft Korea) are going about looking into finding something else to fund. Save L2, NCSoft. Bring back P2P
L2 is dying because NCSoft killed game! class quests are simply ridiculous, everybody receive weapons and armor and stuff until lvl 76. No intelligent fixes for bots or adena traders. Only after a server full ++ they opened the second, the same for 3rd. Items don't work like unbind scrolls-campaign (just 1 example) . It's a pity for a so wonderful game like Lineage. May be they think we will leave and will play the next Lineage 3... But... how can we trust NCSoft after what they did to L2? I can't trust any more! In 1 account I got with destiny pack 3 live stones R grade... they say tradable but I cant trade them... soushots packs I put them in 1 WH to save place on main char ... now I can't trade them... only in the same account... I can't trust NCSoft I'll never play L3 like I did L2... 6 years paying each month... to finish with a crap game
Im fairly shure the privserver trash ****s will **** back to their ****ty servers as soon as they hit 86 and loses the mentor buffs.
I mean c'mon, who wanna grind L2 old school when you can go pwnwtfbbqwaffles on a x9999999999 serber with +99 weapons? >.<
I came here from private servers I can asure you, I never had +99 weapons or +15 like they do here. Also in private servers, we never had safe enchant scrolls for weapons and armors.
I came here from private servers I can asure you, I never had +99 weapons or +15 like they do here. Also in private servers, we never had safe enchant scrolls for weapons and armors.
But depends how you see it. Peace.
Agree with this.
I was quite surprised to see a top s84 weapon +17 here when i started, when i never seen that in any x1-x10 server.
I was quite surprised to see a top s84 weapon +17 here when i started, when i never seen that in any x1-x10 server.
Even before GoD there were already some +15 weaps, about private servers, it all depends on witch is the safe enchant limit, i came from a +4 safe, with donate to +10 and i still saw some +21 were blessed enchant and normal enchant were aroun 33% sucess.
For private players who are used to full buffs etc, those for sure will leave after losing mentor, for those from private low rate "retail-like" might stay since they're already used to this.
But most of the new ppl around here are from high rates fully buffed
Even before GoD there were already some +15 weaps, about private servers, it all depends on witch is the safe enchant limit, i came from a +4 safe, with donate to +10 and i still saw some +21 were blessed enchant and normal enchant were aroun 33% sucess.
For private players who are used to full buffs etc, those for sure will leave after losing mentor, for those from private low rate "retail-like" might stay since they're already used to this.
But most of the new ppl around here are from high rates fully buffed
But i wasn't refering costumized ps.
I played on ps that were the same as retail, the acessibility on quests, buff time, gear,etc. Was the same with increased rates or equal (interlude,gracia final,freya,hi5).
Sucess rate was same, no low rate-retail like server i played add costum rates or w/e, but i never found a weapon s84 on any of those above +12.
And suprise, i come here and find a +17 recurve thornbow ( i think that's the name?)
And when i ask some older retail players how did he manage to do that, i get this answer:
lol ebay
some cheater sold him for $$$$
So i do not understand why ignorant people say ps have +++++ weapons for everyone when i myself never seen one on any low rate and i see them here lol
What am i missing?
Actually, the time spending mechanic of this game is what made me love it.
You really had to work hard to earn what you got. And you needed other
people's help, which means creating parties and clans.
And that's why bots are totally ruining this game, because they make very
easy what should be result of a great effort. And they kill the need for other
people's help, as you just have to RMT and buy botted stuff to be independent.
We're flooded with bots because NC people dont fight them as much as they
should. Instead of fighting them, they've just made the game easier and
easier so that botting would've not been necessary anymore.
But they only made botting easier, it seems. So now the game is no longer
what it used to be, as spoiling/farming materials and crafting stuff is totally
pointless. Grinding and putting effort in growing your character are not valid
expressions anymore, if you can make 1 to 85 in three weeks or less.
We do not have interest in exploring the world of L2 anymore, we do not
have time to get to know other players up to becoming friends. Clans are
built just to include the best PvP-ers in spite of how useful one is to the
clan.
Economy is dying because we get the most needed stuff, weapons and
armors, for free. Roleplaying has no time/reason to be anymore, as we
"change our skin" so fast that we're a different player type every day.
This game is no longer a MMORPG, maybe more like a MMORTTTG: Massive
Multiplayer Online Rush-To-The-Top Game.
They took the wrong turns and there's no turning back. The original L2 is
dead and the game whole will probably die very soon.
As much as I hate to say it bots, in a sense are a sign of life. Now before you jump all over me consider this. If there wasn't some sort of business oppurtunity in Lineage 2 bots wouldn't be here, ergo the game would be dead because no one played. Now I will admit the problem at the moment is way out of control and I am in no way defending said bots just making a point that it shows just how many people are actually playing. On private servers things are usually easier to farm and come by which is why you don't see near the number of bots/rmt. I will say this though for NC, with GoD it has become alot easier for me to make money, if nothing else by just lvling up academy toons, so I'm suprised the rmt are still around honestly, free advertising I guess. But I do know this, they work off of supply and demand meaning that if no one is buying from them then they have no reason to stay.
In my opinion, had Lineage 2 stayed pay to play it may have died of but honestly who knows. Free to play was just a huge business oppurtunity for them in that no one pays to play yet people will buy things in order to help their gameplay, and going off of other posts this will be one of their most profitable quarters because of it. Like I said I too had my doubts with the way some of these new changes would affect me but I think what keeps me here is the fact that I've been here so long.
Sure NCsoft has their issues but if you are a long time player like me you know these issues come and go, and usually most of them get fixed "soon". Yes I agree there could be alot more done and that there is some wasted potential on NCsoft's part as far as Lineage 2 goes but obviously they aren't worried or they'd be making huge changes. We saw the server merges come as pay to play in order to cut costs, now you'll never hear that but think about it. While I haven't made any purchases from the L2 store I know tons of players do and that is what keeps this game alive.
It would be silly to think L2 is dying at this point in the game's life-cycle. I am not sure what triggered this post in the midst not being able to log on a server during prime times.
No L2 is not dying at this time, enjoy while you can.
The development of a new update takes around 2 years, so as long as L2 stays in the top 10 or 20, the game will exist for two years to come. RapidBlades from Rochand (http://boards.rochand.com/index.php) is closely observing those trends. You might want to send him a PM over there for more information :)
As far as the future of Lineage 2 as managed by NCWest is concerned, that is a different thing. I could well imagine that there is some sort of internal deadline, a date by which it must create a profit, otherwise it will be shut down like Lineage 1. That's what I would do in Kim Taek-jin's place, also to escape the clutches of Richard Garriott :D
Aion is the king in Korea, according to this link:
Aion is in third position
Lineage 1, in fifth one
WoW, in seventh one
Lineage 2, in eleventh one
Lineage 1 was always more played than L2 in Asia so far, nothing more natural for NC to develop Eternal with the same L1 camera(isometric), this game will be the next King in Korea when it releases, Aion in second.
Aion is the king in Korea, according to this link:
Aion is in third position
Lineage 1, in fifth one
WoW, in seventh one
Lineage 2, in eleventh one
Lineage 1 was always more played than L2 in Asia so far, nothing more natural for NC to develop Eternal with the same L1 camera(isometric), this game will be the next King in Korea when it releases, Aion in second.
Yeah man, isometric MMO's are absolutely awesome. Still to this day, I play Legend of Mir (private servers now though, official's dead) and DarkEden on and off which are both korean isometric MMO's and they're amazing. Mir being my first MMO.
But yeah tbh I don't know what triggered this post.
The servers are absolutely cram, and yeah even though a fairly large % of the players use some form of 3rd party program, I can deal with it because it's an amazing game.
Besides from my experience NC always ban in waves.
They release a patch which can detect the illegal software (but the software still works, players are unaware that NC know they're botting), and then a week or two later, bang. Like 75% of the botters banned.
If you're botting, you're constantly wondering when you're gonna get the banhammer. Is it really worth it?
Just enjoy the game.
I always lol when people try to link +16 weapons to ebaying. I have a pair of +16 dual sls, does that mean I ebayed them? They originally started as +4, got them to +7 because I didn't need them anymore, they wouldn't sell so I decided to break them. They went +16 and sold for 700m.
I watched Dalaran back on bartz try to break his dynasty bow in hero chat and it went to +12. I've also seen an icarus heavy arms go +10 in hero shout. I watched a clanmate make a +16 HD in clan chat, +10 icarus duals, +10 delusion duals, and +8 vesper duals all in the same week.
The people that end up with the weapon maybe ebayed adena or just bought it with $$, but the person that made them isn't necessarily an ebayer. There isn't some magical glitch where you can crap out high oe weapons, at least not since C2(i think).
In conclusion, whoever brought this up is stupid. The only person I would even come close to calling an ebayer is that archer on chronos with a +15 apoc thrower. Jokes on you it's going to be obsolete when people get to 99.
If you're botting, you're constantly wondering when you're gonna get the banhammer. Is it really worth it?
Just enjoy the game.
Some people really dont care, having many accs they will never trully be at 0 in the end. They will just start botting again and will take 1 more year to ban those.
From my experience Lineage 2 is a game you cannot return from. It's just addicting in so many ways. First time I heard my friends talking about this game, back in C1 I made fun of them. Cause we only played CS back then, we didn't play MMOs. Then I promised them, I would never play a game like this one.
It took me only 30 minutes to get hooked for good. How much can someone do in 30 minutes? I haven't stopped playing ever since. There was times that I stopped playing for a small period of time but then I came back, fell even deeper.
So Lineage 2 is not dying, even with Official servers going free 2 play there is still hundrends private servers out there with descent amount of players and minimum bots. The only thing that is killing this game for us is NCSoft. Bad client and server support! It's not that I haven't enjoyed my stay here so far, it's that it sucks big time seeing this game over taken by bots and RMT companies. And we're not talking about the average botter here. You all have seen the trains in talking island/gludio.
But enough with all the reports, NCSoft knows about them. They're not stupid. They just don't wanna do something about it, yet. Maybe they will, I'm sure they will. One day. Until then we all gotta do what we gotta do. Play the game, report bots, keep playing. I wanna finish this long *** post by saying this;
Legit players will win one day.
I totally agree with this poster here. I have played Lineage 2 at the end of prelude and to C3 or so. Played a lot of other MMO and on a regular basis, I always played Lineage 2 in the private server.
Since then, because of gold seller and botters, pple have been saying is Lineage 2 dying blah blah. There are so many players out there playing Private server. With this new updates and F2P model, I am glad NCSoft has finally find a balance to let players lvl fast and concentrate on end game content like PVP.
To be fair, I think lineage 2 is still having a huge following even in US (I dunno abt Europe) and many of them still played in private server spending big money on it.
For some reason, PVP is still the best in Lineage 2. I cannot put my finger on it. But I tired so many MMO and still Lineage 2 PVP still give u the excitement and kicked.
The onyl complain I have is against NCWest. The problem with them is that, traditionally speaking, they are quite poor in running the game. They screwed up Aion (eng), they screwed up Lineage 2 in the old days. They are not flexible, although they claim to listen to gamers. I only wish they can be more flexible in customising Lineage 2 to suit the western crowd.
If the old Phllipine server can do it, which is run by an Asian company, I dun see why NCWest which is the mother company cannnot do so too.
People started asking this question six months after the game went retail. Apparently, if it is dying, it is a long, painful death.
I don't think it's dying. I am surprised they pulled it back from the grave after it fell to a single server, but it looks like F2P has bought it another year of life, maybe two, and maybe even more. Only time will tell.
Aion is the king in Korea, according to this link:
Aion is in third position
Lineage 1, in fifth one
WoW, in seventh one
Lineage 2, in eleventh one
Lineage 1 was always more played than L2 in Asia so far, nothing more natural for NC to develop Eternal with the same L1 camera(isometric), this game will be the next King in Korea when it releases, Aion in second.
Well in Korea, totally useless watch the top lists mostly. Many of Korean play AION, L1 and L2 together.
The Korean top list what about you talk made buy "how many hours the players played with a game in the net caffees on a week".
AION and L1 has much more daily quests and daily PvE stuffs while L2 has lesser, but much more PvP stuffs.
This list not mean, that L2 has lower player base just simply peoples play with it a day average 5 hours while with AION 8 hours.
Hard to say what success will get the Lineage Eternal it won't be real Lineage and its new style maybe won't be so popular like the TERA isn't so popular too as many peoples thought.
L2 now on the road of the rebirth need maybe a year too, while the developers can solve every currently problem of GD and upgrade them for the higher fun.
TERA failed because of many reasons, not gameplay.
- Boring end game content, just some BGS to farm pvp gear and poor instances, a failure of trying to be a wow clone(rich stances-lore and bgs),
- Broken pk system(pay to remove pk) and poor clan war(1 day clan war, no sieges, no real motivation for large scale battles),
In Aion we have everything that TERA doesn't have: motivation for large scale battles.
Eternal has big chances of being a good successor of L1, there will be open world and it will be focused in large scale battles.
You don't need to worry about it, I don't think tey will make the same mistakes that TERA devs did.
Some interview:
Q: Please tell us something about the classes and skills in Lineage Eternal.
A: We haven't decided which class/classes to be added when we started the test. In addition to the 3 new classes made public before, it is expected that 2-3 more classes will be playable in the game. Take Elemental Archers for example, they are capable of shooting arrows at multiple enemies. Players can launch an area of effect attack through holding down the mouse button. Arrows will fall like raindrops.
Q: Please talk about the PK gameplay offered in Linage Eternal.
A: There are PK places in the previous two Lineage games. Disputes arose from time to time among the players. Though we feel it indeed affects the players emotionally, we still plan to introduce PK places into Lineage Eternal.
Q: Will large-scale battles be available in Lineage Eternal like in other two Lineage installments?
A: Sure. In terms of multiplayer vs. multiplayer, large-scale warfare will be one of the most important systems. As for siege war, it is still under discussion. Besides, for the moment we haven't yet decided whether to add PVP combat focusing on specific strongholds. And the number of maps and allowed participants are still in adjustment. In short, Lineage Eternal differs greatly from Lineage 2.
Q: Will Lineage Eternal be an MMO without instances?
A: Not exactly. The game still provides instances where players experience the main storyline content without being interfered by other players. In fact, Lineage Eternal lays the most stress on partying fun, which is the most appealing part of the game.(as L2 does nowadays)
Q: Where is the game set?
A: Though like the other two Lineage installments, Lineage Eternal is also set in Aden Continent, it is very likely new regions will be added. According to the background time, Lineage 2's story happened the earliest, followed by Lineage and Lineage Eternal.
I think the biggest question as far as games right now is:
what do I do about bots?
Keep reporting. NC might be ignoring you as well as secretly listening to you.
You will never know if what you do makes any difference, because they systematically send you back preprinted messages only.
I know this might make you lose all the motivation you had to report them, but that's how it works.
Oh, and you cant hope for your efforts to give any result in an immediate future. You might report now a bot that will MAYBE get kicked out in one year or more.
Which, as things work now, might mean the bots you reported today will get erased by its owner before the banhammer comes in.
In the meanwhile?
A lot of people complaining and almost no replies from NC. At least this is what we've got in the past years.
Along with some people complaining because so many keep complaining. Gods know why!!
Everything is constantly dying, just depends how you look at it, is L2 a kid not yet reached his prime or is he an old war hero.
I've always felt L2 as a game where you have to work really hard to reach your goals. This is what made me love this game so much.
We've always been suffering bots, which made NC re-build L2 to be easier and easier at every upgrade, instead of seriously fighting cheaters.
So now we have no longer a real RPG game as getting end-game stuff has become terrificly easy. I'd say Aion, Rift and L2 now all require the same time and efforts to reach top levels and equipment.
Speaking of points of view, from my point of view L2 definitely died with GoD upgrade. Bots are just the catalyst in this process.
TERA failed because of many reasons, not gameplay.
- Boring end game content, just some BGS to farm pvp gear and poor instances, a failure of trying to be a wow clone(rich stances-lore and bgs),
- Broken pk system(pay to remove pk) and poor clan war(1 day clan war, no sieges, no real motivation for large scale battles),
EXACTLY!
I was really looking forward to TERA, until they announced the end-game. I want an MMO ****** it.
Instancing in these games should be kept minimal, literally only there to help lowbies get the feel for it, and nothing more.
If I want instanced PvP (as we refer to it in MMOs) I'd play Halo / BF3 / Quake / Gears 3, whatever. MMOs are about an unpredictable persistent open world.
People started asking this question six months after the game went retail. Apparently, if it is dying, it is a long, painful death.
I don't think it's dying. I am surprised they pulled it back from the grave after it fell to a single server, but it looks like F2P has bought it another year of life, maybe two, and maybe even more. Only time will tell.
+1
Seriously, it's like every few weeks somebody feels like they've got to come along and post a doom-and-gloom thread about how this game is dying and/or dead. I thought that for a few months at least, we could be free of that tired old theme.
Apparently some people have a very broad definition of "dying". It was stupid to say the game was dead/dying back in C2 and it's stupid to say now. If you had played on the two servers before GoD, where it sometimes felt more like a single player game with the occasional PC in town, then you would not be saying the game was dying now. Back in the fall, yes, it was dying, for a few years it had been... always made me sad when I came back to try it out. But now? It's as crowded as C1 again, so no, not currently what I consider to be "dying".
But really, some people will never be satisfied and will say the game is dying or dead no matter what the actual status is or how many years it has left.
Seriously, it's like every few weeks somebody feels like they've got to come along and post a doom-and-gloom thread about how this game is dying and/or dead. I thought that for a few months at least, we could be free of that tired old theme.
Apparently some people have a very broad definition of "dying". It was stupid to say the game was dead/dying back in C2 and it's stupid to say now. If you had played on the two servers before GoD, where it sometimes felt more like a single player game with the occasional PC in town, then you would not be saying the game was dying now. Back in the fall, yes, it was dying, for a few years it had been... always made me sad when I came back to try it out. But now? It's as crowded as C1 again, so no, not currently what I consider to be "dying".
But really, some people will never be satisfied and will say the game is dying or dead no matter what the actual status is or how many years it has left.
Juding from ur join date u are an old player I can say.I am sure you know that after updates too many players come back and check whats going on.Than most of them leave again.But after this update/f2p and the last BIG bugs,unstable server situation I have seen many old players like me quited.I have played for 7 years and payed for 3 accounts aproximately 6 years each but I havent spent a peny yet and tbh not thinking to do so with the current customer service and server situation.What do u think that these servers are runnig with?No money no honey.If they keep this way L2 will finally die...
PS:As a 7 years experienced L2 player this is the first time I feel like L2 is going to die and I hope it wont!
So, again, I think the problem is bots. At multiplied rations, they take over space, that should be populated by players. So for every lets say 10 players, that should be playing Lineage 2, you have, say, 30 bots.
Then, you have issues with heavy server traffic, infinite failed login attempts, scams (advertised by bots), etc.
This is a global online gaming issue these days, not just NCSOFT's problem.
I'm expecting, that if NCSOFT doesn't fix it soon, the private servers will take over because they are less populated, which makes it easier to control the players, and if only a few players leave such a small private server, it is a big deal. That's why bots are being eradicated there so intensely.
If anyone thinks bots just NCSOFT's problem, and you will not see them in other games (even in other game genres), you couldn't be further from the reality.
The game is dying no doubt, thats why NC made it free to play, because it was a better money wise way to keep the game up to keep the L2 community togather while they came up with a new game, not Aion, L2 players want L3 (Lineage Ethernal is not L3), untill kow they will keep NC West L2 servers alive. we have 5 servers all full all the time, but 4 years ago they were like 12 servers, the game is dying, and is normal no mmo last forever, I love this game, is the only MMO I had stick with.
The Engine is pretty old, no real multi core support, even high end Hardware have problems to run it well sometimes. Or they move the game to a new engine, no a modifed UT2.5 engine I mean UT3 at least but the work is too much so better do a new game, since 2007-2008 they are making a new engine from scratch, I know theya re showing Lineage Ethernal videos but that is a Diablo in the Lineage Universe, looks gorgeous and very good but is no Lineage III, mby will use the same engine or some of that tech.
I want a new and improve Lineage like L1 was way far improve with L2 i want the same for L3 but no as a diablo clone. A true Lineage 2 successor.
And about the bot problems, the game just need GMs real on the clock GMs, like at least 2-3 per server on all the 24/7 (ofc not the same ppl). That each time some one notify os some bot they can go tehre and do a fast check and provide the proper ban if is need. HOW THE HEL IS POSIBLE to a bot shout in town selling adena and no one give them chat ban and gaeme ban??? now they are leveling to lvl20 so they can shout again after 1 week of that update for no shouts under lvl20. THERE IS NO ONE FRAKKING WATCHING????
Lame! make rules and provide people to enforce those rules or look stup1d. I am talking about you NC!
Bot is part of L2.Bots replacing players are not part of the game.
We don't need NCSOFT to fix this. Players can fight bots, but it would be nice if NCSOFT helped us with it.
EDIT:
Actually, the more I read the message boards, the more I'm starting to wonder if NCSOFT isn't trying to encourage players to leave lineage 2, so that we move to other, newer games, that give them more profit...
The ultimate merging of classes (prior to that, the higher level you had, the more classes there were, now it's the opposite), and going free to play makes me think so.
What are the arguments against the thought, that NCSOFT has moved Lineage 2 into the decline or withdrawal phase of a product's life cycle?
If I'm correct, the players are being driven desperate, and when the successor of Lineage 2 is introduced, all the desperate players will gladly jump on it.
Also, and again IF I'm correct on the above, the private servers have the most important thing for many players, that the official game will never? have: they preserve Lineage 2 in the state, in which it was the most popular, and you can actually choose which chronicles you like the most.
I personal love lineage2 but I can’t keep up with the bottings, RWMT, and all that goes with it. I play very casual but I am looking for a new title that I can enjoy and not worry about. Just this last event I saw one player with four...uber rings in less than 12 hours. You know they are botting many accounts to have that luck. That’s when I decided to not take L2 SERIOUS ANDFIND A NEW TITLE. when AND IF L3 gets released maybe then I will return. Game is run by RWMT farmers, botters and such. I already see level 99 accounts for sale for such a new server. We all see the same botters in same areas everyday.
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I personal love lineage2 but I can’t keep up with the bottings, RWMT, and all that goes with it. I play very casual but I am looking for a new title that I can enjoy and not worry about. Just this last event I saw one player with four...uber rings in less than 12 hours. You know they are botting many accounts to have that luck. That’s when I decided to not take L2 SERIOUS ANDFIND A NEW TITLE. when AND IF L3 gets released maybe then I will return. Game is run by RWMT farmers, botters and such. I already see level 99 accounts for sale for such a new server. We all see the same botters in same areas everyday.
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Congratulations on reviving a 1 year old thread, and there will never be a Lineage 3 because they have Lineage Eternal on the way (Lineage 1 +200 years/Diablo combination). :D