Dual Universe is a space MMO that was long seen as a competitor to Star Citizen. However, the game is already in a soft launch and can be played by anyone. On April 26, the MMO released one of its best patches yet. But players are hesitant to try it out because a complete wipe may be imminent.
What is the problem with Dual Universe? The concept of the MMO is quickly explained. You take on the role of a space pilot, with which you can explore different planets. On these planets, you can engage in terraforming and build structures as well as create new spaceships. Wars and politics are also intended to play a role.
The developers describe it as a mix of Minecraft and EVE Online. Thousands of players can theoretically shape the worlds to their liking together and even mine entire moons if they wish. The sandbox concept and the economy are at the forefront.
However, it is precisely in the economy that Dual Universe currently has problems, as the developer Novaquark admits. In a blog post, they openly discuss the idea of a wipe and want to hear the community’s opinion on it. This wipe would mean that the entire MMO would be reset to zero.
With this idea now on the table, many are unsure if playing at all is worth it. Some also criticize the promise that Novaquark made at the beta launch: “Everything you build is forever.”
Economy, Schematics, and the Difficult Entry for New Players
What reasons does Novaquark give for a possible wipe? In a blog post, the developers listed five reasons why they are considering resetting the entire game:
- Due to the beta and many adjustments within it, some players have been able to become extremely wealthy. There have been situations where a significant amount of money entered the game unintentionally, without exploiting any bugs. However, these very wealthy players are said to be detrimental to the economy.
- A wipe allows the removal of problematic and unpopular content, such as the schematics. They have been criticized as overpriced and unnecessary since their introduction. Such a significant intervention in the economy could only be conducted if everyone is equally affected.
- Some planets have a poor standing that does not meet the current standards of Novaquark. These could be completely overhauled in one go.
- Some structures that date back to older days contain bugs that cannot be fixed.
- New players would finally have a good time to enter the MMO. Currently, the gap between new players and veterans is simply too large in terms of experience, skill, and in-game currency.
However, there is still no final decision for or against a wipe, although the blog post was published almost two weeks ago.
What do players say about this idea? The wipe is received very mixed. Some support the wipe for the reasons mentioned above. They see no chance to compete with the really rich players, no matter what they do in Dual Universe. Another point of criticism is that the planets have already become too inhabited and altered, so a reset would bring a breath of fresh air.
Some wish for a kind of soft wipe: The money and structures could disappear, but talent points and blueprints should definitely remain. Both have been grind hard by the players over dozens of hours.
However, there are also some critical voices who would immediately leave the game if a wipe occurred:
- The user royituin says that if he loses all his progress after over 2,000 hours of gameplay, he would leave the game and return to EVE Online.
- Kurock sees a wipe even as a breach of a promise: “At the beginning of the beta, it was announced that there would be no further wipes unless necessary for updates. If NQ decides on a wipe, that would be another broken promise.”
The problematic thing is that, although Dual Universe does not need to be purchased, since the beta launch in summer 2020, players have been charged a monthly subscription of €9.99. Since many players have already invested well over €100 in the game, the anger over a possible loss of progress is correspondingly high.
Players forgo new content because the future is uncertain
What does the discussion about the wipe lead to? On reddit and in the forum, some players express uncertainty regarding the impending wipe. They are not sure what to do in Dual Universe at the moment and whether it is worth playing right now.
This uncertainty coincides with a new update that actually leads to many positive reactions (via reddit). On April 26, the Athena patch was released, which brought several graphic overhauls:
- The sky in space is now darker but has more details
- Both on the surface and underwater, the visuals have been significantly improved
- The warp animations in space look better
- Adjustments were made to the space station market and a real-time view when placing objects
However, this patch is somewhat overshadowed by the concerns and discussions about a wipe. This is also evident in the comments on reddit, where sentences like: “If people were only interested in investing time in the game when a wipe is imminent” are seen.
Have you been following Dual Universe lately? Is a wipe really the best solution for all these problems or should the developers find an alternative? And would a wipe be a good time for you to get into the game?
Another space MMO is currently planning to raise subscription prices above the magical mark of €13:
