Communities of MMORPGs can sometimes be easily upset. This applies to indie games just as much as to AAA games. In this week’s MMO recap Respec, there’s more than just humor in the communities.
Shroud of the Avatar
It has almost become a tradition for the community of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar to argue. This is because the game wants to mix two vastly different genres – single-player RPG and MMORPG. Last week there was another heated discussion. It started with an announcement from a forum member who wanted to turn their back on the game because it was not developing in the direction that was advertised during the Kickstarter campaign. The forum member had lost all hope and was also disappointed with customer support.
This once again led to the familiar discussion about how to offer a single-player RPG in an MMORPG environment without compromising both genres. A legitimate request was even made: the team should clearly outline what Shroud of the Avatar will really be and explain exactly how the game will be played in offline and online mode. Because by now, serious doubts have arisen as to whether the premise of the Kickstarter campaign still holds, and seemingly many – especially those new to the game – have no idea what SotA is or will be.
ARK – Survival Evolved
There was also a bit of trouble in the dino MMO ARK – Survival Evolved. A referee of the “Last Stand” tournament made a questionable decision according to the players. The discussion led to this decision needing to be independently reviewed.
Ultimately, it was agreed that the entire participating team would be invited to a bonus round again. This left the participants satisfied, and winners were determined with whom everyone was happy. E-sports is indeed not just a “game”, but a serious matter. Especially when it comes to really high-quality prizes.
Sword Coast Legends
Not really an MMO, but still an RPG with a highly interesting multiplayer mode: the launch of the role-playing game Sword Coast Legends disappointed many D&D players. Because from what they expected based on the developers’ statements, there was ultimately very little included. Especially the dungeon master mode disappointed with extremely limited capabilities. This led to fierce criticism from many fans, which is reflected in a relatively low rating for the game on Steam. We also tested Sword Coast Legends and came to a similar conclusion.
The developers have now spoken up and pledge to improve. By December, they want to provide several free DLCs, which will primarily expand the dungeon master mode. It is even expected that players will be able to customize levels and create branching dialogues. Perhaps Sword Coast Legends will still become the promised pen-and-paper alternative.
The Park/The Secret World
The single-player horror adventure The Park caused a small uprising in the community of the MMORPG The Secret World. The reason was that Funcom aggressively advertised the game in the MMO, claiming that buyers would receive a very powerful talisman that could be used in The Secret World. The accusation of “Pay2Win” was immediately raised. Because this talisman is said to provide significant advantages in PvP according to players of The Secret World. Funcom wants to take a closer look at the problem and possibly make adjustments.
Albion Online
Fans of the sandbox MMORPG Albion Online have little reason to be upset. The developers announced that the closed beta would start at the end of this month. Perhaps those who cannot play on the first day will be a bit upset. Because the closed beta will start on different days, depending on the founder status of the founders’ package purchasers. Legendary founders can start on November 23, Epic founders on November 24, and Veteran founders can join on November 25. Curious? We have introduced Albion Online here.
And once again, an exciting week in the area of indie MMOs is behind us. But the new week has already begun!
