Tabula Rasa

[Signe]

I was sort of interested when I first heard of it, in it's original form, but since the idea has been changed, I've completely lost interest.

The original idea was too weird for even my taste. I can deal with either a completely unique background or radically new mechanics. Throw both at me, my eyes glaze. And when I saw screenshots of a pink unicorn with butterfly wings, I was done. I'm a heterosexual happy with the many feminine parts of his psyche. That was too "10-year-old girl with pink glitter nail polish" to stomach.

I thought the new approach had promise. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything at E3 that lived up to the promise. I haven't given up on it yet, but after such a protracted development, I fear that it will either be shoved out prematurely or cancelled.

You thought the new humans vs aliens background and mostly "borrowed" mechanics had promise? I don't see anything unique in Tabula Rasa. It's like they took a blank slate and filled it back up with the same old shit.

Lightweights.  You don't know what weird is until you've spent five minutes inside my brain.  Anyway, the weirder, the better, that's what I think.  Unicorns with filmy looking wings are cool.  It'll be like My Little Pony... only with horns.  And wings.  You know you wanted one when you were a lad.  You envied your sister's toys, didn't you?  You can tell us.  We won't judge you.  Much.

[Sky]

I think there should be pornacorns. Unicorns with giant dildos bobbing on their heads.

[damijin]

I think there should be pornacorns. Unicorns with giant dildos bobbing on their heads.

Put it into production, immediately!

[Mi_Tes]

I don't care how wierd the first version seemed, it had a ton more appeal to me than the most recent version.   I liked the depth of the language, the combat, and even the foofy pets.  I was hoping that would be my next MMO until they changed it, damn them!

[Lantyssa]

I wasn't specifically looking forward to it, but the original did seem more interesting.  I do not see what is so bad about the faerie duocorn that made y'all give up on the game right then and there.

[HaemishM]

I don't care how wierd the first version seemed, it had a ton more appeal to me than the most recent version.   I liked the depth of the language, the combat, and even the foofy pets.  I was hoping that would be my next MMO until they changed it, damn them!

QFT

The more I've seen of the new version of the game, the Starship Bloopers version, the less I find I give a shit.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't care how wierd the first version seemed, it had a ton more appeal to me than the most recent version.   I liked the depth of the language, the combat, and even the foofy pets.  I was hoping that would be my next MMO until they changed it, damn them!

QFT

The more I've seen of the new version of the game, the Starship Bloopers version, the less I find I give a shit.

If they can get Denise Richards and Dina Meyer to do some nude cutscenes, I may find a bit of time to play...

[Furiously]

I wish to know more about this game you propose Wayabvpar....

[Sky]

The more I've seen of the new version of the game, the Starship Bloopers version, the less I find I give a shit.

What if it can bring CoX-style gameplay? I'm reserving the right to hate this game until it (if ever) reaches a retail state. Hell, I didn't even like EQ2 or SWG until at least a year after retail...

[Sky]

If they can get Denise Richards and Dina Meyer to do some nude cutscenes, I may find a bit of time to play...

With a PORNACORN!

[Yegolev]

From the direction of this conversation, I summarize that TR is dead.

[Furiously]

Ohh Zombies would be cool...

[HaemishM]

The more I've seen of the new version of the game, the Starship Bloopers version, the less I find I give a shit.

What if it can bring CoX-style gameplay? I'm reserving the right to hate this game until it (if ever) reaches a retail state. Hell, I didn't even like EQ2 or SWG until at least a year after retail...

Even with CoX-style gameplay, it's still going to be a PVE-focused instance fest. I'm picturnig D&D Online at this point, only with science fiction. CoH was fun, but the grind of a purely (or mostly) PVE game got to me really, really quick. More PVP, less levelling plz.

[Venkman]

TR played better than CoX to me, and I love how CoX played. Given the UI of TR, I am surprised they're not more focused on PvP. But not doing so they're effectively asking people to set aside their love of stats and drops for a game that requires more "skill" (in quotes b/c it remains to be seen by thousands) and try something new. Twitch for the RPG crowd at a time when we know damned well that the latter likes.

Innovation is still possible in this genre, and there can be money made. I fear it won't be made by TR though. As I've said, I've liked both versions of this game. I still don't think it's got more than a 50/50 shot of actually launching. The entire industry has changed.

[UnSub]

I think they've spent too much money on it for Tabula Rasa not to launch, so I think it will come out at some point.

Whether or not it lives or just collapses across the threshold, coughs a few times and dies is another matter.

[damijin]

I think they've spent too much money on it for Tabula Rasa not to launch, so I think it will come out at some point.

Whether or not it lives or just collapses across the threshold, coughs a few times and dies is another matter.

Agreed. If they were going to can it, it'd be canned by now. I think it will remind a lot of people of the DDO launch. Quiet and not very exciting. Their best shot will probably be at spending the first 6 months after launch refining the game to the point that people who are getting off the WoW train might find it interesting and refreshing and give it a try. Won't be huge, but maybe after a few decades it'll recoup the development costs.

The launch itself will not be big though, and if they try to make it big.. .well.. they wouldn't be dumb enough to release Auto Assault twice, would they?

[Trippy]

I think they've spent too much money on it for Tabula Rasa not to launch, so I think it will come out at some point.

Whether or not it lives or just collapses across the threshold, coughs a few times and dies is another matter.

There are costs associated with launching an MMO, though. Unless the box sales + subscriptions at least equals the launch and operating costs, you would be throwing away more money to launch a poorly conceived, executed, and received MMO. E.g. NCSoft wrote off $13.2 million in losses related to Auto Assault. It's not clear how much of that loss they could've reduced if they never launched AA and killed it sometime during its development but in hindsight they probably should've just shut it down before the last delay of the game, if not sooner, rather than continuing to work on it.

[UnSub]

I think they've spent too much money on it for Tabula Rasa not to launch, so I think it will come out at some point.

Whether or not it lives or just collapses across the threshold, coughs a few times and dies is another matter.

There are costs associated with launching an MMO, though. Unless the box sales + subscriptions at least equals the launch and operating costs, you would be throwing away more money to launch a poorly conceived, executed, and received MMO. E.g. NCSoft wrote off $13.2 million in losses related to Auto Assault. It's not clear how much of that loss they could've reduced if they never launched AA and killed it sometime during its development but in hindsight they probably should've just shut it down before the last delay of the game, if not sooner, rather than continuing to work on it.

True, but it becomes a choice of losing all the money you've spent to date (as well as loss of reputation) versus spending a little bit more for the potential of getting your money back. It's either NO return at all, or the chance of some return at a higher price point. My belief in human behaviour makes me think TR will take the punt on a launch rather than pulling the plug entirely.

What AA has probably taught NCsoft is not to blow the marketing budget, so TR will be lucky to get a large enough cash to afford streamers and balloons for the launch party. It may even come down to Lord British reaching into his own pockets to supplement the cost of launch.

[shiznitz]

I have absolutely no inside track at all, but this game has already been canned. When the devs go this dark for this long, it's over. I am eerily reminded of UWOO (UO2) a few months before it was officially killed. The TR team is scrambling to meet a hard, survival-dependent deadline designed to give management reason to pull the plug.

[Venkman]

Doesn't matter how much money has been spent in development. You can't launch unless you project an ROI. It's a lot easier to write off an expense than it is to continually justify paying the fees to keep a bad business going monthly and annually. If this was just Destination Games, then I can see the project moving along on inertia alone, for time in.  But this is NC Soft, and they have bigger things to worry about.

If TR continues to move forward, I project a switch to a microtransaction based model and ingame advertising support from Massive Entertainment.

[damijin]

Doesn't matter how much money has been spent in development. You can't launch unless you project an ROI. It's a lot easier to write off an expense than it is to continually justify paying the fees to keep a bad business going monthly and annually. If this was just Destination Games, then I can see the project moving along on inertia alone, for time in.  But this is NC Soft, and they have bigger things to worry about.

If TR continues to move forward, I project a switch to a microtransaction based model and ingame advertising support from Massive Entertainment.

That's a bold prediction, sir. If this were NHN, Webzen, or some other Korean company with an American development team under their wing I could see that as more likely, but NCSoft has yet to try micro transactions on a large scale (or maybe any scale?) in Korea. You think they're bold enough to take that leap in America first?

Interesting.

[Sky]

Even with CoX-style gameplay, it's still going to be a PVE-focused instance fest. I'm picturnig D&D Online at this point, only with science fiction. CoH was fun, but the grind of a purely (or mostly) PVE game got to me really, really quick. More PVP, less levelling plz.

Yeah...I'm all about PvE instancing. EQ taught me I don't like to be forced to share a dungeon with whatever maladroit happens to stumble in. Multiple games have taught me I don't like PvP much in an mmo, the majority of people have more time to sink in and playing to be crushed isn't my cup of tea.

I've almost hit the level I was originally in CoH with my CoV Mastermind, and the only grind-related thought I've had is that I'm levelling a bit too fast. I debted myself last night so I can squeeze in the last 20-25 story arc in Sharkhead, something I thought would be ridiculous, given my last experience in CoH. Turns out I skipped a ton of content because my blaster wasn't good at soloing missions, so it felt like a grind. I'm only at the halfway point, so I don't know how much missions will carry me through the later game, but for now I have zero grind complaints about CoV.

My problem with DDO was that I didn't care for the gameplay itself, something about the mechanics never clicked. But mostly, low-level AD&D sucks and Eberron holds zero interest for me. Greyhawk for life, mofo.

[Venkman]

That's a bold prediction, sir. If this were NHN, Webzen, or some other Korean company with an American development team under their wing I could see that as more likely, but NCSoft has yet to try micro transactions on a large scale (or maybe any scale?) in Korea. You think they're bold enough to take that leap in America first?

I don't think it's a question of "bold", but one of last resort. I do agree though that the NC Soft of 2004 and the NC Soft of today seem to have very different styles. In 2004, they had the promise of GW, AA, TR and L2. That was a fun E3. Thereafter though...

[damijin]

That's a bold prediction, sir. If this were NHN, Webzen, or some other Korean company with an American development team under their wing I could see that as more likely, but NCSoft has yet to try micro transactions on a large scale (or maybe any scale?) in Korea. You think they're bold enough to take that leap in America first?

I don't think it's a question of "bold", but one of last resort. I do agree though that the NC Soft of 2004 and the NC Soft of today seem to have very different styles. In 2004, they had the promise of GW, AA, TR and L2. That was a fun E3. Thereafter though...

I would have to agree with you on that.

Prior to Auto Assault, I saw an NCsoft who had made a moderate success with L2 (compared to the western penetration of L1), a massive western success with guild wars, and several promising titles on the horizon. They were acquiring new teams, building an empire, etc.

Then Auto Assault crashed, L2 started taking a hit in Korea, and TR said at E3 '06 that it wasn't going to make it out the door this year. They have a chance to turn it around. I think they have enough money that L3, Aion, and some other titles may come out as huge successes in Korea and continue the trend of saturating the west (especially looking at their current design changes to L2 which are getting far more western).

However, the near future looks very shaky. Dungeon Runners does not strike me as something that will be played by very many, Soccer Fury and Exsteel look cool, but they aren't MMOs, and TR is either not going to make it to release, and won't be huge even if it does.

They're riding on slowly dying Korean L2 and Guild Wars expansions for the next 2 years, while they build these finance consuming supergames like L3, Aion, TR... and continue to update L1 and L2 with free content expansions that include huge art and sound assets for free to the players.

In my opinion though, they could do something good by offering a "Station Pass" type service over here in the west. Give people L2, Auto Assault and CoX for one flat fee (the same $15 one). I'm not a marketting guy, but I don't think theres a huge amount of cross-contamination here. Not too many people have accounts for two of these games at the same time, so you're not losing much, but you gain by decreasing subscription losses as players simply move between games and try out games that they otherwise would never even give a try. I mean, Jesus Christ, I don't know if you've been to an EB lately, but the one around here has a sign up "FREE COPY OF AUTO ASSAULT WITH PURCHASE OF ANY PC GAME" If they're giving it away, why don't they give it to all their current customers? It could keep them subscribed for another month.

After a few more Guild Wars expansions are out, and they stop making much revenue from the original game, you can throw that in there too. Just, if you unsubscribe from the service you need to buy a retail copy of guild wars to play. Same goes for all those other non-mmo games they're putting out.

I don't know, maybe it's not the best idea, but when you look at the forecast for the near future... they need to do something.