Alganon

[Oban]

What is unique about this game?

You do not need a battle.net account to play.

[Mrbloodworth]

http://blog.eldergoth.com/2009/10/alganon-nda-lifted-here-are-my-thoughts.html

[sidereal]

tl;dr version:

The design goal behind Alganon, as far as I can tell, is "slavishly imitate WoW, and then add a couple of new features that we think would be cool." The only problem is, the imitation is of the poorest imaginable quality, and hardly any of the new features have been added.

Win.

[Mrbloodworth]

“I’m not upset we’re being compared to the most successful multi-billion dollar MMOG [WoW] on the market.”
- David Allen, President and Co-Founder, Quest Online

[HaemishM]

They lifted the NDA?

I'll give you my levels 1-5 impression.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they are the most sincerest bunch of assgoblins on the planet. This is a WoW clone. I don't mean that in the sense that it tries to be like WoW but different. No, it tries to fucking XEROX WoW. It's like WoW without good art direction. The mechanics, menus, interface, art style is EXACTLY THE SAME AS WoW, only less competent. This is so imitative, it should be a DMCA violation. If you woke up drunk from a 3-week bender of coke, hookers, crystal meth and Red Bull mixed with vodka, you'd think you were playing WoW.

It's also shit.

[Kageh]

Some good laughs were to be had by looking at the pictures though. Reminds me of WoW early beta. If I were to go by looking at the screenshots alone, I wouldn't buy this. Good thing a couple reviews helped cementing that decision 

I think that DA had some good ideas back when he was still working on Demise. When it got to Horizons, probably everyone with a sliver of understanding about game development, game mechanics or simply gaming experience should have dismissed the Horizons concepts - yeah the ones with the angels and demons and dragons - as unrealistic.

Good thing to see he's gotten better at promising stuff.

[sickrubik]

Massively Community Interview with Alganon Devs

http://www.massively.com/2009/11/11/alganon-community-interview-your-questions-answered/

When one looks at the UI of Alganon, one gets the sense that it appears to be a carbon copy of the World of Warcraft UI. There have been countless posts on this subject, including images that show that both UIs are nearly identical. (question by Darzin)

It blows my mind how much time people are putting into this sort of thing. WoW is the most successful and well-known MMOG in history, and it follows standards set by countless games before it. Why wouldn't we want the custom-built Alganon UI to be familiar to players who know these standards? Every piece of the Alganon UI was hand created by our team. We designed it to be familiar and easy to recognize. It's simple as that.

Which is better, designing an unfamiliar UI that's purposely designed NOT to be like anything else, regardless of what players are accustomed to, or learning from existing MMOGs and designing a UI that is familiar? If placing the minimap in a different corner, or making it into a triangle would make the game more fun, or make it easier for players to start playing the game, we'd do it in an instant -- but it doesn't. The interface we built allows people to start playing the game the moment they enter the world. Think about games you've played with a "different" UI. How much fun is the time you spent figuring out why mouse-look is reversed, or where your mini-map went to, or why the chat window is missing, or why slash commands don't work, or trying to figure out where to go to customize your abilities? Wouldn't you rather playing the game? Wouldn't you rather be having fun? We would.

(continued question from Darzin) Now, I have read on the Alganon boards that this is mere coincidence, but assuming that the UI is the very first thing a players see, how do you expect people to react when they first look at the game? Also, why do you have certain art and UI assets that are found in World of Warcraft but not used by the actual game, including an Achievement Panel and a Keyring?

It is understandable that people will leap to conclusions when they see something that is similar. It's easy to assume there is some sort of nefarious plan or crazy conspiracy, but there is neither.

We have an achievement panel because we have an Achievement system planned and nearing completion. We have a keyring because we plan to have keys to open access to special content, such as instances. It's that simple.

A Keyring? Achievements? These are not WoW-specific things. They are common sense. They exist in the real world.

WoW has become such an important part of this industry that often, it is all that players can see. When another game utilizes this same terminology, they cry "CLONE! DUPE!" At times, it becomes downright ridiculous. It's common sense that a "key" would unlock things that are restricted, and that a "key ring" is a place for your keys. It would only confuse players to call it a "stone bag" for special "entrance stones" that "dissolve magical barriers of not-entering"? So, we call them keys, and put them on a key ring, and put that keyring with your other bags, where you would expect it to be.

Much of the issues that are being brought up fall along these "common sense" lines. We want Alganon to be fun, and we don't want to hide that fun just because another game used the direct, common sense approach first. Yes, there are things in Alganon that players will find familiar and similar to other games, but every choice was planned, designed, and built by our team specifically for Alganon.

[Cadaverine]

Alganon is the next WoW killer.  And once it's killed WoW, it will wear it's skin.

[sickrubik]

Alganon is the next WoW killer.  And once it's killed WoW, it will wear it's skin.

I'd f*** Alganon

[Kail]

A Keyring? Achievements? These are not WoW-specific things. They are common sense. They exist in the real world.

Achievements exist in the real world?  The hell?  Like God's sitting up there with a checklist with boxes like "Bought a Lamborghini Reventon" and "Fucked a Cheerleader" and every time he checks one of them off, you start to emit light and get this "BWOMMMMM" sound effect?

Or does he mean, like, it's possible to achieve things in the real world?  In the same way that it's possible to store keys on a ring in real life without taking away valuable pocket space you could use for extra suits of armor or potions?

"Yes, there are things in Alganon that players will find familiar and similar to other games, but every choice was planned, designed, and built by our team specifically for Alganon."  Well, fuck.  It's like they started from the same position as the most successful MMO ever made, and tried to design a game around that.  After that, analyzing each of the decisions to be made, they tried to find the most successful options available.  By an amazing coincidence that surely nobody could have predicted, they were mostly the decisions made by the most successful game, so they ended up with a game that's a lot like WoW.  But don't worry, because they looked at the alternatives, and they aren't as good.  So even though their game is largely mimicking a hugely polished and massively successful game it has no real hope of competing with and therefore it will be promptly crushed and forgotten, it's the best possible game in existence.  I can't fault that logic!

[tkinnun0]

Achievements exist in the real world?  The hell?

Have you seen a movie called The Bucket List? It's really not that hard of a concept.

[DLRiley]

Is this game even free2play?

[Cadaverine]

I would imagine it'd have to be.  I mean, it is not just similar to WoW, it's a near one to one copy, with shittier graphics, and gameplay.  I can't see how they wouldn't get their asses sued off by Activision if and when they ever tried to release the game.

[Murgos]

Achievements exist in the real world?  The hell?

Have you seen a movie called The Bucket List? It's really not that hard of a concept.

http://www.google.com/search?q=trophy%20case

[Simond]

I would imagine it'd have to be.  I mean, it is not just similar to WoW, it's a near one to one copy, with shittier graphics, and gameplay.  I can't see how they wouldn't get their asses sued off by Activision if and when they ever tried to release the game.

Speaking of blatant WoW ripoffs, someone needs to make a Allods Online thread.

[tmp]

Speaking of blatant WoW ripoffs, someone needs to make a Allods Online thread.

There is one.

[Pennilenko]

If you woke up drunk from a 3-week bender of coke, hookers, crystal meth and Red Bull mixed with vodka, you'd think you were playing WoW.

Hehe, I just want to point out that I definitely would not be playing an MMO after such an adventure........I would get checked out for diseases by a doctor before logging on..........

[Mrbloodworth]

I would imagine it'd have to be.  I mean, it is not just similar to WoW, it's a near one to one copy, with shittier graphics, and gameplay.  I can't see how they wouldn't get their asses sued off by Activision if and when they ever tried to release the game.

Speaking of blatant WoW ripoffs, someone needs to make a Allods Online thread.

I would not call that one a wow rip off.

[Triforcer]

I've never understood why talentless assclowns try to copy WoW when they could steal it.  Hire a janitor to slip you a few USBs of the code, buy some servers in the mountains of Venezuela, run WoW and slash the price in half.  Get Chavez involved to protect the business and not recognize any foreign lawsuit, in return altering quest text to subliminally support the Bolivarian revolution.

[Lum]

David Allen on Alganon's similarities to WoW: "We meant to do that, really".

Players aren’t upset there’s a game that resembles WoW. They’re upset that for the past few years they’ve been bombarded and desensitized by a combination of “weak” games and advertising that sells them on the idea that “similar is bad.” When people say a movie that reminds them of their favorite film, but with a different plot, characters and setting, that means they enjoyed the movie. When you have a meal that reminds you of the home cooking you loved as a kid, that is a great thing. However, for the past few years, every MMOG released has spent millions of dollars trying to convince gamers that “fun doesn’t matter; different is what you want,” and for many gamers, this marketing worked.

 

[Xurtan]

The stupid.. it hurts..

[tkinnun0]

Sounds reasonable. WoW marketing needs to only utter the words "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" and their players feel more validated in their choice. Meanwhile those not playing WoW suddenly realize they want PvPvEvR, less levels, more timesinks, no levels, XP bars for every skill and niche niche niche, all with WoW budget but it mustn't feel like WoW.

Then 4 companies with MMOs in the pipeline see all that going on and go "hey, we've got some of that and if we're honest our game doesn't really feel like WoW after all". Then they get cancelled.

[tmp]

Alganon goes "Subscription Free"

Not sure what exactly it's supposed to mean -- from the wording of their announcement it appears the game box still comes with price tag, but at the same time their web site offers the client download by the looks of it so uhmm... confusing. Maybe the download is only up while they have the trial/beta going and won't be there after the April launch. Guess have to wait and see.

[Draegan]

It wasn't a terrible generic diku clone when I played it.

[raydeen]

Well, it's not the most terrible game I've ever played. Unless the box is $100 it might be worth it. Are they going to introduce micro-trans later as a bait and switch or will this be something akin to Guild Wars?

[tmp]

Are they going to introduce micro-trans later as a bait and switch or will this be something akin to Guild Wars?

That announcement talks about some "Tribute Market System" which is supposed to be their "real-dollar transactional framework". They say you'll also get some tribute points simply by logging in but guess the short answer is "yes".

The Tribute Market System (TMS) will serve as the foundation of Alganons new real-dollar transactional framework. This market will support three categories of purchases: Items, Boons, and Services.

• Items include Pets, Mounts, Equipment, Access Keys, Potions, Boxed Collections, Tokens and specialty items that will be available through the Market.
• Boons are specific to studies and allow the purchase of study-time. This provides the player with options since the study system directly relates to access of advanced game content and systems. A player could purchase a year of studies right away or use the studies system in real-time; boons simply let the player accelerate that time.
• Initial Services offered will be character transfers.

One thing that makes the Tribute Market System unique is Item Maintenance. This way players will never lose certain items they purchase from the market (ones that are not a consumable or have a finite number of charges). This allows players to buy that special mount and use their Tribute to pay Maintenance on the mount to keep it active. If it goes inactive, they can easily reactivate with Tribute instead of having to re-purchase the mount.

You will also get Tribute simply by playing the game.  The more days you log in, the more Tribute you'll have added to your game account. Tribute is account-wide, so the points can be used by any character. In addition, players can purchase Items via a web-browser on MyAlganon or through the game.  Any character tied to their account can then claim the items.

[Quinton]

Starcraft II: Blizzard SDK hasn't launched yet.

This is, actually, a brilliant idea.

Imagine, if you will, the next level of money-hat-printing.

Blizzard sells a $15M SDK to VC-funded MMO startups.
Blizzard hosts the "content" these guys create on white-label production clusters that they get to point WorldOfCloneCraft at.
Blizzard takes a percentage of the monthly subscription.

Everybody wins!  The MMO startups can be putting their exciting new levels and character classes online as fast as their art team can model 'em.  No need to pay a bunch of cranky software engineers to clone WoW when you can just buy it off the shelf.   No need to debug tricking billing system problems.  What's not to like?

Any company that deploys a game this way and survives increases the revenue stream *and* might buy SDK II: The Expansion.

[Stormwaltz]

The comedy reaches a level of sublime I have rarely seen.

[kondratti]

The comedy reaches a level of sublime I have rarely seen.

Replacing David Allen is Serek Dmart, creator of the Battlecruiser 3000AD  game series, and something of a contentious figure in the gaming world.

O M G!

 

[Vodos]

I read this news over an hour ago and I'm still giggling. Simply amazing.

[Mrbloodworth]

wait, what? 

[Nebu]

Now we just need this game to be picked up by EA and the cycle will be complete.

[Pezzle]

I cannot stop laughing.

[Fordel]

Now we just need this game to be picked up by EA and the cycle will be complete.

Wouldn't that break the 7th seal to hell or whatever? 

[Mrbloodworth]

Now we just need this game to be picked up by EA and the cycle will be complete.

Wouldn't that break the 7th seal to hell or whatever?