Hellgate London catch all

Pages

EA just posted this.

* Multiplay will be free!
* Elite Multiplay will cost you $9.95 a month
* Secure, closed servers hold your characters, even if you're not Elite
* Elite players get 24/7 phone and online support; plebs get basic online support as with any other game
* If there are queues to get on a server, Elite players go to the front
* Elite players can have 12 characters in total; plebs get 3
* Elite players can store around 40 items in "lockers" spread throughout the world; plebs can have 20. Elite players can also transfer these items to characters on other servers; plebs cannot
* Elite players get unique gear and can wield the most powerful weapons in the game. Said weapons can also be emailed by the Elite to others of their kind
* Elite players can board shuttles that transport them quickly to hard-to-reach corners of London
* Elite players can become officers of guilds and own, enter, or operate player housing and guild buildings; plebs can be members of guilds, but will not be allowed to enter said buildings, or purchase property for themselves
* Elite players get access to more gametypes; plebs not allowed into servers or areas where those gametypes are operating
* Elite players will get new content each month, such as new monsters, new gametypes, new items, and so on
Elite players get unique gear and can wield the most powerful weapons in the game. Said weapons can also be emailed by the Elite to others of their kind.

That part sucks. Plebs should be able to compete on level ground.

I think it's a bad idea to divide the userbase like that, but what do I care. Has something like that worked before?

This weeks GFW Radio has Bill Roeper on as a special guest for the whole podcast, good stuff.

What I find really dissapointing is the 3 characters slots

I really hope if anything that's online but I would prefer more slots

On Singleplayer I would prefer to have unlimited character Slots

* Multiplay will be free!

Yay!

* Elite Multiplay will cost you $9.95 a month

The jury is out

* Secure, closed servers hold your characters, even if you're not Elite

Ok. I prefered closed bnet.

* Elite players get 24/7 phone and online support; plebs get basic online support as with any other game

Who cares?

* If there are queues to get on a server, Elite players go to the front

There'd better not be queues. Otherwise, it doesnt bother me that Elite can cut in line. If there are queues there had better be a dedicated server client or peer to peer multiplay.

* Elite players can have 12 characters in total; plebs get 3

Zoinks! I have no problem with Elite getting more characters but 3 for the rest of us? Another call here for a dedicated server client or peer to peer multiplay.

* Elite players can store around 40 items in "lockers" spread throughout the world; plebs can have 20. Elite players can also transfer these items to characters on other servers; plebs cannot

Meh.

* Elite players get unique gear and can wield the most powerful weapons in the game. Said weapons can also be emailed by the Elite to others of their kind

Hello Diablo hacked gear all over again. Email? What are they thinking?!

* Elite players can board shuttles that transport them quickly to hard-to-reach corners of London

Meh.

* Elite players can become officers of guilds and own, enter, or operate player housing and guild buildings; plebs can be members of guilds, but will not be allowed to enter said buildings, or purchase property for themselves

Own or purchase I can understand but it makes no sense that freesubs cant enter guild buildings.

* Elite players get access to more gametypes; plebs not allowed into servers or areas where those gametypes are operating

Okay, finally a feature of value for paying subs.

* Elite players will get new content each month, such as new monsters, new gametypes, new items, and so on

Another worthwhile feature. But so far, I tally about $5 a month worht of features. I cant see game types being any big deal other than hardcore characters ala Diablo 2. CTF? No. Onslaught or Assault? Maybe, but that outa come in the box.

If they are testing the waters with this info, all I see is greed, greed, greed. I think they are sorely shooting themselves in the foot if they invest significant money and servers into the pay sub plan. If they really plan on having monthly content they should have gone the GW route. There is no way Hellgate can compete with WoW at 2/3 the price. Especially since I can have 50 characters spread across WoW servers. 12? No way. EQ2 tried to pull this sh*t and it is one of the biggest strikes against the MMO.

All I see is a convenient, bullet-point list of reasons I should continue to not care about this game.

Thanks for making it easy EA.

Color me very un-impressed. Based on that initial list, I question why they are charging a monthly fee. Although we do not yet know all the details for each point in that bullet list, Guild Wars has been doing everything listed there all for free for over 2 years now.

More than a year ago, when Bill Roper announced that they were "considering pay models," you all mocked me when I said it was going to have a monthly fee.

Many months ago, when Bill Roper announced that they were going to have some kind of online payment method, you all meh'd me when I said it was going to have a monthly fee.

Well I WAS RIGHT, B!TCHES!

*flies banners, launches balloons, releases clowns*

Oh, and also, this is bullsh*t. But at least it's only $10/month instead of $15. Now that I'm a homeowner and already paying over a $1200 a month in various bills, suddenly $10/month doesn't seem all that significant. So yeah, it's bullsh*t, but all subscription fees are after Guild Wars. Still, I have never seriously considered subscribing to WoW, or any other MMO, but I am considering Hellgate.

What I want to know is, how do the elites get their special items? Do they drop as normal, but only if everyone in the game is elite? Do they drop but only elite players can pick them up?

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

souldaddy wrote:

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

Which would be 2/3rds of jack?

Why does this have to cost so much per month? At $5, they'd grab almost every customer who picked up the game, but, at $10, they're only going to get the hardcore players.

It's almost pure profit either way, so why not create a tier between free and Elite for the people who want access to virtually everything in the game but don't care about, say, phone support, queue priority, or becoming a guild officer? Otherwise, these people will just stick with the free tier and earn the company zilch post-sale.

LobsterMobster wrote:

Well I WAS RIGHT, B!TCHES!
*flies banners, launches balloons, releases clowns*

I wasn't one who mocked you. Though technically you were only half-right: it's an optional monthly fee.

I'm ok with this plan as laid out in the bullet-points as a probable "pleb" player. If single-player is free, and allows one to store all the characters they want for local single-player play, then that's awesome. I never had more than four characters at a time on closed battlenet for multiplayer, so the limit of three isn't a biggie.

Letting "elite" players have access to some unique gear and the most powerful weapons? Bah, I don't care. That's essentially optional content, and as long as the things I've been reading on the game apply to everyone for the majority of content, I'm fine with that.

Additional content over time for Elite players? Good, they ought to provide something to justify the sub. And if the additional content proves substantial enough over time, then I may just be willing to sub up eventually. Ongoing content updates/additions would be the primary draw for me.

Disappointed that a game that I've been anticipating for 2+ years is beginning to look less appealing. A few of those bullet items makes sense and, depending on the amount of content that is added each month, might just warrant the monthly fee. But others just seem an unnecessary annoyance to burden someone who's just plunked down $50+ on the game.

Has it been confirmed recently that offline multiplayer will be available? The wording makes it sound as if online multi might be the only option.

I am was so disappointed when EA got there hands on HellGate!

LobsterMobster wrote:

More than a year ago, when Bill Roper announced that they were "considering pay models," you all mocked me when I said it was going to have a monthly fee.

Many months ago, when Bill Roper announced that they were going to have some kind of online payment method, you all meh'd me when I said it was going to have a monthly fee.

Well I WAS RIGHT, B!TCHES!

*flies banners, launches balloons, releases clowns*

I never mocked you Lobster. I was right there with you fighting the good fight

armedbushido wrote:

I am was so disappointed when EA got there hands on HellGate!

Words are hard, aren't they?

Dr._J wrote:

I never mocked you Lobster. I was right there with you fighting the good fight ;)

I know, J. I know. We spilled the same blood in the same mud.

I think it was Pyro that mocked me the most. But alas, he's gone/lurking so I can't rub it in his face.

LobsterMobster wrote:
souldaddy wrote:

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

Which would be 2/3rds of jack?

Come-on, enough is enough with the Lobster anti-WoW crusade. We all have games we enjoy and we tend to respect that of each other on these boards at least.

I know its hard to backpedal on the no subscription based games vow. I guess by hitting hard on the extra 5 dollars a month for WoW, it makes the realization feel a bit better that there just might be a game you'd pay a monthly subscription for after all.

Irongut wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:
souldaddy wrote:

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

Which would be 2/3rds of jack?

Come-on, enough is enough, drop the anti-wow crusade. We all have games we enjoy and we tend to respect that of each other.

I'm not saying WoW doesn't have any content, I'm just saying I don't see a steady stream of new content. And yeah, I am considering breaking my no-subscription vow. No fancy reasons, no excuses, something's just coming along that might be worth it to me.

I'm just Mr Sensitive this morning Apologies that I misread.

Just as well, really; having just picked up a 360, I think my gaming time is going to be pre-allocated already...

LobsterMobster wrote:
souldaddy wrote:

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

Which would be 2/3rds of jack?

LobsterMobster wrote:

I'm just saying I don't see a steady stream of new content.

What an informed opinion! and you played WoW for how long? Why don't you go fix your water heater or something Mr Guildly McGuildwars!

On topic: If I end up liking the game, maybe I'll subscribe. Its nice to have the option, because if it was sub only I'd probably pass.

I see nothing that says your missing out on ANY aspect of the game (as shipped not talking add content after shipping) if you simply choose NOT to pay. I cant help but continue to be amazed at peoples complaining of optional pay services.

How does NOT paying detract you from playing the game?

RichyRambo wrote:

What an informed opinion! and you played WoW for how long? Why don't you go fix your water heater or something Mr Guildly McGuildwars!

Richy, it sounds almost like he tried to rape your beloved WoW avatar. You're obviously traumatized.

For 9.95 a month, I better be able to bake bread. Demon-infested pus-oozing bread of unholy destruction!

Funkenpants wrote:

Richy, it sounds almost like he tried to rape your beloved WoW avatar. You're obviously traumatized.

I call it "Drilling the Artesian Well."

RichyRambo wrote:

What an informed opinion! and you played WoW for how long?

I don't hear anyone telling me it ain't so...

LobsterMobster wrote:
Irongut wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:
souldaddy wrote:

If they charge 2/3rds of what WoW charges, they better have 2/3rds the amount of content.

Which would be 2/3rds of jack?

Come-on, enough is enough, drop the anti-wow crusade. We all have games we enjoy and we tend to respect that of each other.

I'm not saying WoW doesn't have any content, I'm just saying I don't see a steady stream of new content. And yeah, I am considering breaking my no-subscription vow. No fancy reasons, no excuses, something's just coming along that might be worth it to me.

eh? theres a ridiculous amount of content right now.. I'd say perhaps 1-2% of the entire population has seen everything in the game currently.. with the upcoming patch there is another 25 man Raid.. plus several new outdoor quest lines.. not to mention a large quest for a new epic mount. Blizzard simply takes their good sweet time rolling out content.. but there simply isnt a lack of things to do.

WOAH stop the train and let the me the hell off. When did EA get their hands on Hellgate? I am so sickened by this information that I think I puked in my mouth a little. It seems they are going to take a great concept for a game and just run it into the ground.

I am not mad at EA, they do have some titles that are worthwhile, but the company as a whole has seemed to have gotten away from releasing quality games to trying to milk IP (Intellectual Property...ie the Madden,NHL,MLB series)for all the money it is worth and not caring about making the games better.

Hell I may be off my rocker but just keep in mind this is my opinion and I am just scared to see what EA does with Hellgate.

TheGameguru wrote:

eh? theres a ridiculous amount of content right now.. I'd say perhaps 1-2% of the entire population has seen everything in the game currently.. with the upcoming patch there is another 25 man Raid.. plus several new outdoor quest lines.. not to mention a large quest for a new epic mount.

Hell, if we're just going off of having a lot of content that most people haven't seen plus having multiplayer capability, Black Isle should've charged a subscription fee for Baldur's Gate 2.

I see Lobster's point, and I agree that for the amount of revenue they're generating, Blizz is rather slow to add actual new content to the game. That said, I still think that the subscription fee is justifiable overall.

Irongut deletes his own joke. Score +1 for real comedians.

TheGameguru wrote:

How does NOT paying detract you from playing the game?

I think the following directly detracts from a gameplay standpoint for a non-subscribing customer:

* If there are queues to get on a server, Elite players go to the front
* Elite players can become officers of guilds and own, enter, or operate player housing and guild buildings; plebs can be members of guilds, but will not be allowed to enter said buildings, or purchase property for themselves
* Elite players get access to more gametypes; plebs not allowed into servers or areas where those gametypes are operating
* Elite players will get new content each month, such as new monsters, new gametypes, new items, and so on

As mentioned, I think that the new content could very well be worth the $10/month if enough high-quality assets are added on a timely basis. Given the perceived delays with the product itself, Flagship will have to prove that it can do this.

Ultimately, this discussion is probably going to end up much like the DLC for Guitar Hero 2 - sure you don't have to pay for the extra stuff, but that doesn't preclude me from sharing my opinion that it's lacking in value or that they're removing features/adding limitations that are unnecessary. I'm also completely willing to concede that some will see that value, but that's their money, not mine.

Pages