Game is missing major features - working on add ons instead? What is going on?

Well perhaps we will be surprised and more people than expected will want that niche game. It could happen

 

We could, no we can.
It's a different era. A different age. It's. It's.


...or not.

 

I will lawyer you a little bit. In your recent interview with NBNN you talked about the ability to drop items on the ground anywhere in a question regarding what feature you would add to the game if you you had the endless money, and time to create it. You chose dropping items on the ground. You said it was a far out there idea, which to me seems that it just wasn't going to happen. Personally, I have personally asked you this question a couple times in hangouts and in person because it is one of the great things about UO that has always set it apart from other games and to be fair each time you said it something you all wanted to do and was still on the schedule way down the road. This interview was the first time you made it seem that was not the case. I'd love for that to be something you misspoke on.

You can see DS' remarks on this on the NBNN interview starting at the 1:41:00 minute mark.

http://www.twitch.tv/nbnnnews/v/7797717

 

Well he also said this too. I think they will do their best.

****Darkstar replied*****
For the record discussions about item drop were AFTER the kickstarter and what we said about items dropped anywhere is that Richard really wanted it but Chris and I felt it had a lot of issues connected. Richard is the dreamer where Chris and I are the guys who get the tough job on how to make practical implementations of those dreams. Despite our concerns we still wanted to experiment with it and we are STILL committed to that, just not now. We have NEVER said this was off the table.

 

Nothing you just said nor quoted contradicts anything I have said in this thread so not sure you actually lawyered me bro!

 

Interesting enough, that exchange is a response to my question in a hangout as it has been a long time feature that I have continued to follow up on. In the NBNN interview, it was the first time this feature was mentioned as a "fantasy" type feature. I give him credit for making that the fantasy feature, but to me its as close to saying never without saying. DS is a future politician? j/k

 

Well I don't want to have my bubble burst. Just seeing the ability to put the note on the ground gave me hope. And I do think the ***street sweeper*** ideas is genius if we do get item drops at the appropriate time to test it out that is.

 

Darkstarrr for President '16. The DLMB Campaign.

 

It's simply a little bit of lawyering by bringing up past statement. I give you credit for making this issue your fantasy feature, but again, that interview was as close to you saying never without saying it. I'd like to have a sense that this is not some fantasy feature, that it is a feature the team is working hard to make happen.

 

That's all we're asking for, well said TEK.

 

+1 TEK.

 

And in this thread he said it is a feature they've considered and like, but has technical problems, so it isn't guaranteed. If they overcome the technical problems, then I bet the feature would be likely.

It's not complicated.

 

Maybe then instead of flooding the server with for sale decorations inhibiting performance a focus on features creating immersion like item drop would have been a more sensible choice?
Isn't that exactly what other people have been saying?

 

So you are saying that management prioritized hiring wrong? Cause after all the people with the skill sets not needed to get the game out on time and on budget with the features promised were somehow hired.
I also think that almost a year after the tentative release date mentioned in kickstarter, and with a budget now much larger than the kickstarter goal, paying customers surely have all the rights in the world to get riled up.
At which point will you be offering pledge refunds if people have to wait for years? (At least I would be highly surprised if beta phase for an MMO alone would not take at least another 9 months, not counting the alpha.)

 

Again this is a 'crowdfunded' game. We are not in kickstarter anymore. Kickstarter is start up money, not crowdfunding money. This game will from now on be crowdfunded. It's the model that was chosen. Any game out there has operating money of some kind whether it be subscription or cash shop. So Sorry I just had to say it. I also want the game released when it is ready. Everyone has their own opinions, but at this point we just carry on or not. I'm a 'yes' for the add on store and a 'yes' for much more cash for the game. No convincing works for me, I am strong on that point. Some day some people may thank me, well j/k there. I will be unknown I'm sure.

 

It has become increasingly obvious that the the kickstarter was full of dreaming and has not much to do with the reality the game has become. Treating pledgers as second class investors where a solid plan is not needed is bound to upset people.
"Whatever one sows, that will he also reap." But maybe its all "forsaken virtures"?

 

It didn't sound like the hiring of wrong people. It sounded like people they already have on staff with different skills working on different things.

The people that work on add-on store items are already on staff, they are able to work on things for the add-on store in addition to what they normally work on. They are not able to work on things though like the dropping things coding.

People working on coding that would get you the dropped items are probably busy working on other stuff, like, I don't know, combat revamping and stuff. And maybe they thought stuff like combat just took some priority over being able to drop stuff. Not that they aren't equally important but maybe it's stuff they can put on the back burner for a while.

 

Unfortunately, changing a title from kickstarter to crowd funded does not negate the promises made in kickstarter.

 

I really like the idea of the street sweeper and/or a client "drop item silence" if a user tries to drop too many items in a period of x time.

I'm just a fan of the little things... forest scavenger hunts, dropping a checkers board on a table in the tavern asking for challengers, etc. I don't expect all of the major (popular) Ultima Online features that I own't mention that have been argued over and over..and over again. Item drop is def important to me and I hope it is something the devs will continue to work towards. I understand everyone has a feature they feel is make or break to them..just voicing one that takes this game from great to something I'd love to play for years to come.

 

No not the promises of course, but the funding then begins.