So... mixed review on steam

Out of context? How so? It's small enough of a sample period that it could have value. Beyond the time frame it's incomplete.

All the other info in there is spotty at best. Even the release date and price.

 

Depends how you look at it, I guess - might be a reasonable argument if looking at the 'one off' games market, but even there things get muddy with expansions, 'season passes', dlc and all the other paraphenalia around, but in terms of mmos it's really hard to argue numbers. For example, I look at spending on SotA in comparison to what I spent on UO - SotA was a bigger single, one off investment, but the game is meant to have a minimum 5 year life (and probably a lot longer), whilst original UO was 'cheaper' to buy, but then if you add in 16 years of subs, buying all the expansions, and all the booster packs/downloadable addons... even one UO account over that time went way past the initial spending on SotA for me.

True, I have added more things to my SotA pledge along the way, but for UO I had 5 accounts, three for 16 years and two for 10 or so, and all the expansions, etc. A single year of most of the sub-based mmos out there will likely take you past the $100 mark, it just does it in smaller slices so you are less likely to realise it.

 

The real reviews is the money being collected. the end.

 

If they paid the product price, they are entitled to their perceptive reviews.

You dont need to have a finished product to say yes/no/maybe, everyone that has had a similar game knows the changes to expect until release and, even if stuff will change, you can very well give you oppinion already today.
But its easy to discredit oppinions from this forum, where the fans meet. So everything that doesnt fitt into your view of "wow, its great" is commented by "they dont know what it will look like". You'd be surprised.

And of course a lot of comments there are pretty funny and miss the subject, what did you expect from steam reviews? But then again, someone decided to use steam as a sales platform, and that someone chose the broad
player base to get the product known. So...action -> reaction. The last thing we should do, is feel bad about it.

And the review above me...is very well a question I asked to myself "why would Mr. Garriot, the guy that lives in a castle, go over Kickstarter to promote a game?". The answer is easy, its non of my business, i can like the game or not since it is the product that needs to be evalued. But then again...he chose to put his name in front of it, so that review is "ok" in my view since his story is longer then SotA.

Again...in my humble oppinion.

 

Reviewing is not about having faith in the success or not of a game, it's about giving one's opinion from people who played it to people looking to buy it, be it pros or cons.

The fact that the game is pre-alpha/early-access, call it what you want does not matter as long as the game can be bought NOW !

To date, Steam reviews are among the few possibilites for potential buyers to have a feedback on this game.

 

So, who all wrote reviews? May we read them please? Posts please! Let's hear what our forum/steam fans feel... anyone?

 

Sure, if you can read french. By the way, I gave my opinion on SotA forum in many threads so if you want more details and in english, help yourself.

N'achetez pas ce jeu si vous pensez y trouver un successeur spirituel d'Ultima Online ou des jeux Ultima solo, vous serez déçu.

Plusieurs raisons à mon évaluation négative:

1- Le jeu est entièrement instancé (donc les amoureux des openworld peuvent aller voir ailleurs) et hébergé sur un unique serveur, situé en Amérique du Nord. Conséquences: lag important pour les joueurs européens bien que les scènes/zones du jeu, instancées, n'hebergent jamais plus d'une dizaine de personne à la fois. On a donc l'impression d'un jeu vide et peu fluide. Ces soucis techniques sont présents depuis plus d'un an et aucune amélioration n'a été constatée pour ma part.

2- Par ailleurs, gros soucis de gestion de la communauté par Portalarium. Enormément de favoritisme en faveur des joueurs qui ont investi jusqu'à plusieurs milliers voire dizaine de milliers d'euros dans le "Housing" du jeu.

Les joueurs qui donnent des avis négatifs ou simplement critiques sans cesse renvoyés dans leurs buts par la "communauté". La modération laisse faire et est même parfois partie prenante via des suppressions de post sélectifs.

Pour ceux qui veulent être sûr d'avoir une maison dans le jeu, vous aurez à payer 100$ l'acte de propriété sur la boutique du site web.
Si vous voulez une maison "bien placée", c'est à dire en ville afin de faire de l'artisanat, c'est impossible à moins de 450$ d'achat d'argent réel.

3- PvP inexistant:

-Tout le monde est flaggé PvP dans de rares zones du jeu prévues à cet effet (mais personne n'y va jamais)
-Les joueurs flaggés PvP peuvent attaquer les autres joueurs flaggés PvP mais pas ceux flaggés PvE
-Les joueurs flaggés PvE peuvent par contre attaquer les joueurs flaggés PvP, mais pas l'inverse !! (oui, on marche sur la tête). Conséquence, le PvP est complètement mort sur ce jeu...

 

If I may, google translate came up with this (you're welcome):

Interesting review, except I fail to see your mention how this game is in constant development (seriously, you've noticed the monthly changes around here, for good or bad?) and many parts of the game are still unfinished. Reading your review would lead me to believe this game is dead in the water like so many others on Steam, and that it is pretty much done as dinner. I would recommend saying that the Dev's are receptive and interactive and are working to complete this game as humanly possible, as with new features coming up, that this has pushed the timeline back a bit.

 

Well I know I didn't because I don't have a Steam account.

My review: I spent $1,150 to date and I'm now looking to buy a POT.

 

Except for the PvP part, which is by the way almost "done", the 1st and 2nd one are core system from this game, marbled-written and linked to the engine, so... How could that change in R30,31,32 or later ? That's not realistic and not on scope by the way.

Or perhaps do I miss something ?

 

I think the crafters and farmers and others would argue that point. Did you remember them in your review? They (we) are waiting for a lot more to the game.. and it is coming. Shining a negative light isn't helping, friend.

 

Sure, but when solutions have been proposed several times and rejected... then you are part of nothing ;-)

That's why I will probably quit this game and community, as I have no interest in "shining a negative light". If I do so that's because I want this game to succeed. SotA can only suceed or fail, it can't just be a "random medium game".

PS: Just read your post on farmers/crafters.

To begin with, I joined SotA coz I was looking for a great game to perform RP, be it crafting, PvP, politics or just contemplative game. So I don't think I forgot anyone or had that sort of bias while writing my review.

I can't understand, what does it change a thing about the fact that this game is instanced, Unity5 engined, and there is and always will be only 1 server US-based ?

 

New POT expire 10:30 AM CST, August 1, 2016. Hope you get yours before they're gone.

 

For someone that would think that Sota is similar to UO, his/her review would be helpful. The game being heavily instanced would be a big deal for some people too, so I find that part would be very helpful to potential buyers as well. I know several people that I gave money to to try Sota out was really turned off by it being heavily instanced and the overhead map, and they dropped it within a week, it's not for everyone. Myself, though I don't like those aspects of the game, but I've learned to deal with it, and don't mind it as much now.

 

Any other Steam reviews of interest? I am curious to see the ones from forum users, as we are the most informed users of this game and would be best to make what I feel is a fair review of this game.

If one chooses now is a good time to review this game, I disagree, but I would hope in the future you'd change the review if it warranted a change (for good or bad) when you come and try the game again. I know steam users DO look at the dates of reviews anyway (well I would hope the majority is smart enough to do so), I know I do. Just so much wrong with the Steam review system, some good too.. and that's why we have tapped that market.

 

Thanks, that was the main reason I was dissapointed with SotA and I wrote this review

 

Well, if they're gone, then they're gone. It's just a game. I'll survive.

 

True, just thought I'd post it in case you haven't seen it yet so you'd know.

 

Well, I just went there are looked through the reviews and a lot of people are using the same names as here, so...

Also, a poll might be a better way to get your answer. People are more likely to click a radio button than take the time to write something up. Plus, I'm not so sure too many people would be willing to state that they wrote a bad review on Steam on THIS forum.

 

Faith comes by Believing and believing comes by hearing. And knowing the gaming community has been looking for a persistent world with a real economy for quite some time since Uo and Others ruined theirs over the flood of in game items and exploits.

The fact you call it faith to subvert the fact 8+Million has been raise and with 65k of that being in one day. One can also look at the Original account numbers, 60,128 if I am reading that right. Granted that numbers need to climb into the 100's in my opinion. I am looking at that number as a goal come launch. To make a 30% increase on new accounts as a measuring tool to vet the model. And we will see, I am sure people are watching closely and I am sure the dev's are working earnestly. so Faith does not come with out integrity.

Another way to measure this is to look at the buy and sell reports on accounts where ever possible. and at what prices. =) being some people are Investing and reselling is a given. One can not invoke integrity and say people enjoy buying a pig in a poke, the ol age rule you dad taught you not to do.. which leads to buyers remorse and a flood of accounts being sold. kinda like watching the stock market, dont listen to the pundits, just watch the math.

edit: not to mention, the real world economy is in ruins which also leads to fewer than what would other wise be a larger number due to that fact. This also may show in the poll recently posted that shows not many 20-30 yr old playing currently.