Peer pressure after AP33 is removed

[Ironwolf]

I am going to write a letter tomorrow and mail it with actual physical stamps to all of the top MMO providers in the world.

In it I am going to express how the heavy handed closure of this game has so deeply disappointed me that I refuse to ever entertain sinking years of my time into a world that can be yanked from underneath me without so much as a reason for shutting the doors.

I will include a copy of this article: http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/mmo-dying-223042438.html

In my letter I will explain it is the COMPANIES and their manner of doing business that are causing the flight from their games and that City of Heroes had a huge and loyal following and Devs treasured by its players.

I will post a list of addresses at some point over the next few days. I am considering:

WoW
LOTR
Conan
Eve
Champions


I will welcome others to add to the list that you feel would be appropriate. Now with the removal of AP33 - it is time to fight harder and I will fight dirty.

[chaparralshrub]

Well, here's the legal problem: suppose that the company does have a reason for closing a game, but either can't tell you or it just doesn't satisfy you.

Let me give you an example. Suppose that the game you are playing is the brainchild of its brilliant development team, and the team is going to a convention and their bus crashes and half of them die. Their company, in respect to their employees' families, doesn't release the details to the general public, but they don't feel that they can do the game justice without their beloved dev team, so they feel compelled to sunset the game. Obviously this didn't happen with CoH, but suppose it did happen to a game. Having a clause in the license that allows the company to do that would be legally prudent.

Now, for that matter, NCSoft did give us a reason for closing CoH. It was for a realignment of company intentions. Those intentions may include trade secrets, so it would be potentially financially disastrous to let other companies know what they're working on. It's just that you, the player, aren't accepting such a crappy answer (and with good reason!). But suppose that it had been for a good reason, as in the above example with a dead dev team and wanting to protect their employees' families; how many gamers would still be unsatisfied ("why can't you just put the game on life support")?

[avelworldcreator]

It's not a legal problem. He'd be expressing his dissatisfaction with the general situation. Special instances are another matter.

[Tubbius]

Is AP 33 really gone?  I thought folks were keeping it open?

[Colette]

This seems to me a perfectly good initiative.

Don't forget the good folks at Trion, the makers of Rifts.

Oh! And confirmed, AP-33 is gone. Ah well, it served its purpose. And let me be the first to thank everyone who kept it going so long.

[Rae]

AP33. How I'll miss you. Met some lovely people there.

[Segev]

To the OP, I urge caution, because we don't want to make other MMO companies feel like they're being PUNISHED for something they haven't done. We want allies, not enemies. Make sure you leave an invitation open to them, a way for them to be our allies in this endeavor and to improve their business fortunes...preferably at NCSoft's expense.

Express your anger, your outrage, but make it clear that it is not directed at them; use your letter to make suggestions and requests for ways that they can do it BETTER than did NCSoft, and express a hope or even a confidence that they will prove better at managing their PR and their business than this ham-handed foolishness of NCSoft's.


Regarding AP33 being gone: that means too many people logged out of it, right? Well, the only solution is to re-create it. We need another unity rally, sufficiently big to regenerate AP33.

[eabrace]

Regarding AP33 being gone: that means too many people logged out of it, right? Well, the only solution is to re-create it. We need another unity rally, sufficiently big to regenerate AP33.

AP33 disappeared with every server maintenance reset.  It only came back because someone on the inside was being awesome and re-spawning the zone for us every time the server came back up.

[Segev]

That makes sense. Well, if they've left NCSoft's employ, here's hoping they find better work elsewhere with a better employer.

Meanwhile, we still can re-create it. It just will take effort. Who's willing to organize this?

I've proven less than adept at arranging events thus far, but I'll give it a go if nobody else will.

[Ironwolf]

Well, here's the legal problem: suppose that the company does have a reason for closing a game, but either can't tell you or it just doesn't satisfy you.

Let me give you an example. Suppose that the game you are playing is the brainchild of its brilliant development team, and the team is going to a convention and their bus crashes and half of them die. Their company, in respect to their employees' families, doesn't release the details to the general public, but they don't feel that they can do the game justice without their beloved dev team, so they feel compelled to sunset the game. Obviously this didn't happen with CoH, but suppose it did happen to a game. Having a clause in the license that allows the company to do that would be legally prudent.

Now, for that matter, NCSoft did give us a reason for closing CoH. It was for a realignment of company intentions. Those intentions may include trade secrets, so it would be potentially financially disastrous to let other companies know what they're working on. It's just that you, the player, aren't accepting such a crappy answer (and with good reason!). But suppose that it had been for a good reason, as in the above example with a dead dev team and wanting to protect their employees' families; how many gamers would still be unsatisfied ("why can't you just put the game on life support")?

What if, you can't live your life asking what if..........

The best thing to do is see what we face now and that is a company who has no regard for the entire western market and in fact believes that we are so ignorant that they flog softcore porn to us to replace City of Heroes. They did so at the cost of 80+ of some of the finest devs in the industry. I want to let the entire market understand the insult to our intelligence is not appreciated and that a LOT of the current audience in MMO's is not teenage boys.

I am a 53 year old grand father who lets his 10 year old grand daughter play on my account. You think there is any way in hell I would let her play some of the other titles? I want them to understand that a publisher has poisoned the well. I wanted a family friendly gaming experience and NCSoft offers me porn instead of City of Heroes.

I am not outraged - I am disappointed that someone so misjudged another countries culture that they would pander to Jerry Springer audiences instead of NCIS to use television references. One uses the worst of people to exploit them and pander to crass sexuality. The other offers moral uprightness, duty and honor and a sense of community.

Until someone creates a game reflecting those qualities the MMO world has lost my money.

[Segev]

Until someone creates a game reflecting those qualities the MMO world has lost my money.

<shameless plug> Plan Z is moving forwards; so eventually... </shameless plug>

[Nafaustu]

Are people who logged out there automatically relocated to regular AP?   I haven't been able to be on for a bit (outside work) because of a few things, and I had a character logged out there.   

[Ironwolf]

Here is my letter:

To whom it may concern,

   I find myself after over 8 years facing a gaming experience that no longer includes City of Heroes the NCSoft MMO title. They decided to close a game that was not only profitable but was supporting a sequel and one other game being written. It included Paragon Studios.

   You doubtless are asking so what? It wasn’t our game and so how does it concern me? The reason I am writing you is that publishers took a heavy handed axe to a family friendly game built in a unique manner with features no other game possesses. It has the Architect Entertainment feature where players can make their own missions and stories. It has the most outstanding costume designer in the business. It has guest authors writing mission arcs. It has missions where you make moral choices and choose a path of your own forging.
 
   One other unique thing City of Heroes had – Developers who listened to their players, REALLY LISTENED.  In fact once we heard the game had been cancelled within 3 hours over $1,000 was raised the BUY THE DEVS DINNER. In fact I am certain 10 times as much could have been raised if asked for. Can you think of any other game with a merging of love and appreciation in history?

   Into this spirit of kindness I was able to freely allow my 10 year old grand-daughter to play and build characters. She was not abused by chat or reviled because she could not cause enough damage/heal/tank – she was welcomed made part of the community.

   Now NCSoft has cancelled this game and offered a new title – Blade and Soul. Blade and Soul is basically soft-core porn and will not ever be seen on my computer.  The fact that you publishers have not attempted to build similar games with family friendly themes and communities is extremely disappointing to me. NCSoft poisoned the well but in my eyes you folks have not tried to dig another well or clean your games up. The mutual appreciation the Paragon Studios people had for their players was unmatched.

   We can't make NCSoft sell the IP from this game to another party and they have rejected all offers to do so and refuse to even discuss the matter.  You as companies are concerned that you are losing people and how to keep us. It isn’t Free to Play, it isn’t more sex and violence – it is allowing us to be a PART of the creation of a world that reflects us. I can make a mission in City of Heroes that is MINE – with my text and conclusion. It can teach, horrify or uplift – but watching all the collective creative spirit dropped without any idea of how it impacts the community larger than many cities has driven many of us to turn our back on you and your tread mills of grinding.

   I thank you for this time and hope you can find a way in the future to collaborate with your community to create something larger than just a game.

[Codewalker]

Are people who logged out there automatically relocated to regular AP?   I haven't been able to be on for a bit (outside work) because of a few things, and I had a character logged out there.   

Yes, if the map doesn't exist, they're automatically sent to standard AP.

There are some ahem... bugs... that I thought might be able to re-create it, but unfortunately they have proven unsuccessful in transiting to an instance that has not yet been created.

[eabrace]

Per Hitstreak via Twitter (about 3 minutes ago):

Jessie Lawrence ‏@hitstreak

For the #Cityofheroes people - #AP33 is back online.

[Codewalker]

/cheer!