[Ngruk]

Originally Posted by Utnayan

I'll give them the respect they deserve in expanding the MMORPG genre into a marketable and profitable venture for other companies -- so we see more MMOROG"s being made. But what they are also responsible for is using the live patching process other than for what it should have been used for. .

Being your opinion it's not for me to judge it as right or wrong, but we can agree to disagree. In the marketplace today, you have companies building games on the backs of the people that broke the ground almost a decade ago. It's stunning to me that there is not more 'don't make the same mistake twice' mentality out there, but there just isn't given what we've seen over the last few years and what we see incomming.

I have not read any of Brad's comments in here nor do I know his handle, but from my point of view Brad and the guys that did EQ were trendsetters and wallsmashers. If you look at what UO was, and is today, you won't see much change other than game play content. Nothing has happened with the technical side of it nor do I think they intend anything to happen to it.

Given that I think it's safe to say that what the EQ guys did was incredibly risky and groundbreaking in and of itself. Also, imo, if they hadn't done it, who would have? Someone surely would have come along and done it, but would we be better for it? Would WoW be what it is without EQ to use as a reference? I don't think so.

And as far as the patch thing I will say this. It WAS an awesome tool at first to get things fixed, FAST! I do however think it's become a completely abused method of serving your fanbase. I think the patcher has become the designers fallback position when considering whether or not something is done, and we all suffer for that in my opinion. I could live to regret that comment someday but that's certainly my view on it as of now.

Originally Posted by Utnayan

I disagree with McQuaid's design philosophy, and that I can deal with - it's an opinion. What got me mad before he stated it wouldn't happen again with Vanguard (Time will tell now) were his business practices. Apples and oranges as far as I am concerned. .

If you want my opinion (not sure you are asking but I am offering), Brad makes games he thinks are cool and kick ass. I don't have a problem with that. The fact that he's been there and done that, start to finish, is pretty stinking unreal to me as I sit here at the bottom of that impossibly long staircase, and start to make my climb.

I think what's gotten designers in trouble (speaking as a customer now) is what they tell us, promise us and show us, and then what they actually deliver us seem to always end up looking and feeling very different. I also see the MMO space as one where people feel like they HAVE to let you guys in on what they are doing and HAVE to give the game magazines the "scoop" to be considered serious players, and I think that's hurting more than it's helping when all the feedback starts being factored in.

Originally Posted by Utnayan

I'll give credit where it is due in both regards. On one side, he showed that this market was a viable venture. On the other, he also showed himself and other publishers that live patching processes can be used for unethical gain.

It's my belief that the patching setup was intended for use in a very different way when it was introduced, and has seen it's current state evolve from issues and scenarios no one envisioned at the outset. When you are a trendsetter I think you deal with that more often than the people that follow you.