38 Studios Copernicus, Mercury and other stuff

[Ngruk]

How about we do this.

For anyone complaining about a lack of substance, no reason to check in here. When there is news that warrants a conversation of substance or something important, I'll start a completely separate thread?

No need to check into this one or follow along since this is going to be people BS'ing about games, MMO's and other stuff, some that has to do directly with 38, some not so much.

Or I can agree to post until our forums open up and leave here when that happens.

I'm not reaching new folks here, anyone that plays MMOs and is associated with FOH knows at least as much as they want to about us. This thread was opened to chat with people about the stuff mentioned above.

You don't like it, don't click it.

[Convo]

I just hope you can put together something that will catch my attention. I keep in touch with a lot of guys from past games and we all seem to be in the same boat. MMO's have lost their touch to keep us wanting to log in day after day.

[dreaderus]

hi im very sad the expos don't exist anymore i was born in montreal and lived there for my entire childhood.

I vaguely recall a game in which i watched at Olympic stadium and think that curt pitched there.

imagine that mid 90s team that could have been had montreal had the fan support eh?

cheers everyone

[Ngruk]

I don't think I am being even remotely overboard when I say I know for a fact it will grab you, it will get your attention.

After that is the gamble, the bet I made.

I'm a gamer, an MMO player, since WOW nothing in the MMO space has come close to keeping me wanting to log in, nothing.

FWIW Healsforfree, Malfurion, going to level up if anyone wants to get into a new toon. Priest btw, Horde side.

Would love to get a smallish guild of folks together, 10-20, and run through the content at a less than frantic pace, at odd hours.

[Ngruk]

Originally Posted by dreaderus

hi im very sad the expos don't exist anymore i was born in montreal and lived there for my entire childhood.

I vaguely recall a game in which i watched at Olympic stadium and think that curt pitched there.

imagine that mid 90s team that could have been had montreal had the fan support eh?

cheers everyone

94 Expos would have won it all, and stopped the Braves run in the 90s, no doubt in my mind.

[Genjiro]

Thank god, now we can get back to the same 5 people discussing important shit like:

• Rimjobbing Curt for a job
• The merits of: the job system/random loot/levels/pvp balance/instancing
• Fantasy vs non fantasy
• Niche vs non niche
• Red Sox: Why you love/hate them. Was the bloody sock real? Work of the illuminati?????
• Curts opinions on current baseball
• Why Jack Lambert was the greatest linebacker to ever live ("quarterbacks should wear dresses") and why the Steelers are the best sports organization in the world.

Ok I shamelessly threw in the last one, so sue me. Im hopeful this thread does not contain the same amount of suck but we all already know it will.

I just thought I would randomly throw this out there too:

So Curt I was perusing your company personnel and realized how my life almost EXACTLY mirrored yours (minus the whole pro sports career and wife and kids and stuff). I mean, our moms even made the same dinnertime casseroles when we were kids. Its like destiny was leading me to this thread and my work experience just happens to be EXACTLY what you are needing (insert resume link). It's the kind of clarity like that time Luke had to leave Dagobah to save his friends in Cloud City, I mean, Im even jobless right now so it's fate. Are you guys hiring? FYI: My team (that I efficiently led) won the 6th grade social studies fair project and got a blue ribbon when I decided (ie my dad made me) to do a perfect cross section of Yeager Airport that was awesome, so I know all about leading a team. (seriously Im not begging for a job, really)

[Ngruk]

Not really sure why I haven't posted this before, or maybe it was a Freudian slip.

If you work in the games industry, or have, or want to, and think you could now, send your resume to jobs@38studios.com

We are hiring, starting to ramp up in a big way as we move into the next major step of developing the IP, titles.

[ZProtoss]

This is probably worth asking - How much flexibility will 38 Studios have with its investors when it comes to potential delays down the line?

Making a polished MMO takes a very long time, and (unfortunately) one of the hallmarks of the better MMOs is that they can delay the game as needed in order to put out a solid release product.

Will you have the power to delay the release (even if against a hard deadline) if you feel the game is not ready?

[Convo]

Curt, I've been following Hero Journey forever. Chance are it's vapor but I was wondering, what were your reasons to not go with the Hero Engine?

[dreaderus]

thanks for reply. that rocks.

on a mmo note to keep myself actually relevant here i'l make a comment.

i think what mmo's generally are lacking are a deepness to the characters, having a massive amount of alts, means you get bored or your favorite, its not across the board the problem but it is. also there seems to be a focus on shopping mall content, where you do the same thing over and over for rewards.

Wow (which i play now) does alot right, the classes still tend to fill so many of the same job/purpose, the combat has to be top notch "fun" the depth of your character moreso, and the leveling meaning "more" and the commitment and deepness of the characters strong. Its just kind of bland to see all these guys trucking around in the same purple gear. In the end i find it much more fun to level a different character, then spend time at 80 doing grinds, dailys, arenas, bgs, and so forth over and over again for a carrot. I am amazed they created glyphs and didnt go much further. gyphs should be rare from various encounters, and not shopped for as much (or differing versions available) More cool well thought out items, then simply a train of stats attached to a weapon (saldrite dagger, ragebringer, etc)


Combat has to be "thrilling" I can't really explain more then that, its currently only thrilling in PVP to some degree (world pvp when someone sparks open pvp really) but the PVE should be similar. I don't see PVE content as thrilling very often anymore.

Dungeons need to go away from the "zone into an instance kill trash, fight boss, kill trash, fight boss, kill trash, fight end zone boss, (loot loot loot) Its funny in many cases your not fighting for the challenge or fun just simply the gear that might drop. I contrast this to "Guk" or "Sol B" in everquest, where it wasnt instanced, it was funny in a way those zones had "camps" and community and levels and such, it felt alot different.

Just some thoughts thanks for listening

[Ngruk]

Originally Posted by ZProtoss

This is probably worth asking - How much flexibility will 38 Studios have with its investors when it comes to potential delays down the line?

Making a polished MMO takes a very long time, and (unfortunately) one of the hallmarks of the better MMOs is that they can delay the game as needed in order to put out a solid release product.

Will you have the power to delay the release (even if against a hard deadline) if you feel the game is not ready?

It's not rocket science at this point, but 38 Studios is still in the hands of myself, and the angel investor that invested a few years ago.

All the equity in the company rests with people who have a vested interest in the game kicking ass above all else.

It's one of the main reasons I funded this thing myself, and will insure control is maintained until there is a decision to exit.

The minute you allow someone other than your studio to determine launch date, you give away everything.

You enter into pub/dist deals that will have a say in that, but one thing I can tell you is that landscape is changing. The EA's and others in the publishing world are openly acknowledging they WANT you to complete your product and they want that product to be done, finished, polished.

What we need to do is hit our target date, if that's the right date. From it not being finished to someone else launching a stud title in that timing window we HAVE to able to have flexibility to launch at the best time for the product, and 38, rather than the best time for someones quarter numbers or spreadsheet data.

[regret]

Is there any chance this won't be another diku MMO?

[painbringer]

Well, if you manage to release a polished game, cudos to you.

It'd be a pleasure to play a game that was not "here, have a shit sandwich while we promise to add content" for a change.

Lately most have been releasing games where the initial hordes of hyped players got chased off right quick. Me included.

Scifi, fantasy, heroic.. i'm down to not caring if the game's actually functional at release without the "we'll fix that as soon as we get to it".

[Gecko]

I doubt Mercury is an engine, as I think they licensed Unreal.

The big question I'd love answered is why the wait to announce? Licensing?

Dick Butkus > Jack Lambert, Genj. Ray Nitschke after DB.

[Convo]

Originally Posted by Gecko

I doubt Mercury is an engine, as I think they licensed Unreal.

They did. Is why I was curious why they didn't go with the Hero's Engine since some other successful companies went in that direction.