losing the plot: is this common?

[EarlVonKippler]

thinking about the locked LAs i thought of something else. MA is terribly slow to resolve anything.

the list could go on and on, several threads have been made about it.

I am referring to how often MA picks up a story and then lets it disappear. so many lose ends. so much potential left up in the air. after a while people begin to lose hope.

i admire neverdie so much for still holding out for the stadium. of course, the asteroid is okay as it is, but you know how much more it could be.
on the subject of neverdie, lest not we forget the egg. he claims it doubles his stats (skills? attributes? not clear) was it supposed to do more?
i admire the tamers out there with their whips madly skilling, but to what end?
hades
new oxford
the notes
the orbs
the robots
etc etc etc


my question is, does this happen in many other mmorpg games? is it common for a game to be SO riddled with loose ends? would it be a sin to have some continuity? i havn't played many other mmorpgs so i have no point of reference. most my game play is single player, fully scripted games until now.

so without breaking the 'no other games' rule, what can you tell me about Mindark's plot work?

[Wistrel]

MA could be a little more professional in the "ongoing plot" department... not much more to be said though. Historically at least they aint been that big but have always had big ideas. This makes for a more interesting life I think... even if its one with unfinished plot lines.... its dynamic doncha know?

[Chopper]

Ahhhh... The Plot...

[Nirfu]

What is it to tell, you allready know the answer; it sucks!

The last days I have thougt about the orb, the first one at Mino.

It showed for the first time during the "notes" plot. People started to explore the surroundings, found the strange sceletons west of it.

Then 3 months later some "logs" start dropping, telling stories about the new orb, refering to dead argonauts etc.

All was allready found and known. The "logs" didn't add somethinga and they where IMO 3 months to late. The spheric object west of Mino was actually named "the Orb" in this very forum, not a name MA did choose. But used in the "logs". If I did run a universe like this I would put much more in to the plot, closing ends etc. But I think this is how MA works, run in one direction, oops, didn't turn out to good, run in the other direction, then iterate this process. I know other companies running there business in this way, and yes, suprisingly it works, but it's very confusing for the customer. Is the plot important for this game? For some it is, and for some it isn't. I was atracted by the sci-fi theme when I started and find things like the Gothenburg replica, New Switzerland etc really missplaced in this futuristic world.
Other things I do like is that some things has a lot of thoughs put in to it. Take Snablesnots, related to Snarksnots and then take a close look on a Chomper, same eyes as the Snark. The lifeforms is good, except the Kerberos who are totally misplaced, how can this spiky beast be as harmfull as a puppet when the small guys called Molisk kill you twice as fast as the biggest Kerberos?

[Po|Da|Yi]

In my experience of playing several other MMOs for long periods of time the answer is no.

The reason? Most of those games employee full time lore writers and quest/event designers.

It is my impression that MA does events on the side and it is no one person's primary reponsibility.


- edit -
Also, it's not just the plot things that are left hanging. How about taming?

[AlphaGeek]

They're too busy developing a platform to be bothered with a paltry game...

[Frigid]

Originally Posted by Po|Da|Yi

In my experience of playing several other MMOs for long periods of time the answer is no.

I agree.

I have seen a few "broken" questlines and unused content in other games, but these are minor, sideline content. MAJOR themes are usually followed through with for better or worse. And for the games with "broken" questlines/storylines, the percentage of failures vs the percentage that are seen through to the end are easily less than one percent.

I think it would be safe to say we have more open storylines/plotlines than finished ones...

[Gandolf]

It could be that the magical equation for discovering something more to add to plots has just not been hit. It could also be that MA has discovered wrinting a story with no end is a lot harder than it appears.

I think the major overall issue is that MA has crossroads which they have no idea how to contend with:
Either the ubbers are the only ones who succeed making it the same old story OR they make a noob out to be the victor and he simply cashes it out and walks away to either leave alltogether or create a new Avi after his check comes. In the middle of all this are the complainers who think it sucks that only the "Rich" people get the good events or that the "Noob 3 days off the ship" does.

I think they drag these things out for the sole purpose of keeping you coming back. To see when they do, if they ever do finish it, will be just like every other soapopera--It will create more questions than the answers it provided in the first place.

For the record I would like to see things completed too but I don't expect that anymore and I have come to the understanding that they probably won't. I just play my game my way and hope for the best, cuase that is all I really can do. I'll still participate in the lag fests when they happen though cuz you just can't ignore them lol.

[Solaris]

Logs...
Adam+Eve note "quest?"
Bio Labs...
Stadium...
Pet arenas...
Jukebox...
Bars...
Voting Boxes...
Vehicles...
Thorifoid Temple...
Desert Tripod Tower...
Secret Island / hidden oil rig...
Hades City shops...
Hades City Hospital...
Hades City...?
Feffoid raids...
Umbra army...
Armoured Mobs...
Robot Factory...
Boorums...
Thorkells Thomb...
Caves...
Oxford Museum exibitions...


oh darnit - I almost felt sick there for a moment

*hides badbad thoughts and runs back ingame*

[Harvest]

The plots going fine. Was looking at ML35....over 20k.....plots moving nicely.

"Cant not equip plot at this time."

"Plot decreases while in motion."