Allods Online Forum

This proposal is based on the perspective of an Allods player that has been in the game for a long time. I have witnessed the game evolve firsthand and vicariously, through the forum posts of other players. After giving it much thought, I came to the conclusion that at this point in the game's lifespan, if some changes are not implemented, the likelihood that Allods Online will inevitably meet an untimely demise, is quite high. This is compounded by the fact that several (MMO) contenders are about to come out in the near future.

I will try to be concise about my suggestions but nevertheless, I will say that it would be a shame to see a game of this caliber, with all the valuable resources invested in it, be banished into oblivion, when there are viable steps that could be undertaken without jeopardizing the interests of both the business and player side of the game. Hence, this is my attempt to share my thoughts on how to improve the game for everyone.

1) The Rune quandary

Runes. This is pretty much the single most-discussed subject in the game that has drawn much criticism and displeasure from both players as well as third parties (bloggers, commentators, spectators, etc.). Needles to say, it had a dramatic (albeit negative) effect on the game since its implementation as evidenced by the sudden and stable decline in the server population. It heavily favors a select few who are willing to pay a fortune to gain an immense advantage and at the same time, alienating the rest (majority) who are not as affluent as the former. This also promotes elitism, which one might argue is quite harmless. But when it gets in the way of a player's successful transition into end-game and gear acquisition, it adversely affects the the community as a whole because it hampers the progress of those who don't possess the "required" runes and gears.

Example: A player wants to acquire gear to progress but gets turned down by group after group because he doesn't have the runes to perform his role "effectively". It's either he pays for runes or gets stuck in a rut. For most players, they just lose interest in the game and decide to cut losses.

The fix: Make a way for runes to be accessible in-game instead of being only available via boutique. I'm not talking about the gold exchanger, that still requires farming gold which is out of the question for new players just starting from scratch. This will provide a feasible option for players that have the time but don't have the money to spend. The idea is to help some disadvantaged and/or new players to catch up to the rest who have already been playing for a long time and accumulated vast amounts of runes, gears, etc.

But what about the $$$?

Crystal chips will still be available in the boutique and is a viable option for those who have money but don't have the time.

Well, just go P2P!

I know, right? But let's face it. The average MMO player will still prefer an F2P w/micro-transactions system over the P2P model. A monthly subscription just doesn't work or isn't an option for some people.

2) Newbie woes

Newbies. They are the lifeblood of any game. They are like the new red blood cells that replace the old dead ones. Without a steady/healthy supply of these, the body will cease to function. Now that the level cap is 60, the journey to end-game is now even more tedious. Sure there a lot more "things to do", but just how much of the same repetitive task does one need to do before they get stale? The biggest motivation for the newbie to go through this is the hope that perhaps one day, he might be able to join his friends/comrades or wherever most of the players are, and take part in what they are doing. This gives them a sense of "belonging". Not to mention that end-game is where this game shines the most. Why make it hard for them to reach it? One can only spend so much time "grinding" on a barren allod before he throws his hands up and decides to devote his time doing something more worthwhile.

The fix: Make the game much much more enticing and welcoming to newbies. Provide more incentives to them for questing. Try to ameliorate the unholy drudgery that is the journey to end-game. Provide experience scrolls, and basic costumes as rewards in quests. Last but not the least, provide at least a permanent basic mount accessible via quest. Anything to help and make the newbies feel welcomed.

Moreover, STOP increasing the level cap. You can produce more "things to do" without raising it. Or at least extend the period between these level cap increments.


3) The PVP fix

I'll skip to the fix here. I suggest the implementation of more goal/objective-oriented PVP scenarios where strategy and teamwork is a must in order to succeed. PVP matches at the moment are more like mindless "DPS pageants" that rarely require coordination especially when there's someone in the team with 13s runes.

4) ???
I'm pretty sure there are many ways to save, let alone improve the prognosis of this game. I only touched on the most blaring issues at hand and I'm convinced that there are other elephants in the room still waiting to be acknowledged.

Conclusion:

If you give a significant advantage to only a few people, while denying the rest to have a viable alternative, you risk alienating those players, resulting in an exodus. Eventually, those few left will have nobody to play with, get bored and leave as well. In addition, If the game by design, is not very welcoming to new players, there will be lesser players in the long run and the system just cannot be sustained. However, if significant changes are made, I'm convinced that this game can still be salvaged and might even encourage the players that have left to return.

tl:dr imbalanced game + sad newbies = /gg population = /gg allods.

@SarcasticTwist

Welcome to the game. Your post just goes to show that I didn't just pull my claims out of nowhere. This game isn't new, but it isn't that old either. It has it's own unique "feel" that sets it apart from other MMOs. Regardless, we must remain hopeful that the management considers the plight of its player base because it is for the benefit of the Allods community as a whole.

In the meantime, I suggest that you just enjoy the game for what it is at the moment. Also, avoid comparing your character to others' especially the high level ones because this will just breed envy and discourage you from reaching your goals in the game.