The split is more like 2/2/95/1, respectively.

 

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What they should have done is eliminate buff bots.

What they should have done, is never split the game into different server types.
As much as some people enjoyed classic, hows that working for you now?
All it did was divide the population.

People have left this game because they found better alternatives.
This game is old, to say the least. Only Everquest and Ultima stand out in my mind as being older.

So, back to the OP:

My comments were not meant to categorize yours as a whine -
but rather to help you pull back in your chair so you can see the whole landscape
instead of focusing on a tiny part of the map.

I just don't think they've failed to address your concerns. Maybe not in the way you would want.
But PvE still has it's uses. RvR has always been the endgame though, so it makes sense they made
PvE much much easier - a balancing agent between old time players, hardcore players, and casual players.

I personally think I have way better ideas than what Mythic has come up with, but I have better things
to do with my time than to ham it up with a bunch of nerds in a circle jerk over who can come up with
the neatest sounding idea. I'd rather roll out to a lightly traveled bridge on my solo toons and have
fun.

I appreciate creativity and good ideas, don't get me wrong, but in light of how well DAOC has done,
considering its age, I just don't think you're looking at the bigger picture here, or the practicality of
the game's circumstances.

In spite of a few lingering class issues, this game has never been more balanced between the "hardcore"
and "casual" players.

 

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Eliminate (permanently ban) all who cheat - either using a hack, geometric exploit, or any thing similar

This would go a long way in improving game play for everyone - pve or rvr

 

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The hardcore are the minority. Trying to please them is counter-productive because the casuals are your primary customer base as they generally account for more subscriptions. Regardless of any logic that the hardcore players throw out there, catering to them is bad business. it's better to piss them off and keep the casuals happy...that's more money rolling in.

The hardcore just don't get it...any game has to be fun for the majority of the playerbase (usually bad players as in any other MMO, be it pvp or pve driven)...NOT the high end gamers.

 

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Part of my point is that Mythic has catered to the casual crowd.
Everything they've done for the last century has been for the casual guy.
It's just that the hardcore gamer also benefits, often times more so,

than the casual player - which gets into the arena that thbbb is talking about.
But keeping on point, the OP wanted to make pve more relevant,
and I just don't see how it couldn't be MORE relevant than it already is.

You have a veteran population. Not much can be done without re-writing the game.

 

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As a returning newbie (haven't played for a couple of years and lost my original account information, so I had to start from scratch with little to no knowledge of the current game) I thought I'd chime in.

1.) This is essential. Fully agree with you here.
Now, the basic idea is there, what with the BGs and what have you. RvR and gain RRs as you level. Ideally, a fresh level 50 will be at RR5 if he spent enough time in CV. However, all BGs except Molvik seem to be pretty dead as of now, which makes gaining RRs a slight bit hard to accomplish. Give 50s another BG with a max RR of 5L9.

2.) Agree to some extent. Of course, an actual temp should be the best you can get. But the gear available to casuals doesn't help much to stop you being a victim to the "have" people. When I step out nto the BGs in Aurulite gear, I already know that every other class in the game is going to have my buttocks for breakfast, lunch and dinner before I can even press a key. IMO Aurulite gear should behave like a "cheap" template (something you cobble out of the odd 98/99% quality pieces instead of 100% ones). Let people with actual templates still have the edge, but narrow down the gear gap. They really need to improve the Aurulite stuff, especially concerning resists. They don't need to cap out all resists, but actually having some wold be a nice change. Exchanging the final tutorial set with the first Aurulite set felt like I was actually downgrading gear for all the "xyz resistance has decreased" spam it produced.

3.) The problem here is population. Having only one server is kind of nice actually, because there's always a bit of action. Opening up new servers will spread the already thin population out even more. And while I absolutely enjoyed playing on classic servers, they weren't without their own problems either. It's easier to eliminate problems with the game than to take options away from those who want them. And tbh, bots are a much bigger problem for newbies than ToA ever will be. Getting obliterated left and right by the temped-out, botted vets in BGs destroys a newbie's morale far more than the knowledge that he will have to run a few PvE raids once he's 50.

Plus it would be nice if people grouped more often. But that isn't anything Mythic could fix. But spending an hour at the PK trying to get a group in a BG while everyone runs in duos or trios kind of gets boring after a while.

 

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You guys QQ too much, get back to feeding me RPs.

 

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This is true, and the rest of your post is also very close to my feelings on the subject.

Every MMORPG I have ever played has at some point released an expansion aimed primarily or exclusively at their l33t players, and then watched the flood gates open as their casual players leave. Then they start back-peddling in a vain attempt to retain their casual player base, but by then it's too late. They've made irrevocable (due to dev egos) changes & Bob's your uncle.

MMORPGS are simply not for the elite few, They're for the casual or semi-casual 95%. When you start to lose them, your game is in trouble. On the other hand losing the l33t 5% would hardly even be noticeable, but game companies seem to be very slow on the learning curve.

The l33t 5% is anyway better served by FPS games imho.

 

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Except that that's not a casual. It's a moron. There's just as many idiots on the hardcore side as well, if not more, relatively speaking.

There's a huge reason why MMOs grow casual over time. The hardcore are a dying breed. 10 years ago, we were young and didn't have responsibilities. But today? With jobs, families, friends? No way. As MMOs have grown up, so have their player base. It's just natural that devs tailor their game around the time requirements of grown-ups.
And face it, casuals are the ones keeping MMOs alive. No MMO today (with the development costs at hand) could live off a few hardcore people. If not for casuals, the only games you'd be playing today were console FPS and sports games.

 

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