Why only 2 char slots?

Mord and Lov, let me just first say I was partly funning in the previous post (because I can't spell fecitious ). I feel like we're in the Godfather, as soon as we think we're out, this topic just pulls us back in.

At any rate, no I don't think Anet is stupid. I do think they misjudged how the game would eventually develop, but they're not totally to blame for that either. That's one of the great things about MMOs, even with a static world such as GW, the environment itself is dynamic, so the focus of the game is always in flux. I think they did make a mistake not offering one slot per prime with merged accounts with the release of Factions, but then that's why these threads have popped up, and hopefully Anet will rectify what many of us see as a limitation in the game.

Clearly, Anet does make mistakes - just take a look at the update page on the GW site. The good thing is that they listen to their player base and do something to rectify the problems of the game. That still doesn't mean that the game is perfect or that they still don't make mistakes, but at least they're willing to try, and they have yet to seriously screw something up *cough* Sony *cough* *cough*.

However, I do see Sony taking the MMO genre in the direction that many pundits see it going, namely offering a baisc free game with pay for type items and upgrades (such as character slots). Many games in Asia and Korea have actually been doing this for a couple of years, and have been quite successful. Truthfully, do any of us see GW as not doing this at some point in the future? By being sub free, they will eventually have to find other ways to supplement the income, so by offereing pay for extras will help in that regards, and I think eliminate much of the independant bot farming as well.

Hanok Odbrook
Real Millennium Group Guild
Truth * Knowlege * Peace

As a brief PS - yes I do see my 50% content access for using Factions as a stand-alone as accurate.
My definition of content is:
1) Explorable Area
2) In Game items (weapons, armor, etc.)
3) Character stats, skills, and attributes
4) Quests and Missions
5) Game play Strategy

By only having 4 slots for 8 primary professions, we are in essence only able to access 50% of the total content available in Factions. Taken individually, some content has a greater percentage of accessability than other content, but I think 50% is a fairly accurate number, in my opinion of what constitutes overall game content.

i also find a strange fascination to this.

one thing that should be noted of overwhelming (not to exagerate) importance is the fact that while Anet is making the game NCsoft (THEIR OWNER) is calling the shots on this not Anet.

literally the slot number is out of their hands and is the publishers decision.

other examples of this are the .......

COKE item promotion (which we didnt get)
the different (superior?) preorder items other countries got

since it is not a matter of programming it has to be a money matter and ANET does not tell NCsoft how to market their product.

this is just to say complain to NCsoft and not Anet who can only pass on what they see and not give orders to NCsoft

Do you have any info on this - I figure that NCSoft would have some control things like the promotions and pre-oder items, but I would think Anet would have most of the control on the actual game mechanics, which would include the number of characters slots, right? After all, outside of the basic % of content stuff, the number of slots could have conceivably been more intertwined with the whole game balancing issue. I'm sure they had some say on the basic development of the game, but the actual devs would have figured out the best way to initiate the character slot development. I really haven't seen anything on the breakdown of the developement process of the game, and who really controls what. I would find that a bit of interesting reading. I know CGW's ongoing article about MMOs has been fascinating, but lacks some of the in depth stuff I would like to see.

Selling the upgrades and bonuses would be an NCSoft decision - I believe their Korean HQ was a big developer of that process, so I would assume they would have the final say on what (if any) type of upgrades and bonuses would end up being a purchasable type of add on.

Hanok Odbrook
Real Millennium Group Guild
Truth * Knowledge * Peace

You all are looking at it wrong. When you buy Factions, you have no Factions slots yet. None. When you install Factions, you have two options. Install linked to Prophecies, which gives you an all-content account with six character slots, or install stand-alone with the standard four slots and no access to beyond-Factions content.

You lose no slots... you didn't have them to start with. This may be beyond some folks and I apologize in advance.

Now... if every linking gave you four more full-content slots, you should be able to see how as time progresses and more chapters are released the total number of slots would become a data nightmare for GW and their servers. It's known that some chapters won't even have any new slots for linking. This is a smart move logistically.

Have a nice day.

one tiny correction.

the statement was that some chapters would not add professions but did not say a word about an empty slot being given as a chapter incentive.

my opinion is they will check their data long term to see what percent of merged 6 slot accounts have a different primary on each slot that is used often and which dont.

if most have one of each they can and use them all you might see chapter 4? with a new profession and an empty slot.

do that twice and you wind up with 1 for each.

there will come a time when they feel they have enough choices they will say that there are no new professions (or slots) but we have much more content this time.

just a thought

I agree. I tried pointing out the same thing and nobody seemed to appreciate it...

I think the way some people view it is that they paid $50 for Prophecies and were able to create four characters. By paying $50 for Factions, you can also create four characters as a stand alone game. So, people spending $100 can get eight characters by keeping the game separate, while those that merge only get six characters for the same $100.

I see where Anet thinks that allowing six characters to access two games might be worth the $100 as opposed to having only four characters that can only access one game each. But their methodology of trying to sell that point fell a little short. My whole beef with the thing is that they used 100% of the content in both games as the selling point, when in reality, we can never access 100% of either game with only six characters when there are eight professions, and there is content specific to each primary in each game.

Many people say it's easy enough to delete characters in order to experiment and experience the rest of the content, but for most of us, that isn't an option. We feel that the time spent perfecting our current characters far too valuable and part of the content (Game Strategy) we wish to access. As Mordakai and Lovitar have said in the past, Factions isn't really the problem, it's the fact that we started off being short two slots from the very beginning. I am sure many players expected this to be rectified with Factions, and most of the outrage comes from the fact that it has not.

I actually expected only to get one character slot at the very beginning, and was not surprised at all when the CGW article stated as such. I fully believe that was the original game plan and only because of the outrage it generated, Anet and NCSoft switched gears and offered up two additional slots when merging.

Hanok Odbrook
Real Millennium Group Guild
Truth * Knowledge * Peace

True...I'm aware of where the other viewpoint comes from. I was just surprised to see someone with the same viewpoint as me...well, besides Mord, Lov, and a handful of others.

Don't feel bad. You guys collectively post so much you'd almost think there were more people with your viewpoint.

if you dont mind me popping in with a slightly different slant this time i have a thought.

i think almost everybody agrees that Factions meets every criteria as a full stand alone game.

without knowing about chapter one at all you can play Factions with 4 slots as a full enjoyable game in and of itself.

NOW THE IDEA............drumroll please.....................

Anet/NCsoft said you can either start a complete new game or CONTINUE to play characters you have spent much time and effort on in the new content of chapter two without having to delete a favorite character to try out the new chapter 2 professions.

i submit that they have kept theit word to the letter.

i have 4 characters on 1 account i choode not to part with and a few on other account.

i merge my account for Factions with my CE of chapter 1 and all of them are ready to join the new adventure.

Anet/NCsoft keeping their word have provided 2 new slots one for each new profession so i keep my favorite characters and have room for 2 new fellow adventurers.

if i dont like one or both of the new fellows i can use the slots for chapter 1 characters or POSSIBLY have a chapter 1 elemonk and her Factions asian sister
a chapter 1 necro and the asian sister
mix and match for which looks best as a fun group

EDIT

and if you GLI and RIP stopped this thread would vanish

Heh heh.

Yeah, like I said, I never expected to get four slots with a merged account, let alone the two they are actually offering up. I knew going in to the first game what the model was and that there would not be enough slots for each of the primes, but I felt that the game as a whole would be enjoyable enough to make up for that loss. Little did I know that the game would be so enjoyable that I would want those extra two slots just so I can play all the professions without having to delete my dearly beloved characters.

In the end, I think we can all agree that this point is moot. Whether Anet offers enough extra slots in future chapters to make up for the shortage, or sells an access key to increase your account slotage (a better business model in my mind, and probably where most MMOs will be heading), we'll have our chance at some point.

I ... can't ... stop - it's like looking at a car wreck - you don't want to do it, but you just have too!

Hanok Odbrook
Real Millennium Group Guild
Truth * Knowledge * Peace