Edit: This got much longer than this one expected.
TLDR; The roadmap indicated thru presentation that there would be “free content” distinct from the aforementioned banners and money bin. Was this an error, or just bad presentation?
Neither the money person nor the devs seem interested in giving their customers what they ask for.
The “Monetization Expert” seems to be more of an intern or on their way to retirement. The implementation of their ideas seems to be an excellent example of someone who is a middle of the road, industry standard, extremely conventional outsider. This one would hope an “expert” would demonstrate a greater understanding of their customer base. What works in Fortnight isn’t what will work in Conan anymore than it would work in Pokemon. Even then, the pricing, advertising, and level of finished functionality are on Ferengi’s first rip off levels.
The Bazaar, despite all naysaying, had lots of potential. We see it with things like the Stormglass Cathedral set. But that’s the big exception.
This one finds many sets to be either painfully incomplete, aesthetically too similar to recent offerings (how many types of Acheronian pajamas can we release in sequence), bugged, lacking the functionality one would purchase such a thing for (placement jank being a big issue of late, but also thralls unable to use most emotes) or created in a vacuum (oh look, a Dragonbone Katana, I wonder if it will work like every other Dragonbone weapon on the game? Nope. How about the Blood crystal weapons? The ones that are twitch drops seem very different the Bazaar ones). Some of this isn’t the “Expert” fault. They didn’t make pets useless. The pet skins are worth far less to players because the pets they go over are dead weight, something that eats up a limited resource (thrall cap) for pathetic returns. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the whole thing is slapdash and lolrandumb at times. It’s like Funcom had some half finished assets lying around and their “Expert” suggested having a rummage sale, but charge bespoke rates.
The rates, while inconsistent, this one doesn’t hate as much as others. The DLCs were such extremely good value-cost that the customer base became used to much more meat for their commerce. The Aquilonian bedchamber set costs almost as much as the Isle of Siptah DLC, and it’s issues and limited inventory are their own thread. A slow step up in price might have been a good idea. The sudden shift is quite jarring and makes the inflation much more noticable.
But why is this one belly aching about the Bazaar?
Because there’s nothing to do in game to discuss.
Grind the same bosses. Raid the same camps.
Only now, this one may be “fortunate” enough to constipated walk with some recycled assets back to base with dubious placeables. Watch as the game “rewards” you for finding the treasure with a banal furniture moving simulator!
So while this one rags on the unimaginative and out of touch “Monetization Expert”, the truth is, they fit right in with whoever thought the current hoard implementation would be fun. The exact same quality of thought, consistency of vision, and knowledge of their customer base.
What would inspire the players’ enthusiasm is relatively simple. It is constantly harped upon. Yet neither the existing Devs nor the new “Expert” seem interested either way
Update, yes.
Content? By a stretch, yes.
But they are listed as separate items.
“Free Content” is a different listed item from the Emblems and Hoards. So what is it? Where is it?
This mysterious other “free content”, does it even exist?
Age of Sorcery gave us the Blacksmith and Alchemist decor, as a treat. Those were nice.
Some years ago, the list of weapons that could be dipped in Black Ice was expanded.
Even if there wasn’t actually anything new to do, they were interesting.
But does that constitute content?
This one probably wouldn’t be as salty about the lack of content if there had been Cooking and Herbalist decor sets added.
But content, in the context of a game, this one had always understood to be something to do. A new boss or enemy type to face, a new dungeon or even new camps, a new harvestable and processable material.
By that measure, the Hoard system is content, the banners less so.
But the Hoard being content does not define this mysterious other “Free Content” bullet point that was noted distinctly from the Hoard.
If we are using the wider definition of content, and include the cosmetics (and that’s all the banners are, and with the extremely limited options, even that’s being generous) then that still doesn’t define the mysterious “Free Content” that is listed as a separate and discrete point from the Banners and Hoard.
The Combat and Weapon update are not at all content.
They are patches. Pretending this sort of unsolicited tinkering is content is disingenuous. As meritorious as calling a hypothetical future update that makes Elephants visible again “content”.
