They didnt know what game was going to be during development for the most time. Maybe they still dont fully know where they are going and what they can do with it. The roadmap was pulled and here we are.
But it doesn't need to be so vague and it doesn't require so much thought. If I were Bioware I would alternate between environmental themed challenges and faction based challenges. And the Environmental challenges would be easy to come up with, as far as the theme goes and how they show on the map, like you could have an event called Corrosion, where the world would start having these cracks on the ground with this green light coming out of them and would eventually converge to a focal point, where a hole would show up and it would cause a screen shake effect, every now and then, when on the open world. You could have Armageddon, where the sky turns red and meteors rain down every so often, and then you get the Apocalypse, where the entire sky goes dark, except for a singular white spot that grows over time and culminates in a bright flash that washes the entire world in the brightest light, possibly ending/resetting the world into a new state.
And you have the Faction themed events, like Invasion, where you fight sieges outside Fort Tarsis against the .. what was the Monitor's faction called? I forget. And then you have Breach, where the Urgoth invade the lower levels of Fort Tarsis, eating away at the foundation, perhaps etc. These shit are not hard to come up with and it literally costs nothing to Bioware to make a post and say "next event: Blah Blah", no further explanation needed, but know that we've got something in store. It's free. You can even say more information coming soon and have a mockup teaser 3-6 months down the line to set/curbe some expectations, but mostly make the announcement so that the people that return for the Cataclysm, know that there is also something else down the line, dangle that carrot in front of them, keep them interested. Is this an absurd idea? Is it a bad idea? I don't think it is. Maybe my themes are shit and predictable, sure, but you're Bioware, here's your game, your staff got out of an overwhelming effort and you have the chance to swing upward. Take advantage of it, don't let it fizzle out. That's what I'm trying to say.
When I die, I want Bioware to carry my casket, so they can let me down, one last time.
Yes, I get it, the story is hinted at a continuation and that's great. What's the next event that mirrors the Cataclysm? Where's your roadmap? The folks that come back to check out the Cataclysm and love it and want more of that, what do they have to look forward to? This is not a competitive framework, this is not how literally every other Live Service game is operating right now. If I went to buy Anthem today and see that there is no further announced planned support for the game, unlike every other Live Service, what do I expect? Give me a name for it, what is it called? From what an outsider sees there's no further campaign roadmap planned out. This is making your game look bad, even if its not.
Bioware should make an announcement, make it vague, way down the line if that's what makes them feel comfortable, but they should do something, either for the new players that the Cataclysm update will generate, or the old players that return, by hinting at something more concrete down the line. Will this promise of content be scrutinized by the gaming media? Sure, but is it worse than them not committing to any future content? I strongly doubt that.
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use. And they're wasting it. That's how I see it, anyway, so, you know, who the fuck am I and what the hell do I know, but that's my two cents.
When I die, I want Bioware to carry my casket, so they can let me down, one last time.
George Young (吳宇衛) @tweetfromgeorge OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Anyone who knows how truly #geekyg I am also knows: I've ALWAYS wanted to be a video game character...come on in to the #anthemcataclysm Seasonal Shop and say hi to #Herschel (me), and my #BossFrog @anthemgame @biowarebase @ea
Perhaps this is the new normal for future content which simply arrives when it does.
Most likely, it's out of fear (and that cuts both ways). They're likely scared of setting up high expectations again, given how much they were unable to meet the roadmap that they put out, in addition to content that didn't make it into the base game; based on pre-release gameplay footage. The other aspect is that they're probably working on the game in such a fast-paced manner, that they're unsure as to what changes will make their way into a patch; until the day of certification. Many companies operate like this, but considering the amount of instability that goes on with Anthem's base game (speaking of technical bugs), it wouldn't surprise me that they're working with landmines when altering the state of the game.
I still hold to the fact that they need to be more communicative with this stuff.
This is what is going on in a nutshell....everybody is saying that EA will support them and they believe in them, but behind the scenes i can imagine the team is under incredible pressure to perform. The bottom line is that money runs this business and EA has shareholders they have to answer to in regards to how well they think they will perform each quarter. I was pissed with EA when they axed Visceral ....yes the last Dead Space game wasn't the greatest, but it was still a solid game and all 3 Dead Space played incredibly well...very smooth gameplay mechanics and no glitching/issues to be found and one of the few games with a slick interface that didn't clog the screen.
That said....it just seems like Bioware is quietly dropping new content with the team biting its nails stating "please don't f**k up...please be good".. ......imagine if Anthem was the next Mass Effect game that evolved or used some of that flight mechanics and javelins as part of their gameplay, with the plot used in Anthem, but more fully fleshed out?...i think that would have been incredible..
Right now Bioware needs to get their damn MOJO back....remember when Bioware used to get you excited when they made trailers like these?....c'mon Bioware get with the f**kin program...
^my kickass phoenix vanguard putting in work...
Musical score, solid camera work and placement...look at how the destroyers shoulder missiles protected that shadow character from an abomination towards the end there..great stuff...They made it seem like the Collectors was a bigger threat than the Reapers themselves.....
Bioware....for Anthem's next event, you need to build up excitement like what is being portrayed in these trailers...stand up..put your chest out and lay that s**t down!....
Jos Hendriks @sjosz Played some of the Anthem Cataclysm update this evening with @joshruble, fun seeing this out in the wild now. Got my first few melee weapons and found some Echoes of Reality secrets. (that I put in myself)
Don't knock the little winds. They're important - for morale.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem Origin: correctamundo1 Prime Posts: A thousand and then some. Prime Likes: They never liked me! No one likes me! Posts: 2,830 Likes: 5,270
Yes, I get it, the story is hinted at a continuation and that's great. What's the next event that mirrors the Cataclysm? Where's your roadmap? The folks that come back to check out the Cataclysm and love it and want more of that, what do they have to look forward to? This is not a competitive framework, this is not how literally every other Live Service game is operating right now. If I went to buy Anthem today and see that there is no further announced planned support for the game, unlike every other Live Service, what do I expect? Give me a name for it, what is it called? From what an outsider sees there's no further campaign roadmap planned out. This is making your game look bad, even if its not.
Bioware should make an announcement, make it vague, way down the line if that's what makes them feel comfortable, but they should do something, either for the new players that the Cataclysm update will generate, or the old players that return, by hinting at something more concrete down the line. Will this promise of content be scrutinized by the gaming media? Sure, but is it worse than them not committing to any future content? I strongly doubt that.
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use. And they're wasting it. That's how I see it, anyway, so, you know, who the fuck am I and what the hell do I know, but that's my two cents.
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use.
I agree.
I suspect that a rigid roadmap is too confining for how BioWare develops. I think the utter silence goes too far the other way.
Something it the middle would be helpful for the studio/player relationship.
If we can get past the 'it's all shit' narrative and BIoWare gets some of its mojo back, then I hope that a rational level of communication can happen.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 decades of RPG gaming from green screen to 4K. Moderator posts mostly marked by 'Police' emoji. Other views shared are just personal ones. On UK time zone.
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use.
I agree.
I suspect that a rigid roadmap is too confining for how BioWare develops. I think the utter silence goes too far the other way.
Something it the middle would be helpful for the studio/player relationship.
If we can get past the 'it's all shit' narrative and BIoWare gets some of its mojo back, then I hope that a rational level of communication can happen.
That's what I'm talking about. Like I said, make an announcement for what the next event will be called and set it far enough into the future, while being vague enough that Bioware can't possibly miss the deadline. This instills the feeling that there is constant production being done on the game, silences the "abandonment" criticism for the game from EA/Bioware and gives the playerbase something equally big to look forward to, in order to keep them engaged.
When I die, I want Bioware to carry my casket, so they can let me down, one last time.
This discussion reminds me of what Mike Laidlaw said when he answered a question regarding mods/suggestions/new content.
(1) How long will it take?
(2)How many resources will it take?
(3) What is the cost?
(4) What is the benefits to Bio? ( I translate this into return on Investment = ROI) <--- requires a solid player base
It appears to me that EA in no longer interested in 100 million plus game development budgets (cost + marketing) and are now pushing live-service games. Their reasoning, imo, is based on their very successful Sports franchises which take "pennies" to modify year-on-year vs the gargantuan profits the games provide. Now sports games require little changes except for new faces, new names, a change in the club roster... etc. Overall the game requires no new game mechanics... American football, Basketball and real football (FIFA) gameplay and rules remain the same year over year, as an example.
Now, imo, the Anthem budget is restricted to the new live-service model. Low cost upfront and profit gains during the life of the game. However, Anthem is not a sports game where little change is necessary to satisfy changes in the club rosters. Anthem's new content, on the other hand, does require costly updates (voices, animations, story...etc) .
So, I'm wondering if this is the main reason for a scarcity of new content (I'm leaving the game's core issues out of this discussion).
Morpheus: "know what happened happened and that it could not have happened in any other way".
constant production being done on the game, silences the "abandonment" criticism
Yes, though this strategy is sadly unprovable at launch, particularly with the silence strategy.
All we have (Cataclysm aside) is those who take the silence of proof or either a) ongoing work, or abandonment. (I favor 'a' but both are based on trust)
In a year's time we can look back and say a) yes it was supported, or it's dead.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 decades of RPG gaming from green screen to 4K. Moderator posts mostly marked by 'Police' emoji. Other views shared are just personal ones. On UK time zone.
I suspect that a rigid roadmap is too confining for how BioWare develops. I think the utter silence goes too far the other way.
Something it the middle would be helpful for the studio/player relationship.
If we can get past the 'it's all shit' narrative and BIoWare gets some of its mojo back, then I hope that a rational level of communication can happen.
That's what I'm talking about. Like I said, make an announcement for what the next event will be called and set it far enough into the future, while being vague enough that Bioware can't possibly miss the deadline. This instills the feeling that there is constant production being done on the game, silences the "abandonment" criticism for the game from EA/Bioware and gives the playerbase something equally big to look forward to, in order to keep them engaged.
But they really shouldn't announce anything while an event is actually running... they now bought themselves 6 weeks to work on future content undisturbed. Let them announce something after the cataclysm is done.
constant production being done on the game, silences the "abandonment" criticism
Yes, though this strategy is sadly unprovable at launch, particularly with the silence strategy.
All we have (Cataclysm aside) is those who take the silence of proof or either a) ongoing work, or abandonment. (I favor 'a' but both are based on trust)
In a year's time we can look back and say a) yes it was supported, or it's dead.
The problem with that is that Anthem, a Live Service game with free updates, makes its money through in game purchases and to do that, you need player retention and their recurring monetization. Story content, however important, polished and fun it is for the game, is not replayable. Actually scratch that, no, while it may be replayable, it doesn't offer or guarantee the rewards of other game modes and are therefor not worth the grind in comparison. So while the players are done with the existing content and once the Cataclysm event is over, without any other event on the horizon, you give no motive or incentive for your players to continue playing, which brings Anthem back to a pre-Cataclysm state, but only this time there is no Cataclysm-like update looming on the horizon. And we know what was there didn't keep players engaged, so what are the chances that the same game with no new content announcement will?
When I die, I want Bioware to carry my casket, so they can let me down, one last time.
But they really shouldn't announce anything while an event is actually running... they now bought themselves 6 weeks to work on future content undisturbed. Let them announce something after the cataclysm is done.
I get that too, don't overshadow it, it's a good argument. But like I already said, every other Live Service out there has an aggressive roadmap with multiple such events lined out. Now, I get Bioware's troubles, I get the work being put behind the game, but there is still a very large shroud of uncertainty by the general audience and gaming media out there in regards to Anthem, Bioware and EA, exactly because there is precedent. They have the chance right now to knock it out of the ballpark and, as I said, they can be vague as fuck about it and place it however down the line as it suits them, but do it while people are still talking about the Cataclysm, the earlier the better, because now is the time to get people talking about what Anthem is doing, because you have something tangible. Do it in two months from now, after the No Man's Sky update, the Monster Hunter World update, the Destiny 2 expansion, Borderlands 3 and the Warframe expansion and people will just not pay it any attention. You strike while the iron is hot.
When I die, I want Bioware to carry my casket, so they can let me down, one last time.
Don't knock the little winds. They're important - for morale.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem Origin: correctamundo1 Prime Posts: A thousand and then some. Prime Likes: They never liked me! No one likes me! Posts: 2,830 Likes: 5,270
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use.
I agree.
I suspect that a rigid roadmap is too confining for how BioWare develops. I think the utter silence goes too far the other way.
Something it the middle would be helpful for the studio/player relationship.
If we can get past the 'it's all shit' narrative and BIoWare gets some of its mojo back, then I hope that a rational level of communication can happen.
The roadmap most likely haven't changed much in content. It is merely the timing. I mean Herschel has been a thing since before launch. They aimed at revealing him in late april but the systems weren't ready for it and everything had to be postponed. If the assholes with agenda could've handled it in an adult fashion (ha fat chance) we could have continued with a dialogue between players and devs but alas. Why have a good thing when you can just piss all over the World for some clicks? So here we are. The Urgoth will still be act 3 but for now they will be tightlipped about it.
Yes, I get it, the story is hinted at a continuation and that's great. What's the next event that mirrors the Cataclysm? Where's your roadmap? The folks that come back to check out the Cataclysm and love it and want more of that, what do they have to look forward to? This is not a competitive framework, this is not how literally every other Live Service game is operating right now. If I went to buy Anthem today and see that there is no further announced planned support for the game, unlike every other Live Service, what do I expect? Give me a name for it, what is it called? From what an outsider sees there's no further campaign roadmap planned out. This is making your game look bad, even if its not.
Bioware should make an announcement, make it vague, way down the line if that's what makes them feel comfortable, but they should do something, either for the new players that the Cataclysm update will generate, or the old players that return, by hinting at something more concrete down the line. Will this promise of content be scrutinized by the gaming media? Sure, but is it worse than them not committing to any future content? I strongly doubt that.
I guess my bottom line is that they worked hard to create something which, regardless of how well or not it is received, can begin the upswing for Anthem and that's a win Bioware can use. And they're wasting it. That's how I see it, anyway, so, you know, who the fuck am I and what the hell do I know, but that's my two cents.
I think you nailed that.
It’s funny to see on these forums how personal attacks are fine as long as they’re directed toward someone criticising BioWare. correctamundo has consistently been one of the rudest posters on these boards toward any criticism against any BioWare games, constructive or not. He has called people traitors for not supporting BioWare unconditionally. These boards should be about discussing BioWare and it’s activity rather than just praising it.
It’s funny to see on these forums how personal attacks are fine as long as they’re directed toward someone criticising BioWare. correctamundo has consistently been one of the rudest posters on these boards toward any criticism against any BioWare games, constructive or not. He has called people traitors for not supporting BioWare unconditionally. These boards should be about discussing BioWare and it’s activity rather than just praising it.
...I'm not sure 'Bioware isn't or can't be criticized at all in this forum' is a position that can hold much water. You're also the one whose post now is consisting almost entirely of ad hominem attack on a specific forum member (and some people did see some previous posts, which were even more... uncouth). If you have an actual criticism of BW or one of their games you can visit threads like Anthem Skepticism or start something new.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
It’s funny to see on these forums how personal attacks are fine as long as they’re directed toward someone criticising BioWare.
Personal attacks aren't tolerated against either groups of people. I've only reported one person in this forum, and it was what I believe was an alt that went around abusing everybody who was anti-anthem in the lead up to the game's released. I reported that one person and I had 5 mods respond very promptly. Which surprised me, I thought I'd get a single reply only.
The mods do a decent job overall Very appreciative of the the work they do (even Sofa's ... I guess ) in a job that is horrible and puts them in the firing line for horrendous abuse If the mods eradicated anything someone could personally conceive as an attack the forums would be a horrible place. Try not to be so sensitive, Correctamundo is a passionate member of the fanbase ... who just happens to have bad taste in games
It’s funny to see on these forums how personal attacks are fine as long as they’re directed toward someone criticising BioWare. correctamundo has consistently been one of the rudest posters on these boards toward any criticism against any BioWare games, constructive or not. He has called people traitors for not supporting BioWare unconditionally. These boards should be about discussing BioWare and it’s activity rather than just praising it.
...I'm not sure 'Bioware isn't or can't be criticized at all in this forum' is a position that can hold much water. You're also the one whose post now is consisting almost entirely of ad hominem attack on a specific forum member (and some people did see some previous posts, which were even more... uncouth). If you have an actual criticism of BW or one of their games you can visit threads like Anthem Skepticism or start something new.
You are very quick to defend someone in a conversation you are not involved in.
I find it amusing that calling someone out for consistently being rude is an ad hominem attack. I have said nothing negative against the poster other than that I find him rude, (not uncouth)
I suspect that a rigid roadmap is too confining for how BioWare develops. I think the utter silence goes too far the other way.
Something it the middle would be helpful for the studio/player relationship.
If we can get past the 'it's all shit' narrative and BIoWare gets some of its mojo back, then I hope that a rational level of communication can happen.
The roadmap most likely haven't changed much in content. It is merely the timing.
Snip
I agree....
However, this silence.... without marketing, you can't peddle your product. Since recurring monetization is the key to survival in a live-service model, I am puzzled as to how Bio will improve its fortunes. Unless, EA/Bio is now reliant on the REDDIT Sub Forums to positively market the game. But REDDIT, imo is a two edge sword.
Morpheus: "know what happened happened and that it could not have happened in any other way".
The roadmap most likely haven't changed much in content. It is merely the timing.
Snip
I agree....
However, this silence.... without marketing, you can't peddle your product. Since recurring monetization is the key to survival in a live-service model, I am puzzled as to how Bio will improve its fortunes. Unless, EA/Bio is now reliant on the REDDIT Sub Forums to positively market the game. But REDDIT, imo is a two edge sword.
Even though BW didn't promote it much in advance, within a couple of hours there were articles on the launch from pretty well every gaming site out there. Whatever people may think about it, getting the word out wasn't a problem. The reviews on the other hand...