flib

I couldn't help from noticing that there weren't really any people on the forums that were disgruntled about the Mercury situation, which is probably because very few people actually played on that server.

Apocalypsox

We don't even get a good rebuild when BP gets released and is a total success?

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Hell-demon

Erm...don't think so. Sorry Apoc.

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JohnGalt

So NC will be sent to the wastebasket because management is focusing on BP. Are we to expect the same seven years of excuses as we had during NC and then again the same conclusion for BP?

A great piece of work and all our time playing going to hell. This is bull.

Keeping NC alive so you hope that most of the player base will go to BP. I am so disappointed for being used. Maybe the deadbeat, twenty something, play for six month crowd is right, loyalty is for suckers.

You will never develop a WoW playerbase with this type of behavior.

Why in hell cant you develop NC with an outside development group and manage it from your perch? Think out of the box.

I am sooooo mad

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MrTrip

Quoted for truth.

If they just advertised for developers that wanted to VOLUNTEER their services (I know I'd have no problem doing some new missions) they could bring NC back from the dead in no time.

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Neocron in Linux (Wiki)

Kirk Lenke

Hi John,

first of all NC will not be thrown to a wastebasket. Not by me - no way. Period.

In these days (during the last 15 months) the focus on BP is the only chance for KK to survive. We are in this insolvency procedure now for nearly one year amd the hectic has started earlier. So I am far away from being a happy camper at all.

Thanks for the compliment above regarding the great piece of work. I know that people only get mad when they like something.

Regarding NC and BP and the comparison of these two games. NC was/is a game completely funded by KK from scratch till live date. BP is game which is funded by a fund. So we have to deliver a product to these people and they also have impact on the developement. So you cannot compare both games completely at all.

And our last goal is to create a WoW playerbase. It would be nice but hey!? Trying to compete with WoW in regard of their success etc. is one of the major faults independent studios can go for before they start a new product or using an existing IP like NC. It would be nice but to get there you will need tons of money etc. Trust me, when you approach VC for example the first thing they mention is a sentence like "Will it be like WoW? Or as successful as WoW?".

We have already evaluated certain possibilities on how we can proceed in regard of technical and content support for NC. When the time is right more infos will come.

Cheers and take care
Kirk

Riddle

So all the rare farming is not a waste of time

No news for 2 years and two posts in as many months, Kirk you do love us


I for one am VERY glad NC will not be killed off!! I tried the rest but you can't beat the best!! Dare i say i LOVE this game, been playing too long now, it's almost part of my life , sad huh?

You can appreciate people are very unsure of late after such a long time with no updates, not surprising they are saying whats the point?

With no content, bug fixes, or Anything come to think of it, in such a long time you cannot blame people for feeling the game is on its last legs!

Any indication that it is not, is more than welcome!

I still feel if only the slightest patch was applied, a new run? a new item? a few bug fixes?

IDEA! Run a competition, We submit a new "run" script which you could load into spawnable NPC's, on their lunch hour if your that in love with the game and are really busy! and a sexy reward at the end. Hell use an item already in game. Just something new!

We more than appreciate the position of your company, we are lucky to be playing NC at all. And for that i thank you and your team for all the effort you have put in to save not only your own jobs and company , but our beloved NC aswell.

Logan Ford CST
(Still Awaiting his Factions Recognition )

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JohnGalt

Thank-you for your unexpected response.

I consider it a sign of respect for KK and the staff who has brought talent, experience and insight to a world I am fond of.




We now have heard what we needed to hear for some time.

NC has allot of talent out here. If you offered us information that would not compromise what you are doing now, maybe some of us could read up and at some future time contribute to assist development of NC through a controlled/managed group.




BP seems to be the breadbasket. Your comment is forthcoming and exceptionally honest.

I would play a KK group made game before any other. Others offer less control, to much oversight for petty things and limitations on intellectual development.

You can be sure that even though I threw a tantrum above, I would never have been able to not join BP. My money is in the bank and waiting for membership. Not all my money but some and I will being a friend.




Whoever is the investor(s) are they need to play NC and see what they have done. It is fun after you learn. With KK and the rest working on BP how could it be possible for it not to be successful. Only limitations in the new cross platform environment can screw it up not your team.

NC would be POW with current development and as it is it still has punch and I will play to the end. A few hours, a few friends and you’re hooked; BP I hope will be the same.

As for getting “MAD”… we (or I, speaking for myself) get mad for many reasons. That upsetting emotional condition is from the thought of loosing our investment. Take your runner and show the investors the hundreds of apts covered with stuff. Stuff we can’t take home. NC is individuality, in apartments, in fighting, in Clans and if there was more stuff style, I love it! It is even cheaper when the girlfriend plays; less shopping, environmentally friendly (no fossil fuels) etc…

Maybe there should be a NeoCron cereal in the USA. Us Americans will buy anything, especially if we can be one of 3 persons to open the box and find a code for a new weapon that no-one else has, you know like a Cold-Mother Fusion Cannon with dual rocket & laser targeting anti-miss/anti holy protection/energy sensor array (used to crush pesky Monk’s).



I stand corrected on my error of comparison/assumption. I apologize.


Although, NC is a great piece of work period: BP will deliver in the same way if it holds true to the past and uses the new development out there. That one comparison I am not wrong about.

You have a great job I would say, headaches, financing, deadlines, complaints and a team that did the same thing working with you. Seems to me you already know you got a winner, and KK and the NC crew must be showing allot of love toward BP. Just have to jump a few more hurdles, wish I could help. I will be more patient.



Game player philosophy is now more of a development concept than ever. WoW hit a nerve and whether it was genius is questionable to me, money sealed the deal.

NC as KK has delivered to us has found its own nerve/group like WoW but, do you really understand that NC nerve?

You and KK/team are using a new cross platform for the BP development, WoW may not transfer as well as what you are doing. Also with a cross platform environment you have opportunity to develop interaction with other worlds yours or not. A module is sold allowing interaction and a module in the platform you are using that is sharing an environment does not compromise the proprietary integrity of your product does it?

Therefore, your market is only limited to the dynamics of your development that has an ability to interact with other game environments. So you make cash from BP and a module interaction with another MMORPG. Proprietary development should be secure on the server(s) that put it all together. You are not limited, as I see it the cross platform development is a whole new ball game. If another great game comes out and you can interact with it then what do you think the masses will do, stick with WoW or fly their BP ship into the Star Trek galxy sector 14 to assist a friend that needs help? To do this you need the module from BP…hummm you guy’s are gonna be rich.


Suggestion: New forum section (questions only, your market questions and such), survey your player base and your complainers as well as those that want to quit after the 30 day’s continuously. Cross reference account info with submitted surveys for integrity. Have the common and specific questions about likes and dislikes. Not just NC but, any other games played by our player base. Not a public survey, keep it private. It may offer insight to marketing on BP and assist NC to draw some additional fresh noob’s




Of all the time I have played I have needed very little support. I want to see NC evolve.
I would say redundancy of issues/problems must consume time. Improving that system (In-Game) may assist.



Your response was my privilege to read and respond to. Your reassurance is comforting.

If my post made any of you feel like I did not care about the success of the company or appreciate the people that create this enjoyable world for me then that was not the intention.

Respectfully,
JohnGalt

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JG

THE_TICK!!!!

Kirk, thanks for the responses, It seems as if you care about the game as much as we do, and thats a relief to say the least. As you well know there is MANY here in the community that would put forth the time and energy to make neocron top shelf, possibly even a small contribution to keep it going, Thanks for the information and hope to see more updates in the future.


Never lost the faith
John Tucker
AKA
THE_TICK!!!!

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JohnGalt

This guy has built and helped more than I can count. If he still constructs he is one of the most honest constructors in the game right along side of a few others I have on my personal list It is part of my life to and there is nothing sad about it



See what I mean Sir/KK. I expect a few more like responses to be modest after others hear/read your message and I will not re-quote them

Also, your message does make it clear that our support needs to extend into BP's success and maybe even tells us that BP is our stepping stone for a future NC innovation.

As far as I am concerned I will support both and live for now hoping that the BP project is going well and the company prospers in the near future from all risk's and investment taken over these last 7+ years.


I can agree to this to. Maybe it is time others that still have free service consider working out the new payment option to show gratitude.

I do have ideas to generate innovative revenue, But if you want us to just buy T-Shirts and caps then ok.

JohnGalt

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Hell-demon

I hope KK are working on just more than BP to get through insolvency. This seems like putting all your eggs in one basket.

Shouldn't you have both bases covered?

Right now BP isn't even in beta and no publisher. Top of that Jumpgate Evolution (a space sim) is coming up very soon to compete with, as well as the other big boy, Eve.

If you also worked on NC at the same time you can use it as a fall back option if shit does hit the fan even more. As it stands if all your eggs break you can't come back to NC to help fund you through the worst if there is no new content and a small player base.

I wish you all the luck with BP but you must never neglect your core fanbase.

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JohnGalt

This has been reinforced in the reply from Kirk, NC is still on the books and he supports that even with BP production. I translate as we are still loved (a comment Riddle made earlier that I agree with).

I just wish we could help somehow to make all the boo, boo's better.

As Hell-demon touched on...I had been thinking of marketing in the US from 2003. I found this game on CD-Rom in a game stop store by accident when the guy at the desk said he had just a few decent PC games. I think the US marketing was under done. There could and should have been a larger US market. In addition, around this time there was a large grab for PlayStation and X-box games as the market was decreasing on PC games in the Game Stores that had at one time sold the better selection of PC games in the US.

BP needs to be solid and meet the hype that marketing should draw to it. Even if you have to have hot chicks dressed in swimsuits to get the attention here, hit this market hard this time.

Your content and action is something I cannot let go. I know you can hook the marketplace. So much teck stuff going to come into this market. It would be nice if there was a company that needed to prove its worth that could increase your rendering of the game and re-distribute resources evenly to all nodes (better then it does now). Somthing else that would give you the performance/competitive edge over the other competition in addition to your great game. Get those investors to dig into their private relationships with other developers. There has got to be somthing being developed that can be propritary for BP and NC use.

Oh yes, please let us not forget the PAYMENT SYSTEM. This gave so manny a problem with early and mid life NC. I never had issues but, others had the game being charged more than once as well as other problems. I think this lost you some customers in ths long-run. I can't imagine what customer support went through.

Consider creating another company that will store account information for a fee if one decides to take a break. 2 bucks per month charged if you reactivate. So if you are gone for 10 months then, =$20.00 plus 1st and last months rent up front. You could use this development for other game companies that use your platform as a back-up company and make extra bucks for storing their game characters for their clients. Definatly a good payment system.

To bad I didn't come up with these ideas before they probaly existed.




I don't like Eve anyway...

Btw Hell-demon, off the subject, your "...rich and famous..." statement has been one of my favorite lines to re-read for a long, long time .

JohnGalt

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JG

Hell-demon

Marketing has never been good for Neocron. Neocron is based on word of mouth, which is also why it isn't doing too well because ex-players or current can't really praise a game that annoys them.

I only found out about NC from an offline demo and something in pc gamer. No real ads to speak of. However this came to bite KK in the ass as NC2's arrival meant magazines and gaming reviewers rated it very poorly. The same magazines that praised neocron were now telling us to avoid it.

This game has not been marketed well. The no more elves campaign passed with very little notice and any other online ads were just as wanted as those bloody Evony ones we have now. This game was going to be marketed to the asian market (had a server set up and everything) but pulled out at the last minute becuase they new they were up against stiff competition. The big evo patches as well just added eye candy and so the core gameplay remained unchanged and as such so did the negative reviews.

Black Prophecy is going to face some hard times. Those with the bitter after taste of Neocron will not touch the next course from head chef Reakktor.

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IceStorm

It would be nice to see NC deficiencies fixed if BP is successful enough.

Fallen Earth's engine appears to be handling FPS combat/damage well (not to mention no zoning). Might be worth asking them about it, seeing as how Icarus Studios sells the engine and tools. Supposedly no sync issues or dup issues, either, though they are missing a few things (player housing, remote weapons, user-selected teleport).

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