Istaria's future: proactive or reactive?

[Vahrokh]

Ok, the horizon (pun intended) is getting near and we can see a "current generation" OS support plus the incoming dungeon already.

What then? Is here something like a roadmap?

Most of all, is Istaria going to reactively / passively "keep up" with the next years or will be there some deep changes, like i.e. renewing the graphics and possibly the gameplay?

Will the current "let's keep the old, loyal playerbase" stay or are we going to see "volume" new players campaigns and try a sort of rebirth, an "Istaria Reloaded"?

/crystal ball

[Takora Drakan]

Why not let the devs finish first the expansion and then talk about the future when it is out? How about that?

[Sigi]

Why not let the devs finish first the expansion and then talk about the future when it is out? How about that?

Agree. Let's first see what the near future brings, what the impact of the Vista compatibility and the expansion will be.

[Deth]

I hope the next big project they work on is the crystal revamp. My guess is it will be that or most likely they will go back to the Tier revamp and start back up on that again to clear up the middle levels and add more quest in for the Bipeds and their classes. After that it is anyone's guess what they will start on.

[velveeta]

usually i would agree with tak and sigi, but i confess that i wouldn't mind a bit of insight about future plans for my second fave game ever......
even if it is just ideas floating around with nothing confirmed or promised, just am interested in knowing as much of the future prospects as i am allowed, would be nice -
any more nadia type shox, for instance.........

[Rayth]

Why not let the devs finish first the expansion and then talk about the future when it is out? How about that?

There's an expansion?

In all honesty, it's nice that they are updating the game but I would like to know their long term plans. Some of the posts before looked like they were going to focus on their core, which didn't seem to include much in the way of adventure mechanic revamps.

With the adventure mechanics the way their are now, it's almost impossible for me to get some of my friends to come back.

I appreciate the better communication and work on the game, but until I can point to something it's pretty much just going to be me playing (among my friends). That leads to issues with my time and how much I dedicate to certain games. I am more likely to log into a game with my RL friends playing. I only have so much time to game.

[Deth]

There's an expansion?

The labyrinth content is being worked as a free expansion. Basically market spin. But at least it is not bad spin.

Looking back I am pretty sure they said they would return to the Tier Revamp after the Labyrinth release. What else they are working on I am sure they will not even hint at till after what they have done is done. As a Herald they have hinted at other future plans but they have not given us a lot of details. Just What if? questions to see what we thought on different things.

[Rayth]

The labyrinth content is being worked as a free expansion. Basically market spin. But at least it is not bad spin.

Yeah, whatever they are calling it, it is not an expansion. Free or otherwise.

I applaud what they are doing, but it's not enough content to justify the title of expansion. However, it might have felt like that to some of their developers, this was obviously a huge undertaking for them.

[Sigi]

Yeah, whatever they are calling it, it is not an expansion. Free or otherwise.

I applaud what they are doing, but it's not enough content to justify the title of expansion. However, it might have felt like that to some of their developers, this was obviously a huge undertaking for them.

wow, don't know what to say. but nice isn't one of the words.
You don't even know how much content the labyrinth is.

[LaughingOtter]

Yeah, whatever they are calling it, it is not an expansion. Free or otherwise.

I applaud what they are doing, but it's not enough content to justify the title of expansion.

In the words of Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that word means what you think it means".

[Milandra]

Ok, the horizon (pun intended) is getting near and we can see a "current generation" OS support plus the incoming dungeon already.

What then? Is here something like a roadmap?

Most of all, is Istaria going to reactively / passively "keep up" with the next years or will be there some deep changes, like i.e. renewing the graphics and possibly the gameplay?

Will the current "let's keep the old, loyal playerbase" stay or are we going to see "volume" new players campaigns and try a sort of rebirth, an "Istaria Reloaded"?

/crystal ball

What about both of them in the same time ?
New client and new content to come.
New support platform done.
Maybe some other surprises...

To me, all of this sounds like reactivity and proactivity.

/me points a phoenix flying around Istaria.

[Abbie]

Where can i read about that "expansion" I have tryed seach the forum, but nothing about it came up


Rougee

[Dragonboy]

Where can i read about that "expansion" I have tryed seach the forum, but nothing about it came up


Rougee

Not much is known about the blighted labyrinth apart from the fact that it is a high end dungeon like enviroment, also we have only been allowed to see some sneak peaks about the blighted Labyrinth. but so far no real time when it will go live.

Even if a large flow of new people will come to this game, it will take a long time before they are ready to actually enter this new place.

[Vahrokh]

First of all, excuse me for the delay in replying, I am a small developer myself, currently litigating with atomic multi-database update issues on a strict deadline project.

I don't think some people really got the meaning of my first post, expecially Takora.

I did not really ask "what" is boiling in the soup and to be frankly honest I don't care to know we will get 3 new confectioneer recipes or 2 Kwellen cousins.

It is more of an: "now you, Virtrium, have valliantly defeated the odds (an epic feat, worth an easter egg somewhere in the game ;P ).

You steered and fixed the drifting, sinking ship, you managed to put your hands on the client executable and managed to begin an ambitious dungeoun to bring Istaria more in line with current age MMOs".


What happens once the new changes are finalized and well?
Is the *Virtrium approach* going to focus on visibly expanding the player base, so to start a virtuous process that brings more income for quicker and quicker changes?

Of course you are not going to expand about mid or long term company strategies but don't you feel Istaria suffered a years long injustice (due to the known myriad of causes) to its potential and never "took off"?
Is Istaria going to take a revenge on this undeserved situation?

I mean, the world of bored gamers deluded by the current opaque, photocopy crop of omologated MMOs has to know there's something of old that still has so much to say. That has features no one else even tried to implement.

Sometimes I think your players believe in you Virtrium more than you do yourselves.

I don't know about you, but if I Istaria had been my "son" product I could not sleep at the night for the excitement of knowing so much *new and never seen before* has been done with so little resources. Imho this game deserves to come back to mainstream (hence my question about graphics revamp) and to prove its worth, not just to "survive the times".

This was exactly the meaning of my "reactive or proactive" original question.

[LOVWYRM]

2c:
Istaria has something, that I´ve experienced in no other game- nor did my friends: There is always a reason to log in (or pay for subs even if we take a break).
Our chars may be outmaxed, our lairs and plots are build, we know the world like our wallet, and the bosses know our names- but we still log in, pay our subs- and still have fun.
Cause- for the most of us- there is always something to do- besides new content, crafting or levelling.
This is something that should not be underestimated.
This is in my eyes-playerbase.
We are enthusiastic about little changes and fixes - and we are patient when it come to bigger projects. We always were

No doubt- we need new, "main stream" content, new players, modern engine.
But step by step- and not at all costs. Especially not in times of world wide economic crisis.

Knowing that we shall never be able, or want to compete against WoW:
When the last quest is done, the last raid finnished-
the game hoppers will leave again-
the (hopefully increasing) playerbase stays.