PapaSlade

This...almost 4 years of looking at the same stuff makes you appreciate it less. We did the Mantis TF on our VEAT night and one of our team members had obviously never done it before. When we entered the last mish and they got a look at the Sky Raider base and all the enemies flying around it was a "Holy Crap" moment for them. Which reminded me of my first run on that TF and made me really want something new. I need a new wow moment.

I kinda feel the same way as you Net. In truth, I speed too much stuff when teamed, and should stop to smell the roses (so to speak) a little more often. Which I manage to do when I solo sometimes, but probably not enough.

Well, it is what it is, if these are insurmountable issues then I am sorry you feel that way. That doesn't make it any less fun for me and I consider the 42 merits a good value. The last Mantis I ran was for an all VEAT event and I only had one VG mate with me. I don't see the big deal. I would guess if you got the improvements you ask for it would be speed run and merit nerfed like most everything else. So maybe they do provide value by preventing that from happening.

Does spending 3-6 hours (or who knows how long) running around the Shard add value to those? Does having to complete a story arc to gain access to Cimerora(SP?) add value to the ITF? Does having to be lvl 45 add value to a Lady Grey? The value is a fun gaming experience that requires a couple things to do. I guess I just do not see the things you listed as brickwalls to playing this content.

If a certain set of requirements means there is a hidden gem of content in the game, maybe that's a good thing. Maybe having everything be as easy as possible to do cheapens the experience of doing those things. People are just missing out on good content for silly reasons.

There are a good number of Maps still not available...there is an entire thread listing them in one of the MA forum sections. There are still issues with certain mobs not being available (Zig prisoners comes to mind) so I would imagine there is more than a few things that can still be added.

Agreed, Mantis is a great TF and should be done much more. I cannot explain why it isn't.

First, Longbow are set to spawn abushes when you reach a certain point on the map. If you run straight to the bank you spawn an ambush for each point you cross on the way to the bank and all those ambushes simply follow you to the bank. Heck, if you do them enough you know what areas spawn an ambush and you can run a route that will miss most of them. If you die you spawn the ambushes set to come when you do the jail break side mish.

You are trying to do these with a Blue side mind set of "rush to the bank". You need to think red side and they will be more fun.

If you are solo you need to hit the first bus stop, mailbox, payphone, newspaper stand and fire hydrant you see. Poof! Instant extra 5 minutes. Seriously, destroy everything and do everyside mish you can on the way. I have had 40 min on my mayhem timer before I even go to the bank. As you move across the map you will spawn one nice, managable, fun to kill Longbow ambush at a time. When you get to the bank you will get the one ambush set for the bank door.

Heck, I think even the side mishes give more time than Blue side. The only side mish I do not bother with is the kidnap. Mahyems are simply one of the best things to do Red side. I really think you are missing out on some fun by attacking them with a blue side mentality...because safeguards...those are no fun.

With all due respect I must disagree with this statement. You seem to assume a static global population in which every person that could possibly be intersted in this game has been exposed to its existence. Kids are growing up, acquiring disposable income, buying their first comics and have NEVER heard of this game. As I have stated before, if this game was not on a shelf in Best Buy almost 4 years ago I may never have heard of this game. There are always new potential customers for a product like this.

Is retension of current customers important? Absolutely, but if that is the sole focus of your marketing and advertising than you may as well be selling cigarettes and praying you keep all your currnet customers...well, at least until they all die off.

Ok, so the appeal is limited. So you suggest they limit themselves further by simply concetrating on the players they already have? The appeal of board games like Monoploy is limited but do the makers of board games stop looking for new people to play their games?

I am not asking for celebrity sponsored super bowl ads but what we have now is zip. I imagine there will be a shelf presence and some ad work for GR when it finally hits (lord I hope so) but it should not stop there. This game has a lot to offer a new player already and people outside of the petri dishes that pass for most MMO.whatever forums should be made aware of that fact.

Castle, I think the majority of the player base (PP excluded), while annoyed, for the most part understands why the release of information on new features to the public/player base flows like a clogged IV drip. What I really think is starting to worry, annoy and make people scratch their heads at is the lack of anything outside of keeping "our nearly 6 year old game in the gaming press".

I have no idea where I fit in the MMO marketing demographic but if all this game ever did was advertise in "the Gaming Press" I would have NEVER found it almost 4 years ago and may never have found it. I am a comics fan more than an MMO fan. I found this game on the shelf at Best Buy. I do not go to gaming press sites unless it's from a link in these forums.

I may be speaking for myself but this game should not have to tread water in the gaming press until GR comes out with some new shiny. It should be actively seeking more people based on the merits of what is ALREADY IN THE GAME. Posters or some sort of presence in local comic book shops should not be out of the realm possiblitly. A trip by marketing (or heaven forbid an actual Dev) to set up a booth at a Comicon east of the San Andreas fault would be a novel idea. There is a big one coming to Chicago in a little over 2 months.

The fact that this is an old game does not have to be a handicap to marketing it. Touting the expansive content available for a new player to the game, listing all of the FREE content that has been added and continues to be added, should draw those looking for a good game experience and a good value but have never tried an MMO or have no interest in orcs and elves. I think people are frustrated with marketings narrow focus on the control of information about new stuff and lack of focus on educating consumers on what is already in the game.

I want to feel like marketing cares about the growth of the game as much as the people here do. Instead we get...well...nothing. A blurb on mmoblahblahblah.com does not a marketing campaign make.

I love the game and, like many here, I just don't seem to get the feeling that marketing feels the same way.

Crap. There is not enough booze in my house to get the image of Tam humping...I mean loving...the leg lamp from A Christmas Story out of my head.


Thanks

WOOT!!! I will begin shameless promotion right away.