Changing the Rules of a 15-Year-Old Game: Quake Live Update Causes Controversy 170
An anonymous reader writes: As id Software aims for a larger, more mainstream audience for its free-to-play shooter Quake Live (based on 1998's Quake III Arena) on Steam, big changes are afoot. A new update was pushed out last week which adds some new, more beginner-friendly features to the game. These include weapon loadouts, which grant players a weapon of their choice when they spawn, timer icons, which indicate when the all-important powerup items will spawn, and an automatic bunny-hop to gain extra speed. The changes have been met with hostility from longtime players who prefer the "purist" rules of old and the duel format. As the writer points out, however, if the update helps attract more elite players to the gamer, it could breathe new life into a very old game.
How about making it more fun? (Score:2, Insightful)
Or better yet, making a new game that people will buy rather than still trying to cash in on a 1998 game which is 16 years old.
The problem with Quake live is... (Score:2, Insightful)
... that when I originally heard it I thought they were going to basically make the 'real' sequel to quake 3, and redo all the graphics/models /w modern tech, but it's just Q3A with a web interface and less mods/flexibility of the original.
Doom by boredom (Score:5, Insightful)
It's the same thing that's taken down games like World of Warcraft. They kept making it easier and easier, hoping to gain more players. After a while, the game is just too simple and repetitive to interest anyone. The whole thing just collapses.
Yeah, WoW is technically still around, but the players have been dropping out so badly that they have to consolidate realms now, instead of bringing out new ones. Even so, it's alarmingly vacant.
Looks like a good move (Score:5, Insightful)
They are adding the new while making the previous behavior accessible. FTA:
Classic Quake Live isn't being abandoned
While these changes are part of the new default Quake Live ruleset, the majority of them can be avoided by opting for Classic ruleset games. All the public Duel servers will run in Classic mode, and Create Match will let subscribers pick from Quake Live, Classic and Turbo rulesets. That's another thing – PQL (Promode Quake Live) is now called Turbo. As the Quake Live team explain it: "We hope that running our FFA [Free For All] and Teamplay servers with these new, fun, and accessible mechanics that we can begin to build a larger base of players who could then try their luck at the Classic Duel experience."
Re:hate bunny hop (Score:5, Insightful)
bunny hopping and strafe jumping became part of the skillset that players had to master. What's the big deal? It wasn't unstoppable and it gave your position away. Abusers routinely got their asses handed to them. All of the elite players used it too, esp for specific jumps that weren't normally possible.
More "elite" players? (Score:5, Insightful)
If they require all these cheats (let's call them what they are) to play, how in the name of Hell are they "more elite"?
Are they somehow empowered to greater delusions of grandeur?
Or are they chasing players who're monetizing their game streaming?
In which case FUCK them.
Sleazes (Score:3, Insightful)
The way I see it, id Software's new owners are evil because they even tried to frivolously sue John Carmack, who invented all their games and technology.
How about making it more fun? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Does not compute. (Score:4, Insightful)
OTOH, it's hard to attract players if the only thing they do when joining a server is getting their asses handed. It may be fun for some of the older players to play with their prey rather than having a "real" fight, but it's just no fun at all for the prey.
The way I see it they can't win: Make the game easier and alienate the old players. Keep it the way it is and ensure no new players will come.
Re:Doom by boredom (Score:2, Insightful)
WoW was never hard. It was a grind. The hardest part about WoW was getting 39 dumbasses to pay attention and move out of the fire. Other than that it was basically dance dance revolution.
Re:Doom by boredom (Score:2, Insightful)
WoW was repetitive in the beginning.
It was hard and required some skill. Thats what made it enjoyable.
And they've added a ton of innovative options for quests like vehicle modes, story modes, and more.
All to slow the progression of the game down, essentially making you subscribe for longer.
Instances now require you to wait for "storyline" triggers, even if you have played them 100 times over.
Obviously you've believed the rants, but you know what? Harder is not better, and the game is worth playing.
I left WoW a few years back for the sole reason it was "too easy, too casual" and the ingame gear rewards meant nothing as anyone can achieve them if they have time.
I'd love to see the current player base try the original ragnaros as level 60's in vanilla. Its hard yes, but so much more rewarding when you win.
In regards to the Quake Live changes.
Its simply a case of trying to merge gamers from the "easy game that lasts 4 hours and tells you how to play with cutscenes" console background into the PC "Rewarding you for mastering a game using your own initiative" market.
I can see why they are doing it, just a shame they have to numb the game down that fucking much to accommodate the ADHD community of console gamers.
Fans bitch about change (Score:4, Insightful)
news at 11.