First, let me concur with some things.
The compile (especially, for me, MQ2Melee, AutoForage, AutoGroup, AutoAcceptTrades, etc) and marketplace are HUGE draws for me. I think I've purchased over 30 accounts from members here (and still have almost every one of them) with few issues.
How to videos and tutorials would be huge, as well as more/better documentation. Personally, as a person who prefers finding their own answers rather than asking (and only as a last resort), I'd like to see the wiki fleshed out a lot more. There are several plugins that don't even
have wiki articles (red links).
I haven't signed up for lifetime (except that period a few years ago when lifetime trial subs were offered) not because I don't value what's offered here. My problem is, I have a love/hate relationship with EQ. To me, it doesn't make sense to shell out for lifetime when I "know" I won't play more than 3-4 months a year (and so won't make use of said subscription). Branching out into other games would add serious value to a lifetime (or even a longer term) subscription. As it stands now, I usually sign up for the 3 month plan but I don't have a problem with the cost of the lifetime sub.
How do we show the general public that gaming is more fun w MQ2 and not get the ghestapo (dont know how to spell those fucks)
Hehe close enough (no 'h' in gestapo).
On a side note, I'm not sure if the reference to the merits of the kodak camera is the best metaphor since the company has been dying a slow death for a while and has finally tanked.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...raphers-mourn/2012/01/05/gIQAxiXjcP_blog.html
Actually, the metaphor works perfectly. Kodak is dying because of its refusal to adopt new technologies (digital, for example) for fear of cannibalizing its existing core business. The problem they ran into is the same thing dinosaur companies often do: evolve or die. They chose the latter. But there was a time when Kodak disposable cameras held something like 80+% market share. You'd see those little yellow boxes everywhere. In the 21st century though, those yellow boxes were replaced with green ones (Fuji) and many of them were digital based which, of course, the dinosaur up in Rochester had no answer for.
I think the metaphor was used in the general, not specific, sense. 'Kodak' is synonymous with a particular product (cameras) much like 'Kleenex' is with tissues and 'Kotex' is with, well, you know ('petrol' in the UK, and amongst older folks 'Thermos' and 'aspirin' fit the bill as well). I think it's apropos in this case on another level since I believe this is one of those turning points where, apparently, MMOBugs has to evolve in some way or face the reaper's scythe (figuratively, if not literally). I love this site to death. It added an entirely new dimension to my EQ play. Honestly, if I hadn't found MQ2 (in general, and MMOBugs in particular), I probably wouldn't even still be playing EQ (at all).
However, I do like the idea of a cheaper compile, without the exclusive plugins perhaps. Another thing that occured to me while reading Fry's post was that the community here is very limited in that it's almost entirely devoted to EQ. With so many games on the market now, if there were some way to branch out some more it could increase the user base just via having more games to draw people in. We have a kick-ass EQ section, and the marketplace probably produces a lot of clientele for the site as well, but EQ is not in the best shape, even with FtP. And I am not saying we lay this all on the current devs shoulders. If we can attract people that are developing hacks for other games, bring them here, that could drive impetus and traffic here.
If this place stays EQ centric forever, it has to die, as surely as the game itself will.
(emphasis mine)
I wouldn't be against a 'passive only' compile at a lower price point. I don't think I use any active plugins at all (and never really did, aside from trying /zone and /warp a few times years ago, to see what all the fuss was about). It would suit me fine but I can't speak for anyone else.
I also agree WHOLE-HEARTEDLY with the above poster about the Marketplace being a kick-ass place to buy and sell. I've NEVER been burned here and I would NEVER go back to PlayerAuctions or any place else. The key is you guys are INVOLVED and GIVE A SHIT. In contrast, PA is full of shit! Like they started offering those "purchase protection guarantees" which weren't worth a plugged nickel. On this site when I've even started to suspect someone trying to sell me something was a scammer, I contacted one of the admins and almost immediately got an answer and good advice.
Don't under-estimate the value of your Marketplace forums. In the long run you could probably run the whole site off of this, albeit probably a smaller version. And I agree anything to "grow" the Marketplace, while continuing to keep it safe (there's the challenge, eh?) would provide real consumer value to subscribers.
Please hear this, it's like tablets from the mount. I can say that when my sub lapses and I'm not actively playing EQ, the one thing that sparks my interest in resubbing is the marketplace. Seeing what's available gets me to consider returning.
For example the game Tera is releasing soon. If you had a section for it even if it had nothing but a map for now, and it was actively updated and new tools where added, I think you could see a lot of subs for that.
As someone who preordered Tera and is looking forward to headstart (tomorrow?!?), I would totally agree with this.
However, I don't 'get' the people advocating "getting the word out". MMOBugs is very much like speakeasies were during Prohibition (or raves during the early to mid 90s). You don't want everyone and their dog knowing where they are as it's bound to attract attention you don't want. Considering how destructive to MQ use having just a few asshats can be, I would be hesitant to roll out the red carpet to Captain Re Re and his crew. MQ2, most recently, has become synonymous with GK/ND and idiots on Fippy who don't follow the tag line (Cheat SMARTER, you fuckin' stem cell rejects). Let's not forget the dopes on the last progression server run (Combine/Sleeper), zoning into PoTime when Velious had just been unlocked. It's why I like to set up in instances, whenever possible, or unused parts of open zones (goos on the way to Crystallos in DSH, for example, instead of at the farm watching some dumkoff warp around "swarming" (pre-ban waves, of course), pulling every named as soon as it spawned).
I'd like to see more members as much as anyone else, but the filtered kind. Not the types who would walk up to a cop in uniform with the, "You need something? I got that shit for you" line. Send the people looking for GK/ND over to CC.