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Was GOIO A Fluke?

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Byron Cavendish:
*Before reading this keep in mind these are just the opinions of the strongly opinionated Byron, and I am not trying to start a flame war*

I think most vets will agree if asked that the first 6-8 months of GOIO was it's golden age. Even though the population was much smaller, the game itself was much more enjoyable and had an aura of a well developed game with a bright future. I think at that point any of us would have said the developers had good heads on their shoulders.

Flash forward to today, and I think that story is quite different for many of us. Ever since that first summer after GOIO's release we started seeing bad habits arise; heavy-handed and arbitrary nerfs or balance changes, little to no testing, the disastrous spawn system, match-making and ui releases. The seemingly random design directions that would stop at months at a time to chase a new project, only to drop that and go back to the previous project. The development of this game has gone from a promising start to aimless and frantic "shooting in the dark".

I am also aware from fireside chats and other sources that the development staff of GOIO has had quite a few turnovers, including artists and writers, which has lead to gaps and disconnects in the style and identity of the game.

So I had a musing (no pun intended)...was our original bar set too high? Was the game developed really well, and perhaps after losing a few individuals (and the rise of others) lost it's brilliance behind its design? I think we can all agree that the original game at release and even its concept is a beautiful one. I for one will always love anything steampunk, and especially anything airship and steampunk. But ever since release the quality of the game and it's development has been slowly but steadily gaining in a downward spiral. Perhaps it's like a painting; the concept of the painting is beautiful, but the artist got so focused on a few details that they lost focus on the whole piece and what it was originally.

Thoughts?

Skrimskraw:
maybe its because you played a large amount of hours and are now used to the game and its mechanics. Nothing seem new and you lost interest in the game as a whole because when it comes down to it, it is just a game.

Lanliss:
A friend of mine compared goio to Princess Bride. It is a cult game, with niche gameplay. You cannot get the same thing anywhere else, but it is such a specific and unforgiving game that most either do not or cannot stick around. I already mentioned in a different section that it is possible, due to our low population, that those who play it right now are all naturals at it, to a degree. Maybe it took a while for some to pick up on the cues that others consider obvious, but at least they eventually learned. I think that most who left simply couldn't cut it in the world. This steep learning curve, combined with a mix of different art styles, makes it a very difficult game to pinpoint. I personally see it as one of the most competitive games out there, with most of the population playing competitively in one way or another.

To sum it all up, a very unique game. That makes it difficult to handle, because the devs cannot look anywhere for help, and must figure everything out on their own.

Byron Cavendish:

--- Quote from: Skrimskraw on May 03, 2015, 03:26:45 pm ---maybe its because you played a large amount of hours and are now used to the game and its mechanics. Nothing seem new and you lost interest in the game as a whole because when it comes down to it, it is just a game.

--- End quote ---

For me it feels like the opposite. I loved the original mechanics and style, and I hate the changes. I was more interested in the game when it wasn't changing so drastically. But I am not burned out if thats what you're saying, I really want to play this game, it's just so hard to after seeing it being mistreated.

Dutch Vanya:
Personally i think creating co-op mode was a mistake. I always wanted them to support their existing game more. Especially considering how limited the staff was and how it changed.

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