Comments on eldergoth: Alganon NDA lifted, here are my thoughts

Eh, this is always going to happen (not that I con...

2010-07-26T11:42:27.323+10:00

Eh, this is always going to happen (not that I condone it) Even WoW is a hack from MUD days. Just check out something like the Iron Realms Text games, which have been around much longer then any graphical MMO and see all the similarities in game play.

WoW's interface is better than LoTRO's because LoT...

2009-12-24T12:12:59.476+11:00

WoW's interface is better than LoTRO's because LoTRO's interface buttons are WAAAY too detailed which results in a button bar looking like mush on my screen with very little discerning art difference between each button.

Thank you for this review BTW. I think i'll steer clear from this.

hmmm.... well i have just run a google search for ...

2009-12-24T06:51:27.440+11:00

hmmm....
well i have just run a google search for Alganon review and found this..
I have been playing Alganon since launch but didnt play Beta, I also played WoW from start for a couple of years and everything from EQ to bang up to date stuff.I will be the first to admit the UI is very similar to WoW but like someone earlier said Blizard did make their UI very similar to various previous games like EQ etc..
I know you guys will probably flame me because that seems the mindset on this subject but i would like to make a few points.
1. I am VERY glad i bought and installed the game before reading this review as i like many people above would more than likely not and would of missed out on a lot of fun.

2. like i said i have played many games like this from the start (and joined them later in dev) but i have never seen a company respond so swiftly to reported bugs with patches/hotfixes as the guys at QoL they are literaly in game with us, if you have a problem they fix it!

3. The community reminds me of early Ultima Online or Everquest, there are no immature kids shouting in world chat and everyone is happy to help each other.

maybe the beta was bad but try it now apart from a handful of broken quests ive not had any problems at all.

now you can all flame me :)

I never tried Alganon but this post makes me shake...

2009-12-05T03:56:40.270+11:00

I never tried Alganon but this post makes me shake my head and laugh at the same time. It is not similarity, it is a shameless clone! Rofl.

Games got way too many problems, and they're talki...

2009-11-26T08:33:13.943+11:00

Games got way too many problems, and they're talking about "releasing" it in a week. the forums already have a guy with issues trolling it sending threats via email. Pathetic. Damn shame too because IMO the games got some cool new ideas that could make it a big game. But they're going to screw it up and fail by rushing it out before it's ready.

Seriously, how can anybody defend that blatant cop...

2009-11-13T10:51:12.934+11:00

Seriously, how can anybody defend that blatant copy of the interface? The game could have been a WoW-clone, and that would be "OK", but ffs, they didn't even spend 10 hours of work developing their own graphics for the UI. Even white windows with a black outline would have been better than using copyrighted art. Hell, couldn't they even find a more suitable MMO? They had to go for the most known. Can anybody tell me why WoW's interface is better than, let's say, LotR's when it comes to the appearance? Or AoC's? Or EQ2's?

What they have done is, at least, illegal in most Western countries. I can't feel but pity for the CMs working for the game. It has to be quite embarrassing for them.

"to my mind it is just unethical to be soliciting ...

2009-11-13T07:40:36.022+11:00

"to my mind it is just unethical to be soliciting pre-orders whilst advertising these features in such a way as to make it seem that they are already implemented and will be in-game at launch time" - see Funcom, Age of Conan pre-launch hype circa 2008.

Companies that do this go on my "do not buy from" list, its just plain stealing in my book.

Not sure what is worse, the fact you get your gami...

2009-11-13T02:01:24.451+11:00

Not sure what is worse, the fact you get your gaming news from Tobold or actually tried this one

Wow a lot of comments are missing the point. This ...

2009-11-13T01:32:17.246+11:00

Wow a lot of comments are missing the point. This is not copying WoW in the same way that Blizzard copied earlier games, or how DDO, WoW, WAR, LOTRO, EQ, all have similar interfaces. This is cut and paste! Even the icons are the same. They couldn't even be bothered to make new icons.

It's like the difference between writing a book about a small group of adventurers the hero of which is a short guy who has to destroy a powerful magic item, and just photocopying Tolkien and publishing it as your own.

Read this yet: http://www.massively.com/2009/11/02...

2009-11-04T00:58:05.857+11:00

Read this yet:
http://www.massively.com/2009/11/02/massivelys-pre-launch-interview-with-alganon/

The following is my favorite quote from the game:
http://arewenewatthis.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/requisite-retort-or-infringement-initiated/

this game is a ripoff of WoW and i can bet that so...

2009-10-31T15:06:15.557+11:00

this game is a ripoff of WoW and i can bet that some of the other things are going to be ripped off from warhammer.. for example salvaging is a warhammer tradeskill i know cause my blackguard has it

Carson, do you have a contact email address? I loo...

2009-10-29T18:37:51.543+11:00

Carson, do you have a contact email address? I looked all over the site. I wanted to email you to see if you are interested in being paid for writing articles, reviews, guides, etc. about MMOs. If this sounds at all interesting, contact me here: http://www.muckbeast.com

While I would have to agree with the fact that Alg...

2009-10-29T12:35:53.069+11:00

While I would have to agree with the fact that Alganon needs a lot of work yet, your "Review" of it certainly sounded biased. You almost sound like a Wow Fanboy. The game has potential. If you play past level 5, you may find that.

Of course there are going to be things that are the same as WoW.. Just like WoW has things that are like EQ and DAoC. And Warhammer had things that were like all the other ones before it.

As the Algnaon Community Manager I wanted to thank...

2009-10-29T11:00:50.733+11:00

As the Algnaon Community Manager I wanted to thank you for taking the time and energy to put this preview together.

AS we continue though beta we rely on players like yourself to help us find and fix as many bug and issues as we can before our December 1, 2009 launch. Our launch date was recently moved up.

I would invite anyone who hasn't played Alganon or who may be in beta but hasn't tested the game for a while to give it a try.

Thanks again. -Tork

I don't mind if a game is very similar to WoW. I r...

2009-10-28T18:53:28.413+11:00

I don't mind if a game is very similar to WoW. I really liked WoW. I am just so burned out on WoW, that I would enjoy a game that plays similarly but has new world, lore, etc.

My only real concern are the massive number of bugs in the game. If they could get those fixed, I might be interested in this game. We'll see.

I have to say, one of the greatest lines ever spok...

2009-10-28T18:44:50.283+11:00

I have to say, one of the greatest lines ever spoken by a Developer has to be this:

"People can pick apart every aspect of Alganon they wish. We're busy building a commercial-grade fun MMOG that we all want to play. The Alganon UI was built from scratch. In addition, we use our own custom-built LUA system for our interface, which will allow full 3rd party support. We know many people will develop different (possible better) interfaces upon release. We will endorse this.

Sometimes there is just the "right way" to do things when it comes to the presentation of world interaction. If there's similarities to other games, it's because they've done it right as well."

By Requnix, so the fact that the completely stole every single UI item and made it look identical to WoW is mere coincidence and nothing more. The fact that they have no Keyring, misplaced Art! The fact that the even stole the layout of the Achievement Panel without an Achievement system in sight? Coincidence! The fact that all the menus, and submenus look identical, because both games got it right...

Dear McBride, Yes, I am sure the OP is aware that...

2009-10-28T18:38:37.820+11:00

Dear McBride,

Yes, I am sure the OP is aware that Rangers can be tanks and healers. Which makes them not Rangers but WoW Druids. Except they use bows to cast their magical healing powers. It's not unique, it's stupid. Rangers are not Druids except here, which means Wardens will probably be Hunters. Magus is are sort of like Death Knights that only cast spells instead of melee, but in the most retarded sense. Soldiers are an exact copy of Warrior, everything they do, Shield Slam, Heroic... I mean Focus Strike even Battle Shout. All the same skills, and Healers are just Priests. Congrats, their revolutionary and unique classes are just renamed knock offs.

I skipped some of the comments. Honestly, I have ...

2009-10-28T16:26:15.527+11:00

I skipped some of the comments. Honestly, I have no problem with copying everything from WoW but the end game paradigm. Having played WoW for getting close to 5 years, I would love something that is essentially WoW but more of a sandbox. Why try to fix something that isn't broken?

It is sad that the game seems to be in such a sorry state because otherwise I'd be somewhat interested. Thanks for saving me some cash!

mcbride, please do name a couple of bigger titles ...

2009-10-28T12:01:05.565+11:00

mcbride, please do name a couple of bigger titles that were in worse shape at release than Alganon would have been if it had launched this week.

I'll concede that while I have played most of the first generation MMOs, I didn't see them at release.

Certainly nothing of the post-WoW generation has been even remotely as poor as the current state of Alganon. Even celebrated failures like Age of Conan (which, remember, everyone loved until they realized how quickly the good content ran out) and Warhammer Online (which was buggy and messy, but nothing close to how buggy and messy Alganon is at the moment).

While there is elements of truth in your review by...

2009-10-28T11:42:29.683+11:00

While there is elements of truth in your review by you own admission you were lazy and did not do certain things. For example saying that the ranger is just an archer tells me you did not even take the time to do some research on the website, nor play it more then a few levels at the start.

The crafting system on the surface looks a lot like WOWs, but if you actually got very deep into it you find it changes. QoL has people enter things with the familiar as they take them on a journey towards what is truely theirs.

Your comment also saying this is the worst game you have played at release tells me you are not that experienced. I could list a lot of bigger titles I beta tested that were in worse shape at release, which somehow survived. This does not mean QoL does not have more work to do, and by pushing the release back for over a month we will see how far they go.

Reviewing your review I find you inexperienced and a tad bit lazy in your game play. To much so to be writing reviews that I would pay much attention too. Hopefully you listen to those who do not like your work as much as QoL seems to.

This is a great preview for such a bad game.

2009-10-28T09:04:27.622+11:00

This is a great preview for such a bad game.

Appreciate the write-up!

2009-10-28T07:18:03.464+11:00

Appreciate the write-up!

Excellent post, I had thoughts of writing somethin...

2009-10-28T06:58:19.593+11:00

Excellent post, I had thoughts of writing something up myself using screenshots as you did so it was nice to see someone do the side by sides.

Excellent blog post, thanks for taking the time an...

2009-10-28T04:24:02.665+11:00

Excellent blog post, thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together.

Regarding legal issues generally games companies don't go for each other even where it's blatant. It's more or less an open secret in the industry that everyone steals off everyone else.

The "WoW interface" actually originated in Asheron's Call 2 so it would be particularly sticky ground for Blizzard.

Put it this way - they could start a court case aimed at getting a percentage of Alganon's earnings which if it goes wrong could end up with a judge ruling that although Alganon copied the UI, IP on the UI does not belong to Blizzard. This would allow whoever owns the AC2 rights to sue Blizzard for a chunk of WoW's profits.

And of course Asheron's Call ripped off a lot from Everquest which was so close to one of the preceding MUDs it even had some of the same text and the MUDs rip off older MUDs and D&D which rips off Tolkien who ripped off ancient English and Scandinavian mythology.

So considering all that I doubt we will see any IP suits except where they are using someone else's trademark. For example if you made a Dragons and Dungeons MMO you might get sued by the owner of Dungeons and Dragons because it's close to their trademark.

Having said all that it simply doesn't need to be sued. It will be bought by a handful of people who are diehard Horizons fans (all 4 of them) or people who simply buy anything they like the box art for. And almost none will renew after their free month.

Then this terrible lazy piece of game design will die the death it deserves.

Regarding their business model they would be crazy to not be sub-based. Speaking cynically they need to get $50 off people before people see how bad their product is. In fact if I were advising them I'd recommend $200 lifetime subs as something they should be pushing. And have a fast plane ready to somewhere that doesn't recognise US/Western European civil judgments.

The amount of plagiarism is kind of astounding. Wh...

2009-10-28T04:14:42.984+11:00

The amount of plagiarism is kind of astounding. What are they smoking over there?