How Most People Outside DU See the Game...

[Rokkur]

Just leaving this here, cause I think it is Critical for NQ to see.

https://www.mmorpg.com/reviews/dual-universe-review-flawed-ambition-2000126634

It comes from the perspective of basically any potential new blood to the game, (those not already locked into years of investment like the rest of us.)
It isn't just us as a community being toxic, unconstructive, giving unbalanced feedback, our points are both valid and real, and should not be dismissed.

Even people outside the game, giving it a shot have very similar questions, and conclusions about the game's current state.


In case NQ can't be arsed to click the link: Here is the summary:
 

Quote

Hard to Recommend
Dual Universe is not a great game, as a result. With the lack of polish, clear direction, or anything really compelling to do unless you really want to try your hand at becoming a industrialist in a player-run economy, it’s hard to recommend to anyone, especially when you consider it will require a subscription fee to maintain. 
 

This $ 15-a-month sub will let you continue to play Dual Universe, but given all of its issues, it makes it hard to justify that cost. Honestly, Dual Universe would be better served just selling the title and having an in-game shop that sells cosmetics for ships and players rather than the sub fee. 
 

This is compounded when you consider No Man’s Sky, another space exploration and crafting title, as well as Elite: Dangerous don’t require a subscription and are just infinitely better games. No Man’s Sky nails the exploration and crafting loop, while also creating ways for players to game together, while Elite: Dangerous has some of the best real-world spaceflight simulation in MMOs today (complete with full HOTAS or gamepad support). It’s hard to recommend Dual Universe over those two titles, or even EVE Online, which has a ridiculously high learning curve for some, but has established itself as a true player driven sandbox for almost twenty years - and is free to play. 
 

I really wanted to enjoy Dual Universe, and at first I was. I truly did enjoy the grind early on, until I realized that, for the most part, the grind was all there was. The ambitious systems that define Dual Universe also doom it, and as a result there just isn’t much to do aside from harvest, sell and rinse and repeat, even if you add layer and layer of industrial complexity to the loop. While player ingenuity and artistry will make some of these systems more and more interesting, especially with LUA scripting and more, for me, it just doesn’t make for a compelling experience I can recommend.

 

SEEMS RESOUNDINGLY FAMILIAR TO ALL OUR "UNBALANCED FEEDBACK" OVER THE YEARS...

Edited November 17, 2022 by Rokkur

[blundertwink]

I will never understand the immature, self-defeating logic of running a long, long beta program only to get annoyed at all the feedback you receive, then decide that your customers are useless idiots with no opinions worth reading. 

 

It's becoming impossible to have sympathy for DU's train wreck of a release...they truly don't respect their own customers.

 

It shows in how they've developed the game these past few years especially, but also in how they do the bare minimum in customer support and service (even now in release!) 

 

NQ's CEO keeps talking about how great DU is and how players can "build without limits" (his post yesterday literally said "But there are absolutely no limits to your imagination" in describing DU's building)...

 

Yet he sure isn't interesting in talking with actual customers or engaging with the game at all...he's a lot more interested in his scammy blockchain pals. I'm not sure that he's ever actually done a post, "podcast", or announcement other than an introduction. 

 

NQ has no leadership...no ability to in building, supporting, or selling a product, and no interest in interacting with customers.

 

It's like they've emerged from a cave with no understanding of how business works in general, never mind building and supporting an MMO. 

[Msoul]

Thank you for sharing the link Rokkur it was a very interesting read. The part that stood out the most to me were the initial difficulties grasping various game mechanics. I tend to agree that Dual Universe has a steep learning curve. There is of course a need for challenging content but it is also important that new players are not getting overwhelmed. Personally I consider the first spaceflight in DU to be a very special experience. There will be some that want to punctuate it with an explosion or burn off all their fuel to peacefully drift off into the darkness, but I really feel for players that unintentionally end up in these situations due to lack of knowledge. As an old veteran, I am honestly not well situated to offer suggestions on this particular topic. Maybe we need better tutorials or maybe there needs to be hard barriers in place to slow down new players so they don't get in over their heads. It would be really awesome if more people from this group could share their experiences and offer their thoughts and suggestions for improvement.

[Bobbie]

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[Novean-61657]

To be fair, part of the fun during beta was the 'finding out' and 'figuring it out' aspect of DU. That's imho why this 'relaunch' is so boring/annoying for folks that played during that time, just reinventing the wheel. But that review hits a lot of nails on the head. The question is, is this what NQ intended with DU, give minimal information to new players and let them educate themselves or let the community do it.

 

I also suspect that this is why this reviewer ran into these issues. Normally people start playing DU after seeing someone doing some cool gameplay, like flying...

[Maxim Kammerer]

On 11/17/2022 at 11:17 PM, blundertwink said:

NQ has no leadership...no ability to in building, supporting, or selling a product, and no interest in interacting with customers.

 

It's like they've emerged from a cave with no understanding of how business works in general, never mind building and supporting an MMO. 

 

But they are still there. For me that's the biggest mystery. For years they do everyting to scare paying custumers away but DU and NQ still exist. How is that possible and how long will they keep up beating the odds?

[Kezzle]

2 hours ago, Maxim Kammerer said:

 

But they are still there. For me that's the biggest mystery. For years they do everyting to scare paying custumers away but DU and NQ still exist. How is that possible and how long will they keep up beating the odds?

Most of the people who have been around during that time bought a package (aka placed a bet) early on and might not have spent another red cent, and won't need to until the DACs they bought (way back when) run out. People have stayed because it doesn't cost them anything more, and out of morbid curiosity to see whether it'll turn out how it was first pitched to them. We'll see once DACs run out whether they can continue to keep the lights on.

[Maxim Kammerer]

57 minutes ago, Kezzle said:

We'll see once DACs run out whether they can continue to keep the lights on.

 

It's not DACs but real cash that keeps lights on and there is no reason why they should run out at the same time. It's much more important when subscriptions of new players expire. That's why I agree with @Rokkur that it is critical for NQ to see what happens outside its bubble.

[Kezzle]

1 hour ago, Maxim Kammerer said:

 

It's not DACs but real cash that keeps lights on and there is no reason why they should run out at the same time. It's much more important when subscriptions of new players expire. That's why I agree with @Rokkur that it is critical for NQ to see what happens outside its bubble.

Very true, that. All that us DAC players are doing is persuading whatever investment company is supporting DU in the hopes of turning a profit that there's a playerbase there that might start actually spending some more cash once their free time has run out. So I guess there's a step-wise pressure that'll grow:

1. People who bought a month or two with launch stop their subs and people with only 1 DAC don't spend their cash like they're "expected to".
2. Each month, some people who've been paying drop their subscription.
3. People with 3 DACs don't extend their playtime with money.
4. Players with 6 DACs leave the game having expended their free time
5. And so on...

Each step/stage will have the effect of increasing the pressure on the endeavour's finances. At the moment, I don't see any of those stages increasing the number of active, paying subs... I hope I'm wrong and I can come back in a couple of years after my DACs are used up and pay a sub with a realistic expectation of getting my money's worth.