Pricing of the game in its current state?

[eric]

I have tried to find conclusive information on the pricing of this game but did not find it (maybe I'm just too dense to understand it). So I'll try to find my answer on this general subforum.

While reading on the 'pre-order' page I read that the initial purchase price is some 40 US-dollar which gives you the right to download the current client and spend 30 days ingame.

Is it correct that one has to pay for each next month to continue playing? Or is this only the case once the game is out of beta/alpha/whatever testing?

Reason I ask is because I've read on this and other fora that the game is not nearly as 'complete' as is advertised on this website. I'm aware that small companies don't have enormous funds to keep at it until its really done (with this I mean that the product is as advertised).
Still, paying a premium subscription for a game that is unstable/incomplete seems rather harsh and unrealistic and not something to look forward to for me (that is).

Having just endured a few months or Mortal Online (which is also advertised as a sandbox-type MMO) which wasn't finished still I'm wary to repeat a similar experience in Xsyon.

Thanks for your answers.

[Xsyon]

$39.99 is the price for Xsyon Prelude, which includes 2 months of game play after the official launch date and a week or two of early access which will begin with the final character wipe.

Subcriptions will be required after the 2 month free game play period.

You also get immediate access to the ongoing testing which is happening right now.

I hope that answers everything!

[eric]

First off thank you for your answers.

What you wrote is clear from the moment the game is officially launched.

But can you also say what the current situation is?

Is the game now in a sort of beta stage?
And does that mean that when I'd purchase the game via pre-order today that I wouldn't have to pay an subscription fee for as long as the game is not launched?

If so, can you give an estimate on how long the official launch is away from today?
And lastly, you wrote that there will be a final character wipe. Does this also include a new (fresh/uninhabited) world?

What the current players are able to do is familiarize themselves with the gamemechanics, exploring the possible actions and build experience for themselves, is that correct?

[KeithStone]

The game has not launched yet.

Basically, paying for the pre-order gets you access to the beta part of the game.

I've been under the impression that the entire server will be wiped right before the game launches- pre-orders get a week or 2 head start.

About 80% of what's on the feature list is in the game or about to be in the game in the next few days. (there's a patch coming out very soon)

Like xsyon said, this game is still in development- but as far as "completeness" goes- there's lots of things in the game to do.

[Jadzia]

eric wrote:


Is the game now in a sort of beta stage?
And does that mean that when I'd purchase the game via pre-order today that I wouldn't have to pay an subscription fee for as long as the game is not launched?

If so, can you give an estimate on how long the official launch is away from today?
And lastly, you wrote that there will be a final character wipe. Does this also include a new (fresh/uninhabited) world?

What the current players are able to do is familiarize themselves with the gamemechanics, exploring the possible actions and build experience for themselves, is that correct?
Yes, the game is currently in beta.

If you buy the game now, you don't have to pay anything till the launch, well actually till 2 months after the launch since the preorder comes with 2 months free gameplay (which starts after the official launch). I bought the game in April, and haven't payed a dime since then, still I can play/test it anytime.

And lastly, you wrote that there will be a final character wipe. Does this also include a new (fresh/uninhabited) world?

There will be a character/world wipe before the early access starts, so yes, it will be a fresh, uninhabited world. As far as I know players will be able to build villages during early access and those villages will stay in the game. (As Xsyon said early access is a 1-2 weeks long period before the launch).


What the current players are able to do is familiarize themselves with the gamemechanics, exploring the possible actions and build experience for themselves, is that correct?
Exactly, and they can help testing the game :)

[Xsyon]

eric wrote:


Is the game now in a sort of beta stage?


Yes. I don't call it a 'beta', because beta implies a feature lockdown and the goal of a finished product. Xsyon is planned to constantly evolve, so it won't ever have either. :)



And does that mean that when I'd purchase the game via pre-order today that I wouldn't have to pay an subscription fee for as long as the game is not launched?


Yes, correct.



If so, can you give an estimate on how long the official launch is away from today?


As soon as possible. The major features that need to be finished are the tribe rank and quest system. There are a few minor features that also need to be added.

I can't give a solid estimate. It could be another month or two. I hope not longer than that. We've had too many unexpected delays over the course of the year. I will announce the final wipe a few weeks ahead of time when I'm confident we are ready.
And lastly, you wrote that there will be a final character wipe. Does this also include a new (fresh/uninhabited) world?



What the current players are able to do is familiarize themselves with the gamemechanics, exploring the possible actions and build experience for themselves, is that correct?

Yes and provide feedback. One of the main reasons the game has taken longer than expected to launch is that many things have been changed and added in response to player feedback.

[Franconian]

eric , I bought in last week . Xsyon turned out to be what I've been looking for years. The current state of the game is quite enjoyable and I really feal like I'm part of something big. The dev team seems to be right on top of the situation. I would not hestitate to see if Xsyon is for you or not .

[jefferysauto]

This game, the DEVS have seem to listen to testers more than most, I have tested about 200 games in my life and yes 200, I do it for aprt time job as well.

At any event find this company to listen to players more than most.. I also see it being a greta game to play once its done.

[Paradox]

I have to agree, this is the most I have ever seen devs interact and actually use community feedback. I have been around for a few months now and still enjoy playing or testing things.

[Virtus]

everyone seems to be posting here so I'm going to be cool and do it to!

Now for an excse ot creat this spam post...

Currently the game world is quiet because of the pending wipe for the next update which will include some fixes to major bugs and the long waited wait for construction.

However, once that is out I feel there will be a ton of people in game sorting out thier tribal areas. Even though the players now another wipe will be somewhere around the cornor they seem to be having fun with doing what is available (earth forts).

[eric]

Again I would like to thank all of you (including the developers) for taking time to reply with concise answers.

It's nice to see that people are enjoying this game in wording ;).

Although there are certain websites which I frequent (like MMORPG.COM) where people are less than positive about the whole 'pre-order' concept because of delays and Xsyon not living up to expectations thus far, I am starting to become convinced that the game and its creators has a future. Of course its all dependant on the amount of 'sand' in the box and how stable and above all fun the game will turn out to be.

As I've written in my first post I have been trying out Mortal Online recently which is, as far as I can determine, a similar concept. The idea of a world where the players are the game appeals to me, especially if one (like myself) is more of a builder instead of a pk-er.

Yet, in MO there are so many problems (both technical and in game mechanics) that unless one is a truly 'hardcore' pvp'er who enjoys grinding endlessly, one seldom really accomplishes anything. I'm not here to burn down MO but I've learned that alot more is needed than a world with dedicated players. Above all there needs to be enough support from the developers in both giving ingame tools (like tradingposts or vendors, a decent chatsystem with friendslist etc) and outside support.

I'm assuming that Xsyon is also developed by a handful of people (correct?) who can't do everything immediately. I just hope that (unlike in my experience with MO) they do what they promise and keep working on the game even when subscriptions are low. Of course, only time will tell.

Lastly: where can I find detailed information about gathering/crafting/trading that is possible in the game currently?

Cheers again,
Eric

[Virtus]

Yes, Xsyon only has a hand full of devs.

What detailed info would you like about those? The FAQ and Features list, if you haven't seen, might be able to answer some.

[Kinslayer]

I hear your concerns, very clearly. I got burnt the first time with Darkfall, that was just a complete disaster and didnt deliver a sandbox game. My next hope was MO, and I spent well over 12mths there in beta and post-release, trying to help them test and create the game they said they wanted to build. In the end, they gave into the PvPrs, and worked on nothing but PvP concepts of the game. In the end, my guild all decided that MO was a griefers PvP game, built for griefers/exploiters/Pvp'rs, by griefers/exploiters/PvP'rs.

This explains why Im here, as well as those in my guild that are willing to keep searching. The problem is, these days, too many indy devs are labelling their games as sandbox, sucking ppl into the dream which they describe so wonderfully, and completely and utterly fail to listen to those that wanted what they originally wanted as well. Instead, if you look at MO, they went for what they thought would be their main audience, which was greifer guilds and exploiter/duper guilds, and they lost out. What people want is depth in a game, not just PvP with eye candy graphics, not lean penalties on guilds that dupe so much gold they can build multiple keeps when honest guilds cant grind for 3 months to build one.

What we have here at Xsyon is a lead dev who actually listens to EVERYONE, and takes all suggestions into account, and then decides which best suits his vision. He doesnt seem to be giving into pressure of larger guilds/groups, and seems to be making only changes for the better, that the majority of the community seem to want. If Jooky can continue this, and continue with his level of communication, I think that alone will make a success out of this game.

Of course we all want depth, MO is years away from offering the kind of depth that is already in Xsyon now. Sure you have to give up a little on the graphical side, but graphics arent everything if you dont have the content to keep you entertained.

Although Im not playing in this testing phase a great deal, I do play a little, and give my opinion on improvements, and report bugs when I do play, and I honestly feel Im being listened to. Apart from a couple of very closed minded people, the community are all great, and we all discuss each others opinions and what we like/dislike about things, to come to a conclusion we all like, in most circumstances.

But the point is, if you feel this may interest you, and you really do want to contribute to the making of a game, this is the right dev for you. In the beginning I felt like I could make a difference with the developement of MO, but soon realised I was mistaken. Here, we actually can make suggestions, and they are listened to. This is a breathe of fresh air.

[eric]

@Virtus:
Never mind my question about crafting et al. I've found some more sparse information already elsewhere on these forums.

Another quick question that came to mind: where are the game-servers located?
I ask because I read that most of you (devs) are in Siberia (Russia?) but I also saw that the company is located in USA.
I myself live in The Netherlands and am somewhat concerned about the expected lag/ping when servers are (too) far away.

@Kinslayer:
Good to read your sensible response.

Mortal Online in itself is not a bad simulation, but as my preferred role usually is a drifter/builder and less a fighter its very unrewarding to play MO. How often not was I crafting something when some asshat repeatingly killed me and thus robbing me of all my work. Ofcourse full pvp gives this risk, but even while in a town no safety is ridiculous. Especially given the fact that MO is played 1st person, so that you never see attacks coming at all. I hope Xsyon is better 'equiped' in that respect.

About graphics: well, I wasn't really impressed by the graphics in MO. Sure the trees (after the recent patches) looked great and the lighting got better, but it still was a rather drab looking world.
So if the graphics in Xsyon are no better its okay. I value gameplay over gfx anyday.

Incidently, I followed the link in your signature and I'm impressed by the guild you are part of. Left a note in your forum so maybe I'll apply in that guild.


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@Admins/Moderators:
If this post degenerated into a more general thread instead of just questions about pricing, forgive me and just either alter the topic or lock it if needed.

[Virtus]

off topic? what's that? nah, its all good :)

The servers are located in Chicago, Illinois (middle of the US)