The Business of Strategy

Recently, I stumbled upon this Heroes of Might and Magic inspired game when looking for a strategy mmo. I’ve tried Atlantica Online, and it just felt like I had 9 alts instead of one avatar. Yikes. Just the sheer amount of equipment, stat points and skills I had to manage made it feel like an old school Japanese RPG rather than a MMO. Make no mistake about it, it is a fun game, but the battles tend to fade into one another as I end up not doing much more than clicking auto attack with my ranged guys while my front line defends. Flanking? You’re dreaming.

Or are you? I’m as skeptical of Chinese F2P grindfests as much as the next guy, but what if they made a strategy game instead of a RPG game? If anyone remembers the gameplay from HoMM III (which the official site says the game is based on), how much did gear and stuff like that matter? Hardcore gamers may even remember the classic 10 Pikemen vs the Black dragon scenario where, through smart play, the Pikemen prevailed against what seemed like impossible odds. This is one title where advantages in purchasing power can be easily negated by a keen eye and quick mind.

One thing I have to make clear here, I’m sure there are going to be some balance issues, and I know it’s likely the scales will be tipped in the paying customer’s favor. The degree which that scale tips, however, is of the utmost importance to me. More and more import titles are changing their design to better fit the local flavor. Look at Aion’s less grindy American cousin, or PWE’s Battle of the Immortals, both titles underwent a lengthy localization process where gameplay balance was changed to the western player’s liking.

Why? Because though business people may be greedy, they are not stupid. They realize that if no one plays a game, there is no way to generate income. And the best way to make sure a F2P title is dead in the water? Don’t localize. Players are so much savvier these days about gaming purchase they can smell a poorly translated money pit a mile away, so companies must react to that change. That is especially true for the strategy games genre, as it tends to attract the type of player who sees through these simple ruses much more easily.

What am I getting at? Basically, I’m trying to convince myself to give this game a shot. I’ve been burned before by the F2P genre, but I’ve had some good experiences too. It all depends on who’s behind the curtain, and how much good player feedback gets through. It’s looking good so far, so I’m gonna get my hopes up. Wish me luck!

Advice?