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Wildstar Hype Cycle

M

Milleuda

Mother Hen
I found a really interesting post on reddit about the Hype Cycle, which can be applied to MMO's in general. I think the OP nicely explains some of the things we are seeing/hearing on reddit and forums, which tends to be the vocal minority.

I must say I am having fun with Wildstar despite some of the apparent flaws.

http://www.reddit.com/r/WildStar/comments/2coi9n/public_opinion_suddenly_very_negative_post_launch/


I don't understand this mass mentality shift from a very positive feedback and attitude to an overwhelmingly negative and hostile view on the game. There are definitely some flaws, but is the game honestly deserving of the public opinion that it's now received? This is in stark contrast to pre-launch / early launch when feedback was very optimistic, including from long-time beta players.
Then, suddenly, people began to downvote any mention of the game outside of this sub, even if the commentary was fair or relevant. They began to downplay the great parts of the game and overstate the existing flaws to the point where if you visit the sub you get a picture of a completely broken game with no hope of being polished.
Maybe I was lucky, but the game just wasn't and isn't as buggy or game-breakingly bad as people are constantly complaining about. It's also very odd to see so much critical acclaim from so many places like Penny Arcade and the like, with high metaratings, but then see any mention of the game get blasted into oblivion on any forum of conversation.
It's odd, most people complain about the lack and ease of content as to why they leave a new MMO, but Wildstar boasts a plethora of challenging content that most people haven't even experienced and nobody has even cleared. Oddly enough, people seem to be less interested in that than when they have nothing left to complete in these other games because they faceroll all the content with little to no teamwork aspect required. I've heard people saying that Carbine is mistaking tedium for difficulty, but this is misplaced criticism, as truly difficult encounters require perseverance to overcome.
I don't know... Maybe I'm just tired because it's late and being too defensive of this game that, personally, I think is one of the most polished, challenging, and enjoyable MMOs to come out in ever. (As well as easily offering the most content and value.)
Help me understand the paradigm shift in mentality towards the game.
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Allow me to introduce you to the Hype Cycle
Screen+Shot+2013-05-27+at+9.47.35+PM.png


The Hype Cycle is a statistical curve based on years of research developed by Gartner Research Inc. This is a curve that is usually adapted to technologies but works just the same for Wildstar.
Currently Wildstar is in the trough of disillusionment. In essence many people are experiencing disappointment due to overinflated expectations, sense of entitlement or just generally not patient people. At a certain point the Devs will have caught up with a large number of the requested bugs and QoL fixes that the masses are requesting. At this point we will see Wildstar move up the Slope of Enlightenment and towards the Plateau of Productivity (which is were WoW has been for years).
Wildstar is a great game and has enormous potential. In the long run this doesn't really matter. The number of subscribers to this subreddit is a small fraction of players (and often loud and over opinionated). Take a month break, find something else to do. Surely you have more important things you could be doing anyways; I've got a masters degree to plan.
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I blame it on the RAIN.



Also I edited your post to have the content in it. [faq=16][/faq]
 
I loved the top comment (which you have so elegantly added after the chart). It's the normal course for many games, especially MMO's. Even going back to the server choice, we prepared for this exact scenario (hence why we chose the most popular server and refused to change). You gotta ride the waves as they come, but stay the course!

What this also means is that, in general, we'll get late adopters to the game that will boost from the current decline and continue to bolster subscriptions. This is why WE, as a community, need to not falter and succumb to the negativity that floats around! We are enjoying the game our own way, and that's EXACTLY what we need to continue doing! Many of us know that it's the COMMUNITY YOU PLAY WITH that makes games enjoyable! The game itself is just a vehicle for us to play together!

So here we are, at the utmost decline portion of the game. Enjoy the flavors of the month, broken abilities, glitched quests and bosses while they exist, because they won't exist forever! Things will statically change, and how we adopt to these changes is how we will survive, together!
 
i have always thought this way. i fully embrace the hype circle, as when you understand it you don't fall prey to the hype.
 
Also, let me add what I had stated on the reddit post about.... 4 hours ago.

The people that hyped the game prior to launch are the people who are now playing the game and not spending their time on reddit. That's about it.
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Totally agree. Every MMO goes through this. You ultimately have to decide for yourself if this game is something you enjoy.

I don't plan on going anywhere for awhile unless TAB decides to move on as a community. This game is quite enjoyable as long as you have a group of people to play with.

If I wanted to play a game alone, I'll go back to FFXIV. Those Primals are so much fun and easily puggable. Wildstar, on the other hand, is not pug friendly at all.
 
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