I'm a long-time lurker, and I know you guys have had a fair share of arguments and discussion over the RISE updates...but I would like to direct this to players who are returning or have been playing for a while. You guys seem to make up the majority of the playerbase.
I myself am not sure if I can articulate why I returned to Vindictus.
I spent last night thinking about buying NX during the sale for some vanity funds when Lynn's parasol blute...butt...whatever gets released in North America. Then I stopped myself because...I understood immediately that this would just be an impulsive purchase. And that eventually I would leave, frustrated and sad, only to return several months later to look at the upcoming content and get the urge to spend money on a game I once loved.
I played this game before it was available on Steam, back when I was a middle schooler with too much freetime. I dedicated thousands of hours learning various characters and learning the Season 1 raid bosses, in hopes that I could solo them with mediocre Black Hammer gear.
It was exciting to see a free-to-play game in 2012 with the combat mechanics, epic soundtrack, and graphical detail in Vindictus. Boss patterns mattered. Timing the dodges and blocks mattered. Positioning mattered. Even drinking potions in the right situations mattered, because the physical animation for it made your character vulnerable.
It was a feeling that... I never quite had for another game.
And it explains exactly why "veterans" keep coming back. We always have some small sliver of hope that we could feel the same amount of hype and anticipation from when we first started.
There has never been a game like Vindictus, even as of now: in 2017. Blade and Soul could not replace it, Black Desert Online could not replace it... I wonder if there is ever the possibility that another MMORPG could replicate the smooth, fast-paced, high-tension hack n' slash combat that Vindictus offered.
Nexon (NA) is a terrible company, but is only one of many reasons as to why Vindictus is not considered a successful, popular game. That is obvious. The assertion that companies with free-to-play titles being laden with microtransactions, punishing RNG, and/or excessive grinding has long been “a given” as to why people quit. The discussion of Nexon, alongside other Korean companies and their business models contributing to the fall in popularity of their MMORPGs in the west is…an interesting topic that warrants discussion of its own...perhaps some other time.
But it has been seven years. The game I remember being so fond of is dead. The content that once made players intimidated by the various raid bosses and caused party wipes across eight players is dead. The developers took measures towards helping the retention of newer players by killing the difficulty of everything aside from endgame...but I believe that the reason why people played in the first place was because of that difficulty! Now that experience is gone. I wonder if new players quit more so out of loneliness and boredom than anything else.
I'm not here to complain about the RISE update. I'm really not. The changes made to making gear more easily obtainable, alongside the improvements across the enchanting/enhancement system was an absolute necessity to prevent players ragequitting, and I'm glad it happened, even if it was a bit late. Maybe I'm here just to mourn what's lost forever to time. There is little incentive for me to play now, especially now that I'm alone. (Yes, yes, Miri brings back some people to try her out and stuff like that, the game seems more lively than the last time I "returned". But I'm more interested about people playing for Vindictus, not playing for Miri.)
So...TLDR; I've noticed that a good portion of the playerbase are returning players/veterans. What keeps you going, if it's not being a NX whale with infinite disposable income? Do you think it's worth playing this game, still? Is it just nostalgia keeping you here? Is it because you can have that feeling of pride and accomplishment (sorry) upon maxing out your gear? Or is it because you have friends that still play?
Bonus: What do you think can help player retention? Maybe Vindictus is just a niche grindfest destined to only keep the most dedicated of players around.
Comments
I just wanted to mention that MapleStory is managed by Nexon and is much worse than Vindi when it comes to everything you listed, but it's still thriving after over a decade.
I'm not familiar with Maplestory, but from what I know, that game gets content updated on a consistent basis alongside events worth doing. I've mentioned that Nexon is only one of the many reasons why Vindictus isn't considered a popular/successful game.
It's like Monster HunterXDynasty Warriors
it's possibly the ultimate combination of gameplay styles for a ridiculously fun game
that being said Rise has hurt my enthusiasm greatly given it feels like i can only play like 5 battles a day or so at what i decide is the end game because the stat req for Dulla is actually retarded not to mention Neamhain though i dunno if they ever nerfed it or whatnot
I'll be honest when monster hunter comes out for Steam i'm probably going to take a decent break from Vindictus
I'm playing because of the classes (scythe mage, sword mage), actually not being a braindead combat, thorough customisation of your character and vindictus's lore (yeah I like the story, sue me).
Ah, Fashiondictus, the true endgame. How could I have forgotten?
I overlooked the very reason why players are willing to spend hundreds on gacha box stuff.
I'm willing to assist if you're in NA server. I usually chill in ch. 122
You can create a second account with a new email address to create the characters your missing.
I chose friends/community because after Rise my reasons for playing this game have all been reduced to friends only, one of my irl friends in particular whom i play with once in a month or so.
1. I love the epicness in raids.
2. The music in raids is epic.
3. Really fast/action gameplay.
4. Not overly complicated system.
5. Gearing up and climbing the rank table.
6. Invested too much time and effort.
What I hate:
1. Enhance fail don't stack from +10 and above.
2. Often relying on luck to increase stats.
3. Big punishment for failing a high rank enhance/enchant.
4. Limited options for male characters in cosmetics.
5. REEEALLLY Slow updates.
6. Missing content from Korea.
7. No more 8ppl raids.
8. Little to no exploration.
Simple, you don't have to read or respond either.
Number six on your list...is that something you actually enjoy, or is it moreso out of obligation? I always found it a bit weird that people would say, "I've spent too much time and money in this game to quit".
My favorite time spent in Vindi was definitely during S1. Especially when the dragons and Keaghan were released - it was the only time I ever followed the updates so closely. S2 was also pretty fun, although I've spent the majority of the time with stats under the "Attack Requirements" for those that hosted boats. Was a pleb, still a pleb.
There is an odd disconnect between S3 and the rest of the game, but I attribute it more to the design choices made to accommodate the weird story. Everything is certainly more flashy, but I wouldn't rule out technicality - especially for battles like Neamhain (which I haven't tried and probably won't for a very, very long time).
Honestly, I probably realized by now that this game isn't really fun without much social interaction, so that's why I got bored and typed up this tirade on the forums. I keep Vindi around for the nostalgia, but seeing my deserted friends list and remembering the old guildmates I once greeted everyday is a bit demoralizing.
You badass, you.