Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

[Kulaf]

https://pantheonmmo.com/

Who is watching this game closely? I think it is our last be hope for pe.......err, best hope for a return to the kind of MMO we all have been waiting for. I am trying not to get too hyped, but I haven't really been excited about any other MMO title, so why the hell not.

HYPE!

[Baginns Hobbiton]

I want to be excited about this, but I'm a bit torn. After the disaster that was Vanguard, I promised myself I would never buy something that Brad McQuaid touched. Vanguard had such amazing potential, but was so poorly managed that it ended in shut down. However, I really want to play a game like EQ again. Closest thing I can find right now is Eve Online, in a totally different genre.

[Kulaf]

I agree completely. But Brad is not running the business side of this new company. He was clearly over his head in Sigil. He allowed the project to get out of control and did not secure proper funding, so pushed out an incomplete product.

http://visionaryrealms.com/company/team/

Brad is only in charge of Creative. Other people are running the company and running it quite well as I have seen. They have secured enough funding to complete the game to their satisfaction, and any additional money just goes to hire more people to speed the process. All project spending is funneled through the money guy so they don't overspend and try to push out an incomplete product.

I have yet to pledge any money out of the same concern you have, but I am getting confident enough that I think that is going to change. I think I will pledge $250 for 2 game copies, alpha/beta access and first three months sub, I figure that is almost a break even pledge. I encourage you to watch some YouTube vids on the company and the product.

https://youtu.be/nB_2b1wBatY

[Kulaf]

Took the plunge and donated $250. Saw a post by Anshar on the forms after I joined. Hope to see more former Brell folks.

[UltraBurz]

Pre-Alpha 5 cannot come soon enough.

[Kulaf]

Were you in other pre-alpha stages Burz? If you are allowed to discuss it, what did you think so far?

[UltraBurz]

I may or may not be account sharing with some people in pre-alpha. I do have my own alpha account tho. Each stage of PA has made great strides in both mechanics/content. They recently hired a new animator so hopefully we get more fluid combat animations and not the literal 1998 EQ placeholders that are currently in there.

[Kulaf]

Awesome.

[Baginns Hobbiton]

I'll be keeping my eyes on this. I've been playing a lot of Eve but I can't get my group of friends to join me there. This might get us grouping again.

[Ddrak]

I may or may not be account sharing with some people in pre-alpha. I do have my own alpha account tho. Each stage of PA has made great strides in both mechanics/content. They recently hired a new animator so hopefully we get more fluid combat animations and not the literal 1998 EQ placeholders that are currently in there.

Clearly should hire the folks that did Luclin. Am I right?

Dd

[Kulaf]

I'm thinking they might have scooped up someone from Blizzard. Lots of "things" happening in Warcraft land.

[UltraBurz]

I'm thinking they might have scooped up someone from Blizzard. Lots of "things" happening in Warcraft land.

Activision laying off a lot.

[Ddrak]

I'm thinking they might have scooped up someone from Blizzard. Lots of "things" happening in Warcraft land.

Activision laying off a lot.

Mostly marketing/admin/publisher side from what I understand, not game dev side. That's largely due to losing a couple of dev studios, so don't have the work to support them.

At least, that's the official story.

Dd

[Kulaf]

Yeah the layoffs were that, but a lot of people left recently due to Activision's heavy handed lead.

I watched an interesting video about how game companies mature and stop being game companies. I think it stemmed originally from an interview with Steve Jobs where he described how the older a company gets, the more "finished" their line of products become. They stop innovating and just sell the same things over and over. When that happens it becomes harder and harder for creative people to advance in the company, and the marketing guys become the main drive and focus of the company. Eventually the company is being run not by innovators or creative people, but by people from the marketing department because they are the ones that appear to be the reason the company is making money.

It appears to be the case, as we have seen most of the AAA game conglomerates (EA, Activision, Ubisoft, etc.) listen and cater to game reviewers and critics rather than to their fans. That is how marketing guys think.....get the free advertising by getting good reviews and we will sell more games because gamers are sheep.

I think the future of gaming is crowd sourcing by real gamers and small studios that remain independent and own their IP's.

Found the video: https://youtu.be/-AxZofbMGpM

[Ddrak]

Wow - that video made me think of Apple right now, but yes, it does apply to game companies as well. I love Assassin's Creed but it's hard to say that there's anything particularly innovative going on - just a prettier sandbox each time that's looking like most other Ubi sandboxes.

Dd

[UltraBurz]

I'm thinking they might have scooped up someone from Blizzard. Lots of "things" happening in Warcraft land.

Activision laying off a lot.

Mostly marketing/admin/publisher side from what I understand, not game dev side. That's largely due to losing a couple of dev studios, so don't have the work to support them.

At least, that's the official story.

Dd

They let go quite a bit from their Overwatch League division, which made pretty good money. It has shown in the new season's questionable production value.

[Alarik Zekaiden]

Put my $250 in for it. I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

[Kulaf]

Just popped for a T-shirt:

https://www.pantheonmmo.com/merchstore/#!/

[Kulaf]

Pantheon Climbing System:
https://youtu.be/sdx_N6ADT7Q

Pantheon Mastery System:
https://youtu.be/athSqzLRROs

Shaman Mastery:
https://youtu.be/pot-NH3VTdY

[Kulaf]

2 days to Pre-Alpha 5 Burz. I expect a report.