Fury. Free.

[Dr.Finger]

Aussie developed MMO (or as the devs call is a PvPMMO) Fury announced today that they're going free. Free to download and free to play. This newfound benevolence revolves around the Age of the Chosen update set to release this Friday, which will also be free to download.

The free version does have some restrictions over the retail version, notably you'll earn money and loot a bit more slowly, but you can upgrade your account at a later date. Give it a try over at the Fury Website (http://www.unleashthefury.com/).

Thanks to Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6183912.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6183912).

[menage]

Isn't this supossed to sucks gigantic amounts of ass?

[KrimsonFyre]

I had read they were laying off a chunk of their development staff...didn't expect this though.

If I was a current player of the game (anyone here know of one?) I think I would be pleased with this. If it's multiplayer only, the more the merrier! And it would give me an edge to boot ;)

I would never bother with the $50 but I think I will spend the 20 minutes downloading this and give it a shot.

Krimson

[Roc Ingersol]

Isn't this supossed to sucks gigantic amounts of ass?Yep. It's made to appeal to the people who wistfully remember the 'good old days of UO' -- back when UO was a gankfest where the newbs were sheared and slaughtered.

And those people are upset that there aren't any wide-eyed sheeple.

Also, there's some balance issues wherein people build teams that are, for all intents and purposes, unbeatable. In short, it's an object lesson on the challenges of building a healthy pvp game into a power-gain system.

[Bingley Joe]

YES

FREE THE FURRIES!! FREE THE FURRIES!!!









....

.... oh wait.. umm..

Look! An elephant!!


**runs away**

[Devilturnip]

They tried to make guild wars without any PvE content.

They failed.

This isn't even worth download bandwidth.

[Mashidar]

Yeah I gave it a shot awhile back and at the time there was too much lag to really enjoy a good game. Even then I can't really say that if there was not any lag the game would of been any better.

[Karmakin]

Actually the combat was pretty interesting when I played it on one of the open Beta weekends. I'll download it again and see if they fixed some of the flaws (needed some more customizable controls, to be honest).

[jamaicanrage]

YES

FREE THE FURRIES!! FREE THE FURRIES!!!








....

.... oh wait.. umm..

Look! An elephant!!


**runs away**


I thought i was the only one who misread it.

[KrimsonFyre]

This game was released with so much hype and then completely fell off the radar.

Yep. It's made to appeal to the people who wistfully remember the 'good old days of UO' -- back when UO was a gankfest where the newbs were sheared and slaughtered.


I hear enough about people longing for the good'ole UO open-ended PVP days. There might be a niche market there. Especially if they threw in the competitive drive (spectator modes, tournament play, get some spots on GameTV etc). It looks like this game just failed out of the gate for all the big reasons.

From what I mostly read, the game isn't fun, is laggy, has an incredibly steep learning curve, and has broken mechanics.

All the ingredients of 'fail' really :P

I think I will still downlaod and see for myself though

[nixpayn]

I tried this.

I HATED HATED HATED HATED it.

its a friggin clickfest.

[cppcrusader]

I thought i was the only one who misread it.

No, you definitely were not alone, but at least I have the excuse of misreading it fit with a rather amusing/twisted conversation here in the office. What's yours? ;)

[DigitalFirefly]

Free to Play
Free to Download
Free Forever*

*until we shut down the servers in 6 months

[silv]

They tried to make guild wars without any PvE content.

They failed.

This isn't even worth download bandwidth.


I think the PvP is a lot better than GW.

[Roc Ingersol]

I hear enough about people longing for the good'ole UO open-ended PVP days. There might be a niche market there.Doubtful. UO was unique in time and place.
Back then there were no real alternatives. If you wanted to hang out in a massmog where you could run a tavern and build furniture - by necessity you had to put up with those who exploited UO's rather naive ruleset.

Without the people who were there for UO despite the PvP - you can't recreate what the PvPers actually remember fondly. At best, you can make Shadowbane. Which is a decent enough niche product if you actually like that sort of thing. But that's about as big as it'll likely ever get again. There's simply too many other choices for people who aren't into PvP. Those UO-days just won't happen again.

[Lima Beans]

They tried to make guild wars without any PvE content.

They failed.

This isn't even worth download bandwidth.

Had nothing to do with the lack of PvE content though.

[digitalErich]

*snip*.
+respect points for insight. There are some game experiences/communities that will simply never be created again. Tribes 1 and QuakeWorld are two other examples.

[KrimsonFyre]

Doubtful. UO was unique in time and place.
Back then there were no real alternatives. If you wanted to hang out in a massmog where you could run a tavern and build furniture - by necessity you had to put up with those who exploited UO's rather naive ruleset.

Without the people who were there for UO despite the PvP - you can't recreate what the PvPers actually remember fondly. At best, you can make Shadowbane. Which is a decent enough niche product if you actually like that sort of thing. But that's about as big as it'll likely ever get again. There's simply too many other choices for people who aren't into PvP. Those UO-days just won't happen again.


Yeah, you make a good point.

Shadowbane is a good comparison. The magic of UO was really the vast open-endedness of it all. As you say, the ability to run a tavern, player housing, vendors, villages even. Even the resource gathering felt a little more magical to me then the node farming of this generation MMOs. Maybe that is just the bias coming to the surface though ;).

It almost strikes the same chord with me as battletoads and ghouls and ghosts for NES/SNES (quarter muncher gamestyle basically). I loved those games growing up and miss that crazy challenge of trying a 1000 times to beat a level. I went back and tried them out recently...impossibly frustrating ;). I see why they don't make those types of games anymore :P

I'll put UO in that pile and know it was great for when it was, but doesn't really have a place today.

I agree with you that the time for UO-days is over. But I just can't help wishing, for no logical reason, that a UO II will someday appear on the horizon.

[Lima Beans]

UO really was a full open-world MMO, that had full pvp.. Fury (and guild wars)is an arena based combat game (like counter-strike/Unreal/Quake) that has some mmo and rpg elements.

its really totally totally different IMO, i even personally consider them different genres altogether (i know some here disagree).

I do think it would be interesting to see someone do another full open-world mmo game, that also had full pvp integrated into it. But, yeah I dont know if we will see that happen anytime soon, for all the reasons the above posters are going into.

[Lima Beans]

I agree with you that the time for UO-days is over. But I just can't help wishing, for no logical reason, that a UO II will someday appear on the horizon.

Would be nice I agree!

UO is still going though, and there are many text-based MUDs still going that are very similar.

Not quite the same, I know, but there ya are =p

[Devilturnip]

I think the PvP is a lot better than GW.

Well, you're welcome to your opinion.

[Librum]

It is pretty funny when I hear complaints about the lack of 'real' PvP in popular MMOGs, when what is really meant is a desire for more defenseless and unaware targets that can be griefed without recourse, a la classic UO or Shadowbane.

Good points made earlier in that UO was a special time and place (kind of like the wild west), which had its ups and downs, but it wasn't proof that people wanted to game (or live) in that sort of environment. It ended up proving quite the opposite, really, since if enough paying customers had wanted to keep it the way it was, they'd never have changed it like they did.

That being said, it's a shame that Fury is crashing and burning like it is. I knew several folks who were really looking forward to that, but it seems to be a disaster.

[Roc Ingersol]

I agree with you that the time for UO-days is over. But I just can't help wishing, for no logical reason, that a UO II will someday appear on the horizon.I think there were a ton of good things in UO and a spiritual successor with those features is overdue*. It just won't ever have the same PvP atmosphere of PKs, anti-PKs and sheep.

(*SWG was not it)

[ElektroDragon]

When will these companies stop making pointless MMO clones and start making some good single player RPGs again? Man I hate MMOs....

[Qoz]

"Those UO-days just won't happen again."
Many people played because it was the only thing online then.

I do think you can recreate many of the good things from UO. UO had a tendency to give power to the griefers (with the limitation of the systems), but you could make a modern MMORPG where the good guy had an edge. You could still be evil and gank people, but it would be difficult.

Imagine for example:
- good guys recieving bonuses against EVIL for PvE or quests
- having more bindable equipment through quests also (from 1 to max 3 perhaps)
- many possibilities for trading and crafting through vendors
- a skill called bounty hunting to track down certain known murderers

It should keep a balance to empower the good side, and make the murder trade hard (but still possible).

I also believe that there is room for a UO niche market. Shadowbane was not a good game - perhaps Darkfall will be. In the years following UO there were not enough players to warrant a risky thing as a UO clone. Now millions have been introduced to MMORPGs through WoW and I believe a small percentage want more in regards of freedom in their MMO. A new game just need to take 1% from WoW.
:)

[Lima Beans]

When will these companies stop making pointless MMO clones and start making some good single player RPGs again? Man I hate MMOs....

calling Fury an mmo clone is..... weird...

[Qoz]

When will these companies stop making pointless MMO clones and start making some good single player RPGs again? Man I hate MMOs....
Singleplayer RPGs are pirated alot. Many publishers will not touch it.
MMO's are a cash cow if they succeed - many have not.

I just don't think it is due the market having too few gamers.
If you introduce a new MMO you need to do things differently or do an existing theme even better (like WoW did and now Warhammer Online). Doing a completely new thing is VERY risky, but some have pulled it off (like City of Heroes). People will not switch from their MMO, if the alternative is not better or different. That is why I think there is room for an isometric open-ended world like UO.

[Disgustipated]

Damn those furries and their shitty games.

[Malovech]

I do think you can recreate many of the good things from UO. UO had a tendency to give power to the griefers (with the limitation of the systems), but you could make a modern MMORPG where the good guy had an edge. You could still be evil and gank people, but it would be difficult.

Imagine for example:
- good guys recieving bonuses against EVIL for PvE or quests
- having more bindable equipment through quests also (from 1 to max 3 perhaps)
- many possibilities for trading and crafting through vendors
- a skill called bounty hunting to track down certain known murderers


You hit the nail on the head! This has basically never been taken on and would actually result in an amazing MMO. The aborted Dragon Empires was going in this direction but it never saw the light of day.

IMO MMOs are just pointless exercises where you just try and become the prettiest peacock. There really aren't any substantial consequences, rewards or feeling of risk. While griefing has its own morbid attraction it is ultimately poisonous for a healthy community. RvR systems in DAOC were a nice start, Age of Conan and Warhammer Online are promising but unproven.

I would love it if a developer actually took your ideas Qoz and actually followed them through to a finished product.

[baggle]

Furry MMO?
http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/wp-images/furry.jpg

[CptTripps]

That is why I think there is room for an isometric open-ended world like UO.

I agree and would love one. That java based game (name?) is similar but so damn clunky I can't make myself play it.

[baggle]

So good to see other people who understand what made UO great; freedom. Yeah there was a lot of ganking, but it went both ways. The whole appeal was that there were no set-in-stone rules about what you could or couldn't do. For example, instead of just not allowing you to loot somebody else's mob, the system allowed you to, but then made you a criminal, with no penalty in attacking them.

Sure, you could talk endless amounts of shit to other players, but you might offend the wrong person, and get put onto a KOS list for his guild. That was the beauty of UO. Freedom to make choices and freedom to enforce social consequences in a game world.

Besides the freedom, just the fact that there was SO much to do in the game world was amazing. I've never seen an MMO as in-depth as UO since UO2 (headed up by a lead designer for Meridian 59) was scrapped. Player housing, player crafting and vending THAT MATTERED (best weapons/armor/potions could ONLY be bought from other players who had crafted them), a giant game world, great teleport spell system for quick travel, boats, fishing, everything. It was a wonderful game in more than just the PvP, but the PvP was the end result that people tend to remember about it. If there were another MMO with the freedom of UO, even without the same style of PvP (which would definitely make it better), I would subscribe in a heartbeat. As it stands now, it just ain't gonna happen. Too many carebears these days.

[KrimsonFyre]

Imagine for example:
- good guys recieving bonuses against EVIL for PvE or quests
- having more bindable equipment through quests also (from 1 to max 3 perhaps)
- many possibilities for trading and crafting through vendors
- a skill called bounty hunting to track down certain known murderers

It should keep a balance to empower the good side, and make the murder trade hard (but still possible).


I think you have some really good ideas, alot of games have tried but it looks like the market at large just does not want that type of game.

In many games being Evil was inherently difficult as you were a lone ranger and you had access to limited resources (not really any towns, auction houses, vendors, etc).

The 'Good' team also had many rewards in place as incentive to hunt you down and kill you. These rewards have gone from more items to bounties to permanent stat loss for the evil victim.

I think at the end of the day, it is just too frustrating for most players to 'lose' an hour (or 5?) worth of playtime because they get ganked, regardless of whether the conditions were a fair fight or not.

This would bring us round-circle to consentual PvP, but that is of course a whole different ballpark ;)

[KarmaGhost]

I was going to say "you couldn't pay me to play a furry game," then I read it more closely.

[drakkarim]

started the download last night.

for free at the least i give it a try, which is a lot more than i do with all other "buy before you try" mmos out there.

[Chainblast]

Isn't this supossed to sucks gigantic amounts of ass?

That's why it's free. :P

[VictorVonViolence]

My that was quick

Call me when EQ1 is free.

[Qoz]

I think at the end of the day, it is just too frustrating for most players to 'lose' an hour (or 5?) worth of playtime because they get ganked, regardless of whether the conditions were a fair fight or not. I think this will describe the vast majority, because they want popcorn-MMO's, but I think we have such a huge MMO following these days, that some must be aching for more freedom, depth and challenge.

There is a paradox if you would attempt to re-create an UO experience, because the hard-core crowd would be attracted only if they have others to "play with". If you do this, you need to seriously cater to both sides. I don't think the gankers would mind being hunted down and killed - I think they would like the challenge. And the goody-crowd can recieve their fame and fortune in the social/political system. They can craft, train and also do some PvE in instances (without PvP), and they can team up and go hunting for PK's. You could make it like a fox hunt.. a bounty hunter mage could cripple a known murderer to not be able to teleport, mount or logout with a spell and the Ranger could track the person, making it a great fox-hunt for 30 minutes. Well.. you need to think these things through, but the point is, the goody guys need tools to make them offensive also and not victims all the time..

[Thumper]

Hmm, I might actually give this a shot. It looked like it might've been interesting and CAL/CPL has been partnered with it since beta. Not what you'd expect from an MMO.

[gawaintheblind]

Sh...sh...sh.... SHADOWBAAAAAAAANE AHOY!

[RMan]

In short, it's an object lesson on the challenges of building a healthy pvp game into a power-gain system.
Although I haven't played the game, this is precisely what I expected when reading the game description, and you summed up the problem nicely. I mean, battlefield does it to a degree, but the power difference between 'geared' players and non-geared players isn't that huge, so it works (and the mechanics all but guarantee some kills). Consider something like WoW's PVP, and if that wasn't built on top of another compelling experience and the PVP had to stand on it's own, nobody would be playing WoW's PVP. As long as you gain new abilities and weapons, it doesn’t matter if you don’t call it ‘levels’, you have levels (anyone who plays WoW knows that all level 70 characters are not at the same power level).

The only way it seems this would ever work is to segregate your players by power level, and it’s hard enough to get a multiplayer game off the ground without separating players like that.

[LilBunnyFuFu]

I was actually going to buy this game last weekend, but then i read the reviews and chose not to. seems like this may be fate calling me, guess I better download.

[MankoChu]

I tried to play the Fury beta few months ago. It sucked giant hairy balls. I don't care if it's free, it's just not my thing.


All Wow needs is a few more features and anyone could play it. Even those starved for time. I'll try to keep this short.

Gear/Rep (maybe level) shared between all characters for an account. Get you T1 gear for our priest, your rogue gets it too.

At level 70 anyone can enter any instance. Each instance has a vendor with Zone Bound gear (call it T0). Use that gear to kill bosses and get real gear to take on the next boss and or gain access to the next vendor for the next boss.

An actual guild house or player house. Wow+The Sims. How can that not win?

Where the hell is my Total Annihilation MMO! I want to build power stations to power my guild's war machines!

[Ballistic.]

In case you don't know, Auran "Developments" (who hired the actual team) is now in liquidation. The team was pretty much fired today (pay day) there is a good chance they may not be receiving redundancies , or holiday pay or any overtime.

Best of luck to the team and their futures.

[MankoChu]

In case you don't know, Auran "Developments" (who hired the actual team) is now in liquidation. The team was pretty much fired today (pay day) there is a good chance they may not be receiving redundancies , or holiday pay or any overtime.

Best of luck to the team and their futures.
What a shitty Christmas. :(

[Crowe]

WOW. They declared bankrupt, that can never be good lol.