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  1. #1

    Open letter to Massive (Ubisoft, Redstorm, and others): The Division the future

    To the people at Massive pulling the strings and all the developers at Ubisoft, Redstorm and others that in some way work on The Division, let us please be open and frank with each other.

    You have time after time mentioned how much you respect the community of this game, for their openess, responses, suggestions and as well for their critism. I (since i can not speak for the community as a whole) ask you to be as open and frank as the community has been to you.

    The past couple of days i have watched and read alot of responses to the Year 2 announcement. I would estimate about 80% of the community is very dissatisfied with what is planned (or the lack of planing) for year 2.

    So let me give you a short executive summary and questions:
    Is there an intention of letting The Division stutter along, without any meaningful content / expansion releases planned, for past this year 2?
    If the first question is answered with yes, then is this because you are planing a The Division v2 due to limitations experienced in the v1?
    If the first question is answered with no, then please do explain your intentions. Could it be that due to the new Avatar game, Massive has refocused alotted ressources away from The Division?

    The past 1st year.
    Congratulations to the first birthday of The Division!
    The past year has been a really fun ride with its ups and downs but in total experience just great.
    I came to the game in closed beta and was instantly taken by the incredible world art work that had / has been done. The detail of the world created was one of the major unique characteristics of this game.
    Added to that the weather engine that always had a surprise ready the next time you stepped out of the safe house.
    The leveling experience from 1 - 30 and the story line told within it, is just alot of fun.

    Definitions:
    Now you state that The Division is a
    "Tom Clancy’s The Division is an online action-RPG set in an immersive & realistic urban open world."
    - quoted from https://tomclancy-thedivision.ubisoft.com/...

    Let us look at that definition abit closer. "Online" is simple, it needs an internet connection in order to play and is multiplayer orientated. "Realistic urban open world" means that the world builders did an undoubtably great job
    on the look and feel of the game world. The open world part means you can just run around anywhere and do anything you like. This is to some extent true, if even it is pretty limited due to the map size in total. It does not take very long to have explored every part of the map.

    Now for the interesting part "RPG" or "role playing game". The simple meaning of it can best be taken from Wikipedia "A role-playing game (RPG and sometimes roleplaying game) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making or character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines."
    Basically meaning of you decided to do A then there is a certain probability that B, C or D can happen. Depending on your skills and of course the random generator.

    Another defining part of an RPG is progression. You level your character and by doing that gain experience and skills. Become more skilled / powerfull at what you do.
    In the classical sense (like D&D) The Division is definitely not an RPG. In the sense of progression The Division is an RPG until lvl30 is reached. Then the characters are stagnated.
    Underground, Survival, Last Stand are not linear progression towards the characters. If you have rank 30 underground or rank 99 dark-zone etc. it does not in anyway modify your character. A character can be maxed out lvl30 gear score 256 and never do any of these.

    The ups and downs.
    Reaching lvl30 the character is at end-game. This can be reached within a couple of days very easily. The grind for better gear / weapon starts and a min/maxed setup or just trying out other builds.
    This is where the problems start. A character can very quickly and easily jump from world tier 0 to 5 and end up with a gear score of 256. At which point all that is left to do are the following:
    - keep on min/maxing gear/weapon (by re-running the same content missions/incursions over and over again
    - go into the DZ for PvP experience
    - start any of the side progressions (underground, survival, last stand)
    - start a new character

    Your dedication to the game.
    "Under the continued leadership of producer Cristian Pana, creative director Julian Gerighty and game director Mathias Karlson, we are ready to expand on The Division further. Cristian and Julian, together with senior game designer Drew Rechner, visited us on our special anniversary stream to talk about our dedication to The Division and its future."
    - quoted from https://tomclancy-thedivision.ubisoft.com/...

    With the publication / annoucement of year 2, you have directly reserved your statement quoted above. In the "Special Report" it was made clear there will be no DLC & no content expansion, no missions no incursions. So how do you explain "we are ready to expand on The Division further."?

    Is it just not in year 2? are we looking towards year 3 that this expanding will happen? What do you expect players to do that are playing the game right now with a lvl 30 min/maxed character? delete the character(s) and start over?

    Please explain. Please tell your community what you have planned more clearly.

    regards
    A passionate The Division player
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  2. #2
    sgtnogo's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally Posted by Art.Van.Delay Go to original post
    I actually feel bad for people like Hamish, Yannick, Matt and Gabe, because it probably wasn't their call to make at all, and now they're knee deep in ice cold water and have to keep playing Ubi's music to calm the passengers down and pretend that the ship isn't sinking.
    Fortunately, there's enough life boats for everyone!
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  3. #3
    RS_Deadeye's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally Posted by Art.Van.Delay Go to original post
    Do you really think they will answer your questions? Even if they wanted to, the CMs most likely wouldn't be allowed to.

    This whole "we are committed to blabla and will continue to blabla" is nothing but corporate marketing blurb, anyone able to read between the lines gets the subtext: It's over, move along.

    I actually feel bad for people like Hamish, Yannick, Matt and Gabe, because it probably wasn't their call to make at all, and now they're knee deep in ice cold water and have to keep playing Ubi's music to calm the passengers down and pretend that the ship isn't sinking.

    It's a disgrace what happened here, and the fact that Ubisoft is unable to ever leave this corporate autopilot bs mode makes it all the more comical. Like people still offering suggestions and CMs acting interested, who are we trying to fool at this point?
    Sad but true.
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  4. #4
    Cadillac-Jack's Avatar Senior Member
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    First off OP great post and well put


    Originally Posted by Art.Van.Delay Go to original post
    Do you really think they will answer your questions? Even if they wanted to, the CMs most likely wouldn't be allowed to.

    This whole "we are committed to blabla and will continue to blabla" is nothing but corporate marketing blurb, anyone able to read between the lines gets the subtext: It's over, move along.

    I actually feel bad for people like Hamish, Yannick, Matt and Gabe, because it probably wasn't their call to make at all, and now they're knee deep in ice cold water and have to keep playing Ubi's music to calm the passengers down and pretend that the ship isn't sinking.

    It's a disgrace what happened here, and the fact that Ubisoft is unable to ever leave this corporate autopilot bs mode makes it all the more comical. Like people still offering suggestions and CMs acting interested, who are we trying to fool at this point?
    Secondly Art you are spot on I myself have said several times UBI is behind this (Corporate monsters just don't care about gamers/players) all they care about is the quick buck and this game on it's released made a very big quick buck.

    I do feel sorry for the Massive/redstorm devs in a way because they got put in a position and then compromised by the corporate monster (pushed in front of a bus) That stream they all looked rather uncomfortable from the go.
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  5. #5
    Bring on Vivendi, how could they be any worse?
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  6. #6
    Originally Posted by sgtnogo Go to original post
    Fortunately, there's enough life boats for everyone!
    We don't need life boats. There's a big ship on the horizon called Andromeda.
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  7. #7
    Surprised Hamish still works for them, I know he loves his job and adores the game, but he really has been left to deal with the gamers and smooth out the damage them higher up have done to the game.
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  8. #8
    Don't bother they have a stick so far up there asses when they open there mouths i can see branches.
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  9. #9
    What makes anyone think they will all of the sudden listen now when they've clearly given up on it? They haven't listened to anyone on this forum since launch and that changes now?
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  10. #10
    Originally Posted by Demonic66666 Go to original post
    Bring on Vivendi, how could they be any worse?
    Ja! Reminds me of some in the US that said: " bring Trump on.... it cannot be any worse... " ... let's wait and see.
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