M$ FL Site is rather misleading...IMHO.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 1:36 am by †

Greetings Again Fellow Freelancers,

Just a small pet peeve of mine, "honesty in advertising", but I wondered if it bothered anyone else as well...or if anyone can clarify these claims and make them justified for M$ to make.

I feel that the Micro$oft sites regarding Freelancer (at: http://www.microsoft.com/games/PC/freelancer.asp and http://www.microsoft.com/games/freelancer/features.asp) are rather misleading in their description of FL.

To show a few of the discrepancies I have seen recently...

They state;

Freelancer™ combines a fully-immersive 3D space-flight system with real-time 3D character interaction to give you complete control over buying and selling commodities, accepting missions for hire, and customizing your spacecraft.

Now this may seem to be "nit-picking", but with them claiming "3D Character interaction" many players reading this will expect to actually walk around stations, bases, and planets. Which is NOT in the game. (Judging by the reviews of the PR Beta Players.) This could also explain why many "noobies" come here asking about this particular "feature".

They also state;

Open-Ended Universe
Play missions randomly or follow the storyline. The universe is open for exploration , and the game evolves based on the decisions you make.

This blatantly implies that a player can "go anywhere, do anything" right from the start of the game, much like it was in "Privateer 2: The Darkening". Which again is NOT how it is actually done in Freelancer. Instead areas are "closed" until you have accumulated a high enough "level" (Fiscal Value) for them to be opened to you. (Again, judging by the reviews of the PR Beta Players.)

They also state;

Play as a Naval Officer and everyone associated with the Navy will treat you better.

AND

Feeling noble? Join the Liberty Navy and help make the universe a safer place for everyone. The choice is yours.

The standard answer to "What factions can I join?", as far as I have seen, has been; "None...it's called 'Freelancer' for a reason...DUH!". So, why do they make it seem as though you can actually "join" factions, and not merely increase your reputation with them through your actions as it truly seems to be in the game? (Once again, judging by the reviews of the PR Beta Players.)

I think anyone buying this game based on the word of the PUBLISHER will not only be highly disappointed, but also feel rather infuriated at the false claims.
(Yes, one could always fall back upon the standard "try the demo before you buy it" excuse. But how many times have we seen "not all features are shown in this demo" stated, and therefore expect even more functions/features from the "full version"? Which cannot even be judged until a demo is actually released for FL anyway. lol)

I want to make this PERFECTLY clear...
I am salivating for this game as much as the next crazed fan, and have no doubt I will play it, and enjoy it immensely.
I do NOT mean to make this sound as if I am saying anything negative about the game itself!
I just hate it when publishers seem to go out of their way to be vague, or misleading, in their claims of what features their titles offer the players...and then leave the Designers taking the heat.

Simply put...
I think that DA should give M$ a kick in the pants to represent it correctly.

Respectfully,

Pyrate Dredd

Tue Feb 04, 2003 1:45 am by Route66

While we're on the subject of the MS site, how about it getting some bloody updates from time to time?

Apart from the guff about the career paths and the recent PR compo the basic content of the site hasn't changed one iota since it was launched and how long ago was that? Thank God for TLR and those like it, who seem to be doing a way better job of whipping us up into a frenzy waiting for FL.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 1:52 am by GoodDog

Well said. However, I don't think that people who buy the game will be disapointed because they don't get to walk to the bar instead of click to it, or being very closely tied to the Liberty Navy instead of actually being "in" it. A little embellishing of the product doesn't bother me too much. If someone willing to fork down $50 to play the game then they should be responsible enough to look into its features more thouroghly than a quick skimming of the MICROSOFT website. That name slapped on the box alone warrants some extra scutiny in my eyes.

GoodDog

Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:04 am by Route66

I just think it's such a shame when a game's 'official' site is such a let down. It looks awful and hasn't been updated in months, A severe case of 'underconstruction-itis'. Maybe there'll be a mountain of stuff added nearer release but I can't think that it does much to attract new converts to the genre.

That said, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to me personally , I've been gagging for FL for the best part of 3 years and I work in the advertising/marketing industry, so exposure to hype and bulls**t is nothing new.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:08 am by Tachyon

Don't know... I have a feeling that the site construction was more of a MS job than a DA job, that or DA has really bad fact checking

But anyway, I agree they shouldn't say you can join factions because you obviously can't... The other things are nitpicky or true.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:18 am by mustang

I agree with you on most points, I have actually thought along those lines myself when scanning through the site. The realtime 3d bit all depends on your point of view though, some people will see it the way it is and others will not.

However saying that players will be highly dissapointed may be stretching the truth a bit far.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 3:10 am by Stinger

Route 66 says...

It looks awful and hasn't been updated in months, A severe case of 'underconstruction-itis'.

Well, they added the "professions gallery: in the past few weeks or so. They added those little ships lfying back and forth recently. They added the wallpapers in the last month or so. Sneak preview contest in the past 2 weeks. I mean I beg to differ with you, but there have been quite a few updates and certainly sooner than months as you indicated. I may be splitting hairs, but the facts speak for themselves IMHO.

Back on topic, I think theres a case that information may be misleading, sure. Sometimes the impressions of one person may not be the same as the next one. I've been following along with this game for a couple of years now. If there's one thing I've learned from that experience, expect the unexpected from DA/MS. Maybe I'm just accustomed to the months of no news. I think since November we've just been pelted with news. So much so it's like candy and we just want more.

And so it goes....

Edited by - Stinger on 04-02-2003 03:13:59

Tue Feb 04, 2003 3:15 am by Bhurak Starkiller

ROTFL, Mustang! I don't know how I missed it, but your sig is great. Fits in with the whole Freelancer ad motif.

Oh, and, uh, yeah, they should probably change the misleading stuff. As far as updates go, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more now that we're in the home stretch.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 3:50 am by El Poyo Diablo

The only thing IMHO that needs to be updated on the Freelancer webiste is the neural net section. It gives you that little snippet of inof about house liberty and eveyrthing else is "offline". They need to fix that and give us some more detailed infor about the game. It really helps to get you immersed in my opinion.

Tue Feb 04, 2003 4:25 am by ElectricBrain

It's just the whoel marketting dealie. You put in big words and vague facts about the game to make it seem a ton better than what it really is. Same goes for pretty much any other game out there.

One thing about the open ended universe mention, it is true, but only on multiplayer.

- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Tue Feb 04, 2003 7:16 am by Infidel

Just about the "Flying Ship thingies" there Sting... they were there since this latest incarnation of the site was made live ie. the new background and content a couple of months ago... however, in relation to the marketing... it's the same for everything... especially entertainment products... read the box, play the demo, then make a decision... anyone who doesn't do that and still buys the game deserves any disappointment they receive.

I should know... I've done it... doh!!!

Infidel

"Only one human has ever survived an attack against a Mimbari Cruiser... he is behind me... you are in front of me... if you value your lives... be somewhere else!"

Tue Feb 04, 2003 8:49 am by †

Isn't it sad that we, the consumers, have gotten so used to being lied to by manufacturers, and advertisers, that we just accept it as a fact of life now?

What ever happened to "dollar votes", and utterly refusing to by from companies which blatantly use such methods to increase their sales?

If you let them do it they will just do it more.
If you run the liars and cheats out of business by refusing to buy their products then maybe the rest will be a little more honest in their advertising.

Take the "$" out of "M$"!!!
LOL!

Bah!
One shouldn't post when hammered!

Fly well,

Pyrate Dredd

§~~~~~~~~~~~~§

And this too shall pass.

§~~~~~~~~~~~~§

Tue Feb 04, 2003 10:41 am by Arumin

Yes companies may have lied to us consumers, or slightly misled us to the point where it was practically lying, and we should just say no to them.

but... i want there product.

i'm weak.

"I am the Midnight Bomber what bombs at midnight."

Tue Feb 04, 2003 11:07 am by Bargib

Chill out... it's a bit of a storm in a glass of water, guys! Nothing biggie here, I promise!

I'm going to *CLICK* this since I think the comments have been made, I made some people aware of them, but honostly, I think you are overreacting... In principle this whole site is marketing if you look at it...

Best Regards
Christian "Bargib" Koerner
Editor in Chief, The Lancers Reactor

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